45: Let's Talk About Titles

This week’s topic is speculative fiction titles. As in, the actual names of fantasy and science fiction books. What makes a book title jump out at us when browsing spines at the store… or lately, listings at the online bookseller of our choice? And what separates the good, the bad, and the boring?

Let's talk about fantasy book titles.

The fantasy book title generator featured in this episode was created by @paracactus from To Other Worlds and can be found here.

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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.

44: Django Wexler Interview

Travis interviews fantasy author Django Wexler about his latest novel, Ashes of the Sun. It follows two siblings on opposite sides of a magical war, kicking off the Burningblade and Silvereye series from Orbit Books.

Django and Travis discuss the art of receiving critique, the dubious ethics of training young children to become Jedi, and how to design a fantasy world to fit the story you want to tell.

About Django Wexler:

Django Wexler is the author of flintlock fantasy series The Shadow Campaigns, middle-grade fantasy The Forbidden Library, and YA fantasy The Wells of Sorcery. His latest is epic fantasy Ashes of the Sun. In his former life as a software engineer, he worked on AI research and programming languages. He currently lives near Seattle with his wife, two cats, and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.

You can find Django Wexler on Twitter as @DjangoWexler or at his website, djangowexler.com.

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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.

43: Linden A. Lewis Interview

Travis interviews science fiction author Linden A. Lewis about their debut novel, The First Sister. Out today from Skybound Books, The First Sister is an epic space opera often compared to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

Linden and Travis discuss the time Linden ended up as an extra on The Walking Dead, consulting an astrophysicist to get the "science" part of science fiction as accurate as possible, and how the #MeToo movement influenced The First Sister.

About Linden A. Lewis:

Linden A. Lewis (she/they) is a queer writer and world wanderer currently living in Madrid with a couple of American cats who have little kitty passports. Tall and tattooed, Linden exists only because society has stopped burning witches.

Linden attended the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2016, and her short fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #215. She is represented by Alexandra Machinist at ICM Partners in New York City.

While there is a 95% chance Linden is a cryptid, she can often be spotted in the wild cosplaying or acting (yes, she appeared in an episode of The Walking Dead). Nowadays, she is most frequently found lurking on both Instagram and Twitter @lindenalewis, or at her website www.lindenalewis.com.

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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.

42: Talking 1 Million Members with r/Fantasy

The fantasy subreddit at fantasy.reddit.com is one of the largest—if not the largest—online speculative fiction communities in the world. It recently surpassed one million subscribers and provides a place for readers, writers, and fans of all speculative media to gather and discuss the genre they love.

Joining us today are three of the r/Fantasy moderators:

  • Lisa (/u/lrich1024)
  • Megan (/u/Megan_Dawn)
  • Wish (/u/wishforagiraffe)

We talk about the origins of r/Fantasy and how it impacts the broader industry, how readers and authors can get the most out of the community, and how to moderate a massive online forum with over a million members.

You can contact the r/Fantasy moderators by messaging them through modmail or through Twitter as @Reddit_Fantasy.

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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.

41: Cole Burkhardt Interview

Travis interviews podcaster Cole Burkhardt about their science fiction audio drama, Null/Void. The story follows a young woman and her friends as they defend their small town from a family of ruthless billionaires who wish to exploit and destroy it.

Cole and Travis discuss the power of audio fiction, practical advice for aspiring voice actors and sound designers, and the importance of representation in the media we consume.

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About Cole Burkhardt:

Cole Burkhardt currently resides in Washington D.C and has tried everything from streaming tabletop games on Twitch to spelunking deep underground. They are the Creator and CoProducer of the Piece of Cake Podcasting Network, a network devoted to helping people of color within the podcasting industry. He has been in a variety of podcasts including Godshead Incidental and Unplaced and is the writer and director of Null/Void. When they're not voice acting or editing audio, they are going to conventions across the East Coast, discussing gender and sexuality in video games and anime. You can find more of him on his website coleburkhardt.carrd.co/ or on Twitter as @KingColeMiner

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40: Jonathan Strahan Interview

Travis interviews editor Jonathan Strahan about his latest fantasy anthology, The Book of Dragons. It collects stories of dragons from all over the world, written by some of the most renowned modern science fiction and fantasy writers.

Jonathan and Travis discuss some of his favorite short stories, how novice and veteran readers can approach discovering short fiction, and of course, dragons.

Jonathan Strahan (www.jonathanstrahan.com.au) is a World Fantasy Award award-winning editor, anthologist, and podcaster. He has edited more than 90 books, is reviews editor for Locus, a consulting editor for Tor.com, and co-host and producer of the Hugo-nominated Coode Street Podcast.

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39: Kate Elliott Interview

Travis interviews science fiction and fantasy author Kate Elliott about her latest book, Unconquerable Sun. The book kicks off the space opera series The Sun Chronicles from Tor Books, and is pitched as gender swapped Alexander the Great in space.

Kate and Travis discuss the Hawaiian Islands method of writing, how to approach the world-building of new cultures, and the history of Alexander the Great.

Kate Elliott has been writing science fiction and fantasy for 30 years, with 27 books in print. Her most recent novel is Unconquerable Sun, gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space. She is best known for her Crown of Stars epic fantasy series, the Afro-Celtic post-Roman alt-history fantasy (with lawyer dinosaurs) Cold Magic, and YA fantasy Court of Fives. Her particular focus is immersive world-building & centering women in epic stories of adventure & transformative cultural change. She lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes & spoils her schnauzer.

You can find her online at her official website, her blog, and as @KateElliottSFF on Twitter.

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38: Speculative Social Media

One of the great things about being a speculative fiction fan in the last couple of decades is the ability to discuss any book, game, movie, etc. you can possibly imagine online. Social media lets us have the geeky conversations online that we may not be able to have in other areas of our lives.

So, how do we usually use bookish social media as fans? What type of content do we want to see from writers, publishers, and artists? And what are some of the unspoken rules for interacting in online SFF circles?

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37: S.A. Chakraborty Interview

Travis interviews fantasy author S.A. Chakraborty about concluding her debut trilogy with The Empire of Gold, the final novel in the Daevabad series. The books center around a young con artist named Nahri who is thrust into a world full of djinn, political turmoil, and magic.

Travis and Shannon discuss the upcoming Netflix adaptation of the books, how historical accounts often read like angry Yelp reviews, and how stories can be a mirror in which we can find hope and understanding in our own lives.

S. A. Chakraborty is the author of the critically acclaimed and internationally best-selling The Daevabad Trilogy. Her work has been nominated for the Locus, World Fantasy, Crawford, and Astounding awards. When not buried in books about thirteenth-century con artists and Abbasid political intrigue, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and re-creating unnecessarily complicated medieval meals. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @SAChakrabooks, where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and an ever-increasing number of cats.

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36: K.A. Doore Interview

Travis interviews fantasy author K.A. Doore about concluding her debut trilogy with The Unconquered City, the final novel in The Chronicles of Ghadid series. Her books are all about queer assassins saving the day, and so far hold the record for the most undead camels in any book we've read.

Travis and Kai discuss the pros and cons of switching your keyboard layout to avoid wrist strain, some lesser-known facts about ancient Roman history, and the challenges of writing a series out of order.

K.A. Doore grew up in Florida, but now lives in cherry-infused Michigan. During the day, she develops eLearnings. At night, she wrangles a small child. In between, she writes fantasy. The Chronicles of Ghadid is her trilogy debut, beginning with The Perfect Assassin from Tor Books.

Find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at https://kadoore.com/.

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35: Mood Reads & Book Slumps

Mood reading and book slumps are two topics that come up often in the book community. Sometimes it's hard to stick to a reading schedule and we read whatever strikes our fancy. Other times it's hard to read at all. And of course, mood reading and book slumps can be hard to separate.

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34: Rowenna Miller Interview

Travis interviews fantasy author Rowenna Miller about concluding her debut trilogy with Rule, the final novel in The Unraveled Kingdom historical fantasy series. The two of them discuss mail delivery chickens, the delightful niche geekdom that is living history, and the effects of neutrality in the face of oppression.

Rowenna Miller, a self-professed nerd from the Midwest, is the author of fantasy novels TORN, FRAY, and RULE. When she's not writing, she enjoys trespassing while hiking and recreating historical textiles.

Find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at www.rowennamiller.com.

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33: Fantastic Beasts & Animal Companions

There's something wonderful about animal companions in fantasy, magical or not. We'd love to do a deep dive into why these friendly critters capture our hearts, the various types of animals usually found in fantasy stories, and examining how the fantasy genre's relationship with animals has evolved over the decades.

Unfortunately, this is not that episode.

If you've ever been captivated by the majestic beauty of a wooly coo, wondered about the logistics of riding a giant snake into battle, or been curious about the myriad of deadly creatures lurking in Australia... you're welcome.

And if not? Don't say you weren't warned.

