The Epilogue…
The Epilogue...
Podcast Description
Join us each episode for an exploration of story with a different author, as we go deep into the writing craft. The Epilogue...is an interview show that focuses on the art of writing with your favorite writers and storytellers. Writing is art. Writing is science.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Explores themes of writing craft, personal storytelling, and the integration of mythology and personal experience in literature. Episodes feature discussions on topics like the intersection of fairy tales and memoir, the significance of diverse characters, and techniques for enhancing narrative depth, using specific examples from acclaimed authors' works.

Welcome to The Epilogue… a writing podcast that goes deep into the art and craft of storytelling. Each episode, we sit down for a deep-dive author interview with a successful writer for an exploration of story and for writing advice you can bring to your own work.
Writing the Uncanny: Author Interview and Writing Tips from Jeff VanderMeer.
In this episode of our podcast for writers (who take craft too seriously), take a journey into the uncanny with award-winning author Jeff VanderMeer where we explore his multiple novel universes and discuss his fantastic writing craft book, Wonderbook.
Along the way, Jeff discusses writing techniques for crafting the uncanny using layers, diving into the psychology of characters, and writing about the natural world.
- (00:00) – Intro
- (02:00) – Southern Reach and Borne Universes
- (03:30) – Making the Uncanny Believable
- (18:20) – Making the Alien Relatable
- (30:00) – Wonderbook
- (39:55) – Absolution
- (47:14) – Uncanny Genre
- (57:30) – What’s Next?
Jeff’s Information:
Jeff VanderMeer’s bestselling, critically acclaimed novels include the Borne trilogy (Borne, The Strange Bird, and Dead Astronauts) and the Southern Reach series (Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance, Absolution, and the forthcoming Abdication). Annihilation won the Nebula Award and the Shirley Jackson Award and was adapted into a major motion picture by Alex Garland, starring Natalie Portman. The Southern Reach series has been translated into more than thirty languages and was a finalist for the Hugo Award. VanderMeer, a popular public speaker, has given talks at MIT, Columbia, Yale, the Guggenheim, and Vanderbilt. He recently had the honor of delivering the John Hersey Memorial Address (Key West Literary Seminar) and the Walter Harding Lecture at SUNY Geneseo. Called “the weird Thoreau” by The New Yorker, VanderMeer has had major environmental nonfiction appear in Time, The Nation, the Los Angeles Times, and Esquire, among other publications.
https://jeffvandermeer.com
Jeff’s Books:
- Annihilation (or Audiobook)
- Authority (or Audiobook)
- Acceptance (or Audiobook)
- Wonderbook (or Audiobook)
- Borne (or Audiobook)
- Dead Astronauts (or Audiobook)
- Hummingbird Salamander (or Audiobook)
Jeff’s headshot photo credit: Azhar Khan
Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, listen to the latest episodes of this writing podcast, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

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