Every episode starts with a blank slate, even when perhaps it should not. This week we start with the recent announcement that William Gibson has been named as this year’s Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA, which is well-deserved. Gibson's most famous novel, Neuromancer, won the Philip K. Dick Award back in 1985 (along with a slew of other awards).
This, in turn, takes us to the just-announced nominees for the 2019 Philip K. Dick Award:
and this leads into a discussion of the history of the award and of the evolving role of original paperbacks in science fiction. We then venture on to the hoary old question of whether our field has too many awards, and what actually constitutes progress or excellence in a field with so many familiar themes and ideas.
We’re not sure where we ended up but did manage to mention some exciting books that we’re reading right now.
Episode 649: Nghi Vo and The Brides of High Hill
Episode 648: Genre, marketing, and more
Episode 647: Oh no, not us again...
Episode 646: Peter S. Beagle and a Life Filled With Story
Episode 645: Jack Dann and Fifty Years of Wandering Stars
Episode 644: Cozy books and a prickly writer
Episode 643: All Time Top 5s
Episode 642: Premee Mohamed and The Butcher of the Forest
Episode 641: Kelly Link and the love of books
Eating the Fantastic: Episode 217: Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan
Episode 640: A new year begins. Shenanigans ensue?
Episode 639: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable 2023
Episode 638: Books that were off our radar
Episode 637: A Quick One, While We Wait
Episode 636: Jeffrey Ford, Kij Johnson and the Art of Narrative
Episode 635: On the nature of purpose in science fiction
Episode 634: Jack Dann and the Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History
Episode 633: A classic ramble
Episode 632: Wole Talabi and Shagidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
Episode 631: Awards, debut novels, and science fiction at the moment
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Dear Alice | Interior Design
Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast
Black Beauty
Great Expectations
The Magnus Archives
Fresh Air