Recommendation: The Cracked Podcast

If you like your assumptions about life to be regularly upended, you could do a lot worse than to listen to the Cracked Podcast. Many of its episodes explore things we accept as the-way-things-are-and-must-always-be that are actually social constructs, marketing strategies, or byproducts of some of the weird ways our brains work. I listened to the latest show today, Culture-Specific Things We Do That We Assume are Universal, which is self-explanatory, but besides shining light on our biases, it explores some mind-bending truths about human psychology.

If you're a science fiction or fact fan like I am, you're probably already familiar with swarm intelligence. If not, check out their episode Why We Can Improve Humanity With the Power of Bees, in which they discuss how a group of horse racing experts were able to use software that briefly turned them into a tiny hivemind which accurately predicted the superfecta at the Kentucky Derby (that's first, second, third, and fourth place, in order!).

And the social crusaders among you absolutely must listen to episode 94, Important Chunks of American History That Got Erased, about groups of people getting crushed by the system whom you very well may have never heard of.

There's much more over there that will expand your mind, but I'm going to bed. Go there and check it out!

I Am Interviewed

Last week's StarShipSofa features an interview with me! Learn about some behind the scenes stuff at Beware the Hairy Mango; some self-publishing news; my ongoing writing collaboration project, Cerberus; and science fiction convention stuff. The interview starts about thirty minutes into the episode. Get it here:

http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2014/04/30/starshipsofa-no-335-suzanne-j-willis-2/

Podcastomania!

I've dabbled in a boatload of podcasts recently, for some strange reason. If you miss the sound of my voice, you're in luck!

I was on the panel for the SF Signal Podcast number 133 and we talked about spoilers. How long is long enough before we can spoil the shit out of something?

Then a little later I did a Mango style intro for the SF Signal Podcast number 138.

I contributed a 100 word story to Laurence Simon's 100 Word Story Podcast number 325. Laurence and others promised to donate a buck to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for each story contributed to this episode, so I had to kick a story in. The theme for this episode's stories? Life. This is a huge, huge show. Like, over four hours. I'm near the end, but there are so many stories here, you're bound to enjoy lots of them, so you may want to listen.

Christie Yant and I read our pal Grant Stone's awesome story, Young Love on the Run from the Federal Alien Administration New Mexico Division (1984), on StarShipSofa number 248.

I got in on a panel for the SFF Audio Podcast number 171 in which we discuss new releases and recent arrivals in the realm of science fiction and fantasy audio books.

And just yesterday SFF Audio ran a show we recorded the same day in which we discuss a science fiction story by Jack London called A Thousand Deaths on episode 173. If you haven't read it, don't sweat it, because before we start yapping, Julie Hoverson reads it for you!

And if, after all of that, you're still not sick and tired of the sound of me, head over to my hovel away from home, Beware the Hairy Mango! A new episode will be popping up less than two hours from the time I write this!

Get me into your hot ears and enjoy it all!

Listen To Some Great Science Fiction

I'm a fanatic about audio science fiction and podcasts about science fiction. I load my iPod with the stuff and listen to it when I'm doing things that don't require my full attention. This past week over at starshipsofa.com, Tony has posted audio versions of all five short story nominees for the 2007 British Science Fiction Association awards. Head over there and give them a listen, and you can vote for your favorite on their forums if you like. Tell Tony I sent you.

http://www.starshipsofa.com/