The Future And You
Encyclopedia
The Future and You is a podcast
hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb
and teamed with Jim Baen's Universe
Magazine (the online magazine of SF&F from Baen Books
). The show's host interviews a variety of authors, futurists, scientists, celebrities and "pioneers of the future" as to what they believe both the near future and distant future will be like for individuals as well as for humanity in general. In 2006, the show won a Parsec Award
.
and molecular manufacturing, artificial intelligence
, human enhancement and augmentation, genetic engineering
of humans and other biotechnology
, computers wired directly into the human brain, exoplanets
, cryonics, global warming
, the current interglacial period, bootlegging of movies, faster-than-light
travel, wormhole
s and black hole
s, cloning
and stem cell
research, futurism and futurology
, social marketing
(the engineering of specific attitude changes within a population), transhumanism
, extropianism
, and the technology of living more-or-less forever.
Or as the host describes it: "Topics are strictly limited to those things that, in the future, will exist, or cease to exist, or change in some way."
First Time Period: Bi-Weekly Episodes
During its first five months (from December 2005 until April 2006) episodes were released every two weeks.
Beginning with the first episode the goal seemed to be to provide variety within each episode: a variety of guests, subjects and ideas. Most of the show was composed of interviews: anywhere from four to nine in a single episode. (Which explained why the show was so long compared to most podcasts.) Each episode opened with the host reading a Table of Contents, sometimes followed by a few brief News items, then the interviews began. Near the middle of the show, after two or three interviews, about fifteen minutes worth of the science fiction novel "Bones Burnt Black" was read by the author. The serialization of this novel was begun in the first episode, and completed in the November 1, 2007 episode.)
Many episodes ended with a "Celebrity Interview" which usually had little to do with the show's theme (the future). These may have been included to increase the show's status or to pull in more listeners by appearing in Google searches of those celebrity names.
There has always been a noticeable abundance of SF writers on the show, perhaps because the host feels that since many SF writers write about the future they have spent a great deal of time pondering what is to come (a logical, if unproven, theory) or maybe its just because the host is an SF writer himself and finds it easiest to find guests within his own field.
Also notable is the show's length. Striving for so much variety forces the program to a far greater length than most podcasts. Episodes have fluctuated from 68 minutes to 150 minutes. For many months the target length seemed to be 79 minutes. (Perhaps because 80 minutes is the most that can be burned to a 700 megabyte audio CD.) But many episodes of the first and second time period seem to gravitate to around two hours.
All the old episodes have remained available for listening (which is typical of most podcasts). And like most podcasts, there is no charge for listening to one episode or for subscribing.
Second Time Period: Monthly Episodes
Beginning May 1, 2006, episodes were released once per month on the first of each month, but no change was made to the format or the content.
Third Time Period: Weekly Episodes
On January 1, 2008, episodes started being released weekly, becoming available one minute after midnight every Wednesday morning. The format also changed to feature an interview with only one guest per episode. Other changes seem to include: less news, a more streamlined opening, and promos for other podcasts were moved to after the closing credits.
Other Historical Changes and Events:
The December 1, 2006 episode had two major events. It was declared the show's One Year Anniversary Episode (the first episode was actually uploaded on December 15, 2005) and it was the beginning of the show's alliance with Jim Baen's Universe
the online magazine of SF&F. This alliance brought ten minutes of new content to each episode. These ten minute segments were provided by the staff of Jim Baen's Universe
and were produced by Walt Boyes (AKA: Bananaslug) and Stoney Compton.
The June 1, 2006 episode was the first to use VoIP for recording all the phone interviews, and so was the first to provide professional quality sound. (The May 1, 2006 episode contained one VoIP interview, but all the rest were recorded over conventional analog phone lines.)
October 1, 2006 saw another improvement in the show's audio quality. This was done by changing the mp3 file compression from 32 kbit/s (which had been used for all previous episodes) to 64 kbit/s. This better sound was good, but it was also bad in that it made the files twice as large, and take twice as long to download.
for "Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast" was given to the show's host, Stephen Euin Cobb
, on the evening of September 2, 2006, at the first annual Parsec Award ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia.
In his acceptance speech, Stephen thanked the three podcasters who had encouraged him to create a podcast when he knew little about how podcasting was done: Mur Lafferty, Tee Morris, and Rich Sigfrit. Stephen also thanked his photographer and assistant, Peggy Gregory (who is also his sister) for helping him throughout his many promotional travels to science fiction conventions, book signings and TV appearances.
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb
Stephen Euin Cobb
Stephen Euin Cobb is a U.S. author, magazine writer, interviewer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future and You...
and teamed with Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
Magazine (the online magazine of SF&F from Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
). The show's host interviews a variety of authors, futurists, scientists, celebrities and "pioneers of the future" as to what they believe both the near future and distant future will be like for individuals as well as for humanity in general. In 2006, the show won a Parsec Award
Parsec Awards
The Parsec Awards are a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media...
.
Topics
Topics discussed have included: nanotechnologyNanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
and molecular manufacturing, artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, human enhancement and augmentation, genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
of humans and other biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, computers wired directly into the human brain, exoplanets
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
, cryonics, global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, the current interglacial period, bootlegging of movies, faster-than-light
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
travel, wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
s and black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
s, cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
and stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research, futurism and futurology
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
, social marketing
Social marketing
Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing, along with other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioral goals for a social good. Social marketing can be applied to promote merit goods, or to make a society avoid demerit goods and thus to promote society's well being as...
(the engineering of specific attitude changes within a population), transhumanism
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
, extropianism
Extropianism
Extropianism, also referred to as the philosophy of "Extropy", is an evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition....
, and the technology of living more-or-less forever.
Or as the host describes it: "Topics are strictly limited to those things that, in the future, will exist, or cease to exist, or change in some way."
Author Guests
- Larry NivenLarry NivenLaurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
(SF author) - Jerry PournelleJerry PournelleJerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
(SF author, editor, computer columnist, political advisor) - Greg BearGreg BearGregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
(SF author) - Robert J. SawyerRobert J. SawyerRobert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
(Canadian Hard SF author) - Mike ResnickMike ResnickMichael Diamond Resnick , better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is an American science fiction author. He was executive editor of Jim Baen's Universe.-Biography:...
(SF&F author, anthologist and editor) - Vernor VingeVernor VingeVernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels and novellas A Fire Upon the Deep , A Deepness in the Sky , Rainbows End , Fast Times at Fairmont High ...
(SF author and scientist) - Harry TurtledoveHarry TurtledoveHarry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
(SF author) - Joe HaldemanJoe HaldemanJoe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.-Life :Haldeman was born June 9, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family traveled and he lived in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Maryland and Anchorage, Alaska as a child. Haldeman married Mary Gay Potter, known...
(SF author and professor) - Kevin J. AndersonKevin J. AndersonKevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
(SF author) - David BrinDavid BrinGlen David Brin, Ph.D. is an American scientist and award-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards.-Biography:...
(SF author and scientist) - Kim Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
(SF author) - Alan Dean FosterAlan Dean FosterAlan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
(SF&F author and world traveler) - Timothy ZahnTimothy ZahnTimothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
(SF author) - Spider RobinsonSpider RobinsonSpider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author.- Biography :Born in the Bronx, New York City, Robinson attended Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a seminary, followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years at the State...
(SF author and musician) - Jack McDevittJack McDevittJack McDevitt is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology....
(SF author) - Catherine AsaroCatherine AsaroCatherine Asaro is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is best known for her books about the Ruby Dynasty, called the Saga of the Skolian Empire.- Biography :...
(SF&F author, scientist and former ballerina) - David B. CoeDavid B. CoeDavid B. Coe is an author of fantasy novels and short stories.- Writing :He was the winner of the William L. Crawford Award for best first fantasy series, awarded at the International Conference on the Fantastic for Children of Amarid and The Outlanders, the first two novels of the LonTobyn...
(Fantasy author and environmentalist) - Nancy KressNancy KressNancy Kress is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo and Nebula-winning 1991 novella "Beggars in Spain" which was later expanded into a novel with the same title...
(SF author) - David DrakeDavid DrakeDavid Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
(SF&F author) - Katherine KurtzKatherine KurtzKatherine Kurtz is the author of numerous fantasy novels, most notably the Deryni novels. Although born in America, for the past several years, up until just recently, she has lived in a castle in Ireland...
(fantasy author) - Elizabeth BearElizabeth BearSarah Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky is an American author. Writing under the name Elizabeth Bear, she works primarily in the genre of speculative fiction, and was a winner of the 2005 John W...
(SF&F author) - Jeanne RobinsonSpider RobinsonSpider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author.- Biography :Born in the Bronx, New York City, Robinson attended Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a seminary, followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years at the State...
(dancer, choreographer, dance instructor and SF author) - John RingoJohn RingoJohn Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
(SF&F author) - Toni WeisskopfToni WeisskopfToni Weisskopf is a science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books.Weisskopf is an alumna of Oberlin College, from which she graduated in 1987. She was immediately employed by Baen Books, where she served as executive editor up until the death of founder Jim Baen in 2006, at which point...
(editor and head of Baen Books, but also an SF&F anthologist and an author of non-fiction) - Eric FlintEric FlintEric Flint is an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also writes humorous fantasy adventures.- Career :...
(SF&F author, anthologist and editor) - Ginjer BuchananGinjer BuchananGinjer Buchanan is a science fiction editor and writer. Her published work includes three short stories in the anthologies Alternate Kennedys, Whatdunnits II, and By Any Other Fame; and also the novel White Silence , a Highlander tie-in...
(Senior Executive Editor and Marketing Director of Ace and ROC Books) - Sarah A. HoytSarah HoytSarah de Almeida Hoyt is an award-winning fiction author.-Biography:Hoyt was born on November 18, 1962 in the village of Granja, Águas Santas, Maia near Porto, Portugal, a major port city on the Atlantic coast...
(SF&F author) - L. E. Modesitt, Jr.L. E. Modesitt, Jr.L. E. Modesitt, Jr. is an author of 56 science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce....
(SF&F author) - C.J. Henderson (award-winning author of SF&F and horror novels, comics, and children's books )
- Walter Jon WilliamsWalter Jon WilliamsWalter Jon Williams is an American writer, primarily of science fiction.Several of Williams' novels have a distinct cyberpunk feel to them, notably Hardwired , Voice of the Whirlwind and Angel Stationn...
(SF&F author) - Edmund R. SchubertEdmund R. SchubertEdmund R. Schubert is an American author and editor best known for his work in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, though some of his short stories are mysteries, including one that was a preliminary nominee for an Edgar Award in 2006 for Best Short Story...
(SF&F author and Editor of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine ShowIntergalactic Medicine ShowInterGalactic Medicine Show is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was founded by multiple award-winning author Orson Scott Card. An anthology also called Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show was published by Tor in August, 2008, featuring selected stories from...
) - Robert Buettner (SF author)
- Randal L. SchwartzRandal L. SchwartzRandal L. Schwartz , also known as merlyn, is an American author, system administrator and programming consultant.-Career:...
(Programmer, consultant and activist; author of many programming books and articles) - Marjorie M. Liu (SF&F author and former lawyer)
- Alethea KontisAlethea KontisAlethea Kontis is an American author and editor living in Ashburn, Virginia. Her children's picture book, AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First was published by Candlewick Press in 2006, followed by H Is for Halloween in 2010. She shares credit for The Dark-Hunter Companion with Sherrilyn Kenyon, whose...
(SF&H writer, and fantasy editor for Solaris Books and former buyer for Ingram) - Jay LakeJay LakeJoseph E. Lake, Jr. is a science fiction and fantasy writer. In 2003 he was a quarterly first place winner in the Writers of the Future contest. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction. He lives in Portland, Oregon and currently works as a product manager...
(SF&F author, anthologist and editor) - Dave FreerDave FreerDave Freer is a South African-born science fiction author writing mostly humorous or alternate history novels.He was conscripted into the South African Defence Force and sent to the Angolan Border as a medic....
(South African SF&F author) - Paul LevinsonPaul LevinsonPaul Levinson is an American author and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. Levinson's novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into twelve languages....
(author, professor and media commentator) - John BarnesJohn Barnes (author)-Writing:Two of his novels, The Sky So Big and Black and The Duke of Uranium have been reviewed as having content appropriate for a young adult readership, comparing favorably to Robert A. Heinlein's "juvenile" novels...
(SF&F author) - Davey BeauchampDavey BeauchampDavid Beauchamp is a librarian, author, editor, and voice actor.His personal appearance schedule regularly includes several science fiction conventions such as DragonCon, ConCarolinas and MobiCon where he speaks on panels, teaches in workshops for aspiring authors, and sometimes records...
(Librarian, author, editor, anthologist, and voice actor) - M. M. BucknerM. M. BucknerM. M. Buckner is a United States science fiction author specializing in hard science fiction, and also an environmental activist. Her third novel, War Surf, won the 2005 Philip K...
(SF author) - James Maxey (SF&F author)
- Matt Browne (SF author)
- Stephen L. Antczak (SF author, screen writer, comics writer, film maker and theatrical producer)
- Stoney Compton (SF&F author)
- Allen Wold (fiction and nonfiction author)
- Michael A. VentrellaMichael A. VentrellaMichael A. Ventrella founded Animato! in the mid 80s. He sold it in the early 90s. Under the pseudonym "Thelma Scumm" he wrote the gossip column and later continued that for fps magazine...
(author, and co-founder of Animato Magazine and of the LARP NERO) - Rhonda Leigh Jones (author of a series of erotic romance vampire novels with numerous BDSM scenes)
Celebrity Guests
- Erin GrayErin GrayErin Gray is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Kate Summers in the situation comedy Silver Spoons and as Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century....
(actress who played Colonel Wilma DeeringWilma DeeringWilma Deering is a fictional character featured in the various iterations of Buck Rogers which have spanned many media over the years.Through all the versions of Buck Rogers, Wilma Deering has maintained some clear characteristics. She is a sometimes romantic interest for Buck, always a loyal...
in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyBuck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979–1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired....
as well as Kate Summers in the sitcom Silver SpoonsSilver SpoonsSilver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987...
) - Aria GiovanniAria GiovanniAria Giovanni is an American pornographic actress and model who was Penthouse magazine's Pet for the month of September 2000. She has modeled in a range of photographic styles and has also had roles in television shows.-Biography:...
(nude model) - Aimee SweetAimee SweetAimee Sweet is an American glamour model and pornographic actress.At the age of six, she began performing in stage plays and singing, and developed an interest in sports such as field hockey, softball, swimming and cross country, which she continued to do through high school...
(glamour model and porn star) - Betsy PalmerBetsy PalmerBetsy Palmer is an American actress, best known as a regular panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret, and later for playing Pamela Voorhees in the notorious slasher film Friday the 13th.-Life and career:...
(actress who played Mrs. VoorheesPamela VoorheesPamela Sue Voorhees is a fictional character in the Friday the 13th films, and the antagonist of the original Friday the 13th film. She is a former camp cook and the mother of Jason Voorhees, the main character of the series....
in the 1980 horror film Friday the 13th) - Robin CurtisRobin CurtisRobin Curtis is an American actress, most notable for playing Vulcan Lieutenant Saavik in the Star Trek films.-Film & television work:...
(Actress who played Lt. Saavik—a Vulcan woman Starfleet officer—in the movies: Star Trek IIIStar Trek III: The Search for SpockStar Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the third feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the center of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and concludes with Star Trek IV:...
and Star Trek IVStar Trek IV: The Voyage HomeStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The...
) - Linda Tran (glamour and nude model)
- Lisa LoringLisa LoringLisa Loring is an American actress. She is best known for playing Wednesday Addams on The Addams Family television show. She was also a featured actress on the ABC sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton.Her parents both served in the United States Navy, but divorced shortly after her birth...
(actress who played "Wednesday" on the 1960s TV series The Addams Family) - Ken Weatherwax (actor who played "Pugsley" on the 1960s TV series The Addams FamilyThe Addams Family (TV series)The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
) - Bodie OlmosBodie OlmosBodie James Olmos is an American actor of TV and film. He is the son of Edward James Olmos and Kaija Keel, and grandson of Howard Keel. His older brother is actor Mico Olmos. His first on screen appearance was on The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez in 1982 when he was 7 years old...
(actor from the TV series Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
) - Lydia CornellLydia CornellLydia Cornell is an American actress, writer, novelist, comedienne, blogger, and talk-radio host.-Early life and acting career:...
(TV actress best known for playing Ted KnightTed KnightTed Knight was an American actor best known for playing the comedic role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack.- Early years :...
's daughter, Sara Rush, on the sitcom Too Close for ComfortToo Close for Comfort (TV series)Too Close for Comfort is an American television sitcom which ran on the ABC network and later in first-run syndication from November 11, 1980 to September 27, 1986. It was modeled after the British series Keep It in the Family, which debuted nine months before Too Close for Comfort debuted in the U.S...
) - Gary Jones (TV actor from Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
) - Jordan Marder (actor from American History XAmerican History XAmerican History X is a 1998 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. It was distributed by New Line Cinema....
, VirtuosityVirtuosityVirtuosity is a 1995 techno-thriller film directed by Brett Leonard. The movie tells the story of a virtual villain's successful attempt to escape into the "real world". SID 6.7, the villain program portrayed by Russell Crowe, is eventually transplanted into an android body and escapes...
, L.A. ConfidentialL.A. Confidential (film)L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
and Clive Barker's Lord of IllusionsLord of IllusionsLord of Illusions is a 1995 American horror film, written and directed by the British author, filmmaker and artist Clive Barker. The film is based on his earlier short story, The Last Illusion , and it presents Barker's signature character Harry D'Amour onscreen for the first time. It stars Scott...
; as well as The Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
, JAGJAG (TV series)JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, The EqualizerThe EqualizerThe Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
and The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
) - Hattie HayridgeHattie HayridgeHattie Hayridge is a British stand-up comedienne and actress, best known for the role of the female version of Holly in Red Dwarf during the third, fourth and fifth series, along with the role of Hilly in Parallel Universe, the final episode of the second series.After graduating from the...
(actress and stand-up comedian best known from the British science fiction TV series Red DwarfRed DwarfRed Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
) - Jerry Rector (TV actor from Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
and SlidersSlidersSliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
) - Grant Baciocco (comedian, comedy writer and co-creator of The Radio Adventures of Doctor floyd)
- Michael BerrymanMichael BerrymanMichael John Berryman is an American actor. He has appeared in several horror movies and other B movies. Berryman is famous for having a distinctive physical appearance as a result of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition which prevents him from developing hair, sweat glands...
(actor appearing in 37 films and 15 TV shows; the star of Wes CravenWes CravenWesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
's original version of the horror film The Hills Have EyesThe Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
)
Pioneer Guests
- Tom Atwood (editor-in-chief of Robot MagazineRobot MagazineRobot Magazine is an American bi-monthly robotics publication produced by the Maplegate Media Group. The first issue appeared in November 2003...
) - R. U. SiriusR. U. SiriusR. U. Sirius is an American writer, editor, talk show host, musician and cyberculture celebrity. He is best known as co-founder and original Editor-In-Chief of Mondo 2000 magazine from 1989–1993. Sirius was also chairman and candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election for The Revolution Party...
(editor-in-chief of H+ magazine) - Chris Phoenix (author, scientist, co-founder and Director of Research for Center for Responsible Nanotechnology)
- Nick BostromNick BostromNick Bostrom is a Swedish philosopher at the University of Oxford known for his work on existential risk and the anthropic principle. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics...
(Oxford professor, philosopher, author, and co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association) - David PearceDavid Pearce (philosopher)David Pearce is a British utilitarian thinker. He believes and promotes the idea that there exists a strong ethical imperative for humans to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. His book-length internet manifesto The Hedonistic Imperative details how he believes the...
(author, professor, activist, philosopher and co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association) - Stefano Vaj (author, futurist, transhumanism activist, and lawyer based in Milan, Italy)
- Brian Wang (futurist, writer and speaker)
- David OrbanDavid OrbanDavid Orban, is an entrepreneur, visionary, and analyst of the global high technology landscape who was born in Budapest in 1965.Currently, Orban is Chief Executive Officer of dotSUB, a US-based technology platform and services company that powers captions and translations as subtitles in any...
(futurist, speaker, writer and business executive) - Philippe Van Nedervelde (spokesperson for the Lifeboat Foundation and Executive Director for the Foresight Nanotech Institute in Europe)
- Michael Anissimov (futurist, transhumanism activist, and boardmember of the World Transhumanist Association)
- George DvorskyGeorge DvorskyGeorge P. Dvorsky is a transhumanist futurist, and author of the Sentient Developments blog. Dvorsky is a co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association, and currently serves on the board of directors for Humanity+ and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies...
(outspoken activist for futurism and transhumanismTranshumanismTranshumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
, and executive editor of Betterhumans) - John R. Douglas (editor at scifipedia (a division of the Sci Fi ChannelSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
) and World Fantasy ConventionWorld Fantasy ConventionThe World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. It places emphasis on literature and art, while de-emphasizing dramatic presentation, gaming, masquerade, and the like. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the...
boardmember since the 1980s) - Rudi Hoffman (cryonicsCryonicsCryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
insurance provider and cryonics financial planner) - John BuckmanJohn BuckmanJohn Buckman is founder of Magnatune, a Berkeley, California-based record label he founded in 2003 and which is known for its commercial application of Creative Commons licensing and overtly artist-friendly business practices...
(CEO of the recording label Magnatune) - Mike Treder (executive director of CRN: The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology)
- Thomas Gideon (AKA: cmdln) (digital media rights activist and host of The Command Line podcast)
- David Pascal (marketing consultant specializing in social marketing)
- Lionel Vogt (transhumanist and futurist, best known for his TV appearances with his battling robots)
Scientist Guests
- Dr. Peter NorvigPeter NorvigPeter Norvig is an American computer scientist. He is currently the Director of Research at Google Inc.-Educational Background:...
(AI scientist, textbook author, and Director of Research at Google) - Les Johnson (author, lecturer and NASA scientist)
- Dr. Ben GoertzelBen GoertzelBen Goertzel , is an American author and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence. He currently leads Novamente LLC, a privately held software company that attempts to develop a form of strong AI, which he calls "Artificial General Intelligence"...
(AI scientist, author, futurist, CEO of Novamente, and Director of Research of the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence) - Dr. Giulio PriscoGiulio PriscoGiulio Prisco, born in Napoli in 1957, is an Italian information technology virtual reality consultant; as well as a writer, futurist, and transhumanist. He is an advocate of cryonics and contributes to the science and technology online magazine Tendencias21...
(futurist, scientist, corporate consultant and former Executive Director of the World Transhumanist Association) - Dr. Aubrey de GreyAubrey de GreyAubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation. He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging and co-author...
(medical gerontologist working to promote medical longevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
) - Dr. Adrian BowyerAdrian BowyerAdrian Bowyer is a British engineer and mathematician, currently an academic at the University of Bath.Born in 1952 in London, Bowyer is the older child of the late Rosemary and John Bowyer; the latter was a writer, painter and one of the founders of Zisman, Bowyer and Partners, consulting engineers...
(professor of engineering and inventor of the RepRap machine) - Dr. Travis S. Taylor (scientist with NASA and DOD, SF author and discoverer of two exoplanets)
- Dr. Greg Matloff (astronomer, author and professor)
- Dr. Grover Swartslander (physicist and professor)
- Dr. Bob Boan (scientist working with NASA and DOD, fiction writer, nonfiction author)
Artist Guests
- Cheralyn Lambeth (Muppet creater and costumer from Jim Henson Productions)
- David MattinglyDavid MattinglyDavid Burroughs Mattingly is an American illustrator and painter best known for his numerous book covers of science fiction and fantasy literature.-Art collections:...
(award-winning painter, illustrator and book cover artist) - Scott Stewart (artist of children’s books, comics and coloring books)
- Richard H. Green (animation artist from Walt Disney Studios projects: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast, and Rescuers Down Under)
- Steve Bennett (artist of manga, anime and webcomics)
- S.L. Gallant (commercial and comic book artist)
Other Guests
- Senator John McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(2008 presidential candidate) - Lucienne Diver (New York literary agent)
- Scott Dean (mayor of Harlem, Georgia USA)
- Peter StampfelHoly Modal RoundersThe Holy Modal Rounders were an American folk music duo from the Lower East Side of New York City which started in the early 1960s, consisting of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber. Their unique blend of folk music revival and psychedelia gave them a cult-like following from the late 1960s into the 1970s...
(submissions editor at DAW Books and musician) - Hildy Silverman (owner/publisher of Space and Time Magazine, and contributing editor of Achieving Families Magazine)
- Tony V. Baughman (newspaper reporter for The Aiken Standard)
- Uncle Timmy (founder and chairman of LibertyCon - an annual SF&F convention)
- Paula Goodlett (managing editor of Jim Baen's Universe Magazine)
- Walt Boyes (nicknamed: Bananaslug) (marketing director of Jim Baen's Universe Magazine)
- Ricki Dean (School Nutrition Manager of Columbia County Georgia USA)
- The Wombat (RavenCon's 2007 Fan Guest of Honor)
- Paul Fischer (IT professional and podcaster (with Martha Holloway) of the Balticon Podcast and the A.D.D. Podcast)
- Bruce Gehweiler (publisher at Marietta Publishing)
- Nathan P. Butler (author and professional educator)
- Robert Hooker (IT professional and consultant)
- Shannon Presley (on-air radio personality at WBVR "The Beaver" in Kentucky)
- Kelly Lockhart (former radio DJ in Key Largo, Atlanta and Chattanooga; and award-winning writer)
- Julie Grimaldi (president of Police Futurists International)
History
The show's history can be divided into several time periods based on changes to its format and/or release schedule.First Time Period: Bi-Weekly Episodes
During its first five months (from December 2005 until April 2006) episodes were released every two weeks.
Beginning with the first episode the goal seemed to be to provide variety within each episode: a variety of guests, subjects and ideas. Most of the show was composed of interviews: anywhere from four to nine in a single episode. (Which explained why the show was so long compared to most podcasts.) Each episode opened with the host reading a Table of Contents, sometimes followed by a few brief News items, then the interviews began. Near the middle of the show, after two or three interviews, about fifteen minutes worth of the science fiction novel "Bones Burnt Black" was read by the author. The serialization of this novel was begun in the first episode, and completed in the November 1, 2007 episode.)
Many episodes ended with a "Celebrity Interview" which usually had little to do with the show's theme (the future). These may have been included to increase the show's status or to pull in more listeners by appearing in Google searches of those celebrity names.
There has always been a noticeable abundance of SF writers on the show, perhaps because the host feels that since many SF writers write about the future they have spent a great deal of time pondering what is to come (a logical, if unproven, theory) or maybe its just because the host is an SF writer himself and finds it easiest to find guests within his own field.
Also notable is the show's length. Striving for so much variety forces the program to a far greater length than most podcasts. Episodes have fluctuated from 68 minutes to 150 minutes. For many months the target length seemed to be 79 minutes. (Perhaps because 80 minutes is the most that can be burned to a 700 megabyte audio CD.) But many episodes of the first and second time period seem to gravitate to around two hours.
All the old episodes have remained available for listening (which is typical of most podcasts). And like most podcasts, there is no charge for listening to one episode or for subscribing.
Second Time Period: Monthly Episodes
Beginning May 1, 2006, episodes were released once per month on the first of each month, but no change was made to the format or the content.
Third Time Period: Weekly Episodes
On January 1, 2008, episodes started being released weekly, becoming available one minute after midnight every Wednesday morning. The format also changed to feature an interview with only one guest per episode. Other changes seem to include: less news, a more streamlined opening, and promos for other podcasts were moved to after the closing credits.
Other Historical Changes and Events:
The December 1, 2006 episode had two major events. It was declared the show's One Year Anniversary Episode (the first episode was actually uploaded on December 15, 2005) and it was the beginning of the show's alliance with Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
the online magazine of SF&F. This alliance brought ten minutes of new content to each episode. These ten minute segments were provided by the staff of Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
and were produced by Walt Boyes (AKA: Bananaslug) and Stoney Compton.
The June 1, 2006 episode was the first to use VoIP for recording all the phone interviews, and so was the first to provide professional quality sound. (The May 1, 2006 episode contained one VoIP interview, but all the rest were recorded over conventional analog phone lines.)
October 1, 2006 saw another improvement in the show's audio quality. This was done by changing the mp3 file compression from 32 kbit/s (which had been used for all previous episodes) to 64 kbit/s. This better sound was good, but it was also bad in that it made the files twice as large, and take twice as long to download.
Awards
The 2006 Parsec AwardParsec Awards
The Parsec Awards are a set of annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. The awards were created by Mur Lafferty, Tracy Hickman and Michael R. Mennenga and awarded by FarPoint Media...
for "Best Speculative Fiction News Podcast" was given to the show's host, Stephen Euin Cobb
Stephen Euin Cobb
Stephen Euin Cobb is a U.S. author, magazine writer, interviewer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future and You...
, on the evening of September 2, 2006, at the first annual Parsec Award ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia.
In his acceptance speech, Stephen thanked the three podcasters who had encouraged him to create a podcast when he knew little about how podcasting was done: Mur Lafferty, Tee Morris, and Rich Sigfrit. Stephen also thanked his photographer and assistant, Peggy Gregory (who is also his sister) for helping him throughout his many promotional travels to science fiction conventions, book signings and TV appearances.
External links
- The Future and You descriptive website Includes program notes, links to sites mentioned within the show, a list of guests who have been on the show (with links to their sites and books), and access to the blog page from which episodes of the show may be downloaded.
- Page from which episodes of The Future and You may be downloaded
- The show's page at iTunes.