The Orthogonal Bet Lev Grossman on The Role of Complexity in World-Building
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with novelist Lev Grossman. A longtime fan of Lev’s novels, the host delves into his works, including The Magicians trilogy—a splendid set of books about a university for magic, fantastical worlds, and much more. These books are amazing. Lev’s newest book is the novel The Bright Sword, a retelling of the legends of King Arthur, particularly focusing on what happens after Arthur dies.
The Sam devoured The Bright Sword and found it fascinating. It’s a book that weaves together ideas about gods and magic, the layering of myths across history, and much more—all topics explored in the conversation with Lev.
Lev and Sam discuss the story of King Arthur, its gaps and its history, the layering of gods and stories over time, the nature of magic and religion, the importance of secondary worlds, and the magic in The Magicians versus the magic of The Bright Sword. They even have a chance to discuss Lev’s next project, which is a space opera. This episode was a lot of fun.
Produced by Christopher Gates
Music by Suno