Category Archives: Podcasts

Galactic Chat 70 – Peter Clines

One of the first writing websites I started hanging around on when I initially started trying to get published was the Permuted Press message board. The reason I was there was because I had read an amazing book (you can read my review here) and had immediately went on a frantic search to find out more about the author–and when the next book would be out!

It’s hard to believe it has been over five years–disturbing in fact–but, since then, Peter Clines has gone from strength to strength, not only continuing with the “Ex” series, but bringing out other wonderful works.

As he celebrates the latest instalment in the “Ex” series, Peter joined me on Galactic Chat. Yes, I gush, and yes, I had a LOT of fun doing this one. I hope that you enjoy listening to the result!

After a holiday break, Galactic Chat returns! David McDonald interviews author Peter Clines on the eve of the release of his new book, Ex-Isle.

In a wide ranging interview, they cover topics from the”Ex” series to Peter’s Hollywood career, and discuss the nature of heroism and the power of storytelling.

Join them as they fanboy over Classic Doctor Who and Supergirl, and listen in amazement as David tempts Peter into joining him on his soapbox about “Man of Steel”.

NB: Sadly, technical issues mean that David’s first few questions are a bit distorted (though intelligible), but please bear with it as Peter is crystal clear and Skype reins in its anger in time to let you hear David gush.

As Sean is on sabbatical, this is David’s first attempt at creating a podcast so all issues are his fault, and should not reflect on the podcast as a whole!

Peter’s website
Ex-Isle Amazon Page
The Doctor Who episode they are talking about
The Dragon Movie

Credits:
Interviewer: David McDonald
Guest: Peter Clines
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts 
Post-prod.: David McDonald
Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat 
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com
Ex-Heroes 

Galactic Chat 68 – featuring me!

Bit of a belated post, but I found out what it was like to be on the other side of the mic when Sean interviewed me for Galactic Chat! I really have no idea what I said–I was a bit nervous–but if you want to listen, follow the links below:

This week’s chat sees Sean interviewing fellow chatter and recent HarperCollins author David McDonald.  

They talk about David’s new film novelisation and  volunteering in the speculative fiction community.  Of particular interest will be some of the expectations on writers when writing for tie-in properties.

David also talks about the wonderful and enlightening responses he’s got to his Paying For Our Passion guest post series.

The Salon article David mentions can be found here.  If you are interested in his guest post series the initial post is here

You can find more on David McDonald here.

Credits:
Interviewer: Sean Wright
Guest: David McDonald
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts
Post-prod.: Sean Wright
Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com

The StarShipSofa has landed!

I got to unlock another achievement on my writing journey recently–having a story adapted into audio form!

My story “Our Land Abounds” had a difficult path to publication, and was rejected over ten times. I have been so happy that, since its release as part of Cold Comfort and Other Tales, it has found such a positive reception from reviewers.

When that most excellent of podcasts, StarShipSofa, offered to adapt it I was understandably over the moon, and after hearing the end result I couldn’t be happier. Narrator Veronica Giguere did an exceptional job–a big thank you to her and StarShipSofa for bringing my story to life!

You can listen to the podcast here (and check out the amazing back catalogue–what stellar company I find myself in!).

SSS_SEPT_2014-500x647

State of the Writer Update – Reviews, Interviews and Guest Posts

While the blog has been reasonably active–due to some wonderful guest posts–I have been a bit remiss in posting what I have been up to. There is a lot going behind the scenes, and I am getting a fair bit of writing done, but I still can’t announce some things that are coming up (which is killing me).

In the meantime, here are some quick updates:

Stories

  • My story, Our Land Abounds, got the audio treatment on the wonderful StarShipSofa!

Reviews

  • The first review of Backcountry is up and it’s a great one! You can read it here

Interviews

I’ve done a couple more interviews for Galactic Chat, with more on the way.

  • The splendid Amanda Pillar talks being on both sides of the editor’s desk and her new novel, along with plenty more
  • The fascinating Tsana Dolichva talks on a  number of subjects, from necroastronomy to Defying Doomsday

Travel

  • I went to the Reconnaissance convention in New Zealand and had an amazing time. Full report to follow!

Guest Posts

I am so grateful for the wonderful contributions I have received of late.

  • I continue to be humbled by the response to the Paying for Our Passion series–check out the wonderful posts that people have made (And you can get involved, too!)
  • Gwen Hernandez gave a masterclass on Scrivener, one of my favourite writing tools
  • D.K. Mok wrote on a subject close to my heart – the spec fic community
  • Holly Kench–as part of the promotion for the Defying Doomsday crowdfunding campaign (FUNDED! OH YEAH!)–with a must read for authors on writing disabled characters
  • Emilie Collyer, fellow Clan Destine author, on her writing journey

Hopefully I will be able to make some more announcements soon!

Galactic Chat 65 – Tsana Dolichva

I loved chatting to Tsana about necroastronomy and bad science in books – and of course the wonderful anthology, Defying Doomsday. There is still time to back it and make a huge difference!

In this week’s chat, David talks with Tsana Dolichva about her work as an Astrophysicist, providing scientific advice for authors and her role in the upcoming crowd funded anthology Defying Doomsday. They also chat about reviewing in small communities and the Australian Women Writers Challenge.

You can find the various links for Defying Doomsday below:
Links:
Pozible Campaign: http://pozi.be/defyingdoomsday
Website: http://defyingdoomsday.twelfthplanetpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefyingDoomsday
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefyingDoomsday
Tumblr: http://defyingdoomsday.tumblr.com/

Credits:
Interviewer: David McDonald
Guest: Tsana Dolichva
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts
Post-prod.: Sean Wright
Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com

Galactic Chat 64 – Amanda Pillar

In this episode of Galactic Chat I get to talk to one of my favourite Aussie Spec Fic people – Amanda Pillar! I have been lucky enough to be on some panels with Amanda, and can testify to how much you can learn from listening to her. Enjoy!

In this week’s chat, David talks with Amanda Pillar about her work as an editor on such projects as Ishtar, her day job as an Archaeologist and her debut novel Graced, from Momentum Publishing.

You can source Amanda’s novel from links at the Momentum website here.

Credits:
Interviewer: David McDonald
Guest: Amanda Pillar
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts
Post-prod.: Sean Wright

Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com

Galactic Chat 63 – Pat Cadigan

In this latest episode of Galactic Chat, I get to talk to to the amazing Pat Cadigan. In a wide ranging interview, we cover everything from Heinlein to Cyberpunk, look at “fix up” novels, and find out how Pat is ‘punching cancer in the face’.

It’s a wonderful interview with one of the top writers in her field, and I hope you enjoy listening to Pat as much as I did.

In this weeks chat, our first for the year, David talks with Pat Cadigan about her early influences and her friendship with Heinlein.  There’s some brief talk about the honorable tradition of fix-up novels in Science Fiction and some discussion around the early formation of the Cyberpunk Genre.

Pat also talks openly about her response to cancer and gives us an update on how she is coping.

Finally there is some discussion about projects that have been launched in response to the Requires Hate situation to promote and support POC in the Science Fiction and Fantasy community.

Links referenced: A Report on Damage Done by One Individual Under Several Names

Credits
Interviewer: David McDonald
Guest: Pat Cadigan
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts
Post-prod.: Sean Wright
Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com

 

Obligatory Ditmar Post for 2015

I feel like I have been a bit self promotional lately, with the FFANZ stuff, the ebook release and trying to boost the signal of the Galactic Chat interviews I have been lucky enough to do. So, I am going to bury my own eligible works right at the bottom of the post.

Don’t feel you need to read down that far, the important message is: make sure you nominate and vote in the Ditmars! There are so many amazing people in the Aussie scene, and they are producing so much good work. The list of eligibles will blow your mind. So, if you have loved someone’s work last year, why not nominate them?

Nominations for the 2015 Australian SF (“Ditmar”) awards are now open and will remain open until one minute before midnight Perth time on Sunday, 1st of February, 2015 (ie. 11.59pm, GMT+8). Postal nominations must be postmarked no later than Friday, 30th of January, 2015.

The current rules, including Award categories can be found HERE.

You must include your name with any nomination. Nominations will be accepted only from natural persons active in fandom, or from full or supporting members of Swancon 40, the 2015 Australian National SF Convention. Where a nominator may not be known to the Ditmar subcommittee, the nominator should provide the name of someone known to the subcommittee who can vouch for the nominator’s eligibility. Convention attendance or membership of an SF club are among the criteria which qualify a person as “active in fandom”, but are not the only qualifying criteria. If in doubt, nominate and mention your qualifying criteria. If you received this email directly, you almost certainly qualify.

You may nominate as many times in as many Award categories as you like, although you may only nominate a particular person, work or achievement once. The Ditmar subcommittee, which is organised under the auspices the Standing Committee of the Natcon Business Meeting, will rule on situations where eligibility is unclear. A partial and unofficial eligibility list, to which everyone is encouraged to add, can be found HERE.

While online nominations are preferred, nominations can be made in a number of ways:

1. online, via this form.

2. via email to ditmars [@] sf.org.au; or

3. by post to:
Ditmars
6 Florence Road
NEDLANDS WA 6009
AUSTRALIA

I don’t have a huge amount of eligible work from 2014. I didn’t even enter my collection in the Aurealis Awards as it is only three stories, and I wouldn’t think it would be competitive with all the amazing anthologies and collected works we have seen over the past twelve months.

Something that I didn’t create, but was part of, and that I think was amazing (not through anything to do with me, but because of the creator) was Laura E. Goodin’s radio play, “Useless Questions”. I am not sure what category Laura would be eligible for that under, but I wanted to highlight it as something worth considering.

So. my list:

Best Short Story

  • “Our Land Abounds”, David McDonald, in Cold Comfort and Other Tales, Clan Destine Press.

Best Fan Publication in any Medium

  • “Galactic Chat”, Sean Wright, Helen Stubbs, David McDonald, Alexandra Pierce, Sarah Parker and Mark Webb.
  • “Snapshot 2014”, Tsana Dolichva, Nick Evans, Stephanie Gunn, Kathryn Linge, Elanor Matton-Johnson, David McDonald, Helen Merrick, Jason Nahrung, Ben Payne, Alex Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Helen Stubbs, Katharine Stubbs, Tehani Wessely, Sean Wright.

William Atheling Jr. Award for Criticism or Review

ditmars

Useless Questions Radio Play

Earlier this year at Conflux,  my good friend Laura E. Goodin asked me if I would be willing to help her out with a performance of her radio play, “Useless Questions”. I have done a bit of acting in the past, but this was something new and I was a little dubious!

But, I was so glad I agreed, as we had so much fun performing the play. It is very hard to write good humour (especially humorous science fiction), often times it falls flat or comes across as lame, but Laura got it spot on and the audience loved it. So much so that we did a repeat performance later in the con!

While we didn’t have any specialised equipment, Laura did make a recording, which you can find here. It’s not perfect, but hopefully it will give you a sense of how much fun we had. Enjoy!

From left to right: Cat Sparks, Nichole Murphy, Laura E. Goodin, David McDonald, Stephen Ormsby and Satima Flavell

From left to right: Cat Sparks, Nichole Murphy, Laura E. Goodin, David McDonald, Stephen Ormsby and Satima Flavell

Galactic Chat 61 – Kameron Hurley

In this latest episode of Galactic Chat, I get to talk to another one of my favourite writers—Kameron Hurley. I discovered her writing through the Bel Dame Apocrypha (God’s War Trilogy), one of the most original works of sci fi in recent times. But, she is also one of the leading fan writers in the spec fic community, and continues to challenge and subvert many of the things we take for granted with her blogging and essays.

As usual, my inner fanboy was fighting for control the whole time, but Kameron still managed to deliver a fascinating interview, where she talks about everything from Dragonlance to blog tours, and other topics listed below.

Plus, you get to find out more about her amazing new series!

This week David chats with award winning author and blogger Kameron Hurley. Kameron has been nominated for the Nebula, Clarke and the BSFA, selected for the Tiptree honour list and this year won the Hugo for Best Fan Writer. Additionally, her essay “‘We Have Always Fought’: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle and Slaves’ Narrative” also won the Hugo for Best Related Work.

Please enjoy their chat where they talk about the influences on her most famous trilogy (including a dodgy rental apartment with bugs), when authors should speak out on issues of poor or disadvantageous contracts and what’s next on Hurley’s agenda.

You can find Kameron at her website

Credits
Interviewer: David McDonald
Guest: Kameron Hurley
Music & Intro: Tansy Rayner Roberts
Post-prod.: Sean Wright
Feedback:
Twitter: @galactichat
Email: galactichat at gmail dot com