Charlie Stross: The World is Complicated. Elegant Narratives Explaining Everything Are Wrong!

Posted on: June 1, 2011 / Last Modified: April 25, 2026

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Today, my guest is award-winning science fiction author Charlie Stross. It was his seminal singularity book, Accelerando, that not only won the 2006 Locus Award (in addition to being a finalist for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and on the final ballot for the Hugo Award) but was also at least in part responsible for my launching of this blog and podcast.

During my conversation with Charlie Stross, we discuss issues such as his early interest in and love for science fiction, his work as a “code monkey” for a start-up company during the first dot com boom of the late nineties, and the resulting short sci-fi story Lobsters (which eventually turned into Accelerando); his upcoming book Rule 34; his take on the human condition, brain uploading, the technological singularity and our chances of surviving it.

As always, you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support, you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Charlie Stross?

Charlie Stross, 46, is a full-time science fiction writer and resident of Edinburgh, Scotland. The winner of two Locus Reader Awards and winner of the 2005 and 2010 Hugo awards for best novella, Stross’ works have been translated into over twelve languages.

Like many writers, Charlie Stross has had a variety of careers, occupations, and job-shaped-catastrophes in the past, from a pharmacist (he quit after the second police stake-out) to first code monkey on the team of a successful dot-com startup (with brilliant timing he tried to change employer just as the bubble burst).