Temi Oh

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Temi Oh, author of MORE PERFECT. About MORE PERFECT: When Moremi connects her brain to the Panopticon, a network which allows you to see inside the minds and dreams of others, she believes that it will save her from depression, loneliness and, eventually, death. That is until she meets Orpheus. Orpheus was brought up in isolation by a Neo-luddite father. He was raised to question everything, including the government who plan to make the connection procedure compulsory. They promise that connecting everyone to the Panopticon will end human suffering and usher in a more perfect world. But when Orpheus and Moremi uncover the dark side of the technology, they find themselves on opposite sides of a radical divide, between those who believe that the Panopticon will save humanity, and those who will stop at nothing to destroy it. About Temi Oh: Temi Oh wrote her first novel while studying for a BSci in Neuroscience. Her novel, DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO?, was published by Simon &amp; Schuster. It won the American Library Association’s Alex Award in 2020 and was an NPR Best Book of the year in 2019. She has written stories for Marvel’s Black Panther, Dr Who and Overwatch.? Her next novel, MORE PERFECT will be published by Simon and Schuster in May 2023 Her first short film MURMUR was funded by Sky Arts and the BFI. Since then, she has written on the Netflix TV series Castlevania: Nocturne and the CBBC series SILVERPOINT. This week’s picks:  Temi: Foundation S2 (Apple Tv) Tracy: The Big Sleep (A Philip Marlowe Novel) by Raymond Chandler Patrick: Justified: City Primeval (FX/Hulu)  Links:  Temi Oh on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 591-With Temi Oh appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/More-Perfect/dp/1471171280" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.theonlytemioh.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Temi Oh</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/More-Perfect/dp/1471171280" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">MORE PERFECT</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/More-Perfect/dp/1471171280" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">MORE PERFECT</a>: When Moremi connects her brain to the Panopticon, a network which allows you to see inside the minds and dreams of others, she believes that it will save her from depression, loneliness and, eventually, death. That is until she meets Orpheus. Orpheus was brought up in isolation by a Neo-luddite father. He was raised to question everything, including the government who plan to make the connection procedure compulsory. They promise that connecting everyone to the Panopticon will end human suffering and usher in a more perfect world. But when Orpheus and Moremi uncover the dark side of the technology, they find themselves on opposite sides of a radical divide, between those who believe that the Panopticon will save humanity, and those who will stop at nothing to destroy it. About <a href="https://www.theonlytemioh.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Temi Oh</a>: Temi Oh wrote her first novel while studying for a BSci in Neuroscience. Her novel, DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO?, was published by Simon &amp; Schuster. It won the American Library Association’s Alex Award in 2020 and was an NPR Best Book of the year in 2019. She has written stories for Marvel’s Black Panther, Dr Who and Overwatch.? Her next novel, MORE PERFECT will be published by Simon and Schuster in May 2023 Her first short film MURMUR was funded by Sky Arts and the BFI. Since then, she has written on the Netflix TV series Castlevania: Nocturne and the CBBC series SILVERPOINT. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Temi: <a href="https://youtu.be/2t0BGkVQMuQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foundation S2 (Apple Tv)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Sleep-Philip-Marlowe-Novel/dp/0394758285" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Big Sleep (A Philip Marlowe Novel) by Raymond Chandler</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/N6KEgWSFfaE" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Justified: City Primeval (FX/Hulu)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/Temi_Oh" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Temi Oh on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/07/episode-591-with-temi-oh/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 591-With Temi Oh</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 591-With Temi Oh

Genevieve Gornichec

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Genevieve Gornichec, author of THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN. About THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN: Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wise woman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help each other always. When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny finds herself set adrift from the life she imagined. Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch in the far north, is on her way to her exalted destiny. But the bonds–both enchanted and emotional–that hold them together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other again, those bonds will be tested in ways they could never have imagined in this rich, searching novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood. About Genevieve Gornichec: Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she now lives even deeper in the Midwest. The Witch’s Heart is her debut novel. This week’s picks:  Genevieve: Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long Tracy: Dice Dojo (Chicagoland Games) Patrick: Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion (Disney+)  Links:  Genevieve Gornichec on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 590-With Genevieve Gornichec appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weaver-Witch-Queen-Genevieve-Gornichec/dp/0593438248/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://genevievegornichec.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Genevieve Gornichec</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weaver-Witch-Queen-Genevieve-Gornichec/dp/0593438248/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weaver-Witch-Queen-Genevieve-Gornichec/dp/0593438248/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN</a>: Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wise woman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help each other always. When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny finds herself set adrift from the life she imagined. Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch in the far north, is on her way to her exalted destiny. But the bonds–both enchanted and emotional–that hold them together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other again, those bonds will be tested in ways they could never have imagined in this rich, searching novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood. About <a href="https://genevievegornichec.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Genevieve Gornichec</a>: Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she now lives even deeper in the Midwest. The Witch’s Heart is her debut novel. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Genevieve: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Sea-Dark-Water-Daughter/dp/180336260X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.chicagolandgames.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dice Dojo (Chicagoland Games)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/Tp_YZNqNBhw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion (Disney+)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/gengornichec" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Genevieve Gornichec on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/07/episode-590-with-genevieve-gornichec/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 590-With Genevieve Gornichec</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 590-With Genevieve Gornichec

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome L.R. Lam, author of DRAGONFALL. About DRAGONFALL: Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the “gods” remember, and they do not forgive. Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact’s magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge. The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely–body, mind, and soul—and then kill them. Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter. About L.R. Lam: L.R. Lam was first Californian and now Scottish. Lam is the Sunday Times Bestselling and award-winning author of Dragonfall (the Dragon Scales trilogy), the Seven Devils duology (co-written with Elizabeth May), Goldilocks, the Pacifica novels False Hearts and Shattered Minds, and the Micah Grey trilogy, which begins with Pantomime. They are also a lecturer on the Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier University. Lam has previously written as Laura Lam. This week’s picks:  L.R.: A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland Tracy: TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Patrick: Smoked Pizza  Links:  L.R. Lam on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 589-With L.R. Lam appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragonfall-Dragon-Scales-L-Lam/dp/0756418410" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://lrlam.co.uk/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">L.R. Lam</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragonfall-Dragon-Scales-L-Lam/dp/0756418410" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">DRAGONFALL</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragonfall-Dragon-Scales-L-Lam/dp/0756418410" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">DRAGONFALL</a>: Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the “gods” remember, and they do not forgive. Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact’s magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge. The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely–body, mind, and soul—and then kill them. Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter. About <a href="https://lrlam.co.uk/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">L.R. Lam</a>: L.R. Lam was first Californian and now Scottish. Lam is the Sunday Times Bestselling and award-winning author of Dragonfall (the Dragon Scales trilogy), the Seven Devils duology (co-written with Elizabeth May), Goldilocks, the Pacifica novels False Hearts and Shattered Minds, and the Micah Grey trilogy, which begins with Pantomime. They are also a lecturer on the Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier University. Lam has previously written as Laura Lam. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>L.R.: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Gold-Iron-Alexandra-Rowland/dp/1250800382" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://youtu.be/ozKsDzumb0c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.traeger.com/learn/how-to-grill-pizza" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Smoked Pizza</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/LR_Lam" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">L.R. Lam on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/07/episode-589-with-l-r-lam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 589-With L.R. Lam</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 589-With L.R. Lam

Rebecca Fraimow

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Rebecca Fraimow, author of THE IRON CHILDREN. About THE IRON CHILDREN: Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day, she’ll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body of the Sor and become a commander to a battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that’s kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades. But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain. Worse, one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it. To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice — and what for. About Rebecca Fraimow: Rebecca Fraimow is an author and archivist living in Boston, writing primarily science fiction and fantasy. Her short fiction has recently appeared in PodCastle, The Fantasist, and Consolation Songs: Optimistic Speculative Fiction for a Time of Pandemic, among other venues. Her short story in Consolation Songs, “This Is New Gehesran Calling,” appeared on the longlist for the 2021 Hugo Award. This week’s picks:  Rebecca: O Human Star – by Blue Delliquanti Tracy: Crokinole Game Patrick: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2  Links:  Rebecca Fraimow on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 588-With Rebecca Fraimow appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Children-Rebecca-Fraimow/dp/1786189887" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://rebeccafraimow.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Rebecca Fraimow</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Children-Rebecca-Fraimow/dp/1786189887" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE IRON CHILDREN</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Children-Rebecca-Fraimow/dp/1786189887" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE IRON CHILDREN</a>: Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day, she’ll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body of the Sor and become a commander to a battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that’s kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades. But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain. Worse, one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it. To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice — and what for. About <a href="https://rebeccafraimow.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Rebecca Fraimow</a>: Rebecca Fraimow is an author and archivist living in Boston, writing primarily science fiction and fantasy. Her short fiction has recently appeared in PodCastle, The Fantasist, and Consolation Songs: Optimistic Speculative Fiction for a Time of Pandemic, among other venues. Her short story in Consolation Songs, “This Is New Gehesran Calling,” appeared on the longlist for the 2021 Hugo Award. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Rebecca: <a href="https://ohumanstar.com/comic/chapter-1-page-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">O Human Star – by Blue Delliquanti</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crokinole Game</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/69mzZqcM0qw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/ryfkah" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Rebecca Fraimow on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/06/episode-588-with-rebecca-fraimow/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 588-With Rebecca Fraimow</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 588-With Rebecca Fraimow

