# 235: Imagine That, Suckers! (Repeat)

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2021-09-16
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 235
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/235-repeat

## Summary

Author Robin Sloan, known for *Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore* and *Sourdough*, discusses his background in technology and how it informs his fiction, including detailed portrayals of startups, robot arms, and Google. He explains his process for integrating complex technical concepts like cryptography and machine learning into narrative, ensuring they feel authentic to engineers while remaining accessible. Sloan also details his recent experiments with AI, using neural networks to generate text and audio for his books, and shares his philosophy on finishing projects and the creative potential of open-source tools.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=6) Introduction: Robin Sloan and Lightning Round
- [3:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=188) Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore and Google Politics
- [6:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=412) Portraying Startups and Burnout in Sourdough
- [11:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=662) Robot Arms and the Reality of Tech Work
- [14:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=873) Balancing Technical Accuracy with Storytelling
- [21:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=1293) The Writing Process: Novels vs. Short Stories
- [35:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=2129) Using AI and Machine Learning in Fiction
- [43:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=2608) Generating Audio and Text with Neural Nets
- [55:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=3325) Low-Tech Publishing and the Zine Project
- [1:03:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat#t=3824) Advice on Finishing Projects and Book Recommendations

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore (product)
- Sourdough (product)
- Google (company)
- Twitter (company)
- Current TV (company)
- TensorFlow (tool)
- Python (tool)
- GitHub (other)
- Ancillary Justice (product)
- Hild (product)
- Home: A Short History of an Idea (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [331 - I wrote a book and it's out TODAY!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2025-12-05-331-i-wrote-a-book-and-its-out-today) (People of Packaging)
- [AI that can be your second brain with Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri of Humane](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-03-14-ai-that-can-be-your-second-brain-with-bethany-bongiorno-and-imran-chaudhri-of-hu) (How I Built This)
- [Episode 78: Connecting science fiction and fact - Stephen Oram](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-03-22-episode-78-connecting-science-fiction-and-fact-stephen-oram) (Robot Talk)
- [HIBT Lab! OpenAI: Sam Altman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-09-29-hibt-lab-openai-sam-altman) (How I Built This)
- [392: We Can Design Our Way Out of This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-03-17-392-we-can-design-our-way-out-of-this) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-09-16-235-imagine-that-suckers-repeat. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.