Don’t spoil me with your content warnings, they say! In this episode, I take a crack at the confusion between content warnings and spoilers. What is the difference? Why are content warnings important? What value do content warnings provide? Tak

Shaun’s Rambles 014: Anticipating Rogue One

Dec 16th, 2016

So, I’m about to see Rogue One. In this totally random and very short episode of Shaun’s Rambles, I talk about why I’m looking forward to the latest addition to the Star Wars franchise! Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments

Shaun’s Rambles 013: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (w/ Special Guest Mareen Kincaid Speller)

May 4th, 2016

Geek references + the Dominican Republic = instance classic. In this episode, Maureen Kincaid Speller joins me to discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. We tackle the novel’s treatment of geeker

Shaun’s Rambles 012: Introducing Podcasting for Authors (Part 1)

Mar 11th, 2016

The first episode of the Podcasting for Authors series is here! In this episode, I provide a brief overview of the project: what it’s about, what to expect, etc. If you have questions for me, please send an email to arconna[at]yahoo[dot]com

Shaun’s Rambles 011: Michael R. Underwood (Interviewing the Fans)

Oct 29th, 2015

What makes Mike Underwood tick? What did he read when he was a kid? What inspired him to become a member of QUEST and invade the Free Worlds of the Noble and Benevolent Multidimensional Imperium? I try to get to the bottom of some of these que

Shaun’s Rambles 010: On C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and Gender Violence

Sep 10th, 2015

Space opera attacks! It’s been three weeks since I started teaching my space opera course, and I already have far too much to talk about! In this edition, I take a look at the first half of C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and the interesting ways

Shaun’s Rambles 009: On the #HugoAwards and #SadPuppies

Aug 23rd, 2015

The Hugos are over, but the controversy isn’t over. In this episode, I talk about the results of the 2015 Hugo Awards and how the Sad Puppies have irreparably harmed whatever good message they had. It’s not an exhaustive discussion, but it’s

Shaun’s Rambles 008: On Lou Antonelli and Sasquan

Aug 12th, 2015

In this episode, I talk about Lou Antonelli, his efforts to report David Gerrold to the police, and Sasquan’s response. If you want to learn more about what is going on, here are few useful links: Pattern Matching: Lou Antonelli and the Sad Pup

Shaun’s Rambles 007: On Teaching Science Fiction — The Reading List

Aug 6th, 2015

How do I select what I teach in my science fiction courses? In this episode of Shaun’s Rambles, I talk about my method(s) for picking the novels and short stories I assign in all of my literature courses, using my upcoming space opera course a

Shaun’s Rambles 006: Interviewing the Fans — Jukka Halme

Jul 30th, 2015

What do Moomintrolls, Tolkien, 1978, and reindeer steaks have to do with Jukka Halme? In my third Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Jukka Halme about becoming an sf/f fan, the works that influenced him, the changing technological landsc

Shaun’s Rambles 005: Interviewing the Fans — Rachael Acks

Jul 24th, 2015

What do Transformers, unicorns, and Rachael Acks have in common? In the latest edition of my Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Rachael about how she became a fan, how genre has influenced her, dystopia fatigue, and more. You can find ou

Shaun’s Rambles 004: Interviewing the Fans — Paul Weimer

Jul 8th, 2015

…in which I continue this podcast thing on my new website by talking to Paul Weimer about how he became an sf/f fan. In this episode: I interview Paul Weimer about his first books, his genre influences, and his development as a reader. Enjoy th

Shaun’s Rambles 003: On Negative Reviews and Their Value

Jun 29th, 2015

…in which I talk about things some people don’t want to write. In this edition: A discussion of the value of negative book reviews and why I think many people, including me, are hesitant to write them. Enjoy the rambles! You can download the mp

Shaun’s Rambles 002: The Value of Book Reviews and Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman

Jun 17th, 2015

…in which I continue a podcast of random thoughts had while driving home from work. In this edition: What is the value of book reviews (to me)? Suggested by Jonah Sutton-Morse (Twitter / Cabbages and Kings Podcast) Some thoughts on Dark Orbit

Shaun’s Rambles 001: The Gallo Conspiracy and Trial By Fire

Jun 10th, 2015

…in which I begin a podcast of random thoughts had while driving home from work. In this edition: Some thoughts on the controversy over Irene Gallo’s statements about the Sad / Rabid Puppies Some thoughts on Trial By Fire by Charles Gannon and

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