103: Brian McClellan

Travis interviews fantasy author Brian McClellan about In The Shadow Of Lightning, the first book of his new epic fantasy series from Tor Books. From the author of the acclaimed Powder Mage series comes an epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it’s running out.

This episode is spoiler free!

Brian and Travis discuss the business lessons he learned through self-publishing, the sheer work that goes into complex epic fantasy, and how incredibly cool we both were in high school marching band.

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About Brian McClellan:

Brian McClellan is an American epic fantasy author from Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for his acclaimed Powder Mage Universe and essays on the life and business of being a writer.

Brian now lives on the side of a mountain in Utah with his wife, Michele, where he writes books and nurses a crippling video game addiction.

Brian's novels include the Powder Mage Trilogy (Promise of Blood, The Crimson Campaign, and The Autumn Republic), Gods of Blood and Powder (Sins of Empire, Wrath of Empire, and Blood of Empire), and the Valkyrie Collections (Uncanny Collateral and Blood Tally).

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

102: John Scalzi Interview

Travis interviews science fiction author John Scalzi about The Kaiju Preservation Society, a standalone novel from Tor Books. It's a fast-paced, fun adventure full of giant monsters and a great way to escape from the world for a while.

This episode is spoiler free!

John and Travis discuss the difficulty of writing during lockdown, the historical context for kaiju films, and the value of books as entertainment.

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About John Scalzi:

JOHN SCALZI is one of the most popular SF authors of his generation. His debut Old Man's War won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, and Redshirts (which won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel), and 2020's The Last Emperox. Material from his blog, Whatever, has also earned him two other Hugo Awards. The Kaiju Preservation Society is his latest standalone novel from Tor Books. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

101: Vanessa Len Interview

Travis interviews author Vanessa Len about Only A Monster, her debut novel from HarperTeen. With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy novel is the first in a planned trilogy.

This episode is spoiler free!

Vanessa and Travis discuss discuss who society views as monsters, the trickiness of time travel, and how to write a book you just can't put down.

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About Vanessa Len:

Vanessa Len is an Australian author of Chinese-Malaysian and Maltese heritage. An educational editor, she has worked on everything from language learning programs to STEM resources, to professional learning for teachers. Vanessa is a graduate of the Clarion Workshop in San Diego, and she lives in Melbourne.

Find Vanessa Len on Twitter, Instagram, or her Linktree.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

100: Peng Shepherd Interview

Travis interviews author Peng Shepherd about The Cartographers, her latest standalone novel from William Morrow. From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, the Cartographers is a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.

This episode is spoiler free!

Peng and Travis discuss the interconnection of plot and character, throwing out half of a first draft, and of course… so many fascinating facts about maps.

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About Peng Shepherd:

Peng Shepherd is the nationally bestselling author of The Cartographers, The Book of M, and The Future Library.

Her second novel, The Cartographers, was a USA Today, LA Times, and a national Independent Bookstores bestseller. It was named a Best Book of March by The Washington Post, as well as a Pick of the Month by Good Morning America, Amazon, Apple, Real Simple, Buzzfeed, Bustle, and Goodreads, and was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition.

Her first novel, The Book of M, won the 2019 Neukom Institute for Literary Arts Award for Debut Speculative Fiction, and was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, Elle, Refinery29, and The Verge, a Best Book of the Summer by the Today Show and NPR On Point, and has been optioned for television.

A graduate of New York University’s MFA program, Peng is the recipient of a 2020 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York, and Mexico City.

When not writing, she can be found planning her next trip or haunting local bookstores.

Find Peng Shepherd on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

99: Lauren Panepinto

Travis interviews Lauren Panepinto, Creative Director of Orbit Books, about book design and more. Lauren and Travis discuss how a book cover gets made, how fonts and color theory attract a reader's eye, and the origin of the cloaked figure on so many fantasy covers.

