Writers, After Dark

Kenneth W. Cain considers himself more a dark fiction author rather than horror, because he chooses story elements from all genres, and that that flexibility helps him explore the darker sides of humanity.

He enjoys editing as much as he enjoys reading and writing, so he brings that excitement and insight to anthologies such as the upcoming "Tales from the Lake Volume 5", and translates that to his own collections, including the upcoming "Darker Days". Kenneth also enjoys discovering authors he's never read before and mentions a few whose stories really impacted him.

Kenneth also talks about where the story and characters for "A Season in Hell" came from, in a dark exploration of human behavior in terms of racial discrimination and the abuses that tend to follow those emotions.

Website: kennethwcain.com

Twitter: @KennethWCain

What styles of dark fiction stories sing to you? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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This week, Hugo Award winning and Nebula Award nominated author Mary Robinette Kowal talks about her Lady Astronaut duology, which is itself a prequel to her Hugo winning short story "Lady Astronaut of Mars".

Mary talks about the research into space flight, space travel, and the science and engineering that went into her world-building and story, nearly-forgotten history of the role of women in rocketry and the space program, and meeting with the actual scientists putting people and deep space exploration robots into space.

"Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars" by Nathalia Holt

The Mercury 13: Website | Documentary | Book

Author Website: www.maryrobinettekowal.com

Author Twitter: @maryrobinette

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Award-winning (and Hugo nominated) speculative fiction author Rebecca Roanhorse stops by to talk about her first novel, the acclaimed "Trail of Lightning". We talk about the magic system she devised for the Diné world, how the types of abilities are tied to their clans, and how the manifestation and strength of those powers are tied to traumas. She also talks about the legends, the heroes and the monsters tied specifically to that culture, and having them walk the world and the consequences of having them back mean.

There's so much to the world in this story, and the existence of this story celebrates inclusivity, Own Voices. And there's much anticipation for the sequel, "Storm of Locusts" coming in Spring 2019 (the second of a planned 4-book sequence).

Check out the review: "Trail of Lightning" wrecks your fantasy preconceptions in a great way, and check out her website to find out where she'll be appearing next.

Also, Rebecca's short story "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience(TM)" is nominated for a Hugo Award, which you can still read over at Apex Magazine, and this week, it's the current story read by LeVar Burton on his new podcast (Episode 25)

Website: rebeccaroanhorse.com

Twitter: @RoanhorseBex

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Fantasy and horror author Daryl Gregory has a story for you. "Spoonbenders" (just out in trade paperback) tells the story of a family of dreamers gifted with psychic abilities of varying strengths and stability, how they became famous, how they fell apart, and how they tried to bring all the pieces back together again.

Daryl talks about his love of the heist story, and his delving into the research about psychic abilities done by the US and Russian governments, and studying up on magic tricks and illusions and the work done by both Yuri Geller and The Amazing Randi. There's also a side trip into stories about Lovecraftian monster hunters, zombie civil rights, and an appreciation for the writers room for "The Expanse".

Find "Spoonbenders" on Amazon

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Horror author Joe R. Lansdale and his daughter, author and musician Kasey Lansdale, have collaborated on the stories in Terror Is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors, a rather unusual investigator in a vast field of fiction about supernatural investigations.

www.joerlansdale.com

www.kaseylansdale.com

Terror Is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors by Joe R Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale

What types of mashup stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination when crossed? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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YA & SF author Emily Devenport stops by to chat about "Medusa Uploaded", which is about a serial killer on a mission on a generation ship, and there's a lot of mystery and mayhem to enjoy in this story.

What happens when bad things happen, and the narrative about what really happened is obscured or altered afterwards to serve a different agenda serves a larger purpose in driving this story, and how that plays out and is set up to continue is a fun read.

Website: emsjoiedeweird.com

Tor.com: www.tor.com/author/emily-devenport

Twitter: @/emdevenport

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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SF author Gareth L. Powell stops by this week, to chat about his latest novel, "Embers of War". The first in a space opera trilogy, the story centers on a sentient former war cruiser having a "change of heart" about being a machine of destruction and becoming a ship dedicated to humanitarian & rescue missions. There are issues that need to be worked through.

Gareth also talks about where his affection for space opera comes from (it includes Battlestar Galactica), the music that helps create the space he writes from, and more.

You can find his "Embers of War" Spotify playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/112472346/playlist/7zRZvj1biKdWFU0tFdICMC

Check out his Twitter feed for his freely offered advice to writers, and also check out his Patreon, where he posts exclusive works of fiction for members.

Website: https://www.garethlpowell.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GarethLPowell/overview

Twitter: @garethlpowell

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Comics writer Zack Kaplan drops by to talk about "Port of Earth", his newest series from Top Cow. What happens when first contact is a business deal rather than a diplomatic mission? What happens when humanity is forced to make a deal without knowing who's making the rules or even what those rules might be?

The first 4-issue arc has been collected, and "Port of Earth" returns with Issue #5 on May 9. "Eclipse" will return later this summer.

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Paranormal YA and Star Wars author Claudia Gray is here, and her newest book, "Defy the Worlds", is the second in her Constellations series, which is a space opera featuring a young soldier and the abandoned mech she finds, and how the bond they develop turns the tide in freeing her world.

Claudia also talks about how important outlining is to her writing process, and how her outlining has evolved as her writing career has progressed. She's also looking forward to working on her first graphic novel, and exploring new ways to tell stories.

And don't get her started on criticism of the movie "Prometheus"... you won't win! Meanwhile, we'll just wait for "Defy the Fates" to arrive, and you can read our review of "Star Wars: Bloodline" while you wait.

Website: claudiagray.com

Twitter: @claudiagray

Tumblr: claudiagray.tumblr.com

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Twitter: Chat with Summer! @WriteAfterDark

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SF author and writing advice podcaster Mur Lafferty is here, talking about her space opera murder mystery "Six Wakes", of Shambling Guides and Netflix, and the print version of "I Should Be Writing".

This is a throwback interview, done about a year ago when "Six Wakes" first came out, but it's appropriate to publish now since the novel has just been nominated for a Hugo Award! Mur's also nominated for her work on for Escape Pod (Best Semipro Zine), and Ditch Diggers (Best Fancast), and "Six Wakes" has also been nominated for the Nebula and PKD Awards... congratulations, Mur!

You can find Mur online at:

Website: murverse.com

Twitter: @mightymur

What types of stories do you love, and what genres fire your imagination? Let us know! Call 602-635-6976 and leave a message, send Summer an email, or have your say in the comments below!

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Twitter: Chat with Summer! @WriteAfterDark

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