Episode 174: Adrian Tchaikovsky – Service Model

A chat with critically acclaimed award-winning British author Adrian Tchaikvosky about his latest science fiction novel, Service Model.

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About the Book

Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and The Final Architects Series

To fix the world they must first break it further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: they can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

Praise for Service Model

“With humor, heart, and hope balancing out the decay, this glimpse of the future is sure to win fans.”Publishers Weekly

“A surprisingly thoughtful and compelling story . . . Readers who love a good postapocalyptic hell ride, AI-centered adventures, and robot/human companion stories, such as A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, will appreciate.”Library Journal, starred review

A deliciously witty dystopian thriller”Waterstones

“Picking up an Adrian Tchaikovsky book is proof you love your brain and want it to be happy.”John Scalzi, author of Starter Villain

About Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading before becoming a professional author in 2007. He is a keen role-player and board gamer and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

Adrian primarily explores deep themes, such as artificial intelligence and alien awareness within epic galactic and fantastical settings.

He has a deep interest in the animal world specifically insects from his studies in Zoology and has a particular penchant for spiders. 

Read some free stories.

Episode 173: Ann Charles – Time Reaping in Deadwood

A chat with USA Today-bestselling author Ann Charles about Time Reaping in Deadwood, the latest installment in her popular humorous mystery/fantasy series.

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anncharles.com

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About the Book

Time is a tricky devil. And so is that blasted imp!

Violet Parker needs to catch the little terror before it wreaks even more havoc in the Black Hills. But now that she’s saddled with this dang Timekeeper gig, she has a lot to juggle, like the real monsters wanting to tear the flesh from her bones just for fun.

If she can’t figure out how to wrangle “time” to save her family, the Grim Reaper might come swinging for them next.

But what about that danged honey-loving imp?

Praise for the Deadwood series

“What a voice! Hilarious, original, and genuinely wonderful. This fresh and feisty mystery will instantly win your heart. Loved it!”Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity-winning author 

“I laughed (a lot), cried (a little), and wanted to stab a certain family member. This story brings all the feels!”Renee George, USA Today Bestselling Author 

“Watch out Stephanie Plum, because Violet Parker is coming your way.”Deborah Schneider, RWA Librarian of the Year 2009 and author of Promise Me 

About Ann Charles

Ann Charles

Ann Charles is a USA Today-bestselling author who writes award-winning books that are splashed with humor, mystery, suspense, romance, supernatural elements, and whatever else sounds fun.

Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. She is a member of Novelists, Inc. She is currently toiling away on her next book, wishing she was on a Mexican beach with an ice-cold Corona in one hand and a book in the other.

When she is not dabbling in fiction, she is arm wrestling with her two kids, attempting to seduce her husband, and arguing with her sassy cats.

Episode 172: Brian Nelson – The Great Unmaking

A chat with critically acclaimed Amazon-bestselling thriller author Brian Nelson about The Great Unmaking, Book 3 in his trilogy, The Course of Empire.

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briannelsonbooks.com

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Amazon Links for The Great Unmaking
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About the Book

A propulsive, mind-expanding thriller—and the world-shaking conclusion to the Course of Empire trilogy—about bold scientific dreams turning into nightmares … or perhaps new beginnings …

After usurping control of the world’s most powerful military technology, General Chip Walden knows the endgame is near and tasks scientist Eric Hill with one final assignment. Helped by the love of his life, Jane Hunter, Hill is haunted by premonitions of a coming catastrophe as the technology he created takes on a life of its own.

As Hill attempts to avert disaster, FBI Special Agent Bud Brown seeks revenge for the murder of his fellow agents by eco-terrorist Riona Finley. But what no one realizes is that forces are at work that have already decided humanity’s fate. With the clock ticking toward an irrevocable apocalypse, it’s no longer a question of if the world can be saved, but who will be the chosen few that survive.

The Great Unmaking is the grand conclusion to Brian Nelson’s magisterial trilogy that James Rollins has called “a must-read adventure.”

Praise for The Great Unmaking

“In The Great Unmaking, Nelson crafts an adrenaline-charged, white-knuckle thriller that is sure to leave you breathless. Fans of Crichton, Rollins, and Crouch will love this superb and final installment of the Course of Empire series.”Andrews & Wilson, Wall Street Journal-bestselling authors of the Tier One series

“Extraordinarily enjoyable, The Great Unmaking is the grand finale of Nelson’s epic adventure. It’s also hands down the most ingenious take on the apocalypse narrative that I have ever read. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller.” – Moisés Naím, author and contributing editor to The Atlantic

“So clearly and forcefully presented that readers will find it hard to put the book down. Nelson has outdone himself.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“I came to The Great Unmaking as a fresh reader. Three hundred fifty pulse-pounding pages later, I closed the book, thoroughly convinced of Nelson’s mastery of a fever-pitch plot…Nelson’s series explores the lines between pastoral idealism and the inevitable gluttony and decay of human civilization…High-paced, plot-driven, and brimming with action…A thinking person’s military techno-thriller…What’s not to love?” – Strand Magazine

About Brian Nelson

Brian Nelson

Brian was born and raised in Ohio and is a graduate of Miami University. After a brief stint as a Systems Engineer for General Motors he set off for the University of Arizona to study Creative Writing.  

After graduation, he spent two years in Venezuela as a Fulbright Scholar and turned his research into the critically acclaimed book, The Silence and the Scorpion, a “clocked” account of the 2002 uprising against Hugo Chávez. The book was named one of “The Best Books of the Year” by The Economist and was considered by The New York Times as “the most thorough investigation of the April 11th massacre and the subsequent coup.” 

His second book, The Last Sword Maker, an action-packed thriller about a high-tech arms race between the United States and China that follows, follows a diverse cast of characters as they strive to be the first to make the next generation of weapons using a mixture of artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology. It began his Course of Empire trilogy, which continued with Five Tribes, longlisted by Reading the West for best novel of 2021, and concluded with his latest, The Great Unmaking.

Brian’s other work has appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, The Christian Science Monitor and The Southern Humanities Review, among others. He lives in Denver with his wife and two children.