{"id":28849,"date":"2022-08-05T09:13:34","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T13:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/?p=28849"},"modified":"2022-08-05T09:13:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T13:13:34","slug":"sam-j-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/2022\/08\/05\/sam-j-miller\/","title":{"rendered":"Catch up with Sam J. Miller over khachapuri in Episode 177 of Eating the Fantastic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s time to settle in for another lunch during the Washington, D.C. pop culture festival <a href=\"https:\/\/awesome-con.com\">Awesome Con<\/a>. Last episode, you eavesdropped on my meal with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/2022\/07\/22\/patrick-oleary\/\">Patrick O&#8217;Leary<\/a>, and this time around you get to take a seat at the table with <a href=\"https:\/\/samjmiller.com\">Sam J. Miller<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You first heard me chat and chew with Sam 5-1\/2 years ago in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/2016\/12\/09\/share-a-philly-cheese-steak-less-with-sam-j-miller-in-episode-24-of-eating-the-fantastic\/\">Episode 24<\/a>, and when I noted he\u2019d be at the con to promote his debut short story collection <em>Boys, Beasts &#038; Men<\/em>, I knew it was time for us to catch up.<\/p>\n<p>So much has changed since I last shared him with you in late 2016! His first novel, <em>The Art of Starving<\/em>, was published the following year and was a finalist for the 2018 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and won the 2018 Andre Norton Award. <em>Blackfish City<\/em>, published in 2018,  won the 2019 John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and was named a best book of the year by <em>Vulture<\/em>, the <em>Washington Post<\/em>, and Barnes &#038; Noble, as well as a must-read for <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em> and <em>O: The Oprah Winfrey Magazine<\/em>. His second young adult novel, <em>Destroy All Monsters<\/em>, was published by HarperTeen in 2019, and his second adult novel, <em>The Blade Between<\/em>, was published by Ecco Press in 2020.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamJMillerEatingtheFantastic2022-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We discussed the 1,500 short story submissions he made between 2002 and 2012 (as well as the one story which was rejected 99 times), the peculiar importance of the missing comma from the title of his new collection <em>Boys, Beasts &#038; Men<\/em>, his technique for reading collections written by others, why the Clarion Writing Workshop was transformative, how Samuel R. Delany gave him permission, the way his novels and short stories exist in a shared universe, the impossibility of predicting posthumous fame, the superpower he developed via decades of obscurity, the differing ideas of what writers block means, and much more.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/eatingthefantastic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/PatreonWidget2-300x59.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"59\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/PatreonWidget2-300x59.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/PatreonWidget2.jpg 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how you can join us &#8212; <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>1) Subscribe at <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/eating-the-fantastic\/id1083737796?mt=2\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> &#8212; where I hope you&#8217;ll be tempted to sample a few of the 176 previous episodes.<\/p>\n<p>2) Listen via the RSS feed of <a href=\"http:\/\/eatingthefantastic.libsyn.com\/rss\">http:\/\/eatingthefantastic.libsyn.com\/rss<\/a> on the device of your choice.<\/p>\n<p>3) Or simply use the embed below.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/23967666\/height\/240\/theme\/legacy\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/\" height=\"240\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what  we sipped and nibbled during our lunch at the fabulous D.C. Georgian restaurant <a href=\"https:\/\/supradc.com\">Supra<\/a> &#8212;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong> Tarkhuna <\/strong><br \/>\n<em>&#8220;the iconic, electric-green tarragon soda&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28857\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/TarkhunaSupra-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sam&#8217;s  Khachapuri (Pkhlovani)<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>sulguni cheese blend inside, spinach-herb-cheese blend on top<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamKhachapuriSupra-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Scott&#8217;s  Khachapuri (Kubdari) <\/strong><br \/>\n<em>svanuri salt-spiced pork &#038; beef filling<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ScottKhachapuriSupra-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Medok<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>honey cake with fresh berries and berry puree<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28855\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/CakeSupra-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And since we discussed the new tattoo with which he celebrated the publication of  <em>Boys, Beasts &#038; Men<\/em> &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SamTattooSupra-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you enjoyed this episode and want to support my mission of breaking bread  with creators of the fantastic while letting you eavesdrop, there are several ways you can help bring this podcast to the attention of potential new listeners looking for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comics ear candy \u2014<\/p>\n<p>One is to <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/eating-the-fantastic\/id1083737796?mt=2\">rate Eating the Fantastic on Apple Podcasts<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eatingthefantastic\/?fref=ts\">like it on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Also \u2014 you could tell your friends about the show by sending them a link to your favorite episode and letting them know what I\u2019m doing here.<\/p>\n<p>Finally \u2014 I hope you\u2019ll consider becoming a supporter of Eating the Fantastic, and help this podcast continue.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>You could make a small recurring monthly donation over at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/eatingthefantastic\">Patreon<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Or if an ongoing level of commitment\u2019s not for you, or if Patreon\u2019s 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.me\/eatingthefantastic\">Paypal.me<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Or you could head on over to <a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/eatingthefantastic\">https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/eatingthefantastic<\/a> and send me the funds to cover the cost of a cup of coffee.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Please join me two weeks from now for a trip to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shore-leave.com\">Shore Leave<\/a>, an annual convention held in a Baltimore suburb, where I brunched with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaeljanfriedman.net\">Michael Jan Friedman<\/a>, who\u2019s written more than 70 books and 200 comic book stories, and with whom &#8212; since we\u2019re only 24 days apart in age, and both with a New York background &#8212; it was fascinating to compare where out timelines overlapped and diverged. I do hope you\u2019ll return to eavesdrop yet again.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for listening!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s time to settle in for another lunch during the Washington, D.C. pop culture festival Awesome Con. Last episode, you eavesdropped on my meal with Patrick O&#8217;Leary, and this time around you get to take a seat at the table with Sam J. Miller. You first heard me chat and chew with Sam 5-1\/2 years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[732,779],"class_list":["post-28849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-eating-the-fantastic","tag-sam-j-miller"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28849"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28881,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849\/revisions\/28881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}