David Barr Kirtley

Science fiction author and podcaster

David Barr Kirtley

 

David Barr Kirtley is the host of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast on Wired.com, for which he’s interviewed over 300 guests, including Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Margaret Atwood, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, Simon Pegg, Joyce Carol Oates, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

His short fiction appears in magazines such as Realms of Fantasy, Weird Tales, Lightspeed, and Intergalactic Medicine Show, on podcasts such as Escape Pod and Pseudopod, and in books such as The Living Dead, New Cthulhu, The Way of the Wizard, and New Voices in Science Fiction. His story “Save Me Plz” was picked by editor Rich Horton for the 2008 edition of the anthology series Fantasy: The Best of the Year.

David is the son of Buckley prize-winning physicist John R. Kirtley. He majored in Government at Colby College and holds an MPW (MFA) degree in screenwriting and fiction from the University of Southern California. He lives in Austin with his cat Oryx and his girlfriend Steph Grossman.

View David’s full biography and full bibliography, and check out interviews with him on Into the Impossible, Sci-Fi with Jesse Mercury, and The Vocal Minority Report.

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by author David Barr Kirtley and produced by Lightspeed Magazine editor John Joseph Adams. The show features conversations about fantasy & science fiction in books, movies, games, and comics, as well as related subjects such as science, history, and critical thinking. The show gets about 18,000 downloads per episode and has racked up over 6 million total … Read more

Praise for David’s Fiction

Lurches into high gear pretty much from the beginning and then goes in some truly disturbing directions, with what I thought was a killer ending.

John Langan
author of The Fisherman

I LOVED this story. Great zombie read, and I love how it's unconventional. I really loved the characters! 10/10, Pseudopod! Can we get some more from this author?

Dom
Pseudopod message board

This story is everything Pseudopod! A classic scenario with a twist. An action-driven plot with a hint of meaning. Just right for audio. Well-performed audio at that.

deflective
Pseudopod message board

Biography

I grew up in the small town of Katonah, in northern Westchester, in the suburbs of New York City, with my parents -- two PhD scientists fond of books, the outdoors, travel, current events, and classical music. When I was very young, my parents -- both fantasy & science fiction fans -- read me the novels of Robert Heinlein, Madeleine L'Engle, William Sleator, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and also (when I was a bit older) introduced me to other great writers such as Isaac Asimov and Larry Niven. Throughout my childhood I had a passion for writing and drawing, and I generated boxes full of picture … Read more

Roger Barr

My grandfather Roger Barr passed away early this morning at the age of 98. He was my mom’s father, and was my last surviving grandparent. He was being cared for by my uncle Steve (his son) and aunt Denice — both medical professionals — and was still sharp and good-humored in his final days. Yesterday […]

David Barr Kirtley

David Barr Kirtley is an author and the host of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast on Wired.com, for which he’s interviewed well over a hundred guests, including George R. R. Martin, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, Simon Pegg, Margaret Atwood, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin.