Author Rob Hart explores the horrors of working in an Amazon-esque corporation in his dystopian thriller “The Warehouse”. Learn about the real-world conditions and events that influenced this book, Rob’s world-building strategies, and how to create a complex billionaire villain. How far away are we from a corporatocracy? And...how can we prevent one? 

We're back! Get a sneak preview of the Fall 2022 season topics: Corporatocracy, The Chosen One, Fighting Words, Dragons, Sexuality in Speculative Fiction, Emergency Responders, Modern Gods, Runaway A.I., De-Stressing the Damsel, Maps, Taverns.

"The Body Scout" by Lincoln Michel has been heralded as a “timeless and original” sci-fi thriller (New York Times) about a hardboiled baseball scout who must solve the murder of his brother in a world transformed by body modification. Sit back as Vickie Lan and author Lincoln Michel take you on a tour of this cyberpunk world. *NOTE!* Reading the book is not a requirement for following along with this episode. There will be world-building spoilers, but no plot spoilers. If you prefer zero spoilers, feel free to come back and listen when you're ready!

Vickie Lan and Author Bibiana Krall talk about ghost stories and real-life hauntings! Why do ghosts come back? How can writers capture a chilling encounter in an authentic way? And why should you ignore the shadow in the corner? Learn all this and more in this deliciously spooky episode. 

Conspiracy theories seek answers for the patterns we see in everyday life. They can be fun, they could be important, and they can also be dangerous. Aspiring writer Mike Crawford joins the podcast to discuss Q-anon, Flat Earth, the Dead Internet theory, and more. 

Middle Earth, the Wizarding World, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are just a few examples of shared universes where independent stories exist with interconnecting characters, locations, and events. Matthew C. Brown returns to the podcast to discuss the joys and challenges of writing a shared universe.

It's hard to look anywhere without seeing comic book superheroes. From Marvel's MCU domination to DC's attempt to reboot their characters again...and again...and again...maybe it's time to give superheroes an upgrade. Author Brad Allis revisits Speculative Sandbox to talk about the evolution of superheroes in pop culture and what superheroes would be like today if they took on modern problems with modern solutions.