Fantasy Talks Live

In this episode of Fantasy Talks, Varsha takes over hosting duties as alongside Susana and Alex we plunge into the chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly profound world of Guards! Guards!, the first installment in Terry Pratchett’s beloved City Watch arc of the Discworld series.

🛡️ From Captain Vimes' reluctant rise to heroism to the introduction of Sybil Ramkin, Carrot Ironfoundersson, and a dragon with an attitude, this book marks...

Dr Goodwyn is back to discuss in greater depth his debut novel King of the Forgotten Darkness. In this episode we discuss the use of symbolism in the fantasy genre and the connection between jungian archetypes and fantasy tropes, with particular attention to talking animals!

We find common ground in our appreciation of books that work simply as an adventure story and at a deeper level trying to say something about humanity or socie...

Varsha hosts once again, and joined by Chris, Alex and myself, we take a deep dive into Pyramids, the seventh novel in Terry Pratchett’s iconic Discworld series. From camels and quantum philosophy to gods, assassins, and ancient pyramids that mess with time itself, Pyramids is one of Pratchett’s most clever and underrated stand-alone stories.

📚 Topics We Cover:

• Tepic, Dios, and the struggle between tradition and progress Sat...

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the fantastical and macabre worlds crafted by Clark Ashton Smith, a seminal figure in early 20th-century weird fiction. In this episode, we delve into Smith's unique contributions to the genre, his poetic prose, and his influence on contemporaries and successors alike.

👤 About the Guests:

• Lee Weinstein: A dedicated scholar of speculative fiction, Lee brings a wealth of knowledge on Smith...

In this episode of the podcast, we dive into Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett, the sixth book in the beloved Discworld series and a fan-favorite from the Witches subseries. We break down the plot, explore its Shakespearean influences, and discuss why Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat are some of the most iconic witches in fantasy literature.

💬 Expect a mix of humor, critical insight, and lots of love for Pratchett’s unique s...

In this episode I am joined by past guests, writer and game designer John Houlihan and comics writer and game designer Joseph Oliveira. We talk about board game design, production and promotion and delve deeper into the differences between the board game and book market.

You can find out more about John and his work over at: https://john-houlihan.net and https://modiphius.net

You can find out more about Josehp and his work over ...

In this episode I am joined by author M. R. Leonard to talk about his new sci-fi book, Pilgrims. We talk about the gap in the sci-fi genre for works that include religious questions in their deeper core, the struggles of selling a new idea in a very conservative publishing landscape and the ever increasing importance of the audio book as a means of consuming literature.

You can find out more about Mr Leonard and his work over at ww...

In this episode I am joined by chicana author Violet Castro, where we discuss her journey into horror writing and explore the issues of personal identity and the ability of the horror genre to provide a wide landscape to explore complex personal and psychological issues. We also talk about the importance of social media for an aspiring author and the experience of writing for established IPs.

You can find out more about Ms Castro a...

In this episode I am joined by professor of social philosophy and author Tom Grimwood to talk about his book Vanisher: Chronicles of the Warren. We discuss the personal events that led to the writing and publication of the book, plot twists vs subversion of expectations and heist movies.

You can find out more about Tom and his work over at his Cumbria University site: https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/study/academic-staff/all-staff-members...

In this episode I am joined by long time friends of the podcast, Ian Porter and Susana Imaginário, to discuss Disquiet Gods, book 6 in the Sun Eater series with Christopher Ruocchio himself and his editor and patron saint of this podcast, David John Butler.

You can check our previous conversation with Christopher in episode 25 of this podcast as well as my interview with David about the role of the edior in episode 14.

You can chec...