Worldbuilding for Fantasy Fans and Authors
Forging Fantasy Realms, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Zac Katz-Stein
-
By:
-
M.D. Presley
About this listen
What does it take to make a great fantasy world?
Be you an established planner, pantser, or unsure new author, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Adopting a "tools not rules" approach, you’ll discover dozens of definitive worldbuilding tricks and strategies, including:
- Surveys showing what audiences want
- Identifying ineffective, effective, and inspired worldbuilding
- The ins and outs of immersion
- Enhancing audience experience with fantasy conceits
- The four Cs of worldbuilding
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
Creating Character Arcs
- The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development
- By: K.M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters - but it just isn't grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It's time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.
-
-
Why We Read (Listen To) These Books
- By C. Deputy on 06-07-18
By: K.M. Weiland
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
The Secrets of Character
- Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love
- By: Matt Bird
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The hardest yet most essential element of writing great fiction is character—specifically, creating a central hero who is relatable, compelling, and worth the audience's precious time. In this entertaining and practical guide, popular blogger, writing coach and screenwriter Matt Bird breaks down what makes characters embraceable and unforgettable, and presents insider tips and tricks for writers of all levels and genres.
-
-
Leave politics out of it.
- By LKC on 08-22-23
By: Matt Bird
-
Writing for Emotional Impact
- Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
- By: Karl Iglesias
- Narrated by: Karl Iglesias
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are three kinds of feelings when reading a story: boredom, interest, and wow! To become a successful writer, you must create the wow feeling on as many pages as possible, and this requires writing that engages the reader emotionally. In his best-selling book, screenwriter Karl Iglesias explored the working habits of A-list Hollywood scribes. Now, he breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader.
-
-
Best audiobook by far for writing screenplays
- By FilmmakerSuperNova on 07-04-20
By: Karl Iglesias
-
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded)
- The Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Ryan Burke, Tanya Eby, Adam Verner
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.
-
-
Excellent book but...
- By Timothy on 05-05-21
By: Jeff VanderMeer
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
Creating Character Arcs
- The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development
- By: K.M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters - but it just isn't grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It's time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.
-
-
Why We Read (Listen To) These Books
- By C. Deputy on 06-07-18
By: K.M. Weiland
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
The Secrets of Character
- Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love
- By: Matt Bird
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The hardest yet most essential element of writing great fiction is character—specifically, creating a central hero who is relatable, compelling, and worth the audience's precious time. In this entertaining and practical guide, popular blogger, writing coach and screenwriter Matt Bird breaks down what makes characters embraceable and unforgettable, and presents insider tips and tricks for writers of all levels and genres.
-
-
Leave politics out of it.
- By LKC on 08-22-23
By: Matt Bird
-
Writing for Emotional Impact
- Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
- By: Karl Iglesias
- Narrated by: Karl Iglesias
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are three kinds of feelings when reading a story: boredom, interest, and wow! To become a successful writer, you must create the wow feeling on as many pages as possible, and this requires writing that engages the reader emotionally. In his best-selling book, screenwriter Karl Iglesias explored the working habits of A-list Hollywood scribes. Now, he breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader.
-
-
Best audiobook by far for writing screenplays
- By FilmmakerSuperNova on 07-04-20
By: Karl Iglesias
-
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded)
- The Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Ryan Burke, Tanya Eby, Adam Verner
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.
-
-
Excellent book but...
- By Timothy on 05-05-21
By: Jeff VanderMeer
-
Save the Cat!
- The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
- By: Blake Snyder
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying.
-
-
Don't waste your time
- By Amazon Customer on 02-05-20
By: Blake Snyder
-
The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Book 1
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM's burden by helping you understand your monsters' abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don't whip out their field manuals for the first time when they're already under fire, a DM shouldn't wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat.
-
-
Audible Got this RIGHT - Chapters have names!
- By Lego Man on 02-13-20
By: Keith Ammann
-
The Fantasy Fiction Formula
- By: Deborah Chester
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing a new type of magic. From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the creation of dynamic, multi-dimensional characters, fantasy author Deborah Chester guides novices and intermediate writers through a step-by-step process of story construction. Whether offering tips on how to test a plot premise or survive what she calls the dark dismal middle, Chester shares the techniques she uses in writing her own novels.
-
-
Ended up buying the paperback version
- By Brianna Burnings on 04-20-21
By: Deborah Chester
-
Writing Your Story's Theme
- The Writer's Guide to Plotting Stories That Matter (Helping Writers Become Authors)
- By: K. M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Theme—the mysterious cousin of plot and character. Too often viewed as abstract rather than actionable, theme is frequently misunderstood and left to chance. Some writers even insist theme should not be purposefully implemented. This is unfortunate, because in many ways theme is story. Theme is the heart, the meaning, the point. Nothing that important should be overlooked. Powerful themes are never incidental. They emerge from the conjunction of strong plots and resonant character arcs.
-
-
Awesome info if you get past the drama.
- By wondernate on 10-05-21
By: K. M. Weiland
-
Story Genius
- How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)
- By: Lisa Cron
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's every novelist's greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page-one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot).
-
-
As a fantasy writer, this book was not for me.
- By Wendy on 01-10-21
By: Lisa Cron
-
How to Defend Your Lair
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world is a dangerous place—especially when you’re up to no good. Whether you’re a rampaging monster, a calculating mastermind, or the current possessor of the Golden MacGuffin, someone’s going to come at you. In How to Defend Your Lair, gamemaster Keith Ammann pulls back the curtain on an underrated but crucial part of any tabletop roleplaying game: the theater of battle. Say goodbye to encounters in randomly generated dungeons and hello to a game in which where the fight takes place is just as important as who is doing the fighting.
-
-
5 stars all around, but…
- By Taylor Lauer on 03-09-23
By: Keith Ammann
-
Creating Life
- The Art of World Building, Volume 1
- By: Randy Ellefson
- Narrated by: Randy Ellefson
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Creating a unique, immersive setting one life form at a time. This book is a detailed how-to guide on inventing the heart of every imaginary world - life. With chapters on creating gods, species/races, plants, animals, monsters, heroes, villains, and even undead, it draws on the author's quarter century of world building experience. Pointed questions, and an examination of answers and their repercussions, will help readers decide on goals, how to reach them, and whether they are even worth pursuing.
-
-
oh God don't let this guy read his books anymore!
- By Scott Fowler on 07-22-20
By: Randy Ellefson
-
MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a follow-up strategy guide with MOAR! monster tactics for Dungeon Masters playing fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.
-
-
Did you like the first one? You’ll love this
- By brian on 01-04-22
By: Keith Ammann
-
Structuring Your Novel
- Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story
- By: K. M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do some stories work and others don't? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA Award-winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story's major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel's pacing and progression.
-
-
An Outstanding Resource for Writers
- By Richard Phillips (Bestselling Author of The Rho Agenda) on 02-01-15
By: K. M. Weiland
-
Writing Vivid Settings
- Writer's Craft
- By: Rayne Hall
- Narrated by: Cat Lookabaugh
- Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want your readers to feel like they're really there - in the place where the story happens? Whether you want to enrich stark prose with atmospheric detail, add vibrancy to a dull piece, or curb waffling descriptions, this guide can help. Learn how to make your settings intense, realistic, and intriguing. This is the 10th book in Rayne Hall's acclaimed Writer's Craft series.
-
-
Very helpful. Exactly what is needed.
- By D. Hart on 11-08-17
By: Rayne Hall
-
Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
- By: Michael E Shea
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master builds off of the concepts of the well-received GM's guidebook Lazy Dungeon Master, updating that book with five years of new experiences, new approaches, and new observations of the way people prepare and run RPGs. This new book is a completely self-contained work, which does not require anyone to have previously heard the Lazy Dungeon Master. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master offers a new focused approach for preparing and running our roleplaying games.
-
-
A fantastic resource for all GM's
- By Alex on 04-01-19
By: Michael E Shea
-
Shut Up and Write the Book
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Novel from Plan to Print
- By: Jenna Moreci
- Narrated by: Lisa Cordileone
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shut Up and Write the Book is a step-by-step guide to crafting a novel from your first spark of an idea to the final edit. Whether you’re brand new to writing or wanting to hone your skills, this action plan provides straightforward advice while demystifying the art of storytelling.
-
-
An absolute guide and gift!
- By Lyls on 01-29-24
By: Jenna Moreci
Critic reviews
"Quite simply, it's brilliant. It's got the depth of research of a PhD dissertation, with the scale and readability of an epic fantasy novel. This will appeal as much to readers of fantasy as it will to authors who are either just getting into fantasy writing or who'd like to sharpen and expand their skill set." (Dyrk Ashton, The Paternus Trilogy)
Related to this topic
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
The Landscape of History
- How Historians Map the Past
- By: John Lewis Gaddis
- Narrated by: Jack Chekijian
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is history, and why should we study it? Is there such a thing as historical truth? Is history a science? One of the most accomplished historians at work today, John Lewis Gaddis, answers these and other questions in this short, witty, and humane book. The Landscape of History provides a searching look at the historian's craft as well as a strong argument for why a historical consciousness should matter to us today.
-
-
Excellent Book!
- By Billy on 09-15-18
-
High Weirdness
- Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies
- By: Erik Davis
- Narrated by: Erik Davis
- Length: 20 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality - but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America?
-
-
High Weirdness
- By Amazon Customer on 09-17-20
By: Erik Davis
-
The Art Instinct
- Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution
- By: Denis Dutton
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Art Instinct combines two of the most fascinating and contentious disciplines, art and evolutionary science, in a provocative new work that will revolutionize the way art itself is perceived. Aesthetic taste, argues Denis Dutton, is an evolutionary trait, and is shaped by natural selection. It's not, as almost all contemporary art criticism and academic theory would have it, "socially constructed".
-
-
A breath of fresh air!
- By Michael on 02-19-14
By: Denis Dutton
-
Irrationality
- A History of the Dark Side of Reason
- By: Justin E. H. Smith
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discovering that reason is the defining feature of our species, we named ourselves the “rational animal”. But is this flattering story itself rational? In this sweeping account of irrationality from antiquity to today - from the fifth-century BC murder of Hippasus for revealing the existence of irrational numbers to the rise of Twitter mobs and the election of Donald Trump - Justin Smith says the evidence suggests the opposite.
-
-
A good brain workout
- By ThomasC on 04-09-19
-
Six Memos for the Next Millennium
- By: Italo Calvino, Geoffrey Brock - translator
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the time of his death, Italo Calvino was at work on six lectures setting forth the qualities in writing he most valued and which he believed would define literature in the century to come. Here, in Six Memos for the Next Millennium, are the five lectures he completed, forming not only a stirring defense of literature but also an indispensable guide to the writings of Calvino himself. He devotes one "memo" each to the concepts of lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity.
By: Italo Calvino, and others
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
The Landscape of History
- How Historians Map the Past
- By: John Lewis Gaddis
- Narrated by: Jack Chekijian
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is history, and why should we study it? Is there such a thing as historical truth? Is history a science? One of the most accomplished historians at work today, John Lewis Gaddis, answers these and other questions in this short, witty, and humane book. The Landscape of History provides a searching look at the historian's craft as well as a strong argument for why a historical consciousness should matter to us today.
-
-
Excellent Book!
- By Billy on 09-15-18
-
High Weirdness
- Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies
- By: Erik Davis
- Narrated by: Erik Davis
- Length: 20 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality - but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America?
-
-
High Weirdness
- By Amazon Customer on 09-17-20
By: Erik Davis
-
The Art Instinct
- Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution
- By: Denis Dutton
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Art Instinct combines two of the most fascinating and contentious disciplines, art and evolutionary science, in a provocative new work that will revolutionize the way art itself is perceived. Aesthetic taste, argues Denis Dutton, is an evolutionary trait, and is shaped by natural selection. It's not, as almost all contemporary art criticism and academic theory would have it, "socially constructed".
-
-
A breath of fresh air!
- By Michael on 02-19-14
By: Denis Dutton
-
Irrationality
- A History of the Dark Side of Reason
- By: Justin E. H. Smith
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discovering that reason is the defining feature of our species, we named ourselves the “rational animal”. But is this flattering story itself rational? In this sweeping account of irrationality from antiquity to today - from the fifth-century BC murder of Hippasus for revealing the existence of irrational numbers to the rise of Twitter mobs and the election of Donald Trump - Justin Smith says the evidence suggests the opposite.
-
-
A good brain workout
- By ThomasC on 04-09-19
-
Six Memos for the Next Millennium
- By: Italo Calvino, Geoffrey Brock - translator
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the time of his death, Italo Calvino was at work on six lectures setting forth the qualities in writing he most valued and which he believed would define literature in the century to come. Here, in Six Memos for the Next Millennium, are the five lectures he completed, forming not only a stirring defense of literature but also an indispensable guide to the writings of Calvino himself. He devotes one "memo" each to the concepts of lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity.
By: Italo Calvino, and others
-
Freedom Evolves
- By: Daniel C. Dennett
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Can there be freedom and free will in a deterministic world? Renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett emphatically answers "yes!" Using an array of provocative formulations, Dennett sets out to show how we alone among the animals have evolved minds that give us free will and morality. Weaving a richly detailed narrative, Dennett explains in a series of strikingly original arguments - drawing upon evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, and philosophy - that far from being an enemy of traditional explorations of freedom, morality, and meaning, the evolutionary perspective can be an indispensable ally.
-
-
I knew I was going to like this book
- By Gary on 05-30-14
-
Orientalism
- By: Edward Said
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 19 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This landmark book, first published in 1978, remains one of the most influential books in the Social Sciences, particularly Ethnic Studies and Postcolonialism. Said is best known for describing and critiquing "Orientalism", which he perceived as a constellation of false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the East. In Orientalism Said claimed a "subtle and persistent Eurocentric prejudice against Arabo-Islamic peoples and their culture."
-
-
We're lucky to have this on audio
- By Delano on 02-27-13
By: Edward Said
-
Trekonomics
- The Economics of Star Trek
- By: Manu Saadia
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would the world look like if everybody had everything they wanted or needed? Trekonomics, the premier book in financial journalist Felix Salmon's imprint PiperText, approaches scarcity economics by coming at it backward - through thinking about a universe where scarcity does not exist. Delving deep into the details and intricacies of 24th-century society, Trekonomics explores post-scarcity and whether we, as humans, are equipped for it.
-
-
An Amusing & Practical Analysis of Fictional Ideas
- By Lost In The Wash on 09-19-16
By: Manu Saadia
-
The Ascent of Humanity
- Civilization and the Human Sense of Self
- By: Charles Eisenstein
- Narrated by: Steve Wojtas
- Length: 27 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charles Eisenstein explores the history and potential future of civilization, tracing the converging crises of our age to the illusion of the separate self. He argues that our disconnection from one another and the natural world has mislaid the foundations of science, religion, money, technology, economics, medicine, and education as we know them. It has fired our near-pathological pursuit of technological Utopias even as we push ourselves and our planet to the brink of collapse.
-
-
I love this author!
- By Tamara Smith on 12-03-17
-
The Master and His Emissary
- The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
- By: Iain McGilchrist
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This pioneering account sets out to understand the structure of the human brain - the place where mind meets matter. Until recently, the left hemisphere of our brain has been seen as the "rational" side, the superior partner to the right. But is this distinction true? Drawing on a vast body of experimental research, Iain McGilchrist argues while our left brain makes for a wonderful servant, it is a very poor master.
-
-
The Master and His Emissary
- By Michael on 11-07-20
By: Iain McGilchrist
-
The Romantic Manifesto
- A Philosophy of Literature
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this beautifully written and brilliantly reasoned collection of essays, Ayn Rand throws new light on the nature of art and its purpose in human life. Once again, she demonstrates her bold originality and her refusal to let conventional ideas define her sense of the truth. Rand eloquently asserts that one cannot create art without infusing it with one's own value judgments and personal philosophy - even an attempt to withhold moral overtones only results in a deterministic or naturalistic message.
-
-
Essential AYN
- By Mica on 07-15-08
By: Ayn Rand
-
The Story Paradox
- How Our Love of Storytelling Builds Societies and Tears Them Down
- By: Jonathan Gottschall
- Narrated by: Joshua Kane
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert on the science of stories, argues that there is a dark side to storytelling we can no longer ignore. Storytelling, the very tradition that built human civilization, may be the thing that destroys it.
-
-
A bit of a mixed bag with some amazing discussion
- By Justin on 04-27-22
-
Undeniable
- How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed
- By: Douglas Axe
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout his distinguished and unconventional career, engineer-turned-molecular-biologist Douglas Axe has been asking the questions that much of the scientific community would rather silence. Now, he presents his conclusions in this brave and pioneering book. Axe argues that the key to understanding our origin is the "design intuition" - the innate belief held by all humans that tasks we would need knowledge to accomplish can be accomplished only by someone who has that knowledge.
-
-
Seductively Challenge what are consider facts
- By Rafael Vila on 10-08-16
By: Douglas Axe
-
The Yugas
- Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future
- By: Joseph Selbie, David Steinmetz, Swami Kriyananda - foreword
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today's view of history cannot account for ancient anomalies, such as the Pyramids and advanced knowledge contained in India's Vedas. But in 1894, an Indian sage gave us an explanation not only for our hidden past but for the trends of today and for our future enlightenment - the 24,000-year yuga cycle.
-
-
Excellent book but one slight problem
- By Z on 02-19-19
By: Joseph Selbie, and others
-
Culture and Imperialism
- By: Edward Said
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A landmark work from the intellectually auspicious author of Orientalism, this book explores the long-overlooked connections between the Western imperial endeavor and the culture that both reflected and reinforced it. This classic study, the direct successor to Said's main work, is read by Peter Ganim ( Orientalism).
-
-
BRAVO, AUDIBLE!! WE NEED MORE SAID!! REAL BOOKS!!
- By AnthonyStevens on 02-27-11
By: Edward Said
-
Breaking the Spell
- Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
- By: Daniel C. Dennett
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why - and how - it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion’s evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma.
-
-
Great Reader Actually Enhances A Great Book!
- By Don Caliente on 07-14-14
-
How to Save the West
- Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises
- By: Spencer Klavan
- Narrated by: Spencer Klavan
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It has been proclaimed many times, but perhaps never more convincingly than now, when every news cycle seems to deliver further confirmation of a world gone mad. Is this the endgame? Author Spencer Klavan is a classicist, with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and a deep understanding of the West. His analysis: The situation is dire. But every crisis we face today, we have faced before. And we can surmount each one. Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future.
-
-
Spectacular! A must read!
- By M.A. on 02-15-23
By: Spencer Klavan
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
Creating Life
- The Art of World Building, Volume 1
- By: Randy Ellefson
- Narrated by: Randy Ellefson
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Creating a unique, immersive setting one life form at a time. This book is a detailed how-to guide on inventing the heart of every imaginary world - life. With chapters on creating gods, species/races, plants, animals, monsters, heroes, villains, and even undead, it draws on the author's quarter century of world building experience. Pointed questions, and an examination of answers and their repercussions, will help readers decide on goals, how to reach them, and whether they are even worth pursuing.
-
-
oh God don't let this guy read his books anymore!
- By Scott Fowler on 07-22-20
By: Randy Ellefson
-
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded)
- The Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Ryan Burke, Tanya Eby, Adam Verner
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.
-
-
Excellent book but...
- By Timothy on 05-05-21
By: Jeff VanderMeer
-
Writing for Emotional Impact
- Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
- By: Karl Iglesias
- Narrated by: Karl Iglesias
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are three kinds of feelings when reading a story: boredom, interest, and wow! To become a successful writer, you must create the wow feeling on as many pages as possible, and this requires writing that engages the reader emotionally. In his best-selling book, screenwriter Karl Iglesias explored the working habits of A-list Hollywood scribes. Now, he breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader.
-
-
Best audiobook by far for writing screenplays
- By FilmmakerSuperNova on 07-04-20
By: Karl Iglesias
-
The Fantasy Fiction Formula
- By: Deborah Chester
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing a new type of magic. From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the creation of dynamic, multi-dimensional characters, fantasy author Deborah Chester guides novices and intermediate writers through a step-by-step process of story construction. Whether offering tips on how to test a plot premise or survive what she calls the dark dismal middle, Chester shares the techniques she uses in writing her own novels.
-
-
Ended up buying the paperback version
- By Brianna Burnings on 04-20-21
By: Deborah Chester
-
On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
- By: Timothy Hickson
- Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
-
-
all hail mishka
- By M. M. on 03-25-21
By: Timothy Hickson
-
Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
Creating Life
- The Art of World Building, Volume 1
- By: Randy Ellefson
- Narrated by: Randy Ellefson
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Creating a unique, immersive setting one life form at a time. This book is a detailed how-to guide on inventing the heart of every imaginary world - life. With chapters on creating gods, species/races, plants, animals, monsters, heroes, villains, and even undead, it draws on the author's quarter century of world building experience. Pointed questions, and an examination of answers and their repercussions, will help readers decide on goals, how to reach them, and whether they are even worth pursuing.
-
-
oh God don't let this guy read his books anymore!
- By Scott Fowler on 07-22-20
By: Randy Ellefson
-
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded)
- The Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Ryan Burke, Tanya Eby, Adam Verner
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.
-
-
Excellent book but...
- By Timothy on 05-05-21
By: Jeff VanderMeer
-
Writing for Emotional Impact
- Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
- By: Karl Iglesias
- Narrated by: Karl Iglesias
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are three kinds of feelings when reading a story: boredom, interest, and wow! To become a successful writer, you must create the wow feeling on as many pages as possible, and this requires writing that engages the reader emotionally. In his best-selling book, screenwriter Karl Iglesias explored the working habits of A-list Hollywood scribes. Now, he breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader.
-
-
Best audiobook by far for writing screenplays
- By FilmmakerSuperNova on 07-04-20
By: Karl Iglesias
-
The Fantasy Fiction Formula
- By: Deborah Chester
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing a new type of magic. From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the creation of dynamic, multi-dimensional characters, fantasy author Deborah Chester guides novices and intermediate writers through a step-by-step process of story construction. Whether offering tips on how to test a plot premise or survive what she calls the dark dismal middle, Chester shares the techniques she uses in writing her own novels.
-
-
Ended up buying the paperback version
- By Brianna Burnings on 04-20-21
By: Deborah Chester
What listeners say about Worldbuilding for Fantasy Fans and Authors
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Historian1912
- 10-12-23
Stick to storytelling, not audience reaction
Pretty good until he gets into things like the Star Wars sequel trilogy. At that point, he starts sounding like he didn’t pay a bit of attention to why the backlash existed. For example, he thinks some of the backlash came from Rey being female. No. Only idiots think that. The backlash came because she’s a poorly written character that becomes more boringly powerful with each film. Those that would have absorbed hints from the movies, aka fans, would have been able to figure out just from Leia being Luke’s sister that there could be female Jedi. Apparently the author completely missed all the comics, games, and books full of female Jedi and other Force users that fans that actually would care what Jedi are would have consumed, and that’s before you get to the prequel trilogy and its associated media. Yes, this might seem like overfocusing on something minor, but I always have issues with anyone acting like an authority on something I’m trying to learn then saying something so hilariously incorrect on a subject I am incredibly well-informed about. However, since he hasn’t screwed most of his references to other media to my knowledge (I can’t speak for Harry Potter), he might just have a strange blindspot.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- sunwood
- 12-27-21
Fantastic research
Absolutely the best researched, the most systematic interdisciplinary exploration of the craft of worldbuilding. The author knows just about everything worth reading on the subject and incorporates it into the book magnificently. The best and most comprehensive book on worldbuilding.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nathaniel
- 01-20-22
Useful and a great jumping off point
I enjoyed this audiobook despite having only tried worldbuilding once before, and as I listened my brain began making connections between the parts of old world I made and older books I’ve read. Heartily recommend this to anyone who wants to get started worldbuilding.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Harald
- 01-03-22
A very good resource
The author is well read and it is obvious that this is a topic he is passionate about. If you are at all interested in world building, this is a great book.
I will be buying a hard copy as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Drew
- 04-10-22
Great listen about what it takes…
I have been a Tolkien The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia during my mid 1970’s Thru the 1980’s childhood years. Included Star Wars, Willow, Indiana Jones, The Lost Boys, Dragonslayer, Lady Hawke, etc….Loved & appreciated how the author M.D. Presley describes what the great ones like Tolkien, Lewis, Martin etc put into “World Building” to make the landscapes, locations, races, cultures, and creatures for the story lines so many of have enjoyed. I played D&D from 1980 to 1990 with amazing DM that had fantastic stories (adventures) for us to embark on. After too many years away - started back up again in 2018 and will not stop playing at least once a week. Like the author M.D. Presley describes - the new D&D adventures like the Lost Mines of Phandelvin, Storm Kings Thunder, Secrets of the Saltmarsh, Tales from the Yawning Portal, and Out of the Aybss - all stories with World Building aspects for all of us adventures to be part of. Loved this book. The narrator Zac Katz-Stein did a great job. Easy and clear as well as entertaining & enjoyable to listen to.
Please listen if you ever read any Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, George R.R. Martin or ever played D&D or Pathfinder.
Thank you author M.D. Presley & narrator Zac Katz-Stein.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nezumi
- 09-09-22
world building is hard.
loved it narrator reads with passion and knowledge.
the PDF would be handy to keep with you while listening, I unfortunately walk and work while listening.
author obviously has a huge knowledge of subject.
I'll check out more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!