361. Megan E. O’Keefe (a.k.a. Lady Soapminster) — Velocity Weapon (An Interview)

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode361MeganOKeefeVelocityWeapon/SandF–Episode361–Megan_OKeefe_VelocityWeapon.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSurvival, corporations, and stolen tech, oh my! In today’s episode, Paul Weimer and Daniel Haeusser interview Megan O’Keefe about her new Space Opera novel, Velocity Weapon! But is it a Space Opera? Or is it a heist novel? Perhaps a thriller? No, wait! It’s a time-travel story about the unbreakable bond between siblings! Find out what compelled Megan to tackle Space Opera, how the story evolved into it’s present form, the importance of showing a functioning family unit, why she showed the dark side of a highly advanced society, and so much more! There are some spoilers in the latter half, so watch yourself if you haven’t read the book yet! We hope you enjoy the episode!
360. Ann Leckie (a.k.a. Singularitrix) — The Raven Tower (An Interview)

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode360AnnLeckieTheRavenTower/SandF–Episode360–Ann_Leckie_TheRavenTower.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSShakespeare, geology, and sacrifices, oh my! In today’s interview, Jen and Paul are joined by Ann Leckie, award winning author of the Ancillary Series, to talk about her debut fantasy novel, The Raven Tower. They start with what books inspired the plot and unique characters of the novel, move into the narrative techniques Ann used and how those allowed her to… perhaps withhold some information from the reader, why she enjoys language and the ways that it has power, transgender representation, the female characters of Hamlet and, as usual, much, much more! We hope you enjoy the episode!
359. Charlie Jane Anders (Hostess with the Mostest) – The City in the Middle of the Night

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode359CharlieJaneAndersCityintheMiddleoftheNight/SandF–Episode359–CharlieJaneAndersCityintheMiddleoftheNight.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSCool suits, touch telepathy, and tidally locked planets, oh my! We didn’t know it at the time of our interview, but Paul and Elizabeth sit down with one of our official Hugo Fancast nemeses, Charlie Jane Anders, to talk about her new book, The City in the Middle of the Night! Listen to why Charlie Jane picked her setting and what that meant for the story, how generation ships might actually work out unless designed in a very specific way, how concepts of time play a key role in the world-building, the effects of trauma on a species that communicates via touch, what fashion looks like on the planet of January, and so much more! We hope you enjoy the episode!
Signal Boost #52 — L. D. Lewis (A Ruin of Shadows) and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (The Dark Fantastic)

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFSignalBoost52LewisAndThomas/SandF–Signal_Boost_52–Lewis_and_Thomas.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Jen interviews L. D. Lewis, short story writer, author of A Ruin of Shadows, and Art Director of FIYAH Literary Magazine for Black Speculative Fiction! L. explains why the theme of changing allegiances after discovering the truth is something she likes to explore, how science fantasy helps her ground her world-building, her upcoming essay in Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Existence, and what it means to be the Art Director of FIYAH and how she uses that platform to boost the work of Black artists. Then Jen talks to fangirl, Associate Professor, and KidLit activist, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, about her new non-fiction work, The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. Jen refused to cut anything because they talk about everything from the imagination gap in publishing to how Ebony’s long involvement with fandom and as a fangirl led to the critical lens through which she developed The Dark Fantastic, whether diversity in media is a moment or a movement, and so much more goodness that you just have to listen! We hope you enjoy the episode!
Signal Boost #50 – T. Frohock (Where Oblivion Lives) and Alex Harrow (Empire of Light)

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFSignalBoost50FrohockAndHarrow/SandF–Signal_Boost_50–Frohock_and_Harrow.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS In today’s episode of Signal Boost, Paul talks to T. Frohock about her new Los Nefilim series novella, Where Oblivion Lives. T. treats us to a glimpse of what life was like just prior to the Spanish Civil War, how she deals with the trauma of World War I, the queer relationship between Diego and Miguel, the villainy of humanity, and more! T. is a long time friend of the show, and we’re so glad she finally got to join us! Then Jen interviews Alex Harrow about their new science fiction novel, Empire of Light! Alex tells us about the complicated relationships between the characters, the importance of queer representation and how they specifically try to combat many of the negative queer tropes, why the super powers that they created for Empire of Light (the Voyance) comes with consequences, the importance of finding community, and more! We hope you enjoy the episode!
357. S.A. Chakraborty (a.k.a. The Iron Chef Daevabad) — The Kingdom of Copper (An Interview)

https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode357SAChakrabortyKingdomOfCopper/SandF–Episode_357–SA_Chakraborty_Kingdom_of_Copper.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSMurderous status, dragons, and culinary competitions, oh my! For our first interview of 2019, we’re excited to bring to you the fantastic S.A. Chakraborty. Paul and Elizabeth chat with S.A. (Shannon) about book two of the Daevabad Trilogy, Kingdom of Copper. They explore why the second book is set a good five years after the first one, how the characters deal with the political turmoil of a land divided, why being a good person is completely subjective, how language and cooking help set the tone for the worldbuilding, and a heck of a lot more! Minor spoilers lie ahead, but this interview is absolutely brilliant! We hope you enjoy the episode!