The Writer and the Critic

This month The Writer and the Critic comes to you as a LIVE record from Continuum 7 -- Melbourne's own speculative fiction and pop culture convention -- with the incomparable Catherynne M. Valente as special guest podcaster. Ian, Kirstyn and Cat discuss the problems and politics involved when writers review the work of friends and the need for honesty in online opinion. Cat talks about the popular and critical response to her own work, why sad pandas make everyone else sad as well, and why she is currently taking a break from writing negative reviews on her blog. Rose Fox's recent article about the necessity for candour in reviews is also briefly mentioned.

(photo: Art Bébé Promotions)

The first two books up for discussion are Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (recommended by Kirstyn) and Among Others by Jo Walton (Ian's pick). This review of Among Others is pointed as being one Jo Walton herself particularly likes, whereas these two became the subject of reader vitriol over at her LiveJournal -- an incident which Cat, Ian and Kirstyn talk about at length in regards to the writing of memoir and authorial responses to critics. For those wishing to avoid spoilers and skip ahead, discussion of Full Dark, No Stars begins at 19:00, while Among Others starts around 40:50.

The trio then turn their attention to the newly released Embassytown by China Mieville -- selected by Cat -- which Ian and Kirstyn possibly manage to make sound a little more boring than it actually is. You don't need a degree in linguistic theory, honest! (China himself has provided a far better summary of the book.) The discussion of Embassytown, including a rather heated debate between Ian and Kirstyn about post-colonialism, begins at 1:07:40.

Check back in at the 1:35:00 mark for some (very brief) final remarks.

Next month The Writer and the Critic will feature Melbourne author Cameron Rogers, who has chosen World War Z by Max Brooks for Ian and Kirstyn to read.

Ian's recommended book will be a short story collection, Eclipse 4 edited by Jonathan Strahan, while Kirstyn's pick is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

This month's episode of The Writer and the Critic sees your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, discuss the results of the recently announced Ditmar and Tin Duck Awards and dissect the almost inevitable Great Ditmar Controversy of 2011 that exploded onto the interwebs soon afterwards. For those interested in reading further, Kirstyn has blogged about the issue here and here.

The books up for discussion on the podcast this month are The Resurrectionst by Jack O'Connell (chosen by Ian ) and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (recommended by Kirstyn ). Ian mentions a review by Andrew Wheeler when speaking about the O'Connell novel and Kirstyn vaguely remembers this online argument while arguing an Atwood tangent of her own. For those wishing to avoid spoilers and skip ahead, discussion of The Resurrectionist begins at 30:00, while Oryx and Crake starts around 47:00.

They then turn their attention to a book which was recommended by one of their lovely listeners -- Tansy Rayner Roberts. Or maybe two books. Or possibly one book which has had a run-in with a guillotine: Black Out and All Clear by Connie Willis. Ian steals his best lines quotes extensively from this review by his new Bestest Twitter Friend, Jonathan McCalmont. Ian also gets very, very frustrated and swears quite a bit. The discussion of Blackout / All Clear begins at 1:09:09

Check back in at the 1:27:15 mark for some listener feedback and final remarks.

Next month The Writer and the Critic will hit the road once again to record their first episode live in front of an actual audience at Continuum 7 in Melbourne! Their very special guest will be the brilliant and awe-inspiring, Catherynne M. Valente, who has picked Embassytown by China Mieville for Ian and Kirstyn to read.

Ian's recommended book for June will be Among Others by Jo Walton, while Kirstyn has chosen Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.

Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

And now for something completely different ...

SwanCon36 was held over the Easter Weekend (21- 25 April 2011) and a whole bunch of Australian podcasters were in attendance. What better excuse do you need to record a special live MegaPodcast? Join Jonathan Strahan from Coode Street, Helen Merrick from Pangalactic Interwebs, Alex Pierce from Galactic Suburbia, and The Writer and the Critic's own Kirstyn McDermott to hear all about the books and films you should be reading and watching. Yes, should. And if you listen carefully you can even hear Ian Mond wailing and gnashing his teeth back in Melbourne. He really doesn't like being left out of things.

Okay, sure. It's not all that different.

The Writer and the Critic elects to stay at home and rest its feet this month as your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, give you a rundown on the recently announced ballots for the Ditmar and Chronos Awards. Ian grabs a shovel ad promptly digs himself a Ditmar-shaped hole. Kirstyn highlights the emergence of the podcast as a dominant form of "fan publication" on both ballots.They then discuss gender bias in The Periodic Table of Storytelling (which is based on the TV Tropes wiki) -- not to mention gender bias on Ian's hoodie! -- as well as a related blog post by Ann Leckie. Ian laments the likely closure of Salon Futura but hopes Wizard's Tower Press (and its fine online book store) will continue. Kirstyn still refuses to buy an iPad.

Above/Below by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek is a listener-recommended title which is comprised of two linked novellas published as a single "flip-style" book.There are very few spoilers in this review but if you haven't read the book and wish to skip ahead, the discussion begins at 39:30 and ends around 54:15.

The official podcast books are The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (chosen by Ian) and Liar by Justine Larbalestier (recommended by Kirstyn). Be warned: both these discussions contains MASSIVE SPOILERS!! They begin at 54:15 for Oscar Wao and 1:20:20 for Liar. If you haven't already read the books, you may want to come back later when you have. Especially when it coms to Liar. Kirstyn and Ian are very serious about that. Look how sternly their fingers are wagging!

To hear a final wrap-up, brief mention of feedback, and some very exciting podcasty news, listen in from 1:39:00.

For the next episode, Ian has chosen The Resurrectionst by Jack O'Connell while Kirstyn has picked Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. In addition, they will be discussing the new split-novel/duology, Black Out and All Clear by Connie Willis, which was recommended by a listener. Whew, that's a whole bunch of words to get through!

*** The Writer and the Critic adopts a book club approach to its discussion and will assume its listeners have either read the books in question or don't care if they find out that it was all but a dream in the end. There will almost certainly be spoilers, so you are encouraged to read the chosen titles ahead of time. It'll be much more fun that way and Ian and Kirstyn won't get near as many death threats! ***

This month on The Writer and the Critic, your valiant hosts, Ian Mond and Kirstyn McDermott, venture forth to the home of their special guest: Galactic Suburbian, Alex Pierce. Having been rewarded with red wine and orange cake, they discuss the origins of Galactic Suburbia as well as the future of its brand new sister podcast, Galactic Chat, then proceed to paddle about in the murky waters of genre and gender. Alex admits a literary crush on Alastair Reynolds. Ian confesses mild paranoia about his reading habits. Kirstyn warns that her inner feminist is pretty much permanently on the loose now. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Galactic Suburbia!

Alex has chosen Bold As Love by Gwyneth Jones as her book for this month and so begins a rollicking roundtable on rock stars, romance and revolution. For those wishing to avoid spoilers -- and there are quite a few -- the discussion of this novel begins at 22:30 of the podcast and ends around 45:30.

The official podcast books for March are My Name is Will by Jess Winfield, which Ian has recommended (but has a little trouble remembering), and Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja, which Kirstyn has chosen (and may or may not squee about). For your convenience once again, the starting points are 45:30 for My Name is Will and 01:00:00 for Under the Poppy. For a final wrap-up and preview of future podcasting goodness, tune back in by 01:31:30.

For next month's podcast, Ian has chosen The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz and Kirstyn has picked Liar by Justine Larbalestier. Plus, there will be a third, listener-recommended title: Above/Below by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek.

And finally, a heads-up for May when Ian and Kirstyn will be discussing the Black Out / All Clear duology by Connie Willis, as recommended by another listener. With over a thousand pages between the two books, your thoughtful hosts decided to let you know well in advance. See, they really are lovely people!

*** Just a reminder that The Writer and the Critic adopts a book club approach to its discussion and will assume its listeners have either read the books in question or don't care if they find out that the plucky and generously endowed heroine comes to the realisation that she is simply an avatar trapped within a highly complex but ultimately futile online multi-player gaming system. There will almost certainly be spoilers, so you are encouraged to read the chosen titles ahead of time. It'll be much more fun that way and Ian and Kirstyn won't get near as many death threats! ***

This month's episode of The Writer and the Critic sees your intrepid hosts, Ian Mond and Kirstyn McDermott, pack up their gear and travel to the gothic Victorian mansionette of their special guest: Melbourne horror writer, Felicity Dowker. The three of them discuss the recent controversy surrounding Bitch Media's list of 100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader and the problematic removal of three books from said list. Ian mentions a blog post Kirstyn previously wrote about the issue. Talk of censorship, feminism and the complicated nature of list-making enues.

Ian and Kirstyn then chat with Felicity about her own work, the flavour of horror that she writes, and why, before launching into a review of her chosen book for the month -- Death Most Definite by Brisbane author, Trent Jamieson. For those wishing to avoid spoilers -- and there are many -- the discussion of this novel begins at minute 28:00 of the podcast and ends around 49:00. You're welcome.

The official podcast books for March are Last Days by Brian Evenson (recommended by Ian) and White Cat by Holly Black (Kirstyn's pick). For your convenience once again, the starting points are 49:00 for White Cat and 01:08:00 for Last Days. For a final wrap-up and some tasteless, non-book related jokes from Ian, make sure you've tuned back in by the 01:32:30 point. Note to selves: it is possibly not the best idea to imbibe wine while podcasting.

Next month, The Writer and the Critic hits the road again to meet with another special guest: Alexandra Pierce from Galactic Suburbia. Alex has chosen Bold as Love by Gwyneth Jones as her recommended read.

