Fantasy Genres Episodes

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to fly on dragonback?

A Sidecast Episode

A Sidecast Episode

Today on Mythmakers, you’re invited to join us on a short visit to the world of fantasy romance. What's all the fuss about romantasy and where did it come from? What's the secret sauce (pun intended) of Fourth Wing? And why was the world so transfixed by Twilight back early 2000s? Be sure to stay to the end to hear Julia’s recommendations of what you might like to read this Valentine's Day from the fantasy genre. (01:00) The Rise of Romantasy and Fourth Wing (02:00) Market Forces and Female Read...

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to fight the occult?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a zombie?

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to stage a heist?

Today on Mythmakers we enter into the second part of our discussion of evil in fantasy stories, progressing on to contemporary fantasy stories, and beginning with Harry Potter. Who is the most interesting evil character in Rowling's world? See if you agree with Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker’s picks! The discussion moves on to mad scientists, space operas, Star Trek, Dr Who, and Star Wars. While we can't cover everything, we do hope that you enjoy this in-depth tour of fantasy evil! Take a lis...

Terry Pratchett famously said that “dark lords should be rationed” - but there is so much more to say about evil in fantasy than the cliche of the dark lord in a sinister tower at the bottom right of your map! On today’s episode of Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker look at the philosophical underpinnings of evil, starting with the Inklings. Moving from a discussion of the importance of the Fall in C.S. Lewis, to the purgatorial world of choices in Charles Williams, we complete this pa...

What's all this fuss about romantasy? Accompany Julia Golding on today’s episode of Mythmakers on a quest for the origin of this sub-fantasy genre, and for the subsequent deep dive into Rebecca Yarros' breakout success: Fourth Wing. Can you find the recipe for a successful romantasy? Is it too late to join in the craze if you are a writer whose book fits in this genre? Listen now to find out! For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome...

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a vampire or werewolf?

As King Charles III is crowned in the first coronation in most people's living memory, we take this opportunity to look at our top 10 fantasy royals. We trawl the world for the best examples - and even venture into outer space. Do you agree with our list? And what bone do we have to pick with Stephen Colbert? :) Have a listen and let us know if we've missed your favourite fantasy royal.

Where in all the fantasy worlds is the best place to be a caver?

The best place to set a spy thriller.

The best place to be an orc.

Best place to be a rabbit

Join us for our first reactions to the Amazon Prime The Rings of Power series. It's useful to orientate ourselves at the start of a series so Julia Golding takes us through what the four ages of Tolkien and where the Second Age fits. She then outlines the headline differences between the Tolkien material and how they've adapted it - suited to a general listener. Next, we go on to our discussion under three main headings of story, performance and creative realisation. Stay tuned for our rating. A...

Best place to be a maker of rings of power

Ever wondered how to turn your college education into a best-selling series? Lisa Edmonds, once an English major who took courses in forensic criminology, has done just that, writing the wonderful Alice Worth Series. An Urban fantasy series with a mage PI, Alice moves in a world of magic, vampires and werewolves with her ghost sidekick Malcolm. Julia Golding Lisa discuss the path to publication, the advice Lisa has on world-building, character development, and plotting. Lisa also has some top ti...

Best place for gangs

Best place to be a sentient droid

Guest Lucy Strange

Guest James Nicol

Ever wondered about the link between fantasy writers like Tolkien and the multitude of subcultures they inspired, from Dungeons and Dragons to LARPing, and video gaming. In this episode, we discuss these worlds with special guest Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. We discuss Ethan’s quest to rediscover the world that enchanted his teenage self before such things became ‘cool’. He explains exactly what D&D is and how the game sits alongside fantasy fiction both influenced ...