Exolore: facts-based fictional worldbuilding

Moiya is joined by fantasy literature scholar Bezi Yohannes to imagine a brand new world where the meanings of light and dark are switched. Together they create magical slippery creatures who do all of their private acts in public. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Bezi Yohannes is a book reviewer, half of the Dreaming in the Dark team, and literal Black fantasy scholar. Find her online at @beingabookwyrm MIDBREAK Listen to SPIRITS, new episodes every Wednesday HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

C.R. Rowenson, a chemical engineer turned novelist, discusses creating balanced magic systems. Topics include distinguishing between hard and soft magic, idea generation, defining rules, and the importance of limitations in magic systems. The conversation also delves into the process of crafting magic systems in worldbuilding, focusing on a holistic seven-stage method for comprehensive systems.

Moiya is joined by author Brittney Morris to break down the world of Avatar the Last Airbender! They talk about the in-world origin of bending, the real world martial arts that inspired bending moves, and why the live action movie was so terrible. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Brittney Morris is an award winning author of books including Slay and The Jump. Find her on twitter @BrittneyMMorris or on her website authorbrittneymorris.com MIDBREAK Listen to my other podcast PALE BLUE POD every Monday Listen to Tiny Matters wherever you get your podcasts every other Wednesday This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/worldbuilder for 10% off your first month HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by biochemist Isaac Paddy to build a world inspired by his love of musicals and romcoms. They imagine a world full of singing amphibious creatures who live their lives according to the movement of their planet's six different moons. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Isaac Paddy is a biochemist in a PhD program at Stanford studying enzymes. Follow him on twitter at @isaacapaddy MIDBREAK Join the Multicrew to access fun, exclusive perks like Head Heart Gut! HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by Em Meurer to imagine a world with elaborate funeral rituals. Together they create adorable creatures that roll around on bioluminescent moss and communicate emotions through smells. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Em Meurer is a graphic designer, book reviewer, and death communicator. Find her socials, book reviews, and Good Grief on her website emmeurer.com MIDBREAK Discover new podcasts with specific episodes at kradl.io Listen to Tiny Matters wherever you get your podcasts every other Wednesday Help us out by filling out the Multitude Listener Survey! HOUSEKEEPING Sign up for my worldbuilding class with Atlas Obscura! Class starts June 5th Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by fellow nerds Connie Gibbs and Delia Gallegos to discuss the worldbuilding in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings! There is so much to unpack, from the creation of the world, origin of its magic, Tolkien's inspirations, and the little matter of having a FLAT WORLD! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUESTS Connie Gibbs is a nerd, writer, and social media manager for Scholastic. Find her on twitter at @Constar24. Delia Gallegos is a writer, speaker, and podcaster. Follow her work at deliaistyping.com and listen to her new podcast CULTURE BY CULTURE. MIDBREAK Listen to JOIN THE PARTY! New episodes every Tuesday This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/worldbuilder for 10% off your first month Sign up for my worldbuilding class with Atlas Obscura! Class starts June 5th HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by chemist Kiara Whittle to imagine a peaceful world where a special stone lets people communicate telepathically. This is one of the most earth-like worlds we've built on the show. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Kiara Whittle is a chemist and science communicator who is actively pursuing her masters in public health while working as a scientist making and testing products for a medical company. Follow her on instagram @ki_thechemist or on twitter @BlowTheWhittle MIDBREAK Listen to TELL ME ABOUT IT every other Thursday! This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/worldbuilder for 10% off your first month Sign up for my worldbuilding class with Atlas Obscura! Class starts June 5th HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by cannabis researcher Dr. Brandie Cross and together they imagine a "weird and psychedelic" world full of mind-swapping trees and dragons who like to get high. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Brandie Cross is a biologist and cannabis researcher who founded The Pot Lab, a research and development collaborative focused on the beneficial uses of the cannabis plant. SPONSORS Get a FREE .gay domain for a whole year at exolore.gay This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/worldbuilder for 10% off your first month HOUSEKEEPING Listen to GAMES & FEELINGS every Friday! Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by microbiologist Maren Hunsberger to talk about the world from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series! They discuss the world's long timescale, the blurred line between sci-fi and fantasy, the importance of strong female leads, and how to write about bathing in your fiction. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Maren Hunsberger is a microbiologist, actor, podcaster, and science communicator. Find her and her work at marenhunsberger.com SPONSORS Get a FREE .gay domain for a whole year at exolore.gay This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Visit betterhelp.com/worldbuilder for 10% off your first month HOUSEKEEPING Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moiya is joined by astrochemist Ashley Walker and together they imagine life on Saturn's moon Titan! Titan's thick atmosphere, ice caps, and methane lakes inspire them to imagine two related species who value family and HATE Martians. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Ashley Walker is an astrochemist getting her PhD at Howard University studying gas giant atmospheres. You can follow her on twitter at @that_astro_chic. MIDBREAK Join the Multicrew with its fresh new tiers at multicrew.club Order my book, THE MILKY WAY: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/moiya-mctier/the-milky-way/9781538754153/ BUY EXOLORE SWAG: store.dftba.com/collections/exolore FIND US ONLINE patreon: patreon.com/exolorepod twitter: twitter.com/ExolorePod instagram: instagram.com/exolorepod website: exolorepod.com subreddit: reddit.com/r/ExolorePod CREDITS Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Cover art: Stephen J. Reisig, http://stephenjreisig.com/ Editing: Mischa Stanton, https://www.mischastanton.com/  ABOUT US How would you like to swim in an ocean ruled by matriarchal squid, or fly over a planet as it rotates with a swarm of migrating wasps? No, it's not the latest VR craze (... yet); it's Exolore! Exolore helps you imagine other worlds with the help of facts and science. Every other week, host Dr. Moiya McTier invites experts to build a world from scratch or sits down with a fiction fan to dive deep into their favorite worlds. Every episode will make you laugh, go "huh?" and appreciate how special our world really is. Exolore is a member of Multitude Productions, an independent podcast collective and production studio.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.