Invaders From Planet 3

This is it: the final episode of the special bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3! I hope you've enjoyed hearing these mini interviews with some of our previous guests over the past few months as we've shuffled through the strange days of the pandemic. I'm going to be taking a little break, but stay tuned for a regular season of full-length episodes in a few months with a new batch of guests. And, by all means, go back and re-listen to some of our classic episodes. But for now, author Kelly Robson closes the season with a previously-unaired feature where she shares her Top 10 favourite works of science fiction by other writers. Keep in mind, it's been a few years since we had this conversation, so her favourites may have changed. But you should still check them out at your local bookstore or library. And be sure to look for Kelly's books, and anthologies and magazines with her stories, while you're there! To learn more about Kelly Robson and her work, visit her website: https://kellyrobson.com   To listen t

It's been a while, but now that my B.Ed program has wrapped up, Invaders From Planet 3 is back on the air! (Congratulations to all of my fellow rookie teachers from the UBC B.Ed program of 2020!) We're down the second-last episode of the show's bonus season, and this time, I've unearthed a mini interview I did with author Joe Haldeman a few years ago at VCon. He shares some of his favourite works of sf by other writers from over the years, with a special emphasis on comics. Bear in mind that it's been a couple of years since we spoke, so his favourites may have changed since then. That said, be sure to check out the backissues bins of your local comic store to see what kinds of treasures you can find. Meanwhile, hit your local bookstore or library and ask for copies of Joe's books. To learn more about Joe and his stories, check out his website: http://www.joehaldeman.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate a

We're counting down towards the end of our special bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3 with just three mini episodes to go — this time with the return of author Sebastien de Castell!  An extensive search of the archives in the Lair of bloginhood (currently located beneath a concession stand in an abandoned Japanese theme park) has yielded a previously-unaired interview where Sebastien shares his Top 5 list of some of his favourite speculative fiction stories by other writers. This conversation took place a couple of years ago, so his favourites may have changed. But they're all still worth reading, and you should contact your local bookstore or library about finding copies. And while you're there, be sure to pick up copies of Sebastien's books as well! To learn more about Sebastien or his stories, check out his website: https://decastell.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review us while you're t

It's been a while, but we're back! The Invaders From Planet 3 bonus season continues with the return of author Kristi Charish! In this previously-unaired mini interview, Kristi shares her list of her Top 5 favourite speculative fiction movies. Keep in mind, it's been a couple of years since we had this conversation, so Kristi's favourites may have changed since then. But they're certainly worth searching for on your favourite streaming service. Meantime, be sure to visit your local bookstore or library and ask how you can get copies of Kristi's books! For more information on Kristi or her stories, visit her website: www.kristicharish.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review us while you're there!  

Author Robert Charles Wilson returns to the show as our bonus season continues! I've recovered a previously-unaired mini interview with Bob that was lying around in the archives of the Lair of bloginhood (currently located aboard a houseboat adrift on a methane lake on Saturn's moon Titan). In it, he shares his Top 5 list of his favourite speculative fiction stories by other writers. Keep in mind, our conversation took place a couple of years ago, so his favourites may have changed. But you should still contact your local bookstore or library to find out how you can get your hands on them. And pick up a couple of Bob's books while you're there. To find out more about Bob or his stories, visit his website: https://www.robert-charles-wilson.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review us while you're there!  

It's a pretty terrible weekend with all that's going on in the world, but I've given it a lot of thought, and I think it's valid that the bonus season continue. The people who make the speculative fiction stories we love show us new perspectives, through their own work, as well as when they share their recommendations for stories by others. It seems that the world is seriously in need of different perspectives and understanding right now, so the show's going on. If nothing else, some listeners may just need a break from all of the awfulness out there. So, with that in mind, this episode welcomes author Minister Faust back to the show! I've uncovered a previously-unaired mini interview where he shares his list of his Top 5 favourite works of speculative fiction by other writers. Keep in mind, his his opinions may have changed in the past couple of years since we had our conversation. But these are all good stories anyway, and you should ask your local bookstore or library how you can find them. While you're at

The bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3 continues, this time with the return of author Alyx Dellamonica! My excavations of the archives in the Lair of bloginhood (currently located in a porch swing converted to a blanket fort, somewhere in Waterloo) have uncovered a previously-unaired mini interview with Alyx, where she shares her Top 5 list (and more!) of her favourite speculative fiction stories by other writers. Keep in mind, this conversation took place a couple of years ago, so her favourites may have changed. That said, contact your local bookstore or library to find out how you can get your hands on these stories. And be sure to ask them for copies of Alyx's books while you're there! To learn more about Alyx or her writing, visit her website: alyxdellamonica.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review us while you're there!  

Author David Nickle returns to Invaders From Planet 3 as our bonus season continues! I've recently returned from an expedition into the vaults beneath the Lair of bloginhood (finally able to cautiously skip across dimensions to its new current location beneath the ruins of an old cannery pier in the Fraser River near Steveston), where I've uncovered a previously-unaired mini interview with David where he shares a Top 5 list of speculative fiction stories worthy of attention. Keep in mind that our conversation took place a few years ago, so a few of his choices might be different now. That said, it's worth contacting your local bookstore or library to find these stories. And be sure to ask them for copies of David's books while you're there! To learn more about David and his stories, check out his blog, The Devil's Exercise Yard: http://davidnickle.blogspot.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review u

Our special bonus season of the show continues! Even though the coronavirus restrictions are slowly starting to ease in some places, life still isn't back to normal, and the lockdown continues for some people, so I'm continuing to post mini episodes. This time, I've combed through the archives in the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) and discovered this previously-unaired conversation with author Matt Ruff. In it, Matt shares his list of his Top 5 favourite works of speculative fiction by other writers. Bear in mind that it's been a couple of years since we chatted, so his favourites may have changed. That said, contact your local bookstore or library to find these stories. And be sure to pick up Matt's novels while you're there! To learn more about Matt and his books, visit his website:

The bonus season of the Invaders From Planet 3 podcast continues with another mini episode. This time, I've returned from the vaults deep beneath the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) with a previously-unaired conversation with author Silvia Moreno-Garcia.  In it, Silvia shares her Top 5 list of her favourite works of speculative fiction by other writers. Keep in mind, our conversation took place a couple of years ago, so Silvia's favourites may have changed since then. That said, contact your local bookstore or library and ask how you can get your hands on these stories. And be sure to ask them for copies of Silvia's books while you're at it! To learn more about Silvia or her stories, check out her website: www.silviamoreno-garcia.com/blog/   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to s

After a two-week hiatus, the bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3 is back! Miss me? Probably not — you were probably too busy 3-D printing your own custom-made set of The Starlost action figures. But we're back anyway! This time, I've returned from the vaults deep beneath the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) with a previously-unaired interview segment with author John Jantunen. In this mini episode, John shares his Top 5 list of his favourite works of science fiction by other writers... well, all by one writer in this case! Bear in mind that it's been a couple of years since John and I had this chat, so his favourites might have changed. In any case, be sure to contact your local bookstore or library to find out how you can get your hands on these stories. And be sure to ask for John'

Our special bonus season of the Invaders From Planet 3 podcast continues, this time with author Melinda Snodgrass as our guest. I've journeyed deep into the catacombs beneath the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) and discovered a previously unaired mini interview with Melinda where she shares her list of her Top 5 favourite works of speculative fiction by other writers. Bear in mind, it's been a couple of years since we chatted, so some of her favourites may have changed. Be sure to contact your local bookstore or library to find out how you can get copies of the stories on her list (or check your favourite video streaming service to find the movie Aliens), and pick up a couple of Melinda's novels while you're there! To learn more about Melinda or her stories, check out her website: meli

It's time for another episode of the bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3! This time, I've uncovered an interview with author Robert J. Sawyer in the stockpile of previously-unaired extra audio buried deep in the vaults beneath the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does). Rob shares his Top 5 list of his favourite science fiction stories by other writers. Bear in mind, it's been a couple of years since Rob and I had our chat, so his favourites may have changed. Be sure to get in touch with your local bookstore or library to find the stories on his list. And while you're there, ask them about Rob's own novels. To find out more about Rob's stories, visit his website: www.sfwriter.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatchi

Another deep dive into the vaults beneath the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) has yielded more buried treasure for our bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3. This time, we have a previously unaired short interview with author Alex Renwick (a.k.a. Alexandra Renwick, a.k.a. Zandra Renwick, a.k.a. Camille Alexa), where she shares her Top 5 favourite works of speculative fiction by other writers. At least, her Top 5 from a couple of years ago when we had our interview — her choices may have changed since then. Be sure to talk to your local bookstore owner or librarian about finding books by the authors on her list. And look for Alex's own stories while you're there. To find out more about Alex's work, visit her website: alexcrenwick.com   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscri

Once again I've been digging through the Invaders From Planet 3 archives deep beneath the lowest cellars of the Lair of bloginhood (still currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet because social distancing lockdown rules prevent the Lair from shifting across space as it normally does) to find another previously unaired interview for our special bonus season. This time, author Claude Lalumiere (our first guest on the show!) shares his Top 5 favourite speculative fiction works by other authors. Of course, that was a couple of years ago, so his Top 5 list may (or may not) have changed since then. Be sure to look for the stories he mentions in your local bookstore or library, and, by all means, find Claude's books while you're there too! To learn more about Claude Lalumiere and his works, visit his website: claudepages.info   To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podc

It's the springtime of coronavirus and everyone's got the quarantine doldrums. What to do? I recently recalled that I've got a bunch of unused interview material that I've been sitting on for a couple of years, buried deep in the archives here in the Lair of bloginhood (currently located in a fort made of old, half-used rolls of Christmas wrapping paper in your great-aunt Tilly's basement closet). So, to give you something to listen to during the lockdown — and to give me something to do — I've decided to use these previously-unheard clips to post a special bonus season of Invaders From Planet 3! Over the next little while, I'll be posting mini episodes — just a few minutes long — a couple of times per week, featuring past guests from the show's first two seasons. Each guest will share their Top 5 list of their favourite works of speculative fiction from other creators. And we'll start things off in this episode with a Top 5 from author Kit Reed, who sadly passed in 2017. Kit's work often touched on themes of

Author Naomi Novik joins us for the season 4 finale of Invaders From Planet 3! Naomi tells us how her love of fantasy and science fiction was born when her mother read Polish fairy tales to her, such as Agnieszka "Piece of the Sky". At the same time, her parents were reading the Disney picture book version of Peter Pan to her, along with Tolkien's The Hobbit, and other works. She tells us how the Polish stories helped create a bond between her and her mother's past, and how her love of Disney's version of Peter Pan got her started down the road to creating her own stories... or, at least commissioning them at that point. We also talk about the evolution of Naomi's relationship with fan fiction, from reading it in university, to her early days as a writer when she began creating it, to her eventual decision that it was too constraining for a story she wanted to tell: the story of Lawrence and the dragon Temeraire in her breakout Temeraire series of novels. And she talks about how, even after building a career

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, it's this season's third and final Voice of the Fans episode, recorded at the 2019 Worldcon in Dublin, Ireland! The quartet of commentators in this episode includes: Author Daniel Bensen www.thekingdomsofevil.com Reviewer Carien Ubink www.mcpigpearls.blogspot.com Academic and author Dr. Tiffani Angus www.tiffani-angus.com And aspiring writer and Glasgow Worldcon bid volunteer Robin Duncan Stay tuned for more regular-length interviews with authors, editors, artists, performers and others involved in science fiction, fantasy, comics, and all points in between. To listen to Invaders From Planet 3, or to subscribe, visit Libsyn, iTunes, or your other favourite podcatching service. Be sure to rate and review us while you're there!  

Author Walter Jon Williams joins us in this episode! We talk about his first loves in science fiction, including Heinlein's Have Spacesuit — Will Travel and John Schealer's Zip-Zip Goes to Venus. And Walter tells us about his evolution as a writer: from feeling the compulsion to write at age 3, to getting a rejection letter from the editor of The New Yorker, to writing historical fiction novels, to getting into sf. He also reflects on the nature of his compulsion to write, including finding a balance between the business needs of writing and the compulsion, and eventually watching the compulsion die. We also talk about the universe of science fiction publishing, and the change from the days of limited selection to today's huge output of stories, and the challenges of maintaining a sense of what the community is talking about. We discuss Walter's time in the spotlight in the 1980s when his cyberpunk novel Hardwired garnered love and hate. And he shares the story of his involvement in the Wild Cards mosaic supe

On Spec Magazine Managing Editor and Sunburst Award Board of Directors Chairperson Diane Walton joins us for this episode. She talks about her first love in science fiction, Andre Norton's novel The Stars Are Ours!, and reading everything in the genre she could get her hands on, including the works of Clifford Simak and James Blish. Diane also shares the story of how an Alberta writers' group gave rise to On Spec Magazine (one of Canada's major speculative fiction magazines), and how she eventually ended up in the Editor's chair. She tells us about the challenges of finding funding for the publication, navigating a publishing universe where print and electronic versions of the magazine are available, what this means in terms of garnering a global readership, what it's like running the operation off the side of her desk, and the kinds of stories that get her excited. And we learn about how the Sunburst Award (Canada's juried award for literature of the fantastic) ignited. Diane talks about what's involved in r