This is part 2 of our final episode of the season! Stephen talks with Peter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia (and much more), about alien intelligence, how vampires work, and the choice to use Creative Commons licensing.

This episode contains spoilers for Blindsight.

Website/blog

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

• Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian (sheepshank)
• Behemoth by Peter Watts
• Cory Doctorow
• John Scalzi
• Neill Blomkamp
• Arthur Jafa
• Spike Lee
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
• The Twenty-One Second God by Peter Watts
• Sunflower cycle by Peter Watts

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

We do not advocate running down the street naked, shooting shotguns.

This is part 1 of our final episode of the season! Stephen talks with Peter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia (and much more), about UFOs, his influences, and the functional utility of consciousness.

This episode contains spoilers for Blindsight.

Website/blog

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

• Star Trek: The Original Series
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
• Neuropath by Scott Bakker
• Larry Niven
• Ray Bradbury
• Solaris by Stanislav Lem
• Solaris (1972; dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
• Solaris (2002; dir. Steven Soderberg)
• The Creator (2023)
• Charles Stross
• Richard Dawkins (sorry, Janet couldn't find the work mentioned)
• Alien movie series

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with Charles Stross, author of the Laundry Files series (and much more), about humour in speculative fiction, the element of surprise, and what makes him laugh.

Charlie's Diary Mastodon Bluesky

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works, games, & artists mentioned

• H.P. Lovecraft
• Laundry Files series by Charles Stross
• New Management series by Charles Stross
• A Colder War by Charles Stross
• Len Deighton
• John Le Carré
• Discworld series by Terry Pratchett
• James Bond series by Ian Fleming
• Adam Hall
• Anthony Price
• Modesty Blaise
• Quentin Tarentino
• Vampire: The Masquerade (game)
• Merchant Princes series by Charles Stross
• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
• Gil’s All-Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
• J.W. Wells & Co. series by Tom Holt
• Monty Python's Flying Circus
• Call of Cthulu (game)
• The Laundry (game)
• George R.R. Martin
• Dungeons & Dragons (game)

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with Kenna Alexander, creator of the RPG Coyote & Crow, about alternate futures, creating an Indigenous roleplaying game, and decolonising gaming.

At the time of this interview, Kenna was known by a different name and pronouns. We acknowledge and celebrate her true identity.

Coyote & Crow Games Discord YouTube Bluesky Reddit

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works, games, & artists mentioned

• Dungeons & Dragons
• Settlers of Catan
• Other Coyote & Crow games and adventures
• Hemlock and Sage by Tali Inlow
• Robert Heinlein
• Isaac Asimov
• Ray Bradbury

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with author Alyx Dellamonica about optimistic SF, balancing optimism with realism, and their Bounceback book series.

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

• Ray Bradbury
• Spider Robinson
• War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
• Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Horse Woman by LX Beckett
• Gamechanger & Dealbreaker by LX Beckett
• Annalee Newitz
• Nnedi Okorafor

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the autumn of 2023.

Stephen discusses filk, storytelling, community, and the intersections of music and speculative fiction with two legends: 'Decadent' Dave Clement and Steven Brust.

Note: For copyright reasons, we didn't include any songs in this episode. The songs we would have used are 'This Island Earth' (Dandelion Wine) and 'Stars Overhead' (Cats Laughing) from the albums linked below.

Circles in the Grain - Dandelion Wine Another Way to Travel - Cats Laughing

Cats Laughing website

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Events mentioned

• Keycon
• Filk Ontario
• Festival of the Living Rooms
• Ohio Valley Filk Festival
• Pegasus awards

Select works & artists mentioned

• Beth Friedman
• Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust
• Khaavren Romances series by Steven Brust
• DC Star Trek comic “Debt of Honor” written by Christopher S. Claremont, illustrated by Adam T. Hughes and Karl C. Story
• The Callahan Touch by Spider Robinson
• Borderland series by Terri Windling
• Adam Stemple
• Emma Bull
• The Gypsy by Megan Lindholme and Steven Brust
• Songs from The Gypsy by Boiled in Lead (album)
• Joe Haldeman
• Lyorn by Steven Brust (released April 2024)
• How Much for Just the Planet? by John M. Ford
• Once More, With Feeling - Buffy the Vampire Slayer s6e7

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the autumn of 2023.

Stephen talks with Yilin Wang and André Geleynse of Tales & Feathers magazine about cosy fiction.

Tales & Feathers magazine Augur magazine Facebook Twitter Instagram

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

• Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers
• John Wiswell
• Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Diana Wynne Jones
• I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki
• My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
• Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
• Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
• Hakumei and Mikochi by Takuto Kashiki

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the autumn of 2023.

New host Stephen talks with Waubgeshig Rice about apocalyptic stories, Indigenous SF, and his books Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves.

Waub's website Facebook Twitter Instagram Goodreads

Merril Links

The Merril Collection! Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

• Moon of the Crusted Snow, Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
• Mad Max (1979)
• The Last of Us (video game - 2013; TV series - 2023)
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
• Trickster series by Eden Robinson
• The Road by Cormack McCarthy

Host: Stephen Geraghty Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the autumn of 2023.