The Legendarium

#441. The Tiger's Daughter with Martha Wells | The Author's Shelf

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Martha Wells stops by for another installment of The Author's Shelf. Together, she and Craig discuss The Tiger's Daughter, the 2017 novel by K. Arsena...

#440. When a Game Designer becomes an Author, with Katie Hallahan

22 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Author Katie Hallahan drops by for a conversation with Craig about her experience going from game designer to author. What does she value in fiction a...

#439. WoT a Tangential Return!

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan, Todd, and Craig reunite for a discussion about Todd's experience with the Wheel of Time. And because they came with a real purpose in mind, of c...

[Rerelease] The Lord of the Rings, Book 6

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally published on June 8, 2020   Craig, Ryan, and Megan reunite for the final part of the Lord of the Rings. Well, except for ...

[Rerelease] Mort (Discworld #4) | Author's Shelf feat. Daniel Greene

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Greene joins Craig and Ryan for this installment of the Author's Shelf series. Daniel selected Mort, the fourth installment in the Discworld se...

[Rerelease] The Lord of the Rings, Book 5

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released on May 3, 2020   Ryan, Megan, and Professor Craig (whose elbow patches are back from the shop and in better shap...

[Rerelease] The Lord of the Rings, Book 4

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally published on April 14, 2020   Craig, Ryan, and Megan reunite remotely for the next installment of their Lord of the Rings...

[Rerelease] Determinism in SFF, with James Kennedy

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, author James Kennedy stops by to chat with Craig about predestination in speculative fiction. He's got four basic categories of deter...

[Rerelease] Enter The Dungeons and Dragons

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Originally published January 11, 2015. Craig and Ryan tackle their first game of Dungeons and Dragons and they are natural....ly poor at figuring it o...

[Rerelease] Why Do Video Game Movies Always Suck?

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released October 31, 2019 Do video game movies always suck? Maybe not. But they're never actually good, either. Why is that? Craig and Kyle...

[Released] Worst Dates & the Merits of Michael Bay - Wheel of Tangents #8

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released August 18, 2020 Ryan joins Craig and spins the Wheel of Tangents for the first time ever! They answer over a dozen questions submi...

[Rerelease] The Lord of the Rings, Book 3

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released on March 16, 2020   Craig, Ryan, and Megan (no Kyle today) talk about book 3 of The Lord of the Rings, being the...

[Rerelease] The Dark Lord of Derkholm - The Author's Shelf, feat. Veronica Roth

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released May 25, 2020. Veronica Roth, bestselling author of the Divergent series and the brand-new, adult-oriented fantasy Chosen Ones, jo...

[Rerelease] Great Art and the Age Ceiling

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released April 26, 2020 Craig is joined by author Maram Taibah to discuss the assertion, "Great art has an age floor but no age ceiling." T...

[Rerelease] The Truth (Discworld) feat. Brandon Sanderson

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released on January 27, 2019   Craig and Ryan welcome a new panelist, Brandon Sanderson (maybe you've heard of him?). The...

#438. NEW - Caine's Law, part 2

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is this book, anyway? Craig brings Drew back for one final discussion on Matthew Stover's Acts of Caine series. T...

[Rerelease] The Lord of the Rings, Book 2

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released on March 1, 2020 Craig, Ryan, Megan, and Kyle discuss the second book in The Lord of the Rings--or to put it anot...

[Rerelease] The Neverending Story

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released October 27, 2019.   The Ladies of the Legendarium are back! And this time, Stephanie, Megan, and Kate are joined...

[Rerelease] Brent Weeks Spins the Wheel

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released October  17, 2019. Weeks Week begins on Monday with the release of The Burning White, but we thought we'd get a ...

[Release] The Lord of the Rings, Book 1

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released February 9, 2020. The other episodes in this series are #268, #270, #274, #277, and #281.   The time has come! S...

[Rerelease] Scary Stories and Why We Like Them

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released October 10, 2015. We're joined again by Dr. Matt Woolley, who helps Craig, Ryan, and Kenn work through the benefi...

[Rerelease] Leaf by Niggle

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally released May 13, 2018.   In 1944, Professor Tolkien published a short story about a strange little man who was obsessed w...

#437. You saw Dune 2, right?

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Todd chat for a few minutes about the new installment of Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation. Before that, Craig makes an announcement about ...

#436. FIRELORD - Author's Shelf with Daniel Ford

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Returning guest Daniel Ford drops by to discuss a favorite of his, Parke Godwin's Firelord. This 1980 retelling of the King Arthur myth is one of the ...

#435. Project Hail Mary

31 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Megan has brought the Blue Team back together to a discussion of a recent favorite: Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. Will she have better success in bri...

#434. I AM THE MESSENGER | Author's Shelf with Kaela Rivera

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Old friend of the podcast Kaela Rivera stops by for an Author's Shelf episode about I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak. This magical-realism novel wa...

JADE CITY | Author's Shelf with Moses Ose Utomi

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Moses Ose Utomi is Craig's guest today on the Author's Shelf series, and he's selected Fonda Lee's Jade City to discuss. As always, the first question...

#432. A Game of Thrones (the book.) (finally.)

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Kenn are joined by Eradandis (of Discord fame) to discuss A Game of Thrones, the first book in #georgerrmartin 's A Song of Ice and Fire ser...

#431. Caine Black Knife, part 1

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the ... experience that is Blade of Tyshalle, Craig and Drew are back for more, starting in on part 1 of Caine Black Knife, the third book in Ma...

#430. Read the LAST Page FIRST? With Hank Phillippi Ryan

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Hank Phillippi Ryan joins Craig for a very spoiler-y discussion. Luckily, they don't spoil anything for you, but Hank is here to...

#429. How Self Publishing Really Works, with Philip Chase

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What was once condescendingly sneered at only a few years ago has become more and more commonplace: self publishing. With the rise of new technologies...

#428. A Wrinkle in Time

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Megan are joined by longtime listener and friend of the show, "Codingfoo," to discuss A Wrinkle in Time, the classic young-reader sci-fi nov...

#427. Travis Baldree talks going from narrator to author

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Travis Baldree, Author of Legends and Lattes and the new Bookshops and Bonedust, stops by to chat with Craig about what it's like to go from narrating...

#426. The Darkest, then the Weirdest Book I Ever Read

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Blade of Tyshalle, part 2. Craig and Drew dive into the second half of the book. Which in this case means Drew dives into it, because Craig has no ide...

#425. HELLSPARK - Author’s Shelf w/ Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig welcomes again Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the writers behind the Liaden universe. They stop this time to discuss Hellspark, the 1988 novel by ...

#424. Why Do We Love Talking Animals?

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it projection? Wish fulfillment? Or just plain adorableness? Why do we readers (and viewers) enjoy stories with talking animals so much? Christophe...

#423. A Comedic and Divine Author’s Shelf

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Austin Freeman makes his return to the Legendarium! After a great discussion on the theology of Tolkien (episode 400), he's back for an Author's Shelf...

#422. When a Mental Health Pro Takes Up Fiction

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kristen Simmons joins Craig to discuss the intersection of her work both as a mental health professional and as an author. How does the one inform the...

#421. Mattimeo (Redwall #3)

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Kenn welcome Little Red Book from the Patrons' Discord channel as they discuss Mattimeo, the third book in Brian Jacques' Redwall series. We...

#420. Tolkien & Beowulf, with Tom Shippey

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's a big day at the Legendarium when Craig finally gets to talk with Tom Shippey, one of the most frequently cited writers on the show. Tom comes by...

#419. When a Diplomat Writes a Fantasy Book... with David Schlaefer

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dropping in from his temporary home in Poland, author and diplomat David Schlaefer joins Craig to talk about his experiences serving in the U.S. State...

