Episodes 283
Avg. Duration 1h 42m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (41)
Since Feb 2016
Latest Episode May 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
83%
Hosting
rss.libsyn.com

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

I've been going to science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic book conventions since I was 15, and I've found that while the con which takes place within the walls of a hotel or convention center is always fun, the con away from the con—which takes place when I wander off-site with friends for a meal—can often be more fun. In fact, my love of tracking down good food while traveling the world attending conventions has apparently become so well known that one blogger even dubbed me "science fiction's Anthony Bourdain." So I've decided to replicate in podcast form one of my favorite parts of any convention—good conversation with good friends over good food. During each episode, I'll share a meal with someone whose opinions I think you'll want to hear, and we'll talk about science fiction, fantasy, horror, writing, comics, movies, fandom … whatever happens to come to mind. (There'll also be food talk, of course.) Please note—this will not be a pristine studio-recorded podcast, but one which will always occur in a restaurant setting, meaning that mixed in with our conversation will be the sounds of eating and drinking and reviewing of menus and slurping and background chatter and the servers popping in … in other words, it'll be as messy as life. And I hope you'll find it as entertaining, too.

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Recent Episodes

S1E283 Episode 283: John Jarrold

May 27, 2026 1h 49m

Join John Jarrold for dinner as we discuss his first Eastercon 53 years ago, his "obsessive" love for J. R. R. Tolkien, the best commercial deal he ever did, how to dispassionately judge the writing…

S1E282 Episode 282: Charles Stross

May 17, 2026 1h 17m

Savor Singapore Vermicelli with Charles Stross as we discuss the twelve "novel-shaped objects" he wrote before making his first professional sale, what changed in his life which meant instead of…

S1E281 Episode 281: Paul McAuley

May 07, 2026 1h 34m

Join Paul McAuley for a Birmingham balti as we discuss his fascination with James Joyce and how it played out (or didn't) in his own writing, why he's thrilled the first short story he sold to a pro…

S1E217 Episode 280: Considering Farah Mendlesohn

Apr 23, 2026 1h 35m

Feast on a Full English breakfast with Farah Mendlesohn as we discuss whether their Hugo-nominated Heinlein book changed the conversation about that author, if there's such a thing as an inverse of…

S1E279 Episode 279: Alan Smale Rising

Apr 08, 2026 1h 35m

Tear into tacos with Alan Smale as we discuss the three projects he'd told me in 2019 he was going to write next (and what became of them), how what was originally intended to be a standalone novel…

S1E278 Episode 278: Steven H Silver

Mar 26, 2026 2h 2m

Lunch on lamb with Steven H Silver as we discuss our shared status as record-breaking losers, my morbid suggestion about what he'll need to do upon my death, the reason he found The Silmarillion more…

S1E277 Episode 277: Salinee Goldenberg

Mar 10, 2026 1h 33m

Dig into Bangkok street duck with Salinee Goldenberg as we discuss what it was like having to deliver her second published novel on a deadline after having had her entire life to write the first, the…

S1E276 Episode 276: Liz Gorinsky

Feb 26, 2026 2h 47m

Savor sweet and sour beets with Liz Gorinsky as we discuss whether either of us would have turned out as you know us without having grown up in New York, the early ambitions to be a comic book…

S1E275 Episode 275: Chris Kalb

Feb 16, 2026 1h 58m

Polish off pierogi with Chris Kalb as we discuss the comic book company and superheroes he and his brother created when they were just kids, why he once thought Chris Ware was his nemesis, the Batman…

S1E274 Episode 274: Emily Mitchell

Feb 02, 2026 1h 57m

Share green tea leaf salad with Emily Mitchell as we discuss why she felt the need to flip the first and last stories of her recent collection, the gaps which can sometimes occur between a writer's…

S1E273 Episode 273: Don Simpson

Jan 17, 2026 1h 50m

Chat over calamari with Megaton Man creator Don Simpson as we discuss why he splurged on a special issue of Captain Marvel at the Baltimore Comic-Con, how the business practices of comics affect the…

S1E272 Episode 272: Andy Duncan Predicts!

Jan 02, 2026 2h 20m

Polish off cryptid pizza with Andy Duncan as we discuss how his titles are often born decades before the stories to which they're eventually attached, how his research into Criswell's predictions…

S1E271 Episode 271: George Gene Gustines

Dec 21, 2025 1h 31m

Dish over dumplings with George Gene Gustines as we discuss the reason what he's pulled off would have been impossible a generation ago, why he calls himself "the Forrest Gump of the New York Times,"…

S1E270 Episode 270: Jack C. Harris

Dec 09, 2025 1h 41m

Savor shrimp — and Steve Ditko — with comics writer/editor Jack C. Harris as we discuss why he decided to abandon his original plan of becoming an artist and chose writing instead, the chance comics…

S1E269 Episode 269: Naomi Kritzer

Nov 26, 2025 1h 31m

Sample samsa with Naomi Kritzer as we discuss why a friend stepped up to start submitting stories for her, the question she asked Madeleine l'Engle when she was nine, why she spent years not reading…

S1E268 Episode 268: Alaya Dawn Johnson

Nov 11, 2025 2h 36m

Settle in for an Ethiopian feast with Alaya Dawn Johnson as we discuss what led to her "life-defining obsession" with Mexican history, the allure of science fiction's cognitive estrangement, how the…

S1E267 Episode 267: Natalia Theodoridou

Oct 27, 2025 1h 30m

Brunch on blueberry pancakes with Natalia Theodoridou as we discuss what it felt like attending Clarion the same year he was nominated for a World Fantasy Award, how Karen Joy Fowler's advice changed…

S1E266 Episode 266: Lara Elena Donnelly

Oct 20, 2025 2h 4m

Polish off pasta with Lara Elena Donnelly as we discuss the hot tub conversation which led to the sale of her first novel, why the contradictions of her Clarion experience were liberating, the reason…

S1E265 Episode 265: John Picacio

Oct 06, 2025 1h 25m

Tackle Texas BBQ with John Picacio as we discuss how he'd never have gotten where he is today without comics, why he initially turned down what ended up being his first science fiction book cover…

S1E264 Episode 264: Eugenia Triantafyllou

Sep 25, 2025 1h 38m

Slurp soup dumplings with Eugenia Triantafyllou as we discuss the online prompt which caused her to write her first short story, why she ended up as a fantasy writer rather than a comic book creator,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Eating the Fantastic have?

Eating the Fantastic has published 283 episodes since February 2016, covering topics in Arts, Books.

Is Eating the Fantastic still active?

Eating the Fantastic is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h 42m.

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