GGG#19: Robin Wasserman
Episode 19 << Click to Listen
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Robin Wasserman, author of the young adult science fiction novel Frozen (previously titled Skinned), joins us to discuss hacking Harvard, working in publishing, and writing about the future.
Panel Topic: Consciousness Transference
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Introduction
0:00 Introduction by Tor.com
0:38 Dave and John introduce the show
Interview: Robin Wasserman
02:51 Interview begins
03:04 Some of Robin’s favorite SFF when she was growing up
03:35 How Robin got into science fiction, and on being a closet fan
05:09 Robin talks about Skinned and importing consciousness into a machine
07:14 Accidental dystopia: world-building for Skinned
08:31 Robin’s novel Hacking Harvard: “A geek My Fair Lady.”
09:30 Her experience at Harvard and favorite classes, and the class that inspired Skinned
12:16 The Defecating Duck: some of the more interesting automata that Robin studied
13:23 Robin’s life working in publishing, and how it slowed down her panic as a writer
16:06 The transition from editor to writer
17:19 Crashed and Wired, the sequels to Skinned
19:13 On the state of YA science fiction
22:31 Interesting feedback from Robin’s readers
24:21 The Seven Deadly Sins series, soon to be a Lifetime movie
26:09 The humor in her work
27:52 Coming up from Robin: murder mystery/crypto-thriller The Book of Blood and Shadow
28:55 Interview ends
Dave and John think deep thoughts about transferring human consciousness
29:01 YA science fiction: Hunger Games; Uglies (John’s review of Uglies can be found here)
33:08 Mind uploading, both as a science fiction and fantasy trope
35:13 Transporters and the ‘continuity of consciousness’ problem
36:50 James Patrick Kelly’s “Think Like a Dinosaur”
37:22 In which we learn that this trope really bugs John, and why
39:51 Star Trek: Voyager and the transporter malfunction
42:22 The thought experiment of the mechanical brain
44:53 Dave proceeds to REALLY FREAK OUT PODTERN with scientific facts! (Good luck sleeping after this bit)
47:29 On the subject of souls
49:24 Regarding death and Heaven
51:12 Preserving great minds: Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds;Kiln People by David Brin; the Cymechs of Dune
54:35 Gene Wolf’s Book of the New Sun
56:04 And now for something completely different: The Man With Two Brains; Freaky Friday; Vice Versa
58:34 Dave once again attempts to corrupt our youth with tales of computer vandalism, and apologizes to a former teacher
01:02:13 Show wrap-up
Bonus Links!
The New York Review of Science Fiction
Next week: Eli Kintisch, author of Hack the Planet
Thanks for listening!
Show notes compiled by podtern Christie Yant. Friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
