Hugos There Podcast

Epizody

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  Author Interview: Fold Catastrophes, by Peter Watts 27.09.2026 1h 5min

  Checking the “Explicit” box for this one because I didn’t want to edit Peter’s authenticity much. This is a casual conversation with Peter Watts, about his new short story collection, Fold Catastrophes, a terrific collection of some previously published stories and one brand new story.
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  Foundational Fantasy: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia McKillip, with Karen Beck and Rachel Young 01.09.2026 1h 14min

  “Fantasy is …when you take something either completely made up or something that starts in the real world and you add something to it.” …less of a technological fiction and more of a biological fiction…inventing races or magical abilities.” “Fantasy…includes elements of fairy tales and myths and legends.” This time I’m revisiting a book I … Continue reading "Foundational Fantasy: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia McKillip, with Karen Beck and Rachel Young"
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  2026 Hugo Award for Best Short Story nominees panel! 06.08.2026 1h 38min

  It’s the Hugo shortlist time of year! I’m doing my part (a very small part) by hosting some of my Internet Friends to discuss the 2026 finalists for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story! This was a super quick edit, so it’s perhaps not quite a tight or clean as a typical episode. But … Continue reading "2026 Hugo Award for Best Short Story nominees panel!"
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  Foundational Fantasy: Beauty, by Robin McKinley, with guest Megan Cutter 01.08.2026 54min

  My sister Megan joins me for a discussion of the much-loved book she’s had since the early 80s, Beauty, by Robin McKinley, a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast.” Megan’s copy of the book, held together by a hair tie.
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  Hothouse, by Brian Aldiss (Hot Ones challenge), with Mythius, Sophia, and Sarah 01.07.2026 1h 43min

  A few of us from the Portland (and broader Pacific NW) chapter of the Nebulugo Book Club Discord got together in Portland to do a Hot Ones style challenge, with the questions done Book Club style as the sauces got hotter (well, that was the intent, but our sauces were all over the place). Audio … Continue reading "Hothouse, by Brian Aldiss (Hot Ones challenge), with Mythius, Sophia, and Sarah"
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  Foundational Fantasy: Titus Groan, by Mervyn Peake, with guest Dan Harris 01.06.2026 52min

  “Fantasy is when we are presenting a world that isn’t our world, even if it’s just slightly off from our world.” Dan Harris from the Nebulugo Book Club Discord joins me for a Foundational Fantasy about Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series, starting with Titas Groan. I highly recommend the print or ebook for this one, as … Continue reading "Foundational Fantasy: Titus Groan, by Mervyn Peake, with guest Dan Harris"
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  Interview with Ray Jamison, author of The Madcaps (and a sprinkling of Foundational Fantasy) 09.05.2026 1h 3min

  “Fantasy reflects…a simpler lifestyle and…an exaggeration of physical ability…and many different types of people.” Ray Jamison joins me for a quick Foundational Fantasy discussion about Fantasy Films, but is mostly here to plug his cool fantasy comic project, The Madcaps, currently running a Kickstarter campaign. I thought the project looked cool, so I invited him … Continue reading "Interview with Ray Jamison, author of The Madcaps (and a sprinkling of Foundational Fantasy)"
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  City, by Clifford Simak, with Christine Baker 01.05.2026 1h 11min

  Back to a regular episode this time with Clifford Simak’s City, winner of the International Fantasy Award in 1953, and I’m joined by the newest entry in what I call The Hugo Collective, Christine Baker from the excellent podcast, Hugo History! We go pretty much full spoilers right away, but this is a 70+ year … Continue reading "City, by Clifford Simak, with Christine Baker"
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  Foundational Fantasy: Magician, by Raymond E. Feist, with guest James Ralston 01.04.2026 39min

  “It’s fantastical, it’s awe-inspiring, it’s extraordinary, it’s something that really doesn’t exist, hence the name fiction…you know, it inspires you.” – James Ralston It’s another Foundational Fantasy episode!Returning guest James (also my Take Me To Your Reader co-host) joins me for a discussion of Raymond E. Feist’s Magician, the first book (or is it two … Continue reading "Foundational Fantasy: Magician, by Raymond E. Feist, with guest James Ralston"
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  Foundational Fantasy: Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny, with guest Paul Weimer 01.03.2026 51min

  “Fantasy is a comfort, an escape, a way to imagine other sorts of realities other than the one I’m in.” – Paul Weimer It’s another Foundational Fantasy episode!Returning guest Paul Weimer joins me for a discussion of Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber, the first book of the Chronicles of Amber. And we chip away, … Continue reading "Foundational Fantasy: Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny, with guest Paul Weimer"
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  Foundational Fantasy: Redwall, by Brian Jacques, with guest Colin Kuskie 01.02.2026 44min

  This is the first in a series I hope to do for much of 2026, called Foundational Fantasy.What does that mean? Tune in to find out. Also find a fun discussion of Brian Jacques’s excellent Redwall, the first in a long-running series of children’s fantasy books. My close friend and podcast co-host Colin joins me … Continue reading "Foundational Fantasy: Redwall, by Brian Jacques, with guest Colin Kuskie"
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  Doorways in the Sand, by Roger Zelazny, with Bob Morrell 01.01.2026 39min

  Bob Morrell joins me again for a brief discussion of the short but hilarious Hugo and Nebula finalist Doorways in the Sand, by Roger Zelazny Notes & Links: https://sites.google.com/site/bbbmorrell/bobs-writing-page https://magazine.trollbreath.com Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a Book off the Mondo List and contact me: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s6JbgvwCB3ptr2cDZWWaEHvbc-BEmC5Y5avdf2kaLqQ/edit?usp=sharing
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  Bonus! Science Fiction and Fantasy Concepts Draft (with Dan, Emmanuel, and Kalin) 28.12.2025 1h 22min

  Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a Book off the Mondo List and contact me: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s6JbgvwCB3ptr2cDZWWaEHvbc-BEmC5Y5avdf2kaLqQ/edit?usp=sharing Three of my Nebulugo Book Club friends join me for a draft of our favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy concepts. Themes: Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Bring Out Your … Continue reading "Bonus! Science Fiction and Fantasy Concepts Draft (with Dan, Emmanuel, and Kalin)"
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  Original Fiction: Bookends, or Libromancy, by Seth Heasley 06.12.2025 2min

  Hi everyone, I hope you enjoy this microfiction fantasy story I wrote and submitted as part of NYC Midnight’s 250-word Microfiction Contest. This story made the cut in Round One, and then I had to submit another original story for Round Two, and that’s as far as I got. But I thought the story was … Continue reading "Original Fiction: Bookends, or Libromancy, by Seth Heasley"
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  Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer, with Mythius from the Nebulugo Discord 01.12.2025 1h 2min

  Mythius from the Nebulugo Book Club Discord Server joins me for a discussion of Jeff Vandermeer’s 2014 Nebula-winner, Annihilation. Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a Book off the Mondo List and contact me: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s6JbgvwCB3ptr2cDZWWaEHvbc-BEmC5Y5avdf2kaLqQ/edit?usp=sharing Other Notes & Links: Nebulugo Discord: https://discord.gg/AJvyZUq2 The writing on the walls of … Continue reading "Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer, with Mythius from the Nebulugo Discord"
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  Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein, with James Hedrick 01.11.2025 56min

  James from the podcast/blog Something About Dragons joins me for a discussion of Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein, which was shortlisted for the 1964 Hugo Award. It’s fantasy wrapped in science fiction wrapped in good old 1950s misogyny! https://somethingaboutdrag.wixsite.com/something-about-drag Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a … Continue reading "Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein, with James Hedrick"
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  The Man Who Saw Seconds, by Alexander Boldizar, with Sophia Suhu and JW Wartick 01.10.2025 50min

  A couple of my friends from the Nebulugo Book Club Discord join me for a more or less spur of the moment episode on a book I’d recommended to them after recently reading it. The book is The Man Who Saw Seconds, by Alexander Boldizar, the most recent winner of the Locus Award. Notes & … Continue reading "The Man Who Saw Seconds, by Alexander Boldizar, with Sophia Suhu and JW Wartick"
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  Great America In Dead World, by David Agranoff (interview with the author) 04.09.2025 1h 19min

  (This one had a quick turnaround and I didn’t go back through and edit it for language, or really, anything. This is about as raw as you’ll get a Hugos There episode, so it’s marked Explicit for language.) I don’t do a ton of author interviews, but I was intrigued by David’s new book and … Continue reading "Great America In Dead World, by David Agranoff (interview with the author)"
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  Lightning, by Dean Koontz (with guests Megan Cutter and Colin Kuskie) 01.09.2025 1h 13min

  Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a Book off the Mondo List and contact me: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s6JbgvwCB3ptr2cDZWWaEHvbc-BEmC5Y5avdf2kaLqQ/edit?usp=sharing It’s another Seth’s Picks episode, taking about an old favorite of mine, Dean Koontz’s Lightning, with guests Megan Cutter (my big sister) and Colin Kuskie. Spoilers start about 07:30. Other Notes & … Continue reading "Lightning, by Dean Koontz (with guests Megan Cutter and Colin Kuskie)"
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  Dispatches from Seattle WorldCon! 28.08.2025 30min

  A bit of a download about WorldCon 2025, about people I met, interviews I did, and some plans for the future. Links and Photos! Translated Hugo Initiative: https://translatedhugo.org/about-us Endeavour Award: https://osfci.org/endeavour/ Brian Aldiss: https://brianaldiss.co.uk/ Ray Bradbury Center: https://give.myiu.org/iu-indianapolis/I380010312.html https://www.instagram.com/bradburycenter https://raybradburycenter.substack.com https://today.iu.edu/iu-indianapolis/live/news/46788-ray-bradbury-center-presents-festival-451indy