The Coode Street Podcast

Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe
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The Coode Street Podcast

Discussion and digression on science fiction and fantasy with Gary Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Episode 665: Joe Monti and the State of Things

    Long time friend of the podcast Joe Monti, who was recently promoted to Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Editorial Director at Saga Press, and is now officially a "Big Cheese', stops by for a wide-ranging chat about the impact of the pandemic and other events on the affordability of books; trends in recent science fiction, fantasy and horror and why science fiction may be set for something of a comeback; the influence (or lack thereof) of awards on book sales; and touches on authors ranging from Cixin Liu and N.K. Jemisin to William Gibson and Ursula K. Le Guin. As always, Joe’s broad experience as publisher, agent, and bookseller provides some unique insights as to what’s going on and we think makes for fascinating listening as we move towards the end of the year.

    1h 2m

  2. 27 OCT

    Episode 664: Julie Phillips and talking about Ursula K. Le Guin

    In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic The Dispossessed, we sit down for a chat with award-winning biographer and writer Julie Phillips, author of James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon and The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Body Problem. Julie is currently at work on the authorized biography of Le Guin, and her insights from her research and her many discussions with Le Guin—not only regarding The Dispossessed but all aspects of her career, and on the challenges of writing biography—were so compelling that we ran a few minutes over our usual hour. We think it’s well worth it, and wish we could have gone on even longer.

    1h 23m

  3. 13 OCT

    Episode 663: How science fiction responds

    For our first October episode, we try out another new opening, touch upon the recent catastrophic weather in Florida and the hazards of attempting near future SF in a rapidly changing world, with Norman Spinrad’s Russian Spring as one example. After a brief digression (what else?) on novels that extrapolate political decisions more than technological change—like the two novels that preceded the movie Dr. Strangelove, we touch upon the question of whether J.G. Ballard may catch the current zeitgeist in the same way Philp K. Dick did a generation ago. Finally, a few more short digressions on whether awards like World Fantasy can significantly influence a book's sales or reputation, on the value of “best of” anthologies, and on what makes a good gift book for the forthcoming holiday season.

    55 min

  4. 29 SEPT

    Episode 662: Rambling to the end of the year

    As we gear up for the inevitable year-in-review discussions, and the annual semi-hiatus between the fall and spring convention sessions (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), we return to our familiar questions of canon and influence, noting that while some books seem to drop out of the discussion within months of being published, others,like Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, continue to generate responses despite controversy.  From that, we not-quite-seamlessly segue into a discussion of Harlan Ellison and J. Michael Straczynski’s The Last Dangerous Visions and the problems in presenting stories over 50 years old together with brand-new tales, finally chatting about what makes you want to recommend a book to a friend.  Along with way, we mention several interesting writers, including Emily Tesh, Wole Talabi, and Kate Heartfield.

    1h 4m

  5. 15 SEPT

    Episode 661: Emily Tesh and Some Desperate Glory

    In this episode we are delighted to welcome the extremely talented Emily Tesh, who managed the rare achievement of winning a World Fantasy Award for her first novella Silver in the Wood and a Hugo Award for her first novel, Some Desperate Glory. We touch upon some works that figure in Emily’s approach to science fiction and fantasy, including Orson Scott Card's Ender’s Game and a children's SF novel from the '90s that she wishes someone would remember the title of (if you know it, let us know in the coments!), her own background in classics and how Some Desperate Glory reflects the military culture of ancient Sparta, the influence of gaming on her work, and what it’s like to be in conversation with the new space opera tradition of Ann Leckie, Arkady Martine, Tamsyn Muir, and others. And, a few insights into her forthcoming novel, due out next year. As always, our thanks to Emily for joining us. We hope you enjoy the episode!

    1h 7m

  6. 7 SEPT

    Episode 660: Nalo Hopkinson and Blackheart Man

    With the Glasgow World Science Fiction Convention behind us, and with Gary back in Chicago and Jonathan back in Perth, our faithful podcasters pick up the task once again. This week we are delighted to welcome long-time friend of the podcast, Nalo Hopkinson, who joins us to discuss her brilliant new novel, Blackheart Man, and her soon to be released short story collection, Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions.  As always, our thanks to Nalo for making the time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the episode. We'll see you in a week or two!

    1 hr

  7. 13 AUG

    Episode 659: Joe Haldeman and The Forever War (Live in Glasgow)

    Gary and Jonathan talk to Joe Haldeman, Gay Haldeman, and John Scalzi about The Forver War. Recorded live at the Glasgow World Science Fiction Convention.

    57 min

  8. 21 JUL

    Episode 658: A resumption of normal service

    With the Glasgow WorldCon just around the corner, Gary and Jonathan turn their attention to plans for the event. In addition to panel appearances, there'll be a special live recording of The Coode Street Podcast where we are joined by Joe Haldeman, Gay Haldeman, and John Scalzi to discuss 50th anniversary of the publication of The Forever War. Since rambling is unavoidable, there is also a brief discussion of how newer readers discover older SFF texts and writers, both in terms of short fiction and novels, anthologies like The Science Fiction Hall of Fame and Dangerous Visions series (which has been in the news because of the much-delayed publication of  The Last Dangerous Visions,) as well as single-author collections like Harlan Ellison's Greatest Hits. That somehow leads to a chat about how reputations are made and sustained, and Gary and Jonathan touch upon a number of contemporary writers—but you’ll have to listen in order to find out which ones.

    51 min
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About

Discussion and digression on science fiction and fantasy with Gary Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2024
  • Episodes
    666
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2010 - 2020 Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Coode Street Podcast

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