A podcast by three fantasy authors who love to overcomplicate their writing lives and want to help you do the same.
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A Readers’ Advisory Podcast about becoming better library staff by reading every genre, whether we like them or not! Every month we read books from a new, randomly picked genre; then on the podcast we discuss our reading choices, experiences, opinions, appeal factors, and other related topics as friends and library workers.
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From the elusive transcendental logic of Mulholland Drive, to Showgirls’ sly satirical embrace of exploitation and excess, to the assumption in Southland Tales that its audience has already read the six-volume source material, some films are simply more “cruel” on their audiences than others. So, please, lie back and let The Cultists be your guides through the paralyzing and perplexing void of arthouse, experimental, avant-garde, "cult,” and otherwise just generally weird WTF cinema. Because ...
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Episode 195 - Pop(ular) Culture Non-Fiction
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This episode we’re discussing the topic of non-fiction Pop Culture books! We talk about cult classics, the Disney channel, the futch scale, and being Eldritch Millennials. You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | …
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Episode 129: Motorcycles and Magic, ft HANA LEE
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"Traditional" fantasy novels often hold themselves to a pre-gunpowder/pre-steampower level of tech. So, what’s fun about setting a fantasy world in an era that has anything from the printing press to cell phones? Guest Hana Lee joins us to explore incorporating the technological into the magical world! How can the harnessing of magic be similar to …
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Episode 128: The Carousel of Progress
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Making fantasy worlds into living, growing worlds means giving them a history of change and growth and shifts in technology and culture, not to mention governments and borders. We talk about building history, historical ages and generational shifts, as well as diving into what are the historical ages in the world of the MNG, and how has it grown? A…
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Episode 194 - Indie Publishers
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This episode we’re discussing the topic(?) of Indie Publishers! We talk about how to define an indie publisher, weirdo metro stories, song lyrics, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray …
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Episode 127: Expanding Worlds
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It's been a while since we spent some time in the world of the MNG! So in this episode, we apply some topics from recent episodes as well as some worldbuilding staples to the cultures we've been developing in our ongoing co-created world. We play with nifty biology! We consider the monstrous! We think about love and education and phases of growth! …
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Episode 193 - Spring Media Update
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It’s time for our Spring Media Update episode! We talk about art installations, manga, board games, comics, and birds. So many birds. You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards Join our …
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Episode 126: When Worldbuilding Gets Wild, ft PREMEE MOHAMED
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Critters, creatures, and things that crawl -- part of the fun of building a new world is getting to populate it with not just sapient characters, but all the flora and fauna. And sometimes, that means the things you find in the smallest corners and crevices. Guest Premee Mohamed joins us to talk about the role of bugs and other biology in worldbuil…
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Episode 192 - Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics
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This episode we’re discussing the format of Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics! We talk about what we even mean when we say “non-fiction,” comics vs. graphic novels, art vs. writing, memoirs vs. other stuff, and more. Plus: It’s been over 365 days since our last gorilla attack! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it th…
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Episode 125: Monstrous Worldbuilding, ft. JOHN WISWELL
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From the Minotaur to xenomorphs to the undead, monsters and their ilk have long been a staple of the sci-fi and fantasy genres. But what exactly is it that makes a monster? Guest John Wiswell joins us to discuss how monsters in fiction often reflect not only our primal fears, but also the people that society seeks to Other. When monsters reflect wh…
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Episode 124: Worldbuilding in Review, ft. PAUL WEIMER
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We spend a lot of time thinking about how to work with worldbuilding as writers -- but how does a reviewer approach the topic when they're reading works of sci-fi and fantasy? Guest Paul Weimer joins us to share his insights as a prolific consumer and critiquer of speculative fiction! Paul talks about the details that he pays attention to, the thin…
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This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Dark Fantasy! We talk about horror, grimdark, violence, amoral protagonists, epic fantasy vs small scale fantasy, the importance of tone, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode A…
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Episode 123: Worldbuilding in Your Underpants, ft. JOHN HARTNESS
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When you're creating your world and bringing it into a story, how much do you let show? Guest John Hartness joins us to discuss balancing the off-page and on-page elements, and how that balance might shift based on what kind of a world you're working in and what sort of a story you're telling. How do you ensure that the worldbuilding serves a purpo…
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Episode 190 - Reading Resolutions and Rants
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This episode we’re discussing our 2024 Reading Resolutions (and Rants)! We talk about how we’ve already failed our 2024 reading resolutions, audio books, short stories, reading long things, not being able to read long things, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podca…
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Episode 122: Now Kiss: Building Romance into Your Worlds, ft. GWENDA BOND
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We've talked before about the difference between aesthetic-driven genres, like sci-fi and fantasy, and structure-driven genres, like mystery and romance. So what happens when you want to build a world just ripe for all your favorite romance tropes? How can your world create the obstacles to your characters getting their happy-ever-after? Guest Gwen…
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Episode 189 - Romantic Comedies & Humorous Romance
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This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Romantic Comedies! We talk about the difference between “fun” and “funny,” crossover romance genres, cataloguing romance fiction, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferr…
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Episode 121: Brave New Worlds, ft. FONDA LEE and MELISSA CARUSO
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When you've put your heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into building a world -- what happens when you then have to leave it behind? Most SFF authors will, at some point, close up their work in one world and start building a new one, but that comes with its own set of challenges! You know the old world so well; it's become comfy and familiar. The…
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Episode 120: World Bibles and the Gospel According to Tolkien
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When you're creating tomes of information about your world -- spreadsheets of demographics, maps at every level of geography, tomes of lore -- how do you keep tabs on it all? How much can you keep in your head, and how much has to be written down, codified, and carefully tracked? In this episode, we explore our tools of worldbuilding. We use all so…
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Episode 119: Worldbuilding Philosophy and Practices
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Why do we worldbuild the way that we worldbuild? The start of a new year seems like a great time to take a zoomed-out view of how we do this thing that we do. In this episode, we consider, contemplate, and cogitate on the major concepts that guide our worldbuilding. Why is it important to us? What parts of it are important for us, and help us find …
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Episode 188 - Transportation and Transit Non-Fiction
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All aboard! This episode we’re discussing the non-fiction genre of Transportation and Transit! We talk trains, buses, bicycles, spaceships, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam E…
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Episode 118: Passing the Torch
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In this final episode of 2023, we have a momentous announcement! Rowenna Miller is stepping down as a full-time co-host of the podcast, because... well, life! It happens to us all sooner or later. But fear not! Rowenna will still be joining us from time to time, and she's still working with us on the Traveling Light anthology. And we're welcoming a…
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Episode 187 - Favourite Reads of 2023
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This episode we’re discussing our Favourite Reads of 2023! We talk about our favourite fiction and non-fiction books we read this year! Plus: Our favourite comics, video games, documentaries, podcasts, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In t…
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Episode 117: More Queries and Quandaries
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It's another listener Q&A episode! Many thanks to the folks who submitted their questions! In this episode, we tackle some things that can block and stymie your worldbuilding, how to approach research that's not really in your preferred milieu, and some details about how we interact with our guests. Also, learn what your hosts' favorite holiday pie…
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Episode 186 - Suspense Fiction
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This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Suspense! We talk about crime, mysteries, horror, and even suspense! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards Things We Read (or trie…
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Episode 116: Choosing, Presuming, and Decision Fatigue
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Worldbuilding is great! You get to make all the choices! On the other hand... you have to make all the choices. "Choose, don't presume" has long been our ethos on this podcast, but does choosing always mean making the weirdest possible choice? Does every choice have to Make A Statement? Does an "anything goes" approach to worldbuilding actually mak…
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Bonus Episode: What About Crowdfunded Comics?
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What About Crowdfunded Comics? By Matthew Murray 🦇 and Mara L. Thacker Published in Comic Books, Special Collections, and the Academic Library edited by Brian Flota and Kate Morris Read the full book chapter. Notes Caitlin McGurk and Jenny E Robb, “Comics in Special Collections: Purposeful Collection Development for Promoting Inclusive History,” in…
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GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) — I ain’t afraid of no IRB review
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The Cultists are back! And in honor of The Resurrection, on this week’s annotated deep-dive, The Cutlists Present Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters (1984). A humble little film of grandiose origins (including a writer born into a family tree of generations of ghost hunters, a un-producable fever dream of a first draft, a 13 month time budget, and a die h…
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Episode 115: When Not Writing Is Writing, ft. MUR LAFFERTY
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Everyone knows that writing is writing. And everyone knows that authors are super great at finding things to distract us from our writing. But under what circumstances is not-writing essential to writing? Guest Mur Lafferty joins us to explore the underpinnings of the writing process! From research and concept-noodling to moodboards, playlists, and…
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Episode 185 - Crafts & Crafting
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This episode we’re discussing the non-fiction genre of Crafts and Crafting! We talk about art vs craft, makerspaces vs crafting spaces, the challenges of trying new crafts, academic crafting, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episod…
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Episode 114: The St Crispin’s Day Special, ft. ANNA SMITH SPARK
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When the glorious hero calls for his allies to follow him into battle... why should they? And how can that hero convince them? In this extremely-niche-themed episode, guest Anna Smith Spark joins us to explore the interplay of language and leadership! In fiction, we love a great, rousing speech -- but how realistic is that stirring moment? (And do …
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Episode 113: Trust Your Instincts, ft. SEANAN MCGUIRE
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A lot of work and thought can go into worldbuilding, but sometimes, you just have to go with what feels right. In this episode, guest Seanan McGuire joins us to explore how writers can make the most of their worldbuilding flow and lean into their personal resonance. How can writers develop worldbuilding instinct? Why does worldbuilding come easily …
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This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Horror! We talk about fear, control, Goosebumps, bad dogs, horror-comedy, creepypasta, the apocalypse, lizard romance, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode An…
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Episode 112: Whirlwind Worldbuilding ft. JAMES L. SUTTER
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This one's for the folks who don't want to spend a few eons building their world before they can start their story. Author and game designer James L. Sutter joins us to share some quick-and-dirty methods for getting the worldbuilding going! In this episode, we explore the question of how much worldbuilding is necessary -- and when it's necessary. I…
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