Adventures in SciFi Publishing: Recent Episodes
Brent Bowen
A science fiction podcast: bringing you authors of science fiction and fantasy since 2006: interviews, book reviews, news, free books, and more.
Kristi chats with USA Today & New York Times Bestseller author Faith Hunter. For those of you who don’t follow contemporary fantasy, Faith is the author of The NYT Bestselling Jane Yellowrock series, about a skin walker of Cherokee decent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living… I’m not […]
Guest interviewer, friend of the program and a “narrator” at the Unreliable Narrators podcast Cath Schaff-Stump roped “famous” Hugo Award-winning blogger and fantasy author Jim C. Hines into a chat for the show. They discuss Hines’ new book Revisionary and his experiences leading up to publication and clinging to the successes during periods of rejection. This episode […]
Kristi chats with author Erin Lindsey (interview begins about 41:15) about her recent article on TOR.com titled WHEN MARY SUE FAILED THE BECHDEL TEST and novel from her BLOOD BOUND series. In our Erin Lindsey episode: Before the interview, Brent and Kristi talk about their favorite genre-type things from 2015 and what they’re looking forward to in 2016. When Mary Sue Failed The Bechdel […]
Editor’s note: This episode contains adult language. Brent decides to bring his own brand of anthology work by featuring the talents of the Paradise ICON group of 2015 during their reading. Part 2 of the reading (begins at 9:17) features authors Doug Engstrom, Shannon Ryan, yours truly and Cath Schaff Stump. If you missed part 1, make sure […]
Brent decides to bring his own brand of anthology work by featuring the talents of the Paradise ICON group of 2015 during their reading. Part 1 of the reading (begins at 41:30) features authors Ransom Noble, Christopher Cornell, Stephanie Vance and Jim Meeks-Johnson. We’ll share Part 2 in episode 319. In our Paradise ICON Reading […]
John Dodds chats with Matthew De Abaitua about his slipstream novel IF THEN from Angry Robot Books. John also reviews the novel saying, “If there is any justice, it deserves a nomination for the next Hugos.” This episode is brought to you by Cracking the Sky from Brenda Cooper, and published by Fairwood Press. Launching at Sasquan, award-winning author Brenda Cooper’s first science-fiction only collection treats readers to […]
Kristi Charish and Rob Matheny chat with Sam Sykes, author of the critically acclaimed novel The City Stained Red, the first book in his new fantasy trilogy, Bring Down Heaven. This episode is brought to you by The Forgotten Prince from Josh Hayes. In book two of the Second Star series, Fighter pilot Lt. John McNeal narrowly escaped […]
Kristi Charish chats with Rod Duncan, author of the critically acclaimed novel The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter, the first book in the alternate history series The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire. This episode is brought to you by The Forgotten Prince from Josh Hayes. In book two of the Second Star series, Fighter pilot Lt. John McNeal narrowly escaped […]
Gregory Pellechi sits down and chats with Hugo nominated artist Ninni Aalto while at Archipelacon in Mariehamn, Finland. Ninni is a Finnish artist who was nominated under the category “best fan artist” in 2015. This episode is brought to you by Cracking the Sky from Brenda Cooper, and published by Fairwood Press. Launching at Sasquan, award-winning author Brenda Cooper’s first science-fiction only collection treats readers to human stories about the […]
Gregory Pellechi chats with Swedish author Karin Tidbeck at Archipelacon in Mariehamn, Finland. They discuss writing in Swedish vs. English, the ending to Mass Effect and the differences between live action roleplaying games in North America and the Nordic countries. Karin Tidbeck is the author of numerous short stories including the collection Jagannath, her stories […]
Warning: The Grim Tidings Podcast takes over AISFP in this special episode where Brent chats with Rob Matheny and Philip Overby about the world of Grimdark, their new…ish show and they play a game of “How Grimdark is it?” Rob and Philip then interview Victor Milan, author of The Dinosaur Lords from Tor Books. This […]
Kristi Charish chats with New York Times Bestselling and urban fantasy author Carrie Vaughn. Carrie’s Kitty Norville series, about a werewolf who hosts a talk radio advice show for supernatural beings, comes to a close with Kitty Saves the World. This episode is brought to you by The Forgotten Prince from Josh Hayes. In book two of the Second Star […]
Gregory Pellechi interviews British authors Gaie Sebold and David Gullen at Archipelacon in Mariehamn, Finland. They chat about a number of topics including writing strong female characters, working as writing partners, and the importance of travel. This episode is brought to you by Cracking the Sky from Brenda Cooper, and published by Fairwood Press. Launching at Sasquan, award-winning author Brenda Cooper’s first […]
Brent and Kristi talk with modern-Renaissance man Peter Orullian about his most recent novel Trial of Intentions from Tor books and, being that he works on Microsoft's Xbox -- most recently leading the music and entertainment marketing strategy for Xbox LIVE, of course ... video games.
Gregory Pellechi chats with Icelandic author and poet Emil H. Petersen at Archipelacon, the Nordic Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention held in Mariehamn, Finland. They discuss the difficulty of finding appropriate science fiction and fantasy terms in Icelandic, or the need to create them, the various versions of the Norse myths and Emil's books.
Brent and Kristi chat with Lou Anders, author of the two Throne and Bones middle grade books, Frostborn and Nightborn, which Kirkus Reviews described as a series that "future fans of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin can happily cut their serial- fantasy teeth on." We also chat about the career switch Lou's made from editor at Pyr Books to full time author.
Brent chats with Robert Brockway, a senior editor and columnist at Cracked.com. Beyond his penchant for making the internet chortle into its cornflakes, he’s also taken to fiction writing. The Unnoticeables hit shelves July 7 and Kirkus Reviews calls it “A nasty, freaky, and haphazardly funny horror story.” They discuss the novel, what Robert has against Iggy Pop and Mario Lopez, and a surprising must try craft beer. (Interview begins at about 31:45)
Brent and Kristi chat with Bioware writer and editor, respectively, Patrick and Karin Weekes. They discuss the differences in working in that medium versus working on prose, including pioneering the romance wheel heart option in RPGs and including diverse characters in games. For those of you who haven't heard Kristi fangirling on the show, the Weekes have worked on the AAA Bioware video game series Mass Effect and Dragon Age (interview begins at about 29:45).
Brent and Kristi chat with Bioware writer and editor, respectively, Patrick and Karin Weekes. They discuss how one finds himself or herself in the land of video games and the differences in working in that medium versus working on prose. For those of you who haven't heard Kristi fangirling on the show, the Weekes have worked on the AAA Bioware video game series Mass Effect and Dragon Age (interview begins at about 39:05).
Kristi chats with Nebula and Locus-nominated author Laura Anne Gilman about the different genres she writes in, her varying experiences in publishing and “her knack for taking tropes and hurting them.” Laura Anne also shares some tips for newly minted authors on giving their first panel and what self-publishing authors should look for in an editor. Her next delivery of trope torture publishes October 2016 in the form of The Devil’s West series debut SILVER ON THE ROAD.
In part two of our two-part interview, Brent and Kristi talk with Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal about her efforts to facilitate conversation about fandom with a Hugo supporting membership drive, her new gig on Sesame Street, and her final book, OF NOBLE FAMILY, in the Glamourist Histories (interview begins at about 28:20).
In part one of a two-part interview, Brent and Kristi talk with Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal about her efforts to facilitate conversation about fandom with a Hugo supporting membership drive and her interests in the Caribbean, specifically a recent Steampunk Cruise where she often is a guest (interview begins at about 11:30).
Brent and special 13-year-old guest host Riley kick off the inaugural YA Book Club by chatting with Nebula-nominated Tina Connolly about her hilarious new young adult novel, Seriously Wicked (interview begins at about 41:32).
This week’s episode features an interview with John A Pitts (JA Pitts), author of BLACK BLADE BLUES, an urban fantasy series featuring master blacksmith and budding dragon slayer Sarah Beauhall. John and Kristi discuss what’s going on with the series and delve into writing career topics authors often shy away from. This episode is brought […]
This week’s episode features an interview with David Wellington, author of the new zombie epic from HarperVoyager, POSITIVE. He and Timothy C. Ward discuss why this dystopian adventure appeals to readers who may or may not like zombies. This episode is brought to you by Scavenger: Evolution by Timothy C. Ward. Enter Tim’s SCAVENGER giveaway (for […]
Sports and speculative fiction: Why don’t we see more of it? Sports play such an integral role in our society so its perceived absence is particularly noted when a novel the likes of Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee hits the shelves: A rising star in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, Carr “the Raptor” Luka dreams of […]
Advice about whether to go the self publishing or traditional publishing route is often provided from those who started their careers five to ten years ago. We wanted to chat with a few individuals who were recently in the midst of the quagmire. Jennifer Foehner Wells, the science fiction author of FLUENCY, and Jodi McIsaac, fantasy author of the THIN […]
The discussion of whether to go the self publishing or traditional publishing route is delegated to writers who have been wildly successful — and often from those who started their careers five to ten years ago. Jennifer Foehner Wells, the science fiction author of FLUENCY, and Jodi McIsaac, fantasy author of the THIN VEIL series, join […]
Cary Elwes of The Princess Bride gives a behind-the-scenes look at the movie as well as other movies in his career during this Planet Comicon special. We also chat about the week that was certainly Hugo Awards nomination bar fight and hangover. This episode is brought to you by the Stone Soldiers series from C.E. Martin. The Stone Soldiers are America’s secret weapon […]
Brent Bowen and Kristi Charish discuss being named a Hugo Awards finalist as well as the political clash of clans before the finalists were announced. They also remember Terry Pratchett and share their thoughts on his work and life. This episode is brought to you by Edge of Dark from Brenda Cooper, and published by Pyr. What if a society banished its […]
Sean Gunn and Michael Rooker of Guardians of the Galaxy give a behind-the-scenes look of the movie as well as their careers in this Planet Comicon special. This episode is brought to you by Edge of Dark from Brenda Cooper, and published by Pyr. What if a society banished its worst nightmare to the far edge of the solar system, destined to […]
Paul Weimer of The Skiffy and Fanty Show and SF Signal joins us on the day of the Hugo nomination deadline to provide the Anti-Sad Puppies point of view about the Sad Puppies effort and the Hugo Awards. This episode is brought to you by Edge of Dark from Brenda Cooper, and published by Pyr. What if a society banished its worst […]
Ferrett Steinmetz joins us to discuss his debut novel Flex from Angry Robot Books. It’s pitched as a novel where Breaking Bad meets Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files. Ken Liu offers the following advance praise: “Featuring one of the most original magic systems ever devised and a pair of likable, layered protagonists, Flex is a fast-paced, imaginative, and emotionally engaging adventure. The developing […]
Larry Correia and Brad R. Torgersen join us to discuss the Sad Puppies effort. The campaign questions the notion of inclusion in genre, particularly with the Hugo Awards. In the interview, we discuss the perceived exclusion of popular fiction. We also chat about the controversial decision to include Vox Day in the original slate. Full disclosure: AISFP was […]
Kristi Charish and Timothy C. Ward join us to discuss their new books! Also, this is Shaun’s last show. Brent and Kristi will be continuing the podcast in a bold, new direction with exciting new segments and more great author interviews. Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast and my return to its […]
Janet and Chris Morris join us to discuss how to write in the ancient world, among many other topics. This episode is brought to you by Islands, an audio drama based on a novella from Eric Flint, adapted by Tony Daniels, and published by Baen books. A four-part, full cast audio play adaptation of […]
S.E. Grove joins us to discuss the story, magic, science and inspiration behind her stellar novel, The Glass Sentence.
Mike Resnick joins Shaun to discuss his latest novel, The Fortress in Orion, the beginning of the Birthright Universe, and much more. Also, we play first five five minutes of Islands, by Eric Flint. This episode is brought to you by Islands, an audio drama based on a novella from Eric Flint, adapted by Tony […]
Chris Pourteau, Jennifer Ellis and Editor David Gatewood join us to discuss their new anthology, Tales from Pennsylvania, which also features a story by our very own Timothy C. Ward! This episode is brought to you by Islands, an audio drama based on a novella from Eric Flint, adapted by Tony Daniels, and published by […]
Jennifer Marie Brissett joins Brent Bowen to discuss her first novel, Elysium. Also, Shaun talks about some new books that just came out, including titles by George R. R. Martin and Frank Herbert.
Brad Torgersen, author of The Chaplain's War, joins us this episode to discuss a variety of topics, including: the cost of winning a war; confronting our concept of the "Other"; his favorite military SF novels; the evolution of language; much more.
Jean Cavelos, founder of the Odyssey Writers Workshop, joins us to to talk writing, workshops, making it as an author, what writers don't know, what makes Odyssey different from Clarion, where publishing is going, concerns about piracy and an authors's ability to make an income, HarperCollins competing with Amazon, and so much more.
This episode is brought to you by The Grand Hotel, by Scott Kenemore. Welcome to the hotel where nobody checks out. When a desk clerk welcomes a group of tourists into his mysterious and crumbling hotel, the last thing he expects is that a lone girl on his tour may hold the power to unravel […]
This episode is brought to you by Mission: Flight to Mars, by V.A. Jeffrey. Bob Astor is a Quality Assurance agent working at Vartan Inc. Lately his days have been stressful, to say the least. Butting heads with upper management has put his career on life support. A surprising change in circumstance has Bob going […]
Sarah Chorn of Bookworm Blues joins us to discuss book reviewing and some of her favorite books from 2014.
James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard, joins us to discuss his first science fiction novel that he co-wrote with Nils Johnson-Shelton, author of the Otherworld Chronicles. This episode is brought to you by the new middle grade novel THRONES AND BONES: FROSTBORN, by Lou Anders. Smelly trolls, the walking […]
Two-time award winning author Kameron Hurley joins Moses to discuss her work, her journey, the support of the writing community, finding the market for her work, making her own rules, and much, much more! This episode is brought to you by the new middle grade novel THRONES AND BONES: FROSTBORN, by Lou Anders. Smelly trolls, the […]
Patrick Swenson joins us to discuss his first novel, The Ultra Thin Man, published by Tor Books. Patrick is the publisher of Fairwood Press and previously edited Talebones Magazine for 14 years. This episode is brought to you by the new middle grade novel THRONES AND BONES: FROSTBORN, by Lou Anders. Smelly trolls, the walking […]
Today’s interview is a combination of sorts. First, S. Ron Mars (a.k.a. Saul Garnell) talks about his comedic scifi short story, “Eat Fish and Die,” which we have a five minute sample of (12 minute to 17 minute mark). After that, we have a thirty minute conversation with Timothy C. Ward interviewing Saul and David […]
Lou Anders joins us to discuss his new middle grade fantasy novel, THRONES AND BONES: FROSTBORN. More than a book, we discuss the many games being released along with the novel, including the Thrones and Bones board game, a developing RPG, and online games at the novels official website.
With Shaun, Moses, and Brent back behind the microphones, we felt it appropriate to get together for a little topic discussion, as we used to do quite often.
Lou Anders's first book is a humorous viking-inspired fantasy adventure that will appeal to fans of Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, and Lloyd Alexander. This novel is receiving rave reviews.
Still not convinced? Read Tim Ward's review of THRONES AND BONES, and then pick up a copy for yourself. And when you do, tell Lou Anders that AISFP sent you!
Hey folks... well I'm not going to ruin the surprise in the shownotes, so you'll have to have a listen.
Timothy C. Ward interviewed M.R. Carey about his breakout novel, The Girl with all the Gifts. In Tim's review a few weeks ago, he called it one of the best reads of the year.
Soda Pop Soldier is the new novel from Nick Cole, author of the bestselling Wasteland Saga. Call of Duty meets Diablo, Soda Pop Soldier is the must-read thriller for gamers and anyone interested in how that profession could affect a bleak, future world. Guest host, Michael Bunker, author of #1 Science Fiction Novel on Amazon, […]
Shaun Farrell (some of you know who he is) returns from the great beyond to interview Greg van Eekhout, author of CALIFORNIA BONES, for this fourth appearance on Adventures in Scifi Publishing. It’s a little known fact that Greg has technically appeared in well over 150 episodes of the show as his voice has been […]
Brent Bowen chats with Hadley Rille Books author and editor Kim Vandevort about true heroines in fiction and how the publishing house battles the “Trinity complex” and works to bring strong female characters to the page. In support of delivering strong female characters, Hadley Rille Books launched a crowd-funding campaign to bolster their distribution and […]
Timothy C. Ward, author of the novelette, “Scavenger,” joins Tor.com Assistant Editor, Carl Engle-Laird, to interview Max Gladstone about his newest novel, Full Fathom Five: Craft Sequence #3. On Sale, Tuesday, July 15, Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone “Gladstone continues to trump his already considerable accomplishments in this tightly paced fantasy legal thriller.” —Publishers […]
Timothy C. Ward, author of the authorized Sand fanfic, “Scavenger,” interviewed Michael R. Underwood about his Superhero Epic Fantasy novel from 47North, Shield and Crocus. Michael shares about how Shield and Crocus is different than his Geekomancy Urban Fantasy novels, how he’s grown as a writer, and the latest news on Lee Harris’s new job at […]
Moses Siregar III, author of The Black God’s War, interviewed thriller/scifi author Scott Nicholson about his great success as one of the early pioneers of independent e-publishing, as well as his latest scifi thriller, After, and his best-selling supernatural thriller, The Red Church. After: The Shock – The first book in the AFTER post-apocalyptic thriller series from […]
Timothy C. Ward, author of Scavenger, and Sarah Chorn, reviewer at Bookworm Blues, interviewed Hugo Award Winner, Will McIntosh about his career, full-time writing, and his latest novels Defenders and Love Minus Eighty. GIVEAWAY Orbit Books is offering one copy of Defenders to an AISFP Newsletter Subscriber (US and Canada only). Subscribe by Monday June […]
Moses Siregar III and Timothy C. Ward invited Jeff Salyards onto the podcast to discuss his Bloodsounder’s Arc, a tremendous new addition to Fantasy’s landscape. Jeff shares about how he grew as a writer between the first book, Scourge of the Betrayer, and the sequel, Veil of the Deserters. He gives tips on writing action […]
Timothy C. Ward hosts two authors from Night Shade Books, Michael J. Martinez to introduce his debut novel, The Daedalus Incident, Book One in the Daedalus Series; his writing journey through Night Shade Books’ upheaval; his improvement in Book Two, The Enceladus Crisis; and writing across genres with four POV’s. Great writing advice and encouragement […]
Nancy Kress presented a lecture at the Paradise ICON workshop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on the topic of what makes a successful character and how to write that information onto the page. A little more about Nancy: She earned an M.S. in education (1977) and an M.A. in English (1979) from State University of New […]
Timothy C. Ward hosts a panel with authors and editors from Ragnarok Publications to discuss Grimdark character arcs, what makes them Grimdark and what we love about them. Ragnarok is also offering a giveaway to one of our subscribers to pick an ebook from their catalogue. As usual, the giveaway will end next Monday at […]
John Dodds joins Timothy C. Ward in this podcast interview with Marie Brennan about her A Memoir of Lady Trent series, a Hard Fantasy exploring a girl’s quest to stand in the presence of dragons. Tor has been very gracious to offer another giveaway, this time Tor has offered three copies of the second book, […]
Timothy C. Ward invited super-fan, Sarah Chorn, and the wonderful reviewer behind Bookworm Blues to interview Hugo Award winning author, Elizabeth Bear, who just recently finished her ETERNAL SKY trilogy. And the wonderful people at Tor are offering a giveaway of the entire trilogy to one winner with a mailing address in US or Canada. […]
Moses Siregar III sat down with literary agent, Barry Goldblatt (BG Literary), at the recent World Fantasy Convention. They discussed: News on Barry’s clients Stories on how his clients were chosen How he got started as an agent State of industry for author advances Advice for aspiring authors, such as developing thick skin and perseverence […]
Timothy C. Ward interviews Bruce Taylor for the second part of their phone conversation that began on AISFP Episode 241, Bruce Taylor on Magical Realism. In this interview, he asks how Bruce became known as Mr. Magical Realism. Tim posted a panel on Quantum Physics Meets Magical Realism from ChiCon 7, where Bruce was a […]
Lots of topics discussed in this panel at ICON in Cedar Rapids, IA, 2013, with Ellen Datlow, Gregory Frost and Nancy Kress. Funny stories of what not to do when submitting stories Blending Horror and Humor without losing either element’s effect Self-editing Scene breakdowns When a story goes off the rails “Do not psyche yourself […]
Brent Bowen caught up with science fiction writer and Evernote ambassador Jamie Todd Rubin at last year’s Worldcon. They discuss how wearable tech and Evernote can improve a writer’s life, Jamie’s quest to write everyday (now 396 days out of 398), and his work including his short story, “Flipping The Switch”, in the recent anthology, […]
The panel, “The Writing Process” was recorded at ICON 2013, an annual Science Fiction-Fantasy Convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa around the first week of November. Check out details for ICON 2014 at ICON’s website. This year’s Guests of Honor are: Hugo and Campbell winning author Elizabeth Bear and World Fantasy finalist author Scott Lynch, and […]
I’m trying out something new with this episode. Since it was a shorter interview, I’ve included a couple reviews at the beginning of the recording. First, to coincide with a sale on the audiobook of John Dodd’s, Bone Machines ($1.99 at Downpour.com), I’ve read the review that our contributor, Matt Hughes, posted of Bone Machines […]
How serendipitous to have big news for our 250th episode? In an effort to keep the lid on the news, I’ll leave the show notes at this. I’ll come back in a day or so and put in some links to stuff we talk about. For now, have a listen, and thanks so much to […]
Michael Bunker is a tremendous talent of a writer, with success in his Wick – The Omnibus Edition and currently serialized Pennsylvania novel, which made it to #1 on Amazon for Science Fiction. He is also an off-grid farmer living in a plain community in Texas. He’s been writing for years, and built a following […]
As you may have seen in my review of Grasshopper Jungle, I am a huge fan of Andrew Smith, and I’ve only known about him for a week. His book, Grasshopper Jungle is a phenomenal read, the funniest book I’ve read and surprisingly deep as we get to know three sixteen-year-olds discovering love in the […]