The Future is Not Yet Written with Nina Schulyer

In this week’s episode of 'Unless: The Podcast,' host Dr. Hemma Lomax welcomes award-winning author Nina Schuyler to consider the future of human potential through the fine art of fiction writing. Nina’s works explore themes of love, loss, language, and the complex relationship between humans and machines. The discussion opens with insights into Nina's early writing journey and her evolution from investment banking to fiction writing. The conversation then pivots to her critically acclaimed novel 'Afterword,' an exploration of AI and human feelings through the poignant story of Virginia Sampson and her AI companion, Haru. 

Nina shares her thought-provoking perspectives on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, collective storytelling, and the need for interconnectedness in addressing global issues, such as climate change. Additionally, the episode explores Nina’s latest work, 'In This Ravishing World,' highlighting themes of collectivity,  Ursula K. Le Guin’s ‘carrier bag theory of fiction’, and ecological mindfulness. Listeners are encouraged to think deeply about the potential and limitations of AI, the importance of human connection, and the power of collaborative storytelling in navigating complex contemporary issues.

The work of Rebecca Solnit inspired this week’s episode title.

Highlights include:

• The Creative Process and Writing Philosophy

• The Influence of Japanese Culture

• Ethical Questions and Future Implications of AI

• Exploring Human Exceptionalism and Blind Spots

• When Art Imitates Reality: The Role of Fiction in Activism

• Rethinking Storytelling: The Carrier Bag Theory

Biography

Nina Schuyler is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and educator whose work explores the emotional and philosophical edges of language, consciousness, and connection.

Her latest novel, Afterword (Clash Books, 2023), was named a top book of the year by Alta Journal and Bay City News. A deeply imaginative exploration of love, grief, and artificial intelligence, Afterword tells the story of a woman who reconnects with her late sister through an AI replica—posing urgent questions about memory, intimacy, and what it means to be alive.

Her forthcoming short story collection, In This Ravishing World (Regal House Publishing, July 2024), has already won the W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections and the Prism Prize for Climate Literature. These stories tackle ecological crisis, spiritual longing, and quiet human resilience in a rapidly shifting world.

Nina’s earlier novels include The Translator—a finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing and winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award—and The Painting, a finalist for the Northern California Book Award.

A passionate advocate for the craft of writing, she is also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book How to Write Stunning Sentences, and its companion, Stunning Sentences: Creative Writing Journal. Her short fiction has appeared in Zyzzyva, Fugue, Nashville Review, Santa Clara Review, Your Impossible Voice, and many other literary journals.

Nina teaches creative writing for Stanford Continuing Studies, The Writing Salon, and the University of San Francisco. She lives and writes in California, where she continues to challenge the boundaries of storytelling—inviting readers to enter new ways of seeing, feeling, and being in the world.

Resources

https://ninaschuyler.com/

Afterword: Available at your favorite local bookstore and where all books are sold.

Order from Bookshop | Book Passage | Copperfield’s | Powell’s | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In This Ravishing World: Available at your favorite local bookstore and where all books are sold.

Order from Bookshop | Book Passage | Regal House Publishing | Copperfield’s | Amazon

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction - https://stillmoving.org/resources/the-carrier-bag-theory-of-fiction