Writer/editor Scott Edelman is legendary in science fiction circles for organizing outings from conventions to spectacular, out-of-the-way restaurants where the food is cheap and mind-blowing (I’ve eaten some very memorable dim sum with him in Philly, for example).
Even better than the food is the conversation around these tables, which is usually better than the panels you’re missing to get grub.
Scott has tried to bottle this experience with a new podcast, “Eating the Fantastic,” in which he takes a writer out for a meal and discusses the industry, their work, and the food on-mic. The first episode is up: an interview with writer/musician Susan Pinsker (MP3/RSS) eaten at Baltimore’s Family Meal featuring deviled eggs, shrimp and grits, salmon and cannellini beans, dark chocolate tart with pecans, and gingerbread pear upside-down cake. It’s fabulous and mouth-watering!
I’ve been going to science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic book conventions since I was 15, and I’ve found that while the con which takes place within the walls of a hotel or convention center is always fun, the con away from the con—which takes place when I wander off-site with friends for a meal—can often be more fun. In fact, my love of tracking down good food while traveling the world attending conventions has apparently become so well known that one blogger even dubbed me “science fiction’s Anthony Bourdain.” So I’ve decided to replicate in podcast form one of my favorite parts of any convention—good conversation with good friends over good food—it’s finally happening. During each episode, I’ll share a meal with someone whose opinions I think you’ll want to hear, and we’ll talk about science fiction, fantasy, horror, writing, comics, movies, fandom … whatever happens to come to mind. (There’ll also be food talk, of course.) Please note—this will not be a pristine studio-recorded podcast, but one which will always occur in a restaurant setting, meaning that mixed in with our conversation will be the sounds of eating and drinking and reviewing of menus and slurping and background chatter and the servers popping … in other words, it’ll be as messy as life. And I hope you’ll find it as entertaining, too.
The first episode of Eating the Fantastic (with guest Sarah Pinsker) is now live!
[Scott Edelman]