#418. Heroes Die, days 1-3 | The Acts of Caine

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Drew embark on a new podcast series, covering Matthew Stover's four-book series, The Acts of Caine. To follow the entire series of discussio...

#417.BEOWULF | Author’s Shelf with Philip Chase

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philip Chase joins Craig for an Author's Shelf episode about Beowulf. Why has this story endured? Is it just a historical artifact, or is there someth...

#416. Mossflower | Redwall book 2

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Kenn are joined by longtime patron Levi, aka Texas Blade, to discuss Mossflower, Brian Jacques' prequel to Redwall. The guys talk about grea...

#415. Tropes come to life! What we’re reading + a big announcement

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Drew McCaffrey from Inking Out Loud joins Craig again for some seemingly random potpourri. But it's all for a purpose! The guys announce an upcoming s...

#414. The Enduring Power of Alice

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author, producer, and all-around interesting guy Frank Beddor joins Craig for a discussion about why stories last. Craig, as you know, is a big Tolkie...

#413. The Origins of Tropes: Comparative Mythology and Modern Fantasy

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig is joined again by Aparna Verma, and this time they also have R.R. Virdi to speak with as well. The trio (mostly the latter two) dive into the w...

#412. AI, Tech, and Storytelling

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig welcomes Jon Evans, author and Impressive Man extraordinaire, to discuss tech, AI, and how they think it may intersect with writing and storytel...

#411. Talking SPACE OPERA with Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig is joined for this episode by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the husband-wife team behind the Liaden Universe (and plenty else besides). They talk...

#410. WoT a surprise! New Wheel of Time episodes kickoff

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Todd are WoT'ing it up! They'll do a mini Wheel of Time series of podcasts, one after each 1-3 books or so. This series, though, aside from ...

#409. Redwall

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Kenn are joined by special guest -- and Discord super legend -- Befuddled Panda. Together they discuss an old childhood favorite, Redwall. W...

#408. How Myth and History Affect Our Stories - with Aparna Verma

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Aparna Verma joins Craig for a discussion on as a writer drawing from multiple mythological and historical traditions. It's a surface-level discussion...

#407. A Very Level 1 Conversation

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig is joined by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle to have a very Level One conversation. Julia and Ken are the co-authors of the Seattle Slayers and Phoeni...

#406. LORD OF LIGHT by Roger Zelazny | Author’s Shelf with Steven Brust

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For today's Author's Shelf episode, Craig is joined by author Steven Brust to discuss Lord of Light, the classic 1967 sci-fi novel by Roger Zelazny. W...

#404. CHUCK TINGLE spins the Wheel of Tangents

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

!!CONTENT WARNING!! In a departure from the norm, we're doing an adults-only episode of the Legendarium, in which the one and only Chuck Tingle comes ...

#403. TROPES - The Good, the Bad, and the Fridge

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig is joined by author Daniel M. Ford to discuss a perennial favorite topic of listeners: THE TROPE. What counts as a trope? Are they good or bad? ...

#402. Leviathan Falls, part 2

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

That's it, it's over! Stephanie has completed the Expanse and is ready to be done with it, but not before she has some fun with Todd and Kenn discussi...

#401. The Left Hand of Darkness | Author’s Shelf with Nadia Uddin

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig is joined by Nadia Uddin for another Author's Shelf episode, this one on the Ursula Le Guin classic, The Left Hand of Darkness. They talk about ...

#400. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Theology, with Austin Freeman

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig welcomes Austin Freeman to the show to discuss Tolkien and his religious views. Tolkien was a staunch Catholic, but that doesn't mean that his v...

#399. Leviathan Falls, part 1

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

She's almost across the finish line! Todd and Kenn drag Stephanie back for the penultimate Expanse podcast as they discuss the first half of James S.A...

#398. The Palace of Illusions - The Author’s Shelf with Vaishnavi Patel

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig welcomes Vaishnavi Patel, author of Kaikeyi, for this edition of the Author's Shelf. Vaishnavi has selected The Palace of Illusions, by Chitra B...

#397. Tress of the Emerald Sea

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, Megan, and Stephanie sit down to discuss their experience with Brandon Sanderson's first "secret project" of 2023, Tress of the Emerald S...

#396. Discoursing on Dungeons & Dragons with Dirt Cheap Dungeons

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Todd (who is legally required to be on any episode involving D&D) welcome Brandon from Dirt Cheap Dungeons to talk Dungeons & Dragons. They ...

#395. LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS, part 2

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We made it! It's the final episode in our First Law series, and we've got some thoughts. Craig, Ryan, and Kenn sit down to hash out how they feel abou...

#394. The Life of an Author - with Veronica Roth and Amy Lukavics

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Returning guest Veronica Roth and newcomer Amy Lukavics join Craig to talk about a day in the life of an author--or, at least, how a typical day goes ...

#393. Cultural and Personal History in Fiction, with Leopoldo Gout

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author, artist, and filmmaker Leopoldo Gout comes by the podcast to talk with Craig about his experience as a writer, and how he weaves history, myth,...

#392. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Author’s Shelf with Randee Dawn

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Randee Dawn's new book, Tune In Tomorrow, has received some favorable comparisons to the like of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. So who bett...

#391. LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS, part 1 (First Law #3)

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, and Kenn are together again for the final book of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Ryan is already won over to the series, but what a...

#390. Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams | Author’s Shelf with T. Kingfisher

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) stops by the show to talk to Craig about a favorite childhood book of hers: Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams.   Ch...

#389. Publishing Kids’ First Fantasy Books

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig chats with guest Adam Ross of First Fantasy Books to talk about his quest to improve child literacy through fun, simple worldbuilding. Check out...

#388. From MIT to Hollywood to Publishing - A Conversation with SL Huang

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig sits down for a fun, free-ranging discussion with one of the most interesting people ever to appear on the show. SL Huang is a Hugo-winning and ...

#387. The Man Who Was Thursday - Author’s Shelf feat. James Kennedy

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Kennedy returns! This time, he joins Craig and Drew McCaffrey to discuss G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday, a truly bizarre and classic...

#386. Tiamat’s Wrath part 2 (The Expanse #8)

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Todd, Kenn, and Stephanie sit down for yet another discussion of James SA Corey's The Expanse. This time they finish up Tiamat's Wrath, the eighth boo...

#385. Before They Are Hanged, part 2 (First Law #2)

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, and Kenn sit down to discuss the second half of Before They Are Hanged, the second book in Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.   Suppor...

#384. A Non-fiction Writer Becomes a Fiction Writer | A Conversation with Kent Lester

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kent Lester joins Craig to talk about his journey from writing non-fiction to writing sci-fi thrillers like The Seventh Sun. A quick warning: We strug...

#383. Before They Are Hanged, part 1 | First Law #2

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, and Kenn sit down to discuss the first half of Before They Are Hanged, the second book in Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.   Support...

#382. Short Stories 101, with Mary Rickert

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Rickert (aka M. Rickert) stops by to chat with Craig about the art of the short story. What are the strengths and weaknesses of short fiction? Wh...

#381. Author’s Shelf (Spoiler-free) - The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Brian Evenson stops by to talk with Craig about The Fifth Head of Cerberus, the second novel by Gene Wolfe. And what a novel it is! Without spo...

#380. Dipping a toe into SFF ROMANCE | A conversation with author Freya Marske

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Freya Marske is here to pull Craig--and by extension, us all--into the world of SFF romance! They talk about the definition of romance, why it appeals...

#379. The Lost Metal (Mistborn 7)

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The gang is back together! The OG Mistborn crew (Craig, Ryan, Kenn, and Todd) discuss The Lost Metal, the final entry in Era 2 of Brandon Sanderson's ...

#378. Tiamat’s Wrath, part 1 (The Expanse #8)

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Blue Team is back! Todd, Kenn, and now-resigned Stephanie gather to discuss Tiamat's Wrath, the eighth book in James S.A. Corey's series, The Expanse....

#377. Persepolis Rising, part 2 (The Expanse #7)

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Blue Team is back! Todd, Kenn, and somewhat reluctant Stephanie gather to discuss Persepolis Rising, the seventh book in James S.A. Corey's series, Th...

#375. THE BLADE ITSELF, part 2 (First Law #1)

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, and Kenn talk about the second half of Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself. Is this really the first book in a series, or do we need a dif...

#374. The Good House - Author’s Shelf with Rita Woods

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Halloween! For this years spooky episode, Craig welcomes Rita Woods to the Author's Shelf series. From her shelf, Rita selected The Good House, ...

#373. Rings of Power season 1 review

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Surprise! It's a weekend episode featuring Craig being interviewed by Jack Butler for Jack's Young Americans podcast. The two of them break down their...

#372. Origins of the Wheel of Time

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is one of those books whose title tells you quite a bit. The book is Origins of The Wheel of Time: The Legends and Mythologies that Inspired Robe...

#371. Persepolis Rising, part 1 (The Expanse #7)

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do they do it? We'll never know. Todd and Kenn have convinced Stephanie to come in and discuss another Expanse novel. This time, it's Persepolis R...

#370. THE BLADE ITSELF, part 1 (First Law 1)

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, Ryan, and Kenn talk about the first half of Joe Abercrombie's "The Blade Itself," book one in the First Law trilogy. Does it live up to expecta...

#369. THE LAST UNICORN - The Author’s Shelf with Seanan McGuire

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Ryan welcome Seanan McGuire to the Author's Shelf! From her shelf, Seanan chose The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle, a '60s classic fairy t...

#368. THE DISPOSSESSED - Author’s Shelf with Mary Robinette Kowal

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Ryan welcome Mary Robinette Kowal to the Author's Shelf. She asked the guys to read The Dispossessed, the award winning 1974 novel by Ursula...

#367. The Wheel of Tangents #13 - Stupid Question Edition

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Drew McCaffrey from the Inking Out Loud podcast drops by again to spin the Wheel of Tangents with Craig. The twist? This time, we asked for the stupid...

#366. What Writing a Graphic Novel Really Looks Like

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Todd are joined by Nadia Shammas and Marie Enger to discuss what it was like to collaborate on their new graphic novella, Where Black Stars ...

#365. The Rings of Power - Discussing Episodes 1 & 2

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Rings of Power is finally here! Now that the most expensive, promoted, anticipated show of the year has arrived, how do we think it's going after ...

#364. Silmarillion Read-along pt.11 | Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's here! This is the final episode in our Silmarillion read-along. Ryan and Craig sit down to discuss "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," the...

#363. Silmarillion Summer! with Tea With Tolkien

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig sits down with Kaitlyn Facista from Tea With Tolkien to talk about The Silmarillion, the Rings of Power, and other various Tolkien-connected top...

#362. Dystopian Fiction & Writing Across Media, with Samit Basu

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Indian novelist Samit Basu stopped by the Legendarium to talk with Craig about what exactly dystopian fiction is, where that term falls down, and how ...

#361. Determinism in SFF, with James Kennedy

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, author James Kennedy stops by to chat with Craig about predestination in speculative fiction. He's got four basic categories of deter...

#360. Silmarillion Read-along pt.10 | AKALLABÊTH

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After a VERY long break, Craig and Ryan are back with part 10 of their Silmarillion read-along, this time covering AKALLABÊTH. This is part 10 of 11 ...

#359. Stardust - LIVE in Portland

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A couple of months ago we had our first ever official meetup in Portland, OR. It was fun, and we wish you could all have been there! But for those who...

#358. DREAMCATCHER, by Stephen King | The Author’s Shelf feat. Ryan Van Loan

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig and Kenn welcome Ryan Van Loan to the Author's Shelf series. Today's book is Dreamcatcher, the much-maligned 2001 sci-fi horror novel by Stephen...