This week on the podcast, Patrick and Tracy welcome Linda Codega, author of Pasha the Storm.

About Pasha the Storm: Pasha the Northern Storm was once the most infamous Meridian pirate who ever sailed the sister oceans. Now, a decade into her exile, Pasha’s afterlife is being held hostage by Atle, an absurdly attractive noble who knows far too much about pirate magic—but not enough about sailing to realize how dangerous Pasha really is.

Minister Atle Itaavar is duty-bound to serve the Kingdom of Garda, but as Queen Thivaldís gathers support for her ambitions of empire, Atle turns to treason to stop her. In order to destroy the Queen’s new necromantic navy, Atle plans to steal the Queen’s flagship, kidnap a washed-up pirate to sail it, and track down a legendary killer whale to bring it down.

But the hunt for the great undying whale drags Pasha, Atle, and the crew of the Dog into a cosmic reckoning as they face threats from ghosts and gods alike—and the Queen of Garda is close behind.

About Linda Codega: Linda H. Codega is a writer, author, and award-winning entertainment journalist who has written about science fiction and fantasy media for nearly ten years. In 2024 they co-founded the tabletop roleplaying game news site Rascal News. They were previously a staff writer for io9. They specialize in tabletop roleplaying games, pop culture, fandom, and queer intersections. They currently live in Los Angles with their dog, Zigzag, after ten years in New York (but not in the city). They are transgender and nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.

In 2023 they were nominated for the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming; arguably the most prestigious award in the gaming industry. They won an ENnie for their reporting on Wizards of the Coasts’s proposed changes to Dungeons and Dragons’ Open Gaming License. They have been nominated for a Hugo award three times (and won once) alongside the entire editorial team of Strange Horizons, where they are a first reader.

Linda is a member of the Trans Journalists Association. They are also a member of the Writers Guild of America, East, and were previously on the bargaining committee for the Gizmodo Media Group. They are represented by Bridget Smith of the JABberwocky Literary Agency.

This week’s picks:

• Linda: Nine Space Games (Game)
• Tracy: X-Men ‘97 Season 2 (Disney+)
• Patrick: Pathfinder Adventure: The Dead God’s Hand by Erik Mona

Links:

• Linda Codega on BluSky
• Tracy Townsend on BluSky
• Patrick Hester on Instagram
• The Functional Nerds Patreon Page

© 2026 Patrick Hester

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