Jimbo’s Awesome Science Fiction and Fantasy Reviews (JASFFR): Welcome, once again, to Jimbo’s Awesome Interviews where we interview people from the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy who are crazy enough to spend a few minutes of their time with us. Oops. Kind enough. I totes meant kind enough. Probably. Our latest victim is Ian McMurtrie, Owner of Raconteur Press, a newish publishing company that’s doing lots of exciting stuff. What’s up LawDog? Say hi to all the fans out there!
Ian McMurtrie (IM): Hello!
JASSFR: Alright, so let’s get started. First off, let’s go with the whole “getting to know you” question. Are you married? Kids? Pets? We believe in honoring first responders here at Jimbo’s. (Partially that’s selfish. My daughter is an EMT.) So tell us a bit about your career in law enforcement. Oh, and what’s this I hear about pink gorillas?
IM: Rita and I have been together since … 2008? No kids. We lost the last of Taskforce Chiweenie recently, so no pets at the moment.
I graduated from the Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy in 1993 (Class #65!) started out in the Texas Panhandle, and moved to North Texas to help take care of my grandmother in 2001. Retired from law enforcement in 2020.
The Pink Gorilla Suit is a story that I tell from my law enforcement days that is probably one of the things I am best known for.
JASSFR: Thanks for that and thank you for your service. I heard a rumor. Do you guys really throw ducks at people at conventions?
IM: There is duck flinging. Jesse Barrett has made special Whiffle Ducks that I can throw at people, because me pitching the rubber ducks was making him nervous.
JASSFR: Awesome. You came here today to promote your publishing company. So tell us a bit about Raconteur Press, its founding and what you have to offer for fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
IM: We published our first book in 2022 – because of a dare from Jonna Hayden. We dba’d in 2023 – because I still didn’t think this was really going anywhere – and formally incorporated in 2024. What we offer fans is reflected in one of my rants: “It Must Be Entertaining; All Else Is Negotiable.” We publish stuff we want to read. Primarily pulp and pulp-adjacent.
JASSFR: Cool beans. I have a lot of things I want to ask you about, but let’s talk about probably my favorite part of Raconteur first. I have been beating the drum for literally years about the need for someone, anyone to give young boys something they’ll have fun reading. Raconteur has started pushing out precisely the kinds of books I’ve been calling for. Talk about that for a bit. Which, if any, of the books you read as a youngster were you inspired by? We’ll get to which one is my favorite momentarily.
IM: The Hobbit, The Silver Chair – yes, I started in the middle of the series – The Stars Like Dust, and The Stars My Destination.
JASFFR: Good to know. This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Now help me help you. (I’ve always wanted to use that line.) I’ve reviewed a couple of your books for boys previously and I will continue to do so. But other than the obvious (buy, read, review) what can we here at Jimbo’s, or any of the fans reading this, do to help get the word about these books out there?
IM: Just talk them up. We think there’s a huge untapped market, and parents just need to know we have the books they’re looking for.
JASSFR: I’ll keep pushing. As the guy who used to always have a novel in class, I owe it to the current generation to make sure they can feel the same joy I did when I was a lot younger. While we’re on the subject of your boys for books movement, I should probably mention that Graham Bradley’s Fossil Force was the 2025 Book of the Year here at Jimbo’s. Did you buy him a secret mountain lair to celebrate? Have him crowned The King of the Universe? Or maybe give him a pat on the back? That was a good book.
IM: We sent him royalty cheques.
JASFFR: Darn. I was really hoping for that King of the Universe thing. I figured a retired police officer would have the government connections to make that happen. Speaking of awards, a couple of Raconteur authors have received awards that are a lot more well known than mine. Let’s start out with J. Kenton Pierce and his Prometheus Award for A Kiss for Damocles. Talk a little about the award itself, the book that won it and why this is important for Raconteur so early in its history as a company.
IM: It’s incredibly important, both as validation that we’re on the right track, and proof that we’re actually figuring out the whole process.
JASSFR: Terrific. That’s a towering achievement for both Raconteur and J. Kenton Pierce. Now let’s talk about Dave Freer and his Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction for Storm-Dragon. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read that one. I am, however, planning to get to it in the near future. But tell us a bit about the book. I’m a bit confused here. I thought the Libertarian Futurist Society only gave out one Prometheus Award a year. It’s a pretty big deal that they gave out two awards this year, right?
IM: Very big deal. Especially for a young press in it’s second year of producing books!
JASSFR: That’s good to hear. I like Dave. He gave me a few pointers when I first started Jimbo’s that really helped and I love to see him getting the accolades he deserves. But now we’ve talked about a bunch of authors now, and not the staff. Save me. I don’t need them to be mad at me. Next thing you’ll know, I’ll be on the lam, living in Moscow and going by the name Igor Isnthereovitch. You’ve got a great staff right Ian?
IM: The staff at RacPress are really the engine driving this whole thing. All Rita and I do is stand out front and look pretty. Jonna Hayden has been with us the longest, and is the sole reason we’re sticking to some kind of schedule, but everyone else is going above and beyond.
JASSFR: What’s next for Raconteur? What projects do you have on the horizon?
IM: Audiobooks for now. We’ve got an idea for the Boy’s Book side that involves bundling a physical book and an audiobook together so that the boy can read the dead-tree edition at home, and his father can listen to the audiobook on the way to work, during breaks, or whenever, and when the father gets home he can talk about the book with his son.
JASFFR: I knew you’d say that. Where can we find you and/or Raconteur Press online? Drop a few links so that we can keep track of what you’ve got going on.
IM: Our SubStack at raconteurpress.substack.com
JASSFR: Thanks! Now, it’s time for the traditional last question at Jimbo’s. What did I forget to ask you that you wish I would have and how would you answer it?
IM: “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
The answer, of course, is “Banana.”
JASSFR: LOL! Thanks Ian! I appreciate it when people in the publishing business stop by my little corner of the internet for a chat. Good luck, keep moving forward and know that you are always welcome at Jimbo’s!