In the 391st episode of the Functional Nerds podcast, Patrick and John welcome back former SFSignal.com contributor, anime enthusiast and author – Django Wexler! Django has a new book out – Ship of Smoke and Steel – the launch of Django Wexler’s cinematic, action-packed epic fantasy Wells of Sorcery trilogy.

About Django Wexler: Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.

About Ship of Smoke and Steel: In the lower wards of Kahnzoka, the great port city of the Blessed Empire, eighteen-year-old ward boss Isoka comes to collect when there’s money owing. When her ability to access the Well of Combat is discovered by the Empire—an ability she should have declared and placed at His Imperial Majesty’s service—she’s sent on an impossible mission: steal Soliton, a legendary ghost ship—a ship from which no one has ever returned. If she fails, her sister’s life is forfeit.

This week’s picks:

* Django: Children of Ruin (Children of Time) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

* John: Voltron (Netflix)

* Patrick: DC Comics on Comixology

Links:

* Django Wexler on Twitter

* John Anealio on Twitter

* Patrick Hester on Twitter

* The Functional Nerds Patreon Page

* Patrick’s Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere)

© 2019 Patrick Hester and John Anealio

This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.