What If? Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers

Alan Warren

Some of the best interviews from the ten years of the House of Mystery radio show which covers Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Jackiem Joyner - Zarya

    Jun 26

    Jackiem Joyner - Zarya

    Known equally for his chart-topping work as a contemporary saxophonist and his acclaimed science-fiction novels, Joyner operates at the intersection of sound, story, and emotional truth. Where many artists spend a lifetime refining one voice, Joyner moves fluidly between disciplines—composer, producer, performer, and author—allowing each to inform the other. Over the course of a nearly two-decade career, Joyner has quietly built a résumé that commands respect: three Billboard #1 hits, eight Top Five singles, international touring across more than 30 countries, and collaborations with legends including Angela Bofill, Najee, Jean Carne, Ronnie Laws, Keiko Matsui, Peter White, and the late George Duke. Yet accolades have never been the destination. Evolution has. That evolution comes into sharp focus with Every Part Of Me, Joyner’s debut release for Shanachie Entertainment, arriving January 16, 2026. Entirely written, produced, and largely performed by Joyner himself, the album is less a collection of tracks than a fully realized narrative—drawing from funk, soul, R&B, rock, and contemporary jazz to create a body of work that unfolds with the pacing and emotional arc of a novel. The record marks a turning point. More personal, more transparent, and more deliberate than anything he has released before, Every Part Of Me reflects an artist no longer interested in editing himself for comfort or convention. Themes of fatherhood, belonging, resilience, and renewal are woven throughout the music—not as confession, but as clarity. “People often see the results, not the rebuilding,” Joyner says. “This album is about allowing every part of myself to stand in the light—the artist, the father, the dreamer, the man still becoming.” That sense of authorship—creative and personal—is what ultimately defines Jackiem Joyner. Whether through a saxophone line or a sentence on the page, his work invites listeners into something deeper than genre: an experience shaped by honesty, craft, and the courage to keep moving forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  2. Ben Leman - Between the Tines (Forged in Blood Book 1)

    Apr 30

    Ben Leman - Between the Tines (Forged in Blood Book 1)

    Set on Cowal Peninsula in southwest Scotland in the 17th century, Between the Tines follows the family of Clan Lamont as they are drawn into a brutal confrontation with Clan Campbell, whose relentless ambition leaves a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. As Arran Lamont fights alongside his brothers and lifelong friends, Lain and Sean, in the war-torn regions around them, he is tested by betrayal, loss, and the steady destruction of everything his clan has built. Even in the darkest moments, the heart of the Lamont family beats strongly through the women who hold the community together—Allie, Ariel, Lady Mary, and Isabel—offering charity, stability, and spiritual strength when hope is hardest to find. Their resilience becomes a cornerstone of the clan’s will to survive. From Highland games to clandestine raids, from feasts to fog-shrouded battlefields, Arran’s transformational journey is one of loyalty, courage, and a love that quietly grows stronger through the turmoil. But as the Campbells tighten their grip and the land burns around them, Arran and Lain are forced to rethink their fight. What begins as open warfare shifts into rescue missions, covert strategies, and the fragile beginnings of a daring plan for their people’s future. Haunted by the horrors he’s witnessed and bound by duty to those who remain, Arran faces an impossible choice: continue a war that may consume them all…or lead his people toward a new beginning across the ocean, where survival may come at the cost of everything he knows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

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Some of the best interviews from the ten years of the House of Mystery radio show which covers Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.