Two Hugo Award-nominated podcasts collide in the fifth and final episode of Eating the Fantastic recorded during this year’s Eastercon. John Coxon and Alison Scott, two-thirds of the award-winning team behind Octothorpe (absent their equally entertaining cohost Liz Batty) took me on walkabout to a nearby Nando’s so I could experience its peri-peri chicken for the first time — and we recorded not just our meal, but the hikes there and back again.

We discussed the many first-time Eastercon attendees I encountered who were there due to their podcast, Nando’s place in British culture and why it was chosen to be our venue for this episode, what they’re willing to reveal about cohost Liz Batty in her absence, how the coming of COVID-19 kickstarted the creation of Octothorpe, why they didn’t launch an old-school fanzine instead, how the first episode wasn’t even originally intended to be the first episode, why we’re still here considering 90% of podcasts don’t make it past three episodes, how to comment responsibly on fandom while being a part of fandom, the reason their letters of comment section is so important, what changed about the show once they realized people were actually listening, advice for those who’d like to start podcasts of their own, plus much more.

Here’s how you can join us at Nando’s —

1) Subscribe at Apple Podcasts — or wherever you choose to consume your podcasts — where I hope you’ll be tempted to sample a few of the 283 previous episodes.

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

3) Or simply use the embed below.

Here’s what you would have seen us nibbling had you been with us at Nando’s —

Scott Boneless Chicken Thighs
with charred corn and Portuguese tomato salad

John Chickle Burger
with garlic bread and rostinas

Alison Chicken
with peri Mac and cheese and rainbow slaw

After we were all home, and I realized the three of us had been Hugo nominees who couldn’t reveal that fact aloud during our meal, I felt a postscript was required, and so we reunited on Zoom to discuss that oddity, which you’ll be able to hear following our Birmingham conversation —

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Coming up two weeks from now on the podcast, you’ll be able to head out for BBQ with writer Mark L. Van Name, winner of the Compton Crook Award and co-founder of the Sycamore Hill Writer’s Workshop.

Thanks for listening!