Rocket Talk Podcast - Reactor

Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

Mur Lafferty pays Rocket Talk a visit this week to talk about her new magazine, Mothership Zeta. The pair discuss the editorial direction of the magazine, Lafferty’s forthcoming new novel Six Wakes, and what it’s like to be an editor in the field today.

Note: This episode was recorded before episode 70 and thus lacks our new “review” segment.

Mur Lafferty is the author of several novels including The Shambling Guide to New York City and Ghost Train to New Orleans. She was the editor of Escape Pod until 2012. Her own podcast, I Should Be Writing, has won awards and led to her induction into the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and she won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2013.

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Listen to Episode 71: Mur Lafferty

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

The podcast took some time off off to recharge the batteries, but we’re back and ready to go. This week, Justin is joined by Angry Robot author Megan O’Keefe, whose debut novel Steal the Sky was published earlier this month. The conversation covers her path to publication, Reddit, and soap making, among other things.

Additionally, we’re starting a new segment on Rocket Talk in which Justin reviews a book or short story at the end of every episode. This week’s title is Stina Leicht’s Cold Iron.

Note: This week’s episode has some audio issues during the interview portion.

Megan O’Keefe is the author of Steal the Sky. In 2014, she won Writers of the Future for her short story, “Another Range of Mountains.” She lives in the California Bay Area and makes soap for a living—you can find her soap and other fragrant products at Blushie.

Today’s review covers Stina Leicht’s debut novel Cold Iron—a flintlock epic fantasy available from Saga Press.

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Listen to Episode 70: Megan O’Keefe

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

This week’s episode features fantasy and science fiction authors Kate Elliott and Emma Newman. Having read both of their most recent novels, Justin asks them about what it’s like to write aged characters and what kinds of resistance exists in society to hearing those stories. They also discuss the rarity of anxiety disorders in fiction.

Kate Elliott is the author of twenty five novels including the recently released Court of Fives, Black Wolves, and The Very Best of Kate Elliott. Visit her website or find her on Twitter. She lives in Hawaii.

Emma Newman is the author of four novels, including the Split Worlds series from Angry Robot Books. Her newest novel, Planetfall, came out November 3 from Ace Roc. She is also a professional audio book narrator and co-writes and hosts the Hugo-nominated podcast Tea & Jeopardy, which involves tea, cake, mild peril and singing chickens.

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Listen to Episode 69: Kate Elliott and Emma Newman

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

This week’s episode features Patrick S. Tomlinson, the author of The Ark from Angry Robot Books. The pair discuss the current status of Milwaukee as a cultural hot bed, the dearth of humor in science fiction and fantasy, and what Tomlinson was trying to accomplish in his new novel. Warning: mild sports talk.

Patrick S. Tomlinson is a stand-up comedian and author. His debut novel, The Ark, is a locked room murder mystery where the locked room is a generation starship. He’s published by Angry Robot Books and represented by Russ Galen. He lives in Milwaukee with his muscle car.

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Listen to Episode 68: Patrick S. Tomlinson

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

Justin is visited by authors Matt Wallace and Kameron Hurley. The trio discuss the current status of Southern California, professional wrestling, reality television, and Playboy‘s decision to nix nudity. They even manage to make it all relevant to genre publishing and their recent releases, Envy of Angels and Empire Ascendant, respectively.

Matt Wallace is a novelist and screenwriter. He used to be a professional wrestler and combat instructor. His debut novel, The Next Fix, came out in 2008. Since then he’s written other novels and novellas, his most recent of which is Envy of Angels from Tor.com Publishing. He co-hosts the Ditch Diggers Podcast.

Kameron Hurley is the author of The Mirror Empire and Empire Ascendant, the first two novels in the Worldbreaker Saga from Angry Robot Books. He previous novels God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture, earned her the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel. She is the winner of two Hugo Awards, and has been a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel.

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https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/RocketTalkEpisode67.mp3

Listen to Episode 67: Matt Wallace and Kameron Hurley

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

Sam Sykes loves what he calls “formative fiction”. Join Justin and Sam as they discuss what formative fiction means to them, and why it played an important role in their reading life. Be warned: Dragonlance, Drizzt, and giggling abound.

Sam Sykes is the author of the Bring Down Heaven series, which began with The City Stained Red and continues in January with The Mortal Tally—both published by Orbit. His previous series, The Aeon Gates Trilogy, is complete. You can find Sam on Twitter, which you should consider both a recommendation and a warning.

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Listen to Episode 66: Sam Sykes on Formative Fiction

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

Recently released from Tor, Seth Dickinson’s The Traitor Baru Cormorant has spawned a multitude of reactions across the genre community. Amal El-Mohtar and Kameron Hurley join Justin on Rocket Talk to discuss how this response reflects a larger conversation: how has social media and online book discussion impacted how we engage one another in dialogue about the things we love? It’s an honest and riveting conversation that doesn’t shy from controversial subjects.

Amal El-Mohtar is a Canadian author and blogger. She’s won several awards for her poetry and was nominated for the Nebula Award in 2011 for her short story “The Green Book” and won the 2015 Locus Award for “The Truth About Owls.” Her non-fiction work can be found at Tor.com, NPR, and Lightspeed Magazine.

Kameron Hurley is the author of Mirror Empire and Mirror Ascendant, the first two novels in the Worldbreaker Saga from Angry Robot Books. He previous novels God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture, earned her the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel. She is the winner of two Hugo Awards, and has been a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is Seth Dickinson’s highly anticipated debut novel—a brutal tale of empire, rebellion, fealty, and high finance, available from Tor Books and Tor UK (released as The Traitor). You can read an excerpt from the novel here on Tor.com.

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Listen to Episode 65: Amal El-Mohtar and Kameron Hurley

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

Fran Wilde, author of Updraft, joins the show this week. Of course, Justin asks her about feast scenes. They also talk about Nature magazine, her editorial process, and debut novel. There’s even a borderline engineering talk, in which Wilde confirms intellectual superiority over the host.

Fran Wilde is an author and technology consultant. Her first novel, Updraft, was released by Tor on September 1—read an excerpt here! Her short stories have appeared in publications including Asimov’s, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Nature, and Tor.com. Her interview series Cooking the Books—about the intersection between food and fiction—has appeared at Strange Horizons and on her blog. You can find her on Twitter @fran_wilde and Facebook @franwildewrites.

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Listen to Episode 64: Fran Wilde

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast!

This week’s episode brings Bradley P. Beaulieu back to the show for his third appearance. Justin and Brad dig into what makes an epic fantasy a commercial success and how his new novel, Twelve Kings in Sharakai, might fit that model. The conversation then turns to Brad’s podcast, Speculate SF, and some new science fiction and fantasy titles of interest to both.

Brad Beaulieu is the author of the Lays of Anuskaya Trilogy, and his short story collection Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten and Other Stories was published via Kickstarter. He’s a former winner of the Writers of the Future and his newest novel, The Twelve Kings in Sharakai (released as Twelve Kings in the UK) is out now—read an excerpt here on Tor.com. Brad is also the co-host of Speculate SF, a podcast for writers, readers, and fans.

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Listen to Episode 63: Bradley P. Beaulieu

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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Welcome back to the Rocket Talk podcast! This week’s episode features first time science fiction and middle grade author, David Liss. Justin asks Liss about what led him to write middle grade science fiction after a decade of publishing historical fiction, before discussing the differences between children’s literature and adult fiction. Ultimately, the conversation concludes with what makes his new novel, Randoms, such a delight.

David Liss is the author of many novels. His debut novel, A Conspiracy of Paper (2000) with its hero, the pugilist turned private investigator Benjamin Weaver, was named a New York Times Notable Book and won him the 2001 Barry, MacAvity and Edgar awards for Best First Novel. Born in New Jersey and raised in Florida, David is, in fact, a one-time encyclopedia salesman. He received his B.A. from Syracuse University, an M.A. from Georgia State University and his M.Phil from Columbia University, where he left his dissertation unfinished to pursue his writing career. His new novel, Randoms, is his first foray into science fiction.

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Listen to Episode 62: David Liss

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Also! If you have an idea for an episode of Rocket Talk or would like to come on as a guest, reach out to Justin Landon at [email protected]. Obviously, we can’t accommodate everyone, but we’re always looking for new ideas and fresh perspectives. You can find all of the episodes of Rocket Talk on Tor.com here.

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