Welcome one and all to the second episode of Pet Projects, featuring Lancaster-based writer, illustrator and Creative Writing lecturer, Inés G. Labarta. In conversation with host Pete, Inés talks about her two black cats, Nori and Luna, and her current pet project: the release of her new novel, The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán (Blackwater Press), this month. Despite their shared hue and origin, Inés’s cats have proven very different in personality, which is perhaps appropriate given variety is the spice of life where she is concerned. 

In addition to having published in Spanish and English, Inés learnt Japanese as a student, writes her speculative fiction across a variety of genres (inc. migrant narratives, queer literature, magic realism, RPGs, monstrous fiction and the gothic), and produces her own podcast (The Wandering Bard), which you can find here on SoundCloud. 

Of herself, she says, ‘I am a citizen of nowhere because I feel at home in the Highlands, in Miyayima, in the Guadarrama mountains, in Edinburgh and Clonmacnoise. I didn’t choose to be born in Spain – but I do choose to consider this planet my home and to connect with others no matter where they come from.’ Fortunately for us, the family she has made with her partner, Nori and Luna is (mostly) keeping her in Lancaster just now.

Pet Projects is a collaborative project devised by writer and editor Peter Humphreys and artist and filmmaker Ana Rebolledo. It is available on Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music and other podcast providers.  

Inés’ website: https://inesglabarta.com

Inés’ highly imaginative new novel, The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán: https://www.blackwaterpress.com/product/the-three-lives-of-st-ciaran-pre-order-new/

Inés’ profile page at Lancaster University: 
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/people/ines-gregori-labarta 

Inés’ writing podcast, The Wandering Bard: https://thewanderingbard.net/about/

Pet Projects - Episode 2 - Inés G. Labarta

Antagonist James Ward uses astrological divination on his lunchtime ramen (CW: strong language)

Find us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube @sayonaraville

Also at https://www.sayonaraville.com/

Sayonaraville Ep 4 Divination Ramen

Oliver Van Holland is caught in a dream trap manifesting as a high school and has to take an infernal pop quiz. (CW: strong language, violence)

Find us on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube @sayonaraville

Also at https://www.sayonaraville.com/

Sayonaraville Ep 11 Oliver Dreams of School Tests

In this episode, We explore the fascinating world of J.G. Ballard's provocative works, what might later be known as Climate Fiction, written mostly last century. From his early novel "The Drowned World" to the controversial "Crash," we delve into how Ballard's dystopian visions have shaped the genre. We feature insights from a PBS show Hot Mess, a short BBC film Ballard appeared in 1973 exploring his experimental novel of linked short stories called “The Atrocity Exhibition,” and a 2006 South Bank Show interview. We discuss the psychological and societal impacts of Climate Fiction, and how it might inspire change in an era of environmental urgency.

First we begin with a 2019 clip from Hot Mess from PBS, featuring Lindsay Ellis, of It’s Lit, and Amy Brady, the editor-in-chief of The Chicago Review of Books.

Hot Mess | The Rise of Climate Fiction feat. Lindsay Ellis & Amy Brady | Episode 35 | PBS
https://www.pbs.org/video/the-rise-of-climate-fiction-feat-lindsay-ellis-amy-brady-2s2sxh/ 

The Atrocity Exhibition is J.G. Ballard’s instruction manual on how to disrupt mass media and recontextualize technology in a dystopian landscape overrun with industrial waste and technological white noise. 
The excerpt is from a 1973 BBC film directed by Harely Cokliss and features Ballard talking about car crash fetishism and the response to the bleak modern landscapes dominated by industrial monotony and the irrational violence of the technology-infused world which would coalesce into his controversial novel Crash, published in 1973. 

https://youtu.be/QRxpZ142lkI?si=gh5FjzV9BrUvs-r0 

The next clip is a 2006 interview of JG Ballard by Melvyn Bragg on the South Bank Show, which also features prominent British authors Will Self, Iain Sinclair, and Martin Amis. 

https://youtu.be/le0tW1y609w?si=2DeFYxI-wqGe-Cu8 


For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Resources/Articles:
https://wilderutopia.com/performance/literary/j-g-ballard-atrocity-exhibition-modernist-motorcar-dystopia/ 

James Graham Ballard who lived between 1930 and 2009 was an English novelist and short-story writer known for psychologically provocative works that explore relations between human psychology, technology, sex and mass media. Ballard’s original climate fiction work from 1962 was the post-apocalyptic New Wave science fiction novel The Drowned World. He followed with the controversial 1970 short-story collection The Atrocity Exhibition, which includes the 1968 story "Why I Want to F- Ronald Reagan", and later the 1973 novel Crash (1973), a story about car-crash fetishists.

In 1984, Ballard won broad critical recognition for the war novel Empire of the Sun, a semi-autobiographical story of the experiences of a British boy during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai; three years later, the American film director Steven Spielberg adapted the novel into a film of the same name. 

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  
Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 233

Climate Fiction Origins: J.G. Ballard's Visionary Worlds

L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future Writing Contest in 1983 to provide "a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged." The 559 winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 8,000 novels and short stories, created 36 New York Times bestselling novels, and their works have sold over 60 million copies. Selected from a field of thousands of entrants from 180 countries, Volume 40 features winners from eight countries: Canada, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK, and the USA, and from Dunedin, New Zealand, illustrator winner Connor Chamberlain, with his illustration of the fantasy story "Da-Ko-Ta."

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to the president of Galaxy Press about the 40th Anniversary volume of Writers of the Future, along with science fiction author Sean Williams and illustrator Connor Chamberlain, about their experiences as winners of the Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future contest.

