Unknown Worlds of the Merril Collection

This is part 2 of our final episode of the season! Stephen talks with Peter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia (and much more), about alien intelligence, how vampires work, and the choice to use Creative Commons licensing.

This episode contains spoilers for Blindsight.

Website/blog

Merril Links

The Merril Collection!
Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian (sheepshank)

Behemoth by Peter Watts

Cory Doctorow

John Scalzi

Neill Blomkamp

Arthur Jafa

Spike Lee

Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick)

The Twenty-One Second God by Peter Watts

Sunflower cycle by Peter Watts

Host: Stephen Geraghty
Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

We do not advocate running down the street naked, shooting shotguns.

This is part 1 of our final episode of the season! Stephen talks with Peter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia (and much more), about UFOs, his influences, and the functional utility of consciousness.

This episode contains spoilers for Blindsight.

Website/blog

Merril Links

The Merril Collection!
Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

Star Trek: The Original Series

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Neuropath by Scott Bakker

Larry Niven 

Ray Bradbury

Solaris by Stanislav Lem 

Solaris (1972; dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)

Solaris (2002; dir. Steven Soderberg)

The Creator (2023)

Charles Stross

Richard Dawkins (sorry, Janet couldn't find the work mentioned)

Alien movie series

Host: Stephen Geraghty
Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with Charles Stross, author of the Laundry Files series (and much more), about humour in speculative fiction, the element of surprise, and what makes him laugh.

Charlie's Diary
Mastodon
Bluesky

Merril Links

The Merril Collection!
Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works, games, & artists mentioned

H.P. Lovecraft

Laundry Files series by Charles Stross

New Management series by Charles Stross

A Colder War by Charles Stross

Len Deighton

John Le Carré

Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

James Bond series by Ian Fleming

Adam Hall

Anthony Price

Modesty Blaise

Quentin Tarentino

Vampire: The Masquerade (game)

Merchant Princes series by Charles Stross

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams

Gil’s All-Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

J.W. Wells & Co. series by Tom Holt

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Call of Cthulu (game)

The Laundry (game)

George R.R. Martin

Dungeons & Dragons (game)

Host: Stephen Geraghty
Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with Kenna Alexander, creator of the RPG Coyote & Crow, about alternate futures, creating an Indigenous roleplaying game, and decolonising gaming.

At the time of this interview, Kenna was known by a different name and pronouns. We acknowledge and celebrate her true identity.

Coyote & Crow Games
Discord
YouTube
Bluesky
Reddit

Merril Links

The Merril Collection!
Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works, games, & artists mentioned

Dungeons & Dragons

Settlers of Catan

Other Coyote & Crow games and adventures

Hemlock and Sage by Tali Inlow

Robert Heinlein

Isaac Asimov

Ray Bradbury

Host: Stephen Geraghty
Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the spring of 2024.

Stephen talks with author Alyx Dellamonica about optimistic SF, balancing optimism with realism, and their Bounceback book series.

 

Merril Links

The Merril Collection!
Friends of Merril (Facebook & Twitter)

Works & artists mentioned

Ray Bradbury

Spider Robinson

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov

Star Trek: The Original Series

Horse Woman by LX Beckett

Gamechanger & Dealbreaker by LX Beckett

Annalee Newitz

Nnedi Okorafor

Host: Stephen Geraghty
Producer: Janet Mowat

This episode was recorded in the autumn of 2023.