The Nerd Count Podcast

In our 19th episode of The Nerd Count Podcast, we welcome the award-winning author, actress, playwright, tour guide and all around creative force Leanna Renee Hieber! In this episode we discuss where we first met, her love of reading her work aloud, how she navigates the twists and turns of publishing, how she got into writing, her love of the 19th century, her ghostly experiences working at a haunted speakeasy in St. Paul, her beginnings in theater, writing her first screenplay, her “memories” of living in the 19th century, reading adult books at an early age, her thoughts on pantsing vs. plotting, her writing “schedule” (or lack thereof), how she measures writing progress, “chaos goblins”, being inspired by the beauty of Maine, artistic flow and the spirit world, getting in the “zone”, Matt’s ghost story, prankster ghosts, her upcoming novel Ravenfield Hall, writing crossover YA/Adult fiction, her influences, including Shirley Jackson, her forthcoming work, a musical theatrical adaptation of Strangely Beautiful, and much more!

Books mentioned:

Ravenfield Hall

America’s Most Gothic

Strangely Beautiful

A Haunted History of Invisible Women

More books by Leanna

In our long-awaited 18th episode, we come to you live from (and on the way to!) Readercon 35, held in Burlington, Massachusetts, from July 9-12, 2026. We had the pleasure of interviewing ten different people, and we asked them about their past and present Readercon experiences, their connection to the field of speculative fiction, their most memorable Readercons, and why they feel Readercon is one of the most welcoming, approachable, and must-attend conventions for newbies and pros alike. We hear amazing stories, anecdotes, and Readercon legends. And we speak with folks attending Readercon for the very first time, and those who have attended for many years.

People interviewed in this episode are: Ellen Datlow, Kenneth Schneyer, Kristin Janz, P. Djèlí Clark, Andrew Dana Hudson, C.Y. Ballard, Victor Manibo, JoAnn F. Cox, Michael Cisco, and Scott Edelman.

We recorded this episode live with a handheld mic, so please excuse the background noise! Though we think it adds to the ambiance! Pretend like you are really there!

In our 17th episode, we welcome back the many talented A.C. Wise. In this episode, we talk to Alison about Readercon parties, how we first met, growing up in Canada, getting a gold medal in rowing, working a full-time day job at an art museum/school, her massive to-read pile, reviewing fiction for Locus and Apex magazines and elsewhere, stories in conversation with each other, reading for the World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, the Sunburst Awards, how she reads so much, her favorite reads of 2025, her first story sale to a coffee can label, editing for Unlikely Stories, the health of science fiction as a genre, how AI makes her angry, how she is a pantser, when and where she writes, her three short story collections, making custom cocktails for her book release, and more!

Books and Stories by A.C. Wise:

Ballad of the Bone Road: https://bookshop.org/p/books/ballad-of-the-bone-road-a-c-wise/431073a66a9249e1?ean=9781835413784&next=t

Other Books Mentioned:

Space Trucker Jess by Matthew Kressel: https://bookshop.org/p/books/space-trucker-jess-matthew-kressel/2824b9cb78656eee?ean=9781958880272&next=t

In our 16th episode of The Nerd Count Podcast, we welcome Theresa DeLucci to talk about the inside secrets of the publishing industry. We talk about how she got started working in publishing as a marketer, how people are still reading, especially genre, but the numbers of places to buy books have shrunk, how we first met Theresa, writing short fiction, selling a story to Ellen Datlow, the gratifying hard work of working in publishing, the struggles of a shrinking industry, traditional publishing and indie authors, how she markets books, how she helps authors market themselves, how author publicity events can sometimes “move the needle”, how there is no “formula” for success, self-promotion for authors, the brutality of the “Algorithm”, the benefits of writing an “author letter”, her non-fiction reviews of media, reading for the Year’s Best Horror, some upcoming books she’s excited about, pansting vs. plotting, her love of oysters!, and more!

Theresa’s Non-Fiction at Reactor:

Theresa’s Instagram:

For our 15th episode, we welcome author and teacher Kate Maruyama. In this episode, we discuss how we met through her mother, writer Kit Reed, Readercon experiences, how she ended up in L.A., working for Sylvester Stallone, the impact of narcissistic sociopaths, how L.A. influences her writing, being stewards of ideas, her experience teaching writing, why editors want to hear your unique voice, the false notion of “correct” writing, the vapidity of AI-produced fiction, how teaching keeps her honest, creating in times of stress, being a juror for the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards, choosing your “genre”, growing up with films from the 1930s and 40s, writing multiple POVs, finding her character’s voice, bringing life to “dead” scenes, the capitalist notion of “product”, moving from screenwriting to writing prose, the “deep practice” of writing, and much more!

Books mentioned:

The Collective by Kate Maruyama – https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-collective-kate-maruyama/fd6d6c6c798c0b50?ean=9798896920816&next=t

In our 14th episode, we welcome the multitalented actor, author, and filmmaker Shiva Kumar! We speak with Shiva about The Lanka Chronicles, growing up in different countries, his childhood as an “outsider”, going to boarding school, his first forays into directing in Bhutan, how a health crisis started him on the writing path, his documentaries on the Holocaust, how he was inspired by Zelazny’s Lord of Light, Indofuturism, how he was interested in working heroes from Indian myths into his fiction, India’s role in the future of humanity, his science fictional retelling of the Ramayana, how acting and writing affects his writing, his thoughts on AI, writing dialog for a screenplay vs. novels, why coffee cups are always empty and no one ever eats food on a plate in TV and film, playing the Prime Minister of Pakistan and head of the Pakistani Secret Service, how acting translates into inhabiting characters in fiction, writing villains, his writing process, writing during stressful periods, doing what he loves, dealing with rejection as an actor, his experience at Appalachian State University, how it takes time to understand the human condition, narrating his own audiobook, and lots more!

Books Mentioned

In our long-awaited thirteenth episode, we welcome Fran Wilde, whose most recent work is her collection A Catalog of Storms, from Fairwood Press. In this episode we discuss where we first met Fran, her recent reading at Fantastic Fiction at KGB, getting started writing and being oneself, how summers in Kentucky with her grandmother shaped her life and writing, AI and the evolution of language, how poetry impacted her fiction, playing with sound, directing a genre MFA program, writing without an MFA, finding time for art in stressful times, refilling the well, her writing process, thinking about writing everyday, her new collection A Catalog of Storms, the famous Peter Capaldi selfie at the Eugie Foster Awards, working with Erewhon Books, adventures in book touring, conversing with authors and fans, editing and running The Sunday Morning Transport, forthcoming projects, and much more!

Books mentioned:

Website rec’s:

A gift from Fran! A free trial membership to The Sunday Morning Transport!

In our 12th episode, we welcome Carlos Hernandez, award-winning writer of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, and the Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria, writer for Marvel Comics’ characters America Chavez, Moon Knight, Spider Punk, Miles Morales, Amazing Spider Man, and Ghost Rider, as well as creator of the Negocios Infernales boardgame. We talk about staying grounded and creative during times of chaos, the danger of comparing ourselves to others, stress and productivity, the capitalistic pressure to always produce “content”, moving away from social media, writing for comics, finding hope in young people, working with scriptwriters, where to start stories and genre expectations, how his Latin culture impacts his writing, teaching writing at Clarion, the efficacy of cautionary tales, the magic of teaching kids, the optimism of children, and much more!

In our 11th episode, we invite Adrian M. Gibson to talk about burst pipes, hosting podcasts, the art of the interview, starting the SFF Addicts podcast, working with partners, writing masterclasses, paying it forward, writing mentors and finding your path, how Adrian got into writing, the Fungalverse, Mushroom Blues, how living in three different continents have shaped his fiction, how he became fascinated with fungi, The Muppet Show and psychedelics, the fungal punk genre, growing mushrooms on books and eating them, and much more! We had a blast speaking with Adrian!

In our tenth episode, your fellow nerds Mercurio and Matt discuss the topic du jour: Writing and AI! We discuss common misconceptions about writing, such as the misapprehension that the work is merely coming up with a good idea, about authorship and plagiarism, Ted Chiang’s essay in The New Yorker about choices and how they make a work of art, what defines art, methods of communication, the subtle nuances that make stories “real”, why beginning authors should avoid using AI, how AI can erase your unique voice and style, how much of AI training data is stolen, why we aren’t automating laundry, housework, and taxes, why  writers may be tempted by the shortcut that AI offers, Hollywood, advice for aspiring authors, and more! This was a fun and timely discussion!