In episode 315 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio chat with Science fiction writer, futurist, Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Memorial Award winner Robert J. Sawyer.

About Robert:

Robert J. Sawyer — called “the dean of Canadian science fiction” by the OTTAWA CITIZEN and “just about the best science-fiction writer out there” by the Denver ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS — is one of eight authors in history to win all three of the science-fiction field’s highest honors for best novel of the year: the Hugo Award (which he won for HOMINIDS), the Nebula Award (which he won for THE TERMINAL EXPERIMENT); and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (which he won for MINDSCAN).

Rob’s novels have been top-ten national mainstream bestsellers in Canada, appearing on the GLOBE AND MAIL and MACLEAN’S bestsellers’ lists, and they’ve hit number one on the bestsellers’ list published by LOCUS, the U.S. trade journal of the SF field.

QUANTUM NIGHT is Rob’s most recent novel. Set in the present day, QUANTUM NIGHT is an exploration of the concept of the Philosophical Zombie: someone whose lights are on but no one is home. Sawyer posits that our population is dominated by these easily led, emotionally vacant followers. And who leads this vast mob? Psychopaths. Resemblance to the current political situation is a coincidence/awesome prediction as Rob wrote this in 2015.

This week’s picks:

• Robert: Arrival
• John: The Dragonbone Chair: Book One of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
• Patrick: Star Wars Rebels Season Finale

Links:

• Robert J. Sawyer on Twitter
• John Anealio on Twitter
• Patrick Hester on Twitter
• The Functional Nerds Patreon Page
• Patrick’s New Book: Into the Fire (available everywhere)

© 2017 Patrick Hester and John Anealio

This podcast contains original music by John Anealio.

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