Join host Lee Schneider for an insightful discussion with poet, author, and library professional Sofía Aguilar as she she shares her journey through both indie and traditional publishing. She offers a candid look at the barriers in publishing and the importance of creating accessible literary communities. Whether you're interested in publishing pathways, library advocacy, or building inclusive literary spaces, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone working at the intersection of writing, community organizing, and information science.
Topics include: indie vs. traditional publishing, library resources, book challenges, literary festivals, the writing process, and the current state of publishing.
Creators & Guests
In this conversation, host Lee Schneider explores the intersection of nature, storytelling, and climate change with Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper, and the upcoming novel The Forest Becomes Her.
Our discussion digs into how nature functions as a character in her work, the delicate balance between hope and realism when writing about catastrophic futures, and why she believes storytelling can inspire environmental action. Dalton shares her perspective on the importance of reconnecting with survival skills and food sources, while exploring how communities might adapt to a climate-changed world ten years after a major ecological collapse.
We also examine the role of government misinformation in environmental issues, the power of novels as "laboratories for climate futures," and how each person can find their sphere of influence in addressing climate challenges. Dalton also reflects on the current state of publishing today. Join Julie's mailing list on Substack.
Creators & Guests
In this conversation with Lee Schneider, Pat Walker discusses the importance of bookstores as community hubs and places of cultural culture.
Drawing from his experiences as a bookseller in Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA, Pat believes that the genre of science fiction/fantasy is more popular than it has been in the past. He's also a big fan of the classics.
Patrick has been at Vroman's long enough to witness a remarkable transformation: teenagers who first wandered through the bookstore doors years ago now return as adults, bringing their own children with them. These customers have grown to trust him with their storytelling journeys and literary adventures-a responsibility that holds deep meaning for him.
Bookshops discussed in this episode include Vromans, Book Soup, Diesel, Skylight, and Iliad Books.
Creators & Guests
Richie Billing made a bold leap from a legal career to become an acclaimed fantasy writer and teacher. What makes his story inspiring? His unwavering commitment to empowering fellow writers. Richie is the author of Pariah’s Lament. His latest book is Together We Rise. Lee Schneider and Richie discuss the structure of Together We Rise, why the fight scenes were so realistic, and Richie’s deeper motivations for writing it. Richie gives excellent writing tips for anyone who wants to get started on their fantasy novel.
As the host of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast and author of A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook, Richie helps writers find their voice and build confidence in their work. Learn more about Richie, his work, teaching, books, and Patreon, at his website.
Creators & Guests
As a kid, Carrie Firestone worried about poverty, environmental destruction, and war. But rather than letting that anxiety overwhelm her, she transformed it into something powerful action through teaching, storytelling, and civic engagement. Now, as a writer and community leader in Connecticut, she’s channeling that same energy into inspiring the next generation.
Her novel The First Rule of Climate Club tackles the environmental challenges that young people face. Issues like food waste at school, idling cars in pickup lanes, fast fashion consumption, social exclusion, and leaders who won’t listen to fresh ideas. But Carrie’s story isn’t about the problems-it’s about the solutions that happen when young people step up to lead.
Because sometimes, as Carrie shows us, the future belongs to those brave enough to demand it.
In this conversation, Todd Medema discusses his debut novel HOW TO SURF A HURRICANE, exploring with host Lee Schneider the techniques of writing a solarpunk thriller and the role technology might have in addressing climate change. Todd emphasizes the importance of hope and human resilience in solarpunk narratives, contrasting this approach with the often dystopian views prevalent in other science fiction genres. The discussion also delves into the current state of science fiction writing and publishing.
Visit Todd's author website and check out the wiki with details about the characters and story. Learn more about his Solarpunk Penpals project.
Creators & Guests
Step into the vibrant world of independent bookselling with this captivating episode of Future Lab. Host Lee Schneider sits down with Joey Puente, the passionate sci-fi and fantasy specialist at Diesel bookstore in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. With an impressive 20-year tenure at Diesel, Joey brings unparalleled expertise in connecting readers with their perfect next read.
This conversation explores the evolving landscape of science fiction and fantasy publishing, from the current "romantasy" boom driven by BookTok to the emergence of queer voices reshaping genre fiction. Joey shares insights into trending subgenres like LitRPG, how the shift from dystopian narratives toward hopeful futures is being led by new voices, and how independent bookstores serve as vital cultural hubs in their communities.
Discover Joey's current staff picks, learn about Diesel's author events featuring luminaries like William Gibson and Cory Doctorow, and gain insider perspective on how genre fiction serves as both escapism and social commentary, reflecting our contemporary anxieties while imagining better tomorrows. For a list of the books Joey discusses in this episode, go to this link.
The store Instagram account is here.
Creators & Guests
In today’s episode, host Lee Schneider sits down with Eiren Caffall, musician and author of the powerful climate fiction novel All the Water in the World.
Set in a flooded future New York City, Caffall’s debut novel tells an intimate family survival story that cuts through the overwhelming scope of climate catastrophe by focusing on how we protect each other when everything falls apart. Rather than relying on apocalyptic set pieces, she crafts what she calls a “bedtime story”—a hopeful narrative about resilience, community, and the human capacity to rebuild.
Caffall brings a unique perspective to climate fiction, drawing from her background as both a musician and the daughter of an EPA hydrogeologist. She discusses how her dual creative practices inform each other, why she chose the Museum of Natural History in New York as a sanctuary in her novel’s drowned world, and how communities of care can emerge from disaster.
This conversation explores the evolving landscape of climate fiction, the power of personal narrative in processing global crisis, and why stories about “what comes after” might be exactly what we need right now.
Creators & Guests
Join host Lee Schneider in this fascinating conversation about writing and activism as Aya De León discusses her unique approach to writing climate fiction, working in the genre of feminist heist novels. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling in addressing social justice issues, including climate change and racism, while also sharing insights into her writing process and productivity. De León advocates for empowering young readers and highlights the role of activism in her work. She also reflects on the current state of the literary industry and offers valuable advice for aspiring writers.
Aya shares candid insights about her writing process, including how NaNoWriMo transformed her approach to first drafts, and offers powerful advice for writers looking to combine creativity with activism. She also previews her upcoming novel Undisclosed and discusses the current state of publishing.
Perfect for fans of speculative fiction, climate literature, and anyone interested in the intersection of storytelling and social change.
Creators & Guests
Join Lee Schneider as he speaks with debut author R.E. Kurz, whose fascinating journey into published paranormal fantasy is as twisty as her plot lines in her debut novel THE FALL OF LINDA WATERS. Discover how studies in biology and medieval studies shaped a story filled with nature spirits, realistic teenage drama, and a romance that doesn't shy away from the messy realities of growing up.
Whether you're a writer, a fantasy fan, or just curious about how medieval literature might influence modern storytelling, this conversation will leave you inspired to listen to your own creative voices and discover a new book.
Learn more about R.E. Kurz and THE FALL OF LINDA WATERS on the author's website.
Creators & Guests
In this conversation, Lee Schneider and Robin Sloan explore the joys of making things, the intersection of technology and creativity, and the evolving landscape of storytelling. They discuss the importance of kindness in fiction, the challenges posed by AI, and the value of offline creativity. Robin shares insights on his writing process, the significance of note-taking, and his reflections on the state of science fiction and fantasy today. Subscribe to Robin's newsletter on his website.
Creators & Guests
Eleanor Keisman discusses her journey from writing a short story to creating her novella New Animal, exploring the themes of human-animal interaction and communication, climate change, and how non-human animals see the world we share with them.
We talk about the challenges of writing animal protagonists and the long shadow cast by American author Jack London in writing about the natural world. Keisman emphasizes the need for hope in storytelling and offers advice for aspiring writers navigating the publishing landscape.
Check out her blog on Substack: https://eleanorkeisman.substack.com
Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Writing a Novella
04:11 Character Development and Research
09:34 Nature and Climate Change in Writing
11:51 Exploring Climate Change Themes
16:28 Learning from Animals and Indigenous Wisdom
19:35 Speculative Fiction as a Path Forward
23:11 Breaking into Science Fiction and Fantasy
30:13 Building an Audience for New Animal
31:38 Reflections on Career and Aspirations
36:59 Writing Animal Characters with Depth
Sue Toth is a book editor and coach who specializes in romance, mystery, and thrillers. She keeps writers inspired, helps them work through writers' block, and helps their books be born into the world.
I asked Sue about the special challenges of writing climate fiction, and she offered to have a conversation on the show about how her developmental editing work with thrillers could apply to climate fiction.
Creators & Guests
Tory Stephens works at Grist Magazine as their climate fiction creative manager and uses storytelling to champion climate justice, and imagine green, clean, and just futures. He's going to tell us about a climate fiction contest, called Imagine 2200, that he says changed him and challenged him on a personal level.
It also inspired thousands of writers to explore what it would be like to write hopeful fiction about the future.
Find out more about Imagine 2200.
Creators & Guests
The Future Lab tells the stories that shape the future. It’s where thriller, science fiction, climate fiction, and fantasy authors discuss how we shape the future with the stories we tell today.
If the interview coming up with Matt Gemmell has a theme, I’d say it is, when writing long-form fiction, don’t follow templates. Instead let intention guide you.
Matt is the author of four books of fiction, including the popular KESTREL techo-thriller trilogy. He has also published four nonfiction books, and six collections of short stories about the supernatural. He’ll send you a free short story by email if you sign up for his newsletter. All the links are in the show notes, and you’ll find Matt online at mattgemmell.scot.
Matt was once a software engineer doing design and user experience work for companies like Apple, and he approaches writing with an engineer’s mind combined with the improvisational approach of a session musician.
Here’s a quote from our conversation: Matt said: “There's this sense of being so engrossed and encompassed in the work of an actual book that I only learn the lessons of it and improve after a major piece of work."
I take that to mean that it’s by doing the writing that we improve, certainly, and we learn by a kind of spidey-sense to hone everthing down to what is absolutely needed. Writing along the path of your story becomes like muscle memory.
You get to know your characters so well that you could drop them into any scene, even an outlandish one, and you would know how they would react and what they would say. You cultivate a deep intentionality that shapes your creative spark.
As Matt says, “You will always, always, always get better results in anything by doing it deliberately and for a reason."
Toward the end of our conversation, we talk about Matt’s writing setup, why he likes mechanical keyboards, and the pleasure he derives from a good e-ink tablet.
Find Matt online:
Website: https://mattgemmell.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattGemmellAuthor
Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@mattgemmell
Creators & Guests
Welcome to the Future Lab with me, Lee Schneider. This is the trailer before the trailer, the advance word, the beginning of the beginning, just tapping the mic to be sure everything works. I'm excited about what we're going to be doing in this space, and I just had to tell you about it.
Creators & Guests
Rachel Allen is the owner of Bolt from the Blue Copywriting. She describes her work as mixing the neuroscience of communication with the art of great writing to help businesses take the cap off their income, impact and influence. We’re going to talk about publishing your book and who you’ll need on your team to succeed at it.
Timestamps
[00:01:14] Skills in book editing.
[00:04:23] Consistency in longer form writing.
[00:07:09] Struggles of first-time authors.
[00:09:43] Importance of cover design.
[00:13:19] Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.
[00:16:33] Enhancing chances of traditional publishing.
[00:20:03] Advising on genre choices.
[00:22:24] Ghostwriting and book intimacy.
[00:25:38] Writing with emotional depth.
Find out more about Rachel at her website.
Creators & Guests
JV Hilliard is the author of the multi-book Warminster Saga. Here's how he often introduces himself.
“Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations. His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him.”
We talk about how he builds the world of his saga, his point of view about promoting his work, and what it's been like to expand the his storytelling into a video game and a graphic novel. JV gets a lot from the contribution of beta readers and discusses how the process of editing works for him.
Creators & Guests
In today’s episode, you’ll meet Karen Gershowitz, author ofTravel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust.
In pursuit of a passion for travel, Karen has lost and gained friends and made a radical career change. She has visited remote areas of Indonesia on her own, and became a translator, though only fluent in English. We’ll hear about some of her memories with people she met around the world.
When Karen started promoting her book, she had a few hundred Facebook friends and about 500 LinkedIn connections. Now, those numbers are in the thousands. She’ll tell us how she developed her online audience and sustains it. And we’ll also learn about her next book and how she plans to promote it online. Find Karen on Facebook and the links below.
Creators & Guests
In today’s episode, you’ll meet Rod Faulkner, self-professed Blerd, (Black nerd) founder of The7thMatrix and host of EYE ON SCI-Fi Podcast. He’s a lifelong lover of science fiction and fantasy.
Rod shares his enthusiasm for short-form science-fiction films. We discussed how a short-form film, with its time limitations, can be an exercise in creative constraints.
The most unique and original science fiction and fantasy narratives, in my opinion, are being told by independent film makers in the short film space. I'm attracted to that medium is because they only have a few minutes to tell their story. It forces them to be succinct. It forces them to make bold choices about how they convey the narrative that they're trying to tell audiences.
He points out that one of the great things about short films is that by pretty much the first minute, you’ll know whether it’s for you or not.
A filmmaker he recommends is Anthony Ferraro. Anthony specializes in making instructional videos for DIY-ing genre shorts. Here’s [Anthony’s YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@createscifi).
Creators & Guests