Worlds Asunder

What happens if you take 5 authors of varying genres, give them not-copyrighted versions of some fun characters, drop them in the middle of the woods and release untold gothic horrors on them?  I don’t know…but I really wanted to find out. Join maniacal, schadenfreude enthusiast (also known as the Dungeon Master), ‘Shady’ David Shadoin and watch as Kacey Ezell, Jon R. Osborne, William Myrl, Stephe...

Sorry guys...I know you all were excited for a new episode of Worlds Asunder, but I'll explain, very vaguely, why you need to be a little more patient...thanks for stopping by!

Our guest Julia Vee was a trial lawyer in Silicon Valley. She attended UC Berkeley and majored in Asian Studies. She often writes with co-author Ken Bebelle. Their novel Ebony Gate, an Asian-inspired contemporary fantasy, was published by TOR and named a 2023 Golden Poppy Finalist for the Octavia E. Butler award. The trilogy conclusion, Pearl City, released in July of 2025.  We got to share an exh...

Our guest Julia Vee was a trial lawyer in Silicon Valley. She attended UC Berkeley and majored in Asian Studies. She often writes with co-author Ken Bebelle. Their novel Ebony Gate, an Asian-inspired contemporary fantasy, was published by TOR and named a 2023 Golden Poppy Finalist for the Octavia E. Butler award. The trilogy conclusion, Pearl City, released in July of 2025.  We got to share an exh...

Today’s guest, Kacey Ezell, was born in South Dakota and grew up around the world on various military bases. When she was seven, her mother gave her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragondrums, and shortly thereafter, Kacey decided that she wanted to be a dragonrider when she grew up. From the time she was a small child, Kacey made up stories to tell to her friends and family.  Kacey’s emotionally-fuel...

Today’s guest, Kacey Ezell, was born in South Dakota and grew up around the world on various military bases. When she was seven, her mother gave her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragondrums, and shortly thereafter, Kacey decided that she wanted to be a dragonrider when she grew up. From the time she was a small child, Kacey made up stories to tell to her friends and family.  Kacey’s emotionally-fuel...

Join your Worlds Asunder host, 'Shady' David Shadoin, and several of his author friends (H.Y. Gregor, Kacey Ezell, Melissa Olthoff, Casey 'Moops' Moores, Mark Stallings, and Jon R. Osborne) on their misadventures in Jackbox's Fibbage 3. This is the pilot episode of a whole different show! Don't worry, we will still have our normal worldbuilding podcast but this has been chi...

Our latest guest is J.T. Evans, fantasy, science fiction, and horror author and former president of Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. Today he brings his expertise and experience in both writing and gaming to help us dig into the nitty gritty of fantasy city building.  When not writing, he keeps computers secure at the Day Job, spends time with his family, and plays wa...

Our latest guest is J.T. Evans, fantasy, science fiction, and horror author and former president of Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. Today he brings his expertise and experience in both writing and gaming to help us dig into the nitty gritty of fantasy city building.  When not writing, he keeps computers secure at the Day Job, spends time with his family, and plays wa...

So, I lied...I forgot Spotify does video now...so here is the pilot of our new project! Join your Worlds Asunder host, 'Shady' David Shadoin, and several of his author friends (H.Y. Gregor, Kacey Ezell, Melissa Olthoff, Casey 'Moops' Moores, Mark Stallings, and Jon R. Osborne) on their misadventures in Jackbox's Fibbage 3. This is the pilot episode of a whole different show! Do...

Just what do you do with a PhD in the History of Science? Write novels–science fiction, urban fantasy, and thriller. Our guest today is Steve Ruskin, PhD. He’s the author of the nonfiction popular history novel America’s First Great Eclipse and countless academic writings, and also of the ExoRok Rebels science fiction series and Trina Piper magical thrillers.  Steve’s unique background in academic...

Just what do you do with a PhD in the History of Science? Write novels–science fiction, urban fantasy, and thriller. Our guest today is Steve Ruskin, PhD. He’s the author of the nonfiction popular history novel America’s First Great Eclipse and countless academic writings, and also of the ExoRok Rebels science fiction series and Trina Piper magical thrillers.  Steve’s unique background in academic...

Sorry we’re late this week! Shady got trapped in a server when they shut Anthem down…and by that, we mean, he decided to relive the glory of the freelancers one last time…but at least it’s still Tuesday! They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it--you only get one first impression. A good cover needs to be eye-catching, signal your genre, give clues to your story, h...

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it--you only get one first impression. A good cover needs to be eye-catching, signal your genre, give clues to your story, have an engaging and readable title treatment, and make readers want to know more.  Easy, right?  If only! The trouble is, authors aren't always the best at breaking their stories down into one or two...

We all love a widespread, far-reaching fantasy universe that we as readers can get completely absorbed in. The only thing better than a great fantasy series is a whole collection of them that deep-dive into an immersive world. But how do you keep track of a timeline that spans over a thousand years? Where do you start when your cast of characters stretches into the hundreds?  We’re so pleased to r...

Shady’s Notes: I’ve typically been editing these a bit since we’ve gone rogue…I mean stood up our own channel, but unfortunately I’ve been on deadline and unable to put any time into this. Which is also why this week’s is not a new episode, but another one from the archives. Enjoy! We all love a widespread, far-reaching fantasy universe that we as readers can get completely absorbed in. The only t...

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.  From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed,...

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.  From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed,...

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one o...

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one o...

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one o...

This episode previously aired on Book Career Network. Magic systems are the foundation of fantasy fiction. By design, removing magic from a core fantasy story means the world and the plot fall apart. From elemental manipulation, runes, wand work, and bending light into physical form, we’ve seen countless magic systems and spellcasters over centuries of fiction. As authors, how do we make our magic...

Magic systems are the foundation of fantasy fiction. By design, removing magic from a core fantasy story means the world and the plot fall apart. From elemental manipulation, runes, wand work, and bending light into physical form, we’ve seen countless magic systems and spellcasters over centuries of fiction. As authors, how do we make our magic unique, believable, and captivating?  Enter Clark Row...

New content on Worlds Asunder! This week we can’t wait to introduce you all to Griffin Barber. Author, Baen editor, host of the Baen Free Radio Hour, Griffin is also a polyglot, recently retired police officer, and a lifelong player of tabletop RPGs and science fiction and fantasy fan. Join us in talking with Griffin about narratives–where they come from, how we tell our own stories, and how we in...

New content on Worlds Asunder! This week we can’t wait to introduce you all to Griffin Barber. Author, Baen editor, host of the Baen Free Radio Hour, Griffin is also a polyglot, recently retired police officer, and a lifelong player of tabletop RPGs and science fiction and fantasy fan. Join us in talking with Griffin about narratives–where they come from, how we tell our own stories, and how we in...