The good news is that my business is doing well so I’m very busy.

The bad news is that it is taking away the time I used to have to edit the podcast. I’m still only 10 minutes into the episode that was scheduled for Monday passed.

Therefore, I’ve decided to switch the podcast to a biweekly rather than weekly schedule. That means the episodes will be posted every other Monday until such a time as I can find someone to help me edit them. If you know someone who would like to volunteer for that post, please send them my way!

Download this episode (right click and save)

 
Mentioned in this Episode:

Laurell K. Hamilton
This American fantasy and romance writer is best known for her Anita Blake series of novels featuring a professional vampire hunter, necromancer and supernatural consultant for the police. Her other work includes the Merry Gentry series of urban fantasy novels in which the world of faerie interacts with our world.
 
 
“After Life”
In the third episode of Season Six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy has to readjust to being alive after being resurrected by her friends. Spike, a vampire, has been in love with Buffy for a long time. When she asks, “How long was I gone?” He responds with “147 days yesterday. Uh, 148 today. Except today doesn’t count, does it?” Jean Marie uses this as an example of how what isn’t said in fiction can be more powerful than what is actually said.

Diane Whiteside
According to her website, Whiteside is a “spicy romance author of western historicals and paranormals, including the Texas Vampires trilogy.” The vampire series features Don Rafael Perez, originally a 13th-century Spanish knight, now a vampire living in Texas.
 
 
 
Good Reads
This social network for bibliophiles supports readers and authors in connecting and sharing their love of books and good stories. All the books in The Genre Traveler’s book review queue are listed in my account on Good Reads, as well as the book(s) I’m currently reading. Also, whenever I post a book review here or at the New York Journal of books, I add a link to it on Good Reads.

For more information about Jean Marie Ward:

• www.jeanmarieward.com

 
Related Reading (and listening):

• Podcast Episode 61: One Bad Ass Genre Writer (with Danielle Ackley-McPhail)
• Writing honest book reviews

This is very personal list. These episodes were memorable for me … as were many that didn’t make it to this list. I just felt the need to keep it to 10. If I had to give some “honorable mentions” they would go to Bud Sparhawk and Jennifer Brozek (just off the top of my head).

I’m more of an intellectual speculative fiction fan, so many of these episodes I found intellectually stimulating, which is why I so fondly remember them. Others were just plain fun and you’ll probably hear a lot of laughter during the episode. And many were both at the same time!

	1. Robert J. Sawyer Podcast Episode 30, April 18, 2011 I found Sawyer to be a very interesting conversationalist, filled with lots of historical and literary information. In addition, he was personable and just plain nice. I bet he makes a very good friend.
	2. Matt Cardin Podcast Episode 50, September 6, 2011 I was talking about this episode for days after recording it. I generally like this topic, but Cardin really made it pop. He is smart, knowledgeable and was really fun to talk with.
	3. Fiona Broome Podcast Episode 64, December 12, 2011 The information Broome shared about paranormal activity was really interesting, and new, to me. It also gave me some seeds of ideas for stories I might write in the future.
	4. Mark McLaughlin Podcast Episode 65, December 19, 2011 McLaughlin is a very funny man … and he writes horror! I really enjoyed this conversation, especially all the stuff about slime.
	5. Gabrielle Faust Podcast Episode 27, March 28, 2011 My conversation with Faust was just plain interesting. We waxed philosophical about vampires, artificial intelligence and horror literature in general. I had a great time recording this episode.
	6. Jonathan Ball Podcast Episode 39, June 20, 2011 This episode is definitely not for everyone. Ball writes some cutting edge stuff and our conversation got kind of philosophical and esoteric. I had a great time!
	7. A.P. Fuchs Podcast Episode 45, August 1, 2011 I’ll admit it … Fuchs made it to this list in part because I think he’s cute. But he was also an interesting conversationalist with a lot of knowledge beyond his years. I bet he’d be fun to hang out with.
	8. Carol and Adam Kunz Podcast Episode 38, June 13, 2011 This mother and son team is inspiring … and a lot of fun to talk with. I had such a great time talking with them that we continued the conversation past the recording. I look forward to reading their book.
	9. Joseph Picard Podcast Episode 21, February 14, 2011 Picard has a quirky way of looking at the world and it shows in his fiction, as well as conversation. We had a fun time talking about nanite zombies, people made out of fish and not getting pigeon holed as the guy who writes lesbian protagonists. Good times!
	10. Jonathon Rosenthal Podcast Episode 34, May 16, 2011 I’m not a big Harry Potter fan, but Rosenthal made looking into this particular fandom fascinating. Who knew that Quidditch was becoming such a popular sport outside of the Harry Potter universe?

This week I chat with Cathy Udovch, also known as Garfeimao, a long time staffer at TheOneRing.net, the largest Tolkien fan website on the internet. During the podcast, we talk about the new The Hobbit films, how the story is being fleshed out from Tolkien’s original version, the necessity of maps for epic fantasy, how critic received Tolkien’s work when The Lord of the Rings first came out, how movies encourage reading, Andy Serkis and more.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Mentioned in this Episode:
 

 
Martin Freeman
The Hobbit had to take a break in filming last year because Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins in the two-part The Hobbit film, also plays Dr. John Watson on the BBC series Sherlock.
 
 
 
A Ring of Truth
In the a 1977 animated version of The Hobbit, after Bilbo escapes from Gollum with the ring and has told his somewhat modified version of his adventure tale to the dwarves, Gandalf says …
 

 
Did you catch that wink at the end?

Wagnerian Stories
In this episode, Cathy compares the original Hobbit tale to the fantasy operas of Richard Wagner. Wagner has been compared to Tolkien, primarily for his mythic storytelling, his ability to make completely fictional stories feel like they are much older.

Midnight in Paris
This 2011 Woody Allen romantic comedy centers on a group of Americans visiting Paris. Gil (Owen Wilson), the lead character, is a screenwriter who is trying to finish his first novel. His fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), dismisses his ambition as a romantic daydream. One midnight he gets drunk and wanders the city and then finds himself transported to the 1920s. Among the people he meets are F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates).

The Eyes of the Dragon
This 1987 novel was a surprise deviation for author Stephen King when it came out. Unlike his other work, this story was a classic fantasy with magic and a clearly established battle between good and evil. Characters from this book also become involved in King’s later Dark Tower series. Interestingly enough, the villain in The Eyes of the Dragon, Randall Flagg, first made his appearance in The Stand, which was first published in 1978 and later re-released in 1990.
 
 
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
In the 2011 re-imagining of this film, Andy Serkis (who plays Gollum in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films) plays Caesar, the chimpanzee who gains increased intelligence due to genetic experiments and lead the ape revolt.

The Adventures of Tintin
Based on a series of classic comic books created by George Remi (under the pen name Herge) from 1907 to 1983, this 2011 animated film is directed by Steven Spielberg. Unlike most animated films, Tintin is created through performance capture techniques used to create such digital characters as Gollum (The Hobbit) and Caeser (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Andy Serkis, who played both those characters portrays Captain Haddock, Tintin’s best friend.

Dragonheart
Sean Connery was the voice of Draco the dragon in this 1996 fantasy film directed by Rob Cohen. The animators were inspired by Connery’s actual performance in animating Draco’s facial expressions.
 
 
 
Annual Events

• Jan. 3 – Tolkien Birthday Toast
• March 25 – Tolkien Reading Day
• September 22 – Baggins’ Birthday Bash
• October/November – Hall of Fire

For more information about Cathy Udovch:

• www.theonering.net

The series, which tells the story of Calla, the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack, started with Nighshade in 2010. Bloodrose, the third and final book will be out on January 3, 2012.

Along with the two books was an announcement that Cremer will be signing books at two locations in Southern California, and I thought I’d share.

Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012
7 pm
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Ave. #110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Friday, Jan. 13
4-6 pm
Pages: A Bookstore
904 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Download this episode (right click and save)

Mentioned in this Episode:

Paranormal
Adjective: Denoting events or phenomena such as telekinesis or clairvoyance that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.

Ley lines
Alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient megaliths, natural ridge-tops and churches, ley lines were first suggested by Alfred Watkins in 1921. He theorized that these alignments were created to ease overland trekking by line of sight navigation during neolithic times and have persisted in the landscape over time. More recently, the term has become associated with spiritual and mystical theories about land forms, including feng shui.

Bennington Triangle
Between 1920 and 1950, several people went missing in an area of southwestern Vermont. Joseph A. Citro coined the phrase to describe this area during a public radio broadcast in 1992. The Bennington Triangle was further popularized in two books. Citro claims that this area shares characteristics with the Bridgewater Triangle in neighboring Massachusetts.

Hollow Earth
The concept of a hollow Earth recurs in folklore and as the premise for subterranean fiction, a subgenre of adventure fiction. This hypothesis proposes that our planet is either entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Although disproved by observational evidence and the modern understanding of planet formation, the concept is still featured in some present-day scientific, pseudoscientific and conspiracy theories. The general scientific community has dismissed the idea since at least the late 18th century.

Romania’s Painted Monasteries
In northeastern Romania, there are a series of monasteries with their exterior walls painted with biblical scenes. These elaborate 15th and 16th century frescoes show saints, prophets, angels, demons, Jesus, heaven and hell. In 2005, while participating in a group of “famous American writers” in Suceava, I had the opportunity to see many of them. It was a memorable experience.

Déjà vu
From the French meaning “already seen,” term describes the feeling that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation before. When you experiences déjà vu, you feel a compelling sense of familiarity, an uncanny sensation that you experienced this same situation in the same way already.

Schnellegeister
Also known as a snallygaster, this large flying reptile with feathered wings has been spotted in both Pennsylvania and Maryland since at least the 1700s. The name come from the German phrase that means “fast spirit or ghost.”

For more information about Fiona Broome:

• fionabroome.com
• faeriemagick.com
• hollowhill.com
• lab.fionabroome.com
• mandelaeffect.com

Download this episode (right click and save)

Mentioned in this Episode:

Mirabile by Janet Kagan
To make bringing along our plants and animals easier and so nothing could go extinct, geneticists built redundancy into the DNA of all the plants and animals we took with us to colonize other planets. The thing is, once the colonists got to Mirabile the data base telling them what species was inside what species was mostly lost … and the geneticists mixed plants and animals … so you never knew what you were going to get. Tulips could sprout bats. Kangaroos could be birthing wolverines. Add to that the unique flora and fauna of Mirabile and Annie Jason Masmajean (Mama Jason) had her hands full. She is the head scientist and acts as a genetic detective when weird things show up.

FaerieCon
The 2011 FaerieCon was held a couple of weeks ago in the Baltimore area. It is a gathering of faerie artists and authors and grew out of Faerieworlds, a West Coast mythic music festival. For more information, go to www.faeriecon.com.

For more information about Danielle Ackley-McPhail:

• sidhenadaire.com

Further Information and Reading:

• Classic creatures of SF: Fairy folk
• SF subgenres: What is fairy tale fantasy fiction?
• SF subgenres: What is urban fantasy?
• SF subgenres: What is steampunk?

Download this episode (right click and save)

 
Mentioned in this Episode:

Imperial China
The time in Chinese history known as Imperial China took place between 221 BC (the beginning of the Qin Dynasty) and 1912 AD (the end of the Qing Dynasty). Imperial China was preceded by the Warring States Period and followed by the Republic of China. Several dynasties occurred during Imperial China: Qin, Han, Cao Wei, Jin, Wu Hu, Sui, Tang, Song, Liao, Xia, Yuan, Ming and others.
 

Cultural Revolution in China
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was a socio-political movement that took place from 1966 to 1976 in the People’s Republic of China. The goal of the revolution, set into motion by Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, was to enforce socialism in China by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society, as well as impose Maoist orthodoxy within the Party. The revolutions fomented violet factional struggles and millions of people were persecuted, suffering a wide range of abuses such as rape, torture, sustained harassment, imprisonment and seizure of property.

Sharon Kay Penman
Best known for the Welsh Princess trilogy and Plantagenet series, Penman is an American historical novelist. Her novels are usually set in England, France or Wales and about the English and Welsh royalty during the Middle Ages. Some of her work has reached the New York Times Bestsellter List and she is known for her meticulous research of settings and events, as well as her characterizations.
 

Mob Psychology
The psychology of a crowd is different than the psychology of an individual. There are different theories for explaining this. Sigmund Freud believed that people’s minds merge is some way, with each member becoming less aware of the true nature of their own actions. There are proponents and dissenters of this concept. Another theory is that of convergence. Convergence theory postulates that the crowd’s behavior is carried into it by particular individuals. In other words, people of like minds converge to form a crowd. Contagion theory says the opposite, that crowds cause people to act a certain way.

Luddite
The luddites were a social movement in the 1800s in which textile artisans rebelled against the changes occurring with the Industrial Revolution, often by destroying mechanized looms. The movement was named after General Ned Ludd, a mythical figure who, supposedly in 1779, smashed two knitting frames in a “fit of passion.” He is also known by the names Captain Ludd or King Ludd. Today, the term is used to refer to individuals who are against industrialization, automation, computerization or any new technology in general.

The Hundred Acre Wood
This is the fictional land where Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends from the series of children’s books by A.A. Milne reside. The young boy Christopher Robin would accompany Pooh there to visit and play. In the books, the Hundred Acre Wood is part of a larger forest and is centered around Owl’s home. In the movies, the term is used for the entire Pooh bear world.

For more information about Alma Alexander:

• www.almaalexander.com
• anghara.livejournal.com

Further Information and Reading:

• Podcast Episode 21: Attack of the Nanite Zombies
  This is the podcast episode I referred to where the author had a character made out of fish parts.
• SF subgenres: What is historical fantasy?
• Types of fiction: Historical
• SF subgenres: What is alternate history?

Download this episode (right click and save)

Mentioned in this Episode:

Treasure Island
This adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson is a classic tale of pirates and buried treasure. First published as a book in 1883, it was originally serialized in the children’s magazine Young Folks. It is part pirate adventure and part coming-of-age story. It focuses on the adventures of young Jim Hawkins as he gets caught up in Long John Silver’s search for missing treasure. Part of what makes it unique for children’s literature (both then and now) is its wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality. It has been adapted to film several times, including retellings set in different times and, as in Treasure Planet, other worlds.

Captain Blood
This novel by Rafael Sabatini (of Scaramouche fame), originally published in 1922, focused on the adventures of sharp-witted Dr. Peter Blood, a fictional Irish physician who was also a soldier and sailor. The story has been adapted to film several times.

The first adaptation was in 1924 and starred J. Warren Karrigan, Jean Paige and Charlotte Merriam.

In 1935 it was brought to the silver screen with Errol Flynn and Olivia deHavilland.

In 1950, Gordon Douglas directed Fortunes of Captain Blood based on the book.

In 1952 Louis Hayward and Patricia Medina starred in Captain Pirate based on Sabatini’s sequel Captain Blood Returns.

In 1962, Sean Flynn (Errol Flynn’s son) played, you guessed it, Captain Peter Blood’s son, Robert, in The Son of Captain Blood.

In 1991 a USSR/France team produced Odyssey of Captain Blood.

There has even been an audio production and comic book series based on the work.

Types of “Pirates”
In the dictionary sense of the word, pirates are people, not affiliated with a government, who commit acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. Privateers, were pirates authorized by their government to commit similar acts in the name of their country. They were kind of like mercenary pirates. Piracy is primarily committed at sea, although the term is sometimes used to describe similar crimes on land, in the air and, these days, over the Internet. Another term used in association with pirates is buccaneer. These were English and French privateers who attacked the Spaniards in the Caribbean Sea.

Madame Ching
Shih Yang was popularly known as Madame Ching, as well as Ching Shih, Cheng I Sao and Hsi Kai Ching Yih. She was one of the greatest Chinese pirates who sailed the seas in the 1800s. At the height of her career she commanded approximately 2,000 ships and 50,000 pirates, and controlled the seas from Hong Kong to the Vietnamese border. She started her career as a prostitute on one of the city Canton’s floating brothels and moved into piracy when she married a notorious pirate, Zheng Yi, in 1801, when she was 16 years old. In 1810, tired of the pirate’s life, she took an amnesty offer from the Chinese government. She died in 1844 at the age of 69.

Dragons
These legendary creatures with serpent- or reptile-like traits are featured in the myths of many cultures, both East and West. There are two basic types of dragon: those from Europe, which tend to be more stout and have wings, and those from Asia, which tend to be more gracile and snake-like. The two traditions evolved separately, but eventually influenced each other as the two cultures started to interact. For more on dragons, read my Examiner.com post here.

Dragonriders of Pern
This series of books, novellas and short stories, written by Anne McCaffrey, were about a race of dragons and their human riders on a far away planet, Pern. Periodically, a mycorrhizoid (a symbiotic fungus/plant association) spore called Thread rains down on the planet. These spores are in the form of silver filaments and devour all organic matter they touch. The fiery breath of the dragons destroys them, so the dragonriders fly out during Thread fall to destroy as much of the Thread as they can before they reach the ground below. These stories are cross-genre because they incorporate elements of both fantasy and science fiction.

The Temeraire Series
This series of novels by Naomi Novik is a cross between fantasy and alternate history in which the air force during the Napoleonic Wars was comprised of dragons and their human aviator crew. Temeraire is a Chinese dragon who was discovered by Captain William Laurence of the British Royal Navy. The dragons in this series are divided into different “breeds” and are both intelligent and sapient. They learn language while still in the egg and so hatch with the ability to speak.
 
 
 
For more information about Misty Massey:

• www.mistymassey.com
• www.magicalwords.net

Further Reading:

• Belly Dancing Science Fiction Fans
• Podcast Episode 54: Bits of Stuart Jaffe’s Brain
• Classic creatures of SF: Dragons

Posts About Pirates:

• Arg! Legoland in the U.K. Opens Pirates Landing
• Something Special for Talk Like a Pirate Day
• Mexican Resort Debuts “Cast Away Camp Outs” for Kids
• Pirates of the Caribbean or The Haunted Mansion?
• Pirates of the Caribbean Celebrates 40 Years
• Privateer Day at Fell’s Point, Baltimore
• Overnight Pirate Adventure for Kids & Parents
• Windows and Pirates — What a Team!
• A Real Treasure Island?