In this episode of PTTP, Phil interviews Josiah, creator of the Pulp Podcast. They discuss the origins and inspirations behind the podcast, Josiah's distinctive writing style, and the essence of pulp fiction from the 20s and 30s.

Josiah shares about his preference for short stories filled with bizarre and imaginative ideas, including examples like 'burned-out aliens abducting a medieval knight' and 'a dinosaur-riding cowboy.' He also draws parallels between traditional pulp fiction and contemporary manga and anime.

The conversation delves into Josiah's writing process, his views on the importance of clear idea communication in art, and the creative freedom allowed by podcasting's anthology format. They touch on notable pulp fiction writers like Dashiell Hammett and H.P. Lovecraft and discuss how modern tools like AI are reshaping genre boundaries.

In addition, Josiah reveals some of the characters and stories from his podcast, including the treasure-hunting duo Vasquez and Walker and a forthcoming steampunk world set against various historical backdrops.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:37 Origins of the Pulp Podcast 01:43 Exploring Pulp Fiction and Its Influence 05:28 Writing Process and Creative Inspirations 11:39 Character Development and Storytelling 13:11 Steampunk World and Future Projects 17:41 Hipsters and Vampires: A Gentrification Analogy 17:55 Nazi Occult and Werewolf Troops 18:39 Red Squads and Anti-Communist Forces 19:47 Podcast Structure and Season Plans 22:06 Writing Techniques and Challenges 28:42 The Creative Process and Self-Understanding 32:28 Promoting Content and Collaborations 33:11 Conclusion and Future Episodes