Tales From The Trunk

This time around, we're joined once again by R. J. Theodore (@bittybittyzap) to talk about the second edition of Flotsam, the first book in their Peridot Shift series! After an exciting excerpt, full of wheeling and dealing, we get into the history of the book, what changed since its first printing, and what's next for the series!   Things we mention in this episode: Rekka's first appearance on the show, where they read from book 3, Cast Off NaNoWriMo Robot Dinosaur Press Chipped Cup Collective Latte Literary Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Sarah Loch Self-Publishing Formatting Guidelines, by R. J. Theodore Parvus Press Joss Whedon Firefly The Wayfarers Series, by Becky Chambers The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers "Oversharing," by R. J. Theodore The Death of Jane Lawrence, by Caitlin Starling Animal Crossing: New Horizons Super Smash Brothers Encanto Lin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton Encanto (Japanese Soundtrack) Encanto (Spanish Soundtrack) "We Don't Talk

This time around, I'm joined by multi-award-nominated-and-winning author Sam J. Miller (@sentencebender)! Sam reads from his trunked novel, Blue Matter, which leads us into a great conversation about YA, the ways that genre books are in conversation with each other, and why we're ultimately glad that our journeys as creators have been the shapes they are.   Things we mention in this episode: The Art of Starving, by Sam J. Miller Blackfish City, by Sam J. Miller The Blade Between, by Sam J. Miller Michael Pollan  Ted Chiang  The Clarion Workshop  Octavia Butler  Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro John Bellairs  Joan Aiken  The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier The Butter Battle Book, by Dr. Seuss Mutual assured destruction  The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss RuPaul's Drag Race  Aikido  Be the Serpent, Episode 91  Beowulf, translated by Maria Dahvana Headley Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien The Odyssey, by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson Iambic pentameter  "The

Yeah buddy! It's awards season once again! And just like we have every year since the show started, we've got a roundup of eligible works from past guests! This episode's full transcript, with links, is below.   Hello, and welcome to Tales from the Trunk: nominating the stories (and other things) that did make it. I’m Hilary B. Bisenieks. Listeners, it’s that time of year again, where we’re all looking back—maybe frantically—on what we did last year and what we consumed as awards nominations open up. To help with that, I’ve once again reached out to all of my past guests to see if there’s anything they’d like me to mention on this show. The full transcript of this show will also be in the show notes, so don’t worry if things go by fast. To start off, I know I’ve tweeted about it, but I want to thank every single one of you who nominated this show for Best Fancast last year. I’m still in a bit of shock that this show made it to the Hugo award long list. This year, Tales from the Trunk is eligible for Best

This time around, my guest is author and agent Jennie Goloboy (@JennieGoloboy), whose Obviously, Aliens released in November 2021 from Queen of Swords Press! After hearing the opening chapter of the book, we get into what made it and what didn't in the final draft, along with some great talk about the craft of humor writing and some excellent recommendations!    Things we mention in this episode:   Queen of Swords Press  Foxhunt, by Rem Wigmore  Doge (meme) Terry Roy  NaNoWriMo  Seasteading  Peter Thiel  Monty Python's Life of Brian  Men in Black  The War of 1812  P. G. Wodehouse  Graceland  Denver International Airport (DEN)  Ted Lasso  The Murderbot Diaries, (Wikipedia) by Martha Wells 2021 Hugo Award results  Soldier (1998) Unforgiven  The Imperial Radch trilogy, by Ann Leckie The Last Watch, by J. S. Dewes Jennie's website  The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper, by A. J. Fitzwater

This time around, I'm joined by the amazing Victor Manibo (@VictorManibo), author of The Sleepless, coming out in June of 2022 from Erewhon Books! Victor reads his trunked Poe retelling before we launch into a discussion of life after NaNoWriMo and how he went from never having heard of the event to getting his book onto store shelves.   Things we mention in this episode:   NaNoWriMo  "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe Favelas  The Luminous Dead, by Caitlin Starling "There is no there there" Publishers Weekly (PW) Nina Niskanen  Mary Robinette Kowal  Viable Paradise  Rubber ducky debugging  Jennifer "Macey" Mace  Valerie Valdez  Brass Goggles  Tor.com  Fae's purrs  Worldcon  Cowboy Bebop (anime and live-action) Firefly  Animal Crossing: New Horizons  The Expanse  Victor's website and insta  Obviously, Aliens, by Jennie Goloboy Queen of Swords Press    Join us again next month, when my guests will be Jennie Goloboy and Sam J. Miller!

This is a spicy one, folks, so put those headphones in! This time around, it was my absolute delight to talk to Cassie Alexander (@CassieY4), author of many fine, spicy books. This time around, we're talking about her newest, AITA? and the fugue-state that Cassie wrote this book in!   Things mentioned on this episode: AITA? (subreddit)  Schitt's Creek  Her Ex-boyfriend's Werewolf Lover, by Cassie Alexander Blood of the Pack, by Cassie Alexander Sons of Anarchy  Chuck Tingle  Quiver & Quill, by A. M. Kore Mothman (cryptid) Cassie's website and TikTok    Stick around for next time, when Victor Manibo will be joining the show!

Show notes coming soon!

This time around, we're joined once again by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor (@Merc_Wolfmoor) to talk about their new novella, The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt! We talk about queernorm worlds, physical video game packaging, and some of the great things we've been reading.   Things mentioned on this episode: Grimdark (genre) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Friends for Robots, by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Neon Hemlock's novella series Network Effect, by Martha Wells Caitlin Starling Premee Mohamed The Annual Migration of Clouds, by Premee Mohamed Archival Quality, by Ivy Noelle Weir and Steenz The Secret Garden on 81st Street, by Ivy Noelle Weir and Amber Padilla Finna and Defekt, by Nino Cipri Merc's website

This time around, I'm joined by multiply-Hugo-nominated podcaster and author of the forthcoming novel, A Marvellous Light, Freya Marske (@freyamarske), thus completing the prophecy. Freya reads an excerpt of her story, "One Version of Yourself, at the Speed of Light," which leads us into a great discussion about using our day-job-expertise in our writing, the end of Be the Serpent, a hot take about historical fiction, and of course a lot of talk about fanfic.   Things we mention in this episode: Be the Serpent  Alexandra Rowland  Jennifer "Macey" Mace  Hurt/comfort  The Kingston Cycle, by C. L. Polk Edwardian England  World War One  The Hugo Awards  Worldcon  My episode being interviewed by Sharon Hsu  The Archive of Our Own (AO3)  Kudos (AO3) Goodreads  Crack fic  AUs  Five things fic  Brooklyn Nine-Nine  Ninefox Gambit, the first book of The Machineries of Empire series, by Yoon Ha Lee A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine Battlestar Galactica  Tumblr  Ted Lasso  Summer Sons, by

This time around, to open out our unintentional Oceana month, I'm joined by the delightful Rem Wigmore (@faewriter), whose novel, Foxhunt, is available now, wherever you get your books, from Queen of Swords Press. They read us a slightly-spoiler-y excerpt of the book (you can skip ahead 11:40 from the start of the reading if you'd rather not be spoiled) that leads us into some great conversation about banter, taking the piss, and how mythology might survive into the future.   Things we mention in this episode: Hades (game) Orpheus and Eurydice  The Realm of the Elderlings series, by Robin Hobb These Violent Delights, by Chloe Gong Butcherbird, by Cassie Hart Riverwitch, by Rem Wigmore The Contemporary Witchy Fiction project The Waikato River  Rem's website    Join us again on the 15th of October, when my guest will be Freya Marske!

This time around, I had the pleasure of talking to Hugo-award-winning author and editor Elsa Sjunneson (@snarkbat)! Elsa reads an excerpt from her terrific currently-trunked novel, The Livelong Night, which launches us into a conversation about representation, trunking (the bad kind), disability, and her forthcoming memoir, Being Seen, which releases this October!   Things we mentioned this episode: Worldcon 76 Burying your gays (trope)  Mad-Eye Moody  Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir The Book of Eli  Daredevil  The ghost of Peter Stuyvesant  Reviews of Being Seen from Kirkus and Booklist  Scream (TV show) “I Belong Where the People Are: Disability & The Shape of Water," by Elsa Sjunneson Children of a Lesser God  Me Before You  "The Home Front," my 9/11 essay "Blind Women Get Married Too," by Elsa Sjunneson RSD - Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Ready or Not  The Invisible Man (2020) The Chair  The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver Exvangelicals  Beowulf, audiobook, translated b

This time around, we're joined once again by Sarah Hollowell (@sarahhollowell) whose debut, A Dark and Starless Forest comes out September 14th! Sarah reads an excerpt of her book that leads us into a fun conversation about the terrible faces that cats make, natural disasters, and probably some stuff about the book, too.   Things we mention in this episode: The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett Tangled  The 12 Dancing Princesses  "Crow's Eye," by Sarah Hollowell The geology of Indiana  The Airborne Toxic Event  Duck and cover  This Poison Heart, by Kalynn Bayron The Ones We're Meant to Find, by Joan He Each of Us a Desert, by Mark Oshiro Beneath the Rising, A Broken Darkness, and And What Can We Offer You Tonight, by Premee Mohamed Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer Sarah's insta and website  Sarah Gailey  R. K. Duncan  Kate Lechler    Join us again in two weeks with my guest, Elsa Sjunneson!

This time around we're joined by Leigh Harlen (@leighharlen) to talk about the new printing of their collection, Blood Like Garnets! Leigh reads to us from their pissed off, queer response to that wizard series, which leads us into a discussion on new and exciting forms of self-rejection, and why community is so important to us as writers.   Things we mention in this episode: Studio Ghibli  Ursula K Le Guin's Earthsea  "Blood Makes the Fruit Grow Sweet," by Leigh Harlen in Dark Moon Digest  The Dark  TKO (publisher) Worldcon 76  Norwescon  Neon Hemlock  Fireside Magazine  Fiyah Literary Magazine  Premee's book launch event  Yellow Jessamine, by Caitlin Starling Stephen King  V O I D J U N K  The Silence of the Lambs  "Prey," by Richard Matheson The Babadook as a queer icon  This year's World Fantasy Awards finalists  Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark Lovecraft Country  Train to Busan  Night of the Living Dead  Pseudopod  The Submission Grinder  SFWA pro rates  Star Trek: Deep Space Nin

This time around, I'm rejoined by Premee Mohamed (@premeesaurus) to talk about her amazing new novella, And What Can We Offer You Tonight, out now from Neon Hemlock! After hearing the first chapter of the book, straight from the mouth of the author, we get into all the stories that Premee still wants to tell in the world of the book, and we talk fondly of a viscerally-uncomfortable scene from the book that we both love to bits. We also take a bit of time to talk about the other three (3) books that Premee has or will have out this year, all of which are well worth your time.   Things we mention in this episode: My very on-brand outfit for this audio recording Neon Hemlock Press  The And What Can We Offer You Tonight launch party  Leigh Harlen  Mad Max  The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway L. D. Lewis' appearance on this very show dave ring  These Lifeless Things, by Premee Mohamed The Annual Migration of Clouds, by Premee Mohamed Beneath the Rising, A Broken Darkness, and The Void Ascen

After some trials and tribulations with our audio, L. D. Lewis (@Ellethevillain) joins us on this episode with her amazing climatepunk story, "The Last Stand of the E 12th St Pirates." Following the reading, we talk about how that story came about before taking some time to talk about Fiyah Literary Magazine and Fiyahcon (September 16-19, 2021).   Things we mention in this episode: Cyberpunk  And What Can We Offer You Tonight, by Premee Mohamed "For Every Jack," by R. K. Duncan Geneva Bowers, nee Benton  Fiyah on Twitter  Fireside Magazine  Fire!!  Langston Hughes  Zora Neale Hurston  Fiyahcon  Breonna Taylor  George Floyd  Vida Cruz  Iori Kusano  Ignyte Awards  Airmeet  Norwescon  Monterey Bay Aquarium  L's Website  Slack  TikTok  LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest  Tor.com  Diana M. Pho  Realm  Reading Rainbow  Geordi La Forge    Join us again next month, when Premee Mohamed and Leigh Harlen will be my guests!

show notes coming soon!

show notes coming soon

To open pride month this year, we're joined by Jen Karner (@articulatedream), whose sapphic debut, Cinders of Yesterday, releases later this month! Jen reads us a delicious excerpt of their book, and we chat about some of her favorite bits, the chaos energy of their drafting process, and why we shouldn't treat her as any kind of example for how publishing usually goes.   Things we mention in this episode: NaNoWriMo  She-Ra and the Princesses of Power  Mobile Suit Gundam Wing  fanfiction.net  GeoCities  Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi Baltimore Pride  Boffer weapons  LARPing  Buffy the Vampire Slayer  Supernatural  Teen Wolf  Pitch Wars  RevPit  Jen's insta, website, and facebook fan page    Join us again on June 18th, when our guest will be dave ring!

This time around, my guest is friend and co-host of the podcast, We Make Books, R. J. Theodore (@bittybittyzap)! Rekka reads an excerpt from the third book of her Peridot Shift series, Cast Off, which leads us into a great conversation about what can happen when your publisher closes its doors, murderboarding for fun and profit, and the things that we love so dearly about steampunk.   Things we mention in this episode: Parvus Press  Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brian Steampunk  Space elves discourse (I believe the discourse came from this) Ever Given  Sarah Pinsker  Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir Jennifer "Macey" Mace's Murderboard Method, on We Make Books C. J. Cherryh  Mistborn series, by Brandon Sanderson Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin Scrivener (software) Epistolary fiction  Gail Carriger  The Brass Goggles forum  Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly Jules Verne  The Kingston Cycle, by C. L. Polk Guillotine  The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien Star Trek Pocket Books 

This time around, we're joined by my friend, Sarah Loch (@sloch), whose new book, Blue Line, written as Ariel Bishop, just released! After hearing an excerpt from the book, we talk about about fake dating, representation, and self-publishing. Also, Sarah took a moment to tell us about her friend, F. A. Ray's new m/m soccer (football, to our listeners outside of North America) romance, Yellow Card, which is also available in early access on Gumroad.   Things we mention in this episode: The Tripping series, by Ariel Bishop BDSM (link contains NSFW content) Switch (link contains NSFW content) Demiromantic  Aromantic  She-Ra and the Princesses of Power  Haikyu!!    Join us next episode, when I'll be talking with R. J. Theodore!