The Worldbuilding Workshop: Companion Podcast

Episode References: Voleti, V. (2026). A land once magic [Tabletop game]. moreblueberries. https://vidityavoleti.itch.io/a-land-once-magic Luketic, R. (Director). (2001). Legally blonde [Film]. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. del Toro, G. (Director). (2004). Hellboy [Film]. Columbia Pictures; Revolution Studios. Voleti, V. (2019). Space between stars [Tabletop game]. itch.io. https://vidityavoleti.itch.io/sp...

Episode References: Jenkins, T. M. (2020). Doctors’ orders: The making of status hierarchies in an elite profession . Columbia University Press. Collins, S. (2014). The hunger games trilogy . Scholastic. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2022). Measuring sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation . The National Academies Press. Peterson, C. L. & Walker, C. (2023). T...

Episode References: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977). The Silmarillion (C. Tolkien, Ed.). Houghton Mifflin. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954–1955). The lord of the rings . George Allen & Unwin. Miller, T. (Host). (2026, August 20). David Wallace-Wells: The Politics of AI are shifting in real time [Audio podcast episode]. The Bulwark Daily . The Bulwark. Wallace-Wells, D. (2026, August 13). The only way to keep...

Episode References: Sierra, W. (2020). A strong fire . [Video game]. Second Avenue Learning. Wolf, M. J. P. (2012). Building imaginary worlds: The theory and history of subcreation . Routledge. Hergenrader, T. (2018). Collaborative worldbuilding for writers and gamers . Bloomsbury Academic. Sierra, W. (2020). Todd Howard: Worldbuilding in Tamriel and beyond (Influential video game designers) . Blo...

Episode References: Melville, H. (1851). Moby Dick . Harper & Brothers. (Original work published as The Whale via Richard Bentley, 1851) Miyamoto, S. (1985). Super Mario Bros. [Video game]. Nintendo. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extensions of man . McGraw-Hill. Landymore, F. (2026, July 25). AI companies are buying antique books, ingesting their contents to train models, and th...

Episode References: Cassino, D. & Woolley, P. (2011, November 21). Some news leaves people knowing less [Research report]. Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind. Licari, P. R. (2020). Sharp as a Fox: Are foxnews.com visitors less politically knowledgeable? ⁠ American Politics Research , 48(6), 792–806. Huxley, A. (2010). Brave new world (11th ed.). Vintage. Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ours...

Episode References: Settlage, J., Smetana, L. K., Southerland, S. A., & Lottero-Perdue, P. S. (2017). Teaching science to every child: Using culture as a starting point (3rd ed.). Routledge. Campbell, T., Gray, R., Bai, Y., Chase, S. (2025). The Iterative Design of a Model-Based Inquiry Planning Tool for Preservice Science Teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education . https://doi.org/10.108...

Episode References: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954–1955). The lord of the rings . George Allen & Unwin. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977). The Silmarillion (C. Tolkien, Ed.). Houghton Mifflin. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy . Palgrave Macmillan. Harrigan, P. & Wardrip-Fruin, N. (Eds.). (2007). Second person: Role-playing and story in games and playable med...

Episode References: Coen, J. & Coen, E. (Directors/Writers). (2018). The Ballad of Buster Scruggs [Film]. Annapurna Pictures; Netflix. Jenkins, H. (2004). Game design as narrative architecture. In N. Wardrip-Fruin & P. Harrigan (Eds.), First person: New media as story, performance, and game (pp. 118–130). The MIT Press. Carson, D. (2000, February 29). Environmental storytelling: Creating i...

Episode References: Ballestrini, K., Travis, R. & Slota, S. T. (2011). Operation LAPIS . The Pericles Group. Standing Stone Games. (2007). The Lord of the Rings online [Video game]. Daybreak Game Company. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy . Palgrave Macmillan. Cambridge School Classics Project. (2022). Cambridge Latin Course: Book 1 (5th ed.). Cam...

Episode References: Pascal, B. (2014). L'art de persuader [The art of persuasion]. FV Éditions. (Original work written ca. 1657–1658) Nichols, T. (2017). The death of expertise: The campaign against established knowledge and why it matters . Oxford University Press. Altemeyer, B. (2006). The Authoritarians . University of Manitoba. theauthoritarians.org Roberts, D. (Host). (2026, January 30). All...

Episode References: Meyer, G. (Writer) & Archer, W. (Director). (1991, September 26). Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington (Season 3,Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In J. L. Brooks, M. Groening, A. Jean, M. Reiss, & S. Simon (Executive Producers), The Simpsons . Gracie Films; 20th Century Fox Television. Capra, F. (Director). (1939). Mr. Smith Goes to Washington [Film]. Columbia Pictures. Woodard,...

Episode References: Slota, S. T. & Young, M. F. (2017). The inevitability of epic fail: Exploding the castle with situated learning. In M. F. Young & S. T. Slota (Eds.), Exploding the castle: Rethinking how video games & game mechanics can shape the future of education (pp. 271–284). Information Age Publishing. Hergenrader, W. T. (2017). Structures of play: Literacy, games, and creativ...

Episode References: Weis, M. & Hickman, T. (2000). Dragonlance chronicles [Boxed set]. Wizards of the Coast. Jackson, P. (Director). (2001). The lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring [Film]. WingNut Films; The Saul Zaentz Company. Gygax, G. (1979). Advanced dungeons & dragons dungeon masters guide (1st ed.). TSR. Blume, B. & Gygax, E. (1979). Boot hill: Wild west role-playing g...