Podcasts about Worldbuilding

That's right! It's infrastructure week at Worldbuilding for Masochists! So we're talking about the systemic underpinnings of a nation and its economy, the fixed installations that it needs in order to function -- which, admittedly, might sound like the exact sort of overly-detailed, tedious, weighty worldbuilding that people sometimes complain about. Okay, except, so much in your plot probably depends on things like how people, goods, and information move around! This makes infrastructure perhaps the most iceberg-y of the iceberg things that your reader should only see the tip of, but that you might need to think a lot more deeply about. So -- Who builds the roads, bridges, dams, and canals in your world? Who maintains transportation hubs and communication networks? Who controls all those points of access to both utilities and information? Who benefits from these systems? Who gets screwed over by them? And, critically, what does this mean for your plot and your characters? Whether you're riding horses over vast plateaus or zipping around at lightspeed, the logistics of time and space are likely to have some kind of an impact. How easily a message can get passed along -- or delayed -- can have serious implications. (Just ask Romeo). Points of change like revolutions or technological advances can seriously upset people's daily lives and the direction of whole nations. In this episode, we explore the ways that infrastructure can give you plot hooks, character motivations, and complicating factors. [Transcript TK] Resources:  Educational Video from Dr. Esmé Louise James: Was it possible to get finger-blasted inside a Regency carriage? ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Ancient Road UNRV: How Did the Ancient Romans Send Messages? Bret Devereaux's Resources for Worldbuilders (many articles about logistics) History of the Gander International Airport Overly Sarcastic Productions: Trope Talk: Space Westerns

Ralan arrives in Kallisto expecting a city—and finds a burned-out husk patched together with driftwood and desperation, cut off from Ness and slowly dying.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we're sitting down with the team behind the upcoming Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy to discuss the setting, the story, the combat, and how the team was able to design a game that fits wonderfully into the Plague Tale series but is presented in a whole new way.0:00 Intro1:04 Meet Sophia2:57 Trailer Reveal Breakdown and Greek Mythology5:40 New Combat Style in the Series6:48 Combat Style Details8:56 Risk and Reward in Combat, and the New Skill Tree11:42 World Building and the Plague Tale style13:26 Title Inspiration14:40 Closing Thoughts FOLLOW XBOXFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/XBOX Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/XBOX​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/XBOX

Christopher Reda joins the USDN Podcast to discuss the growth of Critical Entertainment, expanding into comic shops across the United States and Canada through Universal Distribution, the creation of the Indie Comic Alliance, the Zombie Zero Deluxe Hardcover campaign, Patriot Comic Books, K-Toon Studios, and the future of independent publishing.From building a catalog of original comics to creating new opportunities for independent publishers and reaching readers through retail, crowdfunding, and new publishing imprints, Christopher shares what it takes to grow an independent comic book company while maintaining its creative identity.In this episode, we explore Critical Entertainment's move into wider distribution, the mission behind the Indie Comic Alliance, bringing the complete Zombie Zero series to hardcover through Zoop, adapting films into graphic novels through Patriot Comic Books, bringing K-Comics to English-speaking audiences through K-Toon Studios, and what's next for Critical Entertainment.Topics Covered:• Christopher Reda and Critical Entertainment• Expanding into comic shops through Universal Distribution• The creation and mission of the Indie Comic Alliance• Zombie Zero Deluxe Hardcover Edition• Crowdfunding through Zoop• Taking Zombie Zero beyond comics• Patriot Comic Books• Adapting Blackout and God Is a Bullet from film to comics• K-Toon Studios and bringing K-Comics to new audiences• Building and growing an independent comic publisher• What's next for Critical EntertainmentSupport Zombie Zero - Deluxe Hardcover Edition:https://zoop.gg/c/zombiezeroVisit Critical Entertainment:https://www.criticalentertainmentla.com/Explore the Indie Comic Alliance:https://indiecomicalliance.com/Visit Patriot Comic Books:https://www.patriotcomicbooks.com/Follow Critical Entertainment:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/criticalentertainmentFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/criticalentertainment

Rogers has a plan: kill the new Craft guildmaster and reclaim what was promised to him. But when he finally sits across from Vesper, dagger hidden and rage simmering, the man who stole his position does something unexpected.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One hero was only the beginning.Lo Plater, creator, writer, and founder of Dark City Comics & Multimedia, returns to the Council of Nerds to discuss E.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 and the expansion of the Dark City Universe.When Lo first joined USDN, we introduced Chris Tayborne, a young archaeology student transformed by the ancient cosmic technology known as the Alpha Bands. Since then, E.P.I.C. #1 has gone from Kickstarter campaign to fulfilled comic, giving Lo firsthand experience with the realities of producing, crowdfunding, and delivering an independent comic.Now the story is getting much bigger.The activation of the Alpha Bands has awakened the mysterious Alpha Strand, triggering the emergence of super-powered Alpha Humans around the world. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. Others will fall somewhere in between.Lo takes us inside the mythology behind the Alpha Strand, how Chris responds to discovering that his transformation wasn't an isolated event, and why building the Dark City Universe means creating a world that extends far beyond E.P.I.C. himself.We also get into the realities of independent comic publishing: Kickstarter fulfillment, unexpected shipping costs, communicating with backers, building the right creative team, planning rewards, printing and distribution, direct-to-consumer relationships, supporting fellow indie creators, and why Lo believes creators are ambassadors for independent comics.With multiple characters and projects already being developed across the Dark City Universe, ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 represents the next step toward the larger world Lo envisioned when he first entered the Council.E.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 heads to Kickstarter in September 2026.

Send us Fan MailPsychiatrist, author, and speaker Justin C. Key stops in to discuss world building for near-future science fiction stories, as well as what the increasing use of AI means for sci-fi novelists and the rest of the world alike.▬Find more of Justin's insights on his website:https://www.justinckey.com/Grab your own copy of his latest gripping collection, The World Wasn't Ready For You:https://www.justinckey.com/my-workContinue your sci-fi deep dive on Justin's socials:https://www.tiktok.com/@justinckeyhttps://x.com/justinkey_md

I discuss the new Dread domain in Daggerheart.Play Daggerheart with Me on Start Playing Games.Subscribe via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.Check out my sci-fi novel, Critical Balance.Have you read Critical Balance? Please leave a review on Amazon.Join my Discord server.Email me.Check out my YouTube channel.Join my Book Club, now on Discord.Check Out my OTHER PODCAST - Lex Out LoudCall the Game Master's Journey voice mail: 951-GMJ-LEX1 (951-465-5391).The Next Three Years of DaggerheartUpcoming Official Foundry Modules for DaggerheartOfficial Daggerheart Card Creator & Adversary CreatorMost Played RPGs on Start Playing GamesFree PDF on How to Build Custom AdversariesGet The Wish Thief adventure for free: US, CA, UK, EU, AUGet The Marauders of Windfall adventure for free.

Bobby Campbell returns to the USDN Podcast to discuss Tales of the Illuminatus #3: Opus Chao and the journey of bringing the legacy of Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson's Illuminatus into comics.Bobby joins The Chairman to look back at how the series has evolved from Issue #1 to Issue #3, how his creative process has changed, and the challenge of honoring the original Illuminatus material while finding his own voice within its world.The conversation also dives into the realities of independent comics and crowdfunding. Bobby discusses why building a growing readership matters more to him than simply raising more money, how comic production has changed during his years in the industry, mistakes new creators make when starting out, and why creators preparing for Kickstarter should get as much of their book finished as possible before launching.We also explore Opus Chao, what makes Issue #3 different, where Tales of the Illuminatus goes next, and what Bobby hopes readers ultimately take away from the series.Support Tales of the Illuminatus #3: Opus Chao and Late Pledge on Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bobbycampbell/tales-of-illuminatus-3-opus-chaoExplore Tales of the Illuminatus:https://talesofilluminatus.com/Follow Bobby Campbell:BlueSky:https://bsky.app/profile/bobbycampbell.netInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/bobbycampbell777/

Thank you to our sponsor World Anvil! Check out World Anvil to use their Worldbuilding, Writing, and Game Master tools for free! If you like what you see, use code "RAMBLE" at checkout for 51% off a yearly subscription! https://www.worldanvil.com/?c=2ToRamble⭐️ Exclusive Book Club! Join/Support on Patreon

I return to my exploration of the new Daggerheart supplement, Hope & Fear. This week I discuss the four new classes: the assassin, brawler, warlock, and witch.Play Daggerheart with Me on Start Playing Games.Subscribe via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.Check out my sci-fi novel, Critical Balance.Have you read Critical Balance? Please leave a review on Amazon.Join my Discord server.Email me.Check out my YouTube channel.Join my Book Club, now on Discord.Check Out my OTHER PODCAST - Lex Out LoudCall the Game Master's Journey voice mail: 951-GMJ-LEX1 (951-465-5391).The Next Three Years of DaggerheartUpcoming Official Foundry Modules for DaggerheartOfficial Daggerheart Card Creator & Adversary CreatorMost Played RPGs on Start Playing GamesFree PDF on How to Build Custom AdversariesGet The Wish Thief adventure for free: US, CA, UK, EU, AUGet The Marauders of Windfall adventure for free.

In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by author, podcaster and anthropologist Michael Kilman.Michael shares fantastic insights on what anthropology is and how it can be applied to writing fantasy books.We delve into cause-and-effect, the anthropological roots of monsters, taboos, and cross-cultural myth structures, and discuss why these are goldmines for fantasy writers.We also look at how worldbuilding through anthropology explores real-world, cross-cultural issues, and we look at a wide range of examples of approaches that humans take to structure their societies.In short, using anthropology in your world creation process can help to create more nuanced and complex characters and cultures, making tension and conflict feel more impactful, and stories more immersive.I hope you enjoy it!More About Michael KilmanMichael co-wrote Build Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers with forensic anthropologist Kyra Wellstrom.He recently published an academic book chapter titled Worldbuilding as Pedagogy: Teaching Anthropology and Diversity in Contentious Times.He's spent 11 years teaching anthropology at university level, including a course called Anthropology Through Science Fiction, has hosted a TED Talk, and also hosts a live Ask an Anthropologist about Worldbuilding series on YouTube, which you can check out for even more on the topic.https://loridianslaboratory.com/https://www.youtube.com/c/MichaelKilmanAuthorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBC4FaVnOAs - Michael's TED Talkhttps://www.instagram.com/loridianslab/https://loridianslab.medium.com/https://substack.com/@loridianslaboratoryMore From The Toolshed Get my handbook on writing fantasy > https://richiebilling.com/store/books/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-ebook Get courses and classes on creating fantasy stories, plus early access to episodes > https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed/ More resources and contact > https://richiebilling.com/

Magic is a lot of what makes fantasy fantasy. So, how can you do it better? What makes magic good and fun to read in the first place? Here at Worldbuilding for Masochists, we feel pretty strongly that magic systems should be more than an infographic, a D&D table, or a Sorting Hat. How, then, do we build magic into a world in a way that makes sense? And, even more importantly (because absurd and mysterious magic can certainly exist), how can we choose our magic intentionally in a way that allows us to explore something interesting both in the invented world and as commentary on our own? We interrogate how things like our world's education system and capitalism may have detrimentally influenced the current vogue for "hard magic" systems, clearly delineated and highly transactional. Magic often seems both ancient and calcified; what happens when you make it something that is still being discovered and learned about, or something in a state of change? What systems of power have been built around magic, and how can navigating those create problems for your characters? In this episode, we poke at a lot of assumptions about magic and imagine some ways to draw out engaging plot hooks and character dynamics. Also! If you'll be at LA WorldCon in two weeks, here are our schedules: Marshall | Cass | Natania [Transcript TK] Resources:  Cass's handout on Making Magic Overly Sarcastic Productions: Trope Talk: Magic

I begin the show by going over Darrington Press's three year plan for Daggerheart. I also discuss the upcoming official support for Daggerheart on Foundry VTT. Then I begin my multi-episode series exploring the first expansion for Daggerheart, Hope & Fear.Play Daggerheart with Me on Start Playing Games.Subscribe via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.Check out my sci-fi novel, Critical Balance.Have you read Critical Balance? Please leave a review on Amazon.Join my Discord server.Email me.Check out my YouTube channel.Join my Book Club, now on Discord.Check Out my OTHER PODCAST - Lex Out LoudCall the Game Master's Journey voice mail: 951-GMJ-LEX1 (951-465-5391).The Next Three Years of DaggerheartUpcoming Official Foundry Modules for DaggerheartOfficial Daggerheart Card Creator & Adversary CreatorMost Played RPGs on Start Playing GamesFree PDF on How to Build Custom Adversaries Get The Wish Thief adventure for free: US, CA, UK, EU, AUGet The Marauders of Windfall adventure for free.

I gave a lecture about "Blending the Elements of Experiential Design" on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Seattle XR in Seattle, Washington. (PDF of Slides]. At the end, I run through some examples of the types of interdisciplinary fusion that I see within the context of immersive storytelling and immersive art. This lecture also digs into the process-relational philosophical foundations, as well as how I'm gaining additional inspiration from Empedocles, Aristotle, and the Classical Quadrivium (Four Arts) of Math, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy. For my 30+ hours of coverage of Venice Immersive, then I apply this archetypal framework to help describe the context, quality, character, and story of each of these projects. You can see an overview of how I've been using this framework in this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01M5NcOYzx0 One of goals of this talk was to further define the archetypal nature of the elements, and how I'm conceiving of them as a possibility space of design tradeoffs (C.S. Peirce's "Firstness"), but also as the concrete decisions that an experiential designer makes ("Secondness"), and then finally how these decisions are experienced more from a phenomenological experience as the audience as we feel, sense, act, and make sense of these experiences, and what they might mean ("Thirdness"). I do not actually dive into Peirce's concepts of Firstness, Secondness, or Thirdness in this specific talk, but I wanted to elaborate on these concepts in this write-up as these have been crucial concepts to help translate the overall abstract Firstness quality of my talk, and ground it into the Secondness of something that is a bit more practical and pragmatic. For Peirce, his semiology is grounded into a triune theory of actualization that goes from a non-Boolean possibility space as Firstness, and then grounds into a Boolean actualization of secondness, and then an interpretant mediates from the concreteness of the Secondness object back to the Firstness of the fundamental archetypal qualities or meaning. I find speculative philosopher James Bradley's summary of the Peirce's triune semiology to be the most easy to digest in his essay titled, "Beyond Hermeneutics: Peirce's Semiology as a Trinitarian Metaphysics of Communication." I can also recommend this article on "Peirce's Theory of Signs" from the The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for a comprehensive recap, and there's also this excellent YouTube series primer by Philosign's Markus Raninen titled The Basics of Semiotics. But here's Bradley's description of Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness, which I find myself coming back to again and again. "Within the fundamental speculative triunity of activity, difference and order, or firstness, secondness and thirdness, semiology is an analysis of order or thirdness… Thirdness is analyzed as idea or sign, as the exchange of information between individual entities, and as interpretation; in other words, thirdness is itself a threefold of sign, object and interpretant. Here, sign occupies the position of firstness because it is the potentiality for interpretation; object occupies that of secondness because it is determinate; and the interpretant occupies that of thirdness because the interpretant has the sign-interpreting or sign-ordering role, and so has the status of a third. [24] Thus for Peirce semiology is the analysis of the triune relation of sign, object and interpretant." It's still a bit obtuse, and one way that I like to think about it is through the experience of communication. You have a possibility space of meaning you want to convey (Firstness of the sign/potential), then you choose specific words that convey that meaning (Secondness of the object), then someone listens to those words and phrases, and then connects those words back to a meaning space (Thirdness of the interpretant mediating between the two). For Peirce, each of the Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness can also refer to themselves, like you can have a Firstness of Thirdness or Secondness of Firstness. It gets a little bit confusing, but I found the following graphic from Collected Essays in Speculative Philosophy (2021) by James Bradley and edited by Sean McGrath to be very useful. Within the context of immersive storytelling, then it's a semiotic process of communication of meaning where you're able to use all sorts of affordances from game design, literature, social dynamics and relations, music, film, lighting, architecture, dance, theme park design, sensory design, and embodiment. My Elemental Theory of Presence attempts to simplify this into the following: Fire Element of Active Presence: Interactivity, Agency, Game Design Air Element of Mental & Social Presence: Meaning, Semiotics, Language, Possibility, Form, Relationality Water Element of Emotional Presence: Experiential Processes, Story, Film, Music, Cycles, Time Earth Element of Environmental & Embodied Presence: Sensory, Immersive, Worldbuilding, Space I elaborate on the various philosophical frameworks that I'm leaning up within this talk that I gave on June 6, 2026, but since then I've been diving more into Peirce and his Triune Metaphysics and Semiology of Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness, which has been a helpful framework as I've been applying the elements to my Venice Immersive Coverage and categorizing the elemental center of gravity for each of the nearly 40 projects that I covered. Again see this framework in this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" to see how I have been thinking about each of these projects. I used this approach in the introductions for each of my podcast episodes from Venice (see the links down below). Firstness of Fire: Creativity, Novelty, Intention, Purpose, Goals, & Aristotle's Final Cause Secondness of Fire: Interactivity & Core Gameplay Loops Thirdness of Fire: Agency & Will For Active Presence Examples of Fire: Game Design, Locomotion Options: No Movement, Automatic movement, Teleportation, or free roaming. The LIVENESS of the Live, To what degree does the experience encourage the expression of will and agency? And to what degree does that alter how the narrative unfolds (narrative agency vs participatory interactive moments that customize and flavor the experience)? Adventure, Exploration, Creativity, Novelty, Freedom, Will, and Collective Action. System Dynamics, & iterative feedback loops Firstness of Air: Peirce's "Sign," Intended Meaning, Pattern & Form, Archetypal Possibility Spaces, Relationality, & Aristotle's Formal Cause Secondness of Air: Peirce's "Object" Within A Triadic Semiotic Process (i.e. a specific action, word, harmonic, or action that points to a larger meaning.) Thirdness of Air: Peirce's "Interpretant," Sensemaking Thoughts, Expectations, & Social Dynamics For Mental & Social Presence Examples of Air: Literature, Language, Semiotics, Communication, Symbols, Abstractions. Single Player vs Multi-Player, Suspension of Disbelief and Plausibility, Social Dynamics, Anticipation of the Future, Possibility Spaces, Types of Choices. Realms of Speculative Imagination, How is meaning communicated? Dialogue amongst characters, voice-over narration, environmental storytelling, non-verbal associative dream logic. Mental friction from puzzles. Rules & Mechanics. Use of certain types of AI and Conversational Interfaces with Virtual Beings Firstness of Water: Time, Cycles, Harmonics, Value, & Aristotle's "Material Cause" (in Whitehead's event ontology, then base reality is processes, relationships, and possibilities of value & not Substance) Secondness of Water: Experiential Processes That Provide Contrasts Thirdness of Water: Feelings for Emotional Presence Examples of Water: Cinematic Film Tradition, Music, Harmonics, Rhythm, Pacing, Editing, Contrasts, Emotion, Memory, Dreams, Images, Soul, Psyche, Symbols, Lighting, Mood, Collective Unconscious Firstness of Earth: Space, World, Context, & Aristotle's Efficient Cause Secondness of Earth: Environment & Worldbuilding With Situated Perspectives in that Context Thirdness of Earth: Sensory Perception & Sense of Place for Embodied & Environmental Presence Examples of Earth: Worldbuilding of a spatial context & culture. Architecture, Theater, Theme Park Design, Dance, Are you a ghost or an embodied character? Sensory Experience: Touch/Haptics, Hearing/Spatial Sound, Smells, Vision. Relation of Immersive Tech to Environment as either VR, MR, or AR. Virtual CGI vs Cinematic 180/360 Video, Again, check out this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" to see how I've ranked nearly 40 projects from Venice Immersive 2025 on the relative elemental center of gravity. Some projects feel more like a cinematic immersive film, which would be a bit more biased towards the Water Element. Some projects are more focused on the experience of a world that was build, and more focused on the Earth Element. Some projects are asking you to Read a book together with other people, which is more focused on the Air Element. And then other more game-like experiences are focused on using interactions as their primary mode of engagement, and so they're more focused on the fire element. There are 64 total combinations of the elements in terms of the first, second, third, or four centers of gravity, and you can see the comprehensive visualization here: Technically, all four elements are always happening all at once all at the same time. However, in experiential design, then creators can emphasize and blend elements together. So I find that ranking the elements can be helpful in determining an overall center of gravity, and that looking at the first two centers of gravity can achieve a sufficient job of creating some ad hoc, immersive and "elemental genres....

I interviewed Tom Seed about Ghost Town on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Ghost Town: "Life has been going well for Edith. The paranormal detective agency she runs with her flatmate has never been busier, she's almost up-to-date with her rent and the ghosts in her bathroom mirror have been less demanding than usual. Edith's world is turned upside down when her brother goes missing and a mysterious new lead promises to reveal clues of his whereabouts. Edith's journey begins with a visit to a remote Scottish island in the hope a gifted clairvoyant can provide some much-needed answers." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Adventure [9] into the blurring of supernatural & mundane spaces to find a lost sibling [3]. Helping liminal ghosts [12] transition into the afterlife [9]. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity: Fire Element / Active Presence: Adventure Game where you solve puzzles and liberate supernatural entities into the afterlife. A pretty set gameplay loop2nd Center of Gravity: Earth Element / Environmental Presence: Exquisite environmental design & Worldbuilding of 1980s United Kingdom.3rd Center of Gravity: Emotional Presence: Overarching Narrative with motion captured characters. Spooky supernatural scenes, but also driven by curiosity and exploration.4th Center of Gravity: Mental Presence: A variety of spatial puzzles. Cut scenes with dialogue. Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Adventure, Solving Puzzles Artist Statement: "Development on Ghost Town — a single-player puzzle adventure VR game — began four years ago and expands upon Fireproof's experience creating the game series The Room. The scope of Ghost Town is a significant step up for Fireproof Games in every way. Building on the immersive puzzles and atmospheric set pieces of The Room, Fireproof have crafted the puzzle gameplay they are known for into a variety of expansive environments full of detailed worldbuilding with a strong narrative focus. And, a first for Fireproof, there is a variety of fully motion captured characters who breathe life into the script and add a greater sense of depth to the narrative experience." This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

How do you turn the stories in your head into an original fantasy universe and then convince people to care about it?Jesse Wolfe joins the USDN Podcast to discuss The Legend of Kyyden #2, his journey from writing novellas to creating independent comics, and everything he's learned while building a creator-owned fantasy series from the ground up.What began as stories Jesse simply needed to get out of his head has grown into an ambitious creator-owned fantasy world with a long-term story still waiting to unfold. With The Legend of Kyyden #2 launching on Kickstarter October 12, Jesse takes us behind the pages of Kyyden and the realities of turning an idea into a comic, finding an audience for it, and continuing to build when you're responsible for far more than simply writing the story.Topics CoveredThe journey from writing novellas to creating comicsThe origins and philosophy behind The Legend of KyydenBuilding an original fantasy universeIntroducing readers to Kyyden through DimitriLearning from constructive criticismProtecting your creative vision as an indie creatorBuilding an audience and community around independent comicsReturning to Kickstarter for Issue #2Creating different editions for different audiencesPlanning a long-form creator-owned comic seriesThe realities of learning every part of independent comic productionJesse's influences and the future of The Legend of KyydenSupport The Legend of Kyyden #2

Expanding the dystopian wasteland of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) took dirt cheap, surprisingly effective special effects and relentless location scouting. Part 2 of our deep dive details the transition from practical prison sets to the high-tech police state, including how the crew got creative to get around city liability, a young James Cameron's uncredited hand in building the skyline, and an entire prologue that never made the final cut. None of it cost much. All of it stuck — Carpenter's grimy vision of the future became the template for a decade of imitators. Want the full story without the wait? CinemaShock+ members get extended, ad-free episodes that combine every part into one seamless listen — plus bonus content you won't hear anywhere else. Join at cinemashock.net/plus. CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | JoeyP | John sweet bussy Greaney | Jvance325 | KDurden | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | RockGokd | Tim G | triplr1478 Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop. Image: "Portrait of John Carpenter.jpg" by Kyle Cassidy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified from original. This derivative work is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Enterprise marketing teams face growing digital fatigue, as screen-based advertising alone struggles to capture deep customer loyalty.Don, Managing Partner at Salt & Pinch, breaks down how leading brands leverage experiential world-building and physical production to turn digital IP into high-converting real estate.Key tactical themes covered:- Scaling flexible production teams up to 240 members during peak production windows.- Translating entertainment and streaming IP into immersive pop-up retail environments.- Shifting B2B corporate keynotes from static product booths to human-centric spaces.- Engineering multi-acre brand installations on raw parking lot footprints.- Implementing circular, sustainable fabrication setups to minimize event waste.Don is the Managing Partner at Salt and its sister agency Pinch, managing experiential strategy, circular fabrication, and large-scale builds for clients including Amazon, Netflix, Lululemon, and Expedia.Connect with our guestFollow Don on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-strom/Explore Salt Creative: https://www.pinch-creative.com/Simplify Paid Social with Strike Social: https://strikesocial.com/guaranteed-paid-social-media-ads-outcomes/Connect with Host Dylan Conroy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanconroy/

Ancient relics. Supernatural power. A thirteen-issue epic years in the making.In this episode of The USDN Podcast, The Chairman sits down with W. Frank Walk, creator of Hellstones, to discuss Hellstones #1: Into the Fray and the journey of building a long-form creator-owned comic series through Pigmacast Studio.From developing the mythology behind Hellstones to balancing the responsibilities of writer, creator, and colorist, Frank shares what it takes to produce an independent comic while building a world designed to tell a complete thirteen-issue story.The conversation also explores crowdfunding, earning long-term backer trust, comic book production, and the realities of independent publishing.Topics Covered• The creation of Hellstones• Expanding the world established in Hellstones #0• Writing, creating, and coloring an independent comic• Behind the scenes of comic book production• Building a planned thirteen-issue story• Crowdfunding and building backer trust• Independent publishing and creator-owned comics• The future of Pigmacast StudioLearn More

In our opening episode of Seaon Seven, we meet a new character: A charismatic warehouse manager that meets a new guildmaster who sees something in him no one else does.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This compilation contains 3 chapters. Episodes included: 1. Kray's Discoveries (July 27, 2026) 2. It's not the blood. It's the noise (July 28, 2026) 3. To Escape Into the Dragon's Maw (July 29, 2026) --- Episode 1: Kray's Discoveries Kray walks through Ness, and the city reveals its secrets to the innocent stranger. Episode 2: It's not the blood. It's the noise Ninety seconds. That's all Maela has to infiltrate a guarded fortress, silence a sentry, and rescue her beloved Darla from a magic-locked cell. Episode 3: To Escape Into the Dragon's Maw Maela must choose: die fighting or flee with Darla into the Dragon's Maw—a passage where no one has ever returned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much worldbuilding should you do in your opening pages? Does it depend on which genre you're writing in? What happens if you do too much, or too little? Will the reader get lost or confused, or will they just go with it and fill in the blanks based on their personal past experiences and knowledge? We discuss all this and more in today's episode. Enjoy! - V.

This week Erin M. Evans and Treavor Bettis are joined by Valerie Valdes! They talk about what Vibe Worlding Building is and some qualms Valerie has with magic systems!Special Guest:Valerie Valdeshttps://candleinsunshine.com/ Join our Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/writingaboutdragons Join the Discord!https://discord.gg/MdSVsfpTzu Starring:Erin M Evans (Empire of Exiles, Brimstone Angels)https://bsky.app/profile/erinmevans.bsky.social B. Dave Walters (A Darkened Wish, Black Dice Society)https://bsky.app/profile/bdavewalters.bsky.social Treavor Bettis (Difficulty Class, Champions of Lore)https://bsky.app/profile/thetreavor.bsky.social Pre-Order Dungeons & Dragons Fiends & Foeshttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dungeons-dragons-fiends-foes-erin-m-evans/1149826336?ean=9780593838877 Enroll in B. Dave's 14 Day Writer:https://www.theundisputedacademy.com/14-day-writer-home-page

Gobbo, Emmy, and Drew have some of their own Homebrew Necron Lore to share with us this week! Dig deeper into the Blingcrons, the Dreamers, and the Mad Titan of Sakarus. Have your own Hombrew Lore you want to share with us? Email it over; we might even feature it in a future episode!Under the Hive of Madness is a Warhammer Lore Podcast diving into the Horror and Grimdark elements of the settings, so expect some adult themes, adult language, and more than a handful of Khorney Jokes!"This note says something about not feeding the gaint rats, you haven't seen any of those have you?"Email the show! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UndertheHiveofMadness@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join us today on Discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Under the Hive of Madness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MERCH!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find our cast through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Underthehiveofmadness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Joe Kazmer and Jarrod Burris join The USDN Podcast to discuss Collision Force #2, an action-packed creator-owned comic that's been described as an "R-Rated G.I. Joe."From building an original comic universe to crowdfunding and cinematic storytelling, Joe and Jarrod share the story behind the series, how their creative partnership began, the transition from screenwriting to comics, lessons learned through Kickstarter, and why action comics still have an important place in today's independent comic industry.In This Episode The origins of Collision Force  Building an "R-Rated G.I. Joe" for indie comics  Creator-owned worldbuilding  Screenwriting vs. comic writing  Writing action for comics  Crowdfunding lessons  Why action comics still matter  The future of Collision Force Learn More

In a cross over episode, JKL Media Reviews discusses Rebecca Ross's YA romantasy Divine Rivals, chosen by Karen after previous picks by Lou and Jesse. Lou, not a romance fan, says the book didn't change his view of romance novels and critiques passive characters, trope-heavy misunderstandings, and underdeveloped worldbuilding, especially the vague setting and limited exploration of the warring gods Dakra and Enva. Jesse enjoys the premise of a WWI-like magical war, likes the characters and love story, and praises elements like the magic typewriters, Roman's conflict with his family, and supportive elders. The group debates the typewriters as a plot device, the gods' role in the war, and the twist involving Iris's brother Forest, then speculates about where the sequel Ruthless Vows will take the story. 00:00 Intro and Pick 01:15 Lou Romance Skeptic 02:22 Jesse Loves Premise 05:26 Lou Worldbuilding Critique 08:04 Why This Book 12:15 Comfort Food Debate 19:10 Magic Typewriters 24:43 Deceit and Tropes 29:05 Genre Tropes Talk 31:11 Flanagan Does Carrie 31:51 Gods And War Lore 35:04 Worldbuilding Complaints 38:53 Forest Twist Reveal 43:47 Romance Tropes Debate 48:29 Dakra Cold Or Hot 49:18 Predictions Next Book 51:28 Wrap Up And Thanks 56:37 Where To Find Us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Very exciting new gate installation today! Otherwise, I'm talking about drafting Never the Roses 3, how to identify the root cause of "writer's block," and approaches to resolving it. Also, choosing the worldbuilding elements that are relevant to your story.Preorder ~Among The ThornsIndie Booksellers! You can buy my indie books direct from me at discount!! Submit a Request for an order hereNew Releases ~Blades, Books, and the BanditLove, Lies, and Ley LinesMAGIC REBORNNever The RosesThe posture correcting sports bra I love almost more than life itself can be found hereThank you for listening! You all take care. Support the show

Award-winning filmmakers Tchaiko Omawale and c. Craig Patterson join Floyd Marshall Jr. and Okema T. Moore for a candid discussion about filmmaking, screenwriting, world-building, animation and artificial intelligence.Tchaiko explains how her global childhood shaped her curiosity and storytelling, while sharing insights from Solace, BEAST, Fist of Mothers and her television directing career. Craig discusses directing Roy Wood Jr., experimenting with new production technologies and creating the animated short ChikaBOOM!.Together, they explore BlackStar Film Festival, ethical AI use, creative collaboration, motherhood, Black feminine storytelling and the importance of protecting human artistry as filmmaking technology evolves.=================Submit Your Film to Our Film Collective:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ifapfilmcollective.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With Floyd Marshall Jr:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/floydmarshalljr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@floydmarshalljr0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

JKL Media Reviews discusses Rebecca Ross's YA romantasy Divine Rivals, chosen by Karen after previous picks by Lou and Jesse. Lou, not a romance fan, says the book didn't change his view of romance novels and critiques passive characters, trope-heavy misunderstandings, and underdeveloped worldbuilding, especially the vague setting and limited exploration of the warring gods Dakra and Enva. Jesse enjoys the premise of a WWI-like magical war, likes the characters and love story, and praises elements like the magic typewriters, Roman's conflict with his family, and supportive elders. The group debates the typewriters as a plot device, the gods' role in the war, and the twist involving Iris's brother Forest, then speculates about where the sequel Ruthless Vows will take the story. 

In this week's episode, I answer worldbuilding questions about my setting of Andomhaim, and discuss the future of THE GHOSTS series. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store: JULYGHOSTS The coupon code is valid through August 10, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 313 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July the 24th, 2026 and today we're answering world-building questions about Andomhaim, which is the setting of my Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, Dragonskull, Shield War, and Blades of Ruin series. We also have one bonus world-building question about the Caina series. Before we get into all that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. Let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store. That code is JULYGHOSTS. As always, the coupon code and the link to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through August the 10th, 2026, so if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report I am done with the rough draft of Cloak of Frost. It was just slightly over 100,000 words. Now I am writing a bonus short story called Metal Soldiers, and [newsletter] subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Metal Soldiers when Cloak of Frost comes out, which if all goes well, should be sometime in August. So I think this is an excellent time, therefore, to subscribe to my new release newsletter. My secondary project is Blade of Visions, and I am 11,000 words into that. There's also a good deal of news about audiobooks. Dragon-Mage, as narrated by Leanne Woodward, is finished and is rolling out to the various stores right now. As of this recording, you can get it at my own Payhip store, Google Play, and Kobo (with more stores soon to follow). Recording on Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest is very nearly done, and I hope to have more news on that soon. Brad Wills is currently working on Blade of Thieves and Hollis McCarthy is recording Cloak of Worlds. So we should have a wide variety of audiobooks coming for you soon. 00:02:00 Questions about Caina Before we get to our main topic, we have a bonus question about Caina. When I said my next project was going to be Cloak of Frost, I got a couple of questions like this: Just wondering when/if there will be another Caina novel to look forward to? The answer is not right now, but maybe later. I am glad and appreciative that people want more Caina books. That said, I don't want more than three unfinished series at any one time, and I've got three right now with Blades of Ruin, Cloak Mage, and Half-Elven Thief. So I'm not starting anything new until one of the three is done. If you reach the end of Ghost in the Siege, which is the latest current Caina book, you know that the series was at a pretty significant stopping point. If I want to keep going, I need to think long and hard about how to do it right. I do have a couple of ideas, but I need to think about them some more. It's almost like we'd have to shift to a slightly different genre of fantasy than the Caina books have been previously. The tricky part is Caina has changed a great deal since Child of the Ghosts. The tricky part in that is that sequels in a long-running series need to be more of the same, but also something different. There have been 35 Caina novels. So I've done that quite a bit. But Caina has had some experiences that have very much changed her life. To use a rough comparison, it's like she became a justice on the US Supreme Court or the governor of one of the five largest US states in the sense that once you've had change in your life that significant, your life will never be the same afterwards. And without spoilers, Caina had a shift that big at the end of Ghost in the Siege. So more Caina is definitely a possibility, but I need to think about it some more and it definitely won't be before 2027 until I finish one of my three currently unfinished series. 00:03:35 Main Topic of the Week: Andomhaim Worldbuilding Questions Now onto our main topic, which is I had some world-building questions about Andomhaim from Frostborn come in lately. So I thought I would answer them here. Question #1: Why hasn't the Heptarchy invaded Andomhaim again? The answer is money, basically. Remember that the ultimate purpose of the Heptarchy is to provide an endless supply of sacrificial victims for the Seven Temples' altars so the seven urdmordar who rule the Heptarchy can endlessly feed. These seven urdmordar don't have much interest in the day-to-day governance, so their spiderling priestesses essentially run the Heptarchy as an exceptionally malignant theological bureaucracy. However, while the priestesses are evil, they're efficient and very good at their jobs. In practice, the Heptarchy tends to operate more like an imperial confederation or a very loose federal government than an actual empire. Kingdoms, tribes, and city states have a great deal of autonomy so long as one, taxes are paid in time and two, sacrificial victims are taken to the temples on time. To help encourage this, all the various local rulers in the Heptarchy tend to have priestess advisors who make sure that the rulers make the "correct" decisions. So when things go awry, the Seven Temples have a wide array of tools to deal with difficulties, from assassinating and replacing truculent rulers with more tractable successors all the way up to exterminating entire populations and settling new colonists upon the depopulated lands. The difficulty of the Heptarchy is that the seven urdmordars are gluttons and gluttony is impossible to satiate. So when the Heptarchy learned of Andomhaim and the possibility of an entirely new land to conquer and feed upon, of course they had to conquer it. The priestesses built an enormous fleet and gathered a vast army and sent it three and a half thousand miles across the ocean to Andomhaim. Of course, if you've read the Dragontiarna series, you know that this didn't go well. The Heptarchy seized the Isle of Kordain and had early successes in Andomhaim, but Agravhask, the commander of the invasion force, was secretly a disciple of the Warden of Urd Morlemoch, and he seized control of the Heptarchy force and used it to further the Warden's goals. The Visionary foresaw this happening, but didn't care because it gave her an opportunity to try and capture her old enemy, Tarmyntir. So the Heptarchy didn't conquer Andomhaim, and then 10 years later they lost control of the Isle of Kordain, their only stronghold near Andomhaim. To put this situation in contemporary terms, this is a significant geopolitical setback or to put it in popular vernacular, it's "taking a massive L." The Seven Temples spent a colossal fortune on the invasion force and in return got back exactly nothing. Even evil sorcerous empires are bound to the laws of economics. In The Ghosts books, the Umbarian Order failed to figure this out. And it would take a while for the Heptarchy to pay for and assemble another invasion force of that size. And since the first invasion force had failed, there wasn't much appetite for pulling together a second one. So now the official policy of the Heptarchy towards Andomhaim is quiet CIA-style subversion. The Spider Cult was founded to secretly bring nobles and wealthy merchants to the worship of the Seven Temples. It might take a century or so, but the plan is to eventually place a spider cultist on the throne of Andomhaim and then send a sympathetic ruler an army to back him or her up. Of course, the Brotherhood of the Ravens is aware of this and has been fighting the Spider Cult in the shadows. So that is why the Heptarchy hasn't tried to invade Andomhaim again- it costs too much, the outcome is uncertain, and the priestesses have decided a careful subversion (which costs much less than an invasion) will work out better in the long run. Question #2: Is Blades of Ruin really inspired by the English Civil War of 1138 to 1153 AD? Yes. Why? Because alcohol and boats are a very bad combination. In the 12th century, the Kings of England were also the Dukes of Normandy and were more interested in Normandy than in England, so they spent a great deal of time on both sides of the English Channel. In November of 1120, King Henry I wanted to return to England, but allowed much of his retinue to travel on another ship. That included his heir and only legitimate son William, several of his bastard children, and numerous high ranking members of his court. Everyone on William's ship was quite drunk, including the crew, and decided it would be a good idea to try and overtake King Henry's ship on the English Channel at night in November. Remember how I said alcohol and boats were a bad combination? William decided that he wanted to overtake his father's ship, and since a significant portion of everyone on his ship was drunk, they ended up crashing into some rocks, the ship sank, and most of the passengers and crew drowned, including William. For Henry, this was an absolute disaster since he had put a lot of work into setting up William as his heir. Henry then settled on his daughter Matilda as his heir and forced his vassals to take oaths so they would support her as his successor. When Henry died in 1135, Matilda assumed the throne, but her cousin Stephen of Blois seized the crown instead. Many of the lords of England were leery at the idea of a female monarch and Stephen was amiable and well-liked. Matilda was also imperious and had a knack for offending people at the worst possible time. The resultant civil war became known as the Anarchy and it ebbed and flowed until 1153. Both Stephen and Matilda held the upper hand at various times, but could never manage to achieve a total victory. Many of the nobles went local warlord, raising their own forces and building their own castles to protect themselves from their neighbors, which led to widespread chaos and violence. Finally, by the end of the 1140s, most of the nobles were sick of the war and put increasing pressure on Stephen and Matilda to find some sort of negotiated solution. Matilda's vigorous son Henry began to insert himself and he convinced Stephen to name him as his heir. When Stephen died, Henry became the undisputed king in 1154 and the war was over. Henry II would prove to be a vigorous king, but his inability to share power with his sons would cause him a lot of trouble in the final years of his reign. So you can see how Zelos Pendragon and Rhamnousia Pendragon from Blades of Ruin are very loosely based on Stephen and Matilda, though with some differences. Stephen and Matilda were cousins while Zelos and Rhamnousia are half siblings. For that matter, Henry I died of natural causes and was not assassinated by a sinister cult of sorcerers who wanted to engineer a civil war for nefarious purposes. Question #3: Were the Free Companies in Blades of Ruin inspired by Glenn Cook's The Black Company? First of all, The Black Company is a fantasy classic and everyone should read it. I think it's even in Kindle Unlimited at the moment. But the Free Companies and Blades of Ruin weren't inspired by The Black Company. They were inspired by the Hundred Years' War between England and France from 1337 AD to 1453 AD. Medieval warfare relied heavily on knights and vessels, but it always employed mercenaries. One of the problems in the Anarchy were the large number of Flemish mercenaries infesting in the country, who frequently turned full brigand. But feudalism was based on holding land and as the Middle Ages progressed, money and the cash economy became more and more important while knighthood became increasingly performative and ceremonial. Professional soldiers were generally more useful and more reliable than arrogant and headstrong knights. These trends played a big part in the Hundred Years' War and every time the kings of England campaigned in France, they frequently hired mercenaries and they generally let the mercenaries rampage through the French countryside and plunder whatever they wanted since that was cheaper than actually feeding them. The Free Companies really got going after the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. The French were decisively defeated, King John II of France went back to England as a prisoner, and the national government in France essentially collapsed. The English discharged many of their mercenaries, who formed into companies and began systematically looting the French countryside. When official hostilities broke out between the English and the French again, the English hired the companies back. As the fortunes of France and England waxed and waned during the war, some of the companies wandered into Italy and made good money playing the Italian city states against each other. One of the most famous of the companies was The White Company, commanded by Sir John Hawkwood. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously killed off Sherlock Holmes so he could turn his attention to writing historical fiction about the White Company. This was somewhat less than financially successful, so Doyle went back to writing Holmes after a few years, though he always regarded his historical novels as better than his Holmes stories. Rannister and the Grand Company in Blades of Ruin were loosely based off of Werner von Urslingen and the Great Company. Von Urslingen's personal model was "The enemy of God, the enemy of piety, and the enemy of mercy." He apparently had those actual words inscribed on his breastplate. The Great Company spent a lot of time fighting in Italy and extorting money from the city-states until the White Company defeated them at the Battle of Canturino in 1363. In real life, of course, the Free Companies did not have orcs in the ranks or sorcerous advisors. However, the real life Free Companies were just as brutal and rapacious as those in the Blades of Ruin series, sometimes often more so, since they were essentially organized bands of brigands. Eventually in the wake of the Hundred Years' War, stronger national governments arose in England and France, and the concept of the Free Companies gradually became obsolete. Kings found their own professional armies to be much more reliable than the Free Companies, though of course the idea of mercenaries never went away and remains to this day. Those standing armies would cause their own problems throughout history. Question #4: How did the warlocks of Vhalorast conquer Urd Maelwyn if the dark elves are so much more powerful than orcs? Two reasons. First, the Warlocks of Vhalorast were a lot more powerful than anyone suspected. The Sovereign and the high Maledicti priests were strong enough to keep the Vhalorasti warlocks in check and compel them to obedience since saying no to someone like Khurazalin from Sevenfold Sword was a spectacularly bad idea. But after the final defeat of the Sovereign, the Vhalorasti orcs were free to do as they liked. Second, the dark elves are chronically unable to work together without betraying each other constantly. The dark elven love of cruelty often manifests as a love of treachery, which frequently leads them to making very stupid decisions. In real life, you often see people who are addicted to various lusts, vices, and addictions making bad decisions, and the dark elves often took that up to 11. By contrast, while the warlocks of Vhalorast are very bad people, they are orderly and organized and they don't often betray each other. Indeed, "brother and sister warlocks" are supposed to extend respect to each other and the Council of Masters harshly punishes anyone who violates certain rules of conduct. So the warlocks of Vhalorast can cooperate a lot more effectively than the dark elves. To put it in Dungeons & Dragons terms, the dark elves are chaotic evil (sometimes urging on stupid evil), but the Vhalorasti warlocks are firmly lawful evil. When the Visage seized control of Urd Maelwyn, she thought to rebuild the Sovereign's Empire and forced a confrontation with Vhalorast. That ended with the Vhalorasti orcs and Warlocks destroying the Vistage's army, seizing Urd Maelwyn and taking the Visage herself back to Vhalorast in chains. Of course, the warlocks had help from the Disciples of Vhalzarok, but more on that will be revealed in later books of Blades of Ruin. Question #5: Why aren't there any dwarves in Owyllain? That is because none of them settled in Owyllain. The dwarves first came to the Frostborn world slightly before the urdmordar. About 15,000 years ago, the dark elves were frantically summoning new kindreds to throw in battle against the high elves. The dwarves came to Andomhaim somewhere near the Torn Hills close to Urd Morlemoch. The dwarfs who sided with the dark elves became the dvargir and probably began cheating the dark elves at every turn because they were better organized. The dvargir became to the dark elves the sort of military subcontractor who overcharges, over promises, and then drastically under-delivers while keeping to the letter of the contract. The dwarves founded nine different underground kingdoms and most of them are relatively close to Andomhaim. Only three of them still survive to the modern period. Question #6: Why aren't there any orcish Swordbearers or Soulbearers? For two reasons. First, Ardrhythain would be reluctant to make soulblades for orcs because orcs already have battle fury and the soulblades inspire a hatred of dark magic in their bearers. There's a chance an orc with a soulblade would go absolutely berserk when fighting an urvaalg or a dark wizard. Second, and this is the more important reason, the orcs didn't actually ask. Due to their threefold law, the high elves are very limited in how they can interact with other kindreds. Ardrhythain created the soulblades and found the Magistri among the humans of Andomhaim because the Keeper of Andomhaim of the time specifically asked. Ridmark was only able to command the high elves of Cathair Ereniel in The Shield War because he was the Shield Knight. The high elves can only help if asked and then only provide the specific help requested if it is in accord with the threefold law. The temptation within them to simply rule over weaker kindreds for their own good is very strong, but if they do that, they turn into dark elves. To get around that problem is one of the reasons Ardrhythain created the Swordbearers. Andomhaim definitely would've been destroyed centuries ago if not for the Order of the Soulblade. That's also the reason Ardrhythain created the Guardians, to help protect both nations and places of power that the high elves otherwise could not protect directly. Question #7: Is Andomhaim very different in Talembur's time than it was in Ridmark's? Andomhaim is at a slightly more advanced technological level as of the Blades of Ruin series, but it is a good deal richer and more prosperous than it was in Ridmark's time. Part of that is that Accolon Pendragon' successors ruled wisely and well, and Andomhaim avoided the sort of destructive civil war that is currently afflicting Owyllain. Andomhaim also hasn't had to face an external war on the scale of the Frostborn or the Heptarchy in that time. Granted, there have been wars with outside adversaries like the Mhorites, but nothing like the Heptarchy War. Additionally, adding the Isle of Kordain to the realm and the discovery of the sea compass let Andomhaim's mariners travel a lot farther and more reliably than they could before. Ships of Andomhaim have made their way to various island kingdoms south of the Isle of Kordain and begun a lively trade with them. This has brought new prosperity to Andomhaim. Granted, this might cause long-term problems. The coast of Andomhaim and the cities of Cintarra and Tarlion are getting a good deal richer and more powerful than the rest of the realm. A clever adversary like the Spider-Cult might find a way to use that to their advantage. And finally, Question #8: Did Calliande actually create the fountain in Blade of Thieves? No. It's just a legend that grew up around her. Neither Ridmark nor Calliande ever came near Stonegate during the War of the Seven Swords. That was why Ridmark didn't like bards very much, since they always embellished and made things up. So those are some recent Andomhaim questions I've received and I hope I answered those questions. So that's it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

What if the very story you've been afraid to tell is the one thing that establishes your credibility, your purpose, and your greatest impact?In this episode, Kellan Fluckiger explores why so many people hesitate to share the truth about their own journey. Fear of judgment. Fear of rejection. Fear of family backlash. Fear of success. These invisible barriers keep countless people from embracing the one thing no one else can duplicate—the story of their becoming.Kellan explains why your greatest authority doesn't come from titles, certifications, or accomplishments. It comes from what you've lived, what you've overcome, and who you've chosen to become. When you stop hiding your story and begin serving from your truth, you create the opportunity to influence, inspire, and transform lives.If you've been waiting until you're "ready," this conversation may be the permission you've been looking for.Key Takeaways:Why people fear telling the truthThe story of your becomingFear of judgment and rejectionFamily resistance to sharing your storyApproval versus purposeWhy authenticity creates authorityTurning adversity into serviceThe responsibility that comes with influenceThe three parts of forgivenessFix what you canChange who you areAdd good to the worldBuilding a life by design instead of defaultBecoming a beacon of light through lived experienceCreating purpose from your personal journey

What does it take to build an epic fantasy world that feels real?On this episode of Beyond the Page, Steve sits down with fantasy author Robert Riley, whose debut novel Blood of Tomorrow launches a sweeping new series years in the making.Robert discusses creating believable worlds without overwhelming readers, why history and leadership shape every aspect of his storytelling, and how his career leading businesses around the world influenced the difficult choices his characters face.The conversation also explores the realities of self-publishing, marketing as a new author, building a loyal readership, and why authentic storytelling matters more than chasing trends.Guest: Robert W. Riley https://www.robertwriley.com/

This is the first of a number of episodes on the broad theme of “the technoprogressive opportunity”. That's the name of a conference taking place in London on the weekend of 19th and 20th September, co-organised by London Futurists and the IEET – the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. In these episodes, some of the speakers from that conference will be appearing as guests on this show.Our guest today is one of these speakers, Matteo Rossi MacDermant, a technophilosopher from the University of New Mexico. Matteo hosts a show called “Bread and Robots”, which covers subjects such as post-scarcity economics, universal basic income, the tech workers movement, and how technology can be steered toward collective abundance rather than corporate exploitation. Matteo is also the instructor for an online course called “An introduction to technoprogressive worldbuilding”.Selected follow-ups:The Technoprogressive Opportunity: Event in London, Sept 19-20The IEET - A Technoprogressive Think-TankMatteo Rossi MacDermant - LinkedInBread and Robots - Podcast and Substack by Matteo Rossi MacDermantAn Introduction to Technoprogressive Worldbuilding"Technoprogressive Declaration" - from Transvision 20142017 update to the Technoprogressive DeclarationUBI Guide - by Scott SantensUniversal Basic Capital - Windfall Trust"How a Land Value Tax Can Fund a UBI" - Scott SantensUniversal Basic Income and/or Alternatives - London Futurists conference held in 2018"Why the AI world is suddenly obsessed with a 160-year-old economics paradox" - Jevon's Paradox explained by Greg Rosalsky"The Longevity City: Cities as the Engines of Healthy Longevity" - essay by Matteo Rossi MacDermant"The London boroughs with the best and worst 'healthy life' expectancy""The Abolition of Aging" - book by David Wood (includes analysis of economic implications)Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain DeclarationC-Suite PerspectivesElevate how you lead with insight from today's most influential executives.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Frederick Littles joins The USDN Podcast to discuss Wise Acre Comics, Dark Sentinel: Origins #2, Magnus Jakuta, independent comic publishing, crowdfunding, comic production, and the realities of building a creator-owned publishing company.As the founder of Wise Acre Comics, Frederick has spent years developing original comic book properties while building a publishing company dedicated to producing creator-owned stories with long-term vision and lasting impact.From flagship titles like Dark Sentinel and Magnus Jakuta to expanding into action figures and collectibles, Wise Acre Comics is focused on creating an interconnected universe of original characters that extends beyond the comic book page.But building comics is only part of the story.During this conversation, Frederick shares the realities of independent publishing, managing creative teams, coordinating production schedules, running successful crowdfunding campaigns, earning the trust of backers, and balancing the creative and business sides of the comic book industry.Frederick also reflects on his military service, finding a second mission through comics, and the passion that continues to drive Wise Acre Comics forward.During this conversation, The Chairman and Frederick discuss his journey into comics, the founding of Wise Acre Comics, the origins of Dark Sentinel and Magnus Jakuta, creator-owned publishing, comic production, crowdfunding, expanding into collectibles, building original intellectual property, leadership, perseverance, and the future of Wise Acre Comics.TOPICS COVERED• Frederick Littles' journey into comics• The founding of Wise Acre Comics• Building a creator-owned comic publishing company• The origins of Dark Sentinel• Magnus Jakuta and expanding original IPs• Independent comic production and publishing• Managing creative teams and production schedules• Crowdfunding strategies and lessons learned• Building trust with Kickstarter backers• Expanding into action figures and collectibles• Leadership, perseverance, and long-term vision• Military service and finding a second mission• Building sustainable creator-owned intellectual property• The future of Wise Acre ComicsSUPPORT FREDERICK LITTLES & WISE ACRE COMICSWebsite:https://www.wiseacrecomics.com/Campaigns:https://www.wiseacrecomics.com/pages/kickstarter-zoopInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/wiseacrecomicsPROTECT YOUR COLLECTION WITH BCW SUPPLIESShop BCW Supplies:https://www.bcwsupplies.com/?acc=usdnUse code USDN for 10% off your order.Affiliate Disclosure:USDN may earn a small commission if you use our affiliate link or code. This helps support the show at no extra cost to you.FOLLOW THE USDN PODCASThttps://linktr.ee/USDN_PodcastCONTACT THE USDN PODCAST: thechairman@usdnpodcast.comFollow The USDN Podcast for more conversations with independent comic creators, writers, artists, publishers, and storytellers exploring indie comics, crowdfunding, creator-owned publishing, comic production, worldbuilding, and the realities of the independent comic book industry.The USDN Podcast - Where Indie Comics Come to Life.

When a desperate conscript blocks their path to Kallisto, Rebecca dismantles his lies with precision.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JaVon O. Stokes joins The USDN Podcast to discuss STRONG #1, Kimora Sampson, superhero worldbuilding, representation in independent comics, building Visually Stoked Media, and the realities of independent comic book publishing.STRONG #1 continues the story of Kimora Sampson, a former Olympic athlete whose life changed forever after a tragic car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. When an ancient cosmic force known as the Essence empowers her, Kimora gains the ability to transform into a 6'3", 200-pound superhero of unbelievable strength—but only for short periods of time.Following the best-selling STRONG #0, JaVon begins the ongoing adventures of one of independent comics' most compelling new superheroes.As Kimora reveals the true depth of her power, kindness, and heart, political figures begin moving against her. Meanwhile, mysterious forces known as Magnus and Chivalry emerge with plans of their own.But STRONG is about more than superpowers.Inspired by the powerful women of color in JaVon's life, the series explores internal strength, identity, resilience, family, ambition, and what happens when everything you thought defined you is suddenly taken away.During this conversation, The Chairman and JaVon discuss his journey into comics, the creation of STRONG, the inspiration behind Kimora Sampson, the mythology of the Essence, building an ongoing superhero universe, creating meaningful threats for an incredibly powerful character, representation in comics, reaching new readers, independent publishing, and the future of Visually Stoked Media.SUPPORT JAVON O. STOKES & VISUALLY STOKED MEDIAWebsite:https://www.visuallystoked.comX:https://twitter.com/Visually_StokedInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/visuallystokedmedia/PROTECT YOUR COLLECTION WITH BCW SUPPLIESShop BCW Supplies:https://www.bcwsupplies.com/?acc=usdnUse code USDN for 10% off your order.Affiliate Disclosure:USDN may earn a small commission if you use our affiliate link or code. This helps support the show at no extra cost to you.FOLLOW THE USDN PODCASThttps://linktr.ee/USDN_PodcastCONTACT THE USDN PODCASTthechairman@usdnpodcast.comFollow The USDN Podcast for more conversations with independent comic creators, writers, artists, publishers, and storytellers exploring indie comics, crowdfunding, comic book creation, worldbuilding, publishing, and the realities of the independent comic book industry.The USDN Podcast - Where Indie Comics Come to Life.

**Does Ghost in the Shell Episode 2 Has It all but its a faithful adaptation to a fault, ?**

Building an Indie Fantasy Universe One Comic at a Time | Frank GoodieEvery fantasy world begins with a single idea.This week on The USDN Podcast – Where Indie Comics Come to Life, The Chairman sits down with Frank Goodie, founder of AshVeil Comics and creator of Thelbe Jack: Seeds of Ruin.Together they discuss:• Building an original fantasy universe• Creating compelling characters and lore• Turning ideas into published comics• Lessons learned from Kickstarter• Balancing comic creation with a full-time career• Long-term planning for an interconnected comic universe• Advice for aspiring indie comic creatorsWhether you're a fantasy fan, comic creator, or someone dreaming of publishing your own stories, this episode offers an inside look at what it takes to build a world from the ground up.Follow Frank Goodie

Thank you to our sponsor World Anvil! Check out World Anvil to use their Worldbuilding, Writing, and Game Master tools for free! If you like what you see, use code "RAMBLE" at checkout for 51% off a yearly subscription! https://www.worldanvil.com/?c=2ToRamble⭐️ Exclusive Book Club! Join/Support on Patreon

Join host Greta Kelly and guest authors/content creators Andy Peloquin, Tim Hickson (AKA Hello Future Me) and T. D. Orel for an Indie Appreciation Month panel on Making the Most of Conventions. During the panel, Andy, Tim and Tanner discuss first conventions, attending cons as a fan vs. as a professional, when to start attending conventions, selling books at cons and events, merch and swag, sales tactics and connecting with readers, pitching your books, imposter syndrome and social anxiety, making meaningful connections, balancing the professional and the personal, stepping outside of your comfort zone, trusting your instincts and more.

Shawn McBee and Maciej “MJ” Jankowski join The Chairman on the USDN Podcast to discuss Westron #2, their supernatural horror detective comic inspired by the creatures, legends, and folklore of Slavic mythology.After the first issue reached its Kickstarter goal in just six hours, Shawn and MJ return to expand the dark supernatural world of Westron.In this conversation, they share how a chance connection through Discord led to their creative partnership and the creation of the series, why Slavic mythology offers an untapped world of terrifying creatures and stories, and how they balance authentic folklore with building an original comic universe.The conversation also explores the realities of independent publishing and creator-owned comics, lessons learned from crowdfunding, the Kickstarter mistake they won't make again, the challenges of funding future issues, planning a long-term story with a definitive ending, and what lies ahead for Westron.Support Westron #2 on Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/propsmith/westron-2Learn more about Westron:https://westroncomic.comConnect with the USDN Podcast:https://linktr.ee/USDN_PodcastBusiness & Media Inquiries: thechairman@usdnpodcast.com

What happens when Sherlock Holmes survives Reichenbach Falls and enters a world where vampires, supernatural forces, and gothic horror are real?Casus Belli joins The United States Department of Nerds Podcast to discuss Holmes: Undead #2, the latest chapter in Killer Entertainment's six-part A Study in Crimson story arc.In this conversation, Casus takes us behind the scenes of Holmes: Undead and explains how the series reimagines one of literature's greatest detectives while remaining rooted in the legacy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.We discuss why Sherlock Holmes remains relevant nearly 140 years later, the decision to transform Professor Moriarty into an immortal vampire, the challenge of balancing detective fiction with supernatural horror, and revisiting the legendary confrontation at Reichenbach Falls.Casus also shares his journey from martial arts and professional wrestling into independent comics, the origins of Killer Entertainment, working with writer Thomas Pugh and artist Virgilio Calcagno, and the realities of creating and crowdfunding indie comics.The conversation explores the Holmes: Undead #2 Kickstarter campaign, variant covers including the Deerstalker and Andy Duggan Infinity Flux variants, what's coming in Issue #3, the upcoming Gothic Market convention in Minneapolis, and future Killer Entertainment projects The Gingerbread Man and The Death Planner.Support Holmes: Undead #2 on Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casusbelli/holmes-undead-issue-2Visit Killer Entertainment:https://www.killerentertainmentllc.com/Follow Killer Entertainment and Holmes: Undead:YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@casusbelli123Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1483075489302282/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/casus_belli123Threads:https://www.threads.com/@casus_belli123

Ben Lacy returns to the USDN Podcast to discuss SAMSON #1-3: Samson Versus The New Reich!, the latest Kickstarter campaign from Biting Comics.Inspired by real historical events, SAMSON blends alternate history, superhero action, and wartime drama into a unique creator-owned comic universe. During this conversation, Ben shares the real-world history behind the series, the evolution of the Biting Comics universe, his approach to writing complex heroes, and the lessons he's learned from years of crowdfunding independent comics.We also discuss Kickstarter strategy, finishing books before launch, connecting multiple comic series into one shared universe, and what lies ahead for both SAMSON and Biting Comics.Whether you're an indie comic fan, aspiring creator, or Kickstarter enthusiast, this episode offers an inside look at the passion, planning, and perseverance behind creator-owned comics.

Does your future or fantasy world require a system of government? How about a social caste system? How in-depth do you need to be in constructing social norms, mores, and taboos? The DRS Crew discusses. DRS caffeinates with Larry's Coffee. If you want to purchase fair-trade, organically grown beans that brew into smooth, balanced, never-bitter coffee, visit LarrysCoffee.com/drs, receive a free gift with your purchase, and help support The Dead Robots' Society. Our links: Paul's store: https://payhip.com/paulecooley Paul's site:  https://shadowpublications.com Terry's site: https://www.terrymixon.com/ Veronica: http://www.voicesbyveronica.com/ DRS Discord: https://discord.gg/pgmQxaVbGP Enjoy the show? Consider becoming a Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee supporter and for as little as $1 a month, you can help keep the podcast free and receive exclusive content. More information at https://patreon.com/drspodcast  and https://buymeacoffee.com/drspodcast. #writing #fiction #podcast #chat #live #novel #story #narrative #publishing #author #writer #discussion #podcast #talkshow  

Kyle Valle and Erin Áine return to the USDN Podcast to discuss Autonomous, the innovative indie horror series helping launch Screamify's new Micro Horror format.After first joining the USDN Podcast in December 2025 to discuss ZombieCON Volume 1, Kyle and Erin return to the Council to share the journey behind their latest project. We explore the evolution of Big Squid Productions, independent horror filmmaking, vertical storytelling, production challenges, working with Screamify, and what it takes to create original horror outside the traditional studio system.Whether you're an independent filmmaker, horror fan, or creator looking for inspiration, this episode offers an honest behind-the-scenes look at bringing ambitious ideas to life with passion, creativity, and determination.Topics Covered• Autonomous• Screamify Micro Horror• Independent Horror Filmmaking• Vertical Storytelling• Big Squid Productions• Behind-the-Scenes Production Stories• Independent Film Distribution• ZombieCON and Returning to USDN• The Future of Horror StorytellingFollow Kyle Valle & Erin Áine:ZombieCONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombieconmovie/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zombieconmovie/Big Squid ProductionsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigsquidfilms/Kyle ValleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kykyv71/Erin ÁineInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/erin_aine/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mewnownews/Support USDN

Jennifer L. Armentrout, the phenomenal New York Times Bestselling author of the Flesh and Fire Series, The Blood and Ash Series and so much more, dives deep with Lorien McKenna. They discuss Jennifer's process and how she keeps such high concept sci/fi romance with so many worlds, timelines and characters afloat and fresh. They also talk through the challenges of the publishing world. Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Episode Links: Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced and edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex Alcheh.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices