All posts by jdsawyer

After a childhood in academia, J. Daniel Sawyer declared his independence by dropping out of high school and setting off on a series of adventures in the bowels of the film industry, the venture capital culture of silicon valley, surfing safaris, bohemians, burners, historians, theologians, adventurers, climbers, drug dealers, gangbangers, and inventors before his past finally caught up to him. Trapped in a world bookended by one wall falling in Berlin and other walls going up around suburbia and along national borders throughout the world, he rediscovered his deep love of history and, with it, and obsession with predicting the future as it grew aggressively out of the past. To date, this obsession has yielded over thirty books and innumerable short stories, the occasional short film, nearly a dozen podcasts stretching over a decade and a half, and a career creating novels and audiobooks exploring the world through the lens of his own peculiar madness, in the depths of his own private forest in a rural exile, where he uses the quiet to write, walk on the beach, and manage a production company that brings innovative stories to the ears of audiences across the world. For news and free stories, sign up for his occasional newsletter. Or find his contact info, podcasts, and more on his home page at http://www.jdsawyer.net

Nina Kimberley the Merciless – Free E-Book

Those of you who listened to Predestination heard Christiana Ellis’s voice playing bit parts — when you listen to Down From Ten you’ll hear her as one of the main characters. But when you listen to her podcasts – Shallow Thoughts, Space Casey, or Nina Kimberley – you’ll be holding your sides.

Which is what this post is about. Christiana Ellis’ hysterical send up of epic fantasy, Nina Kimberley the Merciless is now available on Amazon.com. I *LOVE* this book — very clever, loads of fun, and written with a genuine literacy that’s very refreshing in any kind of Fantasy, let alone comedic fantasy. Download the ebook here to read on your computer or portable reader, subscribe to the podcast here, and support the author’s print debut by heading over to Amazon and buying today.

Predestination: Exit Interview with Tee Morris

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What kind of insanity have I wrought? What does it take to do something like this?

What’s next on my plate? What does Tee Morris’s pubic hair have to do with podcasting?

Give it a listen and find out as Tee Morris roasts and interviews me on this special one-hour retrospective on Predestination and look forward to Free Will and Down From Ten.

Thank you all for listening all these long months.

Bonus Content: Jack Wakes Up PDF

My friend Seth Harwood has his mainstream debut with his book Jack Wakes Up today, coming out from an imprint of Crown, the same publisher that picked up Scott Sigler. Some of you may not know his book, a modern-day noir thriller that is equal parts James M. Caine and Scott Turow, so I thought I’d introduce you with this PDF preview of the first three chapters of Jack Wakes Up.

Download it, read it, and then go to your local bookstore and buy a copy. It’s a fun read, and there’s enough in there to tickle your lit geek bones till you turn the final page. If you’re not convinced about it, check out my review of the book.

Predestination, Episode 27

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Here we are, everyone. The final episode. The guy that got me into this whole thing, Scott Sigler brings us the final Story So Far. Be sure to stay tuned for the end matter — there is new music and a surprise at the end!

Thank you all for listening — it’s been an honor and a pleasure to torture entertain you.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):
Steven H. Wilson as Voleish and Percy Scott
Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal
George Chlentzos as Douglas Reeves
Brian Levy as Jim Hartman
Erin Balabanian as Alyssa Hartman

Predestination, Episode 26

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The Climactic episode of Predestination clocking in at 37mins. This is easily the most acoustically complex episode of the series, with more kick-ss original music by Danny Schade. P.G. Holyfield joins the cast, too!

But that’s not what you’re interested in. You want to know what happens, and I can’t even ask you provocative questions because it might give something away. So, without further ado, the climax of Predestination.

Story So Far this week by Miss Kalendar of Brass Needles.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):
Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal
George Chlentzos as Douglas Reeves
Erin Balabanian as Alyssa Hartman
Brian Levy as Jim Hartman
Kitty NicIaian as Fugitive and The Spaceport Announcer
P.G. Holyfield as Docking Controller

Dealing In, Episode 8 pt. 2


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Part 2 of the final Dealing In (well, the final one before the end of the book) is here! This time we banted with listener voicemails, talk about sex scenes and DOOM!, and laugh ourselves silly. A little treat to tide you over for till tomorrow, when the last episodes of Predestination drop!

Kitty Nic’Iaian and Chris Lester join, once again. Enjoy!

Dealing In, Episode 8 pt. 1


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Part 1 of the final Dealing In (well, the final one before the end of the book) is here! This week’s serves up a mountain of your emails on a range of topics including:

Old Europe
Bastiat’s Principle
Buried Alive In The Blues
Steampunk (Van Der Meer, Broadmore, Carriger)
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Red Panda and Black Jack Justice — Decoder Ring Theater
Heather Welliver
The basics behind stereo imaging
McCarthyism and Bill Shelley
Flight of the Conchords “The Humans Are Dead”
Easter Eggs in Predestination
First Gulf War
Xanatos gambits and bounded perspective
Is stealth technology in space possible?
Chicken Scissors
Tom Lehrer
Man Love in Metamor City and on Erotica A La Carte
Scott Sigler’s The Crypt
Angels Unawares

Kitty Nic’Iaian and Chris Lester join, once again. Enjoy!

Predestination, Episode 25

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Luna is rioting – Jade and Voleish are navigating their own ways through it. Meanwhile, Nineveh sleeps uneasily – in the calm before the storm, what small movements will change the course of the storm? The second transhumanist in our cast of characters is revealed – if you pay attention.

J.C. Hutchins, author of Personal Effects: Dark Art, brings us The Story So Far.

Cast this week (in order of appearance):
Stephanie Sawyer as Cassy Orinthal
Lorien Wheeler as Jade Orin
Steven H. Wilson as Voleish
Kitty NicIaian as The Computer
Christiana Ellis as The Protester
Justin MacCumber as The Shopkeeper
Michael Lemonjello as Xylar
Jonathan Sawyer as Furgeson