The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

Emma Maione, Allison Alexander, and Christiana Jones
  • 4.5 (8)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

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!

  1. 4D AGO

    4.3 Lucky Day

    Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the horror novel Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle. We discuss luck and math as a magic system, how people react to trauma, and the wonderful weirdness of horror. Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon Next month’s novel: 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

    39 min

  2. JAN 24

    4.2 Building a Dragon

    Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise in creating a dragon! Here are the 7 questions we answered in this episode, which can help guide you in building your own dragon.  What hallmarks of traditional dragons are essential to keep in order for something to still be considered a dragon? What is our dragon’s intellectual capacity? Is it sentient, or more bestial? What is the full-grown size of our dragon? What does our dragon look like? Does it display any aspects of sexual dimorphism? What is our dragon’s diet? What is our dragon’s lifecycle? Does our dragon have any magical/supernatural powers?  Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon Next month’s novel: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle (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

    40 min

  3. JAN 7

    4.1 A Natural History of Dragons

    Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy novel, A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. We discuss dragons as the topic of academic study, worldbuilding inspired by Victorian England, and memoir-style novels. Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon Next month’s novel: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle (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

    51 min
  4. 3.22 Post-Apocalyptic: The Last of Us

    07/23/2025

    3.22 Post-Apocalyptic: The Last of Us

    In this episode, we're talking about writing and worldbuilding in the post-apocalyptic with zombies TV show (based on the video game series of the same name), The Last of Us. Proprietor's Pick: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (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 | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Haneen's family in Gaza

    45 min
  5. 3.21 Paranormal Romance: Twilight

    07/09/2025

    3.21 Paranormal Romance: Twilight

    In this episode, we're talking about writing and worldbuilding in the paranormal romance novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Proprietor's Pick: Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (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 | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Haneen's family in Gaza

    55 min
  6. 3.20 Children’s Fantasy: How to Train Your Dragon

    06/25/2025

    3.20 Children’s Fantasy: How to Train Your Dragon

    In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the children's fantasy (with vikings) movie How to Train Your Dragon. Proprietor's Pick: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (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 | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Haneen's family in Gaza

    40 min
  7. 3.19 Urban Fantasy: Jade City

    06/11/2025

    3.19 Urban Fantasy: Jade City

    In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the urban fantasy novel Jade City by Fonda Lee. (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!) Proprietor's Pick: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi Visit the Tavern: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Haneen's family in Gaza

    45 min
  8. 3.18 Children’s Sci-Fi: Animorphs

    05/28/2025

    3.18 Children’s Sci-Fi: Animorphs

    In this episode, we're talking about the writing and worldbuilding in the sci-fi alien invasion series Animorphs by K.A. Applegate. Proprietor's Pick: Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman (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 | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to our Worldbuilding Workshop bonus episodes by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Haneen's family in Gaza

    48 min
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4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    Emma Maione, Allison Alexander, and Christiana Jones
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Worldbuilder’s Tavern
  • Show Website
    The Worldbuilder’s Tavern