How a slow-burning idea of a lonely cabin in the woods became a sci-fi novel with David Arnold

David Arnold The Electric Kingdom

How a slow-burning idea of a lonely cabin in the woods became a sci-fi novel with David Arnold

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3997wTw

Interview Timeline

David Arnold spent many years as a freelance musician before turning to writing. He has completed his fourth novel, a post-apocalyptic survival novel. We spoke about the novel, what makes sci-fi, and the process of writing. The Electric Kingdom (Viking Books, 2021)

0:29 – David talks about why he wrote this novel.

3:15 – David talks about the book’s connection with his son’s birth.

4:36 – David talks about the details of the book.

7:05 – David talks about the undefinable nature of his book where it may or may not have fantastic elements.

9:11 – David and I discuss Andrei Tarkovsky.

11:22 – David talks about the research he did for the book.

15:14 – David talks about the settings of his books.

16:48 – David talks about having been a Nashville musician and loving Christopher Nolan movies.

20:54 – David talks about the plague in his book and Covid. He also talks about health issues he had to deal with while writing the book.

24:07 – David talks about reflecting life experiences in his writing.

26:04 – David talks about the musical feel of the book.

28:04 – David talks about writing songs.

29:31 – David talks about the book being categorized as being for young adults.

34:00 – David talks about the editing of his book.

36:09 – David talks about his writing process.

38:22 – David talks about reading his own work out loud.

39:54 – David talks about editing his work and creating and editing his music.

42:47 – David talks about how his writing has changed over time.

44:32 – David talks about his enjoyment of writing.

47:11 – David talks about the jobs he has had including pre-school teacher.

48:53 – David talks about how his writing was impacted by picture books.

50:55 – David talks about the size of the book’s draft.

53:36 – David talks about being obsessed with Jurassic Park.

56:57 – David talks about how his book was published.

57:51 – David can be found at davidarnoldbooks.com and on instagram @iamdavidarnold.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3997wTw

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624806/the-electric-kingdom-by-david-arnold/

http://davidarnoldbooks.com/

https://www.instagram.com/iamdavidarnold/

Contact Information

For more “Full Contact Nerd” please follow me at crisalvarez.com, on Facebook at CrisAlvarezFCN, on youtube at Cris Alvarez on twitter @CrisAlvarezFCN, on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi, and on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Stitcher / Spotify for the podcast. Please see historyrabbithole.com for a list of my dozen or so blogs and podcasts. You’re sure to find something you like.

Guests: David Arnold

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: Books, audio interviews, author, podcast, Viking Books, science fiction,

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3997wTw

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cris Alvarez Full Contact Nerd Interviews

How female cross-dressing intrigued the British literary world with Ula Klein

Ula Klein Sapphic Crossings

How female cross-dressing intrigued the British literary world with Ula Klein

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3cuWmcM

Interview Timeline

Ula Lukszo Klein is Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. She recently published a book on women cross-dressing in 18th century British literature and we spoke about the book and the subject. Sapphic Crossings: Cross-Dressing Women in Eighteenth-Century British Literature (Peculiar Bodies) (University of Virginia Press, 2021)

Note: This episode is rated Parental Guidance due to sexual references.

0:39 – Ula talks about how she got into writing on cross-dressing in 18th century British literature.

2:19 – Ula talks about how she focuses the book.

4:37 – Ula talks about modern female cross-dressing.

7:02 – Ula talks about reasons for cross-dressing in the past.

11:26 – Ula talks about how to differentiate between lesbianism and transgender identity in historic literature.

15:26 – Ula talks about the laws at the time about cross-dressing.

18:17 – Ula talks about the clothes worn by cross-dressers.

21:24 – Ula talks about women acting on stage.

22:46 – Ula talks about men having women dress as men.

25:07 – Ula talks about hair length, tattoos, jewelry and gender.

28:18 – Ula talks about the openness of this literature.

31:31 – Ula talks about Gothic literature and cross-dressing.

33:42 – Ula talks about being surprised at how often women would find cross-dressers attractive.

36:03 – Ula talks about Joan of Arc and the Amazon myth.

38:10 – Ula talks about her research.

42:34 – Ula talks about the use of make-up.

44:30 – Ula talks about gender norms at this time.

