Worldcon 76 announced today that the 2019 Hugo Awards nominations are now open. If you happen to be a nominating member, may I humbly ask that you consider my Eating the Fantastic in the category of Best Fancast?

Last year, Eating the Fantastic brought you 29 episodes featuring 46 guests across more than 56 hours, my attempt to replicate all the fun I’ve had since I was 15 and began experiencing those culinary conventions away from the conventions when I’d wander off for good meals with good friends. With Eating the Fantastic, you get to pull up a chair to the table and eavesdrop!

I find this conceit of using food to entice guests to share of themselves with you results a more intimate environment than if we were alone together in a sterile studio — counterintuitively, because we are after all out in public surrounded by other diners.

Here are links to all 2018 episodes so you can judge whether the podcast is worthy of your time and attention.

Pick one of your favorite creators and dive right in!

Share flash-fried cauliflower with Asimov’s editor Sheila Williams in Episode 57 of Eating the Fantastic

Sink your teeth into Sicilian with Barry Goldblatt in Episode 58 of Eating the Fantastic

Scarf down Szechuan crispy beef with Norman Prentiss in Episode 59 of Eating the Fantastic

Gobble fried green tomatoes with Thomas F. Monteleone in Episode 60 of Eating the Fantastic

Polish off a Persian dinner with David Mack in Episode 61 of Eating the Fantastic

Chow down on calamari with Paul Di Filippo in Episode 62 of Eating the Fantastic

Polish off Portuguese in Providence with Victor LaValle on Episode 63 of Eating the Fantastic

Share spring rolls with Stoker Award-winning author Elizabeth Massie in Episode 64 of Eating the Fantastic

Share a pastrami sandwich with T. E. D. Klein in Episode 65 of Eating the Fantastic

Chow down on chive dumplings with Mary SanGiovanni in Episode 66 of Eating the Fantastic

Relive Nebula Awards weekends past and present in the third lightning-round episode of Eating the Fantastic

Nebula Award-winning writer Kelly Robson had a little lamb (and you can eavesdrop) in Episode 68 of Eating the Fantastic

Join A. M. Dellamonica for an Italian lunch in Episode 69 of Eating the Fantastic

Share BBQ brisket with Matthew Kressel in Episode 70 of Eating the Fantastic

Join Arlan Andrews, Sr., Gregory Benford, Geoffrey A. Landis, and Charles Sheffield for lunch — in 1993! — in a flashback episode of Eating the Fantastic

It’s time to taste Toad in the Hole with Ellen Klages in Episode 72 of Eating the Fantastic

Eavesdrop on a Sunday brunch with JY Yang in Episode 73 of Eating the Fantastic

Join Bram Stoker Award-winning writer John Langan for fish and chips in Episode 74 of Eating the Fantastic

Dive into Vietnamese Seafood Noodle Soup with Rachel Pollack in Episode 75 of Eating the Fantastic

Share a steak dinner with legendary comics creator (and my ’70s Marvel Bullpen pal) Don McGregor in Episode 76 of Eating the Fantastic

Binge on sushi with award-winning author Pat Cadigan in Episode 77 of Eating the Fantastic

Nibble naan with K. Tempest Bradford in Episode 78 of Eating the Fantastic

Eat empanadas with Rebecca Roanhorse in Episode 79 of Eating the Fantastic

Chow down on fish and chips with the award-winning Steve Rasnic Tem in Episode 80 of Eating the Fantastic

Taste some tiramisu with Vina Jie-Min Prasad in Episode 81 of Eating the Fantastic

Savor a steak dinner with comics legend Paul Levitz in Episode 82 of Eating the Fantastic

Join Jo Walton for a seafood lunch on Episode 83 of Eating the Fantastic

Slurp down Thai Beef Noodle Soup with Stephen Kozeniewski in Episode 84 of Eating the Fantastic

Have hot antipasto with Andy Duncan in Episode 85 of Eating the Fantastic

Should you feel moved to listen to future episodes after sampling the above, you can subscribe over at the iTunes store or by using the show’s RSS feed of http://eatingthefantastic.libsyn.com/rss to download them to the device of your choosing.

Thank you — and enjoy!