Fonda Lee

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Fonda Lee, author of UNTETHERED SKY. About UNTETHERED SKY: Ester’s family was torn apart when a manticore killed her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father’s painful silence and a single, overwhelming need to kill the monsters that took her family. Ester’s path leads her to the King’s Royal Mews, where the giant rocs of legend are flown to hunt manticores by their brave and dedicated ruhkers. Paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, Ester finds purpose and acclaim by devoting herself to a calling that demands absolute sacrifice and a creature that will never return her love. The terrifying partnership between woman and roc leads Ester not only on the empire’s most dangerous manticore hunt, but on a journey of perseverance and acceptance. About Fonda Lee: Fonda Lee is the author of the epic fantasy Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City, continuing in Jade War, and concluding in Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire, and two novellas, the Green Bone Saga prequel The Jade Setter of Janloon, and the upcoming Untethered Sky. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a four-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes &amp; Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated in a dozen languages, named to TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, and optioned for television development. She has also written acclaimed short fiction and been an 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 the Pacific Northwest. This week’s picks:  Fonda: Haikyu! (Crunchyroll) Tracy: Axe Throwing Patrick: MLB Games  Links:  Fonda Lee on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 587-With Fonda Lee appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Untethered-Sky-Fonda-Lee/dp/1250842468" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.fondalee.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Fonda Lee</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Untethered-Sky-Fonda-Lee/dp/1250842468" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">UNTETHERED SKY</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Untethered-Sky-Fonda-Lee/dp/1250842468" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">UNTETHERED SKY</a>: Ester’s family was torn apart when a manticore killed her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father’s painful silence and a single, overwhelming need to kill the monsters that took her family. Ester’s path leads her to the King’s Royal Mews, where the giant rocs of legend are flown to hunt manticores by their brave and dedicated ruhkers. Paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, Ester finds purpose and acclaim by devoting herself to a calling that demands absolute sacrifice and a creature that will never return her love. The terrifying partnership between woman and roc leads Ester not only on the empire’s most dangerous manticore hunt, but on a journey of perseverance and acceptance. About <a href="https://www.fondalee.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Fonda Lee</a>: Fonda Lee is the author of the epic fantasy Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City, continuing in Jade War, and concluding in Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire, and two novellas, the Green Bone Saga prequel The Jade Setter of Janloon, and the upcoming Untethered Sky. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a four-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes &amp; Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated in a dozen languages, named to TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, and optioned for television development. She has also written acclaimed short fiction and been an 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 the Pacific Northwest. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Fonda: <a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GY8VM8MWY/haikyu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Haikyu! (Crunchyroll)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_throwing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Axe Throwing</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.mlb.com/tickets" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">MLB Games</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/FondaJLee" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Fonda Lee on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/06/episode-587-with-fonda-lee/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 587-With Fonda Lee</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 587-With Fonda Lee

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome K.B. Wagers, author of THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST. About THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST: NeoG—the Near-Earth Orbital Guard, a diverse military force that patrols and protects the solar system, inspired by the real-life mission of the Coast Guard—and the crew of Zuma’s Ghost are under attack, and shocking truths are about to be exposed. What the black takes should stay in the black. Ensign Nell “Sapphi” Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she’s hearing in the Verge and the song she can’t get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma’s Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief’s robot dog, Doge, is acting weird—a computer problem she can’t find an answer to—and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge. It doesn’t help the NeoG’s mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D’Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he’s struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten. The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D’Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What’s worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that’s been taking their ships too… As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe. About K.B. Wagers: K.B. Wagers is the author of the NeoG Adventures from Harper Voyager and the the Indranan and Farian War trilogies from Orbit Books. They are a fan of whiskey and cats, Jupiter Ascending and the Muppets. This week’s picks:  K.B.: Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey Tracy: Skipjack Kayaks Patrick: Triptych (Will Trent book 1) By Karin Slaughter  Links:  K.B. Wagers on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 586-With K.B. Wagers appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Trappist-NeoG-3/dp/0063115166" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://kbwagers.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">K.B. Wagers</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Trappist-NeoG-3/dp/0063115166" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Trappist-NeoG-3/dp/0063115166" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST</a>: NeoG—the Near-Earth Orbital Guard, a diverse military force that patrols and protects the solar system, inspired by the real-life mission of the Coast Guard—and the crew of Zuma’s Ghost are under attack, and shocking truths are about to be exposed. What the black takes should stay in the black. Ensign Nell “Sapphi” Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she’s hearing in the Verge and the song she can’t get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma’s Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief’s robot dog, Doge, is acting weird—a computer problem she can’t find an answer to—and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge. It doesn’t help the NeoG’s mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D’Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he’s struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten. The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D’Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What’s worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that’s been taking their ships too… As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe. About <a href="https://kbwagers.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">K.B. Wagers</a>: K.B. Wagers is the author of the NeoG Adventures from Harper Voyager and the the Indranan and Farian War trilogies from Orbit Books. They are a fan of whiskey and cats, Jupiter Ascending and the Muppets. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>K.B.: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rest-Resistance-Reclaiming-Divine-Right/dp/0316365211" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/vibe-skipjack-90-kayak-20tlraskpjck90xxxpsk/20tlraskpjck90xxxpsk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skipjack Kayaks</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Triptych-Audiobook/B002V8L1JS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Triptych (Will Trent book 1) By Karin Slaughter</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/kbwagers" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">K.B. Wagers on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/06/episode-586-with-k-b-wagers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 586-With K.B. Wagers</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 586-With K.B. Wagers

Emma Mieko Candon

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Emma Mieko Candon, author of THE ARCHIVE UNDYING. About THE ARCHIVE UNDYING: When the robotic god of Khuon Mo went mad, it destroyed everything it touched. It killed its priests, its city, and all its wondrous works. But in its final death throes, the god brought one thing back to life: its favorite child, Sunai. For the seventeen years since, Sunai has walked the land like a ghost, unable to die, unable to age, and unable to forget the horrors he’s seen. He’s run as far as he can from the wreckage of his faith, drowning himself in drink, drugs, and men. But when Sunai wakes up in the bed of the one man he never should have slept with, he finds himself on a path straight back into the world of gods and machines. About Emma Mieko Candon: Emma Mieko Candon (she/they) is a best-selling queer author and escaped academic drawn to tales of devouring ghosts, cursed linguistics, and mediocre robots. Her forthcoming work includes Star Wars Visions: Ronin (2021), a Japanese reimagining of the Star Wars mythos, and The Archive Undying (2023), an original speculative novel about sad giant robots and funny-mean queers dragged screaming toward revolution. As an actual cyborg whose blood has been taken for science, Emma’s grateful to be stationed at home in Hawaii, where they were born and raised as a fourth-generation Japanese settler. By day, they edit anime nonsense for Seven Seas, and by night they remain academically haunted by identity, ideology, and imperialism. At all hours of the day, they are beholden to the whims of two lopsided cats and relieved by the support of an enviably handsome wife. Find Emma airing unimpeachable anime opinions on Twitter at @EmmaCandon or wailing about video games under the bushes in front of the nearest boba tea joint. This week’s picks:  Emma: Dead Country by Max Gladstone Emma: Friends at the Table Tracy: Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch Patrick: Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook by Rodney Scott &amp; Lolis Eric Elie  Links:  Emma Mieko Candon on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 585-With Emma Mieko Candon appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Archive-Undying-Downworld-Sequence/dp/1250821541" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://emcandon.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Emma Mieko Candon</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Archive-Undying-Downworld-Sequence/dp/1250821541" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE ARCHIVE UNDYING</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Archive-Undying-Downworld-Sequence/dp/1250821541" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE ARCHIVE UNDYING</a>: When the robotic god of Khuon Mo went mad, it destroyed everything it touched. It killed its priests, its city, and all its wondrous works. But in its final death throes, the god brought one thing back to life: its favorite child, Sunai. For the seventeen years since, Sunai has walked the land like a ghost, unable to die, unable to age, and unable to forget the horrors he’s seen. He’s run as far as he can from the wreckage of his faith, drowning himself in drink, drugs, and men. But when Sunai wakes up in the bed of the one man he never should have slept with, he finds himself on a path straight back into the world of gods and machines. About <a href="https://emcandon.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Emma Mieko Candon</a>: Emma Mieko Candon (she/they) is a best-selling queer author and escaped academic drawn to tales of devouring ghosts, cursed linguistics, and mediocre robots. Her forthcoming work includes Star Wars Visions: Ronin (2021), a Japanese reimagining of the Star Wars mythos, and The Archive Undying (2023), an original speculative novel about sad giant robots and funny-mean queers dragged screaming toward revolution. As an actual cyborg whose blood has been taken for science, Emma’s grateful to be stationed at home in Hawaii, where they were born and raised as a fourth-generation Japanese settler. By day, they edit anime nonsense for Seven Seas, and by night they remain academically haunted by identity, ideology, and imperialism. At all hours of the day, they are beholden to the whims of two lopsided cats and relieved by the support of an enviably handsome wife. Find Emma airing unimpeachable anime opinions on Twitter at @EmmaCandon or wailing about video games under the bushes in front of the nearest boba tea joint. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Emma: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Country-Craft-Wars-1/dp/0765395916" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dead Country by Max Gladstone</a></li> <li>Emma: <a href="https://friendsatthetable.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Friends at the Table</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Because-Internet-Understanding-Rules-Language/dp/0735210934" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rodney-Scotts-World-BBQ-Every/dp/198482693X" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook by Rodney Scott &amp; Lolis Eric Elie</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/EmmaCandon" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Emma Mieko Candon on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/05/episode-585-with-emma-mieko-candon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 585-With Emma Mieko Candon</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 585-With Emma Mieko Candon

Nathan Ballingrud

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Nathan Ballingrud, author of THE STRANGE. About THE STRANGE: Since Anabelle’s mother left for Earth to care for her own ailing mother, her days in New Galveston have been spent at school and her nights at her laconic father’s diner with Watson, the family Kitchen Engine and dishwasher as her only companion. When the Silence came, and communication and shipments from Earth to its colonies on Mars stopped, life seemed stuck in foreboding stasis until the night Silas Mundt and his gang attacked. At once evoking the dreams of an America explored in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles and the harder realities of frontier life in Charles Portis True Grit, Ballingrud’s novel is haunting in its evocation of Anabelle’s quest for revenge amidst a spent and angry world accompanied by a domestic Engine, a drunken space pilot, and the toughest woman on Mars. About Nathan Ballingrud: Nathan was born in Massachusetts in 1970, but spent most of his life in the South. He studied literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the University of New Orleans. Among other things, he’s been a cook on oil rigs and barges, a waiter, and a bartender in New Orleans. His most recent book is called Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell, from Saga Press. His first book is North American Lake Monsters, from Small Beer Press. He’s won two Shirley Jackson Awards, and has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards. His novella “The Visible Filth” was made into a movie called Wounds, from Annapurna Pictures. It’s written and directed by Babak Anvari and stars Armie Hammer, Zazie Beetz, and Dakota Johnson. He lives in Asheville, NC. This week’s picks:  Nathan: Driving and exploring the backroads Tracy: On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes by Alexandra Horowitz Patrick: Project Smoke: Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana by Steven Raichlen  Links:  Nathan Ballingrud on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 584-With Nathan Ballingrud appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Nathan-Ballingrud/dp/1534449957" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://nathanballingrud.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Nathan Ballingrud</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Nathan-Ballingrud/dp/1534449957" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE STRANGE</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Nathan-Ballingrud/dp/1534449957" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE STRANGE</a>: Since Anabelle’s mother left for Earth to care for her own ailing mother, her days in New Galveston have been spent at school and her nights at her laconic father’s diner with Watson, the family Kitchen Engine and dishwasher as her only companion. When the Silence came, and communication and shipments from Earth to its colonies on Mars stopped, life seemed stuck in foreboding stasis until the night Silas Mundt and his gang attacked. At once evoking the dreams of an America explored in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles and the harder realities of frontier life in Charles Portis True Grit, Ballingrud’s novel is haunting in its evocation of Anabelle’s quest for revenge amidst a spent and angry world accompanied by a domestic Engine, a drunken space pilot, and the toughest woman on Mars. About <a href="https://nathanballingrud.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Nathan Ballingrud</a>: Nathan was born in Massachusetts in 1970, but spent most of his life in the South. He studied literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the University of New Orleans. Among other things, he’s been a cook on oil rigs and barges, a waiter, and a bartender in New Orleans. His most recent book is called Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell, from Saga Press. His first book is North American Lake Monsters, from Small Beer Press. He’s won two Shirley Jackson Awards, and has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards. His novella “The Visible Filth” was made into a movie called Wounds, from Annapurna Pictures. It’s written and directed by Babak Anvari and stars Armie Hammer, Zazie Beetz, and Dakota Johnson. He lives in Asheville, NC. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Nathan: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Driving+and+exploring+the+backroads&amp;oq=Driving+and+exploring+the+backroads&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.359j0j1&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#ip=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Driving and exploring the backroads</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/On-Looking-Alexandra-Horowitz-audiobook/dp/B00ANSP15I" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes by Alexandra Horowitz</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015X2PGFI" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Project Smoke: Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana by Steven Raichlen</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/NBallingrud" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Nathan Ballingrud on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/05/episode-584-with-nathan-ballingrud/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 584-With Nathan Ballingrud</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 584-With Nathan Ballingrud

This week, it’s a very special Just Us clip episode from Patrick and Tracy! What’s a Just Us episode? Well, I’m glad you asked. As you know Bob, we have a Patreon over at patreon.com/functionalnerds. And one of the reward tiers is a special, patrons-only episode of the show each month. When something comes up and we don’t have a regular episode to drop into this public feed, Patrick sometimes grab one of the Just Us episodes – but that hasn’t happened in a while, so we thought we’d do a clip show from a couple different Just Us episodes to give you a sense of what goes on there and some of the topics we cover. If you like what you hear today, please consider heading over to patreon.com/functionalnerds and backing us so you, too, can get one of these every single month. Links:  Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 583-Just Us and the Clip Show appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

This week, it’s a very special Just Us clip episode from Patrick and Tracy! What’s a Just Us episode? Well, I’m glad you asked. As you know Bob, we have a Patreon over at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/functionalnerds</a>. And one of the reward tiers is a special, patrons-only episode of the show each month. When something comes up and we don’t have a regular episode to drop into this public feed, Patrick sometimes grab one of the Just Us episodes – but that hasn’t happened in a while, so we thought we’d do a clip show from a couple different Just Us episodes to give you a sense of what goes on there and some of the topics we cover. If you like what you hear today, please consider heading over to <a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/functionalnerds</a> and backing us so you, too, can get one of these every single month. Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/05/episode-583-just-us-and-the-clip-show/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 583-Just Us and the Clip Show</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 583-Just Us and the Clip Show

Beth Cato

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Beth Cato, author of A Thousand Recipes for Revenge. About A Thousand Recipes for Revenge: Adamantine “Ada” Garland has an empathic connection to food and wine, a magical perception of aromas, flavors, and ingredients. Invaluable property of the royal court, Ada was in service to the Five Gods and to the Gods-ordained rulers of Verdania?until she had enough of injustice and bloodshed and deserted, seeking to chart her own destiny. When mysterious assassins ferret her out after sixteen years in hiding, Ada, now a rogue Chef, and her beloved Grand-mère run for their lives, only to find themselves on a path toward an unexpected ally. A foreign princess in a strange court, Solenn unknowingly shares more with Ada than an epicurean gift. They share blood. With her newfound magical perception, she becomes aware of a plot to kill her fiancé, the prince. It’s part of a ploy by adversarial forces in the rival country of Albion to sow conflict, and Solenn is set up to take the blame. As Ada’s and Solenn’s paths converge, a mother and her long-lost daughter reunite toward a common goal, and against a shadowy enemy from Ada’s past who is out for revenge. But what sacrifices must be made? What hope is there when powerful Gods pick sides in a war simmering to eruption? About Beth Cato: Beth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in a far distant realm. She’s the Nebula Award-nominated author of A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE from 47North (June 2023), plus the Clockwork Dagger duology and the Blood of Earth trilogy from Harper Voyager. Her short stories can be found in publications ranging from Beneath Ceaseless Skies to Uncanny Magazine. In 2019 and 2022, she won the Rhysling Award for short speculative poetry. Her website BethCato.com includes not only a vast bibliography, but a treasure trove of recipes for delectable goodies. Find her on Twitter as @BethCato and Instagram as @catocatsandcheese. This week’s picks:  Beth: Satori BellaVitano Whiskey Cheese Tracy: Taste of Home Everyday Sheet Pan recipes Patrick: Star Wars Visions: Vol 2 (Disney+)  Links:  Beth Cato on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 582-With Beth Cato appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Recipes-Revenge-Beth-Cato/dp/1662510284" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.bethcato.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Beth Cato</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Recipes-Revenge-Beth-Cato/dp/1662510284" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A Thousand Recipes for Revenge</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Recipes-Revenge-Beth-Cato/dp/1662510284" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A Thousand Recipes for Revenge</a>: Adamantine “Ada” Garland has an empathic connection to food and wine, a magical perception of aromas, flavors, and ingredients. Invaluable property of the royal court, Ada was in service to the Five Gods and to the Gods-ordained rulers of Verdania?until she had enough of injustice and bloodshed and deserted, seeking to chart her own destiny. When mysterious assassins ferret her out after sixteen years in hiding, Ada, now a rogue Chef, and her beloved Grand-mère run for their lives, only to find themselves on a path toward an unexpected ally. A foreign princess in a strange court, Solenn unknowingly shares more with Ada than an epicurean gift. They share blood. With her newfound magical perception, she becomes aware of a plot to kill her fiancé, the prince. It’s part of a ploy by adversarial forces in the rival country of Albion to sow conflict, and Solenn is set up to take the blame. As Ada’s and Solenn’s paths converge, a mother and her long-lost daughter reunite toward a common goal, and against a shadowy enemy from Ada’s past who is out for revenge. But what sacrifices must be made? What hope is there when powerful Gods pick sides in a war simmering to eruption? About <a href="https://www.bethcato.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Beth Cato</a>: Beth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in a far distant realm. She’s the Nebula Award-nominated author of A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE from 47North (June 2023), plus the Clockwork Dagger duology and the Blood of Earth trilogy from Harper Voyager. Her short stories can be found in publications ranging from Beneath Ceaseless Skies to Uncanny Magazine. In 2019 and 2022, she won the Rhysling Award for short speculative poetry. Her website <a href="http://BethCato.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BethCato.com</a> includes not only a vast bibliography, but a treasure trove of recipes for delectable goodies. Find her on Twitter as <a href="https://twitter.com/BethCato" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@BethCato</a> and Instagram as @catocatsandcheese. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Beth: <a href="https://www.sartoricheese.com/our-cheese/bellavitano/tennessee-whiskey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Satori BellaVitano Whiskey Cheese</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Everyday-Sheet-Pan/dp/1621455297" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taste of Home Everyday Sheet Pan recipes</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/SSXqU92cymY" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Star Wars Visions: Vol 2 (Disney+)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/BethCato" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Beth Cato on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/05/episode-582-with-beth-cato/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 582-With Beth Cato</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 582-With Beth Cato

The weekly podcast from author/blogger Patrick Hester and author/teacher Tracy Townsend

Gail Carriger

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Gail Carriger, author of DIVINITY 36. About DIVINITY 36: Phex is a barista on a forgotten moon. Which is fine – he likes being ignored and he’s good at making drinks. Until one day an alien hears him singing and recruits him to become a god. Now Phex is thrust headfirst into the galaxy’s most cutthroat entertainment industry, where music is visible, the price of fame can kill, and the only friends he has want to be worshiped. Welcome to the divinity. Where there is no difference between celebrity and religion, love and belief, acolyte and alien. Where the right kind of obsession can drive a person crazy or turn them divine. About Gail Carriger: Gail Carriger has multiple NYT bestsellers and millions of books in print in dozens of different languages. She writes book hugs – comedies of manners mixed with urban fantasy and sci-fi (and sexy queer joy as GL Carriger). She is best known for the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. This week’s picks:  Gail: Our Dining Table – Manga Gail: The Rise of Cozy SFF Tracy: Is It Cake? (Netflix) Patrick: The Diplomat (Netflix) Patrick: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 (Prime)  Links:  Gail Carriger on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 581-With Gail Carriger appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://gailcarriger.com/books/d36/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://gailcarriger.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Gail Carriger</a>, author of <a href="https://gailcarriger.com/books/d36/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">DIVINITY 36</a>. About <a href="https://gailcarriger.com/books/d36/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">DIVINITY 36</a>: Phex is a barista on a forgotten moon. Which is fine – he likes being ignored and he’s good at making drinks. Until one day an alien hears him singing and recruits him to become a god. Now Phex is thrust headfirst into the galaxy’s most cutthroat entertainment industry, where music is visible, the price of fame can kill, and the only friends he has want to be worshiped. Welcome to the divinity. Where there is no difference between celebrity and religion, love and belief, acolyte and alien. Where the right kind of obsession can drive a person crazy or turn them divine. About <a href="https://gailcarriger.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Gail Carriger</a>: Gail Carriger has multiple NYT bestsellers and millions of books in print in dozens of different languages. She writes book hugs – comedies of manners mixed with urban fantasy and sci-fi (and sexy queer joy as GL Carriger). She is best known for the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Gail: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Our-Dining-Table-Mita-Ori/dp/164275756X" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Our Dining Table – Manga</a></li> <li>Gail: <a href="https://theafictionado.wordpress.com/2023/02/09/the-rise-of-cosy-sci-fi-and-fantasy-in-the-pandemic-era/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Rise of Cozy SFF</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81333845" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is It Cake? (Netflix)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81288983" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Diplomat (Netflix)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marvelous-Mrs-Maisel-Season/dp/B0B7F6XRGS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 (Prime)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/gailcarriger" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Gail Carriger on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/05/episode-581-with-gail-carriger/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 581-With Gail Carriger</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 581-With Gail Carriger

Kat Howard

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Kat Howard, author of A SLEIGHT OF SHADOWS. About A SLEIGHT OF SHADOWS: After taking down the source of the corruption of the Unseen World, Sydney is left with almost no magical ability. Feeling estranged from herself, she is determined to find a way back to her status as one of the world’s most dangerous magicians. Unfortunately, she needs to do this quickly: the House of Shadows, the hell on earth that shaped her into who she was, the place she sacrificed everything to destroy, is rebuilding itself. “The House of shadows sits on bones. All of the sacrifices, all of the magicians who died in Shadows, they’re buried beneath the foundations. Bones hold magic.” The magic of the Unseen World is acting strangely, faltering, bleeding out from the edges. Determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning to power and to defeat the magicians who want nothing more than to have it back, Sydney turns to extremes in a desperate attempt to regain her sacrificed magic. She is forced to decide what she will give up and what she will lose and whether what must be destroyed is not only the House of Shadows, but the Unseen World itself. About Kat Howard: Kat Howard is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror who lives and writes in Minnesota. Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR’s best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics’ Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor. This week’s picks:  Kat: Florence + The Machine – Mermaids Tracy: Equinox (Game) Patrick: Picard S3 (Paramount+) Patrick: The Mandalorian S3 (Disney+)  Links:  Kat Howard on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 580-With Kat Howard appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Shadows-Unseen-World/dp/1534426817" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="http://www.kathowardbooks.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kat Howard</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Shadows-Unseen-World/dp/1534426817" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A SLEIGHT OF SHADOWS</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Shadows-Unseen-World/dp/1534426817" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A SLEIGHT OF SHADOWS</a>: After taking down the source of the corruption of the Unseen World, Sydney is left with almost no magical ability. Feeling estranged from herself, she is determined to find a way back to her status as one of the world’s most dangerous magicians. Unfortunately, she needs to do this quickly: the House of Shadows, the hell on earth that shaped her into who she was, the place she sacrificed everything to destroy, is rebuilding itself. “The House of shadows sits on bones. All of the sacrifices, all of the magicians who died in Shadows, they’re buried beneath the foundations. Bones hold magic.” The magic of the Unseen World is acting strangely, faltering, bleeding out from the edges. Determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning to power and to defeat the magicians who want nothing more than to have it back, Sydney turns to extremes in a desperate attempt to regain her sacrificed magic. She is forced to decide what she will give up and what she will lose and whether what must be destroyed is not only the House of Shadows, but the Unseen World itself. About <a href="http://www.kathowardbooks.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kat Howard</a>: Kat Howard is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror who lives and writes in Minnesota. Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR’s best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics’ Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Kat: <a href="https://youtu.be/R2NR-UHH1KE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Florence + The Machine – Mermaids</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329450/equinox" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Equinox (Game)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/Lw0pg11OzCQ" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Picard S3 (Paramount+)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/Znsa4Deavgg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Mandalorian S3 (Disney+)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/KatWithSword" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Kat Howard on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/04/episode-580-with-kat-howard/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 580-With Kat Howard</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 580-With Kat Howard

Daniel M. Ford

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Daniel M. Ford, author of THE WARDEN. About THE WARDEN: There was a plan. She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, earn as many degrees as possible, get a post in one of the grand cities, then prove she’s capable of greatness. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control. Now Aelis de Lenti, a daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters’ Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences, matching wits with goats, and serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a Warden of her talents than she previously thought. Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the farthest border of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the world. About Daniel M. Ford: Daniel M. Ford was born and raised near Baltimore, Maryland. He holds a B.A. in English from Villanova University, an M.A. in Irish Literature from Boston College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, concentrating in Poetry, from George Mason University. As a poet, his work has appeared most recently in Soundings Review, as well as Phoebe, Floorboard Review, The Cossack, and Vending Machine Press. He teaches English at a college prep high school in North East, Maryland. Ordination is his first novel. This week’s picks:  Daniel: MLB The Show (Game) Tracy: Lost Ruins of Arnak (Game) Patrick #1: Ahsoka (Trailer) Patrick #2: The Night Agent (Netflic)  Links:  Daniel M. Ford on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 579-With Daniel M. Ford appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warden-Daniel-M-Ford/dp/1250815657" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="http://www.danielmford.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel M. Ford</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warden-Daniel-M-Ford/dp/1250815657" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE WARDEN</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warden-Daniel-M-Ford/dp/1250815657" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE WARDEN</a>: There was a plan. She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, earn as many degrees as possible, get a post in one of the grand cities, then prove she’s capable of greatness. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control. Now Aelis de Lenti, a daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters’ Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences, matching wits with goats, and serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a Warden of her talents than she previously thought. Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the farthest border of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the world. About <a href="http://www.danielmford.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel M. Ford</a>: Daniel M. Ford was born and raised near Baltimore, Maryland. He holds a B.A. in English from Villanova University, an M.A. in Irish Literature from Boston College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, concentrating in Poetry, from George Mason University. As a poet, his work has appeared most recently in Soundings Review, as well as Phoebe, Floorboard Review, The Cossack, and Vending Machine Press. He teaches English at a college prep high school in North East, Maryland. Ordination is his first novel. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Daniel: <a href="https://theshow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MLB The Show (Game)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/312484/lost-ruins-arnak" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost Ruins of Arnak (Game)</a></li> <li>Patrick #1: <a href="https://youtu.be/HnzNZ0Mdx4I" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ahsoka (Trailer)</a></li> <li>Patrick #2: <a href="https://youtu.be/YDbnY9Obsfs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Night Agent (Netflic)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/soundingline" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel M. Ford on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/04/episode-579-with-daniel-m-ford/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 579-With Daniel M. Ford</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 579-With Daniel M. Ford

Emily Tesh

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Emily Tesh, author of SOME DESPERATE GLORY. About SOME DESPERATE GLORY: Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity. They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows she must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands. Alongside her brother’s brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, Kyr escapes from everything she’s known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined. About Emily Tesh: Emily Tesh is the author of the Greenhollow Duology, which begins with Silver in the Wood and concludes with Drowned Country. Tesh is a winner of the Astounding Award and of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. Some Desperate Glory, her first novel, is forthcoming in 2022 from tordotcom publishing. This week’s picks:  Emily #1: Animal Crossing (Game) Emily #2: Les Misérables: A Novel by Victor Hugo Tracy: Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel by Martha Wells Patrick: NPCs by Drew Hayes  Links:  Emily Tesh on Instagram Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 578-With Emily Tesh appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Some-Desperate-Glory-Emily-Tesh/dp/1250834988" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://emilytesh.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Tesh</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Some-Desperate-Glory-Emily-Tesh/dp/1250834988" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SOME DESPERATE GLORY</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Some-Desperate-Glory-Emily-Tesh/dp/1250834988" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SOME DESPERATE GLORY</a>: Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity. They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows she must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands. Alongside her brother’s brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, Kyr escapes from everything she’s known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined. About <a href="https://emilytesh.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Tesh</a>: Emily Tesh is the author of the Greenhollow Duology, which begins with Silver in the Wood and concludes with Drowned Country. Tesh is a winner of the Astounding Award and of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. Some Desperate Glory, her first novel, is forthcoming in 2022 from tordotcom publishing. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Emily #1: <a href="https://animal-crossing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Animal Crossing (Game)</a></li> <li>Emily #2: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mis%C3%A9rables-Novel-Victor-Hugo/dp/0449300021" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Les Misérables: A Novel by Victor Hugo</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Network-Effect-Murderbot-Novel-Diaries/dp/1250229863" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel by Martha Wells</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/NPCs-Audiobook/B00NHY147E" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">NPCs by Drew Hayes</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/emilytesh/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Tesh on Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/04/episode-578-with-emily-tesh/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 578-With Emily Tesh</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 578-With Emily Tesh

Julie Novakova

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Julie Novakova and Susan Forest, two of the driving forces behind Life Beyond Us: An Original Anthology of SF Stories and Science Essays. About Life Beyond Us: An Original Anthology of SF Stories and Science Essays: How would first contact—on earth, in space, on another planet—transform our understandings of technology, philosophy, and what it means to be human? What kind of cognitive dissonance would society experience, if we discovered a previously unrecognized sentience on Earth? What would life be like if it originated in a frigid ocean beneath an impenetrable shell of ice? Or on a world whose haze obscures any view of the universe beyond? Or on an unfathomable scale in the depths of space? Life—beyond us. Dive in as the European Astrobiology Institute presents fifty-four original SF Stories and Science Essays on life, from microbial to macro, from automatic to sagacious. Each speculative story is followed by a professional essay illuminating the scientific underpinnings of the story and providing a new window into the cutting-edge knowledge about exploration for life in the universe. SF STORIES BY: Eugen Bacon, Gregory Benford, Renan Bernardo, Jana Bianchi, Tobias S. Buckell, Eric Choi, Julie E. Czerneda, Tessa Fisher, Simone Heller, Valentin D. Ivanov, Mary Robinette Kowal, Lisa Jenny Krieg (translated by Simone Heller), Geoffrey A. Landis, Rich Larson, Liu Yang (translated by Ladon Gao), Lucie Luka?ovi?ová, Premee Mohamed, G. David Nordley, Malka Older, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Tomáš Petrásek, Brian Rappatta, Arula Ratnakar, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Bogi Takács, Peter Watts, and B. Zelkovich. SCIENCE ESSAYS BY: Jacques Arnould, William Bains, José A. Caballero, Dimitra Demertzi, Martina Dimoska, Tessa Fisher, Dennis Höning, Valentin D. Ivanov, Fabian Klenner, Nina Kopacz, Geoffrey A. Landis, Natuschka Lee, Ania Losiak, Stephen Francis Mann, Connor Martini, Tony Milligan, Philippe Nauny, Julie Nováková, Erik Persson, Tomáš Petrásek, Joanna Piotrowska, Giovanni Poggiali, Amedeo Romagnolo, Stefano Sandrelli, Floris van der Tak, Jan Toman, Sheri Wells-Jensen, and Raymond M. Wheeler. Introduction by Stephen Baxter Foreword by Julie Nováková Afterwords by Wolf D. Geppert; Lucas K. Law &amp; Susan Forest About Julie Novakova: Julie Novakova (*1991) is an award-winning Czech author of science fiction and detective stories. She published seven novels, one anthology, one story collection and over thirty short pieces in Czech. Her work in English has appeared in Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Analog and elsewhere, and has been reprinted e.g. in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy 2019. Some of her works have been translated into Chinese, Romanian, Estonian, Filipino, German, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Portuguese, and she acts as a translator of Czech stories into English (in Tor.com, Strange Horizons, F&amp;SF). She edited an anthology of Czech speculative fiction in translation, titled Dreams From Beyond, an anthology of astrobiological SF stories Strangest of All (for the European Astrobiology Institute), and co-edited a book of European SF in Filipino translation, titled Haka, together with the former Czech ambassador in the Philippines, Jaroslav Olša, Jr. Most recently, she has co-edited an anthology titled Life Beyond Us (upcoming in April 2023), taking the readers on a journey through space, time and strange life in 27 SF stories accompanied by 27 science essays. Julie is a recipient of the European fandom’s Encouragement Award and multiple Czech national genre awards. She’s also active in science outreach, education and nonfiction writing, and leads the outreach working group of the European Astrobiology Institute. She is a PhD candidate in evolutionary biology at the Charles University and likes to write popular science articles about fields ranging from behavioral science to planetary dynamics for Clarkesworld, Analog and other media. She is a member of the XPRIZE Sci-fi Advisory Council. About Susan Forest: Susan Forest writes science fiction, fantasy and horror, and is the author of Aurora Award-winning Bursts of Fire (2019) and Flights of Marigold, (2020). Susan’s short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and OnSPEC Magazine, among others. Her collection of short fiction, Immunity to Strange Tales, was published by Five Rivers Press, and her nonfiction has appeared in Legacy Magazine, Alberta Views Magazine, and several blogs. Her short stories, “The Only Road,” “Back,” “Turning It Off,” “The Gift,” and “For a Rich Man to Enter” were finalists for the Prix Aurora Award, and her novella, Lucy, won the Galaxy Project, juried by Robert Silverberg, David Drake and Barry Malzburg. The third novel of her seven-volume Addicted to Heaven series, Gathering of Ghosts (forthcoming, 2023), confronts issues of addictions in an epic fantasy world of intrigue and betrayal. She is currently working on Book 4 of the series, Rivers of Ivy, and an Alberta Foundation for the Arts-funded standalone fantasy thriller, The Shadow Spy’s Wife. Susan is a painter and visual artist whose landscapes have been displayed as part of the Stampede Western Showcase in Calgary, Alberta. This week’s picks:  Julie: Children’s Books by Petr Horacek Susan: Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear Tracy: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy: A Monk and Robot Book by Becky Chambers Patrick: Lockwood &amp; Co. (Netflix)  Links:  Julie Novakova on Twitter Susan Forest on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 577-With Life Beyond Us’s Julie Novakova and Susan Forest appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Beyond-Us-Original-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0BNZ7M4F7/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.julienovakova.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Julie Novakova</a> and <a href="https://speculative-fiction.ca/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Susan Forest</a>, two of the driving forces behind <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Beyond-Us-Original-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0BNZ7M4F7/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Life Beyond Us: An Original Anthology of SF Stories and Science Essays</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Beyond-Us-Original-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0BNZ7M4F7/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Life Beyond Us: An Original Anthology of SF Stories and Science Essays</a>: How would first contact—on earth, in space, on another planet—transform our understandings of technology, philosophy, and what it means to be human? What kind of cognitive dissonance would society experience, if we discovered a previously unrecognized sentience on Earth? What would life be like if it originated in a frigid ocean beneath an impenetrable shell of ice? Or on a world whose haze obscures any view of the universe beyond? Or on an unfathomable scale in the depths of space? Life—beyond us. Dive in as the European Astrobiology Institute presents fifty-four original SF Stories and Science Essays on life, from microbial to macro, from automatic to sagacious. Each speculative story is followed by a professional essay illuminating the scientific underpinnings of the story and providing a new window into the cutting-edge knowledge about exploration for life in the universe. SF STORIES BY: Eugen Bacon, Gregory Benford, Renan Bernardo, Jana Bianchi, Tobias S. Buckell, Eric Choi, Julie E. Czerneda, Tessa Fisher, Simone Heller, Valentin D. Ivanov, Mary Robinette Kowal, Lisa Jenny Krieg (translated by Simone Heller), Geoffrey A. Landis, Rich Larson, Liu Yang (translated by Ladon Gao), Lucie Luka?ovi?ová, Premee Mohamed, G. David Nordley, Malka Older, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Tomáš Petrásek, Brian Rappatta, Arula Ratnakar, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Bogi Takács, Peter Watts, and B. Zelkovich. SCIENCE ESSAYS BY: Jacques Arnould, William Bains, José A. Caballero, Dimitra Demertzi, Martina Dimoska, Tessa Fisher, Dennis Höning, Valentin D. Ivanov, Fabian Klenner, Nina Kopacz, Geoffrey A. Landis, Natuschka Lee, Ania Losiak, Stephen Francis Mann, Connor Martini, Tony Milligan, Philippe Nauny, Julie Nováková, Erik Persson, Tomáš Petrásek, Joanna Piotrowska, Giovanni Poggiali, Amedeo Romagnolo, Stefano Sandrelli, Floris van der Tak, Jan Toman, Sheri Wells-Jensen, and Raymond M. Wheeler. Introduction by Stephen Baxter Foreword by Julie Nováková Afterwords by Wolf D. Geppert; Lucas K. Law &amp; Susan Forest About <a href="https://www.julienovakova.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Julie Novakova</a>: Julie Novakova (*1991) is an award-winning Czech author of science fiction and detective stories. She published seven novels, one anthology, one story collection and over thirty short pieces in Czech. Her work in English has appeared in Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Analog and elsewhere, and has been reprinted e.g. in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy 2019. Some of her works have been translated into Chinese, Romanian, Estonian, Filipino, German, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Portuguese, and she acts as a translator of Czech stories into English (in <a href="http://Tor.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tor.com</a>, Strange Horizons, F&amp;SF). She edited an anthology of Czech speculative fiction in translation, titled Dreams From Beyond, an anthology of astrobiological SF stories Strangest of All (for the European Astrobiology Institute), and co-edited a book of European SF in Filipino translation, titled Haka, together with the former Czech ambassador in the Philippines, Jaroslav Olša, Jr. Most recently, she has co-edited an anthology titled Life Beyond Us (upcoming in April 2023), taking the readers on a journey through space, time and strange life in 27 SF stories accompanied by 27 science essays. Julie is a recipient of the European fandom’s Encouragement Award and multiple Czech national genre awards. She’s also active in science outreach, education and nonfiction writing, and leads the outreach working group of the European Astrobiology Institute. She is a PhD candidate in evolutionary biology at the Charles University and likes to write popular science articles about fields ranging from behavioral science to planetary dynamics for Clarkesworld, Analog and other media. She is a member of the XPRIZE Sci-fi Advisory Council. About <a href="https://speculative-fiction.ca/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Susan Forest</a>: Susan Forest writes science fiction, fantasy and horror, and is the author of Aurora Award-winning Bursts of Fire (2019) and Flights of Marigold, (2020). Susan’s short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and OnSPEC Magazine, among others. Her collection of short fiction, Immunity to Strange Tales, was published by Five Rivers Press, and her nonfiction has appeared in Legacy Magazine, Alberta Views Magazine, and several blogs. Her short stories, “The Only Road,” “Back,” “Turning It Off,” “The Gift,” and “For a Rich Man to Enter” were finalists for the Prix Aurora Award, and her novella, Lucy, won the Galaxy Project, juried by Robert Silverberg, David Drake and Barry Malzburg. The third novel of her seven-volume Addicted to Heaven series, Gathering of Ghosts (forthcoming, 2023), confronts issues of addictions in an epic fantasy world of intrigue and betrayal. She is currently working on Book 4 of the series, Rivers of Ivy, and an Alberta Foundation for the Arts-funded standalone fantasy thriller, The Shadow Spy’s Wife. Susan is a painter and visual artist whose landscapes have been displayed as part of the Stampede Western Showcase in Calgary, Alberta. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Julie: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&amp;rh=p_27%3APetr+Horacek&amp;s=relevancerank&amp;text=Petr+Horacek&amp;ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Children’s Books by Petr Horacek</a></li> <li>Susan: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Memory-Elizabeth-Bear/dp/0765375257" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Crown-Shy-Monk-Robot/dp/1250236231" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Prayer for the Crown-Shy: A Monk and Robot Book by Becky Chambers</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/7-iYxGLpQzo" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Lockwood &amp; Co. (Netflix)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/Julianne_SF" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Julie Novakova on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/susanjforest" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Susan Forest on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/03/episode-577-with-life-beyond-uss-julie-novakova-and-susan-forest/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 577-With Life Beyond Us’s Julie Novakova and Susan Forest</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 577-With Life Beyond Us’s Julie Novakova and Susan Forest

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome S.B. Divya, author of MERU. About MERU: For five centuries, human life has been restricted to Earth, while posthuman descendants called alloys freely explore the galaxy. But when the Earthlike planet of Meru is discovered, two unlikely companions venture forth to test the habitability of this unoccupied new world and the future of human-alloy relations. For Jayanthi, the adopted human child of alloy parents, it’s an opportunity to rectify the ancient reputation of her species as avaricious and destructive, and to give humanity a new place in the universe. For Vaha, Jayanthi’s alloy pilot, it’s a daunting yet irresistible adventure to find success as an individual. As the journey challenges their resolve in unexpected ways, the two form a bond that only deepens with their time alone on Meru. But how can Jayanthi succeed at freeing humanity from its past when she and Vaha have been set up to fail? Against all odds, hope is human, too. About S.B. Divya: S.B. Divya (she/any) is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Meru and Machinehood. Her short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, and she is a former editor of Escape Pod, the weekly science fiction podcast. Divya holds degrees in Computational Neuroscience and Signal Processing. She worked for twenty years as an electrical engineer before becoming an author. Born in Pondicherry, India, Divya now resides in Southern California with her spouse, child, and two fur babies. She enjoys subverting expectations and breaking stereotypes whenever she can. This week’s picks:  S.B.: Spy x Family (Crunchyroll) Tracy: Soos the Cat Patrick: This Is Where I Leave You  Links:  S.B. Divya on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 576-With S.B. Divya appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meru-S-B-Divya/dp/1662505094/?redirectFromSmile=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://sbdivya.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">S.B. Divya</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meru-S-B-Divya/dp/1662505094/?redirectFromSmile=1" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">MERU</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meru-S-B-Divya/dp/1662505094/?redirectFromSmile=1" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">MERU</a>: For five centuries, human life has been restricted to Earth, while posthuman descendants called alloys freely explore the galaxy. But when the Earthlike planet of Meru is discovered, two unlikely companions venture forth to test the habitability of this unoccupied new world and the future of human-alloy relations. For Jayanthi, the adopted human child of alloy parents, it’s an opportunity to rectify the ancient reputation of her species as avaricious and destructive, and to give humanity a new place in the universe. For Vaha, Jayanthi’s alloy pilot, it’s a daunting yet irresistible adventure to find success as an individual. As the journey challenges their resolve in unexpected ways, the two form a bond that only deepens with their time alone on Meru. But how can Jayanthi succeed at freeing humanity from its past when she and Vaha have been set up to fail? Against all odds, hope is human, too. About <a href="https://sbdivya.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">S.B. Divya</a>: S.B. Divya (she/any) is a lover of science, math, fiction, and the Oxford comma. She is the Hugo and Nebula nominated author of Meru and Machinehood. Her short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, and she is a former editor of Escape Pod, the weekly science fiction podcast. Divya holds degrees in Computational Neuroscience and Signal Processing. She worked for twenty years as an electrical engineer before becoming an author. Born in Pondicherry, India, Divya now resides in Southern California with her spouse, child, and two fur babies. She enjoys subverting expectations and breaking stereotypes whenever she can. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>S.B.: <a href="https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G4PH0WXVJ/spy-x-family" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spy x Family (Crunchyroll)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tracy.townsend.980/posts/pfbid0nPxW3H8QRXELMW1Z1jB8BkiyhStKSpA7jUT5sP5zsGkuQJ2TnBDjTbrZno5SDYwhl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soos the Cat</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/fH0cEP0mvlU" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">This Is Where I Leave You</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/divyastweets" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">S.B. Divya on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/03/episode-576-with-s-b-divya/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 576-With S.B. Divya</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 576-With S.B. Divya

Steve Scearce

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Steve Scearce and Bear Weiter from the Station 151 Podcast. About Station 151: Located on Alexander Island, Antarctica, Station 151 is the southernmost continent’s first and only astronomical radio observatory. Built by the Telders Corporation at an estimated cost of $200M USD, Station 151 is comprised of 50 radio antennas arrayed in a spiral configuration. Astrophysicist Wayne Robertson was hired by The Telders Corporation as the sole operator of Station 151, Antarctica for a 12-month pilot to test the station’s cutting-edge radio interferometer. Leaving behind his fiancé in the States, Wayne travels alone to Antarctica to fulfill a lifelong dream to peer deeper into the universe than ever thought possible. But after arriving at the station, Wayne’s hopes of a career defining role are dashed as he is thrust into a strange and unsettling new world. The Station 151 audio drama podcast was written and developed by Andy Scearce and Steven James Scearce and is produced by Pale Matter Productions and Bear Weiter. You can listen to the Station 151 Podcast on all popular podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and you can follow Station 151 on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For a deeper dive and even more goodies, as well as exclusive content, you can support Station 151 on Patreon. About Steve Scearce: Steven James Scearce is a writer, voice actor, and one of the creators of the speculative science fiction web series Unknown Transmission. He is also a contributor to the companion series Station 151. His printed work appears in a number of anthologies including Rigor Amortis and Cthulhurotica. Mr. Scearce has just completed work on his first novel-length manuscript, a supernatural horror story called Cottonwood. About Bear Weiter: Bear Weiter is an illustrator, animator, podcast producer, and writer. He’s also the art director for Monte Cook Games, where he oversees the visual design and production of the various tabletop roleplaying games, crowdfunding campaigns, and more. His fiction appears in a number of magazines and anthologies including Black Static, Atomic Age Cthulhu, and LORE. You can follow him on Twitter @bearthw. He lives in the suburbs of Kansas City. This week’s picks:  Steve: Kill FM (Podcast) Bear: The Last of Us (HBO) Tracy: Science Wars: What Scientists Know and How They Know It (Audible) Patrick: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 (Disney+)  Links:  Station 151 on Twitter Steve Scearce on Twitter Bear Weiter on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 575-With Station 151’s Steve Scearce and Bear Weiter appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Scearce</a> and <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Bear Weiter</a> from the <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Station 151 Podcast</a>. About <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Station 151</a>: Located on Alexander Island, Antarctica, Station 151 is the southernmost continent’s first and only astronomical radio observatory. Built by the Telders Corporation at an estimated cost of $200M USD, Station 151 is comprised of 50 radio antennas arrayed in a spiral configuration. Astrophysicist Wayne Robertson was hired by The Telders Corporation as the sole operator of Station 151, Antarctica for a 12-month pilot to test the station’s cutting-edge radio interferometer. Leaving behind his fiancé in the States, Wayne travels alone to Antarctica to fulfill a lifelong dream to peer deeper into the universe than ever thought possible. But after arriving at the station, Wayne’s hopes of a career defining role are dashed as he is thrust into a strange and unsettling new world. The Station 151 audio drama podcast was written and developed by Andy Scearce and Steven James Scearce and is produced by Pale Matter Productions and Bear Weiter. You can listen to the Station 151 Podcast on all popular podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and you can follow Station 151 on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For a deeper dive and even more goodies, as well as exclusive content, you can support Station 151 on Patreon. About <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Scearce</a>: Steven James Scearce is a writer, voice actor, and one of the creators of the speculative science fiction web series Unknown Transmission. He is also a contributor to the companion series Station 151. His printed work appears in a number of anthologies including Rigor Amortis and Cthulhurotica. Mr. Scearce has just completed work on his first novel-length manuscript, a supernatural horror story called Cottonwood. About <a href="https://www.station151.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Bear Weiter</a>: Bear Weiter is an illustrator, animator, podcast producer, and writer. He’s also the art director for Monte Cook Games, where he oversees the visual design and production of the various tabletop roleplaying games, crowdfunding campaigns, and more. His fiction appears in a number of magazines and anthologies including Black Static, Atomic Age Cthulhu, and LORE. You can follow him on Twitter @bearthw. He lives in the suburbs of Kansas City. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Steve: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-fm/id1656740042" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kill FM (Podcast)</a></li> <li>Bear: <a href="https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Last of Us (HBO)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Science-Wars-What-Scientists-Know-and-How-They-Know-It-Audiobook/B00DL7WPMK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Science Wars: What Scientists Know and How They Know It (Audible)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/R15uYFpeBG0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 (Disney+)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/Station151" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Station 151 on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/ShinkaiMaru5" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Scearce on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/bearthw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Bear Weiter on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/03/episode-575-with-station-151s-steve-scearce-and-bear-weiter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 575-With Station 151’s Steve Scearce and Bear Weiter</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 575-With Station 151’s Steve Scearce and Bear Weiter

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Moses Ose Utomi, author of THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO. About THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO: They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies? In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself. About Moses Ose Utomi: Moses Ose Utomi wrote his first book when he was 5. It was a book about warrior bunnies from Mars, and the only copy is owned by his mother. Since then, he has gone on to write many more, slightly better stories. He primarily writes fantasy “but with the plot and pacing of a psychological thriller” and his fiction often grows out of the West African culture and mythology he was raised in as a Nigerian American. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction writing as well as a Certificate in Book Publishing, and he has short fiction in various publications. Most notably, he is the author of the young adult fantasy novel Daughters of Oduma and the adult fantasy novella trilogy that begins with The Lies of the Ajungo. He is also a martial arts, karaoke, and obscure sports addict. This week’s picks:  Moses: Coherence (Movie) Tracy: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Novella) Patrick: Picard: Season 3 (Paramount+)  Links:  Moses Ose Utomi on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 574-Moses Ose Utomi appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Ajungo-Forever-Desert/dp/1250849063" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.mosesoseutomi.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Moses Ose Utomi</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Ajungo-Forever-Desert/dp/1250849063" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO</a>. About <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Ajungo-Forever-Desert/dp/1250849063" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO</a>: They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies? In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself. About <a href="https://www.mosesoseutomi.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Moses Ose Utomi</a>: Moses Ose Utomi wrote his first book when he was 5. It was a book about warrior bunnies from Mars, and the only copy is owned by his mother. Since then, he has gone on to write many more, slightly better stories. He primarily writes fantasy “but with the plot and pacing of a psychological thriller” and his fiction often grows out of the West African culture and mythology he was raised in as a Nigerian American. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction writing as well as a Certificate in Book Publishing, and he has short fiction in various publications. Most notably, he is the author of the young adult fantasy novel Daughters of Oduma and the adult fantasy novella trilogy that begins with The Lies of the Ajungo. He is also a martial arts, karaoke, and obscure sports addict. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Moses: <a href="https://youtu.be/sEceDz1Rodc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coherence (Movie)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Black-Tom-Victor-LaValle/dp/0765387867" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Novella)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/Lw0pg11OzCQ" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Picard: Season 3 (Paramount+)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/mosesutomi" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Moses Ose Utomi on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/03/episode-574-moses-ose-utomi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 574-Moses Ose Utomi</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 574-Moses Ose Utomi

