Fantasy for the Ages

Zach has finally read Stephen King’s THE STAND—and now we have some things to talk about.

Jim and Zach are joined by Eric Haan for a full-spoiler conversation about one of King’s biggest, most ambitious, and most beloved novels. This isn’t a traditional review. Instead, we’re digging into the questions, characters, bizarre moments, and huge ideas that make THE STAND so much fun to discuss after you’ve finished it.

Could Harold Lauder have been saved? Why did Nick have to die? Is Tom Cullen secretly one of the greatest heroes in the book? What exactly IS Randall Flagg—and why does he seem to lose control as the story progresses?

And then there’s Vegas.

Why did Larry, Glen, Ralph, and Stu have to make that journey? What was their actual purpose? Does the Hand of God ending work? And what does THE STAND add to our understanding of Randall Flagg and the larger DARK TOWER universe?

We’re getting into ALL of it.

⚠️ FULL SPOILERS for THE STAND throughout this episode! If you haven’t read it yet, you’ve been warned.

Join Jim, Zach, and Eric as we wrestle with Stephen King’s epic battle between good and evil—and the question King ultimately leaves hanging over everything:

Do people ever learn?

Let us know YOUR answers in the comments. Which character had the greatest journey? What do you make of Randall Flagg? And does the ending of THE STAND work for you?

If you enjoy conversations about fantasy, science fiction, horror, and everything in between, LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to Fantasy for the Ages, and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss what’s coming next!

And, as always, a huge thank-you to our Patreon supporters for helping make Fantasy for the Ages possible!: https://patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges

#TheStand #StephenKing #RandallFlagg #TheDarkTower #HorrorBooks #FantasyForTheAges

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*Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?*
Giffy and the Sea People: https://t.ly/75G3q
The Stand: https://t.ly/wC3aj

Ways to connect with us:
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
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Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening
2:17 - Guest Introduction
6:10 - Brief Episode Explanation
8:25 - When Did the Apocalypse Feel Most Real?
13:41 - Who Undergoes the Greatest Transformation?
17:57 - Regarding Harold Lauder
23:08 - Nick’s Death
27:11 - Let’s Talk Tom Cullen
30:46 - About Randall Flagg…
39:47 - Did the Guys NEED to Go to Vegas?
47:47 - How Does Reading The Stand Impact The Dark Tower?
51:00 - Bonus Question!
51:26 - Do People Every Really Learn Anything?
54:57 - Wrap-up & Conclusion

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Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/

What happens when your home becomes an inescapable prison—and the thing trapping you appears to be solid water?

In this spoiler-lite review, Jim dives into Netflix’s 2026 sci-fi horror thriller The Last House, starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura. The movie offers an intriguing survival premise, tense family dynamics, mysterious creatures, strong performances, and some impressive effects. It also features wildly inconsistent rules, questionable survival solutions, and an ending that left Jim with more than a few questions.

Is The Last House an entertaining creature feature, a frustrating missed opportunity, or both? Let’s talk about it.

Have you watched The Last House? Tell us what you thought—and how long you could survive trapped inside your own home—in the comments!

Subscribe for more fantasy, science-fiction, horror, book, movie, and television reviews, as well as ranking videos and other nerdy discussions.

Support Fantasy for the Ages on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges
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#TheLastHouse #MovieReview #NetflixMovie #SciFiHorror #HorrorMovies #FantasyForTheAges #GretaLee #WagnerMoura

Ways to connect with us:
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
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Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges
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Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de
Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com

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Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening
2:11 - Show Details
4:34 - Why Jim Watched This
6:12 - Spoiler-Lite Summary
8:14 - Six Reasons You May Enjoy This
15:02 - Three Reasons You Might Want to Skip This One
19:15 - Jim’s Final Thoughts
23:01 - Conclusion & Wrap-up

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Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/

You think you know zombie apocalypse stories? The Rising by Brian Keene might have a few surprises waiting for you.

In this spoiler-lite review, Jim dives into the 2003 Bram Stoker Award-winning novel that helped kick off the modern zombie-fiction resurgence—and somehow escaped his attention for more than two decades.

These aren’t your typical shambling, mindless undead. Keene’s zombies can think, communicate, strategize, and use the knowledge they possessed while alive. And that’s only the beginning of what makes this apocalypse different.

Jim breaks down:
• Why The Rising stands apart from traditional zombie fiction
• The surprisingly deep supernatural mythology behind the apocalypse
• Why nobody seems to have plot armor
• The father-and-son story that gives the novel its emotional core
• Multiple POVs that expand the scope of the catastrophe
• Keene’s relentlessly effective pacing
• Plenty of gore—without becoming gore simply for gore’s sake
• Three reasons this version of the zombie apocalypse still might NOT work for you

Plus, Jim explains why the supernatural elements—both dark and surprisingly hopeful—may have been his favorite unexpected aspect of the entire novel.

If you’ve read The Rising, tell us what you thought! And without spoilers, which Brian Keene novel should Jim tackle next?

And the really important question:

Are zombies scarier when they can THINK?

Thanks for watching Fantasy for the Ages! If you enjoy conversations about fantasy, science fiction, and horror, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and ring that notification bell.

And a huge THANK YOU to our Patreon supporters for helping us keep the channel going!: https://patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges

#therising #BrianKeene #ZombieHorror #ZombieApocalypse #HorrorBooks #BookReview #FantasyForTheAges

Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?
The Rising: https://t.ly/SxgE5

Ways to connect with us:
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk
Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges
Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.social
Follow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages
Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de
Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com

Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages

Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening
1:49 - Book Details
3:00 - Why Jim Read This
4:11 - Spoiler-Lite Summary
5:50 - Seven Reasons You May Want to Read This
11:37 - Three Reasons This Won’t Work for You
13:42 - Jim’s Final Thoughts
15:20 - Closing & Wrap-Up

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Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/

John Scalzi has become one of those authors I can count on to deliver a great time—but what happens when you go all the way back to the very beginning?

Today on Fantasy for the Ages, Jim dives into Agent to the Stars, the first novel Scalzi ever wrote—years before Old Man’s War launched his publishing career. Originally released online as a free “shareware novel,” this bizarre first-contact comedy asks one very important question: What happens when friendly aliens arrive on Earth... and realize they desperately need a Hollywood agent?

The answer is every bit as ridiculous—and entertaining—as you might expect.

In this spoiler-lite review, Jim explores:
• The unusual story behind Agent to the Stars and its publication
• Why this early novel already feels unmistakably like modern John Scalzi
• One of the strangest and most creative first-contact premises around
• Scalzi’s trademark humor and rapid-fire dialogue
• Why the ridiculous plot somehow manages to hold together
• The wonderfully fast pacing
• Wil Wheaton’s audiobook narration
• How it compares with Scalzi’s other works
• Whether this forgotten early Scalzi novel is still worth reading today

For Jim, the biggest surprise wasn’t discovering an author still figuring out what kind of writer he wanted to become. It was discovering just how much of the Scalzi he enjoys today was apparently there from the very beginning.

If you’ve read Agent to the Stars, tell us what you thought! And where does it rank among the Scalzi novels you’ve read?

Like the video, subscribe to Fantasy for the Ages, and ring that notification bell for more fantasy, science fiction, and horror reviews, rankings, discussions, and assorted nerdy goodness.

And a huge THANK YOU to our Patreon supporters for helping us continue doing what we love!: https://patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges

#JohnScalzi #AgentToTheStars #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks #BookReview #FantasyForTheAges

Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?
Agent to the Stars: https://t.ly/XqAc6
Blindsight: https://t.ly/YMEJx
The Kaiju Preservation Society: https://t.ly/BGopw
Old Man’s War Series: https://t.ly/XlYct
Redshirts: https://t.ly/_ZPHk
Starter Villain: https://t.ly/vqelU

Ways to connect with us:
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk
Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges
Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.social
Follow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages
Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de
Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com

Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages

Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening
2:39 - Book Details
5:28 - Why Jim Read This
6:52 - Spoiler-Lite Summary
9:09 - Five Reasons You May Enjoy This
14:19 - Three Reasons This May Not Work for You
17:07 - Jim’s Final Thoughts
19:16 - Closing & Wrap-Up

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Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/

Supergirl (2026) has officially landed—and after all the controversy, online backlash, and disappointing box office, I finally sat down to see what went wrong.

Was Milly Alcock REALLY the problem? Or did Supergirl have much bigger issues?

In this spoiler-lite review, I break down James Gunn’s latest DC Universe adventure, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El. And here’s the thing: this movie wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d been led to believe.

But it wasn’t particularly good, either.

My wife and I watched this one together, and we came away in pretty much the same place: we didn’t regret watching it.

We just really wish it had been better.

What did YOU think of Supergirl? Was Milly Alcock a good Kara Zor-El? Did you like this darker interpretation of the character? And why do you think the movie failed to connect with a larger audience?

Let me know in the comments!

And if you enjoy fantasy, science fiction, horror, superheroes, books, movies, and all things speculative fiction, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and ring that notification bell for more from Fantasy for the Ages!

A huge THANK YOU to our Patreon supporters for helping make Fantasy for the Ages possible!: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges
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#Supergirl #DCU #MillyAlcock #Supergirl2026 #JamesGunn #DCComics #MovieReview #FantasyForTheAges

Ways to connect with us:
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk
Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges
Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.social
Follow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages
Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de
Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com

Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages

Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening
3:03 - Show Details
5:16 - Why Jim Watched This
6:33 - Spoiler-Lite Summary
8:03 - Five Reasons You May Enjoy Supergirl
11:30 - Four Reasons This Won’t Work for You
15:37 - Jim’s Final Thoughts
18:04 - Conclusion & Wrap-up

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Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/