Speculate

Welcome to Episode 142 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Helene Wecker, focusing on her novel The Golem and the Jinni.  Helene talks about the reasons she eventually decided to write The Golem and the Jinni as a fantasy, what aspects of cultural interaction she found most interesting in writing the book, her methods of research and much more.  This was an interesting discussion about a really great book, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week for our final show of the triptych as we look at some of the writing techniques used in the novel.  And remember, both our writing technique shows and the Good, Bad and Ugly segments (including a new one from Helene!) are only available to our Patreon supporters, so please head over there to hear more about Helene and her work.  Thanks to all who have supported us, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 141 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows with our reader response to Helene Wecker‘s extraordinary The Golem and the Jinni.  Along with Paul Weimer (of SF Signal and Skiffy and Fanty fame), we talk about the incredible worldbuilding in the book, the way even side characters are fully realized, and how the turn of the century New York flavor really draws the reader into the tale–along with the ways the two main characters play off each other.  As you’ll be able to tell, we’re all big fans of the book, and we were glad to have Paul join us to talk about it.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll have Helene Wecker herself to chat about the book.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 141 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows with our reader response to Helene Wecker‘s extraordinary The Golem and the Jinni.  Along with Paul Weimer (of SF Signal and Skiffy and Fanty fame), we talk about the incredible worldbuilding in the book, the way even side characters are fully realized, and how the turn of the century New York flavor really draws the reader into the tale–along with the ways the two main characters play off each other.  As you’ll be able to tell, we’re all big fans of the book, and we were glad to have Paul join us to talk about it.  If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll have Helene Wecker herself to chat about the book.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 140 of Speculate! the Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, we once again turn the mic on Brad and Greg. Michael Underwood, friend of the show and another guest who talked in Episode 138 about his own path to publication, now interviews the Speculate hosts to talk about theirs. Brad gives a somewhat traditional, sometimes bumpy path, from writing short stories to landing a deal with Night Shade Books to his eventual sale of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai to DAW Book and Gollancz. Greg talks about his path from academic to published novelist and how his experiences in obtaining his doctorate now helps him in his writing pursuits and beyond. He also talks about how his Twitch TV channel helps him to reach a wider, if slightly different, audience, and how games helps him to scratch the itch of community and storytelling.

Keep an eye out for Mike Underwood’s upcoming Genrenauts: The Shootout Solution, Part 1 of a new novella series. And be sure to check out Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, available now anywhere fine books are sold.

Lastly, we can’t do this show without you, our listeners. Support us via our Patreon page so we can keep bringing our brand of high-quality podcasts to you.

Welcome to Episode 140 of Speculate! the Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, we once again turn the mic on Brad and Greg. Michael Underwood, friend of the show and another guest who talked in Episode 138 about his own path to publication, now interviews the Speculate hosts to talk about theirs. Brad gives a somewhat traditional, sometimes bumpy path, from writing short stories to landing a deal with Night Shade Books to his eventual sale of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai to DAW Book and Gollancz. Greg talks about his path from academic to published novelist and how his experiences in obtaining his doctorate now helps him in his writing pursuits and beyond. He also talks about how his Twitch TV channel helps him to reach a wider, if slightly different, audience, and how games helps him to scratch the itch of community and storytelling.

Keep an eye out for Mike Underwood’s upcoming Genrenauts: The Shootout Solution, Part 1 of a new novella series. And be sure to check out Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, available now anywhere fine books are sold.

Lastly, we can’t do this show without you, our listeners. Support us via our Patreon page so we can keep bringing our brand of high-quality podcasts to you.

Welcome to Episode 139 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to the Gen Con 2015 Author Guest of Honor Terry Brooks, multiple New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara and Landover series, about his career, his love of conventions, and the upcoming MTV series The Shannara Chronicles.  During our chat we get to hear about Terry’s personal journey to publication, why he’s always remained so positive in his career, his excitement for the new television series, and why he thinks a sense of hope in literature is so important.  This was a really enjoyable conversation with a truly engaging and pleasant grandmaster of the field, and we hope you get as much out of it as we did!  If so, don’t forget to check back soon for our roundtable discussion with Mike Underwood about our own journeys to publication, and of course our new triptych of shows on Helene Wecker‘s The Golem and the Jinni.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 139 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to the Gen Con 2015 Author Guest of Honor Terry Brooks, multiple New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara and Landover series, about his career, his love of conventions, and the upcoming MTV series The Shannara Chronicles.  During our chat we get to hear about Terry’s personal journey to publication, why he’s always remained so positive in his career, his excitement for the new television series, and why he thinks a sense of hope in literature is so important.  This was a really enjoyable conversation with a truly engaging and pleasant grandmaster of the field, and we hope you get as much out of it as we did!  If so, don’t forget to check back soon for our roundtable discussion with Mike Underwood about our own journeys to publication, and of course our new triptych of shows on Helene Wecker‘s The Golem and the Jinni.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 138 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, taped recently at Gen Con, we talk to authors Wesley Chu and Mike Underwood about their experiences in publishing to date and what their personal journeys to publication suggest about the field as a whole–along with how other stuff (like that most dangerous of temptations, gaming) fits into their daily writing routines.  We also make some predictions (fearless ones, we hope!) about where things are going in the near future.  This was a lot of fun, and represents the first of three shows we taped with authors about the path to publication–if you enjoyed it as much as we did, make sure to check back next week when we’ll have our interview with Gen Con 2015 Guest of Honor Terry Brooks.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 138 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode, taped recently at Gen Con, we talk to authors Wesley Chu and Mike Underwood about their experiences in publishing to date and what their personal journeys to publication suggest about the field as a whole–along with how other stuff (like that most dangerous of temptations, gaming) fits into their daily writing routines.  We also make some predictions (fearless ones, we hope!) about where things are going in the near future.  This was a lot of fun, and represents the first of three shows we taped with authors about the path to publication–if you enjoyed it as much as we did, make sure to check back next week when we’ll have our interview with Gen Con 2015 Guest of Honor Terry Brooks.  Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!

Welcome to Episode 137 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to the inimitable Ed Greenwood, author, editor, creator of the Forgotten Realms, and head of the new publishing company The Ed Greenwood Group, about his new work and his new venture.  As usual, Ed amazes with his inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm, and his plans are exciting, to say the least–plus we get to hear his thoughts about how publishing has changed over the past ten years, and why now is the perfect time for TEGG.  We hope you enjoyed the chat as much as we did!  If so, don’t forget to check back for our next set of shows, interviews with some of the luminaries at Gen Con 2015.  And if you haven’t already, please check out our Patreon and consider becoming a patron so we can continue to bring you analysis of the best authors, editors and artists in speculative fiction. Thanks for supporting us here and via our Patreon page, and thanks as always for listening to and spreading the word about the show!