Robin and Dave dress up as writers to chat with Stewart Hotston about his latest novel, the magnificent space opera Project Hanuman. We ramble far and wide to chat about LARPing, bookshelves, reading recs, the British Science Fiction Association, and much, much more, but most importantly, we touch on some weighty topics that need to be discussed, like why SF authors write about politics, and what happens if we don’t.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Learn more about Stewart here: https://stewarthotston.com/about/

Visit Robin’s website: https://robincmduncan.com/

Or David’s: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

Time stamps to follow...

The BFS are very pleased to support the Best Audiobook: Science Fiction & Fantasy category at the inaugural British Audio Awards, the ceremony for which takes place on 24th November. To mark the event, Long Story Short presents our very first Podcast Special.

https://www.thebookseller.com/the-british-audio-awards/the-british-audio-awards

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Visit Robin’s website: https://robincmduncan.com/

And Pam’s: https://www.pslivingstone.com

And also David Green’s: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

Time stamps

(01:05) The Speakies organisers’ statement;

(01:40) summary of the award categories;

(02:05) “And the nominees are…” (Best Audiobook – SF & Fantasy);

(03:10) some words from Juno Dawson (read by PS Livingstone);

(04:57) Steve Lyons and Nicholas Briggs chat Agent of the Daleks;

(08:20) the evolution of audio drama;

(11:16) Nick and Steve’s processes;

(15:27) how important are audiobooks in your own reading?

(17:20) reading in the bath (+Nick’s recommendations):

• The Intruder, John Rowe Townsend (1969)
• First Light, Geoffrey Wellum (2020)
• Rogue Male, Geoffrey Household (1939)

(21:06) the value of (audio drama) awards;

(25:00) revisiting books, but in audio: praise for Ian Holm and Peter Kenny;

(27:35) reading Revenge of the Cybermen;

(28:35) how does it feel to be nominated for a British Audio Award?

(32:12) some other nominations of potential interest.

Robin & David are joined in the run up to World Fantasy in Brighton (UK) by Joe Hill, whose new novel, King Sorrow, is his first in nine years. This episode is a real doozy, with the chat ranging far-and-wide. Not to be missed! Check out our new detailed timestamps at the bottom of these notes.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

[There are handful of F-bombs in the episode]

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Learn more about Joe here: https://www.joehillfiction.com/#intro

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps (with about 30s lead-in)

(03:06) a home in the British Fantasy community

(05:35) 2000AD

(06:52) King Sorrow

(11:49) other kinds of peril

(13:48) Better Call Saul

(15:03) Dark Academia

(16:48) a Ken Follet epic

(21:29) the Broken Binding special edition

(24:20) illustration and physical books

(27:02) the Orwellian thing

(28:17) the pain is the point

(32:26) themes in King Sorrow

(36:40) dragon tattoos

(37:47) dragons like cats

(38:39) emptying the full magazine

(41:01) Stephen King

(48:52) King Sorrow; horror or fantasy?

(51:23) how terrible to live in Middle Earth

(53:26) banned books / we're all f**ked

(56:10) World Fantasy

(57:21) Locke & Key

(66:38) Return of the Jedi is not very good

(69:30) Hunger, a novel (2026)