2015 – Notes from Coode Street: Recent Episodes
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Welcome to the first of Coode Street’s seasonal hiatus episodes. This November Gary and Jonathan were in Saratoga Springs for the World Fantasy Convention. Over the weekend they recorded several conversations that will come out over the coming weeks. In this first podcast, they sit down with living legend Gene Wolfe to discuss his latest … Continue reading Episode 261: Gene Wolfe, John Clute and A Borrowed Man →
Welcome to the final episode of the Coode Street Podcast to be recorded for 2015. This week Gary and Jonathan are joined by award-winning writers and critics Charlie Jane Anders and Nisi Shawl in the Gershwin Room to discuss more of the best science fiction and fantasy books of the year. As with last week, … Continue reading Episode 260: The Best of the Year with Charlie Jane Anders and Nisi Shawl →
The year is fast running out, but with the holiday season approaching Gary and Jonathan invited award-winning writers and critics Paul Kincaid and Adam Roberts to join them in the Gershwin Room to discuss a small sampling of the best science fiction and fantasy books of the year. They also discussed some of the most … Continue reading Episode 259: The Best of the Year with Paul Kincaid and Adam Roberts →
With the year coming all too quickly to a close, this week we are joined by distinguished veteran editor Jim Minz, who discusses his career from his University of Wisconsin days to working for Tor Books in Wisconsin and New York, Ballantine Del Rey, and currently Baen Books in North Carolina. We touch upon the various … Continue reading Episode 258: Jim Minz and Baen Books →
This year isn’t over yet, but we can just see the end of it over the horizon. Back in Chicago and Perth after their visit to Saratoga Springs, Gary and Jonathan sit down to deliver a classic rambling discussion of science fiction, fantasy and other stuff. They discuss the World Fantasy Awards, lifetime achievement and … Continue reading Episode 257: The end of the year approaches →
And we’re back with a new episode! This week, from the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs, we are joined by the genuinely iconic Pamela Sargent, author of many novels including The Shore of Women and editor of the legendary Women of Wonder anthology series, and Suzy McKee Charnas, author of the classic feminist SF … Continue reading Episode 256: Suzy McKee Charnas and Pamela Sargent →
This week, in our continuing series of discussions about the experiences of women writers in the science fiction field, we are fortunate to be joined by Eleanor Arnason and Linda Nagata. Linda, whose Going Dark appears next week from Saga Press is the third volume in her trilogy that began with the Nebula-nominated The … Continue reading Episode 255: Eleanor Arnason, Linda Nagata and Women in Science Fiction →
This week Gary and Jonathan are back in the Gershwin Room, killing time and talking about Jonathan’s new anthology Meeting Infinity, which we discuss in some detail. It leads on to a conversation about our perceptions of ‘the alien’ and ‘the other’ in science fiction (and how that has changed over time), and quite a lot … Continue reading Episode 254: Meeting Infinity and Losing the Alien →
This week Gary returns from the wilds of Virginia or Washington DC or somewhere or other on the US Eastern seaboard. We discuss his experience writing and performing a series of lectures on science fiction; the strengths and weaknesses of Ridley Scott’s The Martian; compiling Gary’s Library of America volumes, and whether or not we … Continue reading Episode 253: SF Lectures, The Martian and more →
This week we welcome distinguished historical novelist Cecelia Holland back to the podcast to discuss her new fantasy novel Dragon Heart, her classic SF novel Floating Worlds, the relationships between SF, fantasy, and historical fiction, and historical and political themes in the work of writers like Kim Stanley Robinson and George R.R. Martin. As always, … Continue reading Episode 252: Cecelia Holland and Dragon Heart →
This week we are joined by multiple award winning writer and editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch who discusses her long and diverse career in science fiction, as a writer, as editor at Pulphouse then at F&SF, and her more recent experiences as a writer working in both mainstream and independent publishing. We also discuss her ‘Retrieval Artist’ saga, including the … Continue reading Episode 251: Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Women in Science Fiction →
Every three months Locus publishes a long list of forthcoming science fiction, fantasy, and horror books that are being published in the US and the UK. As we have been doing all year, whenever one of these ‘Forthcoming Books’ issues hits the newsstands and your email inboxes, we invite Locus Editor-in-Chief Liza Trombi to join us to discuss some … Continue reading Episode 250: Forthcoming books with Liza Trombi →
This week Coode Street welcomes Zen Cho, who received the Crawford Award earlier this year for her story collection Spirits Abroad and whose delightful first novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, is published this week. We discuss what it’s like to be a Malaysian writer living in London, the influences and background of her new Regency-romance fantasy, the heritage … Continue reading Episode 249: Zen Cho and Sorcerer to the Crown →
With Gary only just returned from Spokane and the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, we sit down to discuss the success of Sasquan, the successful site selection for Helsinki in 2017, congratulate our friends at Galactic Suburbia for their big win, and touch on some of the many and varied issues surrounding the 2015 Hugo Awards. … Continue reading Episode 248: Spokane, Hugo Awards and the Future →
Two weeks ago we were fortunate enough to have Nina Allan and Renay as guests on the Coode Street Podcast (Episode 244: Renay, Nina Allan & the Weight of Fannish History). We discussed barriers to entry to fandom, inclusiveness and other issues This week Gary and Jonathan continue that discussion in a fairly typical Coode … Continue reading Episode 247: Talking about inclusion and fandom →
This week saw the release of Nebula Award winning author Aliette de Bodard’s powerful and engaging fourth novel, The House of Shattered Wings. Aliette was in Spokane, Washington for Sasquan: the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention when she made to time to sit down and discuss the novel, using the real world in world … Continue reading Episode 246: Aliette de Bodard and The House of Shattered Wings →
In a recent interview with Locus, Hugo and Campbell Award-winning author Ian McDonald discussed his new hard SF novel, Luna: First Moon: ‘My next books are Luna parts one and two, a duology set on a moon base – Game of Domes. In the Luna books, I’m still writing about developing economies, it’s just that … Continue reading Episode 245: Ian McDonald and Luna →
This week we are joined by reviewer, critic, podcaster and one half of the Ladybusiness team, Renay, and British Science Fiction Award winning author of The Race, Nina Allan, to discuss the implications of Renay’s recent essay on Strange Horizons, ‘Communities: Weight of History’. In an engaging discussing we touch on what it is that makes … Continue reading Episode 244: Renay, Nina Allan & the Weight of Fannish History →
This week we welcome very special guest Michael Swanwick, discussing his new ‘Darger and Surplus’ novel Chasing the Phoenix, the origins of the Darger and Surplus stories, his long-ago discussions with Fritz Leiber about whether the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories were actually horror stories, collaborating with Eilieen Gunn, William Gibson, and others, and … Continue reading Episode 243: Michael Swanwick and his two rogues →
As time slowly runs out to vote for the most controversial Hugo Awards in recent times, our intrepid commentators sit down to discuss the joy of attending a great convention like Archipelacon, some minor issues surrounding Sad Puppydom, discussion of Stories for Chip, tribute anthologies and much more. Pig entrails are mentioned, so you have … Continue reading Episode 242: Time runs out for the Hugos and more →
This week we have a very special episode of the Coode Street Podcast indeed. During his recent appearance as Guest of Honor at Readercon 26 in Burlington, Massachusetts, Gary Wolfe sat down for a wide-ranging informal conversation with SF Hall of Fame inductee and SFWA Grand Master Samuel R. Delany to discuss his work, a recent collection … Continue reading Episode 241: Samuel R. Delany →
Over the weekend of June 25-28 Gary travelled to distant and beautiful Mariehamn in the land of the midnight sun where he was to appear as a guest of honor at Archipelacon: The Nordic SF & Fantasy Convention. In amongst time spent appearing on panels, making speeches and marveling that the sun was still up … Continue reading Episode 240: Karin Tidbeck, Cheryl Morgan and Archipelacon →
This week, with Gary returned from Archipelacon in Finland, we touch once again upon the problems of translation, the Finnish Weird, the international SF community, and such timely matters as the 50th anniversary of Frank Herbert’s Dune, the announcement of World Fantasy Life Achievement winners Ramsey Campbell and Sheri S. Tepper, new critical books in the series from University of … Continue reading Episode 239: Archipelacon, World Fantasy and more →
This week we are joined by Hugo and Nebula Award winning writer Kim Stanley Robinson to discuss generation starships, how we might live in space, how space opera is becoming a subset of fantasy and his exciting new novel Aurora (due July 7). We are delighted to be able to present what is one of the first … Continue reading Episode 238: Kim Stanley Robinson and Aurora →
After a brief, unplanned hiatus due to scheduling and personal issues (meaning that Gary got more involved in the Nebula weekend than he intended to), we return with a discussion that ranges from the Nebula nominees and winners this year, the encouraging sense of the health of the field during the Nebula weekend, the question … Continue reading Episode 237: On Nebulas and more →
Posted by jonathanstrahan on June 1, 2015 Every year there are thousands of books published and any one of them could appeal to you. To help you find great new books, Locus publishes a list of forthcoming titles every three months. And to help you navigate through that, each quarter we invite Locus Editor-in-Chief Liza Groen Trombi … Continue reading Episode 236: On books to look for →
This week we pay a return visit to World Fantasy Award winning author Elizabeth Hand, discussing her new short novel Wylding Hall, the British folk revival of the 1970s which provides the novel’s background, the use of multiple narrators (and the advantages of audio-books in differentiating them), and such diverse matters as the legacy of … Continue reading Episode 235: Elizabeth Hand and Building the Mystery →
This week we sit down and discuss the World Fantasy Awards, the Life Achievement Award, and quite a lot more. Another old-fashioned ramble for the Coode Street Archives. We would mention that members of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 World Fantasy Conventions are eligible to vote for this year’s World Fantasy Awards. A voting form is … Continue reading Episode 234: On World Fantasy Awards, Life Achievement and other rambles →
This week we are joined by the Hugo and Nebula Award winning Paolo Bacigalupi, who is just about to publish his first science fiction novel for adults since 2009s The Windup Girl. Picking up from where his harrowing short story “The Tamarisk Hunter” left off, The Water Knife is lean thriller that asks important questions about … Continue reading Episode 233: Paolo Bacigalupi and The Water Knife →
This week we return, without guests, to a topic with which we have annoyed listeners in podcasts for years—the idea of SF canon formation: who gets dropped from the canon, who gets added, and whether such things as Hugo nominations make any difference at all. The decade between 1985 and 1995 (20-30 years ago now), … Continue reading Episode 232: On canon formation (again) →
This week James Bradley and Ian Mond join Jonathan to discuss the five novels that have made the final Hugo Awards ballot. The shortlisted novels are: Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK) The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson (Tor Books) The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Sarah Monette) (Tor Books) The Three-Body Problem by … Continue reading Episode 231: Ian Mond, James Bradley and the 2015 Hugo Novel Shortlist →
This week’s very special episode is a conversation with the superb and formerly mysterious K.J. Parker, whose newest work The Two of Swords begins serialization this week from Orbit, and whose Savages is due later this summer from Subterranean Press. We discuss the influence of writers as diverse as E.F. Benson, P.G. Wodehouse, Mercedes Lackey, and C.J. Cherryh, the … Continue reading Episode 230: K J Parker and the history of a writer →
This has been a busy year for the Coode Street Podcast, talking to interesting guests, covering a wide-range of issues, and being syndicated by our friends at Tor.com. For a bit of change, Gary and Jonathan decided to sit down together and record an old-fashioned Coode Street Podcast, just two guys rambling about science fiction. … Continue reading Episode 229: On books, history, awards and such →
With Swancon 40, the 2015 Australian National Science Fiction Convention, in full swing Jonathan sat down with convention guest of honour John Scalzi and Twelfth Planet Press editor/publisher Alisa Krasnostein to discuss science fiction, community, Robert Heinlein, having just finished new novel The End of All Things and more! As always, we’d like to thank John and Alisa … Continue reading Episode 228: John Scalzi and Alisa Krasnostein →
This week Gary* is joined by award-winning author Ken Liu and Joe Monti, Executive Editor at Saga Press, to discuss Ken’s exciting debut novel The Grace of Kings, his forthcoming collection The Paper Menagerie, and much more. As always we’d like to thank Ken and Joe for making the time to talk to us. And we … Continue reading Episode 227: Ken Liu, Joe Monti and The Grace of Kings →
This weekend we talk to Silvia Moreno-Garcia about her debut fantasy novel, Signal to Noise. Described by Locus as “one of the most important fantasy debuts of the year, it’s an engaging and compelling story of a woman returning to her family home in Mexico for her father’s funeral, and of a time in her teens when she … Continue reading Episode 226: Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Signal to Noise →
This week Deborah Biancotti, Margo Lanagan, and Scott Westerfeld join Gary and Jonathan in the Gershwin Room (aka Skype) to discuss their exciting new book project, Zeroes. Our discussion ranges from collaborating, and all of the ins and outs of collaboration, to superheroes and the origins of the new series. Zeroes will be released in September. As always, we … Continue reading Episode 225: Biancotti, Lanagan, Westerfeld and Zeroes →
This week we welcome the remarkable Kelly Link, celebrating her new collection Get In Trouble, her recent anthology with Gavin Grant, her career in general, and what’s coming up from Small Beer Press. We talk about the differences (if there are any) between adult and YA fiction, genre and mainstream, the possibility of a new novel, … Continue reading Episode 224: Kelly Link Gets in Trouble →
As the Aurealis Awards reach their twentieth anniversary, Jonathan sits down with Aurealis Awards judging co-ordinator Tehani Wessely, publisher Alisa Krasnostein, and critic Sean Wright to discuss the Aurealis Awards, their history and the recently released 2014 Aurealis Awards shortlist. This is the first time two episodes of Coode Street have been recorded and released on the … Continue reading Episode 223: Alisa Krasnostein, Sean Wright, Tehani Wessely and the Aurealis Awards →
We are always on the look-out for new and exciting books to read, and always want to know what we should keep an eye out for. For years we’ve relied on Locus‘s quarterly Forthcoming Books issues as a guide on what to look for. One of the very earliest ideas for the Coode Street Podcast was … Continue reading Episode 222: Forthcoming Books with Liza Trombi →
Is there a difference to writing for younger readers? Do they want or need different kinds of stories? Do they have different expectations from older readers? How do you structure a series? What makes for a rewarding reading experience and how do genre expectations relate to that? With new young adult novels published recently, Joe Abercrombie (whose … Continue reading Episode 221: Joe Abercrombie and Sean Williams at the Perth Writers Festival →
Welcome to The Coode Street Podcast, an informal weekly discussion about science fiction and fantasy featuring award-winning critics and editors Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe. The Coode Street Podcast debuted in 2010 and has been nominated for the Hugo, British Science Fiction, and Aurealis awards. This week Jonathan and Gary talk to old friend … Continue reading Episode 220: William Gibson, Eileen Gunn, and Chris Brown →
Jonathan returns and our heroes spend some time discussing the history and nature of short story collections in science fiction and fantasy. Warning: Contains some facts and a lot of wild speculation. Next week: William Gibson!
This week, in honor of the new Subterranean Press volume The Top of the Volcano: The Award-Winning Stories of Harlan Ellison, we are joined by Harlan himself, along with Subterranean publisher William Schafer. Although Jonathan wasn’t able to join us on this one, we get into some fascinating stories about Thomas Pynchon, Octavia Butler, Harlan’s … Continue reading Episode 218: Harlan Ellison, Bill Schafer and the Volcano →
This week we welcome James Morrow, one of SF’s premier satirists, whose new novel Galapagos Regained is just out, taking on Darwinism, Victorian religious attitudes, the Book of Mormon, and Morrow’s frequent themes of rationalism vs. received belief. We also touch upon the role of a religious satirist, the Charlie Hebdo assassinations, old SF movies … Continue reading Episode 217: James Morrow, SF, Satire, Religion, and Other Matters →
More than two years ago, at the 2012 World Fantasy Convention in Toronto, Ontario, Gary and Jonathan sat down with Guy Gavriel Kay to discuss his then new novel River of Stars. A now legendary discussion followed, that quickly became mythical when technical issues resulted in that recording and several others being permanently lost. In … Continue reading Episode 216: Guy Gavriel Kay and the Legend of the Lost Podcast →
Suddenly our intrepid heroes, still mostly living on vacation time,realised that they needed to put out another episode of the podcast. Plans for a leisurely hiatus were abandoned and, somewhat the worse for New Year wear, they sat down in front of their microphones, and began to ramble. This week’s discussion starts with a look … Continue reading Episode 215: On Short Stories, the Possibility of Ruts and other matters →