The Speculative Collective

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 - Magic the Systeming!  The panel discusses the spec-fic books with the most unique magic systems we've ever read about.  Hear about The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce, Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, and Myst: The Book of Atrus by David Wingrove, Rand Miller, and Robyn Miller. 

Next up is Episode 13 - The Creeps.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that creep them out and make their skin crawl.  Hear about Sandkings by George RR Martin, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Next up is Episode 12 - The Game.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that put us in the competitive spirit - for the win!  Hear about Dream Park by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin, The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks, and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Next up is Episode 11 - The End.  The panel discusses post-apocalyptic fiction at its finesst.  Hear about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

This month is Episode 10 - The Pride.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that address or represent the queer community through characters, themes, or by their authors.  Hear about Rainbow Rowell's Carry On, Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth,  Arthur C Clarke's The Fountains of Paradise, and H. E. Edgmon's The Witch King.

This month is Episode 9 - The Humour.  The panel discusses the spec-fic books that best tickle their funny bones and how humour can help or hinder the narrative.  Hear about Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon, Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,  Neil Gaiman* & Terry Pratchett's Good Omens, and Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair.*Panel's Note - this recording was made prior to the allegations against Neil Gaiman becoming widely public.

This month is Episode 8 - The Science.  The panel discusses their favourite hard sci-fi novels and how science can become an integral part of the narrative.  Hear about Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon, Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama,  Robert L. Forward's Dragon's Egg, and Frank Herbert's Dune.

This month is Episode 7 - The City.  The panel discusses their favourite Urban Fantasy novels and touch on how setting can become a character of its own, shape the narrative, and transform a story with signature style.  Hear about Tanya Huff's Blood Series, Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim,  Laura Ann Gilman's Staying Dead (Retriever Series), and Charles de Lint's The Onion Girl.

This month is Episode 6 - The Quiz.  To commemorate our mid-season episode, the panel is challenged to five rounds of trivia all about their favourite topics.  Play along and test your own knowledge to see if you can come out on top!

This month is Episode 5 - The Canucks.  The panel discusses which Canadian spec-fic books, stories, and authors are on their must-read lists.  Hear about Sylvain Neuvel's Themis Files series, Gemma Files' A Book of Tongues,  Robert Sawyer's Calculating God, and Caitlin Sweet's The Pattern Scars.

We're back from our winter break and this month is Episode 4 - The Fright.  The panel discusses which horror books had them sleeping with the lights on.  Hear about Echopraxia by Peter Watts,  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Neuropath by R. Scott Bakker, and Eutopia by David Nickle.

This month is Episode 3 - The Loop.  The panel discusses which time travel books have them coming back to them time and time again.  Hear about Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's This is How You Lose the Time War, Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book, Chuck Palahniuk's Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey, and Elan Mastai's All Our Wrong Todays.

This month is Episode 2 - The Pushers.  The panel discusses which books they would recommend to hook someone on to the genre.  Hear about Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's The Long Earth, Martha Wells' All Systems Red, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, Garth Nix's Sabriel, and Andy Weir's The Martian.

Get to know the Speculative Collective panel and find out which books pulled them into the genre - this week, they talk about Isaac Asimov's Foundation, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series, and Larry Niven's Ringworld.

Find out what the Speculative Collective is all about - and who sits on the panel!