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The Coode Street Podcast

Jonathan Strahan & Gary K. Wolfe

Discussion and digression on science fiction and fantasy with Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan.

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Avg 3 hr 2 min
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Episodes 27

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#744
October 25 · 52 min
Episode 733: Wole Talabi, The Fist of Memory and the Importance of Connectedness
This week, with Gary in Oakland for the 2026 World Fantasy Convention, we’re delighted to welcome Wole Talabi back to Coode Street to discuss his new novel, The Fist of Memory, a fascinating blend of science fiction, African cosmology, political intrigue, and first contact. We talk about bringing African spiritual traditions into conversation with science, and the ways Africanfuturism opens up new possibilities for imagining humanity’s future. We also explore what an encounter with an alien intelligence might reveal about ourselves and our place in the universe, and more. As always, our conversation wanders where it will, but Wole has plenty to say about science fiction, culture, and the possibilities of the form. We hope you enjoy the discussion!
#742
October 11 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 732: Reading, genre and more
As we move into October and the end of the year begins to come into view, we sit down to talk about whether the SF ghetto still exists, especially after M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and whether SF itself has become thoroughly integrated into the mainstream. We also discuss whether terms like space opera and epic fantasy have meaning beyond their utility in selling books, and just when it's OK to give up on reading a book. We also mention a few novels that we’ve been reading and recommending.
#743
October 11 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 732: Reading, genre and more (reissue)
As we move into October and the end of the year begins to come into view, we sit down to talk about whether the SF ghetto still exists, especially after M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and whether SF itself has become thoroughly integrated into the mainstream. We also discuss whether terms like space opera and epic fantasy have meaning beyond their utility in selling books, and just when it's OK to give up on reading a book. We also mention a few novels that we’ve been reading and recommending.
#741
September 27 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 731: Cadwell Turnbull and a change of perspective
Coode Street picks up our recent conversation about short fiction with James Patrick Kelly and Michael Swanwick with Cadwell Turnbull, whose excellent short fiction collection All the Hidden Places is one of the highlights of the year and is out this month. As always, our conversation wanders a little, but we touch upon how he assembled the collection, his experiences in both Clarion and an MFA program, SF and fantasy writing from the Caribbean, formative influences such as Orwell and Le Guin, writing about AI, his own earlier Convergence Trilogy, and writing as part of a group with the Darkly Lem group. Our thanks to Cadwell for making time to take to us. We hope you enjoy the conversation!
#740
September 13 · 58 min
Episode 730: James Patrick Kelly, Michael Swanwick and The Book of Bots
This week’s episode is a wide-ranging discussion of robots and AI in fiction, and particularly in the work of our two distinguished guests: James Patrick Kelly, whose The Book of Bots is just out from Fairwood Press, and Michael Swanwick, whose The Universe Box appeared from Tachyon earlier this year. We talk not only about how each author’s treatment of AI themes has evolved over the years, but how SF in general has dealt with them for more than a century, and what it might have to tell us about our own anxieties and the Awful Warnings that now seem to show up in our inboxes almost daily. As always, Michael and Jim are thoughtful, witty, and engaging. We hope you enjoy the conversation and will join us next time!
#739
August 30 · 59 min
Episode 729: Garth Nix and Massif
It's been far too long since one of our favorite guests, Garth Nix, has visited us on Coode Street, but with the forthcoming publication of his adult science fiction novel, Massif, it’s a great opportunity to catch up with one of the world’s leading fantasists. We talk about the different challenges of writing SF or fantasy, how his own military experience informs some key parts of the novel, and how he came up with an entire mountain range flying off into space, nine foot tall hamster-like aliens whose drumming can be dangerous, and a far-future space crew limited to technologies like typewriters and shotguns. We also touch upon Garth's ongoing work, such as The Left-Handed Booksellers of London series, and, as always, what books and authors he’s been reading.
#738
August 16 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 728: Alix E. Harrow and The Slantwise Histories
Time certainly flies. Although it has been nearly four years since we last chatted with Alix E. Harrow, she has quickly become one of our very favourite guests. This week we are delighted to welcome her back. Her novel The Everlasting is currently nominated for both the Hugo and World Fantasy awards, and her excellent first collection of short stories, The Slantwise Histories, will be published in October. In a lively discussion, we touch upon reading and writing short fiction as opposed to novels, the myriad ways fairy tales have been used from the Brothers Grimm on, the challenges and rewards of writing novels that differ so dramatically from one another (in Alix’s case, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Once and Future Witches, Starling House, and The Everlasting), and navigating the expectations of both readers and publishers. As ever, Alix’s insights are both sharp and delightful.
#737
August 5 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 727: Ray Bradbury's Million Year Picnic (with Jeffrey Ford and Kelly Link)
Can you believe a storyteller? Ray Bradbury was a consummate storyteller who, in the introduction to his 1950 short story collection The Martian Chronicles, offered a possible origin story for the work. He had, he recalled, been 24 years of age when he read Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg Ohio, a collection of stories about small-town life. The book inspired him to wonder if he could do something similar for American small-town life, but set on Mars. In amongst his other commitments, he set sail on a journey that ultimately would see him produce close to three dozen short stories set on the red planet. The first, "The Million Year Picnic" appeared in 1946, but they followed over the next four years. At some point between then and 1948 Bradbury set the notion of a book to one side and it was only when he travelled to New York in 1949 that he picked the task up once more. Doubleday editor Walter Bradbury was interested in publishing Bradbury, but needed a novel to anchor the deal. It was he who suggested that Bradbury should sketch out a plan for a book, and who then signed it up and published it the following year. The Martian Chronicles went on to international acclaim, selling millions of copies across many, many editions, and remaining one of Bradbury's most famous works. The recent 80th anniversary of the first appearance of "The Million Year Picnic" and the passing this week of August 4, 2026 (the date specified in "There Will Come Soft Rains") inspired Gary and Jonathan to sit down with Jeffrey Ford and Kelly Link to discuss the continuing relevance of Bradbury's classic work.
#736
July 26 · 1 hr 13 min
Episode 726: Jonathan's busiest year ever
In this week’s episode, we sort of turn the tables on Jonathan to discuss the art of assembling anthologies, and in particular no fewer than four books he has coming out over the next few months: Revolution in the Heart: Stories Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Book of the Dead, Vaster Than Empires:, Speculative Fiction of the Eternal and the Ephemeral , and The Locus Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year: Volume 1. Not surprisingly, there is a story behind each of these. One honors one of our greatest writers, another continues a popular series that began with The Book of Dragons and The Book of Witches, a third comes from MIT Press, and the fourth includes stories voted on by jurors at Locus magazine. Along the way we both get to mention some of our favorite writers, along with new discoveries and other surprises—in other words, why anthologies are almost always fun to read. Order links: Revolution in the Heart, Titan Books, September The Book of the Dead, Harper Voyager, October 2026 Vaster than Empires, MIT Press, November 2026 The Locus Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year: Volume 1, Locus Press, November 2026
#735
July 12 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 725: Amal El-Mohtar and the Seasons of Glass and Iron
This week, Jonathan and Gary are joined by multiple award winning writer and critic Amal El-Mohtar, whose first story collection Seasons of Glass and Iron appeared earlier this year, and whose novella The River has Roots has won Nebula and Locus awards for 2026. We talk about our favorite stories in the collection, a diverse range of writers including Patricia McKillip, J.R.R. Tolkien, Hope Mirrlees, Virginia Woolf, and Charle de Lint, and about Amal’s own experiences as a writer of Lebanese descent living in Canada and Glasgow. We hope that what the discussion lacks in focus, it makes up with Amal’s sharp insights as a writer of fiction, poetry, and criticism (in her occasional New York Times Book Review columns).
#734
June 16 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 724: On Jane Yolen, small presses, and more
Many podcasts far more professional than ours have offered discrete segments covering different topics, so this week we decided to carefully organize the episode—wait, no we didn’t; we’re just rambling again. But we do begin with a small tribute to Jane Yolen, both a great writer and a great friend, which leads into some musings on how reputations are made and sustained. We then touch upon the recent Nebula Awards, the role of small presses like Subterranean, and some exciting new books we’re reading, including Jacly Moriarty’s Time Travel for Beginners. By our standards, all this is carefully planned and laser-focused.
#733
May 24 · 53 min
Episode 723: Molly Tanzer and the Nature of Art
Jonathan and Gary are delighted to welcome the wonderful Molly Tanzer, whose new novella And Side by Side They Wander is just out this week. Although it involves apparently benign alien visitors, a post-apocalyptic post-United States, corporate overreach, and a fair bit of space opera, the novella's main focus is art, who really owns it, how we interact with it, and whether even a molecularly exact reproduction is ever the same as the original. Molly also shares with us what it's like to revisit the world of C.L. Moore's classic pulp hero Jirel of Joiry in a new series of stories, and what she has planned for the future. As always, it's a wide-ranging discussion which at times almost gets downright philosophical.
#732
May 3 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 722: Jeffrey Ford's Pandemonium Waltz
Jeffrey Ford's eight full length collection, Pandemonium Waltz, was published by Lethe Press back in February. Ever since we've been meaning to sit down with him to discuss the new book, his approach to short story writing, how he assembles short story collections, and more. We're delighted to have had the chance this week, to discuss the book, how retirement in rural Ohio is reflected in some of his recent fiction, and why some stories may not have shown up in any of his collections so far. As always, we hope you enjoy the discussion, and our thanks to Jeff for making the time to talk to us. Order Order Pandemonium Waltz from the publisher (with extra art!)
#731
April 19 · 58 min
Episode 721: On Ballard, biography and books
This week, Jonathan and Gary sit down and talk some new and forthcoming books, including our mutual choices for favorite book of the year so far. Gary starts by describing a book which he just finished and found particularly moving: The Illuminated Man: Life, Death and the Worlds of J. G. Ballard, Christopher Priest and Nina Allan, which he says reads more like a novel than a biography, with Priest’s final illness becoming a significant theme in portions written by Allan. They also discuss The Recollections: Fragments from a Life in Writing, a collection of Priest's writings from Briardene Books. Gary then goes on to recommend Frances Spufford's Nonesuch as his book of the year so far, Jonathan recommends S.L. Huang’s new novella The Language of Liars and then talks about what it’s like to reread The Fellowship of the Ring after a long tome. Of course, there are the usual digressions into things like the New Wave, the popularity of romantasy, the immense length of some literary classics, and other matters. As always, we hope you enjoy the episode!
#730
March 22 · 56 min
Episode 720: Alexandra Pierce, Ian Mond, and The Totally Temporary Book Club
With Gary away at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts in Florida, and celebrating his 80th birthday (!!!!!), Jonathan sat down to chat with Alexandra Pierce and Ian Mond about why we read books, why we talk about and review them, and three great new books from 2026 that we loved. Along the way, we talked about Johanna Bell's The Department of the Vanishing, S.L. Huang's The Language of Liars, and Francis Spufford's Nonesuch, which led to the spontaneous inaugural meeting of The Totally Temporary Book Club, because by sheer chance all three had read and loved it. The books in this episode are: Johanna Bell's The Department of the Vanishing; S.L. Huang's The Language of Liars; and Francis Spufford's Nonesuch.
#729
March 8 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 719: Ishiguro, Dinniman, and genre expectations in story
As usual, Jonathan and Gary raise a number of thorny questions about reading SF and fantasy, and resolve none of them. Beginning with Jonathan’s account of his recent reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, we speculate on what sort of expectations we bring as readers to novels in which the interiority of the characters is privileged over the SF elements, whether a novel can do both, and whether the reading protocols are different for different genres. This leads toward a customarily rambling discussion that touches upon everything from Jo Walton and Ada Palmer’s new nonfiction book Trace Elements to novels by Le Guin, Wolfe, Bujold and others, and eventually leads us to a consideration of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl novels, along with books we’re either reading right now or looking forward to in the next few weeks.
#728
February 22 · 58 min
Episode 718: Michael Swanwick and The Universe Box
Today Jonathan and Gary are joined by Nebula, World Fantasy, and five-time Hugo Award winner Michael Swanwick to discuss the origins of some of his stories, the life and craft of the professional writer, and his extraordinary new short story collection, The Universe Box. As always, our thanks to Michael for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the conversation!
#727
February 8 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 717: Activism, reviewing, books to look forward to, and a little about the weather
As always, the Coode Street Motel Six bestrides continents, so after briefly comparing notes on the weather in Perth and Chicago, Gary and Jonathan get down to it and chat about the subjects of the moment. How do you talk about books and what was the weather like? The importance of settings in fiction, especially regarding climate and weather, and the broader question of whether readers can ever fully appreciate a setting dissimilar to their own and how book reviewers might take this into account. This includes a brief discussion of translated fiction—a welcome new category in this year’s Locus Awards. Anthologies and activism The significance of advocacy anthologies that may reflect anything from feminist SF (as in Vonda McIntyre and Susan Janice Anderson’s Aurora: Beyond Equality (1976) to antiwar works to promoting the New Wave. Books we’re looking forward to In a new segment, we list a few books that we are looking forward to that will be published in the coming weeks. Jonathan talks about A.G. Slatter's A Forest, Darkly, Adrian Tchaikovsky's Pretenders to the Throne of God, Paul McAuley's Loss Protocol, and A.D Sui's debut The Iron Garden Sutra. Gary’s list includes Rebecca Roanhorse’s River of Bones and Other Stories and The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky, a novella by Ian McDonald, Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur, and nonfiction study of SFF by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton, Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
#726
January 26 · 44 min
Episode 716: Dystopias, cozy fiction and other dilemmas
There are snowstorms blowing where Gary is and Jonathan can see rain falling outside in Perth's midsummer, but the Motel Six has been safely relocated and the Gershwin Room is open once again. Conversation starts off, perhaps incoherently, with dystopias and dystopian fiction, segues to Travis Baldree and the somewhat misdescribed notion of cozy fiction, and then wanders here and there before Jonathan has to head off for a family event. Nothing was resolved, but almost no conversational gambits were harmed during recording. As always, we hope you enjoy the ramble, and will be back with more before you know it!
S15 · E725
January 11 · 58 hr 41 min
Episode 715: The one we recorded in between recording the other ones
Jonathan and Gary kick off 2026 with no guests, but with the sort of wide-ranging ramble that some listeners seem to enjoy, and that others probably gave up on years ago. We talk about some books due in the new year, especially story collections by Samantha Mills, Amal El-Mohtar and others, how story collections can contribute to an author’s career, and whether it’s necessary to read the stories in the order in which the author presented them. But we also get discuss re-reading old favorites, whether Australian or UK authors get a fair shake in the US these days, and what our listeners would like to hear about in the new year. Feel free to offer ideas, comments, and suggestions at Coodestreet (@) gmail.com.

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