In this episode, we're talking about writing and worldbuilding in the post-apocalyptic with zombies TV show (based on the video game series of the same name), The Last of Us . Proprietor's Pick: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | ...
Jul 23, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 22
In this episode, we're talking about writing and worldbuilding in the paranormal romance novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Proprietor's Pick: Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | ...
Jul 09, 2025•55 min•Season 3Ep. 21
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the children's fantasy (with vikings) movie How to Train Your Dragon . Proprietor's Pick: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | ...
Jun 25, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 20
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the urban fantasy novel Jade City by Fonda Lee. (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Proprietor's Pick: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTo...
Jun 11, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 19
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the sci-fi alien invasion series Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. Proprietor's Pick: Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikT...
May 28, 2025•48 min•Season 3Ep. 18
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy novel The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch . Proprietor's Pick: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | Ti...
May 14, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 16
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the gothic romance movie Crimson Peak . Proprietor's Pick: The Dark Window by Rachel Gillig (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok Listen to our Worldbuildi...
Apr 30, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the sci-fi/LitRPG novel Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Proprietor's Pick: The Wandering Inn by pirateaba Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok Listen to ou...
Apr 16, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 18
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the science fiction TV show Fringe . Proprietor's Pick: Recursion by Blake Crouch (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes...
Apr 02, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the epic fantasy novel The Will of the Many by James Islington. Proprietor's Pick: Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok Listen to our Worldbuilding ...
Mar 19, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 13
In this episode, we're talking about humour, worldbuilding, genre, and the animated TV show Futurama . Proprietor's Pick: I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through this link we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes b...
Mar 05, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this episode, we're talking about genre, the state of YA sci-fi in publishing, and the writing and worldbuilding in the young adult science fiction novel Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Proprietor's Pick: Red Rising by Pierce Brown (Disclosure: we are a bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie book store!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord Listen to our Wor...
Feb 19, 2025•47 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode, we're talking about the worldbuilding in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG comedy Fantasy High: Freshman Year , which is a Dimension 20 show produced by Dropout TV. Proprietor's Pick: Highfire by Eoin Colfer (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through this link we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord Listen to our Worldbuilding Wor...
Feb 05, 2025•43 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy novel Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, and how the story feels like a fairy tale even though it is not a retelling. Proprietor's Pick: All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Websit...
Jan 22, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode, we're talking about the horror movie A Quiet Place . Proprietor's Pick: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle and Birdbox by Michael Louis Calvillo (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord...
Jan 08, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, we're talking about environmental sci-fi, ecological themes, children's literature, and the Disney movie Wall-E . Proprietor's Pick: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | ...
Dec 25, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode, we're talking about cozy science fiction and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. Proprietor's Pick: Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discor...
Dec 11, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode, we're talking about how horror and romance can go together (and whether cozy horror is a thing) in Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell. Proprietor's Pick: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok...
Nov 27, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode, we're talking about deconstructing tropes, dark fairy tales, costs of magic, monsters, and more in the dark fantasy TV show The Witcher . Proprietor's Pick: Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok | ...
Nov 13, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode, we're talking about the novella All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells. Proprietor's Pick: The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord Access bo...
Oct 30, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode, we're talking about how science and magic intertwine in the Netflix show Arcane . Proprietor's Pick: The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord Access bonus content and suppo...
Oct 16, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
This season, we're introducing a new type of bonus episodes for our patrons: worldbuilding workshops! In these episodes, the hosts pick an element of a world and build it together. You can use whatever we build for your own stories, or take the questions we ask and build your own. These monthly bonus episodes are exclusive to our Patreon, but the first is free for everyone to listen to! Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok...
Oct 09, 2024•36 min
In this episode, we're talking about superpowers, secret identities, and characterization in the Netflix show The Umbrella Academy . Proprietor's Pick: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord...
Oct 02, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Season 3 is coming! We've added a couple new segments and will be talking about worldbuilding through the lens of genre. Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord Access bonus content and support us on Patreon...
Sep 25, 2024•10 min
In this episode, we're talking about humour, character arcs, prologues, pirate mythology, and more in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . Proprietor's Pick: The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | ...
Jul 24, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 22
In this episode, we're talking about mechs, feminism, disability representation, and more in the novel Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. Proprietor's Pick: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | TikTok | ...
Jul 10, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this episode, we're talking about nanofibers, science as a weapon, and supercomputers in the TV show 3 Body Problem . Proprietor's Pick: Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | TikTok | Discord...
Jun 26, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode, we're talking about science gone haywire, confusing vs. interesting worldbuilding, and tension in the TV show 3 Body Problem . Proprietor's Pick: Exordia by Seth Dickinson Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | TikTok | Discord Access bonus content and support us on Patreon...
Jun 12, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode, we're talking about sense of place, metaphor, mythology, and symbolism in the movie Song of the Sea . Proprietor's Pick: The Selkie's Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | TikTok | Discord Access bonus content and support us on Patreon...
May 29, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode, we're talking about writing a story based on a theme, age categories, oppressive systems, and utopian societies in the novella Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. Proprietor's Pick: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: Twitter | TikTok | Discord Access bonus content and support us on Patreon...
May 15, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 17
