In Other Worlds - A LitRPG, GameLit, and Fantasy Podcast

Jessica Worgo

I sit down and chat with your favorite LitRPG and Fantasy authors. We will talk about current books, upcoming books, and their inspiration behind the stories.  This podcast is for you if you are looking for: New LitRPG books. What are the most popular LitRPG books? How do you read LitRPG? What does LitRPG mean in books? What is an example of a LitRPG book? Best new LitRPG books. LitRPG book recommendations.

  1. Arcane Tides: A Journey Within w/Lance Krautlarger

    FEB 16

    Arcane Tides: A Journey Within w/Lance Krautlarger

    What does it take to turn real pain into a world worth exploring? We welcome author Lance Krautlarger to talk Arcane Tides: A Journey Within, a character-driven fantasy that treats mental health with honesty and heart. Eldrin’s path mirrors Lance’s own time leaving the service, navigating PTSD and anxiety, and relearning how to belong—first to himself, then to others. We trace the book’s DNA from a single therapeutic writing session into a full draft. Then the hard part: cutting a 150k-word manuscript, fixing head-hopping, and compressing travel to keep momentum on the inner quest. Along the way, Sanderson lectures and classic epics influenced structure, but the true guides were therapy and self-help—voices that shaped tone, pace, and purpose. The story gets personal through chapter-opening quotes lifted from Lance’s own journals. We also dive into the cozy layer: in-world books, a bark-and-amber cookbook, and real recipes—pumpkin bars, porridge, muffins—recast with magical ingredients. Food becomes a ritual of care, a way to ground panic and grief in the small good things. Alara, inspired by a real friend who demanded help be sought, anchors Eldrin’s growth with judgment-free support. The cleric is a therapist in fantasy clothing, the journal a tool that only reveals what you’re ready to read—because validation can’t be borrowed, only claimed. By the end, Eldrin discovers that the point isn’t rank, adventure, or lore; it’s presence with family, the capacity to rest, and the courage to move forward without outside permission. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more readers and writers can find it. Support the show You can connect with me here: Website Tiktok Youtube Facebook You can also subscribe to my newsletter on my website to get episode reminders, access to unedited episodes, a monthly list of upcoming titles and the chance at a free book from each author I interview.

    54 min
  2. Paragon Exordium w/Mikel Melwasul

    FEB 2

    Paragon Exordium w/Mikel Melwasul

    What if a portal fantasy didn’t whisk one hero away, but dropped an entire magical realm onto our world? That’s the theme behind Paragon Exordium, and today I sit down with author Mikel “Mick” Melwasul to discuss how a college town in Georgia becomes the frontline of a sprawling, character‑driven. We explore the series central mystery, the Therin Selu, a cataclysmic spell meant to dodge a mythic flood, and how its fallout turns into magic finally returning. Mick shares why the world’s “castology” matters: runes, song, speech, and emotion aren’t just mechanics, they’re culture encoded, shaping grief, faith, and power. We also lean into ambiguity—Jadis bound to a sword, the Weeping King hiding power behind tears—and celebrate the lighter touch that makes the darkness land, from a cult‑favorite basilisk named Shadowfang to the beloved mushroom folk. If you love reverse isekai worldbuilding, emotionally intelligent magic systems, and characters who force the plot to bend around their choices, this conversation is your map to Paragon. Listen, share with a friend who craves fresh fantasy, and leave a quick review to help more readers find the show. Then tell us: are you team Jadis, and which creatures do you want more of next? Support the show You can connect with me here: Website Tiktok Youtube Facebook You can also subscribe to my newsletter on my website to get episode reminders, access to unedited episodes, a monthly list of upcoming titles and the chance at a free book from each author I interview.

    57 min
  3. Knights of Eternity w/Rachel Ni Chuirc

    12/22/2025

    Knights of Eternity w/Rachel Ni Chuirc

    An arcade robbery, a fatal shot, and a sudden awakening inside a favorite game... only not as the hero. Rachel Ni Chuirc joins me to unpack Knights of Eternity, a LitRPG trilogy that flips the script by dropping its protagonist into the villain’s body with Zara the Fury still in her head. What starts as a classic “save the princess” dungeon crawl unravels into a layered story about identity, agency, and the cost of choices when your own thoughts aren’t entirely your own. We dig into how Rachel wrote the trilogy alongside her intense years on Baldur’s Gate 3, and why a pressure valve morning draft became a published series with Legion Publishers. She explains her “creamy” system design (immersive, character-led, and light on stats), and the craft behind alternating first-person chapters for the mc with third-person perspectives for everyone else. That structural shift delivers intimacy where it counts and scale where it matters. Expect honest talk about pantsing as a writing style, ruthless editing, and learning that the most powerful scenes are often quiet, human moments rather than big set pieces. We also explore the broader world around the books and the warmth of the LitRPG community. Rachel shares early influences from anime to life in Japan, growing up over a book-filled shop in a tiny Irish town, and what’s next (a romantasy featuring a monster hunter and a sentient French-accented sword). If you care about game writing, audiobooks, or villains you can empathize with even as you want them to lose, this conversation is for you. Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so we can bring more game-lit and fantasy authors to your feed. Support the show You can connect with me here: Website Tiktok Youtube Facebook You can also subscribe to my newsletter on my website to get episode reminders, access to unedited episodes, a monthly list of upcoming titles and the chance at a free book from each author I interview.

    1h 9m

About

I sit down and chat with your favorite LitRPG and Fantasy authors. We will talk about current books, upcoming books, and their inspiration behind the stories.  This podcast is for you if you are looking for: New LitRPG books. What are the most popular LitRPG books? How do you read LitRPG? What does LitRPG mean in books? What is an example of a LitRPG book? Best new LitRPG books. LitRPG book recommendations.