I’m not exaggerating when I say: this is exactly the book I’ve been searching for. As someone deeply fascinated by the pulp era of speculative fiction and a long-time enthusiast of nonfiction about science fiction, Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods!: Interviews with Science Fiction Legends feels like a personal treasure. I’ve spent years making videos on these topics and will continue to explore and review books that dive into this rich genre history. The deeper I go into Weird fiction, the more questions I’ve had about the authors, editors, and the readership that shaped the pulp fiction landscape—pulp here, of course, referring to the cheap wood-pulp paper on which many early stories were printed.
This remarkable collection offers a window into the evolution of science fiction, the voices who helped mold it, and the vibrant fan communities that emerged around it. Thoughtfully assembled, the book gathers over fifty interviews with major figures in the field—conversations originally aired on the long-running KPFA radio program Probabilities, which ran from 1977 to 1995. These aren’t just enjoyable conversations; they’re a vital archive of genre history—a living document of cultural and creative shifts in speculative storytelling.
Editor Richard Wolinsky, one of the show’s original co-hosts, undertook the massive task of preserving, transcribing, and shaping these conversations into this beautifully readable volume, published by Tachyon. His care and dedication shine throughout. The foreword, written by fellow co-host Richard A. Lupoff before his passing in 2020, adds a deeply personal and affectionate tone, especially in its praise of Wolinsky’s efforts to preserve the original tapes across decades.
I appreciated the note before the interviews begin, suggesting that the book should be read as if the reader is drifting from group to group at a cocktail party, overhearing snippets of different conversations. Just like at a party your ‘ears’ will figuratively perk up when a topic of interest is discussed as some will fade into the background. As stated, my main interest was around the Weird Tales magazine. I found it particularly intriguing to read from people like Frank Belknap Long and Robert Bloch, who had actually met and corresponded with Lovecraft in real time, as well as those who had lived through the World Wars and observed how the post-Influenza social despair shaped readerships. There’s also plenty of “tea,” as the kids would say, being spilled—gossip and drama from the publishing world served piping hot.
This presentation worked well for me rather than getting a transcription of one full interview at a time. Reading multiple perspectives on the same topics offers a more complete picture—whether it’s about a person like Clark Ashton Smith or a magazine like Unknown. I can understand if this fragmented interview structure isn’t for everybody, but it allows for some space if a particular literary voice isn’t of interest to you.
What makes these interviews especially fascinating is the unique vantage point from which they were recorded. These weren’t conducted in the early golden age of pulp, but rather after 1977—after humanity had walked on the moon, and in a world already shaped by the likes of Star Trek, Star Wars, and The Twilight Zone. The conversations capture a reflective tone: creators looking back at their earlier work, witnessing their imaginative ideas—once speculative or fanciful—coming to life through real-world science and technology. It’s a profound experience to read their thoughts in hindsight, bridging the dreams of mid-century pulp with the realities and cultural shifts of the late 20th century.
For anyone passionate about science fiction—whether as a writer, a fan, a scholar, or someone simply curious about how the genre and its communities evolved—this book is essential. It is not only informative and engaging but historically significant, preserving conversations that have helped define and re-define what science fiction means across generations.

This book is a treasure trove for those interested in the history of science fiction, the authors who helped shape it, and the fandom community that grew up around the genre. This well-organized work presents interviews with over fifty science fiction luminaries from the radio program Probabilities, which aired on KPFA in Berkeley between 1977 and 1995. This is a highly informative and entertaining read, but more importantly, it is crucial genre history preserved, an important and meaningful primary source. These interviews shed light on formative years and conversations in the genre and in popular culture. I highly recommend this for creators, fans, and students of science fiction and fandom.