Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 38. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about writing games, particularly roleplaying games. This is a subject dear to my heart, because I’ve spent twenty years of my life playing RPGs, mostly in written form, in play-by-post games. I am a big proponent of ho…

Glenn and Jay talk medievalism in Narnia. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on ⁠Patreon⁠. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out ⁠The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast⁠. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on ⁠Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast⁠. Lovecraft? Poe? Check out ⁠Elder Sig…

Daniel Ausema is an educator and stay-at-home dad. His poems have appeared in Strange Horizons, Fantasy Magazine, Dreams & Nightmares, and many other places and have been nominated for the Rhysling Award. He is also the author of the Arcist Chronicles and the creator of the Spire City series, as well as the writer of many short stories, roughly a h…

Welcome to Shining Moon Episode 36, Writing Real World Religions. Priya Chand is a California transplant living in the Midwest, where she regularly cuts down trees and sets them on fire (as a certified volunteer forest steward). When she's not reading, writing, or eating, she enjoys swimming, martial arts, and naps. Her current big project is co-ed…

Samantha Mills is a Nebula, Locus, and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award winning author from Southern California. You can find her short fiction in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Escape Pod, and others, as well as the best-of anthologies The New Voices of Science Fiction and The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2023. Her debut novel, The W…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 34, Writing Media Tie-Ins. With me today are Marie Brennan, Kate Heartfield, and Caitlin J. Starling. Let’s get started with some introductions! Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly leans on her academic fields for inspiration. In addition to her tie-in work for Legend of…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Epsidoe 33: Food and Foodways in Fiction. With me today are Beth Cato, P.A. Cornell, Amelia Gorman, Nibedita Sen, and D.A. Xiaolin Spires. Let’s get started with some introductions! Nebula Award-nominated Beth Cato is the author of A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE and A FEAST FOR STARVING STONE from 47North. Follow …

Bendi Barrett is a queer Black creator of speculative work in both fiction and interactive game narratives. His debut novella, Empire of the Feast, was a 2023 Ignyte award finalist for Best Novella. His work has appeared in Baffling Mag, PANK magazine, and several anthologies including the BSFA awards long-listed Luminescent Machinations. He also w…

Hello and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 31, Non-Western Fantasy! With me today are Tina Zhu, Osahon Ize-iyamu, and Liza Wemakor. Let’s get started with some introductions! We had some audio problems with Osahon's feed in places. Please be patient with the technology. Osahon Ize-Iyamu is a Nigerian writer of speculative fiction. A graduate of the …

Glenn and Jay talk Ishiguro's dreamy Arthurian fantasy. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on ⁠Patreon⁠. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out ⁠The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast⁠. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on ⁠Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast⁠. Lovecraft? Poe? Check …

Tara Campbell : www.taracampbell.com. Kat Day writes regular flash for her blog, thefictionphial.wordpress.com. Lindz McLeod: https://lindzmcleod.co.uk/ Suzan Palumbo: suzanpalumbo.wordpress.com. Sam W. Pisciotta: www.silo34.com or @Silo34 on X and Instagram. Stories on this episode Tara Campbell “Spencer,” Speculative City #7. https://speculativec…

Note: There are some audio problems in this episode that I have been unable to correct. My apologies. David Anaxagoras is a writer and former teacher from southern California. His short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed and The Dread Machine. He is the creator and co-executive producer of the Amazon series Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon episode 28, Cozy Fantasy and Hopepunk. I’m your host, Deborah L. Davitt. This week we’ll be having a conversation with M. E. (Mary) Garber, Susan Kaye Quinn, and John Wiswell. Itinerant writer M. E. Garber currently lives halfway between the Kennedy Space Center and Disney World, an ideal place for writing specula…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 27, Shared Visions: Writing with a co-author. With me today are writing partners Kathy Bailey and Kurt Pankau as well as Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, who write together as M.A. Carrick. Let’s get started with some introductions! Kathy Bailey writes romance, poetry, science fiction, and women's kaiju. She'…

Teleportation, the Second World War, and H.P. Lovecraft. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Lovecraft? Poe? Check out E…

Amanda Helms (she/her) is a biracial Black/white fantasy, science fiction, and sometimes horror writer whose stories have appeared in FIYAH, Lightspeed, Nature: Futures, and other fine venues. She lives with her family in Colorado. Though all of them are natives, none ski or snowboard, proving that such creatures indeed exist. Find her at amandahel…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 25, Flash Fiction: When the Fic is Quick. I’m your host, Deborah L. Davitt. With me today are Kat Day and Michael Haynes as we’ll discuss the art of writing flash fiction—stories that are under 1,000 words in length. Let’s get started with some introductions. Kat Day is an editor and writer who lives in Ox…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 24. Today we’ll return to the themes of environmental fiction, cli-fi, and solarpunk, on what will be our last episode for the year. Joining me today are Priya Chand, Amelia Gorman, Floris Kleijne, and Tehnuka. Let’s get started with some introductions. Priya Chand is a California transplant living in the …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 23. Today we’ll be talking about mythology, folklore, and prehistoric fiction. My guests today are Robin Duncan, Jelena Dunato, Sam W. Pisciotta. Let’s start with some introductions. R. K. Duncan is a fat queer polyamorous wizard and author of fantasy, horror, and occasional sci-fi. He writes from a few ro…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 22. Today we’ll be talking about environmental science fiction, cli-fi, solarpunk, and maybe even hopepunk. My guests today are Renan Bernado, Cecile Cristofari, and Susan Kaye Quinn. Stories featured in this episode: Renan Berando: "A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity," Escape Pod #863, https://escapepod.org/…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 21. Today we’ll continue our series by asking what it takes to be a magazine editor in this day and age—particularly when your magazine has a message and a role to play in the world at large. We’ll discover the process that takes hold of your story from the moment you click …

