Exolore: facts-based fictional worldbuilding

Moiya invites game master Eric Silver to talk about the original world he built for Join the Party's third campaign. Three words: plant bug pirates! Eric shares his favorite details of the world and lots of great advice for anyone building a world for TTRPGs. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Eric Silver is head of creative at Multitude Productions and the game master for their actual play podcast Join The Party. Follow him on socials at @El_Silvero or visit his website ericsilver.work SPONSORS This episode is sponsored by the .GAY domain. Get your domain free for one whole year at exolore.gay HOUSEKEEPING Listen to SPIRITS at spiritspodcast.com or wherever you prefer to listen 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 fantasy writer John Bierce who wanted to imagine a world where two drastically different species meet. What they create involves volcanoes, sneaky gossip, complicated social dynamics, and everyone's favorite kind of multipurpose hole: a cloaca! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST John Bierce is a fantasy novelist and history buff who loves to imagine science-inspired worlds. Follow him on twitter at @john_bierce and look for updates on his website johnbierce.com. MIDBREAK Check out Multitude's Podcasting Classes at multitude.productions/classes 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 biological anthropologist Dr. Tina Lasisi to imagine a world full of genetic diversity. Along the way they discuss the nature of wind and what it even means to be a biological entity. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Tina Lasisi is a biological anthropologist studying hair and skin pigmentation. You can follow her on socials at @TinaLasisi or at her website tinalasisi.com. MIDBREAK Listen to SPIRITS wherever you podcast or at spiritspodcast.com 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 Princess Weekes to discuss the worldbuilding in Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe. They talk about bisexual icons, long histories in fiction, and the (in)appropriateness of age differences in romantic relationships. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Princess Weekes is a writer, podcaster, and literature lover who hosts the podcasts It's Lit for PBS and Geeked for Netflix. Follow her on twitter at @WeekesPrincess or on youtube at @PrincessWeekes. MIDBREAK Listen to SPIRITS wherever you podcast or at spiritspodcast.com Practice math and science with Brilliant! To get started for free, visit brilliant.org/exolore. The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription 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 climate advocate Hannah Feuer to build a world that doesn't rely on fossil fuels. With that goal in mind, they imagined a world where beautiful connections to distant beings foster worldwide empathy. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Hannah Feuer just earned her masters degree in Environment, Politics, and Society from University College London. She is passionate about climate activism and wrote her masters thesis on how worldbuilding can be used for climate justice. Contact Hannah via email at hannah.feuer.21[at]ucl.ac.uk. MIDBREAK Get 10% off your order at inkedgaming.com/exolore or with the code EXOLORE at checkout Practice math and science with Brilliant! To get started for free, visit brilliant.org/exolore. The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription 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.

There's a second Avatar movie coming out, so I invited super-fan Jasper Cartwright to refresh me on the rules of this hit world. We talk about gravity's effects on biology, the wonders of Unobtanium, and the importance of consistency in worldbuilding. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Jasper William Cartwright is a TTRPG game master, producer, creative consultant, and 1/3 of the 3 Black Halflings Podcast. Find him on twitter at @JW_Cartwright or on his website jasperwcartwright.com. MIDBREAK - Subscribe to my new podcast, PALE BLUE POD at palebluepod.com or wherever you get your podcasts - 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.

Monster Expert Dr. Emily Zarka joins Moiya to talk about the origins of monster myths! Together, they conjure up some spooky monsters to inhabit three previously built Exolore worlds. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Emily Zarka is a professor, writer, host, and monster expert. Find her on twitter at @ZarkaEmily or on her website emilyelizabethzarka.com. Be sure to check out Monstrum and Fate & Fabled on PBS's Storied youtube channel. MIDBREAK - Get 10% off your order at inkedgaming.com with the promo code exolore! - Listen to Queer Movie Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or at queermoviepodcast.com - 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 Emma Puranen to imagine life on a world being flung away from its home galaxy. Together they create a species of social but selfish airbags who insist on living in the moment. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Emma Johanna Puranen is an astronomer, historian, writer, and PhD student at the University of Saint Andrews. Check out her list of fictional exoplanets and follow her work on her website emmajohannapuranen.wordpress.com or follow her on twitter at @spacesword13 MIDBREAK - Listen to SPIRITS at spiritspodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts - 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 and guest Evan imagine a world fit for a eusocial species. They talk about toxic atmospheres, bat wing anatomy, harmonic resonances, collective consciousness, and of course, crystal turds! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Evan J. Peterson is a writer and writing instructor. Find them on twitter at @EvanJPeterson or on their website evanjpeterson.com. Check out their upcoming class called Witches Are People Too to learn how to write well-rounded magic users into your stories. MIDBREAK - Get 10% off your order at inkedgaming.com with the promo code exolore! - Sign up for a Multicrew pen pal 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.

Artist Beth Zaiken joins Moiya to talk about paleoart. Together, they answer questions like: How do artists work with museums to create gorgeous and educational exhibits about the ancient natural world? How has our understanding of the paleo world changed in the last few decades? And how does an artist decide what to include in the scene? HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Beth Zaiken is an artist who designs exhibits for museums. You can learn about her wrk on her website bethzaiken.com or on twitter at @BZaiken. Check out her projects with Blue Rhino Studio. MIDBREAK - Listen to JOIN THE PARTY wherever you get your podcasts or at jointhepartypod.com - 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.