The first episode of Eating the Fantastic went live on February 10, 2016, so as we find ourselves just a couple of days away from the third anniversary of this podcast, I’d like to thank you all for taking a seat at the table with us each episode, liking the show on Facebook, and leaving ratings and reviews over at iTunes. And thanks as well to the 142 guests who’ve been willing to join me over 88 episodes. And of course, thank you to those who’ve been supporting Eating the Fantastic on Patreon, or dropping a couple of bucks in the Paypal tip jar to help cover some of the costs associated with the show.

My guest this episode is Alan Smale, who has published short fiction in Asimov’s, Realms of Fantasy, Abyss & Apex, and other magazines. He won the 2010 Sidewise Award for Best Short-Form Alternate History for “A Clash of Eagles,” about a Roman invasion of ancient America. That’s also the setting for his trilogy, which includes the novels Clash of Eagles, Eagle in Exile, and Eagle and Empire, all published by Del Rey in the U.S. and Titan Books in the UK. When not writing, he’s a professional astronomer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

We met for lunch at Mad Chef Kitchen & Bar, a gastropub which opened recently in Ellicott City, Maryland’s Turf Valley Towne Square. We were looking for something equidistant from both of us with good food, and based first on my research and then our experience, we definitely found it.

We discussed why an astrophysicist’s chosen field of fiction is alternate history rather than hard science, how his fascination with archeology and ancient civilizations began, the reason he started off his novel-writing career with a trilogy rather than a standalone, the secrets to writing convincing battle sequences, the nuances of critiquing partial novels in a workshop setting, how his research into Roman and Native American history affected his trilogy, what steps he took to ensure he handled Native American cultures appropriately, that summer when at age 12 he read both War and Peace and Lord of the Rings, one of the strangest tales of a first short story sale I’ve ever heard, how and why he joined forces with Rick Wilber for their recent collaboration published in Asimov’s, and much more.

Here’s how you can listen to our conversation at Mad Chef Kitchen & Bar —

1) Subscribe over at the iTunes store — where I hope you might also choose to download a few of the 87 previous episodes.

2) Listen using the RSS feed of http://eatingthefantastic.libsyn.com/rss on the device of your choice.

3) Or check us out via the embed below.

Here’s what we ate during our conversation —

Eggplant Parmesan
breaded layered eggplant, basil, marinara,
grated parmesan, provolone, and pesto

Pork Belly Tacos
citrus mojo marinade, grilled apple salsa, pickled red onions

Shrimp & Grits
creamy grits, sautéed shrimp, étouffée, bacon

Seafood Pot
shrimp, scallop, lobster, mussel, clam, sofrito, cioppino sauce, grilled bread

Apple Panna Cotta
apple compote, blueberry & raspberry coulis, chocolate crumble

Cranberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding
creme anglaise, cranberry coulis, caramel sauce

If you enjoyed this episode and want to support my mission of breaking bread with creators of the fantastic while letting you listen in, there are a few ways you can help bring this podcast to the attention of potential new listeners looking for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comics ear candy —

One is to rate Eating the Fantastic on iTunes and like it on Facebook.

Also — you could tell your friends about the show by sending them a link to your favorite episode and letting them know what I’m doing here.

Finally — because of Eating the Fantastic’s unique niche — that is, on-the-road restaurant interviews — there are expenses beyond the usual ones for studio-based podcasts. I sometimes use ride-sharing services to carry me and my guests from convention centers to restaurants and back, or I gas up to drive them myself — and then there’s that food I used to entice those guests to wander off and share of themselves with you, food which loosens their tongues, relaxes them, and — counterintuitively, because we are after all out in public surrounded by other diners — results a much more intimate environment than if we were alone together in a sterile studio.

So I hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter of the show, and help fund this mission of mine.

You could make a small recurring monthly donation over at Patreon, where there are various perks involved depending on your level of support, such as access to a patrons-only blog, getting a shout-out on the show, stickers, postcards, and more.

Or if an ongoing level of commitment’s not for you, or if Patreon’s just not your thing, then consider tossing a couple of bucks in the tip jar instead and making a one-time donation of any size via Paypal.me.

Or you could head on over to https://ko-fi.com/eatingthefantastic and send me the funds to cover the cost of a cup of coffee.

Next episode, I’ll be lunching with Ruthanna Emrys,whose H. P. Lovecraft-inspired Innsmouth Legacy series makes for a fascinating read. I hope you’ll join us.