Ep 07 - Joe Haldeman

In this episode, we'll chat with author Joe Haldeman. We're also joined by Joe's wife, Gay — and the resident murder of crows at the hotel hosting the convention.

Joe shares some of his early sf favourites with us, including Lester del Rey's Rocket Jockey, Robert A Heinlein's Red Planet, and the TV series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. He talks about meeting some of the science fiction authors that influenced him during his youth. And he'll tell us about his enjoyment of the Year's Best anthology series at this stage in his life.

Joe also muses about the way the world and the ability of people to access information and entertainment has changed over the years, and how one's personality and experiences affect one's tastes. He tells us about how his letters home from Vietnam formed the basis of his first novel. And he talks about being a writer, and how science fiction authors differ from their mainstream counterparts.

At various points in our conversation, we talk about gatekeepers — people who have played an important role in introducing him to science fiction, and his own part in fostering someone else's appreciation of the genre.

Our interview took place in October 2015 at VCon — the Vancouver Science Fiction, Fantasy and Games Convention (in the hotel's courtyard, which accounts for the crows adding their two cents to the conversation).

Find out more about Joe and his works at:

joehaldeman.com

 

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