The Book Club

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 28 May 2013 21:59:00 +0000

Welcome to the latest episode of The Book Club. This episode we're discussing Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding.

Retribution Falls is a steampunky, sci-fi action romp with space pirates, dog fights, double crossing no good thieves, and lots of gunfights and even sword play. It's a face paced story and in this episode we discuss the characters, the plot, the influences and its similarities to other touchstones in popular culture.

You can send in general feedback on the book and questions via Twitter or the Good Reads forum.

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The Time Machine by H.G Wells

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Scott and Steve discuss The Time Machine by H.G Wells, a classic Science Fiction story that has been adapted into other mediums, and HG Wells is also widely known for several other well known novels including The Invisible Man and perhaps most famously The War of the Worlds. Scott and Steve discuss the author and his background as well as the novel and its influences.

Our next book club selection is Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding. The deadline is Friday 10th May and we'll be recording it the week after. Send us your comments and feedback via twitter, Facebook or the Good Reads forum - http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/71956-the-book-club

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The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:42:00 +0000

Welcome to the first book club of 2013! Our next selection is 'The Time Machine' by H. G. Wells. The book is out of copyright so it should be very cheap to buy, or free if you've gone digital. In the episode we talk to author Anne Lyle about her novel The Alchemist of Souls. A historical fantasy novel set in an alternate Elizabethan England. We talk about Anne's work, the evolution of the book and what she has planned for the future. Direct Download

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Scott and Steve are joined by debut author, Laura Lam, to discuss The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. The response to the book from listeners and all three hosts was varied, but on the whole it seemed positive. In this episode we discuss the characters, the story, areas we all struggled with, influences and references to other works of fiction.

Our next book club selection will be The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle. We'll be talking about it on week commencing January 7th 2013 so be sure to let us know what you think of the book. Anne Lyle has also agreed to come onto the podcast and answer any questions from the listeners. You can send in general feedback on the book and questions via Twitter or the Good Reads forum.

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Old Man's War by John Scalzi

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Scott and Steve are joined by Dion from the Scrolls podcast to discuss Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Everyone who took part both on the show and on the Good Reads forum liked the book so it's a positive episode all round! They discuss both the plot and some of the philosophical questions that it raises. Our next book club selection will be The Stars by Destination by Alfred Bester. We'll be talking about it on October 29th so be sure to let us know what you think either via Twitter or Good Reads. Download

The Book Club: The Once And Future King by T.H. White

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:07:00 +0000

In this episode of The Book Club Scott and Steve talk about 'The Once and Future King' by T.H. White. This is the classic retelling of the Arthurian myth that is mentioned in such genre sources as X-Men and Babylon 5. Our next book club selection is 'Old Man's War' by John Scalzi. We'll be talking about the book on 17th September 2012 so be sure to get your feedback in! Download

Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Scott and Steve discuss Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear, the hard sci-fi novel that narrowly missed out on this year's Clarke Award. They both find the book a bit of a struggle but touch upon some of the highs and lows they experienced when reading it. In stark contrast is the next book club selection, 'The Once and Future King' by T. H. White. A retelling of the Arthurian myth which has been referenced many times in pop culture including The X-Men, Babylon 5 and Merlin. This is quite a lot book, but a very light read. Because of it's length were giving you extra time to get reading and we'll talk about the book on Monday 6th August 2012. Contact details are at the end of the show.

The Book Club - Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:31:00 +0000

In this episode of the Book Club we talk about Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke. Scott starts with an apology because despite suggesting it he mistook it for a different one! We talk about the innovation and great ideas in the book but despite being a classic it certainly has its flaws.

Our next book club selection is the Clarke Award nominated Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear We'll be talking about it in 6-8 weeks so get reading and let us know what you think!

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The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams - Recorded Live

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:55:00 +0000

This is a special live episode of the book club recorded on Saturday 18th February 2012 as part of the launch of Geek News Radio. We discuss The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams from Jo Fletcher books and receive instant feedback and comments from the listening audience via twitter and the chat room. The episode is completely unedited and it still turned out pretty well. The next book club selection is Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and we will be discussing it in about six weeks time.
For more live episodes recorded on the day check out the Geek News Radio website or listen to the latest episodes from all of the podcasts on GNR via Stitcher.

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Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:31:00 +0000

In this episode of the book club we talk about Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Scott and Steve discuss the main themes of the book and focus on aspects of the story including the Battle School, Ender's transformation, manipulation, his siblings and also the comic book adaptation by Marvel Comics. The book has been optioned for a movie and now it seems as if it is moving ahead into production which we also touch on briefly and how we think it will compare to the book and comic book. Make sure you pick up a copy of the next book club selection which is The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams from Joe Fletcher Books. We will be talking about this book on Saturday Feb 18th during a live 24 hour podcast and listeners will have the ability to join the discussion during this special episode.

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Horns by Joe Hill

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:56:00 +0000

In this episode of the book club we discuss Horns by Joe Hill. The book follows the transformation of Ig whilst exploring his past and the murder of Merrin for which he was blamed, but never convicted.

Our next book club selection is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. We will be discussing the book on Monday 28th November 2011 so be sure to get your comments in. Contact information is available at the end of the show as usual.

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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:20:00 +0000

In this episode of the book club we talk about Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick - inspiration for the movie Blade Runner. Scott and Steve discuss the major themes of the book, including empathy, emotions and humanity. Despite feeling relatively lukewarm about the book it raises a number of interesting questions. Be sure to pick up the next book club suggest, 'Horns' by Joe Hill.

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The Dresden Files

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:18:00 +0000

In this special episode while Scott is away, Steve is joined by a guest co-host, Stacey Whittle from the podcast Small Press, Big Mouth. Both Stacey and Steve are enormous fans of the Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. Just ahead of the release of latest book in the series, Ghost Story, they look back across the series talking about favourite moments, characters, events and how its main character, Harry Dresden, and the series have evolved. This episode has a lot of spoilers about the series to date. We also discuss some other urban fantasy series towards the end and make a few recommendations.

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Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:07:00 +0000

In this episode of the Book Club we speak to Lauren Beukes about her Arthur C. Clarke Award winning novel, Zoo City, from Angry Robot books. Scott and Steve discuss her writing process, the Clarke Award, Zoo City and its influences and how her career has changed since winning the award.

The next book club selection is the classic Science Fiction novel - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. The novel was also loosely the inspiration for the SF classic movie Blade Runner. We will be discussing the novel some time in August, so that gives you plenty of time to pick up a copy and send in any comments or feedback.

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Dune by Frank Herbert

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:51:00 +0000

In this episode we talk about the classic science novel Dune by Frank Herbert. We discuss the story, characters and themes and we also announce the next book club selection. We put the next book to the vote and gave the listeners the choice of six books which are the Arthur C. Clarke Award shortlist. I am very pleased to announce the next book club selection and the winner received a significant number of votes more than the others.

In 6-8 weeks time we will be discussing Zoo City by Lauren Beukes from Angry Robot books. I am also delighted to announce that Lauren has agreed to come onto the show and answer any questions from listeners about Zoo City. Closer to the time we will give a specific date by which time all questions should have been received, but you can send us your comments and questions at any time.

Lauren will be in the UK in two weeks time at the Eastercon event in Birmingham and there is an Angry Robot Books group signing event, so all of those attending can pick up a signed copy.

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Arthur C. Clarke Award

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:43:00 +0000

This episode is focused on the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction. Scott and Steve speak to Tom Hunter, the Award Director, about how he got into reading SF and how he became involved with the award itself. They also talk about the perception of the genre and the evolution of the award over the years. 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the Clarke award and the discussion looks ahead to the next 25 years and challenges in the future.

Our current book club selection is Dune by Frank Herbert and the deadline to send in any comments and feedback is April 11th. For the next book club selection we are going to read one of the 6 shortlisted books for this year's Arthur C. Clarke Award. The decision about which book we choose is completely down to you, the listeners. At the bottom of the show notes, and also on the forum, website and facebook page there is a link to a survey. The shortlisted book with the most votes will be our next book club selection. So select the one you want to read and not which one you think will win, although they could be one and the same. Towards the end of the episode Scott and Steve read a brief synopsis about each of the shortlisted books but there are lots of reviews online as all of the books were published in 2010.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HRBYY8W

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Masked edited by Lou Anders

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Welcome to the book club. This episode we're discussing the superhero anthology Masked edited by Lou Anders. Featuring short stories by, amongst others Paul Cornell, Gail Simone. Stephen Baxter, Mike Carey, Peter David and Kim Newman. We talk about the book in general and the idea of switching the superhero genre into an unusual medium. We then go on to highlight some of the stories that we particularly enjoyed.

Our next book club choice that we will be talking about in around 8 weeks time is the classic 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. A true sci-fi epic which also popularised the word 'ecology'. Hope you enjoy reading and let us have your feedback!

In some parts of this episode Scott sounds like he's recording in a bathtub. Apologies for the audio quality - we'll aim to get it fixed by the next show.

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Interview with Lou Anders, editor of Masked

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:56:00 +0000

Lou Anders is the Editorial Director of Pyr Books, but he also edited the Masked anthology for the Gallery imprint of Simon and Schuster, which is our current book club selection. In this special episode we spoke to Lou about his love of comics, how he got involved in publishing and how the Masked anthology came together. The deadline for Masked is the middle of January so there is still plenty of time to pick up a copy and then send us your feedback and thoughts.

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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:26:00 +0000

In this episode of the book club Steve and Scott tackle the classic 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson. First published in 1954 and directly influencing four movies (The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, I Am Legend and I Am Omega). A post-apocalyptic tale of loneliness, vampires and a famous ending that none of the spin-offs managed. Join us as we dissect this great novel.

The next book club selection will be 'Masked' a collection of superhero related short stories edited by Lou Anders and featuring contributions from: Stephen Baxter, Paul Cornell, Peter David, Daryl Gregory, Marjorie Liu, Ian McDonald, Kim Newman, Chris Roberson, Bill Willingham, Gail Simone...and others!

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Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Join Steve and Scott as they talk about their current book club selection, Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow. Set in the near future the book is a novel that Doctorow also uses to put forwards some of his ideas about the future of technology and sharing of culture.

Our next book club selection, to be discussed around the start of November is 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson. Inspiring three movies and a faithful comic this is truly a classic of science-fiction literature.

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Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:30:00 +0000

In this episode we discuss our current book club selection - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. The book was first published in 1961 and we discuss our impressions of the book and also include comments and feedback from listeners. We also talk about the author and his background, the era in which the book was written and its importance at that time.

This episode we also announce the next book club selection which is Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow. We will be discussing this book around the middle of September and will post a more specific date closer to the time, so you have about six to eight weeks to read it. This book is available to download for free in a variety of formats. It is also available to download as a free audio book from iTunes, or you can buy a hard copy from various online retailers.

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The City and The City by China Mieville

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Fri, 21 May 2010 08:52:00 +0000

In this episode we speak to China Mieville about our current book club selection, The City and The City. Amongst other things we discuss his influences, the genesis of the book, and the awards he recently received for this novel, including the Arthur C. Clarke award. We also speak briefly about his latest book Kraken which he is currently promoting around the UK at various events.

After the interview the hosts, Scott and Steve, discuss their impression of the book, sharing their thoughts and feelings, as well as comments and feedback sent in by listeners. We also announce our next book club selection which is the classic Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. The deadline for this book club selection is the week commencing 26th July which gives you plenty of time to read the book and send us your thoughts and feedback for the discussion.

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The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

This episode Scott and Steve discuss The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov, with comments and feedback from listeners. The book is only about 200 pages long and yet it generated a lot of discussion on the forum. As well as talking about the murder mystery aspect of the story, we look at the themes and many ideas, technological, social and behavioural, introduced by Asimov.

We also announce our next book club selection which has recently been nominated for an Arthur C. Clarke award and it won best novel from the British Science Fiction Association which was announced last weekend in London at the Eastercon convention. The novel is The City and the City by China Mieville which was first published in 2009.

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Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

This episode is the book club we discuss the recent selection, Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky and announce our next selection. Before that Scott and Steve get into some News and Reviews, talking about the ending of some TV shows, the return of some old favourites and the arrival of a couple of new ones.

After that we get into a discussion about the fantasy genre and the changes it has gone through in the last few decades. We also talk about how it is perceived by those less familiar with the genre and how diverse and popular it has become. Scott and Steve talk briefly about Empire and offer their opinions before our interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky.

We discuss his background as a writer and reader of fantasy, his influences and we pose your questions to Adrian about the book, and also talk about the future of the series and his forthcoming appearances. Adrian will be appearing next weekend at the SFX Weekender, a whole weekend of genre talks, guest signings and workshops, as well as at other venues in the UK in conjunction with the launch of the 4th book in the Shadows of the Apt series, Salute the Dark which is out next week.

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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

scott@comicbookoutsiders.com (Scott Grandison and Stephen Aryan) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

After some news and reviews we get into our discussion of the current book club selection, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This seems to be a book that has divided opinions, and a few listeners found it difficult to get into, but there are a lot of interesting themes to discuss which we dive into. With feedback and comments from listeners we get into the meat of what the book is about and then announce our next book club selection.

For those who have not read The Handmaid's Tale, but do not want it spoiled for them and want to take part in the next round of our book club, jump to time stamp 1h-18m-51s where we announce the new selection which is Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky. So towards the end of January, which gives people about seven weeks, we will be talking about the new book and Adrian has very kindly agreed to come on the show for an interview and to answer questions from our listeners. So, pick up a copy, send us your comments, questions for Adrian and join the book club.

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