It’s time for return to Timonium, Maryland for the second of two episodes of Eating the Fantastic recorded last month at Chessiecon, following up on my lunch with the con’s Guest of Honor Jo Walton. This time around you’ll sit in on my meal at Noodle Charm with horror writer Stephen Kozeniewski.

At least I think we ate at Noodle Charm. I’m not really sure. (Give a listen to the episode to find out the reason for my uncertainty.)

Kozeniewski is the author of such gonzo novels as Braineater Jones, Billy and the Cloneasaurus, and The Ghoul Archipelago. He’s also been part of the writers room for Silverwood: The Door, a 10-episode prose follow-up to Tony Valenzuela’s Black Box TV series Silverwood, which was released in weekly installments in both prose and audiobook formats.

We discussed how it took nearly 500 submissions before his first novel was finally accepted, why he has no interest in writing sequels, his advice for winning a Turkey Award for the worst possible opening to the worst possible science fiction or fantasy novel, why his output is split between horror and science fiction (but not mysteries), the reason Brian Keene was who he wanted to be when he grew up, why almost any story would be more interesting with zombies, when you should follow and when you should break the accepted rules of writing, where he falls on the fast vs. slow zombies debate, and much more.

Here’s how you can eavesdrop as we down dumplings on a break from Chessiecon —

1) Subscribe over at the iTunes store, where I hope you’ll choose to also check out some of the 83 previous episodes.

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

3) Or stay right here and use the embed below.

And as you listen, vicariously enjoy the meal along with us via the photos below —

Corn Fritters
crispy thai-style fried corn with sweet plum sauce

Chicken Dumplings
pan-fried chicken teriyaki dumplings

Tender Beef Noodle Soup
marinated beef with thai herbs and fine rice noodles

Duck Noodle Soup
stewed duck with thai herbs and udon noodles

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 —

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Eating the Fantastic’s on-the-road restaurant interviews means there are additional expenses beyond the usual ones carried by studio-based podcasts — like the ride-sharing services I sometimes use to carry me and my guests from convention centers to restaurants and back, and of course, that food — food with which I entice those guests to wander off and share of themselves with you, food which loosens their tongues, relaxes them, and — strangely, because we are out in public surrounded by others — creates a far 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.

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.

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Coming next episode will be Andy Duncan, who has previously been my guest for a career-spanning conversation in Episode 6. This time around we do a deep dive into his new short story collection An Agent of Utopia.

I hope you come back and join us.