The SFFaudio Podcast #089 – TALK TO: James Campanella

Podcast

The SFFaudio PodcastThe SFFaudio Podcast #089 – Jesse talks to James Campanella, Ph.D. Jim is an associate professor in the department of Biology and Molecular Biology at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He’s also an audiobook narrator, and podcaster.

Talked about on today’s show:
J.J. Campanella watches very little TV, Lost, The Big Bang Theory, Antarctica, MSU, molecular biology, genetics, plant genetics, philology vs. phylogeny, the Science News Update podcast, “a funny Geordie sounding dude” (Tony C. Smith), duck penises, cloaca, sexing birds, African Grey parrots, ants, What Technology Wants, technology as an extension of evolution, “microscopic brains”, plant intelligence, tropism, phototropism vs. gravitropism, auxins, The Secret Life Of Plants, dowsing, plant signaling (with jasmonic acid), StarShip Sofa, The Merchant And The Alchemist’s Gate by Ted Chiang, knitting and cross-stitching, narrating skills, Uvula Audio, I, Libertine, The Call Of The Wild by Jack London, L. Frank Baum is seriously weird, violence vs. bloodless violence, the Tin Woodsman and his enchanted axe, goiing from cyborg to robot (via a Ship of Theseus metaphor), Sky Island, genocide in kids books, Doc Savage, The Avenger, Lester Dent, Hamlet And Eggs by J.J. Campanella, a comedic detective story, Georgia, 9/11, how to be always wrong, private detectives, The Code Of The Poodles by James Powell, what accent would a talking dog have?, The Friends Of Hector Jouvet by James Powell, Monaco, A Dirge For Clowntown by James Powell, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Divers Down by Hal Gordon, were kids in the ’70s were more respectful?, the Rick Brant series, Tom Swift, The Rocket’s Shadow (Rick Brant #1) by John Blaine, Jonny Quest, adventure, The Venture Bros., The Flintstones, Harold L. Goodwin, serial books, house names, The Bobbsey Twins, Edward Stratemeyer, “electronic adventures”, who read and bought those serial books?, the end of the pulp era, The Mystery Of The Stratemeyer Legacy, Nancy Drew, has paranormal romance replaced kids books?, the Twilight series, the Harry Potter series, Rick Riordan, The Wizard Of Oz, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, the rich and amazing language of Lovecraft, Miskatonic University, Craig Nickerson, At The Mountains Of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, Professor William Dyer, The Shadow Out Of Time by H.P. Lovecraft, Brazil, proper Portuguese pronunciation, “lethp listhping”, Doctor Who, Silurians, yithians, Horror vs. Science Fiction, Astounding Stories, time travel, “shoggoths etc.”, The Statement Of Randolph Carter, a really serious (and difficult) question: Are zombies Science Fiction or Fantasy?, Romero-style zombies, 28 Days Later, real zombies in nature (mostly in the insect world), Herbert West, Re-Animator, the source matters, if the zombie was dead then it is Fantasy, why are zombies so popular?, people like the idea of being able to kill without remorse, mummies vs. werewolves vs. vampires vs. zombies, Zombieland, Bill Murray, contemporary Fantasy, Neil Gaiman, comics, sword and sorcery, Elric, the Thomas Covenant series, Stephen R. Donaldson, Douglas Adams, American Gods |READ OUR REVIEW| vs. The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul, James Alan Gardner, Expendable is an “absolute masterpiece”, Star Trek, why are there no James Alan Gardner audiobooks?, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Man Of Bronze is terrible, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson |READ OUR REVIEW|, Jim Campanella describes it as “turgid”, Metropia, “photo-realistic Swedish anime”, baby eyes, Steamboat Willie, the evolution of Mickey Mouse’s appearance, infanticide, why do your big eyes prevent me from kill you?, saccharin, the sucralose story (is in the Dec. 2010 podcast of Science News Update).

Posted by Jesse Willis

Recent Arrival: Infinivox’s Year’s Top Ten!

SFFaudio Recent Arrivals

The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science FictionThe Year’s Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction
Edited by Allan Kaster
8 CDs – 9 Hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781884612855

It’s no secret that we love a new Infinivox release around here. The squees of joy were a little embarrassing, though, when the latest title came in. A ten story collection, edited by Allan Kaster, called The Year’s Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction. It’s like ten Infinivox releases at once!

Included are:

“Turing’s Apples” by Stephen Baxter
“Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear
“Exhalation” by Ted Chiang
“The Dream of Reason” by Jeffrey Ford
“The Ray-Gun: A Love Story” by James Alan Gardner
“26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” by Kij Johnson
“The Art of Alchemy” by Ted Kosmatka
“The City of the Dead” by Paul McAuley
“Five Thrillers” by Robert Reed
“Fixing Hanover” by Jeff VanderMeer

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

Orthopedic Horseshoes: Robert J. Sawyer, Dave Degraff, James Alan Gardner, and Edo van Belkom

SFFaudio Online Audio

I’ve had the same email account since 1999 so I get a lot of spam. Thankfully I’m also got pretty good at spotting it. But one item caught my eye right before I was about to blast it into electronic nothingness. The subject line was:

“Orthopedic Horseshoes”

Orthopedic Horseshoes? Is this yet another Nigerian Prince scam – but gone horribly wrong? Or are they just really working hard to find euphemisms for “penis enlarger” (how many does one man need anyway)? So, I clicked on it.

It turns out it wasn’t a scam at all! That’s the name of a show! Details follow:

Orthopedic HorseshoesDan Gurzynski and some of his friends work on a monthly podcast called Orthopedic Horseshoes, it’s a “show where cranky old men discourse on American society and media.” It seems the OH crew recently visited Erie Con in Niagara Falls, NY. And so, starting May 9, 2008 they’ll feature interviews with the likes of Robert J. Sawyer, Dave Degraff, James Alan Gardner, and Edo van Belkom.
I’ve listened to the first few shows in the podcast feed and they’re funny and full of literary SF references. You can listen to the “Audio Stream” version HERE, or subscribe to the podcast via this feed:

itpc://orthohorseshoes.mypodcast.com/rss.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis