Chronscast - The Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror Podcast

Bean and Peat are once again joined by Davinia (Dee) Evans, having talked about Scott Lynch's The Lies Of Locke Lamora last time around.  How she represents a new type of fantasy author; her own journey, from taking a copy of The Hobbit from the school library and having dreams of being published by Robert Jordan's publisher (Orbit), to the eventual publication of her Notorious Sorcerer trilogy.... with Orbit.  Along the way how Dee's own Notorious Sorcerer evolved from fan fiction, being raised on British comedy such as Monty Python, The Goodies, and Fawlty Towers (despite growing up in the tropics), and how the fantasy market is shifting away from exploration and towards finding the fantastical at home.

We're back with a new episode delving into Scott Lynch's debut novel, ths 2006 historical fantasy The Lies Of Locke Lamora, the first in Lynch's "Gentlemen Bastards" series. Set in the city of Camorr, the book introduces us to the Bastards, a group of elite con men who rob and inveigle the rich, and get tangled up in a new criminal mastermind trying to take over the city's underworld. The novel was nominated for several awards upon its release, winning the SF Site Readers' Choice Award in 2006. Bean and Peat are joined by Australian fantasy author Davinia Evans, whose Notorious Sorcerer trilogy novels (Notorious Sorcerer, Shadow Baron and Rebel Blade) have seen her become one of the most exciting new voices in fantasy fiction.  Here they talk about how the setting of Camorr - an ersatz, mystical take on Venice - makes LOLL different from more traditional fantasy worlds, the character dynamics crafted by Lynch, and some highly innovative swearing.

Bean and Dan were once more joined by Tade Thompson, who relates to us his experiences of moving into the world of screenwriting, an entirely different beast than novel writing, and which comes with its own trials and networks to navigate. He discusses the different writing techniques required, the different ways a manuscript works its way through production systems, and how a film or TV show actually gets made. He even has a little scoop for us towards the end of the episode. Elsewhere, we discuss the perils and opportunities of the use of AI in writing, particularly the threat it poses to creative industries, but also where its limitations lie. As a psychotherapist, Tade also relays strong opinions about how a reliance upon AI can have effects upon human cognitive ability. As we meander through the conversation we cover upon Sith lords, breast-punching, and Dan's recycling. Elsewhere, Sligo resident Montoolian McD'Gaskell attempts to win big big money but runs up against an unlikely obstacle: Google Gemini AI. Will Montoolian win enough cash to buy himself another beer? Listen on to find out... Tade Thompson is the author of several modern science fiction hits, including the award-winning Rosewater trilogy, Far From The Light Of Heaven, and other works such as The Murders of Molly Southbourne, and Jackdaw, which has become one of Chronscast's favourite novels of recent years.

Bean and Dan are joined once more by one of the good friends of Chronscast, Tade Thompson, to discuss the great David Lynch's towering masterpiece, Mulholland Drive. Lynch is one of our favourite filmmakers, and his films continue to astound and bewilder like no other director's can. We wanted to do an episode to give our own small tribute to the great man, so you can imagine our delight when our old pal Tade told us of his own love for Lynch. We decided to talk about Mulholand Drive, as it is probably his greatest work, arguably his most successful and influential, and often cited as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. At once a poison-pen-cum-love-letter to Hollywood, the film reflects Lynch's own highly complicated relationship with the moviemaking machine in Los Angeles. It follows the story of Betty, whose own nightmarish descent through the Dante-like hellish circles of Hollywood, encompassing ambition, fame, envy, murder, corruption, glamour, sex, and betrayal is portrayed in an ever-expanding web of intrigue, (self)-deceit and guilt. The film mixes noir thriller with surreal horror, and finds time for some incredible set pieces, including one of the greatest sleights-of-hand in cinema during the scene at Club Silencio. We will be discussing spoilers as usual, but with a film like Mulholland Drive, spoilers arguably don't matter. What matters is that you go and watch it. Tade Thompson is the author of several modern science fiction hits, including the award-winning Rosewater trilogy, Far From The Light Of Heaven, and other works such as The Murders of Molly Southbourne, and Jackdaw, which itself is a nightmarish descent into madness worthy of Lynch himself. Join us in the next episode when Tade will continue to chat with us about the perils of AI technology in the writing and publishing industry, as well as his current screenwriting work.

Join Bean, Peat and Dan as we talk about our various works in progress, our own writing styles, triumphs, and what listeners can expect from our next few episodes.  On the menu are: commercialisation versus art and independent literature, the late great David Lynch, short fiction; what are the rules and whether or not to break them. We talk about shared fictional universes. We talk about our various progresses with our work, whether or not to self-publish. Elsewhere, Bean drinks some tea, Dan talks about his cat, and Peat talks about bastards.