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Aliette de Bodard, author of The Red Scholar’s Wake. About The Red Scholar’s Wake: Xích Si: bot maker, data analyst, mother, scavenger. But those days are over now-her ship has just been captured by the Red Banner pirate fleet, famous for their double-dealing and cruelty. Xích Si expects to be tortured to death-only for the pirates’ enigmatic leader, Rice Fish, to arrive with a different and shocking proposition: an arranged marriage between Xích Si and herself. Rice Fish: sentient ship, leader of the infamous Red Banner pirate fleet, wife of the Red Scholar. Or at least, she was the latter before her wife died under suspicious circumstances. Now isolated and alone, Rice Fish wants Xích Si’s help to find out who struck against them and why. Marrying Xích Si means Rice Fish can offer Xích Si protection, in exchange for Xích Si’s technical fluency: a business arrangement with nothing more to it. But as the investigation goes on, Rice Fish and Xích Si find themselves falling for each other. As the interstellar war against piracy intensifies and the five fleets start fighting each other, they will have to make a stand-and to decide what kind of future they have together… About Aliette de Bodard: Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, an Ignyte Award, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and five British Science Fiction Association Awards. She is the author of the lesbian space pirates romance The Red Scholar’s Wake (Gollancz/JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc, 2022), and of Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc), a fantasy of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court. She also wrote Fireheart Tiger (Tor.com, 2021 BSFA Award winner), a sapphic romantic fantasy inspired by pre colonial Vietnam, where a diplomat princess must decide the fate of her country, and her own. Her space opera books include The Tea Master and the Detective (2018 Nebula Award winner, 2018 British Fantasy Award winner, 2019 Hugo Award finalist). This week’s picks:  Aliette: Mr. Bad (Chinese language drama) Tracy: The World We Make (Audio) by N. K. Jemisin Patrick: Will Trent (ABC)  Links:  Aliette de Bodard on Mastodon Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 573-With Aliette de Bodard appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://books2read.com/u/3GWVxL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.aliettedebodard.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Aliette de Bodard</a>, author of <a href="https://books2read.com/u/3GWVxL" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Red Scholar’s Wake</a>. About <a href="https://books2read.com/u/3GWVxL" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Red Scholar’s Wake</a>: Xích Si: bot maker, data analyst, mother, scavenger. But those days are over now-her ship has just been captured by the Red Banner pirate fleet, famous for their double-dealing and cruelty. Xích Si expects to be tortured to death-only for the pirates’ enigmatic leader, Rice Fish, to arrive with a different and shocking proposition: an arranged marriage between Xích Si and herself. Rice Fish: sentient ship, leader of the infamous Red Banner pirate fleet, wife of the Red Scholar. Or at least, she was the latter before her wife died under suspicious circumstances. Now isolated and alone, Rice Fish wants Xích Si’s help to find out who struck against them and why. Marrying Xích Si means Rice Fish can offer Xích Si protection, in exchange for Xích Si’s technical fluency: a business arrangement with nothing more to it. But as the investigation goes on, Rice Fish and Xích Si find themselves falling for each other. As the interstellar war against piracy intensifies and the five fleets start fighting each other, they will have to make a stand-and to decide what kind of future they have together… About <a href="https://www.aliettedebodard.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Aliette de Bodard</a>: Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, an Ignyte Award, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and five British Science Fiction Association Awards. She is the author of the lesbian space pirates romance The Red Scholar’s Wake (Gollancz/JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc, 2022), and of Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc), a fantasy of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court. She also wrote Fireheart Tiger (<a href="http://Tor.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tor.com</a>, 2021 BSFA Award winner), a sapphic romantic fantasy inspired by pre colonial Vietnam, where a diplomat princess must decide the fate of her country, and her own. Her space opera books include The Tea Master and the Detective (2018 Nebula Award winner, 2018 British Fantasy Award winner, 2019 Hugo Award finalist). This week’s picks: <ul> <li>Aliette: <a href="https://youtu.be/2cD-aKQolMQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mr. Bad (Chinese language drama)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-World-We-Make-Audiobook/B09YJKN66J" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The World We Make (Audio) by N. K. Jemisin</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://youtu.be/z7powJIpHvk" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Will Trent (ABC)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://wandering.shop/@aliettedb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Aliette de Bodard on Mastodon</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/02/episode-573-with-aliette-de-bodard/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 573-With Aliette de Bodard</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 573-With Aliette de Bodard

David R. Slayton

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome David R. Slayton, author of White Trash Warlock, Trailer Park Trickster and available for pre-order now, Deadbeat Druid. About White Trash Warlock: Not all magicians go to schools of magic. Adam Binder has the Sight. It’s a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam’s life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father’s rage. Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby’s wife. It isn’t long before Adam becomes the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings … including his first love. About David R. Slayton: David R. Slayton grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver, Colorado and writes the books he always wanted to read. David’s debut, White Trash Warlock, was published in October 2020 by Blackstone Publishing and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. Book two in the series, Trailer Park Trickster was released in October 2021. Book three, Deadbeat Druid, will be released in October 2022. He is represented by the Seymour Agency. In addition to writing, David is a regular presenter and speaker on writing. He has appeared on panels at Fan Expo Denver and taught workshops at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the League of Utah Writers Quills Conference, and the Seymour Agency Winter Retreat. He also regularly speaks to library, college, and high school audiences. This week’s picks:  David #1: Magic and Steam Series by CS Poe David #2: Shaun David Hutchinson David #3: Starfield (Bethesda Games) David #4: Fallout 4 (Bethesda Games) Tracy: Trash Pandas (Game) Patrick: The Legend of Vox Machina S2 (Prime)  Links:  David R. Slayton on Twitter Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional Nerds Patreon Page  © 2023 Patrick Hester The post Episode 572-With David R. Slayton appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

<a href="https://davidrslayton.com/books/white-trash-warlock/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">David R. Slayton</a>, author of <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/books/white-trash-warlock/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">White Trash Warlock</a>, <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/books/trailer-park-trickster/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Trailer Park Trickster</a> and available for pre-order now, <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/books/deadbeat-druid-preorder-out-october-18th/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Deadbeat Druid</a>. About <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/books/white-trash-warlock/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">White Trash Warlock</a>: Not all magicians go to schools of magic. Adam Binder has the Sight. It’s a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam’s life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father’s rage. Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby’s wife. It isn’t long before Adam becomes the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings … including his first love. About <a href="https://davidrslayton.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">David R. Slayton</a>: David R. Slayton grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver, Colorado and writes the books he always wanted to read. David’s debut, White Trash Warlock, was published in October 2020 by Blackstone Publishing and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. Book two in the series, Trailer Park Trickster was released in October 2021. Book three, Deadbeat Druid, will be released in October 2022. He is represented by the Seymour Agency. In addition to writing, David is a regular presenter and speaker on writing. He has appeared on panels at Fan Expo Denver and taught workshops at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the League of Utah Writers Quills Conference, and the Seymour Agency Winter Retreat. He also regularly speaks to library, college, and high school audiences. This week’s picks: <ul> <li>David #1: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Magic-Steam-3-book-series/dp/B089N6NJ9B" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magic and Steam Series by CS Poe</a></li> <li>David #2: <a href="https://shaundavidhutchinson.com/books/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shaun David Hutchinson</a></li> <li>David #3: <a href="https://bethesda.net/en/game/starfield" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Starfield (Bethesda Games)</a></li> <li>David #4: <a href="https://fallout.bethesda.net/en/games/fallout-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fallout 4 (Bethesda Games)</a></li> <li>Tracy: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/216439/trash-pandas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trash Pandas (Game)</a></li> <li>Patrick: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Vox-Machina-Season/dp/B0B8SCQJ9H" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Legend of Vox Machina S2 (Prime)</a></li> </ul> Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/drslayton" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">David R. Slayton on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a></li> </ul> © 2023 Patrick Hester The post <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2023/02/episode-572-with-david-r-slayton/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 572-With David R. Slayton</a> appeared first on <a href="http://functionalnerds.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functional Nerds</a>.

Episode 572-With David R. Slayton

I just really like the interviews these guys do.

The perfect length podcast of SFF interviews

These guys are consistent, funny, and knowledgable. I look forward to each new episode every week!

My favorite podcast

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