Why no one cares about the death of the Star Wars Expanded Universe

In what can only be considered an podcast epic betrayal, I, Jeff Patterson and the Goddess of WhimsyDark Delilah S. Dawson all gang up on Hugo-winning host Patrick Hester and explain no one is surprised (or really all that bothered) by the de-canonization of the Star Wars Expanded Universe... except him.

His exasperated pain is the fuel for the latest SF Signal podcast. It's like a train wreck: you cannot bare to watch, but dare not turn away. Give a listen.

If you're a true sadist, you can hear me crush the hopes and dreams of other wide-eyed sci-fi fans in my podcast archives.

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Three qualified experts (and me) discuss the Amazon/Hachette showdown

Amazon Packaging (Photo credit: Nic Taylor Photography)

After a well deserved absence from the SF Signal podcast, Hugo-Winning audio-auteur Patrick Hester got desperate and allowed me back on the show to discuss the showdown between Amazon and Hachette, which saw books by Stephen King and JK Rowling suddenly unavailable from the most powerful bookstore on Earth.

Fortunately, Patrick got some actual, qualified experts on the line to tamp down my corrupting influence, including acclaimed authors Gail Carriger (best known for the Parasol Protectorate series) and Michael R. Underwood (best known for the Ree Reyes series), and the world's most under-appreciated sci-fi movie reviewer, Derek Austin Johnson (best known for always being right about sci-fi movies). They more than make up for my inane utterings.

You can listen to the podcast here.

You gluttons for auditory punishment can peruse my complete rapsheet of past podcast crimes here.

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Looking back on 2013 in science fiction and fantasy

For reasons that defy explanation, I am somehow considered a viable authority on the general fields of science fiction and fantasy media, because the poor fools over at the SF Signal Podcast allowed me to inflict myself upon their 2013 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Year in Review episode.

Fortunately, an actual best-selling genre author (Gail Carriger) and an actual seasoned podcast authority (Jeff Patterson) were on hand to make sure Patrick Hester wasn't trapped with just me on the line to make himself look bad. Gail is worth the price of admission alone, and Jeff is...well...he's spent several decades working the dark underbelly of television. It's done things to his mind...unnatural things...but it makes for good podcasting.

Give a listen.

Per usual, the unending tale of my podcast buffoonery is available here.

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Several smart people (also, me) discuss the value of sci-fi/fantasy novel series as opposed to standalone stories

In a recent #MindMeld column, the beneficent SF Signal Irregular Paul Weimer posed the following question to a glorious and resplendent cavalcade of sci-fi and fantasy media figures (and, also, me):

Everywhere you go in genre, series seem to predominate over single novels. How do you read a series differently as compared to singletons? Have you ever given up on a series, or returned to one after a long absence?

The lineup of respondents include:, Sally ‘Qwill’ Janin, Lisa Paitz Spindler, Peggy Hailey, Fábio Fernandes, Brent Bowen, Zachary Jernigan, Steven H Silver, Alex Ristea, Stefan Raets, Rob Bedford and, well, me.

The responses are rather intriguing (excepting my own, of course). Worth your time to peruse the spectra of insights.

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"Experts" pick the sci-fi books you gotta read by year's end

Because Patrick Hester uses wisdom as his dump stat, I was invited back on the Hugo-winning SF Signal podcast to discuss both what sci-fi I'm reading, prose-wise, and what I will pull out all the stops to read by year's end. Fortunately, Jeff Patterson, Fred Kiesche and Paul Weimer are along for the ride to inject some actual informed genre bibliophilia into my relentless name-checking of Scott Lynch, Brian Wood and Cherie Priest.

If you're building a Christmas list for the sci-fi-o-phile in your life, or just like hearing geek-banter normally reserved for side-chats at the D&D game table, you could spend worse hours than to hear the SF Signal Recommendations for 2013's Remaining Sci-Fi Must-Reads. My segments are imminently mutable.

As always, my tally of past SF Signal podcast audio-crimes is available here.

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Why the 2013 crop of summer blockbusters has sucked

A sign of the times: the new Man of Steel (Photo credit: Ed Yourdon)

Once again, I am called upon by my fellow SF Signal podcast irregulars to snark my way through a topic better left to professionals: What's up with the not-so-hot lineup of 2013 summer movie blockbusters?

Fortunately, Jeff Patterson, Patrick Hester and actual honest-to-Grodd film critic Derek Johnson are on hand to wrangle my even-more-nerdy-than-usual snivelings about film and genre. (How these guys got nominated for a Hugo with me on the line is beyond explanation.)

In the course of the podcast, we go deep on the flagship blockbuster of the season -- Man of Steel -- and sort of back into a treatise on why the "midlist movie" is so desperately necessary to save Hollywood from itself. There are worse ways to spend an hour of your time, especially if you fast forward through all my speaking parts. Those of you that tuned into my appearance on Shooting the WISB wherein I savaged Star Trek Into Darkness have heard most it already, anyway.

You can listen to the complete SF Signal podcast here.

As always, the chronicle of my previous SF Signal podcast atrocities is available here.

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Are fantasy readers less demanding (or less logical) than sci-fi fans?

Storm Trooper Jayne (Photo credit: Cayusa)

We all know that one guy who claims to love science fiction but throws a galactic hissy fit if any story involves faster-than-light travel. But is that FTL-snob typical of science fiction in a way that, say, historical swordcraft experts are not typical of epic fantasy?

In other words, are sci-fi fans more anal about details than fantasy readers?

SF Signal convened another panel of qualified experts (and me) to debate the issue via podcast. Those answering better than me include:

• Jeff Patterson
• Paul Weimer
• Josh Vogt
• Jamie Todd Rubin
• Patrick Hester

I hesitate to say we arrived at a conclusion, except for, "FTL snob guy? Lighten up."

As always, my litany of past SF Signal podcast sins is available here.

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Holiday gift ideas: The hard sci-fi starter kit

Hard science fiction is often code for "sci fi that requires the reader to do math" -- it's a label that turns off not just non-sci-fi fans, but even devout but nontechnical science fiction fanatics. Are there hard sci-fi books that not only overcome this label, but might imbue a nascent love of the subgenre?

The SF Signal Irregulars say yes (in podcast form).

Patrick Hester, Jeff Patterson, Paul Weimer and (sadly) me build a reading list to tempt even the staunchest hard sci-fi doubter. And, yes, Ringworld makes multiple appearances.

[BONUS: We stop mid-podcast to disabuse Patrick of the notion that The 13th Warrior is a good movie. I may have instigated this intervention. I also haven't been invited back to the podcast since. Coincidence? I think not.]

If you're looking for the nerdiest of all possible holiday gifts, this podcast is an ultra-geeky idea factory. Take a listen.

As always, my rap sheet of past SF Signal podcast transgressions is available here.

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