Salon Futura

How's Moving Castle

This interview with Farah Mendlesohn & Cathy Butler was recorded at BristolCon in 2018. We are releasing it now because the conference it refers to is taking place this coming weekend (August 9-11, 2019)

Direct download: Farah-Cathy_Final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 6:20am PDT

This is How You Lose the Time War

This interview was recorded at Ă…con X in Mariehamn in June 2019. Most of it was originally broadcast on the Women's Outlook show on Ujima Radio. This is the full version, though not being on the radio I can't include the music.

The interview covers a range of issues including world politics, Brexit and poetry, but the main discussion covers This is How You Lose the Time War, the novella that Amal has written with Max Gladstone.

 

Direct download: Amal_final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 4:51am PDT

This is an interview that Cheryl made following an event in Oxford where Maria got to talk to experts in Anglo Saxon literature about her work on Beowulf. The interview covers a number of topics, including what it is like to follow in the footsteps of Tolkien. There is also a fair amount of discussion of modern US politics, feminism, and the failings of previous translations.

 

Direct download: Maria_Beowulf.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 9:23am PDT

This is another interview that Cheryl did at FantasyCon 2018. It is with Joanne Harris. They talked about Joanne's career as a fantasy writer, Norse myths, her new book, and who might play Loki if her books about him ever get filmed.

The Blue Salt Road is now available from good bookshops everywhere. Joanne and Cheryl also talked about the Child Ballads, which are the inspiration for some of Joanne's recent work.

Direct download: Joanne_Harris_FCon.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:38am PDT

The Murders of Molly Southborne

While Cheryl was at FantasyCon in 2018 she caught up with Tade Thompson. Their conversation covered the success of Rosewater, the scariness of The Murders of Molly Southborne, and what it is like for black writers to live in a post-Black Panther world.

A shorter version of this interview as originally broadcast on Ujima Radio Women's Outlook.

Direct download: Tade_Thompson_FCon.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 9:12am PDT

This interview from Cheryl's radio show, Women's Outlook, is with Bristol-based author, Heather Child. Heather's first novel is a fascinating science fiction look at how smart digital assistants might develop in the near future. In Everything About You the protagonist, Freya, discovers that an AI can be a very dangerous friend to have.

As usual with interviews from Women's Outlook, we have had to remove the ads and music from the podcast version.

Direct download: HeatherChild_final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 1:54am PDT

Cheryl welcomed Jonathan L Howard onto her radio show to discuss his latest novel, After the End of the World. The book is set in an alternate universe in which the Nazis won World War II. There is much discussion about how this turned out to be much more topical that Jonathan expected when he wrote the book, and about the merits of Nazi-punching.

After the End of the World is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Carter & Lovecraft, featuring descendants of HP Lovecraft and Randolf Carter.

There is also discussion of Jonathan's other projects, including the Johannes Cabal series, the Goon Squad superhero adventures, and a brand new video game.

Direct download: Jonathan_Howard.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 7:40am PDT

This is an interview that I did with Tade Thompson about a year ago when his novel, Rosewater, was first released. I ran parts of it on Ujima, but the quality of the recording was not good so I was a bit worried about putting the whole thing out.

However, Rosewater has just become the first ever winner of the Best Novel prize in the Nommo Awards from the African Speculative Fiction Society. It seems like there should be a lot of renewed interest in the book, and in Tade's other work, and that therefore I should share this podcast with you.

In the interview Tade talks about some of the ideas behind Rosewater, about his now released novella, The Murders of Molly Southbourne, and about writing a ghost story.

Direct download: Tade2016_final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 3:51am PDT

At Worldcon 75 Cheryl recorded a number of interviews with women writers of color. This one is with Jamaican author, Stephanie Saulter, whose (R)Evolution series has been very well received. For more information about that series, see Cheryl's previous interview with Stephanie here.

Parts of this interview were originally broadcast on the Women's Outlook show on Ujima Radio.

Direct download: Stephanie-final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 1:36am PDT

Foz Meadow Interview

In this interview Cheryl talks to Australian author, Foz Meadows, about her recently published novel, An Accident of Stars. Topics covered include women-centered novels, writing trans characters and matriarchal societies.

 

Direct download: FozMeadows_final.mp3
Category:Interview -- posted at: 2:32am PDT