Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Chris Panatier for a chat about his new novel Stringers, his first novel The Phlebotomist, the biology of blood, string theory and quantum entanglement, research wormholes, humor and effective uses of footnotes in fiction, bug sex, art, tattoos, metal bands and much more.
Review: The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
To be blunt, I’m not a big reader of short story collections. It’s something that has been a sore spot in my reading history, and something I’ve wanted to amend—at some point. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t found the right collection, or there’s a part of me that connects much more deeply with a novel. But, when I was presented with the opportunity to read and review Janelle Monáe’s new sci-fi collection, The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer, I was able to slip past whatever mental hurdle I had and dove right in. As a fan of Monáe’s music and amazing concept albums, it came as no surprise that the world and atmosphere of these five stories (which are actually more like novelette length) bleed off the page. While not all of the stories succeed, the interconnected nature of this rich world and its poignant themes makes this collection a worthwhile investment.
SFF Addicts Ep. 17: Writing Sequels (with Gareth L. Powell, Andrea Stewart, Dan Fitzgerald & E. G. Radcliff)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Gareth L. Powell, Andrea Stewart, Dan Fitzgerald and E. G. Radcliff as they crack open the mysteries of writing sequels. During the panel they discuss what sequels can offer a story and its characters, what goes into planning a series, misconceptions about the dreaded “sophomore slump,” series-related pitfalls, transitioning from one series to another and much more.
Review: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Out of everything I’ve read since the beginning of the pandemic, Emily St. John Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility is the book that truly snuck up on me and made me soak in the reality of what we are living in. I write this from a place of relative isolation: I am a stay-at-home dad who makes a podcast, writes and gets most of his social fix virtually. So here we all are, in the midst of a strange world, a strange time, and Sea of Tranquility captures that isolating strangeness with a sublime beauty and simplicity. This book is at once a thought experiment in loneliness and the human condition, while also reveling in the love and connection that binds us a species across time and space. No other story in recent memory has made me think so deeply about what I have experienced during this pandemic, nor to ponder on the realities of what it means, for me, to be human.
Author Chat: Nia “N. E.” Davenport
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Nia “N. E.” Davenport for a chat about her debut novel The Blood Trials, breaking into the SFF market, incorporating geopolitics, race and magic into her fictional world, writing an ass-kicking female protagonist, delivering tense, powerful action scenes and much more.
Author Chat: Gareth L. Powell
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Gareth L. Powell for a chat about his new book Stars and Bones, its timely themes, the mentorship of Diana Wynne Jones and Helen Dunmore, paying it forward with a “field guide” on writing, the appeal of writing space opera and accessible sci-fi, social media and mental health and much more.
Review: The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology #1) by N. E. Davenport
I loved N. E. Davenport’s The Blood Trials. I went into this book without any expectations and turned the final page both surprised and satisfied. It offers up a complex world, rife with geopolitical conflicts, futuristic technologies and awesome fight scenes. But it also introduces a dark, supernatural magic system that plays into the racial and social dynamics of its corrupt society. All of this combines for a solid debut and a wondrous world that I can’t wait to read more of.
SFF Addicts Ep. 16: Dragons! (with Evan Winter, Ryan Cahill, Quenby Olson, Brian Naslund & Kerstin Espinosa Rosero)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Evan Winter, Ryan Cahill, Quenby Olson, Brian Naslund and Kerstin Espinosa Rosero as they delve into the mysterious and magical world of dragons. During the panel they discuss their personal histories with dragons, fresh and modern representations of the creature, dragon tropes and motifs and much more. There was also a solid twenty minutes or so towards the end where each panelist offers up amazing writing advice for the aspiring and working authors out there. Side note: this panel was beautiful chaos, featuring many mic drops, dick jokes (just the words, not actual jokes), crotch biting references and more.
Author Chat: Megan Van Dyke
Join FanFiAddict’s Tori Gross and author Megan Van Dyke for a chat about Megan’s debut novel Second Star to the Left, romance in fantasy, where she got her start, a deep discussion of craft, what she does in her (limited) free time and much more.
Author Chat: Krystle Matar
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Krystle Matar for a chat about her writing journey, Legacy of the Brightwash, themes of parenting, identity, corrupt institutions and colonization, the self-published fantasy community, their shared loves of both Anthony Bourdain and Michael Pollan and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 15: Cities as Characters (with Fonda Lee, Gareth Hanrahan, Jadie Jang & Peter Hartog)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Fonda Lee, Gareth Hanrahan, Jadie Jang and Peter Hartog as they explore the urban sprawl of fictional cities. During the panel they discuss the distinctive character of both fictional and real-world cities, how to use a setting to enhance worldbuilding, character and plot, creating fictional cities from scratch compared to representing real cities, city-related tropes, worldbuidling advice for writers and much more.
Review: Age of Ash (Kithamar #1) by Daniel Abraham
As a lover of science fiction, I can appreciate the breaking of the status quo. Every so often, genres like cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic fiction came in to stir shit up and make it messier, so to say. But fantasy, I’ve found, is much more comfortable resting on its laurels—challenges to foundational fantasy conventions have been slower, and few and far between. In the last decade or so, though, the intention from authors to actively challenge fantasy’s history has been growing.
Daniel Abraham’s newest novel Age of Ash, book one in The Kithamar Trilogy, seems to do just that. It tackles the notion of “epic fantasy,” questioning the epic-ness of it all and how big battles and a fast pace have dominated that landscape. But beyond that, Age of Ash is a heartfelt story that grounds itself in genuine characters in grim circumstances. What follows is a novel that is epic in its ideas and execution, but relatable in its perspectives and emotions.