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About Lauren Panepinto:

After 15 years designing and art directing book covers, Lauren Panepinto has worked in every publishing genre and collaborated with artists of all disciplines. As the Creative Director of the Orbit Books division of the Hachette Book Group, she has been developing covers for commercial fiction, genre fiction, and graphic novels, as well as overseeing the advertising and promotion visuals of the imprint brands overall. She has designed bestselling covers for Iain Banks, Mira Grant, James S. A. Corey, Brent Weeks, and Gail Carriger, among many others. Not content to just design covers, Lauren has written about science fiction and fantasy art for ImagineFX magazine, io9.com, Orbitbooks.net, and as a columnist at Muddy Colors. Lauren has been very active in the role of art business education, not only at a panelist, presenter, and portfolio reviewer at San Diego ComicCon, New York ComicCon, Spectrum, and Illuxcon, but also as an adjunct professor in the graduate level Center for Publishing at NYU, as well as a frequent guest lecturer at numerous art schools. Lauren has curated gallery shows for the Society of Illustrators in New York City and Krab Jab in Seattle. She is a frequent art competition judge, most recently for the Society of Illustrators in New York and Los Angeles, Infected by Art, and ImagineFX’s Rising Stars issue. Lauren graduated from The School of Visual Arts with a degree in Graphic Design and Advertising. She has worked in fashion (Perry Ellis), television (MTV), and for boutique design firms, but found her true calling in book publishing. She has worked at three of the "Big Five" publishing companies: St. Martin's Press/Picador Books, then Doubleday/Random House, and now Hachette Book Group.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

98: Reading Problematically

Let's talk about problematic books and our problematic reading habits. What could go wrong?

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

97: Fonda Lee Interview

Travis interviews author Fonda Lee about Jade Legacy, the third and final book in the award-winning Green Bone Saga trilogy from Orbit Books. The epic family saga of the Kaul siblings takes an intergenerational turn in this stunning conclusion to the series.

This episode is spoiler free!

Fonda and Travis discuss the nitty gritty of her worldbuilding process, how to craft an impactful action scene, and how in invest readers in morally grey characters.

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About Fonda Lee:

Fonda Lee is the author of the epic urban fantasy Green Bone Saga (beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and the forthcoming Jade Legacy) _and the science fiction novels _Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire.

Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, as well as a three-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated in multiple languages and optioned for television development.

In addition, she has written acclaimed short fiction and comic books for Marvel. She is a frequent speaker and instructor at writing workshops including Viable Paradise and Clarion West.

Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Find Fonda Lee on Twitter, Patreon, or her website fondalee.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

96: Josiah Bancroft Interview

Travis interviews author Josiah Bancroft about The Fall of Babel, the fourth and final book in his highly acclaimed Books of Babel series published by Orbit Books. The secrets of the tower will finally be revealed!

This episode is spoiler free!

Josiah and Travis discuss the perils of social media, approaching prose with a poet's ear, and how the strongest characters often originate from their flaws.

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About Josiah Bancroft:

Before settling down to write fantasy novels, Josiah Bancroft was a poet, college instructor, rock musician, and aspiring comic book artist. When he is not writing, he enjoys drawing the world of the Tower, and cooking dinner without a recipe. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Sharon, their daughter Maddie, and their two rabbits, Mabel and Chaplin.

Find Josiah at his website, thebooksofbabel.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

95: Freya Marske Interview

Travis interviews author Freya Marske about her debut fantasy novel, A Marvellous Light, which is available now from Tordotcom. Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies.

Freya and Travis discuss the best gins, building books around an emotional spine, and the highlights of her unofficial Smut Writing Course.

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About Freya Marske:

Freya Marske lives in Australia, where she is yet to be killed by any form of wildlife. She writes stories full of magic, blood, and as much kissing as she can get away with. Her hobbies include figure skating and discovering new art galleries, and she is on a quest to try all the gin in the world. Her short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Andromeda Spaceways, and several anthologies. In 2020 she was awarded the Australian National SF (Ditmar) Award for Best New Talent.

Find Freya on Twitter, the Be the Serpent podcast, or at her website, freyamarkse.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

94: Melissa Caruso Interview

Travis interviews author Melissa Caruso about the second book in her Rooks and Ruin trilogy, The Quicksilver Court, which is available now from Orbit Books. Loyalties are tested and nations clash in this fresh epic fantasy book bursting with adventure, intrigue, ambition, and deadly magic.

Melissa and Travis discuss the battle tactics of LARPing, writing settings as a character, and her tried and true Oh Shit Chain method of writing.

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About Melissa Caruso:

Melissa Caruso was born on the summer solstice and went to school in an old mansion with a secret door, but despite this auspicious beginning has yet to develop any known superpowers. Melissa has spent her whole life creating imaginary worlds, and in addition to writing is also an avid LARPer and tabletop gamer. She graduated with honors in Creative Writing from Brown University and has an MFA in Fiction from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Melissa's first novel, The Tethered Mage, was shortlisted for a Gemmell Morningstar Award for best fantasy debut.

Find Melissa on Twitter or at her website, melissacaruso.net.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

93: John Gwynne Interview

Travis interviews author John Gwynne about the first entry in his new Bloodsworn Saga from Orbit Books, The Shadow of the Gods. In a Norse-inspired world where the gods destroyed each other in a cataclysmic war, three warriors seek to shape the fate of the world.

John and Travis discuss Viking reenactment, the pros and cons of various melee weapons, and the best way to escape from a suit of mail.

About John Gwynne:

John Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s played double bass in a rock ’n’ roll band and traveled the USA and Canada. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne, where he is part of a Viking reenactment group. When not writing, he can often be found standing in a shield wall with his three sons about him. His dogs think he is their slave.

Find John on Twitter, Instagram, or at his website john-gwynne.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

92: Joe Abercrombie Interview

Travis interviews author Joe Abercrombie about the final book in his Age of Madness trilogy from Orbit Books, The Wisdom of Crowds. Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution...

Joe and Travis discuss how he developed his unique writing voice, the nonfiction books he used to research the Age of Madness, and how to most effectively torment his readers.

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About Joe Abercrombie:

Joe Abercrombie was born in Lancaster in 1974, spent much of his youth in imaginary worlds, and left school with a good idea of how to make stuff up. After graduating from Manchester University he worked as a TV editor, but he never stopped making stuff up, and his first book, The Blade Itself, was published in 2006. He has since written eight more novels and a collection of stories in his First Law and Shattered Sea series. He lives in Bath with his wife Lou and their three children Grace, Eve and Teddy, and makes stuff up full-time.

Find Joe on Facebook, Twitter, or at his website joeabercrombie.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

91: Xiran Jay Zhao Interview

Travis interviews author Xiran Jay Zhao about their debut novel, Iron Widow. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this science fantasy reimagining of the only female emperor in Chinese history. Iron Widow releases September 21 from Penguin Teen!

Xiran and Travis discuss the book's anime inspiration, Chinese history and mythology, and Batman's dietary preferences.

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About Xiran Jay Zhao:

Xiran Jay Zhao is a first-gen immigrant from small-town China who was raised by the Internet. A recent graduate of Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University, they wrote science fiction and fantasy while they probably should have been studying more about biochemical pathways. You can find them on Twitter for memes, Instagram for cosplays and fancy outfits, and YouTube for long videos about Chinese history and culture. Iron Widow is their first novel. Their website is xiranjayzhao.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

90: C.S. Pacat Interview

Travis interviews author C.S. Pacat about the first book in her new fantasy trilogy, Dark Rise. From the acclaimed author of the Captive Prince series comes a tale of heroes and villains being reborn to continue an ancient magical war.

Cat and Travis discuss writing queernormative worlds, pushing back against and reimagining the classics, and the story behind the infamous Captive Prince announcement of 2019.

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About C.S. Pacat:

C.S. Pacat is the USA-Today best-selling author of Dark Rise, the Captive Prince trilogy, and the GLAAD-nominated graphic novels Fence.

Born in Australia and educated at the University of Melbourne, C.S. Pacat has since lived in a number of cities, including Tokyo and Perugia, and currently resides and writes in Melbourne.

Find C.S. Pacat on Twitter, Instagram, or her website cspacat.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

89: Cameron Johnston Interview

Travis interviews author Cameron Johnston about his latest fantasy novel, The Maleficent Seven. This standalone fantasy from Angry Robot features a team up of seven deadly villains and shows that when you're all out of heroes, all that's left are the villains.

Cameron and Travis discuss blacksmithing, the impact of writing groups, and the art and joy of writing villains.

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About Cameron Johnston:

Cameron Johnston is the British Fantasy Award and Dragon Awards nominated author of dark fantasy novels The Traitor God and God of Broken Things. He is a swordsman, a gamer, and an enthusiast of archaeology, history and mythology. He loves exploring ancient sites and camping out under the stars by a roaring fire. 

Find Cameron Johnston on Twitter or at his website, cameronjohnston.net.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

88: Lauren Shippen Interview

Travis interviews author and podcaster Lauren Shippen about her third Bright Sessions novel, Some Faraway Place. This standalone story from Tor Teen features Rose, who has her humdrum life flipped upside down when she starts to travel into dreams.

Lauren and Travis discuss the joys of fanfiction, the power of online communities, and how to craft an emotional story that readers can find comfort in.

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About Lauren Shippen:

LAUREN SHIPPEN, author of The Infinite Noise, is a writer best known for her work in fiction podcasts. She is the creator and sole writer of the popular audio drama, The Bright Sessions. She also wrote MARVELS, an audio adaptation of the popular comic and co-produced the #1 podcast Passenger List, for which she received a BBC Audio Drama Award, Webby, and British Podcast Award. Lauren was named one of Forbes's 2018 30 Under 30 in Media and one of MovieMaker Magazine's and Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch. She was born in New York City and grew up in Bronxville, New York. She currently lives in Seattle.

Find Lauren on Twitter, Instagram, or at her website laurenshippen.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

87: Shelley Parker-Chan Interview

Travis interviews author Shelley Parker-Chan about their debut novel, She Who Became the Sun, the first book of The Radiant Emperor duology from Tor Books. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in this bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Shelley and Travis discuss crafting hyperemotional stories, tackling complex gender feels, and the importance of writing what you love.

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About Shelley Parker-Chan:

Shelley Parker-Chan is an Asian-Australian former diplomat and international development adviser who spent nearly a decade working on human rights, gender equality and LGBT rights in Southeast Asia. Named after the Romantic poet, she was raised on a steady diet of Greek myths, Arthurian legend and Chinese tales of suffering and tragic romance. Her debut novel She Who Became the Sun owes more than a little to all three. In 2017 she was awarded an Otherwise (Tiptree) Fellowship for a work of speculative narrative that expands our understanding of gender. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family.

Find Shelley Parker-Chan on Twitter or at her website, shelleyparkerchan.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

86: Claire North Interview

Travis Interviews author Claire North about Notes from the Burning Age, a standalone climate thriller from Orbit Books. From one of the most imaginative writers of her generation comes an extraordinary vision of the future, which puts dystopian fiction in a new light.

Claire and Travis discuss using your phone for self-defense, writing nonlinear emotional character arcs, and how we can each live a little more sustainably in our daily lives.

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About Claire North:

Claire North is a pseudonym for the author Catherine Webb. Her first book under the Claire North name was the word-of-mouth bestseller The First Fifteen lives of Harry August, which is currently being adapted as movie by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners and will be directed by ‘Maze Runner’ director Wes Ball.

North has since published several critically acclaimed novels and won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Award, and has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the Locus Award and the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award. Her novels have sold over 750,000 copies in the English language and have been sold in translation in over 20 territories.

Find Claire North on Twitter or at her website, clairenorth.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

85: Megan E. O'Keefe Interview

Travis interviews author Megan E. O'Keefe about Catalyst Gate, the thrilling conclusion to The Protectorate space opera trilogy from Orbit Books. The universe is under threat and an ancient alien intelligence threatens to bring humanity down unless Major Sanda Greeve and her crew can stop it.

Megan and Travis discuss fractal plotting, the creeping social impact of artificial intelligence, and the secret to a compelling plot twist.

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About Megan E. O'Keefe:

Megan E. O'Keefe is the author of the Scorched Continent trilogy and The Protectorate series. Her short fiction appears in Shimmer, Podcastle, and Barnes & Noble. Megan's debut fantasy novel, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon, was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.

Find Megan on Twitter, Instagram, or her website meganokeefe.com.

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This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

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The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

84: Tasha Suri Interview

Travis interviews author Tasha Suri about The Jasmine Throne, the first book in her now Burning Kingdoms trilogy from Orbit Books. This epic fantasy features a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne and a priestess searching for her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

Tasha and Travis discuss what makes a compelling romance, drawing widely on history and mythology, and taking the leap into writing an epic fantasy trilogy.

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About Tasha Suri:

Tasha Suri is the award-winning author of The Books of Ambha duology (Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash) and the epic fantasy The Jasmine Throne. She is an occasional librarian and cat owner. She has won the Best Newcomer (Sydney J. Bounds) Award from the British Fantasy Society and has been nominated for the Astounding Award and Locus Award for Best First Novel. When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

Find Tasha on Twitter, Instagram, or her website tashasuri.com.

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Support Us:

Music:

This episode of The Fantasy Inn podcast was recorded in the unceded territory of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Cherokee Band) peoples.

Some of the links included in these show notes are affiliate links and support the podcast at no additional cost to you. If it's an option for you, we encourage you to support your local bookstores!

The blog post accompanying this episode can be found at https://thefantasyinn.com, along with fantasy book reviews, author interviews, and more fantasy content.

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