When in Rome, do as the alien slime molds do (feat. Annalee Newitz!)

Thanks for tuning back into The BeX Files! Put on your “galaxysuit” and prepare your dissertation, because we are on an interstellar voyage through alien academia today.

This week, I’m stoked to share the latest episode of The Bex Files, featuring very special guest Annalee Newitz. Check it out on YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Annalee is a journalist and author of many fiction and non-fiction books, including their latest novel, A Wall is Also a Road, which came out last month from Tor. They are also the editor-in-chief of the newly revived STARLOG Magazine, which is officially back in print TODAY (more on that later).

STARLOG: The Magazine, Vol. 2 #1 (Pre-order)

STARLOG returns to print. 100 pages edited by Annalee Newitz, cover by Gabriel Yeganyan. $19.99, ships November 20. Pre-order now.

STARLOGSTARLOG

We chatted about the wild ride of A Wall is Also a Road, which follows an ambitious alien graduate student named Gardenpath who ends up conducting academic fieldwork in the ancient Roman empire.

I devoured it almost entirely in one sitting and its literary tentacles have been tickling my grey matter ever since. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in academic minutiae, slime molds, sexy first contact, and the tempestuous whims of Mount Vesuvius. 

A Wall Is Also a Road

Bestselling author Annalee Newitz invites us to explore a large and not-so-lonely universe in this science fiction adventure about what happens when the alie…

Macmillan PublishersAnnalee Newitz

We also talked about Annalee’s latest work, including the relaunch of STARLOG Magazine! Annalee has led the resurrection of this space-age classic, which merges science journalism, science fiction, culture, futurism, and more into one glossy volume. 

I was so honored to contribute an article about space farms to this volume. Order a copy or pick it up at your local Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, or most supermarket magazine racks. Long live print media!

A quick housekeeping note: Now that we’re out of spooky season, The Bex Files will run biweekly, with installments every second Friday. The newsletter will alternate between posts for all subscribers and posts that will only be fully accessible to paid members of the Yub Nub Club. Join here! 

That's the file for the week. See you at the cosmic rest stop next time!