Tales from the Fandom David Ginsburg

Author and Professor Jarret Keene, PhD, joins me on the last episode of 2023 to talk about his new book, Hammer of the Dogs!
Jarret and I talk about his newest book, Hammer of the Dogs. Jarret talks about how the book came about during one of the classes he was teaching and working on it from there. From the synopsis:
Set in the wasteland of post-apocalyptic Las Vegas,  Hammer of the Dogs is a literary dystopian adventure filled with high-octane fun starring twenty-one-year-old Lash. With her high-tech skill set and warrior mentality, Lash is a master of her own fate as she helps to shield the Las Vegas valley’s survivors and protect her younger classmates at a paramilitary school holed up in Luxor on the Las Vegas Strip. After graduation, she’ll be alone in fending off the deadly intentions and desires of the school’s most powerful opponents.
Jarret and I talk about the plot, characters, and setting while keeping it spoiler free for you listening. That way, you can get yourself a copy of the book to read!
We also talk about influential fandoms that had an impact on Jarret's work, everything from movies, comics, and books. A listing of recommendations are below for those interested.
Hammer of the Dogs is available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook at:
https://amzn.to/3QOb4Q4
You can find Jarret at:
https://www.instagram.com/authorjarretkeene/
https://www.jarretkeene.net/
https://twitter.com/KeeneJarret
Jarret's recommendation list includes:
Movies: The Goonies, Krull, Dragonslayer, Tron, The Black Hole (Disney), Fire and Ice, Heavy Metal, The Secret of Nimh, Legend, Labyrinth, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Highlander, Flash Gordon, Howard the Duck, Buckaroo Banzai, and Robocop
Comics: Marvel's Secret Wars, X-Men: Mutant Massacre, Elf Quest, Frank Miller's Ronin, and Jack Kirby's Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth

Books: Stephen King's Carrie, and Firestarter
Get 10% of your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/

This one has been a long time coming. After over 5 years, Victoria Avalor returns to the podcast! Fate and our schedules finally aligned, as I've been trying to have Victoria back for a number of years now.
We get to catch up and talk about the past several years and then we talk about her two books. Realm of Lore, published in 2017, and An Unholy Union, published in 2020. We talk about what else she's working on, as well as the work/life balance that she handles.
Then, we get into talking about another of her passions, Egyptology. Victoria talks about how she first became interested in Egyptian history and mythology. Then we talk about the videos she creates on TikTok and Instagram sharing little stories and tidbits.
Lastly, we wrap up with a reflection about Cosplay. Victoria has been active in the community for many a years. We talk about what she's working on now, but we primarily reflect on the history, how cosplay has changed since she started, and more.
You can find Victoria's books at: 
Realm of Lore - https://amzn.to/3GdBF49
An Unholy Union - https://amzn.to/3sJlVTB
You can find Victoria at:
Podcast episode 48: http://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-48-victoria-avalor
Wonder Woman Review: http://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/wonder-woman-review-with-victoria-avalor
Book Trek: Victoria Avalor, Author of Realm of Lore: https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/book-trek-victoria-avalor-author-of-realm-of-lore
https://www.instagram.com/victoria_avalor/
https://www.threads.net/@victoria_avalor
Get 10% of your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/

Drew aka Drewbearded returns for the end of 2023! We're talking about his nearly year long play through of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake / Intermission.
After playing Crisis Core last year and wrapping up earlier this year, Drew delved into playing the original Final Fantasy 7 and then following it up with his play through of Final Fantasy 7 Remake (and Intermission)
Drew talks about his experiences with both games, from revisiting the original FF7 and the changes in story and characters with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. We talk about what he liked and didn't like, what worked for Remake, and some of the things that didn't work. Plus we talk about the world (city?) building with Remake specifically set in Midgar. And we do touch on Intermission, a bit of Dirge of Cerberus, and the next release, Rebirth.
Want to watch or find Drew? You can find him at:
https://www.twitch.tv/drewbearded
https://linktr.ee/Drewbearded
You can listen to his first four episodes here:
https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-316-drew-orozco-aka-drewbearded-returns-to-talk-crisis-core-final-fantasy-vii-reunion
https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-278-drew-orozco-aka-drewbearded-returns-to-talk-mass-effect
https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-205-drew-orozco-aka-drewbearded-returns-to-talk-twitch-gaming-and-streaming-in-2020
https://talesfromthefandom.libsyn.com/episode-161-drew-orozco-aka-drewbearded
Get 10% of your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/

After being intrigued by her work on Instagram and seeing what she does, I am glad to welcome Elizabeth Sánchez Arvizu of Psychology for Geeks to the podcast.

We start things off by talking all about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Elizabeth and I talk about the series and characters, the storylines, and how kids relate to the series. We also dabble in conversation about the live action Netflix series, the writer and actors strike, and what that could mean for the future projects in the fandom.
Then, we switch gears and talk broadly about Anime. From Elizabeth's first experiences with it, to getting into One Piece thanks to her brother, and other anime that she recommends.
Finally, we talk about Psychology for Geeks (or Psych4Geeks, as is her username). Elizabeth talks about how she uses fandom and geek culture in her Clinical Psychology work. How she incorporates it, applications, and what her future plans are.
You can find Elizabeth at:
https://www.instagram.com/psych4geeks/
https://www.psychologyforgeeks.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@psych4geeks
https://www.facebook.com/psych4geeks
https://www.youtube.com/@psychologyforgeeks
Get 10% off your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/

After finding KiwiNinamori from someone's stories on Instagram awhile back, she was someone I was super excited to get to talk with.
Kiwi joins me as we talk about a number of different fandoms. We start things off by talking about The Owl House. We explore the characters and stories, the cancellation, relationships, and so much more.
Then we change from that to another cancelled fandom, The Dark Crystal. We of course talk about the movie, but we primarily focus on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the Netflix series cut short after one season. We talk about the show and characters, and the tragedy of cancellation.
We then pair a Korean and Japanese show together with Squid Game and Alice in Borderland. Kiwi talks about how she discovered these shows, and what her draw is to them.
Lastly, we wrap up with cosplay. Kiwi talks about first getting into cosplay, the characters she cosplays, the conventions and cosplay contests she's won, and what her plans are for the future.
You can find Kiwi at:
https://www.instagram.com/kiwininamori/
Get 10% off your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/

After stumbling across Michelle Reed's work being shared on Instagram, and enjoying what she creates and does to support those around her, I was excited to have her join me for this episode.
We're talking franchises in this episode, with each franchise spanning a variety of media. It's a fun episode and we get to bounce around within the fandoms.
The first one we start off with is the Jurassic Park franchise. We talk about the original trilogy, the Jurassic World trilogy, plus Camp Cretaceous, the animated series. We also talk about the books, merch, and what may be in store for the future of Jurassic Park.
Then we switch to the realm of the Witcher. Michelle talks about how she first got into the franchise, her thoughts on the TV show, if she's read the books, and the character that she loves the most.
The Last of Us franchise spans between two games and a TV series, and we get to talk about both. This franchise is the one that Michelle most connects with in a very personal way. She shares these stories while talking about the games, the TV show, and what she hopes for the future.
We wrap up with a double header of Cosplay and Twitch streaming. Michelle talks about how she got into Cosplay, the characters she represents and her plans for the future. Plus, she talks about streaming on Twitch, the games she plays, and what you can expect from her and her community.
You can find Michelle at:
https://www.instagram.com/michellenreed/
https://www.twitch.tv/michellenreed/
https://twitter.com/michellenreed
https://bsky.app/profile/michellenreed.bsky.social
Get 10% off your order of Woodmarks, Tolkien style maps, and more from In The Reads by using code TALES10 at checkout. Visit them at:
https://inthereads.com/