
What The SFF?!
By Angry Robot
Incoming transmission! Welcome to What The SFF, a new podcast hosted by Angry Robot Books. Join our host, resident robot overlord Eleanor Teasdale, as she travels through the scifi-fantasy multiverse, picking up new authors and exciting guests, tackling the hottest topics in genre fiction, and discovering how to make the perfect cup of tea in space.
So tune in each month for your scifi update! And we promise, we are the robots you’re looking for.
So tune in each month for your scifi update! And we promise, we are the robots you’re looking for.

A WorldCon Exclusive – Wendy Trimboli & Alicia Zaloga
What The SFF?! • By Angry Robot • Aug 28, 2019
A WorldCon Exclusive – Wendy Trimboli & Alicia Zaloga
What The SFF?! • By Angry Robot • Aug 28, 2019
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Chairs Are The Best Weapon Against the Undead - Stephen Deas and Robert V.S. Redick
Welcome to the latest episode of What the SFF?! The Angry Robot Podcast as we welcome authors Stephen Deas (The Moonsteel Crown, The Memory of Flames, Thief-Takers Apprentice and Silver Kings series) and Robert V.S. Redick (Master Assassins, The Cathrand Voyage series)!
Hosted by head robot Eleanor Teasdale, listen in to this illuminating discussion about writing in different genres, what you can learn about writing by teaching it, and the perils of adapting a book from a D&D campaign!
Guests
Stephen Deas:
Twitter
Website
Stephen's Infamous Gazeteer
The Moonsteel Crown Out Now
I Know What I Saw Out Now
Robert V.S. Redick:
Website
The Master Assassins Out Now
Sidewinders Out June 2021
Books/TV/Games Mentioned
Books:
The Devil's Blade by Mark Alder
The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson
A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs
TV Shows:
No Offence
Vikings
Engrenages/Spiral
Call My Agent
Lupin
Games:
Assassins Creed Valhalla
53:33
March 24, 2021

'When There's Trouble, Call a Mario!'
In the latest episode of What the SFF?!, join Tim Pratt, author of the Axiom trilogy and Doors of Sleep, and Molly Tanzer, author of the Diabolist's Library trilogy and weird-Western Vermillion, as they chat with Head Robot Eleanor Teasdale!
Listen in as they discuss how authors can use Patreon to showcase their writing (or their cats), the trials and tribulations of crowdfunding, and the singular joys of working on Mario manga.
Our Guests
Tim Pratt
Twitter
Patreon
Books by Tim
Doors of Sleep
The Alien Stars and Other Novellas
The Axiom Trilogy
Antiquities and Tangibles
The Marla Mason Series
Molly Tanzer
Twitter
Website
Molly (and Toad's) Patreon
Books by Molly
The Diabolist's Library Trilogy
Vermillion
Super Mario Manga Mania
Other Books/Links Mentioned
The Merry Blacksmith Press
The Whole Picture by Alice Procter
Road out of Winter by Alison Stine
Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
55:17
February 11, 2021

Empire of the Antipodeans - Amanda Bridgeman and Amie Kaufman
Welcome back to What the SFF!?, presented by Angry Robot Books.
In this episode, we welcome Aussie SFF writers Amanda Bridgeman (whose The Subjugate and The Sensation are out now from Angry Robot), and Amie Kaufman (NYT bestselling co-author of young adult series including The Illuminae Files and Aurora Cycle, and of middle grade series The Elementals)!
Listen in as they join chief robot Eleanor Teasdale to talk about writing series, the trials and tribulations of co-authoring, how to unwind at the end of the writing day, and all the fantastic writing coming out of the Australian SFF scene!
Our Guests
Amanda Bridgeman
Website
Twitter
Buy The Subjugate
Buy The Sensation
Preorder Pandemic: Patient Zero
Amie Kaufman
Website
Twitter
Buy Aurora Rising
Buy Aurora Burning
Buy The Other Side of the Sky
Buy Elementals: Ice Wolves
Authors/Books/Resources Mentioned on the Podcast
The Aurealis Awards (Australia's most prestigious SFF awards)
The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson
Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black
Sam Hawke
Devin Madson
Lynette Noni
Justin Woolley
Nathan M. Farrugia
Amanda Pillar
58:41
November 12, 2020

Launch in the Time of Corona - Dan Hanks & Chris Panatier
Welcome back to What the SFF?!, the Angry Robot podcast, as we kick off a new season of brilliantly bookish explorations into all things AR!
This month we were delighted to release CAPTAIN MOXLEY AND THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE by Dan Hanks and THE PHLEBOTOMIST by Chris Panatier, two very different but equally fantastic debut novels, and we were lucky enough to be joined by both Dan and Chris for a live-streamed launch event on September 8th.
But if you missed the fun, never fear, because we recorded the whole thing!
Listen in as they chat with Robot Overlord Eleanor Teasdale about challenging colonialism in adventure fiction, how to craft a dystopia while living through one, and learning how to write in a pandemic.
Check out Dan Hanks on Twitter and his Website
Buy CAPTAIN MOXLEY AND THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE
Check out Chris Panatier on Twitter and his Website
Buy THE PHLEBOTOMIST
58:60
September 30, 2020

Time Travel, Board Games and World Building
Angry Robot managing director Etan Ilfeld interviews Francois Ducet.
Francois is a professional board game developer at Space Cowboys--a leading French publisher. He was one of the top Diplomacy Players in the world, regularly plays D&D, and has been involved in developing award-winning board games including Splendor. In this interview, we discuss worldbuilding, time travel, and the cross-over from games into fiction.
https://www.spacecowboys.fr/our-board-games
Time Stories on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146508/time-stories
Stranger Things Bible: http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/Stranger_Things/Stranger_Things_-_Bible.pdf
29:23
June 04, 2020

You Have to Want It More Than the Video Games
In the latest episode of What the SFF?!, Angry Robot overlord Eleanor Teasdale is joined by authors Myke Cole, whose AR debut Sixteenth Watch is out now, and Dan Moren, author of The Bayern Agenda, and its soon-to-be-released sequel The Aleph Extraction! Listen in as they discuss their tips for Life in the Time of Corona, their tips for books, films, and boardgames to help get you through lockdown, and the best piece of writing voice you've ever heard: you have to want it more than the video games.
Find this episode's guests here:
Myke Cole Twitter Instagram Website
Dan Moren Twitter Instagram Website
And get their books here:
Sixteenth Watch
The Bayern Agenda
The Aleph Extraction
Further fun:
Sea of Thieves
Pike and Shot
Kingdom Death Monster
01:04:10
April 17, 2020

Bigfoot in the Box
In this episode of What The SFF?!, we're joined by two of Angry Robot's newest authors: Rob Greene, writer of just-released debut The Light Years, and Ginger Smith, whose first novel The Rush's Edge will be out later this year! Listen in as they chat to junior robot Sam McQueen about researching sci-fi, what they've learned about the art of writing from the art of teaching, the trials and tribulations of collecting typewriters and toys, and a very expensive way of getting rid of a body...
Find this month's guests here:
Rob Greene
https://twitter.com/rwwgreene
https://www.instagram.com/rwwgreene/?hl=en
https://www.rwwgreene.com
Ginger Smith
https://twitter.com/GSmithauthor
Buy their books here:
The Light Years: https://smarturl.it/TheLightYears
The Rush's Edge: https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/shop/year/2020/the-rushs-edge/
Further reading/watching/listening here:
Bloodchild by Octavia Butler: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781583226988
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780143128793
Stories From the Twilight Zone by Rod Serling: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781490423913
Neuromancer (Book 1 of the Sprawl Trilogy) by William Gibson: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780441569595
Rob's piece on his typewriter collection from Mary Robinette Kowal's My Favourite Bit blog: http://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/my-favorite-bit-r-w-w-greene-talks-about-the-light-years/
The Mars Foundation http://www.marsfoundation.org/
Roadhouse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_House_(1989_film)
To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar: https://open.spotify.com/album/7ycBtnsMtyVbbwTfJwRjSP
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd: https://open.spotify.com/album/4LH4d3cOWNNsVw41Gqt2kv
The Beatles (aka The White Album) by The Beatles: https://open.spotify.com/album/1WMVvswNzB9i2UMh9svso5
The Lord of the Rings/Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: Sorry, never heard of them, you're on your own there...
57:32
February 27, 2020

Writing a series is TOUGH
Kameron Hurley (The Worldbreaker Saga) and Madeline Ashby (The Machine Dynasty) join our resident host and overlord, Eleanor Teasdale, to chat all things series-writing and how it's both wonderful and sucky at the same time. Some great tips also on tools to use in your own writing, as well as some – possibly spoilerish – discussion on the new Netflix show, The Witcher. Agree? Disagree? Let us know!
Find this month's guests on Twitter: Kameron Hurley: @KameronHurley | Madeline Ashby: @MadelineAshby | Eleanor Teasdale: @Eteasdale
And their amazing books here:
Kameron Hurley – https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/kameron-hurley/
Madeline Ashby – https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/madeline-ashby/
01:00:49
January 27, 2020

Don't Be Like Enya
In our final episode for 2019, Robot Overlord Eleanor Teasdale is joined by Dan Abnett (author of Triumff, Embedded, and too many comic books and Black Library novels to count) and Jen Williams (author of The Copper Cat Trilogy and two-time BFS Best Fantasy Novel Award-Winning The Winnowing Flame trilogy, and the upcoming thriller debut Dog Rose Dirt) to finish the year with a bang! Join them as they discuss the delicate art of writing genuinely funny fiction, the pleasures and challenges of working across diverse genres, and why the most importance lesson you can learn as an author is 'don't be like Enya'.
Find this month's guests on Twitter:
Dan Abnett: @vincentabnett
Jen Williams: @sennydreadful
Eleanor Teasdale: @Eteasdale
And their books here:
Triumff by Dan Abnett: https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/shop/year/2009-year/triumff-her-majestys-hero-dan-abnett/
Embedded by Dan Abnett: https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/shop/year/2011-year/embedded-dan-abnett/
The Copper Cat Trilogy by Jen Williams: https://sennydreadful.co.uk/the-copper-cat-trilogy/
The Winnowing Flame Trilogy by Jen Williams: https://sennydreadful.co.uk/the-ninth-rain/
Further reading:
Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saxon_Stories
Slow Horses by Mick Herron: https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Horses-Slough-House-Herron/dp/1616954167
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon: https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Adventures-Kavalier-Clay/dp/0812983580
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber: https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Petal-White-Michel-Faber/dp/0156028778
Jack Vance's Dying Earth Series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Earth
01:05:16
December 31, 2019

So You've Written a Book for NaNoWriMo...
So you've written a book for NaNoWriMo...but what do you do next?
This month on a supersized What the SFF?!, our Editorial Director Eleanor Teasdale is joined by literary agent Sara Megibow and Angry Robot's newest author Dan Hanks to talk about just that! Listen in as they discuss everything you've ever wanted to know about the book industry but haven't had a chance to ask, from what an agent does, to the secret to tackling a towering TBR pile, and why publishing is a lot like a duck.
Eleanor Teasdale would be delighted to answer your listener questions about publishing - just tweet her at @ETeasdale!
This month's guests:
Eleanor Teasdale: @ETeasdale
Sara Megibow: @SaraMegibow
Dan Hanks: @dan_hanks
Further reading:
Shrouded Loyalties by Reese Hogan: https://smarturl.it/ShroudedLoyalties
A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darker-Shade-Magic-V-Schwab/dp/1783295406
The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Adventure-Enid-Blyton/dp/1447262786/
01:11:42
November 25, 2019

A Long Time Ago On a Chess Board Far Far Away...
Robert Overlord Eleanor Teasdale chats with authors Etan Ilfeld (Duchamp Versus Einstein, Angry Robot, 2019) and Christopher Hinz (Duchamp Versus Einstein & Starship Alchemon, Angry Robot, 2019) in What the SFF?! Episode 5! Join them for a discussion about researching and representing real life characters in fiction, the history of chess, and what game they'd choose to play against Death in order to save their mortal souls...
Order the authors' books:
Duchamp Versus Einstein: Angry Robot | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Waterstones
Starship Alchemon: Angry Robot | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Waterstones
Find the authors:
Etan Ilfeld: Twitter | Instagram
Christopher Hinz: Website
Further reading:
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson: Amazon
Chess by Stefan Zweig: Amazon
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis: Wikipedia
xkcd comic: Ultimate Game
The Seventh Seal: Wikipedia
The Mind Sports Olympiad: Website
50:24
October 28, 2019

A Horse and a Triceratops Walk Into a Podcast...
Gemma Creffield steps in for Eleanor Teasdale and welcomes authors Tyler Hayes (The Imaginary Corpse, Angry Robot, 2019) and Cyriak Harris (Horse Destroys the Universe, Unbound, 2019) to What the SFF?! Episode 4! Listen in as Gemma chats with Tyler and Cyriak about their books and writing processes, their favourite non-human narrators, and what might happen if a sentient horse and a stuffed toy triceratops detective crossed paths...
Where you can buy the books:
The Imaginary Corpse: Angry Robot | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Waterstones
Horse Destroys the Universe: Unbound | Amazon | Waterstones | Barnes and Noble
Where you can find the authors:
Tyler Hayes: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Cyriak Harris: Website | Twitter | YouTube
Read "Tank!" at Diabolical Plots
44:35
September 29, 2019

A WorldCon Exclusive – Wendy Trimboli & Alicia Zaloga
Our third podcast episode went travelling to Dublin for WorldCon2019 #AnIrishWorldcon and grabbed hold of Angry Robot's two debut authors, Wendy & Alicia, who co-wrote the magnificent The Resurrectionist of Caligo, available worldwide from the 10th September. This episode gives you a real insight into the joys and perils of co-writing, as well as our authors' highlights of their first taste of WorldCon. Additionally, we have a terrific reading from Wendy of the first chapter of the book itself, so listen on friends!
Where you can buy the book: Angry Robot | Waterstones | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
43:13
August 28, 2019

Dragons, fires and how to fight them
Authors Marie Brennan, Scott Lynch and Sean Grigsby talk about their novels with your host Eleanor Teasdale. Catch them discussing the ideas and inspirations behind the unique characters of their novels (fire-breathing dragons and firefighting all included) and learn about why you can actually fall asleep in the back of a fire truck. Catch Lynch’s every last word, laugh at the stories Grigsby tells, and learn all about dragon-lore from Brennan.
Also, Marie currently has some of her books in this pretty great humblebundle deal - https://www.humblebundle.com/books/science-fiction-fantasy-jaberwocky-books - it expires soon though so grab whilst you can!
Marie Brennan, Memoirs of Lady Trent
Website: https://www.swantower.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/swan_tower
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/mariebrennan/
Scott Lynch, Gentleman Bastard series
Website: http://www.scottlynch.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottlynch78
Sean Grigsby, Smoke Eaters series
Website: http://www.seangrigsby.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sean_grigsby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanGrigsby
53:08
July 29, 2019

Episode One: Neurodiversity & LGBT In SFF
In our inaugural episode we’re diving straight into some of scifi’s most important talking points: neurodiversity in fiction, LGBTQ+ love stories, and the #OwnVoices movement. Joining our host are Ada Hoffmann (The Outside) and Vylar Kaftan (Her Silhouette, Drawn In Water), adding their expertise to the discussion and offering exciting insights on their new books.
38:15
June 24, 2019