Episodes

  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra #13 - The Florentine Renaissance with Larry Rothfield

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra #13 - The Florentine Renaissance with Larry Rothfield
    Feb 13 2024

    In this episode, Ada and Jo speak with historian Larry Rothfield about the political nuances of 15th century Florence, and the shifting perspectives of the Renaissance to come since then.
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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra #12 - Pacing with Ken Liu

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra #12 - Pacing with Ken Liu
    Jan 9 2024

    In this episode, Ada and Jo discuss the merits of good pacing across a range of story lengths with Hugo and Nebula award-winning author, Ken Liu.
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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra #11 - The Problem of Evil in Narrative with Alexis Shotwell

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra #11 - The Problem of Evil in Narrative with Alexis Shotwell
    Dec 5 2023

    In this episode, Ada and Jo speak with Alexis Shotwell about the issues that arise from ill-intentioned characters, and the moral questions they present to readers.
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    1 hr and 43 mins
  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra #10 - Setups and Payoffs with Jon Evans

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra #10 - Setups and Payoffs with Jon Evans
    Oct 17 2023

    In this episode, Ada and Jo speak with Jon Evans about the remote research versus travel, short stories, beleivability, and setting up shocking twists for striking payoffs.
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    1 hr and 44 mins
  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra #9 - Stopping Reading

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra #9 - Stopping Reading
    Aug 29 2023

    In this episode, Jo and Ada discuss a number of reasons to put a book down without finishing.
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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • Politics in Disability and Fiction with William Alexander

    Politics in Disability and Fiction with William Alexander
    Jul 31 2023

    Award winning children's author William Alexander joins Jo and Ada to talk about using politics and disability in fiction for children and adults.
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    1 hr and 49 mins
  • Ex Urbe Ad Astra Ep. 7: Shakespeare And Language, With Writer Greer Gilman

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra Ep. 7: Shakespeare And Language, With Writer Greer Gilman
    Nov 9 2022
    Greer Gilman has been writing stories set in Cloud, her Northern mythscape, for a quarter of a century. Her books are written for the ear, as much as for the understanding. Like the earliest stories, they are meant to be sung. Greer Gilman website
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • How Writing Is Like Fencing, With Writer Max Gladstone - Part 2

    How Writing Is Like Fencing, With Writer Max Gladstone - Part 2
    Aug 3 2022
    Note to Patreon backers: You received this episode on January 12, 2022, but due to an oversight, it was never posted here. Normally you hear episodes a week in advance, but this one you received seven months in advance! Thank you to everyone for your patience.
    This is conclusion of the interview.
    Anything you can call "writing" (science fiction, fantasy, screenwriting, comics, games) Max Gladstone does. He's also a fencer and martial artist. This episode explores connections between these two types of things. This interview ran long, so this is part one of two.
    Numerous topics covered include: the similarities shared by the crafts of writing and fencing; struggles when writing descriptions of physical spaces; why we don't see cluttered spaceships in science fiction movies; when to include potatoes in your medieval fantasy setting; designing the layout of museum exhibits, video game spaces, and Walt Disney World; and more!
    Max Gladstone website
    Substack newsletter
    Twitter
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    1 hr and 10 mins