I find dystopian novels one of the most interesting forms of science fiction. From 1984 to Fahrenheit 451, authors have created futures that we fear may come to pass (if they haven’t already). Margaret Peterson Haddix is known for her juvenile and young adult series. In the Children of Exile series, she envisions a dystopian future that is still suitable for children. Join us for a discussion of Children of Jubilee, the final book in the series; her inspirations and writing process in making believable child characters; and why even children are interested in dystopian fiction. Just make sure that Big Brother isn’t listening as well.

Almost everyone has seen the hilarious comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. From the Black Knight, the Taunting Frenchman, and the importance of knowing the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, the film’s many funny moments have a place in the hearts of multiple generations. Eric Idle’s musical comedy Spamalot adapts the movie for the stage and plays Columbus this month.

Troy Bruchwalski plays The Black Knight and Sir Dennis Galahad, The Dashingly Handsome among others. We discuss some of differences between the play and film, how he prepared for his role, and what it is like to be in a traveling production of a Broadway musical.

Spamalot will be playing at the Palace Theatre from November 23 to 25.

“I never learned to do taxes at school but I know the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” The phrase “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” has become a common punchline in a lot of jokes online, but how much do people really know about mitochondria? Michael W. Gray gives Craft the chance to learn about some of the theories surrounding this organelle, particularly the fact that the mitochondria very likely started off as a separate bacteria that was absorbed by cells a long time ago. He will be giving a talk at Science Sundays on November 18th on the different theories surrounding mitochondria from 3-5 at the Ohio Union Bank Conference Theatre.

It’s here again: Halloween, that time of year when Craft goes a little crazy and gives the world a variety of questionable stories and interviews. We cover all the greatest Halloween hits: cannibalism, zombies, serial killers, where to buy super science supplies, and the scariest of all – politics.

My thanks to great help from Sam Bloch, J. Randall Hicks, David Lindstedt, Bryce Meade, Cody McNulty, and Craft intern David Perfect.

Donate to brain cancer research at the Wexner Medical Center!

Buy the songs and books from this episode by clicking on the icon below and a portion of your purchase will go to brain cancer research. It’s the best way to get music for your Halloween party!

Ohio author Celeste Ng is the 2018 Ohioana Fiction Award winner for her book Little Fires Everywhere. Listen in as we discuss what it’s like to win an Ohioana award; how she ensured that she got the details right about the setting for her novel, Shaker Heights, Ohio; and how she deals with seeing her own books or those of her friends in a bookstore.

You can attend the presentation of the Ohioana Awards on October 18 

And here’s the picture we discuss during our talk of a display in an Ireland bookstore.

Did your school have mandatory square dancing lesson? Mine did, which may be why I’ll never wear western plaid again.

Humorist and participatory journalist Henry Alford has not only written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Vanity Fair, and the Paris Review but also survived elementary school square dancing lessons. His most recent book, And Then We Danced, details his recent experiences to recover from enjoy dancing lessons. Listen in while he describes the process, including his now-signature move while doing contact improv.

Alford won a Thurber Prize for his book Big Kiss, which detailed his acting career. Other books include How To Live: A Search For Wisdom From Old People (While They Are Still On This Earth) and Would It Kill You To Stop Doing That?: A Modern Guide To Manners.

Actor Billy Boyd

One of my favorite exchanges in the first Lord of the Rings movie occurs after Aragorn tells the hobbits to stop eating and get walking:

At the end of my talk with Pippin actor Billy Boyd about his appearance at the Columbus Comic Con and the beauties of Scotland, he asked about good places to eat in Columbus. Sadly, I had little to offer because I’m too cheap to go out to eat much. So listen to the podcast and then help him by tweeting your favorite Columbus eateries to @BillyBoydActor.

Actor Thomas Ian Nicholas has appeared in many films, starring in Rookie of the Year and playing Kevin Myers in the American Pie franchise. He’s also a musician, producer, and writer.

His latest work in production involves magicians and vampires, as well as traveling the country meeting his fans at Comic Con. Listen in for his description of a life in the arts.

You can meet Thomas Ian Nicholas in person on June 8th and 10th at the Columbus Comic-Con.

Steven Wright is one of a handful of comics I’ve paid to see perform live, although that says more about how cheap I am than it does about comics.

At any rate, it was great to talk to him and find out how he found his comic voice, what makes him laugh and what the favorite joke he’s written is.

Steven Wright will be in Columbus on May 19 with CAPA.

CEO and founder of Geben Communications, Heather Whaling is a fan of social media, not a surprise given her occupation. So the recent news about the Facebook privacy problems were of particular interest to her. Listen in while she describes the best ways for you to stay safe online as well as who her favorite social media accounts to follow are. We also discuss the best way to prevent yourself from being obsessed with social media (warning to teenagers: the phrase “remove from your phone” is used).