With a hat tip to our mentor of erudite tomes, John Stevens and to Jeff Patterson (who, sadly, had to miss the conversation due to that silly “work” thing).

Boston Beans!

Fred Kiesche with Paul Weimer

With a hat tip to our mentor of erudite tomes, John Stevens.

Books!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

With a hat tip to our mentor of comics trivia, John Stevens.

Hey Kids! Comics!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jeff Patterson and Fred Kiesche

Along the way we also delve into comedy and the horror of a remake of the classic. It’s the Ultimate Log of the Ultimate Trip.

We're right on time, celebrating 50 years of 2001, a year late.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson

Roll credits…after too long a break…

At the start of the long hot summer of 2019...

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson

Jeff Patterson and Fred Kiesche (sadly, John Stevens could not make it) continue their conversation with Paul Weimer and Patrick Hester. Culture is consumed. Much culture. Much consumption. Hang on to your wallets and your eyeballs.

Part two of a two-part epic duology! Because we don't have enough energy for a trilogy!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Patrick Hester and Paul Weimer

Part one of a two-part epic duology! Because we don't have enough energy for a trilogy!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Paul Weimer and Patrick Hester

Content warning: We’re old and we’re cranky. It shows this month.

We're Baaaaaccckkkk!!!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Author Stina Leicht returns!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Stina Leicht

Talking Black Bolt and More with Saladin Ahmed

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Saladin Ahmed

Linda Nagata!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Linda Nagata

In tonight’s podcast, between three hosts and three guests: microphone, Skype & recorder issues. Two internet outages. Two power outages. Several crossed wires. But…We are joined by Donna Royston, David Keener and Martin Wilsey to talk about their new Tannhauser Press anthology Worlds Enough: Fantastic Defenders.

Waitaminutenow. (flips through table of contents) Patterson? Patterson? They let Jeff Patterson write a story in this thing? Wot?

Books, We Have Books

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with David Keener, Martin Wilsey and Donna Royston

We talk about The Courtyard, Neonomicon and Providence, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows.

Here There Be Spoilers!

Everything's Coming Up Octopoid

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jesse Willis

Perhaps optimistically, we “assigned” four stories: Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius; The Circular Ruins; The Library of Babel; The Garden of Forking Paths—and ended up only really scratching the surface of one! It is clear that we will be back to this subject many more times (before we even start to branch off into “authors that we also like”!).

Sit down, pour yourself a good port and settle in. And please let us know what stories (or essays, or poetry) you would like to see us cover next!

Jorge Luis Borges on Wikipedia.

Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

The Circular Ruins

The Library of Babel

The Garden of Forking Paths

SF Encyclopedia on Jorge Luis Borges

SF Encyclopedia on libraries.

Paris Review, Jorge Luis Borges: The Art of Fiction

Ficciones (many editions)

Collected Fictions (Penguin)

Labyrinths (many editions)

Borgescast Subcast 01!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jonah Sutton-Morse and Kate Sherrod

The Expanse: Season 01

Amazon Prime

DVD

The Expanse: Season 02

Amazon Prime

Official Site on SyFy (includes full episodes)

Wait, what?

Science!

(In which we consume a lot of culture...proto and otherwise...)

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Also…why do so many Russian sites feature the works of Samuel R. Delany?

Newsflash: Past Fourth Hoarse Patrick Hester has a book! For reals!

A lot of this episode was inspired by John DeNardo’s two-part look at what is coming in 2017, we recommend a read (while hiding your wallet): Part 01. Part 02.

So Many Books, So Little Time

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Fred Kiesche, Jeff Patterson and John E.O. Stevens

Afterwards, Jeff Patterson and Fred Kiesche are joined by John E. O. Stevens to hear John’s picks and then to wrap up the year with some culture consumed.

Are you ready for the picks?

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Patrick Hester and John Anealio

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jonathan Strahan

Hold on to your wallets, by the way. This is another potentially expensive episode!

(AND WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Once the podcast was over we kept talking and some of it was pretty gosh darned good. So, good thing the recording was still running, eh?)

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with David Annandale

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Karen Burnham

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

The discussion includes their first exposures to the Mri, Morgaine, and the Chanur, the deep history of the Alliance/Union universe, the portrayal of the outsider’s perspective, and how they are all woefully behind on the Foreigner books.

As always, there is an accounting of culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Paul Weimer

John talks about participating in the Grumptroll annual March Madness Flash Fiction contest. Jeff wades into he Up & Coming anthology and finds it a great utility. Fred and family endure the X-Files reboot.

As always the conversation turns to culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

The discussion covers killing characters, the cost of war, and wrapping up franchises.

The Hoarsemen also talk about culture consumed, the state of Marvel, revisiting Watership Down, and their reading plans for the rest of 2016.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Joelle Presby and David Weber

Part one of the discussion includes the challenges of stepping into an existing franchise, playing in another author’s sandbox, the difference between art vs. craft, editorial hindsight, working with Jim Baen, and meeting Andre Norton.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Joelle Presby and David Weber

Science Fiction’s early depictions of space cast it as a medium to be crossed, or an analog for the sea, facilitating trade, exploration, and empire-building. Frank Herbert made it a commodity, accessible only to those who gave up their humanity. Stephen Baxter filled it with incomprehensible machinations. Star Trek used it as a divide between cultures. Kristine Katherine Rusch riddled it with lethal anomalies. Vernor Vinge gave it dominion over the rise of intelligence. C. J. Cherryh, Samuel Delany, Karen Lord, Alastair Reynolds, Lois McMaster Bujold, and many others shaped the infinite void into a narrative tool. Now, with Star Wars,The Expanse, and a possible new ninth planet, space is once again imposing itself on popular culture. Is it up to the challenge?

As always, the discussion turns to recent culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Leah Petersen

The discussion, of course, goes completely off-topic, veering into such subjects as nihilistic narratives, revisiting old favorites, the pitfalls of being a new release junkie, “Batgirling,” and the storytelling idiosyncrasies of various media.

Get comfy. This one’s over two hours.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Andrea Phillips and Jonah Sutton-Morse

John recounts his attending the World Fantasy Convention, and tells of the booty he procured. Fred lists his culture consumed. Jeff thinks aloud of the many factors that both influenced and tainted his recent readings.

Subjects discussed include the personalities of book merchants and buyers, how the physical layout of a con impacts its enjoyment, the pitfalls of retro trade-dress, comic book adolescents, The optimal length of Sherlock Holmes stories, and some observations about dealers rooms.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

In this month’s culture consumed, Fred went to The Martian, Jeff went to Capclave, and John went to a big-ass book sale.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Greg van Eekhout

After a chat on trends and tribulations, the discussion turns to culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Joe Monti

*No Hoarsemen actually went to Australia.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Alisa Krasnostein

The discussion includes forty years of Dhalgren, writing protocols, book budgets, historical baggage, the bookstore landscape, eels, and our relationship with violence.

As always, The Hoarsemen recount the books, comics, podcasts, and television that have occupied their free time.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Stina Leicht

…and bring you our nearly most epic episode to date (at least in terms of sheer running time or time that it took John to pause to take a breath). You want rambling? You got rambling! From a breakdown of the works nominated in nearly all the categories of this year’s Hugo’s covered by John Stevens we segue to a discussion about reading and self-education by Fred Kiesche. Jeff Patterson attempts to unravel the tangled mysteries of Marvel’s Secret Wars. We conclude with our usual (snicker) brief look at what culture we have consumed since our last episode (as usual, The Hoarsemen are not to be held responsible for any damage to your wallet!).

Imagine how long the episode would have been if we had had our scheduled guest! Not to worry, she or he will be on in the future and we’re lining up many more folks to browbeatóerrróconverse with into next year!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

The discussion encompasses the relationship between book and cover, deadlines, fan feedback, and the aesthetics of different decades. Will we ever see embossed covers come back? And what does it take for a cover to impress John?

Irene also talks about her participation in the Illustration Master Class, and everyone recounts the culture they have recently consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Irene Gallo

The Hoarsemen discuss their experiences with reading comics digitally, the rise of SF/F indie books, and the titles currently delivering the goods. Fred continues his deep dive into generations-worth of continuity and encounters the conundrum of Jean Grey! Duplicitous rogue women appear in long-lived SF properties! And will there ever be a DRM-free collection in our lifetime?

As always, there is an accounting of Culture Consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

It is a subject that encompasses themed volumes, shared worlds, and literary approaches, from the experimental volumes of the 1970s, through the subject-specific collections of Ace and Daw, to the copious riches that have become available readers in the past decade. What makes an anthology work? Which ones hold special places? And have they stood the test of time?

The discussion then turns, as always, to culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

First, they discuss the death of Leonard Nimoy, and his impact on SF and Fandom.

Then they turn to the subject of Thomas M. Disch, whose works broke genre conventions on an almost industrial scale. The gentlemen recall their introductions to the author’s work (including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry), and his legacy in SF.

There follows a litany of culture consumed, and some talk about whooshing doors, online shrieking, and myopic definitions of “fan.”

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Generally defined as the period between 1939 and 1950, the Golden Age was dominated by John W. Campbell’s editorship at Astounding. It was when Science Fiction acquired a degree of depth and characterization through the works of Isaac Asimov, Lester Del Rey, C.L. Moore, L. Sprague De Camp, Leigh Brackett, A. E. Van Vogt, Robert Heinlein, Jack Vance, and Clifford Simak. Jamie talks about reading those issues of Astounding and what he learned about SF and fandom, then and now.

Also discussed are Jamie’s latest Analog column, plotting-vs-pantsing, and pre-internet flame wars.

And the Hoarsemen start the year with a MASSIVE list of books, comics, and TV consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jamie Todd Rubin

Then the discussion turns to all things comics. It’s really nerdy.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Patrick Hester

Fred has posted a companion piece to this episode on his blog as an introduction to both Hodgson and the book.

And even though we discussed our recent genre culture consumed in last week’s episode, we still manage to have more to talk about.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Karen Burnham

Jeff recounts his adventures at the World Fantasy Convention (sporting his homemade Three Hoarsemen t-shirt), and then the gentlemen discuss the books, comics, and shows that have been vying for their hard-fought entertainment time (and funds).

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

After that…hold on to your wallet…the discussion turns to books, movies, comics, television, conventions, and other culture consumed!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with David Annandale

If your wallet survives that list, we once again bring you a list of books (and other things) that we’ve consumed since last month that may finally tumble Mount ToBeRead down upon your heads!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Sarah Chorn

The Hoarsemen share their opinions on the movie (SPOILER ALERT), then turn their attentions to the comics which spawned it. Fred wrestles with the convoluted continuity of Marvel’s cosmic playground, while life-long readers John and Jeff endure the dual threats of retcon and reboot. Why was the first iteration of Jason Quill such a jackass? Will we ever see Mantis on the big screen? And can anyone defeat Taserface!

As usual, the chaotic cosmic conversation concludes with the customary captivating chronicles of Culture Consumed. (Long-time Marvel fans, see what I did there?)

The celestial vastness awaits! Quickly! Before the spacetime continuum is torn asunder!

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

This update also acts a thinly veiled excuse to decant their new THEME SONG, provided by the esteemed John Anealio, clearly the more talented half of The Functional Nerds.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Also: Can you really can claim to have “nothing to read” given the several dozen sources of periodical fiction (and hundreds of anthologies) that we have access to these days? Unlike the Dawn of Time when the Hoarsemen were young and had to walk twelve miles, uphill, both ways, in the snow, to buy magazine fiction…

Finally, we once again attempt to separate money from your wallet with all of the titles that we’ve read since the last show. Comics! Books! Roleplaying games! Heavens, we’re even spreading it out to our families.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Jonathan Strahan

After that, they give their thoughts on Andy Weir’s The Martian, and scrutinize the truly staggering number of books and comics that have passed their eyes since last they met.

Also, because it’s a cruel summer, the Hoarsemen remember Jay Lake, and discuss Sarah Chorn’s stunning (and heartbreaking) column about what is important when faced with cancer.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Kate Sherrod

While hibernating, we spent much time reading, and now gather around the communal fire pit to discuss the works of the late Charles Sheffield, their reactions to Ann Leckie’s Nebula-nominated novel Ancillary Justice, as well as the bits and pieces of the genre that we consumed since last time.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson with Paul Weimer

Since the 90s Ellis has been producing singularly recognizable work, including superhero titles for DC, Marvel, and Image. He has dabbled in horror, crime fiction, and dark comedy. But he has also written many standalone Science Fiction tales encompassing pulp, cyberpunk, space opera, and alternate history. Some are speculative ruminations on the future or technology, some are absurdist eye-candy, others are adventurous romps. His significant body of SF work delivers modern genre sensibilities to the sometimes myopic landscape of comics.

The Hoarsemen also discuss reading comics digitally, their opinions on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as what they have read recently.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Moore penned the Northwest of Earth and Jirel of Joiry series, as well as many collaborations with husband Henry Kuttner, who first wrote her a fan letter thinking that “C.L. Moore” was a man. She propelled the still-fledgling genre of “sword and sorcery” into strange new territories full of horrors and wonders, building on the foundations laid by Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, and lighting the way for Vance, Brackett, Bradbury and Zelazny.

The Hoarsemen also discuss the fiction, non-fiction, dreary Russian movies (and their remakes), and comics they have consumed since the start of the year. Hold on to your wallets.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

(Originally SF Signal Podcast Episode 198)

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Ah, well…

In this inaugural episode of The Three Hoarsemen we discuss Iain M. Banks, how our book format preferences dictate our reading (and buying) habits, and recommend some books and stories we’ve recently enjoyed.

(Originally SF Signal Podcast Episode 193)

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson