Genre Wars Book Podcast

In this special episode you get a sneak listen of my latest sci fi novel Thrill Switch. I then dive into what the sub-genre of cyberpunk is, what the best cyberpunk novels out there are, and who the best cyberpunk authors are including William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and more.

As a  quick recap, the top 3 cyberpunk books ever include: 

In terms of epic new cyberpunk releases, there's Thrill Switch by Tim Hawken and I also recommend 36 Streets by fellow Aussie scifi author T.R. Napper.

For a full article on the best cyberpunk novels, head here.

Or to listen to Thrill Switch in full on Audible head here (it's FREE with a 30-day trial!).  

Fantasy doesn't always have to be about orcs and wizards. In this episode, we talk about modern fantasy books with Fonda Lee. Fonda is the author of the incredible Greenbone Saga which recently made NPRs greatest 50 sci-fi and fantasy books of the decade. She has won a world fantasy award, three aurora awards and could legitimately fly-kick anyone who started a flame war with her on Twitter because she’s a black-belt martial artist.

Fonda’s recommendations for great modern fantasy books include:

The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone

The Divine Cities Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft

The Kingston Cycle by CL Polk

The last book in Fonda’s Greenbone Saga, Jade Legacy is out Nov 30th. Get it wherever all good books are sold.

You can also find Fonda on Twitter, Instagram or on her website here.

In this episode we talk contemporary fiction with Nick Earls. Nick has all the special titles attached to his name that an author could hope for like ‘award winner’ and ‘best seller’. Having written 28 books and counting, plus holding a Phd on contemporary novella craft and publishing, he is the perfect guy to help us figure out what on earth this genre is and why we should care about it. We also talk about how the publishing industry has changed in the last 25 years, what it was like to receive the worst review ever at the worst possible time, and how COVID has changed the face of launching books.

Nick’s top contemporary fiction recommendations include:

Mammoth by Chris Flynn

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

And

After the Carnage by Tara June Winch

Nick’s latest book Empires is out now, via Penguin.

In this episode, we talk about the best true-crime inspired fiction with Ruth McIver. Ruth is a multi-award-winning writer who has a flair for poetry, holds a doctorate in True Crime Inspired Fiction, and lives with a furry member of Fleetwood Mac. We also psychoanalysed her habit of naming cats after musicians, how horror was a big influence on her life, and how people can get judgey when they find out she writes about murder.

Ruth’s recommendations for the best true-crime books include:

The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

In The Clearing by JP Pomare

See What I’ve Done by Sarah Schmidt

True West by David Whish-Wilson

Lullaby by Leila Slimani

Ruth’s latest book I Shot The Devil is out now, via Hachette. You can find her on Twitter here, or Instagram here. Cat pics included.

In this episode, we chat about the best vampire books with Jay Kristoff. Jay is a world-renowned serial killer of fictional characters, having written 17 novels, most of which end in blood. He’s a #1 New York Times bestseller, multi-award winner, and has a sculpted black goatee that would put the Devil himself to shame. Jay's latest book, Empire of the Vampire is out Sept 7th.

Jay's biggest Vampire book recommendations include:

Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

plus the film Lost Boys and, perhaps surprisingly, The Vampire Diaries on TV. 

For more on Jay, follow him on Instagram here.

In this episode of Genre Wars we talk Queer Scifi and Fantasy with Kate Hazel Hall. Kate is an Aussie author doing big things internationally, recently winning both Foreword Indies and Goldie Awards for her debut novel From Darkness. In addition to writing, Kate is also an expert on magical realism, is a coldwater surfing mermaid, and can an absolutely perfect pint of beer when the occasion demands it.

Kate’s Queer (or LGBTQ+) Science Fiction and Fantasy reads include:

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Ida (and also Euphoria Kids) by Alison Evans

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

The Seafarers Kiss Duology by Juliette Embers

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (especially for those who love Superheroes)

More Than This by Patrick Ness (bonus top recommendation by Genre Wars alumni Jeremy Lachlan)

Kate also mentioned some great, extensive guides to LGBTQ+ Fiction at: ReadsRainbows.com

Enjoy the show and happy reading!

JP Pomare is the award-winning author of bestselling novels I Am Evie, In The Clearing, and Tell Me Lies. Much like Phar Lap, Australians have claimed JP as our own because he’s successful, but really, he’s just another bloody talented Kiwi that grew up on a horse-racing farm.

In this episode, we talk about how easy it would be to plant spy cams in AirBnBs, why thrillers don't need to have a dead body at the start, and why all of his books have three-word titles. Enjoy this chat with JP Pomare, whose latest book The Last Guests comes out this week.

In this episode we talk with Paige Toon about the best Contemporary Romance novels, how to pick erotica out on a bookshelf, and why sometimes the hidden joys of writing include doing alpaca research.

Paige is a best-selling author who has sold over 1.5 million copies of her 18 novels (and counting). In addition to romance, Paige has written YA, has a penchant for short stories, and has a habit of fainting in the presence of rock n’ roll icons.

Paige’s contemporary romance recommendations include:

Classics

Watermelon by Marian Keyes

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

New

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katie Birchal

Best under-rated romance read

The Sight of You by Holly Miller

Also anything by Mhairi McFarlane for romance with both emotional depth and humour.

To discover Paige’s work, including her latest book Someone I Used To Know, head to PaigeToon.com, or connect with her on socials @paigetoonauthor

In this episode, I talk with Andy Weir about writing hard sci-fi, why driving hats are so snazzy, and why competence porn is so dang satisfying.

Andy is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sci-fi smash hits The Martian and Artemis. His next novel, Project Hail Mary, is being released on Star Wars day, May the 4th be with you.

Andy Recommends the following sci-fi novels:

Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C Clarke as a classic that still stands up today.

Player of Games - Iain M Banks

Ringworld - Larry Niven

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Anything by Blake Crouch - eg  Dark Matter or Recursion and more

Tunnel In The Sky - Robert A Heinlein

And a bonus link:

Steven Pinker’s Stats On How Life Continues To Get Better (I accidentally called him Dan Pinker in the interview, sorry Steven, I got you confused with Dan Pink)

For a round up of all the shows, head to timhawken.com/genrewars

Peter V Brett is the New York Times bestselling author of the Demon Cycle, which has sold over 3 million copies and been translated into 24 languages worldwide. He has also written numerous novellas, a graphic novel, has a new book hovering on the horizon.

In this episode we talk about the best dark fantasy books getting around, how the right agent at the right time made Brett’s career, and how playing Dungeons and Dragons made him a much better writer.

Brett recommended a heap of incredible stories during the show. These included:

C.S. Friedman’s Magister and Coldfire Trilogies

R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War Series

Evan Winter’s The Rage of Dragons

Catherine Arden’s Winternight Books

Naomi Novik’s Temeraire Books

And

Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage Trilogy

We also chatted about some of the best graphic novels out there including:

Criminal

Planetary (Warren Ellis)

Sleeper

Fables

Finally, we also mentioned Jay Kristoff’s new series Empire of the Vampire, saying it has just been released. Actually, preorder sales have just kicked off. It will be available later this year, at a similar time to Brett’s next novel The Desert Prince.

To get in touch with Peter, you can find him on Twitter, Instagram, or at his Website.

For a list of Tim’s personal favourite dark fantasy books, you can also head to this list here.

Thanks for listening.