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Notes from Coode Street

564 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratings

...unavoidable stuff from jonathan strahan...

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Episodes

Episode 644: Cozy books and a prickly writer

March 23, 2024 23:47

This time out, Jonathan and Gary consider the meaning of “cozy” (or “cosy”) SF and fantasy, and whether cozy horror is even a thing. We trace the term back to cozy mystery novels and Brian W. Aldiss’s characterization of certain British writers of the 1950s—especially John Wyndham—as “cozy catastrophes”. Not surprisingly, this doesn’t lead to … Continue reading Episode 644: Cozy books and a prickly writer →

Episode 643: All Time Top 5s

March 04, 2024 07:41

Somewhat hesitantly, Jonathan and Gary return to the mics, sans guests, and somehow get into a discussion of various SFF listicles—partly because of Gary’s recent contribution to fivebooks.com of a list of five novels about science fiction. Why are such lists so appealing and so ubiquitous these days, and who are they for? By the … Continue reading Episode 643: All Time Top 5s →

Episode 642: Premee Mohamed and The Butcher of the Forest

February 17, 2024 07:23

This week Nebula and World Fantasy award winner, Premee Mohamed, joins Gary and Jonathan from somewhere in the wilds of Canada to discuss writing, reading, building a career, and her fabulous new novella, The Butcher of the Forest. We also discuss the projects Premee has planned for the rest of the year, including forthcoming new … Continue reading Episode 642: Premee Mohamed and The Butcher of the Forest →

Episode 641: Kelly Link and the love of books

January 28, 2024 03:07

For our second episode of 2024, we’re joined by the inimitable Kelly Link, whose  forthcoming first novel The Book of Love is already receiving stellar advance reviews (including one from Gary in Locus). Kelly explains how the novel evolved, it connections to various genres from romance to supernatural horror, the importance of valuable encouragement from … Continue reading Episode 641: Kelly Link and the love of books →

Eating the Fantastic: Episode 217: Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan

January 27, 2024 23:40

All round good guy Scott Edelman was at the recent World Fantasy Convention, and took Gary and Jonathan out for lunch and a chat. That chat became the latest episode of Eating the Fantastic, Scott’s terrific podcast. If you’re interested, you can hear the episode here.

Episode 640: A new year begins. Shenanigans ensue?

January 21, 2024 06:59

And just like that, our end-of-year hiatus is done and the Coode Street Podcast is back! Gary and Jonathan return from their annual break and kick off a brand new season with discussions of recent news events in science fiction, how our thoughts about books and ideas change over time, 50th anniversaries of famous books, … Continue reading Episode 640: A new year begins. Shenanigans ensue? →

Birthdays are weird

January 01, 2024 15:10

For as long as I can remember,  my birthdays have been weird, a little fraught, a little difficult. I do not really enjoy them. Maybe it’s because I was born in a leap year, or maybe I’m difficult, or maybe I don’t get why everyone wants to make a fuss. Maybe it feels a bit … Continue reading Birthdays are weird →

Carrie and Juliet, or a New Year’s Eve for 2023

January 01, 2024 06:52

Was up early, had some breakfast, and then did some novella editing. Afte that, well, Sunday, New Year’s Eve, was a little stormy.  The family was due to go to see the musical &Juliet, tickets having been acquired as part of Marianne’s birthday this year. For some reason, the eldest took it into her head … Continue reading Carrie and Juliet, or a New Year’s Eve for 2023 →

Saturday night

December 30, 2023 14:17

Christmas is only just in the rearview mirror and the things that made me want to keep a journal last year are reading their heads again, so let’s try. It’s the 30th so I won’t try to detail the week between Christmas and New Year except to say we watched a lot of movies, I … Continue reading Saturday night →

A Year at Tor.com – Stories I acquired for 2023

December 21, 2023 07:21

I had a busy year over at Tor.com. Below are the twelve stories I acquired and edited for the site. My thanks to all of the authors and to everyone at Tor.com for letting me be involved in such a very special year! “The Counterworld” by James Bradley Illustrated by Mary Haasdyk Published February 1, … Continue reading A Year at Tor.com – Stories I acquired for 2023 →

Awards eligibility – 2023

December 17, 2023 09:29

2023 was a year when I edited two original anthologies, two Tordocom novellas, eleven of Tor.com’s short stories, and acted as reviews editor for Locus for the 21st consecutive year. As a podcaster, I co-hosted and produced a total of 19 episodes. Fiction edited in 2023 Anthologies The Book of Witches, Harper Voyager Communications Breakdown: … Continue reading Awards eligibility – 2023 →

Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023

December 17, 2023 05:54

For the 2023 instalment of the Very Coode Street Gift Guide, we invited some old friends to share their recommendations of books read in 2023:  Alix E. Harrow (whose very worthy Starling House was a favorite, officially excluded from discussion because of her participation in the episode), award-winning Locus reviewer Ian Mond, and distinguished novelist James Bradley, … Continue reading Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023 →

Episode 638: Books that were off our radar

December 11, 2023 22:48

The end of the year may be fast approaching, but this episode isn’t quite our usual year-in-review discussion (which will come up later), or our books-we’re-looking-forward-to episode. Instead, we spend some time musing about books we maybe should be looking forward to, if we only knew about them. This raises the question of forthcoming novels … Continue reading Episode 638: Books that were off our radar →

Episode 637: A Quick One, While We Wait

November 26, 2023 11:11

With plans for are promised chat with Elizabeth Hand and Alix E. Harrow on temporary hold, Jonathan and Gary share some pleasant memories of the World Fantasy Convention, muse about whether the nature of conventions has changed in the wake of the pandemic, and speculate about next year’s events in Glasgow, Niagara Falls, and elsewhere. … Continue reading Episode 637: A Quick One, While We Wait →

Episode 636: Jeffrey Ford, Kij Johnson and the Art of Narrative

November 11, 2023 04:34

The 2023 World Fantasy Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri over the weekend of October 26-29 2023. The convention was incredibly kind and generous and featured Jonathan as a guest of honour and Gary as a panelist. During the weekend we grabbed long-time friends of the podcast Kij Johnson and Jeffrey Ford and attempted … Continue reading Episode 636: Jeffrey Ford, Kij Johnson and the Art of Narrative →

Episode 635: On the nature of purpose in science fiction

October 01, 2023 03:32

Responding in part to some issues raised by Niall Harrison in The Los Angeles Review of Books, Jonathan and Gary discuss the value and purpose of year’s best anthologies, whether it’s even possible to still represent such a diversified international field, and how stories we read in anthologies frame our own reading experiences and help … Continue reading Episode 635: On the nature of purpose in science fiction →

Episode 634: Jack Dann and the Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History

September 10, 2023 02:18

For this episode, Jonathan and Gary are joined by the distinguished novelist, editor, and scholar Jack Dann, whose new The Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History: A Handbook on Craft, Art, and History has just been published by Bloomsbury Academic. Jack discusses definitions of alternate history (as opposed to secret history or parallel universes), his … Continue reading Episode 634: Jack Dann and the Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History →

Episode 633: A classic ramble

September 03, 2023 23:19

In a return to classic rambling form, Jonathan and Gary begin thinking about the waning months of the year, and the inevitable recommended reading discussions. Jonathan starts off by asking why we always seem to say it was a surprisingly good year for collections, when just about every year is a good year for collections. We also … Continue reading Episode 633: A classic ramble →

Episode 632: Wole Talabi and Shagidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

August 13, 2023 09:02

This week Hugo and Nebula nominee Wole Talabi joins Jonathan and Gary for a wide-ranging discussion celebrating the publication of his wonderful first novel Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon and his Hugo Award-nominated novelette, “A Dream of Electric Mothers“. We discuss the recent worldwide recognition of African SFF, his use of Yoruba religion … Continue reading Episode 632: Wole Talabi and Shagidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon →

Episode 631: Awards, debut novels, and science fiction at the moment

July 23, 2023 07:39

After Gary enjoyed a weekend at Readercon, we’re back with another one-on-one ramble that covers topics from the proliferation of SF awards (and what they really might be for), to some recent and forthcoming books we’re excited about (including Kemi Ashing-Giwa’s The Splinter in the Sky, Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors, Wole Talabi’s Shigidi … Continue reading Episode 631: Awards, debut novels, and science fiction at the moment →

Episode 630: Kij Johnson and the Nature of Story

July 09, 2023 03:54

After an unplanned hiatus, we’re back with the wonderful Kij Johnson, who will be a guest of honour at this year’s World Fantasy Convention in Kansas City this coming October. Small Beer will publish a new collection of Kij’s work, The Privilege of the Happy Ending, to coincide with the convention. We discuss the challenges … Continue reading Episode 630: Kij Johnson and the Nature of Story →

Episode 629: Ursula Vernon and A Story with Good Bones

June 03, 2023 09:12

In this episode, Jonathan and Gary have a long overdue extended discussion with the wonderful Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher), whose excellent horror novel A House With Good Bones appeared in late March, and whose thoroughly original imagining of the Sleeping Beauty story Thornhedge, is forthcoming in August. We also touch upon some of her … Continue reading Episode 629: Ursula Vernon and A Story with Good Bones →

Episode 628: Sarah Pinsker and Lost Places

May 20, 2023 06:38

Returning after a brief hiatus, Coode Street welcomes the wonderful multiple award-winning Sarah Pinsker, whose new collection Lost Places has just been published by Small Beer Press, and includes the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning “Where Oaken Hearts do Gather.” We touch upon her career as both story writer and novelist, the relationship of her … Continue reading Episode 628: Sarah Pinsker and Lost Places →

Episode 627: Kelly Link for the love of a good book

April 23, 2023 09:02

This week, Jonathan and Gary talk with Kelly Link, whose new collection White Cat, Black Dog is already showing up on bestseller lists. It’s her first themed collection, with each of the seven stories linked to a particular fairy tale. We also touch upon several writers whose work has been important to Kelly, including Joanna … Continue reading Episode 627: Kelly Link for the love of a good book →

Episode 626: Awards season, British criticism and more

April 10, 2023 04:49

It’s awards season again (or maybe still), so Jonathan and Gary take a moment to remind everyone of the deadlines for nominating candidates for Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula Awards, and to discuss briefly a proposal to add a one-time category of “Best Fantasy Novel” to the Hugos at the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon. They … Continue reading Episode 626: Awards season, British criticism and more →

Episode 625: Kelly Barnhill and the Mind of a Writer

March 06, 2023 07:56

This week Jonathan and Gary are joined by World Fantasy and Newbery Award winner Kelly Barnhill, whose When Women Were Dragons was one of last year’s outstanding fantasy novels. We talk about her just-published The Crane Husband, which powerfully combines aspects of the classic fairy tale, science fiction, horror, and coming-of-age tale. We touch upon … Continue reading Episode 625: Kelly Barnhill and the Mind of a Writer →

Awards eligibility – 2022

March 01, 2023 06:34

2022 was a year when I edited two original anthologies, five novellas published by Tordocom, eight of Tor.com’s short stories, and acted as reviews editor for Locus for the 20th consecutive year. As a podcaster, we managed a total of 50 episodes, including the Coode Street Advent Calendar, which was fun. Fiction edited in 2022 … Continue reading Awards eligibility – 2022 →

Coode Street 624: On short fiction

February 19, 2023 07:52

We are always casting around for inspiration. After getting ChatGPT to provide a new introduction for the podcast, Gary and Jonathan kick off a discussion about the health of the short fiction field, the scope and variety of short story collections due to be published in 2023, and share some (okay, many) thoughts on the … Continue reading Coode Street 624: On short fiction →

Episode 623: The 2022 Locus Recommended Reading List

February 05, 2023 03:32

This week, in our more-or-less annual discussion of the Locus Recommended Reading List, we are delighted to be joined by Locus Editor-in-Chief Liza Groen Trombi. We talk about the purpose of the list, how it has changed over the years, how books or stories get on the list, and a few thorny questions about how … Continue reading Episode 623: The 2022 Locus Recommended Reading List →

Episode 622: More about space opera

January 22, 2023 11:45

It’s not been that long since they last discussed it, but this week Jonathan and Gary return to the question of space opera, new space opera, and what contemporary SF authors might make of the concept. Is space opera the core narrative of SF, as Jonathan suggests, or only one of them? What are its … Continue reading Episode 622: More about space opera →

Weekend of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth

January 15, 2023 16:59

On paper, it was a good weekend.  Saturday I took the youngest out to Costco to pick up some things for her short film shoot that’s happening next week. We then stopped at Whisked the Right Wei, one of the better patisseries in Perth, and got coffee at a Kwik drive-through. I then took the … Continue reading Weekend of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth →

And that was the weekend that was, that was

January 08, 2023 23:30

I had a fairly quiet weekend by my standards. I had a Locus Board Meeting at 7 am, which is an ungodly hour for something like that, but the only time really to get everyone involved together. We talked about many things, including how Locus can really use your help and support. It was also … Continue reading And that was the weekend that was, that was →

Uneven distribution

January 08, 2023 23:16

The future is not evenly distributed. I’m no longer surprised that when Gary Wolfe and I try to talk to people for the podcast they simply don’t have the internet connectivity to record as we usually do. Landline recording is always a bit fiddly, and just became fiddlier because the Skype add-on (Call Recorder) I used … Continue reading Uneven distribution →

First book of the year…

January 08, 2023 11:04

Garth Nix’s 2021 novel The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was a delight in a challenging year, a compelling tale of mythic Britain filled with terrible danger and the intriguing magic of the eponymous  booksellers. Although it was far more than that, it felt like comfort food right when you needed it most. This coming May … Continue reading First book of the year… →

Episode 621: Coode Street’s Books for Look Forward to in 2023

January 08, 2023 06:01

To kick off 2023, Jonathan and Gary share their lists of the books that they’re looking forward to reading in 2023. They mention a lot of forthcoming titles, ranging books from old masters like Peter S. Beagle, Howard Waldrop, Joanna Russ, Gene Wolfe, and Connie Willis to newer writers like Samit Basu, Vajra Chandrasekera, Alix … Continue reading Episode 621: Coode Street’s Books for Look Forward to in 2023 →

Cusp of the weekend

January 06, 2023 11:44

I might need a haircut and look a million years old in this photo, and the chair I’m sitting on might be bloody uncomfortable, but it’s the weekend, so let’s have at it! Today was spent working, editing (a novella called “On Clan Business”, trying to get some stuff finished, and mostly falling behind.  It … Continue reading Cusp of the weekend →

At home

January 04, 2023 09:02

This morning feels like a million years ago. Had a fairly solid night’s sleep and woke around 5-ish. Daughter was awake so we went down to Mt Lawley to get the mail before home for me, at least to the day job. While daughter had issues with a film project that caused her great anxiety, … Continue reading At home →

First day back

January 03, 2023 12:01

Today was the first day back at the day job after three weeks or so off. Up at 5am, S had been up all night and wanted a lift, so off at the usual time with mum for coffee and catch up in Mt Lawley. From there, in to the city and to the office. … Continue reading First day back →

The day after New Year’s

January 02, 2023 11:10

Well, another less-than-great night’s sleep. Awake at 4.45am and didn’t get back to sleep, so I sat down with a cup of coffee and spent two or three hours editing. Just catching up on stuff. The family started to appear around 8 am, which was nice.  Around 9 am Jess, Sophie, and I headed over … Continue reading The day after New Year’s →

New Year’s Day

January 01, 2023 06:15

Another probably ill-fated attempt to restore the old diary-taking muscles I developed when blogging was still a thing. Let’s see how we go. Last night was a quiet one. The girls and I dropped around at my mum’s to have a quick glass of champagne and to wish her a Happy New Year (far too … Continue reading New Year’s Day →

Top 5 Christmas songs

December 25, 2022 00:03

I am ridiculously sentimental and have a real weakness for silly and romantic things. Christmas has always been a favourite time of the year, even though it only seems to become more stressful and complicated with time. One thing I really love is a good Christmas song, and so I thought that since this is … Continue reading Top 5 Christmas songs →

Episode 620: A Very Coode Street Advent Bonus: M. Rickert

December 24, 2022 03:21

There’s Christmas and then there’s Krampus. Here at Coode Street, there’s nothing quite like a little bit more, and as a very special holiday bonus Gary sat down with the wonderful M. Rickert to talk about what she’d been reading, what she’d recommend, and her fabulous Krampus tale, Lucky Girl, one of our favourites and … Continue reading Episode 620: A Very Coode Street Advent Bonus: M. Rickert →

Episode 619: And Happy Holidays to all!

December 23, 2022 22:12

And that’s a wrap. Time to hang up the headphones and take a short break. The Coode Street Podcast is going on hiatus for the remainder of 2022 and will return early in 2023. Just before the Gershwin Room closes for the holidays, though, Gary and Jonathan take a moment to chat about the Advent … Continue reading Episode 619: And Happy Holidays to all! →

Episode 618: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Elizabeth Hand

December 23, 2022 22:00

And so we come to the final episode of the 2022 Coode Street Advent Calendar. Gary sits down to chat with a dear friend of the podcast, Elizabeth Hand, about what she’s been reading, what she’d recommend, her holiday recommendations, her own classic Christmas story, “Chip Crockett’s Christmas Carol“, and her fabulous new novel Hokolua … Continue reading Episode 618: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Elizabeth Hand →

Episode 617: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: N K Jemisin

December 22, 2022 22:23

Way back in March 2020 we sat down with N.K. Jemisin to talk about her then-new fantasy novel, The City We Became. It was great. Then we had a whole pandemic, so we thought we’d check in to see how things are going. The holidays are literally upon us and Jonathan and Nora chat about … Continue reading Episode 617: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: N K Jemisin →

Episode 616: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Tochi Onyebuchi

December 21, 2022 22:37

We spoke with Tochi Onyebuchi back in 2020 as part of “Ten Minutes with…“, when his award-winning novella Riot Baby was still new in the world. Since then Tochi’s been busy but has still managed to deliver another incredible novel, this time Goliath. Today Jonathan and Tochi discuss what he’s been reading, what he’d recommend, … Continue reading Episode 616: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Tochi Onyebuchi →

Books to look forward to in 2023

December 21, 2022 08:11

We are at the end of the year as I write this and I’m beginning to throw together a list of books coming out in 2023 that I’m interested in reading. This list will change and evolve over time, but this is a start at least. Blade of Dream, Daniel Abraham Conquest, Nina Allan The … Continue reading Books to look forward to in 2023 →

Episode 615: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Nghi Vo

December 20, 2022 23:32

Although Nghi Vo published her first short story all the way back in 2007, it’s only been in the last five years that she’s really grabbed everyone’s attention, first with the ‘Singing Hills’ cycle of novellas, then with her stunning debut novel, The Chosen and the Beautiful. This year she has two books among the … Continue reading Episode 615: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Nghi Vo →

Episode 614: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: John Clute

December 19, 2022 23:00

There are friends of the Podcast and then there’s family. We’ve been talking to the great and glorious John Clute — writer, critic, encyclopedist, and more — since 2010. Whether it’s been about events at the SF Encyclopedia, happenings in SF, or some other thing, he has always been warm, witty, and wise. Today Gary … Continue reading Episode 614: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: John Clute →

Episode 613: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Naseem Jamnia

December 19, 2022 01:04

Depending on where you are in the world the weather is either turning chilly or it’s becoming warm and sunny, but either way, it’s not long till the end of our Advent Calendar. Today Gary talks to Naseem Jamnia about what they’ve been reading, what they’d recommend, and their exciting new novella, The Bruising of … Continue reading Episode 613: The Coode Street Advent Calendar: Naseem Jamnia →

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