Writers, After Dark: Recent Episodes
Summer Brooks
Fantasy author L. L. McKinney talks about concluding her Nightmare-Verse trilogy, the possibility of revisiting the world later, and writing other stories.Source
Old Norse and Old English lecturer and researcher Dr Tom Birkett stops by to talk about his latest, "Legends of Norse Mythology", an illustrated middle grade reference.Source
Author and journalist Tom Huddleston talks about his new book "The Worlds of Dune: The Places and Cultures that Inspired Frank Herbert", a detailed exploration of the influences behind the worlds and world-building of Dune.Source
Editors Shane Hawk and Ted Van Alst Jr are here to to talk about their new collection, "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology"Source
Award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer talks about the newly released trade paperback edition of his alternate history / secret history novel "The Oppenheimer Alternative".Source
Producer-Director-Author Paul Salamoff is here to talk about the process in adapting his own story from a novel into a graphic novel, seeking a way to tell this story in the best way possibleSource
Kat Howard stops by to talk about the second book in her "Unseen World" fantasy thriller series, "A Sleight of Shadows".Source
Peggy Rothschild stops by to talk about the second book in her Molly Madison mystery series, "Playing Dead". Source
Menna van Praag stops by to chat about the second book in her "Sisters Grimm" series, Night of Demons and Saints. Source
Katelyn Monroe Howes debut novel THE AWOKEN explores what can happen when someone's existence becomes a challenge to society's updated norms through no fault of their own. Source
Thriller author Mark Greaney stops by to talk about his newest, a standalone thriller ARMORED, and a little bit about The Gray Man series now that an adaptation is available on Netflix. Source
Sarah Pearse stops by to talk about her latest murder mystery, THE RETREAT, about Detective Elin Warner, and coming up with another secluded location to set this story. Source
Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence stop by to talk about their "The Science of" series, the newest of which will be "The Science of Witchcraft" and "The Science of Agatha Christie". Source
Epic fantasy author David Dalglish stops by to talk about his newest book, THE BLADED FAITH, first in the new "Vagrant Gods" trilogy. Source
Mystery author Peggy Rothschild stops by to chat about A DEADLY BONE TO PICK, the first book in her new series Source
Science fiction author Rob Hart stops by to talk about his newest novel, "The Paradox Hotel" Source
Fantasy author Sue Lynn Tan stops by to talk about "Daughter of the Moon Goddess", first in a new duology. Source
Thriller author Nick Petrie stops by to talk about the seventh and newest book in his Peter Ash series, "The Runaway".
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Fantasy author Genevieve Gornichec stops by to talk about "The Witch's Heart", and her fascination with Angrboda Source
Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms (collaborating as M. A. Carrick) return to talk about the second book in their "Rook & Rose" fantasy trilogy, The Liar's Knot. Source
Horror author & editor Kevin Lucia stops by to talk about his latest novella collection (perfect for Halloween), "October Nights", out now from Crystal Lake Publishing Source
Mystery author Spencer Quinn (AKA Peter Abrahams) stops by to talk about Tender is the Bite and It's A Wonderful Woof, the newest books in the wildly entertaining Chet & Bernie series Source
Otto Penzler stops by to talk about the last in the Big Book short fiction series, The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries Source
Debut YA author Ginny Myers Sain stops by to talk about her debut teen supernatural thriller, Dark and Shallow Lies Source
Aaron J. French, PhD is the co-editor of a new spiritualism horror stories, There Is No Death, There Are No Dead, the latest anthology from Crystal Lake Publishing. Source
Award-winning thriller author Mark Edward Langley stops by to talk about his Arthur Nakai Mysteries series and the newest story in the series, When Silence Screams. Source
YA author Diana Rodriguez Wallach stops by to talk about her newest Latinx YA horror thriller, Small Town Monsters. Source
Urban Fantasy author Laurell K. Hamilton stops by to talk about the first book in her new series, A Terrible Fall of Angels Source
Urban fantasy author Richard Kadrey stops by to talk about King Bullet, the final volume in the Sandman Slim series Source
Screenwriter and author J. Michael Straczynski stops by to talk about his two newest books, Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer, and Together We Will Go. Source
Epic fantasy author Bradley P. Beaulieu talks about his latest novel, A Desert Torn Asunder, the conclusion of his "Song of the Shattered Sands" saga. Source
Science fiction author Neil Sharpson stops by to talk about his debut novel, When the Sparrow Falls. Source
Co-editors Jenn Northington & Swapna Krishna stop by to talk about their Arthurian fantasy collection Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices Source
Fantasy & Steampunk author P. Djèlí Clark stops by to talk about his first novel, A Master of Djinn Source
Epic fantasy author John Gwynne stops by to talk about The Shadow of the Gods, the first in his new series, "The Bloodsworn Trilogy". Source
Science Fiction author Christian Cantrell stops by to talk about his newest novel Scorpion. Source