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32: Lindsay Smith Interview

Travis interviews fantasy author Lindsay Smith about her latest project, Marvel's Black Widow: Bad Blood series from Serial Box. Lindsay Smith is the co-lead of a team of writers bringing the Russian super-spy into a serialized story that releases new episodes each week.

Travis and Lindsay talk about how her experience as a Russian cybersecurity analyst applies to her writing, the joys of working with a collaborative writers room, and how iconic superheroes have evolved over time with the changing political landscape.

Lindsay Smith is the author of the YA espionage thrillers Sekret, Skandal, and Dreamstrider, all from Macmillan Children's. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and dog, where she writes on international issues in cybersecurity.

You can find Lindsay at her website or on Twitter as @LindsaySmithDC.

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31: Martha Wells Interview

Travis interviews science fiction and fantasy author Martha Wells about her latest novel, Network Effect. It's the first full-length novel in the Murderbot Diaries and releases today from Tor.com.

The two of them talk about the challenges of writing nonhuman characters, amazing books they wish more people were reading, and what the future holds in store for Murderbot.

Check out the full virtual book tour schedule for Network Effect here.

Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including The Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads), the Ile-Rien series (including The Death of the Necromancer) as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, media tie-ins (for Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis), and non-fiction. She has won a Nebula Award, two Hugo Awards, an ALA/YALSA Alex Award, two Locus Awards, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the BSFA Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. Her books have been published in sixteen languages.

Find Martha at her website, blog, or as @MarthaWells1 on Twitter. You can support Martha by buying her books or pledging to her Patreon.

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30: Audiobooks

Books on tape have been around for half a century, but audiobooks have exploded in popularity in the last decade. What is the appeal of the audio format? Which books and narrators do we enjoy the most? And does listening to an audiobook even count as reading?

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29: Comfort Reads

One of the many wonderful things about being a book lover is the ability to lose one's self in a "comfort read." Whether that means a light and fluffy story to take our mind off troubled times, a bleak and dreary story to remind us that the present isn't all that bad, or something in between, there's a comforting book out there for everyone.

So what exactly is a comfort read? And what books do we think fit that description?

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28: Jared Shurin Interview

Travis interviews editor Jared Shurin about his latest anthology, The Best of British Fantasy 2019. The anthology series is dedicated to featuring the finest fantastical, speculative, mythic, magical and weird fiction to come from the United Kingdom each year.

The two of them talk about the art of reviewing, common publishing misconceptions, and what exactly being an anthology editor means. They may also mention some good old-fashioned Kansas City.

Jared Shurin has edited or co-edited over two dozen anthologies of original fiction, including The Djinn Falls in Love, The Lowest Heaven, The Book of the Dead, and The Outcast Hours. He is the co-founder and editor of the award-winning pop culture website Pornokitsch and the not-for-profit publishing house Jurassic London. He has been a finalist for the World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, Locus and Hugo Awards, and he has twice won the British Fantasy Award.

Find Jared online as @straycarnivore on Twitter, or check out the Best of British Fantasy Website.

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27: Worldbuilding w/ Tasha Suri & K.S. Villoso

The many varied and fantastic worlds in which speculative fiction stories are set are one of the primary draws of the genre. Fans often rave about the decades J.R.R. Tolkien spent building Middle Earth or debate the rules of their favorite story's magic system. But what exactly goes into worldbuilding, and how can it be done well?

Authors Tasha Suri and K.S. Villoso share their insights into worldbuilding, drawing from their own storytelling and the books they love. We discuss conveying worldbuilding through a character's point of view, macro- vs micro-worldbuilding, and one of the most important questions of all... where to start?

Find Tasha Suri on Twitter, Instagram, or her official website. If magical dance, unlikely marriages, or a Bollywood film aesthetic appeal to you, her books are a delight.

Find K.S. Villoso on Twitter, Instagram, or her official website. If you like incredible characters, classic adventure, and emotional gut punches, you're in for a treat with her books.

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26: Book Cover Design w/ Felix Ortiz & Michael R. Fletcher

The phrase "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" rarely applies toward actual books. Most of us have seen a cover in a bookstore or online and immediately wanted to know more. After all, that's the point of book covers!

But what exactly goes into designing covers? Artist Felix Ortiz and author Michael R. Fletcher share their thoughts on what makes cover art effective and the different approaches traditional and independent publishing take in designing covers. They also walk us through the cover design process from start to finish, diving into the logistical, financial, and artistic nuts and bolts we rarely hear discussed.

Find Felix Ortiz's art online at his ArtStation page.

Find Michael R. Fletcher on Twitter, Facebook, or his official website. If you like your fantasy dark and gritty and hard to put down, check out one of his books:

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