Interviews & Features

A collection of podcasts, interviews, and web features from the last five+ years.

• A fun five-part podcast series on SciFi Thoughts with Lancer Kind, talking about my NASA career; my books Hot Moon and Radiant Sky; my protagonist, astronaut Vivian Carter, and other characters; a reading from Radiant Sky; and my singing life with astronomically correct a cappella group The Chromatics (Episodes 319-323; each episode is around 15 minutes).
  https://lancerkind.com/listen-to-the-scifi-thoughts-podcast/alan-smales-apollo-rising-series/
  (August 7, 2025)
  
  
• "Casual Space, Ep.260: Alan Smale, Blending Science, History, and Imagination" ... in which I chat with fabulous 'host with grace' Beth Mund about Cahokia and my Clash of Eagles books, my writing and editing processes, my NASA work, the importance of critical thinking, and (eventually) the Hot Moon books and the power of story... And yes, she did encourage me to provide long-form and in-depth answers...!
  https://www.bethmund.com/casual-space-podcast/20250320/260-alan-smale
  (March 31, 2025)
  
  
• Transatlantic space talk, with Matt of the (UK-based) Interplanetary Podcast, where we discuss my books, the Cold War, the constraints of orbital mechanics, world politics, and ... characters! And who should play them on film ... or not. There's some news and politics at the beginning; the interview part of the podcast begins at the 16:30 mark.
  https://soundcloud.com/matt-interplanetary/315-civil-discourse-alan-smale
  (March 20, 2025)
  
  
• "The Billion Insights Podcast" explores culture, science, technology, art, business, and much more with guests from around the world. Alan joins host Shree Rath for a mammoth two-hour deep dive into astrophysics, AI, alternate history, SF movies, the Apollo Rising books, and many other topics. (Available in two formats:
  • audio-only: https://thebillioninsights.com/podcast/episode?=E38_AlanSmale
  • audiovisual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF7NqEpCjiE.)
  (January 9, 2025)
  
  
• From a land down under, Alan is interviewed by Michelle Hamadache, professor of English Studies and Creative Writing at Macquarie University on the literary podcast, "From the Lighthouse", about his books, creativity, imagination, and perseverance.
  https://www.fromthelighthouse.org/2025/apollo-rising-an-interview-with-celebrated-author-and-former-nasa-astrophysicist-alan-smale
  (January 7, 2025)
  
  
• Alan appears on "Skull Session with Dan Henk" to banter about alternate histories in general and (of course) Hot Moon and Radiant Sky in particular:
  https://skullsessionwithdanhenk.buzzsprout.com/2058263/episodes/16340333-sc-fi-writer-and-award-winner-alan-smale
  (December 26, 2024)
  
  
• Let's get hardcore about the space program: Alan appears on Episode 4305 (!) of The Space Show, interviewed live by Dr. David Livingston and fielding lots questions from call-in listeners in real time:
  https://www.thespaceshow.com/show/13-dec-2024/broadcast-4305-alan-smale-noted-sci-fi-author
  (December 13, 2024)
  
  
• In Vivian Carter's own words ... Vivian is interviewed by Assaph Meyer as part of his popular Web series, "The Protagonist Speaks":
  https://theprotagonistspeaks.com/2024/12/06/vivian-carter-of-hot-moon-by-alan-smale/
  (December 6, 2024)
  
  
• On "Tell Me About Your Book", Alan tells host John Christian ... all about his book.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdQjclkA9WI
  (November 29, 2024)
  
  
• Alan, and Radiant Sky, were featured on John Scalzi's Big Idea in November:
  https://whatever.scalzi.com/2024/11/18/the-big-idea-alan-smale-4/
  (November 18, 2024)
  
  
• Alan, talking about hit space alternate-history TV show "For All Mankind" fellow authors Randee Dawn, J.L. Gribble, and Russ Colchamiro on Russ's Rockin' Rollercoaster, Ep.#107
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbNYv2uYdzs
  (February 7, 2024)
  
  
• "What I write, why I write, how I write ..." Check out the Worldshapers podcast, in which Alan chats with Ed Willett about Life, Writing, and Everything:
  https://theworldshapers.com/2022/12/11/episode-123-alan-smale/
  (December 11, 2022)
  
  
• Writers of the Future Podcast #198: “From science to science fiction: Jeffrey A. Carver, Edward M. Lerner, Alan Smale, Edward Willett discuss their journey[s] from aspiring writers to award- winning and bestselling authors”
  https://soundcloud.com/writersofthefuture/198-science-to-science-fiction-jeffrey-a-carver- edward-m-lerner-alan-smale-edward-willett
  (November 5, 2022)
  
  
• Chris Rose runs a great speculative fiction reading series in Baltimore called Charm City Spec. Alan had the honor of reading there, along with Randee Dawn, Amy L. Bernstein, and Searby Gray. A video of his reading (courtesy of Scott Edelman) can be found at
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI4hBZc-RUE
  (September 21, 2022)
  
  
• Alan, and Hot Moon, were featured on John Scalzi's The Whatever in July:
  https://whatever.scalzi.com/2022/07/29/the-big-idea-alan-smale-3/
  (July 29, 2022)
  
  
• Check out Paul Semel's Exclusive Interview with Alan at:
  https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-hot-moon-author-alan-smale/
  (July 28, 2022)
  
  
• Alan, featured on Walter Day's Science Fiction Trading Card Spotlight, at
  https://thewalterdaycollection.com/articles/trading-card-spotlight/510-science-fiction-trading- card-spotlight-alan-smale
  (July 15, 2022)
  
  
• A two-part interview with "Astrophysicist and Author, Alan Smale" on Signals from the Edge:
  https://signalsfromtheedge.org/interview-alan-smale
  https://signalsfromtheedge.org/interview-alan-smale-part-2
  (July 12 and 14, 2022)
  
  
• A web feature in which Alan talks about "The best books on the human and technical excellence behind the Apollo Moon missions" on Shepherd.com:
  https://shepherd.com/best-books/the-excellence-behind-the-apollo-moon-missions
  (July 5, 2022)
  
  
• Authority Magazine: “Author Alan Smale on how to create compelling science fiction and fantasy stories”:
  https://medium.com/authority-magazine/author-alan-smale-on-how-to-create-compelling- science-fiction-and-fantasy-stories-38f06f6b887f
  (May 29, 2022)
  
  
• Alan on Russ's Rockin' Rollercoaster, Ep#56:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNst1tdCTqY
  (2/19/2022)
  
  
• Writers of the Future Podcast #99: “Alan Smale is a NASA [scientist] and award-winning alternate history author” …:
  https://soundcloud.com/writersofthefuture/99-alan-smale-is-a-nasa-engineer-and-award-winning-alternate-history-author
  (9/29/2020)