Our apologies for the slightly late upload on this one! We blame internet connectivity issues, warped audio, and a cat who just. won't. leave. the. keyboard. alone.

Come ye, come all, and welcome our fabulous guest Naomi Kritzer to the podcast! Kritzer is the author of the 2019 Nebula Award nominated young adult novel, CATFISHING ON CATNET, as well as the 2016 Nebula nominated and Hugo and Locus *winning* story CAT PICTURES PLEASE. We discuss everything from Kritzer’s own cats to the parameters of artificial intelligence (catlike or otherwise) to the building blocks of personhood, and basically fall even more in love with this author’s fantastic words.

You can read CAT PICTURES PLEASE on the Clarkesworld website at http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_01_15, and you can find out more about Naomi Kritzer's work at www.naomikritzer.com or by following her on social media under the handle @naomikritzer.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line (maybe about that reading rut-busting trick?) at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on

- iTunes (https://apple.co/3aFR64l)

- Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2tERDTD)

- Stitcher (https://bit.ly/38ukyZc) and

- SoundCloud (https://bit.ly/2TVno5i)

as well as find our oldest episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils.

If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

After three weeks of crickets, we return with a real hot mess of a delightful episode in which we discuss our feelings and emotions (and ongoing mental health challenges) as we revisit two of our childhood favorites. As in, we deliberately sat down and reread these books for the podcast to see how our responses had or had not changed. We also announce a few of our AMAZING upcoming guests on the ‘cast, and solicit recommendations for ways to kick a reading rut.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line (maybe about that reading rut-busting trick?) at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on

- iTunes (https://apple.co/3aFR64l)

- Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2tERDTD)

- Stitcher (https://bit.ly/38ukyZc) and

- SoundCloud (https://bit.ly/2TVno5i)

as well as find our oldest episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils.

If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

AJ Hackwith came to our attention late in 2019 when she published LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN, the first book in a series that takes us inside Hell’s Library to meet its inimitable Librarian, Claire. Tasked with overseeing the Library’s Unwritten Wing, where all of the books that have never quite come to be, Claire must go on a quest to recover one particularly pernicious manuscript––a quest that ultimately takes her not to the throes of a fiery judgment but instead on a romp through a few choice underworlds, including the living world.

With its underpinnings of queerness and found family relationships, underworlds and life inside a library, LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN more or less *screeched* “WHEELHOUSE”! as it pirouetted through the winter air to our waiting fingertips. We are so excited to speak to Hackwith on today’s episode about the function of libraries both fantastical and factual, what it’s like to transition from writing romance to (spite) writing fantasy, weird dragon sex, and making room for some of the underrepresented letters in the LGBTQIA+ alphabet in the fantasy genre.

You can find out more about Hackwith’s work, past-present-future, at www.amandahackwith.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram, both at @ajhackwith. The sequel to LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN, ARCHIVE OF THE FORGOTTEN, comes out in October of 2020. Color us EXCITED.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on

- iTunes (https://apple.co/3aFR64l)

- Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2tERDTD)

- Stitcher (https://bit.ly/38ukyZc) and

- SoundCloud (https://bit.ly/2TVno5i)

as well as find our oldest episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils.

If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

Becky Chambers took our hearts and cracked them wide open with her Wayfarers series, starting with THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET. And in 2019, she released the novella of space exploration and discovery, TO BE TAUGHT IF FORTUNATE. We have a lot of feelings, some of which we are probably *too willing* to share on the 'cast as we talk with Becky about science, queering SFF, and why her books always have such deliciously long titles. Speaking with her was brain-meltingly awesome, and we are *so* excited to share this week's episode with you, our listeners!

You will not find Becky Chambers on social media (have we mentioned that she is extremely smart yet?) but you can check in with her upcoming and ongoing work at www.otherscribbles.com. You can find her books wherever good books are sold. They are:

- THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET (Wayfarers #1) https://bit.ly/30PgcJD

- A CLOSED AND COMMON ORBIT (Wayfarers #2) https://bit.ly/37of9m9

- RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW (Wayfarers #3)https://bit.ly/3aL2pbF

- TO BE TAUGHT IF FORTUNATE (standalone novella) https://bit.ly/36q9RWb

*All* of Becky's books are worth your time.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on

- iTunes (https://apple.co/3aFR64l)

- Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2tERDTD)

- Stitcher (https://bit.ly/38ukyZc) and

- SoundCloud (https://bit.ly/2TVno5i)

as well as find our oldest episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils.

If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

Looking for the absolute BEST in science fiction and fantasy released in 2019? We've got you covered. Join us for our special annual award episode covering everything from best SFF novel of 2019 to best television show to best book cover art as determined by our *totally impartial* (and *totally humble*) dynamic duo!