New York Times Best-selling Horror author Josh Malerman stops by to chat about the stories and the mysteries of the town of Goblin told in his new novella collection Goblin. Source
Epic fantasy author Steven Erikson stops by to talk about the latest novella set in the Malazan world, Fiends of Nightmaria Source
Filmmaker and science fiction author J. S. Dewes stops by to talk about her space opera debut, The Last Watch. Source
Dark fantasy and Horror author Christina Henry stops by to talk about her newest book Near the Bone Source
Journalist and YA author Kate M. Williams stops by to talk about her debut YA fantasy trilogy, "The Babysitter's Coven", and the recently released second novel, For Better or Cursed. Source
Fantasy author Kim Neville stops by to talk about her debut novel, The Memory Collectors. Source
Fantasy author Sarah Beth Durst stops by to talk about her latest stand-alone novel, The Bone Maker. Source
Acclaimed fantasy author Jennifer Roberson stops by to talk about Sinners and Saints, the latest in her new "Blood and Bone" series. Source
Science fiction authors David Weber and Chris Kennedy stop by to talk about Into the Light, the sequel to the best-selling Out of the Dark. Source
Science fiction author and writing instructor (and limnologist!) Nina Munteanu stops by to talk about her newest novel, A Diary in the Age of Water Source
Science fiction author Karen Osborne stops by to talk about "Architects of Memory" and "Engines of Oblivion", the novels in her duology "The Memory War". Source
Fantasy and middle grade author Kacen Callender stops by to talk about their Caribbean fantasy duology, "Islands of Blood and Storm" Source
Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms (collaborating as M. A. Carrick) stop by to talk about The Mask of Mirrors, the first in the new political intrigue caper fantasy trilogy, "Rook & Rose". Source
Science fiction author Gerald Brandt stops by to talk about Threader Origins, the first in a new series that explores travel across alternate worlds using quantum physics. Source
Best-selling fantasy author Terry Brooks talks about The Last Druid, ending The Shannara Cycle and starting a new tale in a new world. Source
YA author Emily Barr adopts a pen name to venture into writing horror, and she stops by to talk about Evie Green and her first novel We Hear Voices. Source
Mystery author Craig Johnson stops by to talk about Sheriff Walt Longmire's latest investigation, Next to Last Stand. Source
Otto Penzler, proprietor of Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, is also the editor of a large number of mystery-themed collections, with the newest one being The Big Book of Espionage. Source
Horror author Craig DiLouie stops by to talk about his newest novel, The Children of Red Peak Source
Fantasy author Evan Winter returns to talk about The Fires of Vengeance, the second volume in his series "The Burning". Source
Science fiction & fantasy author (and podcaster) Edward Willet drops by to talk about his newest anthology Shapers of Worlds, a collection of fiction from authors he had talked with on the first year of his podcast. Source
Actor & Producer Lou Diamond Phillips and his wife, illustrator Yvonne Phillips, stop by to talk about Lou's debut science fantasy novel, The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira, which Yvonne illustrated. Source
Mystery and Fantasy author Ausma Zehanat Khan stops by to talk about her acclaimed series, "The Khorasan Archives", and the concluding fourth volume, The Bladebone. Source
Dark fantasy author Shaun Hamill's debut A Cosmology of Monsters is a fascinating coming-of-age fable that explores the nature of mental illness and monsters and the grey areas where they may be one and the same. Source
Dark fantasy and Horror author Christina Henry stops by to talk about her newest book The Ghost Tree, a story about the dark secrets small towns harbor that can make those of the "big city" pale by comparison. Source
Colin Dickey stops by to talk about his new book, The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters and Our Obsession with The Unexplained, peek into several categories of these stories, as well as a larger look at human tendencies to believe in the unusual and irrational. Source
Fantasy author Kevin Hearne stops by to talk about Ink & Sigil, the first book in "Ink & Sigil" series (which is an "Iron Druid Chronicles" spinoff), about the upcoming third volume in his "The Seven Kennings" series, A Curse of Krakens, and more. Source
Edgar Award-winning and New York Times Bestselling thriller author T. Jefferson Parker stops by to talk about Then, She Vanished, the latest novel in his Roland Ford private investigator series. Source
Award-winning editor, anthologist and Jonathan Strahan stops by to talk about the latest anthology, The Book of Dragons, and how all these particular dragons came to be. Source
Urban fantasy author Faith Hunter stops by to talk about the newest book in her Soulwood series, Spells for the Dead, about the primary protagonists of two of her series, Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram, and how Jane and Nell and their stories came about. Source
Fantasy author Django Wexler stops by to talk about Ashes of the Sun, the first in his new epic fantasy trilogy. Source
Matt Wallace is a writer playing in many ponds, so fantasy author, screenwriter, game writer and podcaster don't entirely cover all the places he writes stories for, but his new epic fantasy novel Savage Legion is at long last coming to shelves. Source
Science fiction author Jessie Mihalik talks about the combination of elements in her Consortium Rebellion trilogy: political intrigue, space opera and romance. As a fan of both science fiction and romance, the pairing seemed more than natural for her to write. Source
Fantasy author Devin Madson talks about her journey from being self-published to having a trilogy picked up by a traditional publisher, and more. Source
Fantasy author Jon Skovron stops by to talk about his latest epic The Ranger of Marzanna, which kicks off a new fantasy trilogy. Source
Multi-award winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer stops by to talk about his newest novel, The Oppenheimer Alternative. Source
Award-winning horror & dark fantasy editor Ellen Datlow stops by to talk about her newest anthology, Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles. Source
Menna van Praag stops by to talk about her debut fantasy The Sisters Grimm, a dark fantasy story that turns the idea of children rebelling against their parents' plans for their lives sideways. Source
Zack Jordan stops by to talk about The Last Human, where the seed for the story came from, figuring out how to write higher intelligences and how those societies might be structured. Source
Mercedes Yardley stops by to talk about Arterial Bloom, a horror short story anthology from Crystal Lake Publishing, which is her first foray into being an editor. Source
Award-winning science fiction author Kameron Hurley stops by to talk about her Worldbreaker Saga, and the concluding story, The Broken Heavens. Source
Kay Villoso stops by to talk about her new epic fantasy The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, it's foundation in Filipino mythology and needing to portray a strong female protagonist in this world. Source
Thriller author Joshua Hood continues the legacy of Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne with a new operative Adam Hayes, who, unlike Bourne, remembers everything he's done and struggles to live a normal life with that. Source
Professor Ebony Elizabeth Thomas stops by to talk about her book "The Dark Fantastic", and yes, we deep dive into all sorts of discussion about and around #BlackGirlMagic, specifically focused on four stories with passionate fandoms. Source
Luke Arnold, fantasy writer and Black Sails actor, stops by to talk about his debut novel, The Last Smile in Sunder City. Source
Writer and game designer Gareth Hanrahan stops by to talk about his Black Iron Legacy series. The second book, "The Shadow Saint", is out now from Orbit Books. Source
YA SF author Scott Reintgen stops by to talk about Ashlords, the debut volume of his new magical horse race duology. Source
SF author and columnist Mike Chen talks about how creating the characters of A Beginning at the End was more important than the actual apocalypse and immediate aftermath. Source
SF columnist/historian Alvaro Zinos-Amaro and publisher Peter Carlaftes of Three Rooms Press talk about the history and the future of SF Grand Master Robert Silverberg, including the newest short story collection, "Alien Archives". Source
S. K. Dunstall (Sherylyn and Karen) stop by to chat about Stars Beyond, the latest entry in their space opera series "Stars Uncharted". Source
New York Times best-selling author Robin Cook stops by to talk about his latest medical thriller, Genesis, and some of the implications of using ancestral DNA from genetic testing as an investigative tool to track down and identify unknown persons who may be connected to crimes. Source
Joe Mynhardt, publisher of Crystal Lake Publishing, stops by to talk about getting started as a small press, focusing on horror and thrillers, and addressing the expansions since. Source
Fantasy author Evan Winter stops by to talk about his debut epic fantasy The Rage of Dragons, the first of four novels encompassing a new world and a new magic system used in a world perpetually at war, and based in the peoples, art and myths of an African perspective. Source
Epic fantasy author Marshall Ryan Maresca stops by to talk about Shield of the People, the newest in the "Maradaine Elite" series, and how all the different Maradaine series will eventually all tie together. Source
Military science fiction author Jay Allan stops by to talk about The Emperor's Fist, the fourth book in his "Far Stars" series. Source
Fantasy author L. L. McKinney stops by to talk about her "Alice in Wonderland" inspired urban fantasy series "The Nightmare-Verse", and the new second book A Dream So Dark. Source
Fantasy author Jonathan French stops by to talk about The True Bastards, the second book in "The Lot Lands" series and sequel to The Grey Bastards. Source
Science fiction and fantasy author K. Eason talks about her newest fantasy epic How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse, where the fairy tale trope of the princess needing to be rescued is turned about. Source
Mystery author Craig Allen Johnson talks about his best-selling Longmire series, how he keeps the investigations fresh without turning Absaroka County into a Western version of Midsomer Murders. Source
Science fiction, fantasy, and just about any genre author Edward Willett talks about the books in his latest series, "Worldshapers", and the appeal of telling as many stories as possible has for him. Source
Science fiction & fantasy author Kevin J. Anderson stops by to talk about his newest fantasy epic, Spine of the Dragon. Source
Edgar Award-winning and New York Times Bestselling thriller author T. Jefferson Parker stops by to talk about The Last Good Guy, the third and newest novel in his Roland Ford private investigator series. Source
Thriller & horror author Mark Sheldon stops by to talk about his latest novel in the "Sarah Killian: Serial Killer for Hire!" series, Sarah Killian: The Mullets of Madness Source
International best-selling thriller author Robert Crais stops by to talk about his latest thriller, A Dangerous Man. Source
Fantasy and science fiction author Megan O'Keefe stops by to talk about her newest novel, the space opera epic Velocity Weapon. Source
Science Fiction and horror author David Wellington stops by to talk about his newest novel, The Last Astronaut. Here he thought he was writing a horror story in space, and a lot of other people are reading something different Source
Fantasy author Chloe Neill stops by to talk about the fourth and final book in her "The Devil's Isle" series, The Beyond. Source
SF author Daniel Suarez stops by to talk about his latest novel, Delta-V, and what happens when you mix a corporate venture into space, mining near-earth objects, and greed. Source
SF author and comics writer Michael Moreci stops by to talk about his space opera sensation, Black Star Renegades and the newly released sequel, We Are Mayhem. Source
New York Times Best-selling author Tosca Lee stops by to talk about her latest thriller, The Line Between, which is an apocalyptic story that starts right at the beginning of the disaster. Source
Thriller author Louisa Luna stops by to talk about Two Girls Down, the first in her new Alice Vega series where we are introduced to PI Alice Vega and her enigmatic partner on this case, local Pennsylvania investigator Max Caplan. Source
Tasha Suri stops by to chat about her epic fantasy debut, Empire of Sand, the history and myths used in the world-building and magic system, and where the story goes from here. Source
Science fiction author Alex R. White stops by to talk about his new space opera trilogy, The Salvagers. The first book, A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, is a rowdy, raucous adventure with numerous twists. Source
Horror author Dale Bailey talks about his horror inspirations, his own ghost stories and his newest novel, In the Night Wood. Source
Horror author and editor Amber Fallon talks about her latest project, the Fright into Flight anthology from Word Horde, why curating this book was so important, and what makes horror one of her favorite things. Source
Comics writer and illustrator Jeffrey Weigel talks about his new YA space adventure graphic novel from Lion Forge Comics, Quantum Mechanics, as well as his story process, his art process and more. Source
Fantasy and Horror author and editor Christopher Golden talks about Hark the Herald Angels Scream and the fun of curating holiday horror tales, and his early history with horror stories at Christmastime. Source
Fantasy author (and literary agent) Rena Rossner talks about her debut novel, Sisters of the Winter Wood, where the inspiration for it came from, and her desire to explore the Jewish folklore that's integral to her heritage. Source
Horror author, baseball fan, heavy metal fan and media mogul Armand Rosamilia talks about his "Dying Days" series, and the newest entry in that series is "Dying Days: Family Ties", a young adult focused survival adventure featured two differently-abled adolescent siblings. Source
Kenneth W. Cain considers himself more a dark fiction author rather than horror, because he chooses story elements from all genres, and that that flexibility helps him explore the darker sides of humanity. Source
This week, Hugo Award winning and Nebula Award nominated author Mary Robinette Kowal talks about her Lady Astronaut duology, which is itself a prequel to her Hugo winning short story "Lady Astronaut of Mars". Source
Award-winning (and Hugo nominated) speculative fiction author Rebecca Roanhorse stops by to talk about her first novel, the acclaimed Trail of Lightning. We talk about the magic system she devised for the Diné world, how the types of abilities are tied to their clans, and how the manifestation and strength of those powers are tied to traumas. Source
Fantasy and horror author Daryl Gregory has a story for you. Spoonbenders (just out in trade paperback) tells the story of a family of dreamers gifted with psychic abilities of varying strengths and stability, how they became famous, how they fell apart, and how they tried to bring all the pieces back together again. Source
Horror author Joe R. Lansdale and his daughter, author and musician Kasey Lansdale, have collaborated on the stories in Terror Is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors, a rather unusual investigator in a vast field of fiction about supernatural investigations. Source
YA & SF author Emily Devenport stops by to chat about Medusa Uploaded, which is about a serial killer on a mission on a generation ship, and there's a lot of mystery and mayhem to enjoy in this story. Source
SF author Gareth L. Powell stops by this week, to chat about his latest novel, Embers of War. The first in a space opera trilogy, the story centers on a sentient former war cruiser having a "change of heart" about being a machine of destruction. Source
Comics writer Zack Kaplan drops by to talk about "Port of Earth", his newest series from Top Cow. What happens when first contact is a business deal rather than a diplomatic mission? Source