S&L Podcast - #522 - Punchin' Shrimp and Grits
/Robert Jackson Bennett deserves more kudos. We clarify it's a tapas bar, not a topless bar. And our thoughts on the new book, Floating Hotel, and the wrap-up of Interview with the Vampire.
WHAT ARE WE NOMMING?
Tom: Shrimp and Grits
Veronica: Orange Gin Sour
QUICK BURNS
Chris K - Via Locus:
2025 British Fantasy Awards Winners
Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)
WINNER: Masquerade, O.O. Sangoyomi (Forge)
Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (Orbit)
Fathomfolk, Eliza Chan (Orbit)
A Shadow Over Haven, David Green (Eerie River)
The Green Man’s War, Juliet E. McKenna (Wizard’s Tower)
Other winners (and nominees) at the link.
Chris K - Via Reactor:
2025 World Fantasy Awards Winners
Novel
WINNER: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey/Hodderscape)
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (Henry Holt & Co./Quercus)
The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister (Counterpoint Press/Titan Books)
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (Viking/Del Rey)
The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills (Tachyon Publications)
Other winners (and nominees) at the link.
Seth: The Ignyte Awards have been announced, honoring “the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.”
Lots of interesting winners and finalists, many familiar from S&L picks.
Outstanding novel, adult:
The Sentence – Gautam Bhatia (Westland IF)
Outstanding novel, young adult:
Heir – Sabaa Tahir
Outstanding middle-grade:
The Last Rhee Witch – Jenna Lee-Yun
There are lots of other categories too, including Outstanding Artist, Tran Nguyen, who did cover art I recognize from Sanderson’s Yumi and the Nightmare Painter and Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim.
Link
Aaron Bell: DCC is getting a “graphic novel expansion” centered around Florin DuPont.
Link
Tamahome: Netflix adapting Philip K. Dick’s The World Jones Made in Spanish. It’s called The Future is Ours and will be an 8-episode limited series.
Link
Mark: Mr. Tchaikovsky is adding a volume to the Children of Time series, March 2026...
Children of Strife
“The far future. After Earth fell, ark ships had hunted for a new home. They sought lost worlds terraformed in Earth’s forgotten past. A ship crewed by maverick humans, spiders and a spectacularly punchy mantis shrimp captain is about to rediscover one such world, and an ark.”
Link
And Fredurix notes — Adrian Tchaikovsky is writing lizardfolk in Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
Link
Scott M: The 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction goes to Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera.
Link
Jason: Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree is out November 11. I love this series.
Link
BARE YOUR SWORD!
Feedback from the audience
This was your reaction to the last episode:
Tamahome: Tapas bar, not topless bar.
John (Taloni): Why not both?
Trike: Because no one wants to see my he-hooters.
Pumpkinstew: Because my patatas are bravas enough, thanks!
BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION
Kick Off
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
Amazon link
Bookshop link
WRAP UP
Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
Amazon link
Bookshop link
Ricardo:
NPR just the other day dropped an episode on reading Interview today, and their takes, I think, run the spectrum of others on here. I for one thoroughly enjoyed my rereading. But now I see it’s because I was also a sad emo goth boy who was probably annoying the hell out of everybody. Also, I thought the zombie vamps were pretty cool.
Scott C:
Really appreciated the opportunity to read this! I have not consumed much vampire content, so this was fun to dive into. It is pretty crazy how the end definitely tees up future books, but then it took YEARS for her to publish more stories.
The one thing I really disliked about the book was Part III and the overall style of it. Such a departure from the rest of the book, and there were not even periodic pauses in “the interview.” I found myself skipping large sections to figure out where the next action took place. I'd have probably Lem’d this one if Part I was same style.
Anyway, overall I was satisfied with how everything tied up and I'll definitely be seeking out the movies and shows based on the book.
Thanks for this pick!
Discord link
SeréTW:
Sigh. Ok, I finished. That was a very, very sad story. So sad that I just had to put it down for a week or two. This took me a pretty long time to get through because it was just one tragedy after another. After a while I was rooting for the sun or fire, or any other means that would bring this misery to an end. And I don't mean just Louis; I wanted ALL those vampires to die. I think I felt this way because all the vampires were different shades of immortal persistent misery, and I don't know, human blood is a hell of a drug. Perhaps that's a bit reflective on my part. In any event, this is probably the wrong time in my life to be able to receive this story well.
That being said, when the reporter demanded to be made a vampire, that made me laugh out loud. What story did he hear that made him say, “sign me up, immediately!” That felt like if teenagers in a Scared Straight program said, “actually, no need to bus me back home, I'd like to stay in maximum security prison. Please, take me directly to the hole, right now.”
I've always wondered about Interview with the Vampire and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. I don't think I'm interested in any sequels, at the moment. However, I DO think it could be interesting to see what could happen if Louis got a really good therapist and worked on his relationships. I suppose Therapy with the Vampire is more my speed these days.
Discord link
IwtV: Claudia
Goodreads link
ADDENDUMS
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