There are a lot of fans out there, but how did they, and more importantly, how can you, turn your passion into something creative? Join us each week as we meet fans who have moved from being consumers to creators. If your interests spring from speculative fiction and related fandoms, join us; whether you’re a model builder, cosplayer, artist, writer, fan-publisher, or club organizer, you’ll find something of interest with The Halfling and the Spaceman!
We had the great opportunity to talk with E. J. Isaacs. E.J. is a tea vendor turned writer. His first novel, A New Beginning - Book 1 of the Unforgiving Stars, is a military space opera, released in October of 2025.
References and Links:
https://www.solinterests.com/about-7-1
https://www.spacewizardsciencefantasy.com/author/edward-isaacs
We were so excited to be talking with Marisa Wolf. Marisa is the author of books, collaborations, and short stories in anthologies. She’s written the gamut of sci/fi and fantasy. Her latest book, A Plague of Magic, was released in September of 2025!
References and Links:
https://www.marisawolf.com/
We were excited to talk with Cedar Sanderson. She is a fiction writer, including the Underhill series and The Groundkeeper series. She’s been featured in different anthologies. In addition, she is also a graphic designer and artist
References and Links:
https://www.cedarwrites.com/
We had a fun chat with J Kenton Pierce. His stories have been featured in many anthologies of various genres. His first novel, A Kiss for Damocles, the first book of the series, Tales from the Long Night, was released in June of 2025.
References and Links:
https://jkentonpierce.substack.com/
We were excited to talk with Marc Gunn! Marc is a Celtic folk musician who was raised on science fiction and fantasy. He decided to celebrate his differences. Now he calls his music Sci F'Irish.
References and Links:
https://marcgunn.com/
We were pleased to have Rick Cutler on! He’s written several short stories for various anthologies. His debut book is scheduled for release in April of 2026!
References and Links:
https://www.rickcutler.com/
We were so excited to have with us Melissa Olthoff. She’s written several series in different genres, as well as being featured in anthologies. Her latest in the Griffin Corps books, Rise from the Ruins, is now available in audio format.
References and Links:
https://www.melissaolthoff.com/
We were excited to talk with our friend Syrinx Starr! He is the Head of Station Partnership Content and Development at OutWorld Fleet Radio and its On-Air Talent/Mixshow DJ find out what all that means!
References and Links:
https://outworldfleetradio.online/
https://thetemplesofsyrinx.com/
We were super excited to chat with Kacey Ezell! She’s written several books and is featured in several anthologies. Her book Magelight has recently been released on audio, which we know because we enjoyed listening to it!
References and Links:
https://kaceyezell.net/
We had a blast talking with Jennifer McCollom!! She is a professional film makeup artist and teacher. She’s worked on films you probably know. If it requires professional makeup or styling, she’s done it!
References and Links:
https://www.instagram.com/jensfx
https://jensfx8.wixsite.com/jensfx/film
We’re excited to have with us John Van Stry. John is the author of several military sci/fi series as well as other genres. His latest book, End Game, Wolfhounds - Book 06 was recently released. He’s also recently released a book in another series, Sometimes in the Fall, which is Book Two of The Seasons.
References and Links:
http://vanstry.net/vanstry/
In our latest episode, we welcomed Nick Nethery! He’s written several short stories for various anthologies of various genres. His debut novel, Relics of the Fallen, was just released in August of 2025.
References:
https://www.nicknethery.com/
We were excited to have J M Beal, author of the series Tales of a Watch-Cat and the Guardian’s Circle series. on our show! Great conversation.
References and Links:
http://www.jmbeal.com/
https://www.goldenfleecepress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/j.m.beal/
We had the privilege of talking with Becky-Lee Evans. She is a costumer, artist, seamstress, and maker. She’s also the founder of Going Ape Costume.
References and Links:
https://www.facebook.com/GoingApeCostume
https://www.threads.com/@going_ape_costume
https://www.twitch.tv/goingapecostume
https://www.instagram.com/going_ape_costume/
Vinnie Sirna, who cosplays under the handle SirnaCosplay is a cosplayer in the mid-Atlantic region of the US specializing in villains! (Oh My!) He frequents the conventions in the Del-Mar-Va area (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) .
References and Links:
https://www.facebook.com/SirnaCosplay/
https://www.instagram.com/sirnacosplay
https://x.com/sirnacosplay
https://bsky.app/profile/sirnacosplay....
We were happy to have Jonathan Bartholomew back with us! He is one half of the podcast team of the Strange Stories with the Seeker and the Skeptic. He has recently published his first novel, Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine.
References and Links:
https://thelightfromalbemuth.substack.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Strange-Stories-with-the-Seeker-and-the-Skeptic-100095293164654/
We were excited to have Dave Butler on our show! Dave is a speculative fiction writer whose novel Witchy Kingdom won the Dragon Award for Best Alternate History Novel in 2020! He’s also written many other novels. In addition, he became the senior editor at Ark Press in January of 2025.
References and Links:
https://davidjohnbutler.com/about-dave/
Roger and Janet take a few minutes to talk about changes to the format of "The Halfling and the Spaceman" and announce two new shows coming to YouTube.
Applied Game Mastery - Roger explores what it takes to become a legendary TTRPG game master.
The Halfling's Book Nook - Janet reviews and comments on books from various nerdy genres.
Join us next week for the start of Season 7
We were very excited to talk with Nichole Goodnight. She’s a voice actress that has lent her talents to the NoSleep horror fiction podcast as well as a ton of other horror podcasts and games!
We had a great time talking with Ahmed Suffety. He’s an Arab American writer, editor, project manager, and designer for tabletop RPGs. His latest work includes developmental editing for the Kingdom of Keshanar.
References and Links:
https://www.suffety.com/
Merch Promo Code: HalflingSpaceman20
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!