Could this be the Star Wars of our time?! . . . . no. Definitely not. Together, Richard and I discuss the final …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: Touch the Darkness Again . . .
In a Certain Kingdom: The Wooden Eagle
A certain Tsar collects artisans like trinkets. And what do you think? Of course they all compete for his attention. But once a …
Continue Reading about In a Certain Kingdom: The Wooden Eagle
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 …
Continue Reading about In a Certain Kingdom: Prince Ivan, the Firebird, and Koschei the Deathless
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 …
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 Aragorn Can Teach Us About the Deep Life
One of the biggest questions of our age is what we are to make of ourselves in a post-pandemic reality. If we allow it, hardship …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: What Aragorn Can Teach Us About the Deep Life
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 …
Continue Reading about In a Certain Kingdom: Just Like Salt and Baba Yaga
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 …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: When the Movie is Actually BETTER Than the Book
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 …
Continue Reading about In a Certain Kingdom: The Tale of Vasilisa Mikulishna
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 …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: Time and Identity in Fantasy Literature
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 …
Continue Reading about In a Certain Kingdom: The Proud Bride
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 …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: Secular Sci-Fi & The Transcendent
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 …
Continue Reading about Fantasy For Our Time: Violence & Catharsis in Fantasy Media