Chatting Science Fiction: Selected Interviews from Hour of the Wolf

by Jim Freund (Host), Ursula K. Le Guin (Interviewee), Kim Stanley Robinson (Interviewee)

This collection of interviews and chats is culled from some of the more recent episodes of the world's longest-running radio program on speculative fiction, Hour of the Wolf, produced and hosted by Jim Freund since 1974. Many of these recordings were made at conventions, the Nebula Awards, some with the audience, and some in studios. Collectively, these interviews make up a road tour of some of today's greatest voices in speculative fiction.

The list of interviewees in order of appearance is: Ursula K. Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson, Samuel R. Delany, Cory Doctorow, Ray Bradbury, Nalo Hopkinson, Peter S. Beagle, China Mieville, Orson Scott Card, Lucius Shepard, Nancy Kress, Ken Liu, Charlie Jane Anders, Genevieve Valentine, Susanna Clarke, and Connie Willis.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published June 14, 2016

Reviews

[Tom Rowe]

This is a series of interviews of great science fiction authors by radio host Jim Freund. The interviews are for the most part interesting and have given me a list of new authors and books to check out. Freund's interviews are more like conversations than interviews which ramps up the enthusiasm of the participants. The only drawback is that sometimes Freund will often interupt an interviewee's response to make a comment of his own or ask a different question. Also, the interviews should have had an introductory track telling who the interviewee was and the date. I often had to refer to the description to find the name of the author being interviewed, and then I had to pick out pop culture references to estimate when the interview took place. But the interviews are totally worth the time and effort to listen to for fans of speculative fiction. I enjoyed this so much, I whipped through it in 2 days. I recommend.

[Pearse Anderson]

I listened to a few hours of Hour of the Wolf on audiotapes I got from the public library. I did this while I played video games. I didn't much like Hour of the Wolf, because I didn't like Jim Freund's style of interviewing and his back-and-forth with his guests. But hearing Le Guin and Robison and Doctorow talk was always fun, I guess, and hearing them discuss the SFF world in the late '90s and early aughts was fascinating. I remember Freund and Robinson were discussing a young, striving speculative author, then a woman, named Yoon Ha Lee. !!! It's like in those Star Wars prequels where big characters run into each other. Anyway, eh. I think Imaginary Worlds is the best nonfiction speculative radio I've heard so far.

[Andy Luke]

Collection of interviews by Jim Freund, specifically informed, amiable and flexible. Noted SF prose names: sometimes veering accidentally into fan clique. O. S. Card was as base as expected, Samuel R. Delaney also egotistical, though not consciously so. (Hope I've not drummed myself out of high society by saying so) Far outweighed by the frank-ness of Ursula K. LeGuin, the educating of Cory Doctorow, and many others who were entertaining, or caused me to stop and think how inspirational and enlightening they were. Special mentions to China Mieville, Ray Bradbury, Genevieve Valentine, Susanna Clarke, and Connie Willis. If you’re interested in the subject and have an Audible credit to spend this is well worth it. Freund often brings out the best in his people, with an organic conversational style that elucidates and makes sure this is anything but a series of book plugs. I’ll likely re-listen to some of these, because there are plugs which sound well exciting.