You may think that science and magic are diametrically opposed, or that it’s impossible to capture the internal dialogue and machinations of a sentient machine, but not authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz. Wormhole generators can work alongside teenage witches that talk to animals, and imagining the mind of a robot is just a matter of thinking in their own language.

Nerdist sat down with Newitz and Anders to get to the core of their books, and you can watch the full interview above.

Newitz’s highly anticipated debut novel Autonomous, published by Tor Books, examines the corruption of big pharma — featuring those who function as “anti-Martin Shkrelis” — and also the ethical question of AIs and what it means to be free. It should be perfect for fans of Westworld. As founder of io9.com, and now cultural editor at Ars Technica, Newitz is an expert at interpreting science through the lens of an evolving, technologically-based world. She proves it when she outlines how a robot might think and communicate with other sentient life.

Anders’ book, All the Birds in the Sky, also published by Tor, won the prestigious 2017 Nebula Award, and was nominated for a Hugo award. The story exists in a world where both science and magic coexist, where mad scientists can plot the destruction of the world while witches talk to animals. She spoke with Nerdist about how the gulf between science and magic helped realize the book’s themes, and what discipline she thinks would dominate in a world where anything is possible.

Watch the full interview above, and grab Autonomous when it drops September 19th, and you can get All the Birds in the Sky right now.