Canadian science fiction writer Hugh A. D. Spencer joins the lads to talk about one of his favorite bits of audio – the original radio play of The War of the Worlds.

The novel by H. G. Wells was written in the 1890s, and adapted by Orson Welles for his Mercury Theatre in 1938. Howard Koch adapted the story for the radio. Koch used the trope of the news flash to tell the story, and this led many listeners who had missed the start of the radio play to think the invasion was real.

It caused a panic.

Joe, Mark and Hugh have a great time talking about the effects of the radio play, science fiction in general, and the impact of the play on Hugh's own work.

For more information, check out the show notes for this episode.

Re-Creative is produced by Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.

Contact us at joemahoney@donovanstreetpress.com

Joe and Mark are joined by the wonderfully original writer Tom Bradley. 3:AM Magazine describes Tom as "... one of the most criminally underrated authors on the planet."

Tom explains what it was like to be a six foot, eight-inch tall red-haired American, living in China and Japan and teaching at a number of English-language universities in both countries.

The peripatetic lifestyle allowed Tom to develop his own writing style and tackle subject matter that was not necessarily mainstream. "I think I've made about $35 in royalties in fifty years of writing," Tom jokes.

He’s worked with the artist that has inspired him: Canada's very own Nick Patterson.

They look at three of the illustrations in Family Romance, one of several books that Nick has worked on with Tom. [see below for the pictures they describe in the podcast]

These illustrations are "breathtaking in a disturbing kind of way" Joe says.

Tom describes the process of working with the artist – Nick created the illustrations and it was Tom's job to create a narrative linking the images.

They have a deep and entertaining conversation about being an exile, teaching abroad, writing, and where writers find their inspiration.

For more information, check out the show notes for this episode.

Re-Creative is produced by Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.

Contact us at joemahoney@donovanstreetpress.com

Blair is a working stage, screen and voice actor and the president of ACTRA Alberta, the acting union for screen and voice performers.

He shares with hosts Joe and Mark some fun acting stories and how various actors pursue their art before talking about the play that still inspires him, Little Shop of Horrors.

Blair got to see the show at the age of 17 on the West End. That version starred Ellen Greene, the original Audrey on Broadway. (She also plays the character in the 1986 movie version of the show.) Blair loved the characters, the songs, the puppet that is the alien, and the chorus, which sings do-wop songs. At the end of the show, tentacles dropped from the ceiling into the audience. The whole thing blew his mind.

"This is what I want to do," Blair said after seeing the show.

For pure fun and laughs, this is an episode not to be missed!

For more information, check out the show notes for this episode.

Re-Creative is produced by Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.

Contact us at joemahoney@donovanstreetpress.com