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

We would not be ... US ... without you being you, and without those amazing authors who agree to chat with us on the 'cast about bookish things. Many thanks to our seventeen guests from 2019:

- Christopher Cokinos (episode 76)

- Suyi Davies Okungbowa (episode 78)

- Scott Selisker (episode 80)

- Deji Bryce Olukotun (episode 81)

- Jett Stanton (episode 82)

- Sarah Gailey (episode 85)

- Kim Stanley Robinson (episode 87)

- Mary Robinette Kowal (episode 91)

- Jonathan Michael Erickson (episode 92)

- Makiia Lucier (episode 93)

- Kali Wallace (episode 96)

- Steve Brusatte (episode 97)

- Molly Gloss (episode 98)

- Caitlin Starling (episode 101)

- Seanan McGuire (episode 105)

- Tristan Palmgren (episode 86, 106 & 107)

- CSE Cooney (episode 108)

This episode includes brief clips from each guest episode as well as notes about what's coming next from these authors and where to find out more about their books and other projects.

We are so excited to speak with more wonderful authors in 2020! But first, stay tuned for next week's 2019 Imaginary Awards! WE. CANNOT. WAIT.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

We are so unbelievably delighted to bring you this week's conversation with author CSE Cooney, whose novella DESDEMONA AND THE DEEP blew our minds this year and whose mind is a puzzle box of amazing anecdotes and compelling, nuanced thoughts on connecting with and commenting upon history. She breaks down the relationships between characters undergoing great transitions in their lives and the ways in which her stories provide pathways to understanding what it means to come out and come into our own.

It's telling that we'd already spent half an hour falling in love with Cooney's ferociously good stories BEFORE we hit the "record" button. What other stories might someone like Cooney share with the world? We can't wait to find out.

To find out more about DESDEMONA AND THE DEEP as well as Cooney's other projects, visit her website at www.csecooney.com.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

This is a continuation of a conversation started in Episode 106! Please listen to that episode first; this one will make much more sense in context if you do.

*****

We're so excited to get a second (now third) round with Tristan Palmgren! Author of The Unity series books, "Quietus" and "Terminus," Palmgren joined us this time on the podcast to (continue to) talk about first contact narratives. What are the ethics? What are the power echoes in these relationships? What does STAR TREK get right (and wrong) with its Prime Directive?

You can find out more about Tristan at www.tristanpalmgren.com. Tristan can also be found on Twitter with the handle @TristanPalmgren. Their feed is packed full of cutting social commentary, writerly feelings, and relatable snark. You can buy both books in The Unity series ("Quietus" and "Terminus") wherever good books are sold, and on Amazon.

"Quietus" : www.amazon.com/Quietus-Unity-Tri…en/dp/0857667432/

"Terminus" : www.amazon.com/Terminus-Unity-Tr…en/dp/0857667580/

The Black Death! The Great Mortality! All the capitalized socioeconomic challenges of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean! Interplanar anthropologists! A very confused A.I.! Lots of politlcal meddling! These are delightfully weird and wonderful books that you won't want to miss.

More projects from Tristan are forthcoming! ... they just can't talk about them yet.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes (including Tristan's first episode with us, Episode 86, and the first episode in this two-part series, Episode 106) on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

We're so excited to get a second round with Tristan Palmgren! Author of The Unity series books, "Quietus" and "Terminus," Palmgren joined us this time on the podcast to talk about first contact narratives. What are the ethics? What are the power echoes in these relationships? What does THE FIFTH ELEMENT have to tell us about first contact?

You can find out more about Tristan at https://www.tristanpalmgren.com. Tristan can also be found on Twitter with the handle @TristanPalmgren. Their feed is packed full of cutting social commentary, writerly feelings, and relatable snark. You can buy both books in The Unity series ("Quietus" and "Terminus") wherever good books are sold, and on Amazon.

"Quietus" : https://www.amazon.com/Quietus-Unity-Tristan-Palmgren/dp/0857667432/

"Terminus" : https://www.amazon.com/Terminus-Unity-Tristan-Palmgren/dp/0857667580/

The Black Death! The Great Mortality! All the capitalized socioeconomic challenges of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean! Interplanar anthropologists! A very confused A.I.! Lots of politlcal meddling! These are delightfully weird and wonderful books that you won't want to miss.

More projects from Tristan are forthcoming! ... they just can't talk about them yet.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes (including Tristan's last episode with us, Episode 86) on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.

Why does the CDC known Seanan McGuire's name? What do fantasy dildos have to do with our podcast? And why do we all hate some dude named Jason now?

Join us for a lively discussion with one of our all-time greatest writerly heroes, the inimitable Seanan Mcguire. Really, there are no words for just how much we love McGuire's work, and for how much fun we had speaking with her.

You can find out more about Seanan McGuire's work (and her music!) on her website at http://www.seananmcguire.com (and https://www.miragrant.com), where you can also find links to Seanan's presences on social media.

Like our content? Our website is www.imaginaries.net, and you can drop us a line at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @imaginary_pod. You can listen to our episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, as well as find all of our back episodes on YouTube once they have shuffled off these other earthly coils. If you would like to help support our work, you can give us a rating or review on whatever platform you use to listen to your podcasts, and if you would like to offset the costs associated with our podcast, you can support us financially at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries.