Page Break with Brian McClellan
81 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★★ - 51 ratingsPage Break is a collection of casual conversations between epic fantasy author Brian McClellan and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies. Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. Brian aims to use this podcast to find out more about his friends and colleagues.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
Ep 70 - Becky Chambers - Science Fiction Author
May 23, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBMy guest this week is author Becky Chambers! Becky is known for her breakout science fiction Wayfarers series, which began in 2015 with A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Wayfarers books have been nominated for a whole bunch of awards, and won the Hugo for best series in 2019. Becky is also the author of the Monk and Robot series as well as a number of short stories. Becky and I chat about beekeeping and our love of the natural world, and the way hope and wonder helps fuel our writing. We...
Ep 69 - Beth Cato - Author and Poet
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBMy guest this week is author Beth Cato! Beth is known for her Clockwork Dagger series and Blood of Earth Trilogy, and is a widely-published science fiction and fantasy poet and short story writer. Beth also runs a wonderful recipe blog called Bready or Not. She has a new swashbuckling fantasy novel out on June 1st called A Thousand Recipes for Revenge. Beth and I chat about her upcoming book, and we talk about food. Seriously, we spend a good forty-five minutes talking about food so if you’...
Ep 68 - Travis Baldree - Author and Narrator
May 09, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBMy guest this week is audio narrator and bestselling author Travis Baldree. Travis is a former video game developer, having worked on well-known games like Torchlight and Torchlight II, and has built himself a new career narrating science fiction and fantasy–in particular Will Wight’s bestselling Cradle books. Travis recently broke into writing with his smash hit, the cozy fantasy Legends and Lattes. The sequel, Bookshops and Bonedust, is out this November. We talk extensively about an auth...
Ep 67 - Michael Stackpole - Science Fiction Author
April 11, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBMy guest this week is author Michael Stackpole. Michael has a long and fantastic career highlighted, among many things, by his work on the Star Wars X-wing books in the 90’s. He’s written in both his own original worlds and for intellectual properties, including Star Wars, Battletech, and World of Warcraft. As a long time gaming writer and enthusiast, he’s worked on both tabletop RPGs and computer games. Michael is kind enough to let my inner teenager gush about Star Wars and chat about his...
Ep 66 - Bookborn - Youtuber and Reviewer
April 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBMy guest this week is the youtuber and instragramer known as Bookborn. Bookborn is a video essayist and reviewer primarily of science fiction and fantasy, engaging in deep dives on tropes, philosophical questions, community, authors, and more. She’s also one of the judges for the popular Self Published Fantasy Blog-off. Bookborn and I chat about the difficulty of gauging success on the internet and the emotional complications of reviewing media when you know there are real-life people on th...
Ep 65 - Ken Liu - SFF Author and Futurist
March 28, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBMy guest today is science fiction and fantasy author Ken Liu! Ken is known for his wonderful silkpunk epic fantasy series the Dandelion Dynasty and has written numerous award-winning short stories and novellas. He also speaks and consults all over the world on many different topics. Ken and I chat about his experience having a story adapted by Netflix’s Love, Death, and Robots and the glut of stories available to entertain us in the modern world. We talk extensively about his work as a futu...
Ep 64 - Aaryn Flynn - Game Developer
March 14, 2023 15:45 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBMy guest this week is game developer Aaryn Flynn! Aaryn is the CEO of Inflexion Games, whose first title, Nightingale, will hit early release on Steam sometime this year. Aaryn spent much of his career at Bioware, where he worked his way up from tools programmer to Studio General Manager. He had his hands in a number of massive titles including the Mass Effect series, the Baldur’s Gate series, the Dragon Age series, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic....
Ep 63 - Django Wexler - Fantasy Author
March 07, 2023 08:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBMy guest this week is author Django Wexler. Django is probably best known to my fans as a fellow progenitor of the current flintlock fantasy subgenre with his Shadow Campaigns series. He’s written the young adult Forbidden Library series and the Wells of Sorcery. Django’s newest book, Emperor of Ruin, number three in the Burningblade and Silvereye series, came out just last week and is available for purchase now! Django and his wife Casey also have writing craft discussions over on their Pat...
Ep 62 - Max Gladstone - Fantasy Author
February 28, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBMy guest this week is author Max Gladstone! Max is best known to fantasy readers for his wonderful Craft Sequence. He’s written extensive serialized fiction with the Book Burners and the Witch Who Came in from the Cold, and has a huge backlist of short fiction published on Tor.com and in various magazines and collections. He’s also the co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War, a multi-award-winning novella. Max and I chat about the state of publishing a decade ago and how his unique a...
Ep 61 - Grace P. Fong - Author, Artist, and Game Designer
February 14, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBMy guest this week is artist, writer, and narrative designer Grace P. Fong! Grace has created art content for speculative fiction publications and promotional material for authors - including designing the weapons for my very own Powder Mage RPG - and has exhibited regularly at conventions. She’s also published short fiction in Uncanny Magazine. For her day job she’s worked as a narrative designer for Magic: the Gathering, and spent ten years as a senior technical artist on blockbuster movie...
Ep 60 - Piper J Drake - Romantic Fantasy Author
February 07, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBMy guest this week is author Piper J Drake. Piper is a prolific romance author who puts the saucy into all of our favorite SFF subgenres. She’s written a pair of suspense series in True Heroes and Safeguard, the science fiction Triton Experiment series, the paranormal London Shifters series, and many standalone novels and short stories. She has a new contemporary fantasy series, Mythwoven, coming in April 2023 with the first book Wings Once Cursed and Bound. Piper is also the cohost of the 2...
Ep 59 - R.R. Virdi - Fantasy Author
January 31, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBMy guest this week is author RR Virdi. Ronnie has written the urban fantasies Grave Report and Books of Winter, LitRPG Monster Slayer Online, and space western Shepherd of Light. He’s probably best known to epic fantasy fans for his new Tales of Tremaine duology, starting with the First Binding that came out in August of 2022. Ronnie and I chat about his time working as a mechanic and his love of cars, our authorial anxieties, and our massive lack of skills outside making up fantasy worlds....
Ep 58 - Seanbaby - Comedy Writer and Podcaster
December 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBMy guest this week is comedy writer and podcaster Sean “Seanbaby” Reiley. Seanbaby is an old-school Cracked alumni known for his work with fellow Page Break guest Robert Brockway on 1900hotdog.com and its podcast, Dogg Zzone 9000. Seanbaby has also written and performed for Attack of the Show, Adult Swim, Cracked.com, and numerous internet venues. Seanbaby and I chat about the strange things he researches, trying to get the tone of a joke across in text, and the balance between creating and...
Ep 57 - Adrian Tchaikovsky - Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
December 06, 2022 08:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBMy guest this week is the prolific, award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky. Adrian is known for his early epic fantasy, Shadows of the Apt, and for his lauded Children of Time series, the third book of which should be out by the time this podcast airs. He’s also got the brand-new stand-alone City of Last Chances and a whole massive backlist of novel and short stories. Adrian and I chat about his early career in the British legal system, our experiences transitio...
Ep 56 - Robison Wells - SFF Author and Wargame Blogger
November 29, 2022 08:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBMy guest this week is New York Times bestselling author and wargame blogger Robison Wells! Rob is known for his breakout young adult suspense novel Variant and it’s sequel Feedback, as well as a number of other science fiction and fantasy novels. He also co-wrote The Warning with James Patterson, and now runs a popular wargame hobby website, the Wargame Explorer. Rob and I chat at length about the wargaming industry and its various quirks and foibles. We touch on Rob’s struggle to maintain ...
Ep 55 - Nicholas Eames - Epic Fantasy Author
November 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBMy guest this week is epic fantasy author Nicholas Eames! Nick is known for his breakout King of the Wyld and its sequel, the Bloody Rose. We chat about his forthcoming third book and the themes of the series, as well as our habits as writers—getting bogged down in details, leaning into the fantastical, and the hooks that bring the reader along for the ride. We also discuss eating out, our mutual love of video games, and music and the celebrity of music. Enjoy my conversation with Nicholas E...
November 2022 Special Bulletin
November 08, 2022 17:00 - 1 minute - 1.26 MBHey everyone! Check out the Kickstarter for my new Glass Immortals novella, Montego! The Kickstarter will go from today, November 8th, through December 8th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 54 - Amie Kaufman - Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
November 01, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBMy guest this week is international bestseller Amie Kaufman! An author of science fiction and fantasy for young adults, Amie is known for her Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed series, which she co-wrote with Meagan Spooner; the Illuminae Files and Aurora Cycle, which she co-wrote with Jay Kristoff, and her Elementals trilogy. Amie and I chat about international travel, the joys of a quiet hotel room, and touring as a YA author. She tells me about her mutually-constructive relationship with he...
Ep 53 - Nichameleon - Cosplayer
October 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBMy guest this week is Australian cosplayer Nichameleon! Nic is known for her massive presence on Twitter and Instagram, where she puts a sexy spin on favorite characters from pop culture around the globe. She also streams on Twitch and TikTok and designs her own clothing line with the Lonely Kids Club. Nic and I chat about bring proud of what you do for a living, the variety of small skills you need to learn to run a creative business, and the disconnect between our public and personal face...
Ep 52 - Ursula Vernon - Writer, Artist, and Illustrator
October 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBMy guest this week is writer, artist and illustrator Ursula Vernon! Ursula and I talk about talk about gardening, Ursula’s love of anthropomorphic animals, and writing the books we want to read. We discuss just how weird early science fiction and fantasy could be and what happens when a beloved series that goes off the rails. We also dig into the business side of what we do – travel, making money, and the complications of printing and self-publishing. Enjoy my conversation with Ursula Vernon...
Ep 51 - Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz - Video Game Narrative Designer
September 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBMy guest this week is video game narrative designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz! Mat is best known for his twelve years with CD Projekt Red where he worked as a quest designer and principal narrative designer on the Witcher 2, the Witcher 3, and Cyberpunk 2077. He has recently moved over to Riot Games where he is the principal narrative designer for their upcoming MMO. Mat and I chat about his time with CDPR and the challenges of leaving his friends and coworkers to move halfway around the world ...
Ep 50 - Howard and Sandra Tayler - Comic Artist, Podcaster, Authors
September 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBMy guests this week are Howard and Sandra Tayler! Howard is best known as the writer and artist of the massively popular Schlock Mercenary webcomic, as well as one of the founding hosts of the Writing Excuses podcast. His wife Sandra has been his long-running partner, acting as editor, business manager, and jack-of-all-trades for Schlock Mercenary and other projects, as well as her own writing and presenting. The three of us chat about the genesis and development of their business and creat...
Ep 49 - Ty Franck - Science Fiction Author
September 13, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBWe kick off season two with my guest science fiction author Ty Franck. Ty is best known as one half of the writing partnership James SA Corey, creators of the wonderful Expanse books and producers and writers for the TV show of the same name. Ty also worked as a personal assistant for George RR Martin and has written for Star Wars and gaming properties. Ty and I chat at length about his partnership with Daniel Abraham, the other half his pseudonym, including where they started and how the w...
Ep 48 - Shanna Germain - Author, Editor, Game Designer
July 19, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBBrian's guest this week is author, editor, and game designer Shanna Germain! Shanna is best known as the co-founder, co-owner, and managing editor of Monte Cook Games. Over her career she’s published everything from poems and articles to short stories and novels, as well as taught classes on publishing and writing. Her latest works include Numenera novels Tomorrow’s Bones and The Night Clave. Shanna and Brian chat about her work at Monte Cook Games, her changes in creative focus, and the ch...
Ep 47 - Bradley Beaulieu - Epic Fantasy Author
July 05, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBBrian's guest this week is epic fantasy author Bradley Beaulieu! Brad is known for the Lays of Anuskaya, the Song of the Shattered Sands, and his scifi debut Absynthe under the pseudonym of Brenden P. Bellecourt. Brad and Brian talk about his early career, how characters change and develop during the writing process, and picking proper nouns and book titles that resonate with the reader without pushing them away. They also talk about Brad’s early career and his experience with smaller publi...
Ep 46 - Stephen Blackmoore - Urban Fantasy Author
June 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBBrian's guest this week is urban fantasy author Stephen Blackmoore. Stephen is best known for his acclaimed Eric Carter series about a necromancer in modern day LA. He's also written tie-in fiction for video games and TV shows, numerous short stories, and was the creative director for the Fate of Cthulu ttrpg for Evil Hat Productions. Stephen and Brian talk about his infamous twitter horoscopes, the continued success of Eric Carter as well as some dark moments from the series, and the pros ...
Ep 45 - Brian McClellan - Epic Fantasy Author
June 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBGuest host Dan Wells jumps in to make this week's episode all about Brian to celebrate the launch of his new book! Brian is best known for his Powder Mage Universe that spans six novels as well as numerous novellas and short stories. He's also written the ongoing Valkyrie Collections urban fantasy, and is normally the host of this podcast, Page Break with Brian McClellan. And as he's been beating you dear listeners over the head with these past few weeks, he's got a new book out this week! ...
Ep 44 - Scott Lynch - Epic Fantasy Author
June 14, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBBrian's guest this week is epic fantasy author Scott Lynch! Scott is the author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Lies of Locke Lamora and the follow-ups Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Republic of Thieves. Scott and Brian talk about the double-edged nature of being a writer during the pandemic, and the need to attend to your physical health even when you don’t want to. They also discuss Scott’s ongoing battle with mental health issues and how they’ve affected his career, both p...
Ep 43 - Tim Hickson - YouTuber
June 07, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 69.2 MBBrian's guest this week is Youtuber Tim Hickson. Tim is the owner, writer, and performer of the wildly popular Hello Future Me channel, where he breaks down plot, characters, and worldbuilding. He’s also the author of two books on the subject: On Writing and Worldbuilding Volumes I and II. Tim and Brian talk about the pressures of success, Tim’s journey toward publishing his own fiction stories, the difficulty of pleasing yourself, fans, and algorithms all at once, and the cold hard reality...
Ep 42 - Cherie Priest - Horror and Steampunk Author
May 24, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBBrian's guest this week is author Cherie Priest. Cherie is known for work that dips toes in a number of different genres, including horror, science fiction, southern gothic, fantasy, and steampunk. She’s best known for her Clockwork Century Universe that started with Boneshaker, and has also written the Eden Moore series, the Borden Dispatches, the Cheshire Red Reports series, and many other standalone novels and short stories. Cherie and Brian talk extensively about her childhood in a sout...
Ep 41 - John Scalzi - Science Fiction Author
May 17, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBBrian's guest this week is science fiction author John Scalzi. John is known for a massive variety of work, including his early career as a reviewer and columnist, his bestselling breakout novel Old Man’s War, his time as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and his well-known blog, Whatever. John and Brian talk about paradigm shifts in their industry, being a longtime public figure, and his well-publicized thirteen-book contract with Tor. They also talk about living and wor...
Ep 40 - Katherine Arden - Fantasy Author
May 10, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBBrian's guest this week is novelist Katherine Arden. Katherine is known for her Russian-inspired historical fantasy the Winternight Trilogy, which begins with The Bear and the Nightingale, and her middle-grade series Small Spaces. Katherine and Brian chat about her life before getting published and her extensive world travels, as well as skiing, gardening, and what can make or break historical fiction. Enjoy Brian's conversation with Katherine Arden! Find Katherine on Twitter or her websit...
May 2022 Supplemental
May 05, 2022 07:00 - 6 minutes - 113 MBHey everyone! Just a quick hello and update for everything going on in the Brianverse! IN THE SHADOW OF LIGHTNING Preorder Campaign: https://read.macmillan.com/promo/intheshadowoflightningpreorder/ Les Imaginales: https://www.imaginales.fr/invites/mcclellan-brian/ Promise of Blood in French: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/2493405048/ The Crimson Campaign in Spanish: https://www.amazon.com/dp/8418711442/ Play Valheim: https://www.valheimgame.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...
Ep 39 - Brian Staveley - Epic Fantasy Author
May 03, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBBrian's guest this week is epic fantasy author Brian Staveley. Brian is known for his award-winning Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne, the first book of which was The Emperor’s Blades, which came out in 2014. Brian and his fellow Brian talk about the solitary life of a writer, coming up with book titles, living in the countryside, and the challenges presented by different books in a series. They get into Brian’s past life as a poet and teacher, and his love of writing characters who are const...
Ep 38 - Naomi Novik - Fantasy Author
April 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBBrian's guest this week is fantasy author Naomi Novik! Naomi is best known for her massively successful Temeraire series in which dragons fight in the Napoleonic Wars and was, as Brian recounts in the episode, an early inspiration for his own writing. She’s also written the Scholomance trilogy, standalone novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and a host of short fiction. Naomi and Brian talk about international travel and attending conventions, Naomi’s love of fan fiction, her early work in ...
Ep 37 - Samantha Shannon - Fantasy Author
April 05, 2022 07:01 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBBrian's guest this week is fantasy author Samantha Shannon. Samantha’s career began at the age of twenty-one when she published the internationally-bestselling The Bone Season with Bloomsbury Publishing. There have been three more books in that series, as well as Samantha’s acclaimed stand-alone, The Priory of the Orange Tree. Brian and Samantha talk about authorial input into behind-the-scenes decisions, their unhealthy addictions, book length and complexity, and being thrust in front of c...
Ep 36 - Brandon Sanderson - Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
March 29, 2022 07:00 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBBrian's guest this week is epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. For the very few of you who don’t know him, Brandon is one of the most prolific and successful authors working in science fiction and fantasy today. He is known for his massive interconnected Cosmere in which many different fantasy worlds exist in the same universe—including Mistborn, Elantris, and the Stormlight Archive. As of recording this intro, his Kickstarter for four secret novels has passed thirty million dollars and i...
Ep 35 - Janet Forbes - Author, Streamer, and CEO of WorldAnvil
March 22, 2022 14:47 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBBrian's guest this week is author and streamer Janet Forbes. Janet is the CEO of World Anvil, an online worldbuilding platform for roleplayers and writers that she founded with her husband. She also streams Dungeons and Dragons for Wizards of the Coast, records writing and RPG advice on Youtube, and works as a freelance worldbuilder and author. Janet and Brian talk abut the genesis of World Anvil, writing for roleplaying games, dealing with the rapid growth of a company, and her background ...
Ep 34 - Evan Winter - Epic Fantasy Author
March 15, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 72 MBBrian's guest this week is epic fantasy author Evan Winter. Evan is a former filmmaker whose first novel Rage of Dragons was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 best fantasy books of all time in 2020. The third book in his Burning series is out in 2023. Evan and Brian talk about his experiences with music videos, the side work of being a creative professional that distracts us from actually creating, how his background in marketing helped him launch his first book, and the psychological to...
March 2022 Supplemental
March 10, 2022 08:00 - 7 minutes - 127 MBHey everyone! Here's your very first Page Break Supplemental - just a quick catchup of everything going on in the Brianverse at the moment. Kern Country Library Event - March 18th 2022 at 8pm Preorder links for IN THE SHADOW OF LIGHTNING Brian's March TV/Film pick: The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Brian's March gaming pick: Deep Rock Galactic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 33 - Steve Fisher - Intellectual Property Agent
March 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBBrian's guest this week is intellectual property agent Steve Fisher. Steve began his career in the research department of World News Tonight before becoming an agent and ultimately joining APA where he’s been since 1999. Steve’s specialty is working out deals that bring your favorite existing properties to TV and film. Steve and Brian talk about his career, the sheer scope of the TV and film industry compared to publishing, and of course the process with which a book becomes a show or film....
Ep 32 - Chuck Wendig - Novelist and Comic Writer
March 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBBrian's guest this week is author, comic writer, screenwriter, and blogger Chuck Wendig. Chuck’s early career began as a freelance RPG writer for over a decade before he broke into the novel scene with Blackbirds, Blue Blazes, Shotgun Gravy, and the Heartland Trilogy. He was tapped to write the Aftermath Trilogy to kick off the new canon in Disney’s Star Wars, bridging the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Chuck is also known for his ranting blog, Terribleminds. Chuck an...
Ep 31 - Lauren Panepinto - Creative Director and Designer
February 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.7 MBBrian's guest this week is graphic designer Lauren Panepinto. Lauren is the creative director and a book designer for Orbit Books, where she has worked on covers for many of your favorite science fiction and fantasy authors including, by happy coincidence, Brian's! She’s also a vice president at Hachette Book Group and has written and lectured extensively about art and graphic design both online and in person at massive conventions, colleges, and art schools. Lauren and Brian talk extensive...
Ep 30 - Chris Birch - Gaming Publisher and Founder of Modiphius
February 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBBrian's guest this week is tabletop game designer Chris Birch. Chris is the founder and publisher of Modiphius, a company that creates roleplaying games, board games, and war games in a diverse range of original and licensed properties including Dune, Star Trek, Fallout, Homeworld, Skyrim, Conan, James Bond, and more! Before founding Modiphius, Chris managed bands, tours, and night clubs for the dance music industry and ran a video game fashion label. Chris and Brian talk about Modiphius; t...
Ep 29 - Runesmith/Logan Reese - Youtuber and RPG Supplement Writer
February 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBBrian's guest this week is Youtuber Logan Reese, better known by his online handle Runesmith. Logan gives viewers his comedic take on writing and Dungeons and Dragons on his Runesmith Youtube channel and has a liveplay series called Tall Tales. He also writes and produces supplemental modules for Dungeons and Dragons including the wildly successful Kickstarted “Stibbles’ Code of Companions” and “The Seeker’s Guide to Twisted Taverns.” Logan and Brian chat about Logan's Youtube channel, crea...
Ep 28 - James L Sutter - Game Designer and Fantasy Author
January 25, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBBrian's guest this week is game designer and fantasy author James L Sutter. James is the co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying games, and was the editor and developer for Paizo Publishing for over a decade where he oversaw Dungeon Magazine and the Pathfinder Tales novel line. James wrote for the Paizo world, and has published short stories and essays in a number of venues. He’s also written comics, tabletop gaming material, video games, and most recently sold a young adult ...
Ep 27 - Caitlin Blasdell - Literary Agent
January 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBBrian's guest this week is literary agent Caitlin Blasdell. Caitlin began her career editing for Harvard Business School and Harper Collins before making the transition to her current job as a literary agent for Liza Dawson Associates where she has helped nurture and sell such clients as Charles Stross, Rebecca Zanetti, Zen Cho, and numerous others that include Brian himself! Brian chats with Caitlin about their professional relationship, the ups and downs of the publishing market, an agent...
Ep 26 - Maggie Mae Fish - Actor, Writer, and Comedian
January 11, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBBrian's guest this week is actor, writer, and comedian Maggie Mae Fish. Maggie is a wildly prolific writer having worked on projects for Cracked.com, College Humor, Screen Junkies, DreamworksTV, Amazon, and more. She also has a popular Youtube channel, Maggie Does Film Analysis. She’s won awards and shout-outs for her work from Sundance Labs, Coverfly, the LA Independent Film Festival, Polygon, and Forbes. Maggie and Brian talk about the acting ecosystem, generational expectations, film and...
Ep 25 - Robert Jackson Bennett - Epic Fantasy Author
December 21, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBBrian's guest this week is fantasy author—and a friend for many years—Robert Jackson Bennett. Robert’s career began back in 2010 with the award-winning Mr. Shivers and the Company Man, followed by The Troupe and American Elsewhere. He then took a turn into epic fantasy with the Divine Cities Trilogy, and is currently two books into the Founders Trilogy which concludes in June 2022 with Locklands. Robert and Brian talk about his early work in literary fantasy, keeping his day job while navig...
Ep 24 - Shad M. Brooks - Youtuber and Author
December 14, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBBrian's guest this week is youtuber and fantasy author Shad M. Brooks. Shad is known for his massively popular Youtube channel Shadiversity, where he dives into fantasy and medieval tropes, culture, and technology. Shad also talks more pop culture and reviews over on his other Youtube channel, Knights Watch. In addition to his video content, Shad is the author of the epic fantasy novel Shadows of the Conqueror, which came out in 2019. Shad and Brian talk about self-publishing, giving and re...