Episodes

  • The Ur-Pisode: The Queer Heart of The Epic of Gilgamesh, ft. Julian Gunn

    The Ur-Pisode: The Queer Heart of The Epic of Gilgamesh, ft. Julian Gunn
    Jun 15 2025

    For 4000 years, The Epic of Gilgamesh has influenced mythology, theology, and literature, and its rediscovery in the 1850s is itself an epic tale of war, theft, and Hobby Lobby. A meditation on love and death, rage and grief, civilization and nature, starring two problematic queer frat boys, it is the foundation of so many of our stories. In this episode, we talk to poet, artist, and essayist Julian Gunn about the story that started it all.

    Show Notes:

    • Gilgamesh, A King, At Uruk (Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok")
    • What makes the world’s first bar joke funny? No one knows.
    • @radiantfracture on instagram
    • Julian's blog
    • Julian's games
    • Victoria Festival of Authors
    • The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Maureen Kovacs
    • The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Andrew George
    • The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Sophus Helle

    If you haven't had enough problematic gays raging against the gods by the end of this episode, you might enjoy Rachel's new novel, Blight! Buy it from your favourite online bookstore or directly from the publisher.

    Also, voting for the Aurora Awards opens June 7th! You can vote for us. Or other people. But please vote for us.
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    55 mins
  • Blight, ft. Rachel A. Rosen

    Blight, ft. Rachel A. Rosen
    May 15 2025

    Break out the cake, balloons, and gigantic bone tentacles, it's season 2 of Wizards & Spaceships! Rachel has a new book out, Blight, the sequel to her first novel, Cascade. In this episode, you get a behind-the-scenes look at the newest instalment in the Sleep of Reason series.


    And did you know that tomorrow is Rachel's birthday? Why not celebrate by buying one or more of her books?


    • Pre-order Blight (The Sleep of Reason Book 2):


    • Amazon






    • Other online bookstores






    • Direct from the publisher



    • Buy Cascade (The Sleep of Reason Book 2)Buy (or download the free ebook) The Sad Bastard Cookbook: Food You Can Make So You Don't DieBuy Instant Classic (That No One Will Read)Aurora Awards 2025 BallotWant to stay informed? Here's how to find Rachel all over social media:


    • Newsletter






    • Blog






    • Bluesky






    • Mastodon






    • Instagram






    • Facebook






    • Threads






    • Goodreads
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    49 mins
  • Transhumanism and AI ft. Robert J. Sawyer

    Transhumanism and AI ft. Robert J. Sawyer
    Apr 15 2025
    It's been an entire year of Wizards & Spaceships! Thank you for coming along with us on this wild and magical space ride. You can't turn on the news or doomscroll social media without hearing about how AI will revolutionize everything. Unfortunately, the worst people in the world seem to be in charge of it. In this episode, we talk to sci-fi legend Robert J. Sawyer about what AI and transhumanism really mean for humanity and our planet and how we can stand up to corporate hype and greed. Show notes:
      • Robert's website


      • Robert's Bluesky


      • AI's environmental problems


      • AI's thirst for electricity
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    1 hr
  • TTRPG Design ft. Jesse Pohlman

    TTRPG Design ft. Jesse Pohlman
    Mar 15 2025
    There’s a huge crossover between tabletop role-playing game players, genre fans, and genre writers, and many of us fell in love with genre fiction by playing D&D in the basement. In this episode, we're joined by author and game designer Jesse Pohlman to talk about the considerations that go into building your own TTPRG. Show notes:
      • Jesse’s website


      • Jesse’s Bluesky


      • Blight cover reveal
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    37 mins
  • Toxic Schlock Syndrome ft. Shawn Whitney

    Toxic Schlock Syndrome ft. Shawn Whitney
    Feb 15 2025
    Pulp fiction is a cornerstone of the genres we love. In this episode, we talk to screenwriter, ghostwriter, and author of the new zombie novel Deads Rise, Shawn Whitney, about manly men doing manly things, the perils of writing romance, and close encounters with sexy lizard aliens. Show notes:
      • Shawn's website


      • Shawn's Twitter


      • The Pulp Magazines Project


      • Pulps In Special Collections
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    41 mins
  • Can*Con Can-Can ft. Ira Nayman and Shirley Meier

    Can*Con Can-Can ft. Ira Nayman and Shirley Meier
    Jan 15 2025
    Rachel and David take the show on the road to Can*Con 2024 in Ottawa. We recorded the launch of The Dance, a multiverse anthology, as well as some general table silliness. Show notes:
      • Buy The Dance online


      • Can*Con


      • Ira's website


      • Shirley at Fantastic Fiction
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    36 mins
  • Worldbuilding ft. Ursula Whitcher

    Worldbuilding ft. Ursula Whitcher
    Dec 15 2024

    put notes here
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    30 mins
  • The Great Hugo Awards Controversy ft. Diane Lacey

    The Great Hugo Awards Controversy ft. Diane Lacey
    Nov 15 2024
    Welcome to the first episode of Wizards & Spaceships to pass the Bechdel Test! In 2023, the Hugo Awards, administered by the World Science Fiction Society, were rocked by scandal. That year, the convention was hosted in Chengdu, China, and a number of popular and acclaimed works, from R. F. Kuang's Babel to Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow, were deemed ineligible...even though they had enough nominations to appear on the ballot. The controversy engulfed the world of speculative fiction, but what really happened? In this episode, we talk to WorldCon whistleblower Diane Lacey to get her take on what went wrong, who's to blame, and what we can learn from this moving forward.
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    46 mins