Best K A Steele Podcasts (2026)

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#180 The ten best SF books I read in 2025 19:48

Play Pause

7d ago19:48

19:48

It's time for the final episode of 2025! Find out which were the top 10 science fiction books I read over the course of the year, along with five honourable mentions. Plus, a brief reflection on how the year has gone, some plans for 2026, and a thank you to everyone who has listened, shared, and got in touch over the last 12 months. And: corny soun…

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2025 Wrap-Up: Gals Chat, A Corn Cob, Alaska, and One Man, ep. 333 1:12:57

13d ago1:12:57

1:12:57

To send 2025 off into the great abyss, we have a sensational year-end Basic Folk roundtable featuring Lizzie's group chat: Kaïa Kater, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, and Isa Burke. It can feel so challenging to know which media you can trust and whose takes you can really take to the bank. There is no one we trust more to wrap-up this wild and wacky year than…

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Ep. 257: 2025 Year In Review 58:02

8d ago58:02

58:02

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry Photo by @kmcdonphoto

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A Bummer Xmas Mix by Dollar Country 53:38

19d ago53:38

53:38

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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Ep. 256: K-Ark Records 58:02

29d ago58:02

58:02

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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Madison Cunningham is Embarrassed All the Time. ep. 332 59:12

27d ago59:12

59:12

Our episode with Madison Cunningham was one of those all-time Basic Folk moments where a guest gets really deep really quickly. I'm so grateful to have had the chance to speak with this brilliant young torchbearer of the folk tradition to celebrate the release of her new album, 'Ace.' Cunningham grew up in the church, an environment which shaped he…

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#179 Walk like thunder: the mammoth trilogy (1999 - 2001) by Stephen Baxter 8:49

28d ago8:49

8:49

Published between 1999 and 2001, the Mammoth trilogy is a fascinating set of linked SF novels by Stephen Baxter. In reality, mammoths died out 4,000 years ago but Baxter imagines a different fate for them. Thoroughly researched and at times quite moving, these are fine examples of science fiction which does without major human characters, and has r…

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#178 The new Argonauts: West of the Sun (1953) by Edgar Pangborn 9:43

1M ago9:43

9:43

A transitional 1950s novel of colonisation I'm somewhat sympathetic to Robert Silverberg's suggestion that the 1950s were the real "golden age of science fiction". In any case, that decade is notable for its fascinatingly transitional works, as SF shifted from the sometimes naive adventurism of the 1930s and 1940s, towards the more contemplative un…

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#177 Other ways to live: introducing the Hainish stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 16:23

1M ago16:23

16:23

A beginner’s guide to her groundbreaking SF setting Between 1966 and 2000, Ursula K. Le Guin published seven novels and 17 stories in the Hainish setting, which together comprise a large proportion of her science fiction. Collectively, they have won numerous major awards and sparked a large and growing body of scholarship. Le Guin’s work is frequen…

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Frazey Ford Revisits the Subtle Grooves of 'Indian Ocean', ep. 331 51:19

1M ago51:19

51:19

Frazey Ford has always loved soul music. She fell in love with Otis Redding at age 11 and discovered people like Ann Peebles along the way, but it was Al Green that really knocked her out. She loved the layers, the expression, and especially his voice. She completely dove in and even started an Al Green cover band. Although she had been perfecting …

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#176 Silicon and steel: The Reproductive System (1968) by John Sladek 9:36

2M ago9:36

9:36

The Science Fiction Encyclopedia states that "there is a false belief that SF and humour do not mix." The SFE does concede, though, that the two are more successfully fused in short stories rather than in the novel form. Like Douglas Adams, Harry Harrison, and Robert Sheckley, John Sladek was a writer who was able to make it work. The Reproductive …

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The Barr Brothers Rally Around Mysticism, ep. 330 1:01:25

2M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

In the eight years since The Barr Brothers last released an album, Andrew has been drumming with people like Feist, Mumford & Sons, and Broken Social Scene while Brad released a solo record and underwent incredible personal change. Brad made the huge decision to get sober, which he talks about candidly in our Basic Folk interview. Anything you read…

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Turn Back Lose! Michael Kernahan is Checking in with Dr. B 1:11:11

2M ago1:11:11

1:11:11

Michael G Kernahan was born in 1947 in Palo Seco Trinidad and Tobago. He moved from Palo Seco to Manzanilla and later to St. James in the north of the island of Trinidad. In St. James, Michael joined the famous Tripoli Steel Orchestra, later touring with them through the Caribbean and to Expo ‘67 in Montreal, Canada. The orchestra performed with su…

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#175 Collision with the future: The Masks of Time (1968) by Robert Silverberg 7:48

2M ago7:48

7:48

The definitive time travel story, H. G. Wells' The Time Machine (1895), focuses on a protagonist who visits the extremely far future. Across over a century of time travel tales, in most cases it is the people of our own time who visit either the past or the future. Rather less commonly, the contemporary world plays host to a visitor from another er…

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David Wilcox Can Heal Your Heart in Two Minutes, ep. 329 1:11:03

2M ago1:11:03

1:11:03

Asheville-based songwriter David Wilcox has been through some s-h-i-t. A difficult childhood in Northeast Ohio sent him seeking answers – mostly on his bicycle – in an attempt to get away. He has spent his lifetime leaning into his problems and digging into their roots at the source: his own heart. He decided to see what lessons his heart had been …

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#174 Reign of evil: Swastika Night (1937) by Murray Constantine 8:50

3M ago8:50

8:50

Published in 1937, Katharine Burdekin's Swastika Night is a chilling depiction of a far-future fascist dystopia, in which the triumph of Nazism also represents oblivion for humanity and freedom. A precursor to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), this is an under-recognised and chilling vision of the future which is troublingly relevant today. Get…

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#173 Hanging by a thread: the Society of Time trilogy (1962) by John Brunner 11:30

3M ago11:30

11:30

Originally published in 1962, John Brunner's Society of Time stories are set in an alternate Britain in the 1980s. It is 400 hundred years since the Spanish Armada was not defeated, and the Catholicism of the Spanish Empire rules much of the world. The Empire possesses the gift of time travel, though only a new pope is given the ultimate privilege …

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Kathleen Edwards: Making up for 30 Years of No Tears, ep. 328 1:07:00

3M ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Kathleen Edwards claims that she's now a pretty frequent crier after not crying for the first 30 years of her life. One reason for this change is the connectedness she has been feeling since leaving music and starting her coffee shop, Quitters. In our Basic Folk conversation, Edwards tears up talking about the cover of her new album 'Billionaire,' …

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#172 The endless plain of fortune: Orbitsville trilogy by Bob Shaw (1975 - 1990) 11:55

3M ago11:55

11:55

It was British science fiction writer Olaf Stapledon, not US physicist Freeman Dyson, who first imagined the "Dyson sphere" - an immense macrostructure which would enclose and harness the entire energy of a star. Beginning with his BSFA Award-winning novel Orbitsville (1975), Northern Irish SF writer Bob Shaw explored this dizzying concept in a tri…

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#171 Avatar of war: The Book of Elsewhere (2024) by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville 7:49

3M ago7:49

7:49

An unusual detour into contemporary SF, this episode is a look at the thoroughly strange The Book of Elsewhere (2024), a collaboration between Hollywood icon Keanu Reeves and British flag-bearer for the New Weird, China Miéville. The novel is a spinoff from Reeves' comic book series BRSRKR, about an immortal warrior with 80,000 years of bloodshed b…

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Peter Rowan: The Bluegrass Buddha's Tex-Mex Roots, ep. 327 1:08:54

3M ago1:08:54

1:08:54

Legendary Massachusetts-born, California-based musician Peter Rowan is best known for his bluegrass roots. A practicing Buddhist, he did time in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys as well as in the short-lived and epically important Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. However, his latest album 'Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce' celeb…

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#170 Solar Enemy Number One: The Stars My Destination (1956) by Alfred Bester 8:51

4M ago8:51

8:51

The Count of Monte Cristo make not seem like the likeliest template for an SF novel, but Alfred Bester was able to take this 19th century French classic and turn it into the basis for his 1956 book The Stars My Destination. This frenetic, fast-paced adventure also begins with a kind of parody of the opening to Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. It's a …

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Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks: "Buckle Bunny," No Cringe, and My Black Country, ep. 326 1:07:02

4M ago1:07:02

1:07:02

This time on Basic Folk, we are checking in with country singer-songwriter and Color Me Country radio host Rissi Palmer and Americana country artist Miko Marks. The two close friends both came up as Black women in country music in the early part of the 21st century where they experienced gatekeepers and discrimination in the industry, but undeniabl…

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#169 Hollywood necromancy: Remake (1995) by Connie Willis 9:01

4M ago9:01

9:01

Connie Willis is known for her stocked awards cabinet and for her lengthy novels in the "Oxford Time Travel" series. But this major figure of US SF has not always been concerned with exploring the past, or with doorstop-sized tomes. Remake (1995) is one of her less discussed novels, short enough to sometimes be categorised instead as a novella. Thi…

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Vibe Coaches: Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, & Shelby Means, ep. 325 1:12:09