Horror for children! Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Lovecraft? Poe? Check out Elder Sign: A Weird Fiction Podcast. …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 20. Today we’ll turn away from genre concerns to get into the nuts and bolts of independent publishing. Joining me today are science fiction writer Abby Goldsmith, and dark erotica author Cassie Alexander. Abby Goldsmith: https://AbbyGoldsmith.com/majority Cassie Alexander: https://cassiealexander.com "Don…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon Episode 19. With me today are Alicia Hilton, Kenneth Hite, and Dawn Vogel to discuss the topic of Lovecraftian and Weird Fiction. Do you have to be Lovecraftian to be weird? What *is* weird, and how do we go beyond the tropes that Lovecraft and his immediate successors set for us. Let’s get started with some intro…

Hello and welcome to Shining Moon episode Number 18. Today we’ll once again turn our attention to the topic of speculative poetry with guests Rebecca Buchannan, Alicia Hilton, Lorraine Schein. Let’s get started with some introductions. Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer. She has released two collectio…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon, Episode 17. Today, we’re departing from genre concerns to talk about the art and craft of worldbuilding. My guests today are Marie Brennan, Beth Cato, Rachel Handley, and Kenneth Hite. For more information on Marie Brennan, visit swantower.com, Twitter @swan_tower, or her Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/swan_to…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 16. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about military science fiction and military fantasy. We’ll talk about the history of military science fiction, what it takes to write in this subgenre with authentic voice and respect. My guests today are Derrick Boden,…

Surrealist salvation! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Lovecraft? Poe? Check…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 15. Today we’ll continue our series by asking what it takes to be a magazine editor in this day and age. We’ll discover the process that takes hold of your story from the moment you click the ‘submit’ button till the moment it’s published. And we’ll talk about the biggest ch…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 14. Today we’ll continue our series by asking what it takes to be a magazine editor in this day and age. We’ll discover the process that takes hold of your story from the moment you click the ‘submit’ button till the moment it’s published. And we’ll talk about the biggest ch…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast Episode 13. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about speculative poetry before doing a little poetry reading, and then a holding poetry thunderdome. My guests today are Brian Hugenbruch and Dawn Vogel. Brian Hugenbruch can be found at a variety of places online, incl…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 12. Today we’ll continue our series by talking about what differentiates contemporary fantasy as a genre from urban fantasy, and more. My guests this week are Laurence Brothers, Michael Haynes, and Sheila Massie. Find Michael Haynes at michaelhaynes.info Find Sheila Massie a…

Platonic forms, amnesia, and Shakespeare! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. L…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 11. Today we’ll continue our series by asking what it takes to write interactive fiction and visual novels. We’ll talk plotting, choices, lack of choices, and more. My guests this week are Stewart C. Baker, Alexei Collier, Tina Connolly, and Stephen Granade. Tina Connolly is…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 10. Today we’ll continue our series by asking what it takes to write Alternate History and Secret History, what the differences between those two terms are, and we’ll explore some examples of each. My guests this week are Anatoly Belilovsky, Marie Brennan, Laurence Brothers,…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 9. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about the genres of dark fantasy and dark science fiction, and where to draw the line between them and horror. My guests this week are P.A. Cornell and Alicia Hilton. Let’s start with some introductions! P.A. Cornell is …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 8. I’m your host, Deborah L. Davitt. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about the subgenre of space opera. How does it differ from Hard Science fiction, which was the focus of Episode 3? What are some of the commonalities that mark this genre? What’s the his…

Murder and madness in fin-de-siecle Prague! Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast.…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 7. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about writing games, particularly roleplaying games. This is a subject dear to my heart, because I’ve spent twenty years of my life playing RPGs, mostly in written form, in play-by-post games. I am a big proponent of how…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 6. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about translation and writing in English as your second language. We’ll find out how difficult it is to write in your second (or third) language, what the advantages of writing in another language are, how you deal with …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 5. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about translation and writing in English as your second language. We’ll find out how difficult it is to write in your second (or third) language, what the advantages of writing in another language are, how you deal with …

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast Episode 4. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about speculative poetry. We’ll talk a little about the history of speculative poetry, what it takes to write genre poetry and regular poetry, and where you can find poetry in the wild. My guests today are Elgin-winning p…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 3. Today we’ll continue our series by asking questions about hard science fiction. We’ll talk a little about the history of this subgenre, what it takes to write fiction that crunches between your teeth, the research required, and more. My guests today are William Ledbetter,…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode 2. Today we’ll continue our series by asking a question not about genre or craft, but about how to keep reading, when you’re a working writer. We’ll discuss the impact working as a writer has on our reading time, choices, and pleasure, and we’ll discuss several stories we al…

Hello, and welcome to Shining Moon: A Speculative Fiction Podcast, Episode One. Today we’ll begin our series by grappling with the questions of “what is literary fiction, and what is genre? And can the two ever be satisfyingly combined?” My guests for this episode are Marie Brennan, Jennifer Hudak, and A.T. Sayre. We discuss the following stories: …

H.G. Wells has to get back to the future. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. L…

Grief and the Cthulhu Mythos. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Lovecraft? Po…

The inevitable collapse of global capitalism, it's inevitable return, and also woolly mammoths. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Han…

It's Quentin Tarantino in space. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Lovecraft?…

It's mushroom people all the way down. Join the conversation on the Atoz forum. Support the network and gain access to over fifty bonus episodes by becoming a patron on Patreon. Want more science fiction in your life? Check out The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast. Love Neil Gaiman? Join us on Hanging Out With the Dream King: A Neil Gaiman Podcast. Love…