Edward Willett - Shapers of Worlds Volume II

Edward Willett - Shapers of Worlds Volume II

Author: Alan Warren December 28, 2022 Duration: 47:35

Explore twenty-four imaginative tales crafted by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its second year, including international bestsellers and winners of every major award in the field as well as newer authors just beginning what promise to be stellar careers.


There are brand-new stories from Kelley Armstrong, Marie Brennan, Garth Nix, Candas Jane Dorsey, Jeremy Szal, Edward Willett, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Lisa Foiles, Susan Forest, Matthew Hughes, Heli Kennedy, Helen Dale, Adria Laycraft, Edward Savio, Lisa Kessler, Ira Nayman, James Alan Gardner, and Tim Pratt, plus fiction by Jeffrey A. Carver, David D. Levine, Carrie Vaughn, Nancy Kress, Barbara Hambly, and S.M. Stirling.


A woman seeking the power to see the evil hiding within others regrets receiving it. Letters written by a wizard in the past threaten a queen’s reign in the present. Competing for Earth, a human wrestler faces an alien shapeshifter in an interstellar tournament. A guide in Tibet must weigh the good of his people when asked to lead a westerner to the fabled realm of Shangri. An activist imprisoned for illegal genetic modification works with the materials at hand and the threads of the multiverse to make the world—a world, at least—a better place. A demonic agent sent to help a human turns the tables on his summoner.


Like the “cabinets of curiosities” created by collectors of the sixteenth century, Shapers of Worlds Volume II displays a varied array of thought-provoking delights: tales of humour and sorrow, darkness and light, and hope and despair that are full of adventure, full of life, and sometimes full of regret. There are stories set in alternate histories, in possible futures, near and far, and in the here-and-now, taking place on Earth, on distant planets, or in fantastic realms. All arise from the innate need of human beings to create, to imagine . . . to shape worlds.


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For over a decade, the House of Mystery radio show opened a door into the minds of the most imaginative authors in literature. What If? Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers curates the very best of those conversations, hosted by Alan Warren. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a deep exploration of the creative sparks behind otherworldly civilizations, magical systems, and the fundamental questions that define speculative fiction. Each episode lets you sit in on a genuine discussion, hearing directly from writers about how they build their universes, develop characters who feel real against impossible backdrops, and where they find their most extraordinary ideas. You'll get a sense of the person behind the pages, their influences, and the sometimes surprising paths that led them to craft the stories that shape our dreams of the future and reimaginings of the past. Tune into this podcast for a thoughtful and engaging archive that celebrates the arts of science fiction and fantasy writing, offering listeners a lasting connection to the voices that continue to push the boundaries of fiction and science.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

What If?  Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers
Podcast Episodes
Tricia Copeland - Of Witches and Vampires [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:06
Sentenced to a life of solitude, she relishes fleeting periods of happiness unaware of the consequences of her joy.Lilith enjoyed many comforts in her life with Adam, but contentment evaded her. Desperate for companionsh…
Pat Daily - Embers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:29
Award-winning author Pat Daily is back with his fourth book in The Spark Chronicles.The world is moving ever closer to a global nuclear conflict. Technological disruption by Black Grass and Spark's AI, Morrigan, have cre…
Seth Voorhees - Immune : Rise of the Inflicted [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:44
In Seth Voorhees' post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, Immune: Rise of the Inflicted, readers will be taken on an amazing ride in this dystopian thriller and see a new world develop after a deadly disease infects the…
Jocie McKade - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:49
It all began with a dog.Not a normal dog, no. A billion dollar robotic prototype. Enter me, Hope Remmie, software writing, self-imposed recluse. My employers forced trip to an electronics convention ended with me finding…
Leo X Robertson - Barhopping for Astronauts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:38
The Future is weird ... bring a drink.An influencer lets the internet puppet his brand-new cyber-limbs.Door-to-door sales-things arrive with a television that watches you.Two YouTubers livestream a dinosaur attack — for…
Peter Solomon - 100 Years to Extinction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:39
What if Stephen Hawking was right—and we have less than a century to avoid extinction?When EMT Liz Arvad is shot while saving a life, her recovery sparks a deeper awakening. Maybe the world isn’t just chaotic, it’s unrav…
James L. Hill - The Ruby Cradle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
It is the turn of the nineteenth century. The industrial age has begun. Steam powered ships has taken over the oceans. Factories are going up across Europe and America. There is a resurgence of activity in the castles in…
Ryan Melsom - Gods of a New World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:01
The trillionaires were powerful enough to reshape the world, but it wasn’t enough. Now they want more . . .In a world where trillionaires assisted by powerful AIs call themselves gods, a world where miracles are engineer…
Jason Kristopher - The Dying of the Light Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:53
In a world where the dead hunger for the living, these classified tales reveal humanity's darkest hours and unexpected heroes. From remote wilderness to secret labs, follow the warriors who faced the walker threat before…
Ally Walker - The Light Runner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:39
The first exciting installment in the Realities series!Things aren't as they appear to be at Bainbridge Psychiatric Hospital. Decorated war hero and politician Captain Oliver Haskell has voluntarily committed himself fol…