If This Goes On (Don't Panic): Science Fiction, Fantasy & Progressive Politics

Alan and a couple of engineers from the the Solapunk community, Navarre Bartz and Todd Medema, discuss everything you want to know about electric vehichles, battery technology, EVs that are not Tesla, and charging stations. Todd also discusses his new book, How to Surf a Hurricane, and how he got involved with Solapunk, and much more! You can find How to Surf a Hurricane here: https://howtosurfahurricane.com/

In this episode, Alan and Diane talk to scholar, laywer, and author Gautam Bathia. They discuss Bathia's book The Sentence, The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Anarchism, the Paris Commune of 1871, the Mondragon Cooperative, publishing in India, the views on genre in India, the sequal to The Sentence, and much more. As discussed in the episode you can find the article Forest and Factory here: https://endnotes.org.uk/posts/forest-and-factory

In the second part of our column about the alt-right and Speculative Fiction fandom, we discuss the right wing and fandom. Alan and Jordan discuss why nerds/geeks are easy pickings for the alt-right, neurodiversity, eugenics, how the right wing uses fandom, Sad Puppies, Robert Heinlien, and much more.

In this episode, Alan and Cat talk to writer, aid worker, and sociologist Malka Older. They discuss new installments of The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti, developing characters over the course of multiple books, exploring different forms of governance, writing mysteries, neurodiversity, Sherlock Holmes, Global Voices, justice in fiction, and much more.

In this episode Alan reviews (books linked below): Cholorophilia Queen Bess: A Tudor Come to Save AmericaWhere the Dead Brides GatherLuna Jezero

In this mash-up column, Paul Jessup, of Fear is the Fire That Lights the Heart, and our own Alan Bailey along with guests Maurice Broaddus, and Susan Kaye Quinn explore the differences and simularities between the genre of horror and the subgenre of Solarpunk and come to some very surprising conclusions. We discuss community, resiliance, Weird fiction, anger and anxiety as inspiration, libraries, and the creation of possibilities. Throughout the episode they reference the following article: Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Facism: https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/reading-weird-fiction-in-an-age-of-fascism/

In this episode, Alan and Cat talk to prolific writer and historian Harry Turtledove. They discuss Cat and Harry's collaboration on The Trumps Will Sound, Turtledove's new book: Powerless, Vaclav Havel, Totalitarianism, the power of the individual, Elon Musk, the alt-right in Science Fiction, reader interpretation of work, how the US would break up, staying inspired, Imposter Syndrome, Peter Beagle, Ted Sturgeon, staying relevent, Harry's start in Sword and Sorcery, pen names, Lester Del Rey, strange things in history, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the worth of good editors, and much more.

In the first part of this new column about the alt-right and Speculative Fiction fandom, we get to know the author of the groundbreaking discussion, Speculative Witeness. Alan and Jordan discuss gateway genre authors, JRR Tolkien, transgressive science fiction, how SF fans experience time differently, how Jordan started studying the alt-right in conjunction with Speculative Fiction, Jordan's relationship to fandom, becoming a Hugo finalist, the treatment of genre in acadamia, the history of fascism in Speculative Fiction, neo-nazis relationship to fandom, Alan also continues his feud with Diane over Robert Heinlein vs. Phillip K Dick, and much more. Geek Temporalities and the Spirit of Captial can be found here. You can find a copy of Speculative Whiteness here.

In this episode, Alan and Diane talk to writer and editor Douglas Gwilym. We discuss the Horror Writers Association, the importance of character, blending genres, the Triangulation Anthologies, editing anthologies, joy in writing, monsters, journies in fiction, the importance of writing fiction in uncertain times, and much more. You can find Novus Monstrum here. https://thedragonsroost.biz/product/novus-monstrum/ If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

As Alan convalesces from a covid infection, we've been going back through our archives looking for something interesting for our feed. This selection is an interview betwen Alan and Fantasy Grandmaster Peter Beagle the day after Beagle received his Grandmaster award. Their discussion includes: advice to younger writers, Patrick Rothfuss, Peter's relationship to Pittburgh Baseball, politics, Peter's love of animals. TW: There is some discussion of Neal Gaiman. Please be aware, this interview occured 6+ years before Gaiman's poor behavior was public knowledge.

TW: Suicide and Cults In this episode, Alan and Cat talk to author, TJ Klune. We discuss Howl's Moving Castle, belief in aliens, X-Files, Coast to Coast with Art Bell, the 1990s, the Heaven's Gate cult, JKR, TJ's future projects, pets, more X-Files (so much X-Files), and much more. TJ Klune's Website: https://www.tjklunebooks.com/ If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

In this episode Alan reviews (books linked below): Jubilee Cryptid Bits Skull Slime Tentacle Witch WarCoyote RunTempest Blades: The Root of Hope

In this episode, Alan and Diane talk to teacher, author, Solarpunk, and witch, Brightflame. We discuss how Solarpunk relates to witchcraft, second world fantasy, Marion Zimmer Bradley, inspiring art with questionable creators, your shadow self, the Reclaiming Tradition, Witch Camp, how to know if you're doing enough politically, writing a community of characters, stereotypes, and much more. If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

The second part of Diane's column about Military Scence Fiction is here! In this column, Diane grapples with the physical manifestations of PTSD, and discusses Military Science Fiction that represents PTSD realistically.

In this episode, Alan and guest co-host, Dave Robison, talk to our own Cat Rambo about Cat's newest novel Rumor Has It, the evolution of her work, her upcoming work, the pragmatisim of necromancy, villiains, clones, humor, 2025 WorldCon, 10 book series, building romance in a story, Conan the Barbarian and Robert E Howard, and much more. If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

In this episode of the Book Navigator column, Navarre Bartz reviews a collection of short fiction, a children's fiction series, as well as a lot of nonfiction including: Solarpunk Creatures by World Weaver Press Penelope Rex by Ryan T. Higgins The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow How to Build with Grid Beam by Phil Jergenson Better Sleep For Overacheivers by Anne Bartolucci

In this episode, Alan talks to writer Cynthia Gomez about La Llarona, Poltergeist. The Shining, horror and social justice, story inspiration, racism, working in education, covid and cons, unions, and much more. If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.

Lagrange Point by Alan Stroud published by Flame Tree Press 2023 Terra by Allen Stroud published by Flame Tree Press 2023 Hellweg’s Keep by Justin Holley published by Flame Tree Press 2023 The Day and Night Books of Mardou Fox by Nisi Shawl published by Rosarium Publishing October 2024 One Eye Opened in that Other Place by Christi Nogle published by Flame Tree Press 2024 Women of Horror and Speculative Fiction in Their Own Words: Conversations with Authors and Editors edited by Sebastien Doubinsky and Christina Kkona published 2024 by Bloomsbury Academic

Hello US Listeners, this is just a reminder to please vote. Today is election day and it is an extremely important election. We stand against Trump and authoritarianism, but unless we all stand together it could be lost. PLEASE do the what you can.

In this episode, Alan and Cat talk to author, comedian, and teacher Alex Jennings about New Orleans, music, the legend of Stagger Lee, the practice of signifying, The Phantom Tollbooth, the X-Men, and much more. If you'd like to support us you can give us a one time donation at Kofi or you can subscribe to our Patreon.