David P. Silverman, author of Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World, joins us to discuss his new science fiction novella Darkshiner. Topics discussed: David's childhood, Star Trek and Trekkies, science fiction conventions, Douglas Adams, atheism among sci-fi fans, persuasion vs. coercion, the idea behind Darkshiner, fiction like Darkshiner, AI collaboration, human editors, scientific accuracy, character names, cover blurbs, Babylon 5, the current state of sci-fi TV, church tax breaks, Atheists for Liberty, Dungeons & Dragons, setting aside differences. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks.

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