PODCAST · arts
Synthesized Sunsets
by Kevin Kodama & Gordon Anderson
Synthesized Sunsets is a podcast about speculative fiction and the future of popular culture. This podcast is tied to the magazine of the same name, so episodes will correspond to the current issue's theme. Your hosts are niche media enthusiasts Kevin and Gordon, who hope to put you on to some hidden gems and goofy ideas. Join us as we talk to members of the speculative fiction community and other future-forward thinkers! synthesizedsunsets.substack.com
Episodes
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XXVIII: There Is No Antimemetics Division w/ qntm
This week’s guest is qntm: he is most well known as the author of There Is No Antimemetics Division, a sci-fi horror novel depicting humanity’s battles against malevolent entities which erase all memory of their presence. He also has written a number of other fantastic short pieces of speculative...
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XXVII: Subcultural Scenes w/ Cairo Smith
This week’s guest is Cairo Smith: a prolific novelist and filmmaker who edits the literary magazine Futurist Letters here on Substack. We sat down to talk about his extremely online novel Scenebux and the extremely online subcultures that inspired it. We also talk about his novels Current Affairs...
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XXVI: Jeopardy Retrospective w/ James Hirsh
This week is a special episode with lawyer and sports podcast host James Hirsh who recently competed against Kevin Kodama on Jeopardy! We talked about their experience on the show and sports in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Hope you enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 0:14 - Introduction 0:30 - Was the Jeopardy...
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XXV: Sci-Fi's Sense of Wonder w/ Lillian Wang Selonick
We were excited to have Lillian Wang Selonick back on the podcast as a repeat guest! We discuss her story published in Synthesized Sunsets “The Waters of Lethe”, her recent travels in Japan and Korea, the sense of wonder at the center of Sci-Fi, the evolution of the meaning of the word nerd, and...
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XXIV: AI and Our Collective Dreams w/ Ken Liu
This week’s guest is author, lawyer, and engineer Ken Liu— a man of many talents. You may know him for his collections The Paper Menagerie and The Hidden Girl, his fantasy quartet The Dandelion Dynasty, inspiring the show Pantheon, or perhaps even translating The Three-Body Problem. His recent...
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Summer 2025 Season Finale w/ Trevor Waldorf and Dylan O'Neal
We brought back friends of the podcast Dylan O’Neal and Trevor Waldorf for more of a book club style informal conversation discussing some books and stories with a bit of a loose Halloween theme as we recorded this episode a few days before Halloween. We discussed the novel “Something Wicked This...
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XXIII: Writing Realistic Children w/ Dylan O'Neal
This week we talked to Dylan O’Neal, author of the first short story submission accepted by Synthesized Sunsets, Snowlight. In addition to the story, we discussed what got him into writing, how to write compelling children in stories, lucid dreaming, Game of Thrones, and the book he is working on...
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XXII: Sinopticon and the World of Wǎngwén w/ Xueting Christine Ni
This week on the podcast we had on Xueting Christine Ni, an independent researcher of Chinese culture who is most famous for her collections Sinopticon and Sinophagia (which focus on Chinese science fiction and Chinese horror, respectively), as well as her nonfiction writings on Chinese…
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XXI: Is Sci-fi Suffering from Success? w/Lillian Wang Selonick
We were super excited to talk to science fiction writer and fellow Substacker Lillian Wang Selonick. We discuss some topics from her essays on the value of Worldbuilding, the adoption of sci-fi tropes in literary books, what is meant by the term speculative fiction, Death’s End, Philip K. Dick…
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SPRING 2025 FINALE: ONE YEAR OF SYNTHESIZED SUNSETS
Today marks exactly one year since the first post on Synthesized Sunsets. To celebrate the occasion, Gordon and Kevin take a look back at how it all began. We also discuss Kevin’s recent article, “Shunrō Oshikawa, ChatGPT, and the Birth of the "Pre-Translator"”, as well as its follow-up post and...
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XX: A Career in Science Fiction Criticism w/Rich Horton
This week we spoke with long time Science Fiction reviewer and anthologist Rich Horton. We talked about his experience in the early internet sci-fi community on Usenet, his career in sci-fi criticism at Tangent and Locus, his work creating sci-fi/fantasy best of the year anthologies, our thoughts...
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XIX: Characterizing Rational Fiction w/ Alexander Wales
The week we were joined by prolific author of rational fiction Alexander Wales. We of course discuss his works, particularly Worth the Candle, This Used to be About Dungeons, and The Metropolitan Man, but also talk about time travel, writing under a pseudonym, crafting believable characters, and...
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XVIII: Chinese Sci-Fi Fandom w/ Regina Kanyu Wang
This week we hosted Regina Kanyu Wang, an award-winning writer and editor of Chinese science fiction. In 2022, she co-edited The Way Spring Arrives, a pioneering collection of stories from Chinese female and non-binary authors. We were super excited to have someone from the scene help us develop...
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XVII: Imagining Alien Ecosystems w/ Adrian Tchaikovsky
This week we were joined by Adrian Tchaikovsky, a sci-fi and fantasy author most well known for writing the award-winning Children of Time series. His books often discuss the interactions between unique artificial and biological intelligences, and for this year’s Hugo awards he has two nominees…
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XVI: The Art of the Tale w/ Naomi Kanakia
This week we hosted Naomi Kanakia, a literary critic who writes about the health of the prestige publishing ecosystem and the value of reading the Great Books on her Substack Woman of Letters. She is also an accomplished speculative fiction author, with stories published in major outlets like...
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SPRING 2025: SEASON INTRO
Welcome to the fourth season of Synthesized Sunsets: a seasonal magazine about speculative fiction and the future of pop! This spring, the mag will shift in direction yet again. The biggest change will be a renewed focus on fiction. Both of us will be trying to get published in mainstream SFF...
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XV: Brandon Sanderson & the Future of AI Writing w/ Merrick + Raj
This week we got together with friend of the pod Merrick and friend of the friend of the pod to discuss Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive. Along the way we had some pretty interesting speculation about the future of algorithms, AI writing, and open-source software. I personally think…
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Episode XIV: Building a More Ambitious Social Network w/ Visakan Veerasamy
This week just Kevin (no Gordon) talked with internet theorist, writer, and owner of Kevin’s favorite twitter account Visakan Veerasamy. We talk about Visa’s work in building a worldwide social network of friendly ambitious nerds, Sci-Fi’s themes and ideas being stuck in the past, and some…
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XIII: Eras of Pokémon Fanfiction w/ Butterfree
This week we talked to Butterfree, an Icelandic author of several works of speculative Pokémon fanfiction and the longtime webmaster of Kevin’s favorite Pokémon website The Cave of Dragonflies. We also discussed Morphic, a fanfic about Pokémon-human hybrids that Butterfree wrote as an edgy teen…
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Episode XII: Superheroes and Simulation Theory w/ Daryl Gregory
This week we talked with author, comic book writer, and fellow Chicagoland native Daryl Gregory. We discussed his upcoming novel “When We Were Real”, which takes place on a cross-country tour place seven years after the world was revealed to be a simulation. We also cover a variety of other…
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XI: South Asian Speculative Fiction w/ Gautam Bhatia
This week we talked to Gautam Bhatia, the coordinating editor of speculative fiction magazine Strange Horizons and an advocate for South Asian speculative fiction right here on Substack (Words for Worlds). We discussed his latest novel The Sentence, the state of South Asian science fiction, and…
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WINTER 2025: SEASON INTRO
Welcome to the third season of Synthesized Sunsets: a seasonal magazine about speculative fiction and the future of pop! This winter, the mag will get properly into full swing: we’ll be starting a regular update schedule (posts every Thursday and the occasional Monday), hosting trivia for paid...
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X: Eras of Fantasy and Satire w/ Clifford Stumme (Past the Dragon)
This week we talked to fellow fantasy Substacker Clifford Stumme (Past the Dragon) about his essay “The 8 Eras of Fantasy Literature” and how fantasy can enrich our lives beyond simple hedonistic entertainment. We also talk a lot about Ursula K. Le Guin, especially her novel The Beginning Place....
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IX: Origins of Romantasy + Memories of Clarion West w/ Rashida Smith
This week we were joined by Rashida Smith who is the program director of Clarion West as well an author of Romantasy novels under the pen name Jasmine Silvera. We discuss the integration of romance and fantasy as genres, her experience as a student at Clarion West taught by Octavia Butler, and…
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VIII: Density, Devotion, and Disintegration in "The Book of the New Sun" w/ Henry Hale
This week we sat down with our friend Henry Hale, who made the case for his favorite science fiction novel: Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun. Along the way, we talked about which sci-fi will be remembered, why some fantasy worlds feel “dense”, what gives Catholic its enduring power, and the...
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VII: Keeping Kids Interested in Science and Fiction w/ Trevor Waldorf
This week we talked with graphic designer and music producer Trevor Waldorf about the Star Wars expanded universe, how to get people reading into adulthood, and fond childhood memories of Internet espionage. 00:40 - What makes Star Wars compelling? 02:56 - Video games and the depth of the Star…
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VI: Postmodernism & the Art of Shitposting w/ Ari Schwartz
Note: This episode contains spoilers for the film Gattaca and the short story “Real Artists” by Ken Liu. This week we sat down with Ari Schwartz— a composer, harpist, and all-around experimental artist. We talk about Ari’s talent for shitposting as well as whether or not postmodernism has killed...
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V: Origins of the Clarion West Writers' Workshop w/ Marnee Chua
This week we talked with Marnee Chua who is the executive director of the speculative fiction writers’ workshop Clarion West. We talk about the history and goals of Clarion West, but move onto topics including the challenges in adapting books into movies, how it is easy to get a simplified view…
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IV: Worldbuilding and Civilizational Decay w/ Henry Wolff
Note: This episode contains massive spoilers for the Studio Ghibli film Castle in the Sky and the short story “Sandkings” by George R.R. Martin. This week we sat down with Henry Wolff, who has been channeling his passion for Tolkien-style worldbuilding into TTRPGs for much of the past decade. We...
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III: Molecular Aging and the Fullness of Time w/ Euan McCubbin
This week we talked with molecular biology student and plant enthusiast Euan McCubbin about what a society would look like without aging, whether old Sci-fi that gets the science wrong is bad, and the challenges that come with writing a superintelligence. All stories (and movie) we cover are…
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II: Disintegration of the Modern Media Landscape w/ Merrick Ohata
Lots of changes to the podcast coming down the pipe! We now have a permanent co-host: Gordon Anderson. You can find him at Gordon on Substack! This week we sat down with composer and ML researcher Merrick Ohata to talk about the atomization of media, the AI-ification of media, and the benefits of...
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I: Climate Fiction w/ Isaac Olson
Yep, you heard that right— Synthesized Sunsets is starting a podcast! We are still experimenting with the format, so please forgive us for any growing pains. Future episodes will feature my co-host Gordon, as well as better audio quality. Our guest this week is Isaac Olson, who is (fittingly)...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Synthesized Sunsets is a podcast about speculative fiction and the future of popular culture. This podcast is tied to the magazine of the same name, so episodes will correspond to the current issue's theme. Your hosts are niche media enthusiasts Kevin and Gordon, who hope to put you on to some hidden gems and goofy ideas. Join us as we talk to members of the speculative fiction community and other future-forward thinkers!
synthesizedsunsets.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Kevin Kodama & Gordon Anderson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Synthesized Sunsets have?
Synthesized Sunsets currently has 32 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Synthesized Sunsets about?
Synthesized Sunsets is a podcast about speculative fiction and the future of popular culture. This podcast is tied to the magazine of the same name, so episodes will correspond to the current issue's theme. Your hosts are niche media enthusiasts Kevin and Gordon, who hope to put you on to some...
How often does Synthesized Sunsets release new episodes?
Synthesized Sunsets has 32 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Synthesized Sunsets?
You can listen to Synthesized Sunsets on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Synthesized Sunsets?
Synthesized Sunsets is created and hosted by Kevin Kodama & Gordon Anderson.
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