The Future Lab with Lee Schneider

Why are publishers and authors aging up the characters in YA books? Are YA books with older characters leaving younger readers behind?  Librarian and researcher Ally Watkins joins Lee Schneider to talk about her study of long-term trends in YA literature, and what it means for  middle schoolers looking for books about kids like them.  Ally is an academic librarian and a former youth services libra...

Veteran teacher and author Kelly Gallagher explains why kids have turned away from reading, and what parents and teachers can do to bring them back. Kelly taught high school English for 35 years. He's the author of *Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading*. His work has earned him the National Council of Teachers of English's Kent Williamson Exemplary Leader Award (2024), the Adolescent Literac...

Fantasy author Richie Billing returns to the Future Lab Podcast to talk about The Breakaways , a dark fantasy comedy about a crew of spectacularly useless monster hunters. He and Lee Schneider discuss mixing grit with slapstick, writing a novel in weekly chapters on Patreon, and why selling books directly to readers lets authors keep up to 97% of each sale.  After writing the political novella Tog...

Author DeAndra Davis (All the Noise at Once; The Lovers, the Liars, and Me) joins the show to talk how screen culture can help authors. She makes the case that screens can bring readers to books rather than pull them away, defends audiobooks without qualification, and explains why her drafts keep getting longer instead of shorter. She drops some hints about her upcoming books.  Davis points to ada...

Hi, it’s Lee Schneider, host of the future lab podcast. In Season 3, The Future Lab goes after the big questions that readers, authors, parents, and educators are asking about reading and young audiences.  Why does reading drop off among nine-year-old kids, and even more when they reach thirteen?  Why has screen-based entertainment grabbed so much attention?  Even adults are less likely to pick up...

Join host Lee Schneider for an insightful discussion with poet, author, and library professional Sofía Aguilar as she she shares her journey through both indie and traditional publishing. She offers a candid look at the barriers in publishing and the importance of creating accessible literary communities. Whether you're interested in publishing pathways, library advocacy, or building inclusive lit...

In this conversation, host Lee Schneider explores the intersection of nature, storytelling, and climate change with Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper, and the upcoming novel The Forest Becomes Her. Our discussion digs into how nature functions as a character in her work, the delicate balance between hope and realism when writing about catastrophic futures, and why she believes sto...

In this conversation with Lee Schneider, Pat Walker discusses the importance of bookstores as community hubs and places of cultural culture. Drawing from his experiences as a bookseller in Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA, Pat believes that the genre of science fiction/fantasy is more popular than it has been in the past. He's also a big fan of the classics. Patrick has been at Vroman's long eno...

Richie Billing made a bold leap from a legal career to become an acclaimed fantasy writer and teacher. What makes his story inspiring? His unwavering commitment to empowering fellow writers. Richie is the author of Pariah’s Lament. His latest book is Together We Rise . Lee Schneider and Richie discuss the structure of Together We Rise , why the fight scenes were so realistic, and Richie’s deeper m...

As a kid, Carrie Firestone worried about poverty, environmental destruction, and war. But rather than letting that anxiety overwhelm her, she transformed it into something powerful action through teaching, storytelling, and civic engagement. Now, as a writer and community leader in Connecticut, she’s channeling that same energy into inspiring the next generation.        Her novel The First Rule of...

In this conversation, Todd Medema discusses his debut novel HOW TO SURF A HURRICANE, exploring with host Lee Schneider the techniques of writing a solarpunk thriller and the role technology might have in addressing climate change. Todd emphasizes the importance of hope and human resilience in solarpunk narratives, contrasting this approach with the often dystopian views prevalent in other science...

Step into the vibrant world of independent bookselling with this captivating episode of Future Lab. Host Lee Schneider sits down with Joey Puente, the passionate sci-fi and fantasy specialist at Diesel bookstore in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. With an impressive 20-year tenure at Diesel, Joey brings unparalleled expertise in connecting readers with their perfect next read. This conversatio...

In today’s episode, host Lee Schneider sits down with Eiren Caffall, musician and author of the powerful climate fiction novel All the Water in the World. Set in a flooded future New York City, Caffall’s debut novel tells an intimate family survival story that cuts through the overwhelming scope of climate catastrophe by focusing on how we protect each other when everything falls apart. Rather tha...

Join host Lee Schneider in this fascinating conversation about writing and activism as Aya De León discusses her unique approach to writing climate fiction, working in the genre of feminist heist novels. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling in addressing social justice issues, including climate change and racism, while also sharing insights into her writing process and productivity. De Le...

Join Lee Schneider as he speaks with debut author R.E. Kurz, whose fascinating journey into published paranormal fantasy is as twisty as her plot lines in her debut novel THE FALL OF LINDA WATERS. Discover how studies in biology and medieval studies shaped a story filled with nature spirits, realistic teenage drama, and a romance that doesn't shy away from the messy realities of growing up. Whethe...

In this conversation, Lee Schneider and Robin Sloan explore the joys of making things, the intersection of technology and creativity, and the evolving landscape of storytelling. They discuss the importance of kindness in fiction, the challenges posed by AI, and the value of offline creativity. Robin shares insights on his writing process, the significance of note-taking, and his reflections on the...

Eleanor Keisman discusses her journey from writing a short story to creating her novella New Animal, exploring the themes of human-animal interaction and communication, climate change, and how non-human animals see the world we share with them. We talk about the challenges of writing animal protagonists and the long shadow cast by American author Jack London in writing about the natural world. Kei...

Sue Toth is a book editor and coach who specializes in romance, mystery, and thrillers. She keeps writers inspired, helps them work through writers' block, and helps their books be born into the world.  I asked Sue about the special challenges of writing climate fiction, and she offered to have a conversation on the show about how her developmental editing work with thrillers could apply to climat...

Tory Stephens works at Grist Magazine as their climate fiction creative manager and uses storytelling to champion climate justice, and imagine green, clean, and just futures. He's going to tell us about a climate fiction contest, called Imagine 2200, that he says changed him and challenged him on a personal level.  It also inspired thousands of writers to explore what it would be like to write hop...

The Future Lab tells the stories that shape the future. It’s where thriller, science fiction, climate fiction, and fantasy authors discuss how we shape the future with the stories we tell today. If the interview coming up with Matt Gemmell has a theme, I’d say it is, when writing long-form fiction, don’t follow templates. Instead let intention guide you.  Matt is the author of four books of fictio...

Welcome to the Future Lab with me, Lee Schneider.  This is the trailer before the trailer, the advance word, the beginning of the beginning, just tapping the mic to be sure everything works.  I'm excited about what we're going to be doing in this space, and I just had to tell you about it.  Creators & Guests Lee Schneider - Host

Rachel Allen is the owner of Bolt from the Blue Copywriting. She describes her work as mixing the neuroscience of communication with the art of great writing to help businesses take the cap off their income, impact and influence. We’re going to talk about publishing your book and who you’ll need on your team to succeed at it. Timestamps [00:01:14] Skills in book editing. [00:04:23] Consistency in...

JV Hilliard is the author of the multi-book Warminster Saga. Here's how he often introduces himself.  “Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations. His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labo...

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Karen Gershowitz, author of Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust .  In pursuit of a passion for travel, Karen has lost and gained friends and made a radical career change. She has visited remote areas of Indonesia on her own, and became a translator, though only fluent in English. We’ll hear about some of her memories with people she met around the world.  When Karen...

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Rod Faulkner, self-professed Blerd, (Black nerd) founder of The7thMatrix and host of EYE ON SCI-Fi Podcast. He’s a lifelong lover of science fiction and fantasy.  Rod shares his enthusiasm for short-form science-fiction films. We discussed how a short-form film, with its time limitations, can be an exercise in creative constraints.  The most unique and original scie...