Ian has recommended My Name is Will by Jess Winfield, while Kirstyn has chosen Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja.

Just a reminder that The Writer and the Critic has now adopted more of a book club approach to its discussion and will assume its listeners have either read the books in question or don't care if they find out that the protagonist falls in love with a hairless ferret only to discover in a shocking last page revelation that said ferret is actually a killer whale in disguise. There will almost certainly be spoilers, so you are encouraged to read the chosen titles ahead of time. It'll be much more fun that way and Ian and Kirstyn won't get near as many death threats!

In this episode of The Writer and the Critic, Ian Mond and Kirstyn McDermott speak briefly about listener feedback, in particular Cheryl Morgan's musings about spoilers and the lack thereof in this podcast. They summarily decide to lift the ban on spoilers to allow more open discussion of all aspects of the books they are reviewing, including ... gasp ... endings and plot twists! Ian promises not to put his hands over his hands and make annoying humming noises while doing so.

*** SPOILER ALERT *** THIS PODCAST CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

Ahem. Don't say you were never warned.

They also talk about the forthcoming Twelve Planets from Twelfth Planet Press and why a series of collections featuring Australian female spec fic writers is far from being a silly gesture. (And it's not just because Kirstyn is writing one of those collections!)

Still on the topic of gender, the soon-to-be controversial guidelines of a new horror anthology from Ticonderoga Press are thrown on the autopsy table, with much made of the request for stories with a "masculine tone".

This month books up for discussion are The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (recommended by Ian) and The City and The City by China Mieville (Kirstyn's choice), both joint winners of last year's Hugo Award for Best Novel. A review by Jonathan McCalmont by The Windup Girl is possibly badly paraphrased by Ian. For those wishing to avoid spoilers and skip ahead, discussion of The City and the City begins at 28:30, while The Windup Girl chat starts around 50:00. Check back in at the 1:19:45 mark for some brief final remarks and a preview of next month's podcast.

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

Next month, The Writer and the Critic travels into the world beyond Kirstyn's dining room to feature a special guest: Melbourne writer of all things dark and deliciously nasty, Felicity Dowker. Yes, that's right, a travelling podcast. Hey, it's a niche and we're claiming it. Felicity has chosen Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson for Ian and Kirstyn to read.

Ian's recommended book for March is Last Days by Brian Evenson, while Kirstyn has picked White Cat by Holly Black.

And don't forget, The Writer and the Critic has now adopted more of a book club approach to its discussion and will assume its listeners have either read the books in question or don't care if they find out that the protagonist dies in a horrible rice threshing machine accident on the second to last page. There will almost certainly be spoilers, so you are encouraged to read the chosen titles ahead of time. It'll be much more fun that way and Ian and Kirstyn won't get near as many death threats!

At the start of this episode of The Writer and the Critic, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond spend a little time addressing some listener feedback from last month concerning social media and book recommendations. They have picked a book recommended by a listener to be read and reviewed in February but they're not telling you which one because, as Ian says, there aren't enough surprises in the world anymore.

The Writer and the Critic is a proud contributor to the global surprise quotient.

Then follows a very lengthy discussion about The Book Thief (one of the novels from the previous podcast) which was sparked off by a passionate and thought-provoking review of the same from Catherynne M. Valente. Free-form digressions may or may not be included. Conclusions may or may not be drawn. Ian and Kirstyn vow not to mention this particular book again for quite some time.

This month's official books up for review are Feed by Mira Grant (recommended by Ian) and The Red Tree by Caitlín R. Kiernan (chosen by Kirstyn).

We hope you enjoy this month's podcast.

In the next episode, scheduled for late January, Ian and Kirstyn will discussion The Wind-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi and The City and the City by China Miéville.

Welcome to the thrilling first episode of The Writer and Critic, a monthly podcast dealing with news, books reviews and the odd bit of idle gossip.

After 10 minutes of rambling where your hosts Ian Mond (he would be the critic) and Kirstyn McDermott (she would be the writer) talk about the podcasts that have inspired them (and Ian mention his ego, while Kirstyn forgets something important), the podcast then gets down to some news.

This months news items include the the Elizabeth Moon controversy (cue groans from Kirstyn) and when authors go bad. Ian brings up this blog post by Martin Lewis which argues that genre review and critical blogging on the web needs to be better.

Then we get to the actual core of the podcast (it only takes about thirty minutes). Kirstyn recommended that Ian read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, while Ian recommended that Kirstyn read Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (due for publication in April 2011).

Much interesting conversation ensues.

We hope you enjoy this first episode.  It's a bit raw around the edges, and Ian could have done more research (naughty Ian), but here it is in all its raw, unedited and rambly glory!

In the next episode, due mid-December, Ian and Kirstyn will talk about Feed by Mira Grant and The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan.