201. 5 Upcoming Inspiring Interviews

“Oh my goodness. Sue has so much to say about research and how to use research strategically about finding conflicts and problems and learning as much as you need to know to be able to move forward. So be sure to listen to our conversation. It was really fun talking with her. I so admire her.” - Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “5 Upcoming Inspiring Interviews“ host Beth Barany shares with listeners upcoming interviews for the podcast including with a fellow science fiction and fantasy author, hip hop organizer, novelist and Masters student, award-winning science fiction novelist, creative nonfiction author, and a long-time publishing professional. 

You’re also invited to be interviewed on the podcast which Beth explains how to do.

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• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade
• EDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompart

c. 2026 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

Transcript

BETH BARANY 0:02

I have just passed my 200th episode. Huzzah. We are now in a new phase. And with that in mind, I'm gonna share with you some upcoming interviews that are coming real soon here in How to Write the Future. So be sure to look for those. I'm gonna summarize them here for you so you have something to look forward to. So I did an interview with David D. Levine, a science fiction and fantasy author, and we talked about the interesting blend of tech and imagination. We offered some tips for aspiring writers. We talked a lot about genre bending and the role of history in fiction, which I thought was really interesting. Next up, I spoke with Alex Kingsley, Alex Kingsley is a science fiction writer and Master's student in Chicago and works across multiple mediums, which I thought was really fun. I love this. So Alex works with novels, short stories, playwriting, standup comedy, improv, tabletop game design and is working on academic criticism. So all of that fascinating. we talked about the power of imagination, the influence of these diverse mediums, and I loved Alex's take on the future of storytelling. So stay tuned for that. Next I'm going to showcase Sue Burke. Sue Burke is an award-winning science fiction author with a background in journalism. So we talked about how her journalism background influenced her sci-fi storytelling. She's an award-winning novelist. She has a book called Semiosis, which talks about intelligent plants. So interesting. So we talked about crafting futuristic worlds as well as research. Oh my goodness. Sue has so much to say about research and how to use research strategically about finding conflicts and problems and learning as much as you need to know to be able to move forward. So be sure to listen to our conversation. It was really fun talking with her. I so admire her. Then I spoke with Khafre Jay, who is here in the San Francisco Bay Area as a local San Francisco Bay Area hip hop organizer. And I actually met him on the street while he was bringing people into his organization, getting supporters. oh my goodness, he really knows how to talk to people. And he comes into all the different neighborhoods that are very different from the one he grew up in San Francisco. He talks about hip hop culture amid gentrification. So he's not afraid to come into neighborhoods that have been gentrified and say, Hey, my black culture is being erased and in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. And he does it with humor and heart and he talks about how hip hop is a full culture beyond rap, and we talked about his weekly rap contests that are live in a wonderful community space here in Berkeley, just the neighboring town over. We talked about DJs and graffiti artists and break dancing as well as. the power of art to uplift and the community actions, that he is supporting. Really interesting. And I'm doing all I can to lift, his voice up and showcase what he's doing. And then, I spoke with a publishing professional, Julie Trelstad, and here we talked about AI and publishing and how authors can protect and promote their work in the digital age, including AI content licensing, as well as thinking about metadata for our books in the age of AI. And we had a wide ranging, fascinating conversation, learned some really, key things that are coming down the pike. So be sure to stay tuned for that if you want to know what's going on in the world of publishing and AI and things to watch out for.

Speaker 4:04

And lastly, I spoke with Brownell Landrum about the art of cosmic wishing storytelling and how we can create futures through fiction. We talked about her epic trilogies, the science of wishing and her unique journey of bridging science fiction and real world science. So stay tuned for that episode coming up soon.

BETH BARANY 4:30

So those are some of my upcoming, interviews that I'll be sharing here on How To Write The Future. I also want to talk to you about what do you do if you wanna be a guest on how to write the future. I've interviewed dozens of people, dozens and dozens. I, I should add it up, least. I had say 30 or 40 people over the last four years, for How to write the Future podcast. And I am picky as we all are. So let me call up the, press kit. If you go to BethBarany. com podcast presskit, you'll be able to see everything you need to know about the podcast. So number one, if you wanna be a guest on the podcast, you need to listen to the podcast. Make sure it is a good fit for you. You're a good fit for our podcast if you are speaking to science fiction and fantasy writers. Also, if you have something to offer tips for, write for science fiction and fantasy writers. And if you are a science fiction and fantasy writer yourself, come with a little bit about your book, but also anything that's helpful to other writers. If you are doing something else in the realm of supporting authors, like a publishing consultant or do something with the visuals for books, illustrations, or book covers, again, come with. Something interesting about what you do as well as be able to talk about what you do, but also make it relevant to science fiction and fantasy authors. so if you wanna dig a little deeper, I cover topics like world building, craft mindset. The new technologies. I also love to talk to futurists and foresight practitioners, people who are studying about future trends and how to handle things that are difficult to predict about how to handle. Also, I like talking to thought leaders, and by that people who care about the benefit of all and care about how we can make the world a better place. And you like what I'm doing, you think it would be a good conversation and you think it would benefit writers. I very much care about benefit about benefiting writers and benefiting creatives, and I also care about coming at it with a hopeful approach. Alright. I also know that some of my listeners aren't, authors or writers, but they care about the future and they, they care about new ideas and they care about stories, and they care about the imagination and creativity. So those, you need to be able to speak to that audience as well. So be sure to check out, the How To Write The Future press kit. It's Beth Barany dot com slash podcast press kit and you'll be able to take a look at that and I'll be sure to put that link in the show notes. Be sure to stay tuned for these upcoming interviews. And if you would like to be a guest on how To Write The Future, be sure to query me appropriately telling me how you would be a good fit for this podcast. Alright, that's it for this week, everyone. Write long and prosper.