Wizards and Spaceships

A noir detective at a typewriter. Black and white.

Season 1, Episode 10: Toxic Schlock Syndrome, ft. Shawn WhitneySeason 1, Episode 10: Toxic Schlock Syndrome, ft. Shawn Whitney

February 15, 2025| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 6:00 am

Pulp fiction is a cornerstone of the genres we love. In this episode, we talk to screenwriter, ghostwriter, and author of the new zombie novel Deads Rise, Shawn Whitney, about [...]

Shirley, wearing a cool hat and a peacock shawl, and Ira, wearing a mask and a snappy vest, in front of the vendors' table at Can*Con.

Season 1 Episode 9: CanCon Can-Can ft. Ira Nayman and Shirley MeierSeason 1 Episode 9: CanCon Can-Can ft. Ira Nayman and Shirley Meier

January 15, 2025| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 6:00 am

Rachel and David take the show on the road to Can*Con 2024 in Ottawa. [...]

A sandcastle on a beach. Light is streaming between the towers.

Season 1, Episode 8: Worldbuilding ft. Ursula WhitcherSeason 1, Episode 8: Worldbuilding ft. Ursula Whitcher

December 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comments| 6:00 am

Worldbuilding is a critical element of speculative fiction—but how do you make an imaginary world as feel as real and vibrant as our own? We sit down with Ursula Whitcher—poet, [...]

the rocket shaped hugo award, fading from light to dark, with the text "hugo award" in the bottom corner.

Season 1, Episode 7: The Great 2023 Hugo Awards Controversy ft. Diane LaceySeason 1, Episode 7: The Great 2023 Hugo Awards Controversy ft. Diane Lacey

November 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comments| 6:00 am

Welcome to the first episode of Wizards & Spaceships to pass the Bechdel Test! In 2023, the Hugo Awards, administered by the World Science Fiction Society, were rocked by scandal. [...]

A toy version of Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King's IT, holding a red balloon.

Season 1, Episode 6: The King of Horror ft. Troy HarkinSeason 1, Episode 6: The King of Horror ft. Troy Harkin

October 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 6:00 am

Happy Halloween! To celebrate all that is spooky and monstrous, we’re joined by poet, novelist, and David’s other podcast co-host, Troy Harkin, to talk about the master of horror himself, [...]

A person in an alien mask is kneeling to put a husky.

Season 1, Episode 5: Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right ft. Jordan S. CarrollSeason 1, Episode 5: Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right ft. Jordan S. Carroll

September 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

In this episode, we talk to Jordan S. Carroll about his new book, the Sad and Rabid Puppies, and how to avoid getting your sci-fi co-opted by fascists. [...]

dark castle tunnel. Below the arch there's a man holding a torch.

Season 1, Episode 4: In the Beginning ft. Shiraz JanjuaSeason 1, Episode 4: In the Beginning ft. Shiraz Janjua

August 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 6:00 am

How do you begin your epic sci-fi, fantasy, or horror story? How do you grab a viewer or reader’s attention, introduce your characters and world, and avoid the dreaded infodump? [...]

A futuristic landscape in blues. Mushroom spores explode from above the skyline.

Season 1, Episode 3: A New World In Our Hearts: Utopias ft. Ken MacLeodSeason 1, Episode 3: A New World In Our Hearts: Utopias ft. Ken MacLeod

July 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

In this episode, we interview absolute legend Ken MacLeod about utopias in science fiction. And yes, we're talking about the Culture. Of course we're talking about the Culture. [...]

A person in an alien mask reading a book in bed.

Season 1, Episode 2: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make First ContactSeason 1, Episode 2: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make First Contact

June 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

In this episode, we talk about meeting sentient extraterrestrials: The challenges of communication, what first contact stories say about our own Earthbound society, and why the aliens won't return our [...]

silhouette of a cowboy on a horse in front of a backdrop of stars.

Season 1, Episode 1: Some People Call Me the Space CowboySeason 1, Episode 1: Some People Call Me the Space Cowboy

May 15, 2024| Space Wizard| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

In this episode, we’re talking about the Space Western! Was Firefly cancelled too soon or is it massively overrated? Why does it continue to grip the Nerd Imagination? Is it [...]