Episode 730: James Patrick Kelly, Michael Swanwick and The Book of Bots

This week’s episode is a wide-ranging discussion of robots and AI in fiction, and particularly in the work of our two distinguished guests: James Patrick Kelly, whose The Book of Bots is just out from Fairwood Press, and Michael Swanwick, whose The Universe Box appeared from Tachyon earlier this year. We talk not only about how each author’s treatment of AI themes has evolved over the years, but how SF in general has dealt with them for more than a century, and what it might have to tell us about our own anxieties and the Awful Warnings that now seem to show up in our inboxes almost daily. As always, Michael and Jim are thoughtful, witty, and engaging. We hope you enjoy the conversation and will join us next time!