47:54 – Ula talks about sexuality at this time.

48:54 – Ula talks about wanting to know more about the real women who cross-dressed.

52:12 – Ula talks about one story that really moved her in the research.

1:03:26 – Ula talks about how she improved her writing style.

1:06:28 – Ula talks about 18th century tourism and queer people engaged in travel.

1:10:05 – Ula is on twitter @kleinula and at sapphiccrossings.weebly.com. She also talks about painting Star Wars art.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3cuWmcM

https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5438

https://twitter.com/kleinula

https://sapphiccrossings.weebly.com/

Contact Information

For more “Full Contact Nerd” please follow me at crisalvarez.com, on Facebook at CrisAlvarezFCN, on youtube at Cris Alvarez on twitter @CrisAlvarezFCN, on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi, and on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Stitcher / Spotify for the podcast. Please see historyrabbithole.com for a list of my dozen or so blogs and podcasts. You’re sure to find something you like.

Guests: Ula Klein

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: Books, audio interviews, author, academic, podcast, University of Virginia Press, literary studies, non fiction,

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3cuWmcM

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cris Alvarez Full Contact Nerd Interviews

How Sweden adopted French knightly romances and Europeanized itself with Sofia Loden

Sofia Loden French Romance Sweden

How Sweden adopted French knightly romances and Europeanized itself with Sofia Loden

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3ccvKgt

Interview Timeline

Sofia Loden is a Pro Futura Scientia XII Fellow at Stockholm University and the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in Uppsala. She has a strong interest in Arthurian romances and French romance literature. She recently released a book on Swedish translations of French romances. We spoke about the book, medieval literature and books, and the Arthurian legend. French Romance, Medieval Sweden and the Europeanisation of Culture (DS Brewer, 2021)

0:32 – Sofia talks about why she wrote a book on French knightly romances.

3:01 – Sofia discusses the time periods the French and Swedish texts are from.

4:03 – Sofia talks about the cultures these French romances existed in.

6:05 – Sofia talks about who read these books.

7:22 – Sofia talks about what Swedish writing existed before these French romances were translated.

8:45 – Sofia talks about who translated these books.

14:25 – Sofia talks about what the Swedish texts focused on.

16:18 – Sofia talks in detail about the texts.

19:36 – Sofia talks about the story of the knight and the lion.

22:15 – Sofia talks about Scandinavian myths and the division between East and West Scandinavia.

24:10 – Sofia talks about the presence of magic in these stories.

26:02 – Sofia talks about the French language.

28:08 – Sofia talks about the influence of the Swedish texts.

29:38 – Sofia talks about effects on modern literature.

33:12 – Sofia talks about Swedish readers of these texts.

35:29 – Sofia talks about romance, love, and status in these texts.

36:59 – Sofia talks about the status of women in the texts.

38:46 – Sofia talks about the books themselves.

39:34 – Sofia talks about her research methods and where the books are kept.

42:12 – Sofia discusses Europeanization of the texts.

43:33 – Sofia wishes she knew who did the translations.

45:32 – Sofia talks about Swedish romance literature.

47:28 – Sofia talks about the interplay between French, German and Swedish cultures.

50:09 – Sofia talks about things Swedish translators had trouble with and how the stories were read to audiences.

56:11 – Sofia talks about her current work on Arthurian romances and the many countries in which the legend is found.

1:00:37 – Sofia can be found on her university’s website at the Stockholm University Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3ccvKgt

https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781843845829/french-romance-medieval-sweden-and-the-europeanisation-of-culture/

https://www.su.se/english/profiles/solo4246-1.195144

http://www.swedishcollegium.se/subfolders/Fellows/Profutura/Sofia_Loden.html

Contact Information

For more “Full Contact Nerd” please follow me at crisalvarez.com, on Facebook at CrisAlvarezFCN, on youtube at Cris Alvarez on twitter @CrisAlvarezFCN, on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi, and on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Stitcher / Spotify for the podcast. Please see historyrabbithole.com for a list of my dozen or so blogs and podcasts. You’re sure to find something you like.

Guests: Sofia Loden

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: Books, audio interviews, author, academic, podcast, DS Brewer, literary studies, legends,

Check the book out here https://amzn.to/3ccvKgt

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cris Alvarez Full Contact Nerd Interviews