Speculate!

Welcome to Episode 70 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we present the second installment of our triptych on the work of Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm with our interview of both writers–all wrapped up in one person!  We cover a lot of ground with Robin and Megan, discussing (among other topics) the origin of her pseudonyms, where she finds her inspiration, the differences between writing novels and short stories and how to best represent the voice of a cat.  Robin’s graciousness and mastery of the craft is evident throughout, and we hope you enjoy listening to the interview as much as we enjoyed conducting it.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week for our final episode in the triptych, discussing some of the writing techniques Robin and Megan use in The Inheritance and Other Stories.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word (and if you haven’t already done so, please head here for details on how you can nominate Speculate! in the Hugo Awards Best Fancast category–the deadline is Sunday, March 10th)!

Welcome to Episode 69 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  With this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, looking at the 2011 short story collection The Inheritance and Other Stories–the first time both pseudonyms have been brought together in one volume.  In particular we talk about Lindholm’s stories “A Touch of Lavender” and “The Fifth Squashed Cat,” along with Hobb’s stories “The Inheritance” and  “Cat’s Meat”; although both names belong to one author, the voices and emphases are quite different, and we look at both those differences and the assured touch of a speculative fiction master evident throughout all of the book.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll continue the triptych with our interview of Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm herself.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word! P.S. Time is running out to nominate Speculate! in the Hugo Awards Best Fancast category–the deadline is only a week away, on Sunday, March 10th, so if you haven’t already done so, please head here for all the details…and thanks!

             Welcome back for Episode 68 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we focus for the third time on the state of the speculative fiction field with special guests Matt Forbeck and Lee Moyer, concentrating this time around on the impact of Kickstarter and other crowdsourcing systems on the world of fantasy and science fiction.  Both Matt and Lee have run highly successful Kickstarters in the past year, and over the course of our discussion we look at the implications of Kickstarter for all of us:  is this system going to replace the traditional methods of getting a book or game to market, or can it work side by side with those methods?  What are its potential pitfalls (and how can you avoid them)?  And if you succeed, what comes next?  We cover all these bases and a few more during the course of our discussion, and we hope you’ll find it as enlightening as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back for our next episode, the first in a triptych on the work of Robin Hobb.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word! Update: here are links to Lee’s whitepaper on Kickstarters, including the introduction: http://leemoyer.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/kickstarter-what-does-it-all-mean/ http://leemoyer.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/kickstarter-white-paper-part-1/ http://leemoyer.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/kickstarter-white-paper-part-2/

Welcome to Episode 67 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we present the second half of our interview with authors Peter V. Brett and Myke Cole, as they talk more about their friendship (and the coolest gifts any authors could ever get), different methods and places of writing, and what they would (or wouldn’t tell) the younger versions of themselves if they had the opportunity.  If you enjoy what you hear, make sure to check out Part One of the interview, and don’t forget to check back for our next episode when we’ll talk about the state of the field with Michael Stackpole and Matt Forbeck.   Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word!

Welcome to Episode 66 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we present the first half of an interview with authors Peter V. Brett and Myke Cole, long time friends and successful speculative fiction authors both with new books due out within the next month.  We hadn’t expected the interview to run as long as it did, but we found what they had to say about Dungeons and Dragons, the ups and downs of a writing career, and the impact of September 11th on their lives and work so interesting that we just had to keep the tape running.  If you enjoy what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll post the second half of the interview.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word!

Welcome to Episode 65 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we kick off 2013 with an interview of author Howard Andrew Jones, who writes both original world novels and books set in Paizo‘s Pathfinder universe, adding to our ever-growing list of speculative fiction authors who enjoy gaming almost as much as they enjoy writing!  We cover the influences on Howard’s work (including an abiding interest in 1,001 Arabian Nights), his fascination with the short story writer and novelist Harold Lamb, and the differences between writing an original world book like The Bones of the Old Ones and a shared world book like Plague of Shadows.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back for our next episode when we’ll again talk about the state of the field, this time with authors Michael Stackpole and Matt Forbeck.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word! Note:  As you’ll hear at the end of this episode, nominations are now open for the 2013 Hugos, and Speculate is eligible in the Best Fancast category.  Needless to say we’d be super-excited to be nominated for a Hugo (to say nothing of winning one), largely because it would give us the ability to speak to that many more listeners every show, and if you feel like the show deserves some recognition, please consider voting for Speculate.  The nomination form and rules can be found at the LoneStarCon3 Hugo Nomination page–and if you do decide to vote for our show, thanks!  

Welcome to Episode 64 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, our final one of 2012, we conclude our triptych of shows on Joe Abercrombie‘s Red Country with a discussion about some of the specific writing techniques used in the novel, examining aspects of setting, character development, determining the place of a book’s characters in the world they inhabit and the importance of writing what you love.  We conclude with wishes for a happy and peaceful holiday season, never more necessary than in the wake of the horrific tragedy at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut; we pay tribute to the victims at the end of the episode. If you like what you hear, please spread the word, and thanks for all your support in 2012.  We’ll be back in the new year with new shows examining the speculative fiction genre which we love.  Until then, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!

Welcome to Episode 63 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on Joe Abercrombie‘s Red Country with an interview of the author himself, who confesses his early love for role playing games, his desire for something more out of his epic fantasy (specifically:  grit, emotional range and humor), and his investment in the world he’s built and in which he wants to remain.  Joe’s got a lot of interesting things to say about the usual parameters of epic fantasy, and this was a fun interview to conduct.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll conclude our triptych with a discussion of a few of the more notable writing techniques used in Red Country.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word!

  Welcome to Episode 63 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  Join us as we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Joe Abercrombie. In this episode, as we review Red Country, Brad and Greg find themselves at opposite ends of the fantasy-western continuum, a phenomenon we didn’t even know existed much less applied to us before reading Abercrombie’s latest book. We also talk about our impressions of the three main characters, the no-nonsense Shy South, the quiet giant Lamb, and Temple the Not So Heroic. Don’t forget to check in with us next week when we speak with the man himself, Joe Abercrombie. Until then, please share and enjoy!

Welcome to Episode 61 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  We set a new record for single episode participation in this show with four distinguished guests: Brenda Cooper and E.C. Myers (authors of The Creative Fire and Quantum Coin, respectively), freelance editor Gabrielle Harbowy, and Pyr Books‘ editorial and art director Lou Anders speak for an hour on what has made Pyr such a successful speculative fiction imprint, where it’s been and where it’s going in the future.  This wide ranging discussion also looks at the finer points of how good editors work with good authors, how important a good cover is to an equally good book, and what makes Dragon Con such a scary (and amazing!) event every year.  Our shows normally don’t run this long, but we hope you’ll agree the extra discussion we got with all of these fine people was worth the extra time.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll start a new series of shows on the work of Joe Abercrombie.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 60 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we (virtually) sit down for a discussion with urban fantasy authors Amber Benson and Anton Strout for a discussion of why they love doing what they do, why urban fantasy continues to appeal to such a wide audience and what the future looks like for the subgenre–and why they’re fired up to talk about it even after an exhausting go-round at New York Comic Con!  If you like what you hear, make sure to check back next week when we’ll begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Joe Abercrombie.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 59 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we conclude our triptych of shows on the Beneath Ceaseless Skies magazine with a look at a few of the specific writing techniques used in the stories from the two issues we discussed during this series, focusing on ways to establish tone through language, work against reader expectations, use vignettes to engage the reader, and put together surprise endings–ones which don’t have to rely simply on the progression of the plot.  If you enjoy the conversation, don’t forget to check back next week for an interview with urban fantasy authors Amber Benson and Anton Strout.  Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!

  Photo courtesy of the excellent Al Bogdan. Welcome to Episode 58 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the Beneath Ceaseless Skies magazine with an interview of its publisher and editor-in-chief Scott H. Andrews, who has a lot of interesting stuff to say about the origins of the magazine, his editorial philosophy, and why literary adventure fantasy is a seriously underserved portion of the speculative fiction market.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll conclude our triptych with a discussion of some writing techniques employed in stories published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word!

Welcome back for Episode 57 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  After a busy summer of convention-going, workshops and interviews, we get back to our usual routine by going back to the beginning (so to speak), as we start our first triptych of shows on a short fiction magazine since our inaugural series of episodes last year.  Despite being in operation for only four years, Beneath Ceaseless Skies has already racked up an impressive list of authors, stories and awards, and we take a look at stories from the two most recent issues to see what all the buzz is about.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll interview Scott H. Andrews, BCS‘s editor-in-chief and publisher.  Until then, thanks as always for listening to the show, and please continue to spread the word!

Welcome to a special episode of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, Greg and Brad interview the authors who attended the Wellspring Writers Workshop held in Lake Geneva, WI. We asked each of our guests, all accomplished writers, to talk about one of their “Ah ha!” moments in their writing career, those moments of insight that helped them to turn a corner in their writing. The writers who joined us for our chat were: Grá Linnaea, Kelly Swails, Kameron Hurley, Vincent Jorgensen, Chris Cevasco, E.C. Myers, Stephen Gaskell, and Brenda Cooper. We had a wide variety of responses that may in fact help you. What were some of your “Ah ha!” moments? Please share in the comments. As always, please enjoy, and thanks for spreading the word.