Speculate!

Welcome to Episode 89 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we conclude our quadtych of shows on the work of Scott Lynch with a discussion of some of the writing techniques used in his novel The Lies of Locke Lamora, considering things like patience in writing, creating “connective tissue” […]

Welcome to Episode 88 of Speculate!  The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans. In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Scott Lynch, specifically The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Gentleman Bastard Sequence to which it belongs, by talking to the author himself. This was such an enjoyable interview, ranging from Scott’s many influences, to […]

Welcome to Episode 87 of Speculate!  The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Scott Lynch, specifically The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Gentleman Bastard Sequence to which it belongs, by talking to the author himself.  This was such an enjoyable interview, […]

Welcome to Episode 86 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Scott Lynch, focusing on his hit series The Gentleman Bastard Sequence and more specifically his breakout debut novel The Lies of Locke Lamora.  A fascinating fusion of Ocean’s […]

Welcome to Episode 85 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to D.B. Jackson (the urban fantasy pen name of epic fantasist David B. Coe) about his Thieftaker Chronicles series and his latest book Thieves’ Quarry, setting the new standard for “tricorn punk” (a term which we think […]

Welcome to Episode 84 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, the second of two taped live at LoneStarCon, we talk to Campbell nominee and speculative fiction author Chuck Wendig about his new book Under The Empyrean Sky (the world’s first “cornpunk” novel), his writing process, and the best ways […]

Welcome to Episode 83 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, the first of two taped live at LoneStarCon, we talk to veteran speculative fiction author Martha Wells about her experience in workshopping at Worldcon (Greg and Martha have been paired for the past three years as pro writers in […]

Welcome to Episode 82 of Speculate! In this episode, Greg and Brad complete their triptych of shows on Lauren Beukes by discussing writing technique, using The Shining Girls as our inspiration. We talk about specificity, of “going with your gut,” of the balance between protagonist and antagonist, and the promises books make. Don’t forget to […]

Welcome to Episode 81 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Lauren Beukes, specifically The Shining Girls, by talking to the journalist, screenwriter and author who uses her diverse background and experiences to inform her writing–and infuse it with passion […]

Welcome to Episode 80 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Lauren Beukes, focusing on her recent novel generating a tremendous amount of buzz in and outside the genre: The Shining Girls.  A combination crime novel / mystery / […]

Welcome back for Episode 79 of Speculate!  The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, we dive into the world of book blogging and reviewing with Justin Landon of Staffer’s Book Review.  During the discussion we look at the rising influence of book blogs, how buzz is created (and how tastes are formed), […]

                     Welcome back for Episode 78 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode, taped live at the Origins convention in Columbus, Ohio (we apologize for the somewhat subpar audio), we look at the connections between writing and gaming with two veterans in the […]

                      Welcome back for Episode 77 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this special episode we take a look at the potential benefits and pitfalls of writing workshops with two veteran workshop goers, authors Cat Rambo and Luc Reid, discussing how […]

Welcome to Episode 76 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we present the final installment of our triptych of shows on the work of Tim Powers with a discussion of some of the writing techniques used in his latest novel Hide Me Among The Graves, looking at the artful […]

Welcome to Episode 75 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we continue our triptych of shows on the work of Tim Powers by talking to the man himself, who obliges us with a fascinating look into both his process of writing novels–where we discover that self-doubt can sometimes work […]

Welcome to Episode 74 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we begin a new triptych of shows on the work of Tim Powers, focusing in particular on his most recent novel Hide Me Among The Graves–a “vampire ghost story” set in Victorian England starring poets, artists, prostitutes, and even […]

Welcome to Episode 73 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we talk to author Brian McClellan about his debut epic fantasy series The Powder Mage Trilogy from Orbit Books, starting with Promise of Blood.  We talk about his writing process, his inspiration for the series, and how he grew […]

A few episodes back, in Episode 68, we spoke with Matt Forbeck and Lee Moyer on Kickstarters. In this episode, we dig deeper into the “hybrid author,” someone who publishes both traditionally and via self-publishing. Michael Sullivan, the author of the Riyria Chronicles and the Riyria Revelations, is joined by his wife, Robin Sullivan, the […]

Join Greg and Brad as we talk writing using Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm’s short story collection, The Inheritance & Other Stories, as inspiration. We talk about writing “the other” with low human-oriented reference, altered awareness as story scope expands, character arcs, and more. We also give, and allow us to repeat it here, a […]

Welcome to Episode 70 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans.  In this episode we present the second installment of our triptych on the work of Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm with our interview of both writers–all wrapped up in one person!  We cover a lot of ground with Robin and Megan, discussing […]