The Ballad of Perilous Graves is one of those books that has left me a bit conflicted. On one hand, the worldbuilding is so damn rich, the characters are fun and the incorporation of music into Jennings’ magical realization of New Orleans is impressive. On the other hand, the writing style is tricky to grasp, the pacing is inconsistent and action scenes are downright confusing. That said, there is so much rich imagination and passion in this novel, that New Orleans (or Nola) will surely get you dancin’.
SFF Addicts Ep. 23: SFF Podcasting (with Wizards, Warriors & Words Co-Hosts Jed Herne, Dyrk Ashton, Michael R. Fletcher & Rob J. Hayes)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors/hosts of Wizards, Warriors & Words podcast Jed Herne, Dyrk Ashton, Michael R. Fletcher and Rob J. Hayes for a special crossover episode focused on SFF podcasting. During the panel utter chaos ensues as they discuss the origins of both WWW and SFF Addicts, the ins and outs of running a podcast, what podcasting has given them personally and as writers, advice on getting started with your own podcast, ordering alcohol on Amazon UK, making beeswax candles, fanboying, fame, stinky musicians, “proposing” to William Gibson and much more. Come, laugh hysterically during this sentimental shit show of an episode, embrace the numerous tangents, and go get yourself a Jed.
SFF Addicts TV Club: Obi-Wan Kenobi Review
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guest authors J.S. Dewes, J. Dianne Dotson and Patricia A. Jackson as they discuss and review the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, the new Star Wars TV show starring everyone’s favorite Jedi Master. During the panel they discuss their relationships with the Obi-Wan character, first impressions after seeing the show, character portrayals and storylines, hopes for a potential second season, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Inquisitors and much more.
Interview: SOLAR Creators Chris Porter & Jenny Curtis
Join FanFiAddict’s Frasier Armitage and Chris Porter and Jenny Curtis, creators and directors of the sci-fi audiodrama SOLAR starring Stephanie Beatriz, Helen Hunt, Alan Cumming and Jonathan Bangs,for a chat about their hit new show. They delve into the inspiration behind and creation of the audiodrama, the recording process and working with the voice actors, the importance of music and audio design and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 22: Queerness & Gender in SFF (with C. L. Clark, Ryka Aoki, Khan Wong & Al Hess)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors C. L. Clark, Ryka Aoki, Khan Wong and Al Hess as they explore the intersection of queerness, gender and sexuality in sci-fi and fantasy. During the panel they discuss what queerness means to each of the participants, their personal journeys with sexuality and gender, why sci-fi and fantasy are so well-suited for queer stories, the supportive nature of the SFF community, sensitivity readers, romance and much more.
Author Chat: Becky Chambers
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and award-winning author Becky Chambers for a chat about fictional comfort foods, her journey writing the Wayfarers series, transitioning to the Monk & Robot novellas, tea, video games, hopeful science fiction and much more.
Author Chat: Alex Jennings
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Alex Jennings for a chat about his new novel The Ballad of Perilous Graves, his long journey towards publication, participating in Clarion West, meeting his literary idols, New Orleans and jazz culture, the magic of music and much more.
Author Chat: Robert Jackson Bennett
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and award-winning author Robert for a chat about The Divine Cities and The Founders Trilogy, how he got into writing, infusing history, politics and religion into his fictional worlds, creating interesting magic systems, cyberpunk-as-fantasy, wrapping up another and much more.
Author Chat: Samit Basu
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Samit Basu for a chat about his new novel The City Inside, how he got into writing, screenwriting and filmmaking, comic books and superheroes, surveillance and technology, the current state of South Asian fantasy and science fiction, representing India and New Delhi in his work and much more.
Review: The City Inside by Samit Basu
The City Inside is a tricky novel to review. On one hand, I enjoyed it a lot—its characters, world, technology and atmosphere. On the other, the narrative structure is strange, and the real story takes a while to coalesce and impress. That said, it’s also a short book, and author Samit Basu manages to pack in a ton of great ideas, character development and worldbuilding. It’s also a book that contains a heaping pile of heart, humor and positivity, offering up some much-needed levity in these strange times we are in.
SFF Addicts Ep. 21: Video Games & SFF (with Nicholas Eames, J. S. Dewes, Austin Grossman, Ciel Pierlot & Ron Walters)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Nicholas Eames, J. S. Dewes, Austin Grossman, Ciel Pierlot and Ron Walters as they take a deep dive into the virtual worlds of video games. During the panel they discuss the intersection between video games and SFF, the creative feedback loop between gaming and writing, incorporating games into book narratives, book-to-game adaptations and vice versa, developing and writing for video games and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 20: Traditional, Indie & Self-Publishing (with Anthony Ryan, Krystle Matar, Michael R. Fletcher, Ben Galley & Jessica Moon)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Anthony Ryan, Krystle Matar, Michael R. Fletcher, Jessica Moon and Ben Galley as they compare and contrast traditional, indie and self-publishing. During the panel they discuss the viability of each publishing avenue, misconceptions about them, finding an agent, cover art and design, the editing process, distribution and marketing and much more. DISCLAIMER: This discussion is specifically about fantasy and sci-fi publishing.