Sean Williams, Connor Chamberlain and John Goodwin on the 40th Volume of 'Writers of the Future'

Two fugitives, a man and a child, drive all night across a stony desert. As dawn breaks, they roll into an abandoned mine site. From the vehicle they survey a forsaken place – middens of twisted iron, rusty wire, piles of sun-baked trash. They’re exhausted, traumatised, desperate now. But as a refuge, this is the most promising place they’ve seen. The child peers at the field of desolation. The man thinks to himself, this could work. So begins a searing, propulsive journey through a life whose central challenge is not simply a matter of survival, but of how to maintain human decency as everyone around you falls ever further into barbarism.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Tim Winton about the climate change challenge that is already upon us, what a post-apocalyptic existence might look like and how even in the face of the gravest of situations can still bring out the best in us.

Tim Winton on a story of catastrophe, survival and the power of humanity in 'Juice'

Will Helloran is sixteen years old and lives with his father in the Canberra dome complex that protects its inhabitants from the corrosive atmosphere outside. At night his dreams are haunted by his beloved uncle Adam, who unexpectedly died in his sleep almost a year ago. As the nightmares grow increasingly disturbing, Will comes to believe that his uncle's death may have been suspicious - and he begins investigating. Meanwhile, his best friend Ender is becoming concerned about her brilliant, troubled twin Magda, who has a top-secret intelligence role. When Magda disappears, Will is drawn into a web bigger than he can imagine. If he and his friends are to survive, he must navigate his way out of the treacherous dreamscape while staying safe in the waking world.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Isobelle Carmody about why the city of Canberra became the setting for 'Comes the Night', why dreams can be the catalyst for action in the real world, and why it was important to introduce a political dimension into the story.

Isobelle Carmody on a reluctant hero on an epic quest in 'Comes the Night'

When their cruel master Marty McGuinn heads off to the Muddy Carnival, two peculiar nocturnal children, Fennel and Isabella, seize the opportunity to explore the city of Barrenwood. Horse drawn carriages, neon lights, the forces of gentrification, and the industrial revolution provide the outside-of-time backdrop as Isabella searches for like minded supernatural creatures and her malicious brother crafts the ultimate disaster.

Marshsong: Chapter One

Marshsong: Chapter 1 Teaser

In Episode, Tim takes listeners on a nostalgic deep dive into The World of Myth magazine's past, reviewing both Issue 80 (January 2020) and Issue 81 (February 2020) in one jam-packed episode. From zombie apocalypse tales and haunted cyclists to poetic reflections on spring and human tragedy, Tim explores the highs, horrors, and heartfelt moments that shaped these editions. He shines a light on standout stories by Cooper Rose, Michelle E. Lau, and Jim Bates, and celebrates artistic gems by Van and Alonzo Ross. With his signature charm and Aussie wit, Tim also touches on behind-the-scenes memories from PCE 2020 and gives props to regular contributors, returning creatives, and new voices alike. This is a must-listen for fans of the magazine’s legacy and those eager to rediscover where the myth all began.

The World of Myth Bits #333 - A Blast From The Past Part Twenty-eight

Sayonaraville is a fictional podcast novel.

It is New York City two decades after an averted apocalypse. Fearing that technology alone can't save humanity, everyone has embraced magic as the fix needed to save a world that is literally starting to crack apart.

Iris Penner, who died fighting the averted apocalypse, has returned to life with a mission to prevent the next world ending event. Helping her is a reconstituted Wild Hunt. The only problem is that she also happens to be the one prophesied to trigger the next apocalypse.

Nato Thompson is an author, curator, and self-described "infrastructure builder". He writes on contemporary life, urban studies, media theory, cultural criticism and contemporary art. He has written several books including Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 20th century and Culture as Weapon: The Art of Influence in Everyday Life. Marshsong is the first of his two self-published speculative fantasy books. The second is called Rainsong.

EcoJustice Radio presents environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame, featuring voices not necessarily heard on mainstream media.

Our purpose is to amplify community voices, broaden the reach of grassroots-based movements, and inspire action. We investigate solutions for social, environmental, and climate issues with an eye to advance human health, steward wild landscapes, and solve the climate crisis across the USA and the world.

Featured weekly on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston, and found on all major podcast apps. We are nationally syndicated through the Pacifica Network and PRX and heard on public radio stations across the US and downloaded in over 25 countries.

Co-hosts Jack Eidt, Carry Kim, and Jessica Aldridge present a broad range of perspectives: land defenders and water protectors; Indigenous leaders, front/fenceline community spokespeople; youth organizers; ecosystem and land stewards; regenerative farmers and permaculture specialists; spiritual and faith leaders; environmental health advocates and practitioners; documentary filmmakers; climate scientists; and political decision makers.

EcoJustice Radio [http://EcoJusticeRadio.org] is produced by SoCal350.org since 2017. 

Tune in live to KPFK Radio Thursdays from 4 to 5 PM (PT) at 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 FM North San Diego, 99.5 FM Ridgecrest-China Lake, or KPFK.org. 

We also are featured on KPFT Houston from 4 to 5 PM (CT) at 90.1 FM or KPFT.org and other public radio stations on the Pacifica Network.

Book talk and author interviews aimed at helping you discover your next favourite read, presented by Good Reading Magazine.

I'm a writer and editor based in Lancaster. Check out my podcasts Pet Projects (in which I interview creative types about their pets - and their projects), First Impressions (a surreal slice of literary cheesecake), and Monkey Scribbling (two older blokes reflect on their youth in the '90s through the letters they exchanged at the time). 

Pet Projects is a collaboration with Ana Rebolledo and Monkey Scribbling with Richard Pye. 

The family band I formed with my brother, Decaying Leather, in 1989 continues to write and record. Our music can also be found on SoundCloud and elsewhere.

New tracks tagged #SpeculativeFiction