The Worldbuilder’s Tavern
Welcome to The Worldbuilder’s Tavern — where great books meet creative minds.
Twice a month, we explore the worlds inside your favourite sci-fi and fantasy novels and build our own right alongside them. Whether you're constructing your next novel, TTRPG setting, or just love speculative fiction, pull up a chair at the Tavern!
Welcome to The Worldbuilder’s Tavern — where great books meet creative minds.
Twice a month, we explore the worlds inside your favourite sci-fi and fantasy novels and build our own right alongside them. Whether you're constructing your next novel, TTRPG setting, or just love speculative fiction, pull up a chair at the Tavern!
Episodes
Feb 5, 2025
3.10 Comedic RPG: Fantasy High
Feb 5, 2025
Feb 5, 2025
43 min
In this episode, we're talking about the worldbuilding in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG comedy Fantasy High: Freshman Year, which is a Dimension 20 show produced by Dropout TV.
Proprietor's Pick: Highfire by Eoin Colfer (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through this link we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi
Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord
Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Feb 5, 2025
43 min
Jan 22, 2025
3.9 Dark Fairy Tale: Nettle & Bone
Jan 22, 2025
Jan 22, 2025
45 min
In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy novel Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, and how the story feels like a fairy tale even though it is not a retelling.
Proprietor's Pick: All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (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
Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord
Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Jan 22, 2025
45 min
Jan 8, 2025
3.8 Horror: A Quiet Place
Jan 8, 2025
Jan 8, 2025
45 min
In this episode, we're talking about the horror movie A Quiet Place.
Proprietor's Pick: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle and Birdbox by Michael Louis Calvillo (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
Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord
Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Jan 8, 2025
45 min
Dec 25, 2024
3.7 Children’s Sci-Fi: Wall-E
Dec 25, 2024
Dec 25, 2024
34 min
In this episode, we're talking about environmental sci-fi, ecological themes, children's literature, and the Disney movie Wall-E.
Proprietor's Pick: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (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
Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord
Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Dec 25, 2024
34 min
Dec 11, 2024
Dec 11, 2024
42 min
In this episode, we're talking about cozy science fiction and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
Proprietor's Pick: Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas
(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
Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord
Access bonus content and support us on Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Dec 11, 2024
42 min
Nov 27, 2024
Nov 27, 2024
46 min
In this episode, we're talking about how horror and romance can go together (and whether cozy horror is a thing) in Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell.
Proprietor's Pick: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
(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
Visit the Tavern: Website | TikTok | Discord
Access bonus content and support us on Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Nov 27, 2024
46 min
Nov 13, 2024
3.4 Dark Fantasy: The Witcher
Nov 13, 2024
Nov 13, 2024
43 min
In this episode, we're talking about deconstructing tropes, dark fairy tales, costs of magic, monsters, and more in the dark fantasy TV show The Witcher.
Proprietor's Pick: Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova
(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
Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord
Access bonus content and support us on Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Nov 13, 2024
43 min
Oct 30, 2024
3.3 Space Opera: All Systems Red
Oct 30, 2024
Oct 30, 2024
45 min
In this episode, we're talking about the novella All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells.
Proprietor's Pick: The Mercy of Gods 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
Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord
Access bonus content and support us on Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Oct 30, 2024
45 min
Oct 16, 2024
3.2 Science Fantasy: Arcane
Oct 16, 2024
Oct 16, 2024
39 min
In this episode, we're talking about how science and magic intertwine in the Netflix show Arcane.
Proprietor's Pick: The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
(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
Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord
Access bonus content and support us on Patreon
Support Haneen's family in Gaza
Oct 16, 2024
39 min
Oct 9, 2024
Oct 9, 2024
36 min
This season, we're introducing a new type of bonus episodes for our patrons: worldbuilding workshops! In these episodes, the hosts pick an element of a world and build it together. You can use whatever we build for your own stories, or take the questions we ask and build your own.
These monthly bonus episodes are exclusive to our Patreon, but the first is free for everyone to listen to!
Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi
Visit the Tavern: TikTok | Discord
Listen to more Worldbuilding Workshops by joining our Patreon
The questions we asked about building a magic system:
What is the basis of the magic system (colour, nature, time, space, elements, etc.)
What are the abilities and limits of the magic?
What are the costs and consequences of using the magic?
Who can use the magic?
How does society view magic and magic users?
Oct 9, 2024
36 min