4M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, and Shelby Means are on Basic Folk today talking about their new collaborations. Maya produced both Shelby and Joel's debut solo albums this year; Joel and Ethan play in Maya's band; and the two couples (Joel & Shelby are married and Ethan & Maya are partners) are all very close friends. They met in Na…

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#168 Quantum uncertainty: Timescape (1980) by Gregory Benford 9:52

4M ago9:52

9:52

Time travel is, if scientists are to be believed, impossible. That has never stopped science fiction writers, who have made it one of their most frequently used and popular concepts. But if time travel is impossible, can it at least be made plausible? With his novel Timescape (1980), Gregory Benford sought to do just that. This believable SF epic d…

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Paul Brady on Tina Turner, Irish Music and Not Being Too Famous, ep. 324 54:33

4M ago54:33

54:33

Bob Dylan once called Paul Brady a "secret hero" and meant it as a compliment. The Irish songwriting legend has not been bothered by the fact that his profile has not risen as high as some of his peers. Starting off in the world of traditional Irish music, Brady spent time in the hugely influential Irish group Planxty until they disbanded in 1975. …

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Everyone Has a Friend in Joe K. Walsh, ep. 323 49:59

4M ago49:59

49:59

Originally from northern Minnesota, Joe K. Walsh grew up in Duluth and became enthralled with the mandolin (his primary focus, currently) after hearing the first David Grisman Quintet record. His dad got the young Joe his own mando. He ended up getting very serious about the instrument and found himself studying at Berklee College of Music in Bosto…

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#167 The thing itself: science fiction and its aesthetic 9:45

5M ago9:45

9:45

Science fiction is famously difficult to define. In 1952, the writer and editor Damon Knight famously wrote that "science fiction is what we point to when we say it." But what if what we point to is just the surface, just an aesthetic, and what really matters is what is underneath? This episode is a brief exploration of what I see as the important …

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Everyone Belongs at the Olive Klug show, ep. 322 52:36

5M ago52:36

52:36

Olive Klug and I (Cindy) recorded this interview in my closet while they were in Portland, Maine to play a show. They stayed along with their band Cori, Haley, and Payton and it was a real pleasure to be around them for a few days. You can tell that Olive is at their best around their band and it is a true collaboration on stage. Shoutout to the wh…

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#166 Four futures: The Ace Double novels of Margaret St. Clair (1956 - 1964) 15:02

5M ago15:02

15:02

This is an exploration of four short novels by a neglected female writer of SF who sought to subvert the genre from within. One happy development in recent years is the growing awareness of the contribution of women writers to the development of classic science fiction. Today, writers like Leigh Brackett, C. L. Moore, and Andre Norton are fairly we…

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Gina Chavez: From Choir Kid to Latin Grammy Nominee, ep. 321 1:05:37

5M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

New bestie Gina Chavez speaks about her journey in music, her deep love for connecting with people, and the influence of her mixed cultural background on Basic Folk. Her parents are of Mexican and Swiss-German descent. Her father, although second generation Mexican-American, was not raised with Spanish language or any Mexican culture. Gina discusse…

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#165 After two catastrophes: The Uncertain Midnight (1958) and The Cloud Walker (1973) by Edmund Cooper 10:08

5M ago10:08

10:08

Edmund Cooper is hardly a familiar name today, but he was once a significant presence on the British science fiction scene. For 23 years, he reviewed new SF books for The Sunday Times, and one of his short stories was adapted into the 1957 film The Invisible Boy - which featured the second screen appearance of Robby the Robot, introduced in the mor…

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Tony Kamel Believes in Life and You Should Too, ep. 320 41:34

5M ago41:34

41:34

You may recognize the voice, face, and vibe of wonderful human being Tony Kamel from his acclaimed bluegrass group, Wood & Wire. But Tony is on Basic Folk today to talk about his wonderful solo albums, including his latest, 'We're All Gonna Live.' The album, which just came out, is a realist-optimist's guide to navigating a complex and often heartb…

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Ep. 255: Makin' Steel 58:00

5M ago58:00

58:00

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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Kora Feder is the Future of Political Folk Songwriting, but also Has Too Many Craft Projects, ep. 319 41:53

5M ago41:53

41:53

On this episode of Basic Folk, Kora Feder talks about her new album, 'Some Kind of Truth,' as well as reflecting on the incredible changes and growth she's experienced since we last spoke in February 2020. One of the impacts of the pandemic on her music career was the necessity of exploring other artistic ventures like crafting hats and lino-cuttin…

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#164 The world outside: Non-Stop (1958) by Brian Aldiss 7:51

6M ago7:51

7:51

The generation starship is a classic concept in science fiction. Other stars are hugely far away, and our spacecraft are slow - why not condemn several generations of our descendants to live on board ship, in the hope of reaching a new world in hundreds of years' time? What could possibly go wrong? Brian Aldiss, who became a major figure in British…

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Ep. 254: Great Plains Country 58:01

6M ago58:01

58:01

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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#163 Mind of the ocean: The Jonah Kit (1975) by Ian Watson 7:58

6M ago7:58

7:58

Back in episode 131, we looked at The Embedding, Ian Watson's startling debut novel published in 1973. Watson was soon to ascend to new heights, winning the BSFA Award for Best Novel for his second effort, 1975's The Jonah Kit. Like his debut, this is a kaleidoscopic, multi-threaded novel set in multiple countries and asking big questions about con…

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Tami Neilson: On Taking Wynonna's Call, Her Scary Near-Death Experience, and Willie Nelson, ep. 318 1:13:32

6M ago1:13:32

1:13:32

In recent years, Tami Neilson has been learning to carry both great joy and great sorrow simultaneously. The New Zealand-based, Canada-born powerhouse's new album, 'Neon Cowgirl,' is named after the towering electric figure on a sign that's overlooked Broadway in Nashville, watching over Tami's career since she was 16 years old. The songs were born…

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Indigo Girls: Activism Through Fashion and Community Through Food (REISSUE), ep. 317 57:13

6M ago57:13

57:13

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the past several weeks, Basic Folk has been digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. This is our last Reissue for now, so please enjoy! This episode featuring separate interviews with The Indi…

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#162 The back of beyond: Way Station (1963) by Clifford D. Simak 8:11

6M ago8:11

8:11

The backwoods of Wisconsin may not seem like the likeliest place for humanity's future in the stars to be decided, but only outside of a Clifford D. Simak story. Wisconsin was his preferred setting, particularly the woodsy Wisconsin of his youth. With his novel Way Station, he parlayed this nostalgic affection into the 1964 Hugo Award for Best Nove…

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Joy Oladokun Writes Worship Music for Youth Group Rejects (REISSUE), ep. 316 51:18

6M ago51:18

51:18

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the past several weeks, Basic Folk has been digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy! This episode featuring Lizzie No interviewing Joy Oladokun, was originally posted on February 24, 20…

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Watchhouse in Conversation with Jacob Sharp (Mipso) (Bonus) 45:55

6M ago45:55

45:55

(Editor's Note: Oh, WOW! A bonus, surprise episode with Watchhouse? Yes! And it is a treat. We are pleased to have Jacob Sharp of Mipso as our guest host in conversation with his friends Andrew Marlin and Emily Franz of Watchhouse, talking about their new studio album, 'Rituals.' The record was co-produced with Ryan Gustafson of The Dead Tongues. T…

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Chris Thile: Calvin and Hobbes, Classical Music, and Curiosity (REISSUE), ep. 315 1:21:20

6M ago1:21:20

1:21:20

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy! This episode featuring Cindy Howes interviewing Chris Thile was originally posted on September 9, 2021 aft…

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Ep. 253: Lonesome Crazy 58:01

7M ago58:01

58:01

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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#161 Cognitive shock: five concepts to enhance your science fiction reading 15:45

7M ago15:45

15:45

Rather than looking at a specific work of classic SF, this episode takes a wider view. It's my personal introduction to five concepts which I think can help enhance your science fiction reading, to boost your understanding and appreciation. Most of these concepts are highly specific to SF, and represent aspects of what makes it a unique genre with …

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Dar Williams: Music was Decided for Me (REISSUE), ep. 314 1:03:07

7M ago1:03:07

1:03:07

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. This episode featuring Lizzie No interviewing Dar Williams originally posted on October 14, 2021. Enjoy!) Dar Williams…

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Ep. 252: Beer Money 59:17

7M ago59:17

59:17

If you enjoy Dollar Country please consider supporting the show by joining the patreon or sending a tip. Patreon.com/dollarcountry p.s. patrons get an extra set of tunes on each show Venmo: @dollarcountry Paypal: [email protected] Cashapp: $dollarcountry

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#160 Illusion, USA: Time Out of Joint (1959) by Philip K. Dick 7:49

7M ago7:49

7:49

Science fiction icon Philip K. Dick is such a well known figure now - over 40 years after his death - that it is possible to lose sight of the struggles he faced in his career. Back in the 1950s, he longed to break into the mainstream fiction market but was frustrated at every turn. His lifeline was Ace Books, for whom he produced a string of short…