The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the adult horror novel What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. We discuss gross mushrooms, how the author uses line level techniques to create a sense of dread and deliver worldbuilding information, modern pronouns in a historical fantasy, and more.

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a space colony by answering these six questions:

Why are people leaving Earth to establish a colony on another planet?

What planet are they colonizing? Why that one?

Who is leaving Earth?

How does the group of people impact the culture of the new colony?

What kind of government does the colony establish?

What kind of economy does the colony establish?

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: What Moves the Dead by  T. Kingfisher (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the adult space opera Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey. We discuss the mystery/noir feeling of Miller's chapters, how the two narrators are foils for each other, balancing politics with adventure in a sci-fi novel, and more.

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a sea creature by answering these eight questions:

What type of being is the sea creature—biological, spiritual, celestial, etc.?

What does its body look like? How is it shaped by the depth, currents, and/or pressure of the water?

How did the sea creature come into existence? Creation, transformation, evolution, punishment?

How does the sea creature move, breathe, feed, and survive in its ocean environment?

What role does the sea creature play in the ocean’s balance?

What rules, instincts, or laws govern the sea creature’s behavior?

What powers, if any, does the sea creature possess? What are the costs of using those powers?

What kind of myths are told about the sea creature? What truths and distortions do those myths contain?

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the YA mythological fantasy Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. We discuss African and Yoruba mythology, gods, fairy tale retellings, "The Little Mermaid," foreshadowing, and more.

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi