A certain Tsar collects artisans like trinkets. And what do you think? Of course they all compete for his attention. But once a …
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In a Certain Kingdom: Prince Ivan, the Firebird, and Koschei the Deathless
In a variation of a familiar story, Prince Ivan is the only one of his three brothers with the vigilance to find the thief of his …
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Fantasy For Our Time: Resilience and Courage Through Story – Accept Your Quest with Humility and Purpose
This is the final video of my series on accepting unexpected hardships and using stories to help overcome them in a lasting …
Fantasy For Our Time: Resilience and Courage Through Story – Examining the Heart of Ideas You Hate
Welcome to week three of our series exploring how good stories can help us survive difficulty and come out stronger, living a …
In a Certain Kingdom: Prince Ivan, the Witch Baby, and the Little Prince of the Sun
Little Prince Ivan was born dumb, and his parents couldn't wait to have another child. Anything was better than a voiceless future …
Fantasy For Our Time: Resilience and Courage Through Story – Finding Meaning in Solitude
Welcome to the second episode in my series on finding resilience and courage during unexpectedly difficult times, all through the …
Fantasy For Our Time: Resilience and Courage Through Story – Finding Your Mentor
In an age of information overload, we need, more than ever, to find someone to help us make sense of it all. But there are …
Fantasy For Our Time: What the Lord of the Rings Taught Me about Embracing Difficulty
We all have questions about what is the right way to live. Popular narratives seem to push a worldview of self-preservation no …
In a Certain Kingdom: Just Like Salt and Baba Yaga
Today we're happy to share two shorter stories, one called "Just Like Salt" and the other the return of everyone's favorite …
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Fantasy For Our Time: The Last Kingdom and The Green Monk (Portrayals of Pagans vs Christians in Pop Culture)
I've noticed a trend in entertainment recently. It seems as though some strange anachronistic lens has been placed over history …
Fantasy For Our Time: When the Movie is Actually BETTER Than the Book
Today, I continue my examination of time in fantasy and sci-fi literature. What is time? Is it a line, a circle, or some …
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In a Certain Kingdom: The Tale of Vasilisa Mikulishna
This week we return to the world of mythical Kiev for another tale of the bogatyrs and... their wives? The Tale of Vasilisa …
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Fantasy For Our Time: Time and Identity in Fantasy Literature
Today, in this old recording from 2019, I present an honest look at the concept of time as I reflect on a few pieces of fantasy …
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Fantasy For Our Time: A Conversation with Bestselling Author Christian Cameron
Here's another throwback episode where I have an absolutely fascinating conversation with my friend Christian Cameron. Together we …
In a Certain Kingdom: The Proud Bride
In “The Proud Bride,” we see the classic trope of the shrewish bride who is impossible to marry off (think King Thrushbeard and …
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Fantasy For Our Time: Secular Sci-Fi & The Transcendent
What does it mean to be human? How do we interact with the Divine or find meaning in a universe that sometimes seems completely …
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Fantasy For Our Time: Violence & Catharsis in Fantasy Media
When is the violence we see on our screen or read in our books too much? There is no denying an increase in violence in our …
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In a Certain Kingdom: The Three Sons
When a mysterious old woman visits the house of three brothers, unexpected gifts begin to abound. But the greatest gift is …