The Worldbuilder’s Tavern cover art

The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

By: Emma Maione Allison Alexander and Christiana Jones
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Summary

Welcome to The Worldbuilder’s Tavern — where great books meet creative minds.

Twice a month, we explore the worlds inside your favourite sci-fi and fantasy novels and build our own right alongside them. Whether you're constructing your next novel, TTRPG setting, or just love speculative fiction, pull up a chair at the Tavern!

The Worldbuilder’s Tavern
Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • 4.10 Building a Sea Creature
    May 20 2026

    Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a sea creature by answering these eight questions:

    1. What type of being is the sea creature—biological, spiritual, celestial, etc.?
    2. What does its body look like? How is it shaped by the depth, currents, and/or pressure of the water?
    3. How did the sea creature come into existence? Creation, transformation, evolution, punishment?
    4. How does the sea creature move, breathe, feed, and survive in its ocean environment?
    5. What role does the sea creature play in the ocean’s balance?
    6. What rules, instincts, or laws govern the sea creature’s behavior?
    7. What powers, if any, does the sea creature possess? What are the costs of using those powers?
    8. What kind of myths are told about the sea creature? What truths and distortions do those myths contain?
    • Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
    • Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
    • Next month’s novel: Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
    • Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi
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    35 mins
  • 4.9 Skin of the Sea
    May 6 2026

    Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the YA mythological fantasy Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. We discuss African and Yoruba mythology, gods, fairy tale retellings, "The Little Mermaid," foreshadowing, and more.

    • Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
    • Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
    • Next month’s novel: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
    • Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • 4.8 Building a Spacecraft
    Apr 15 2026

    Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a spacecraft by answering these ten questions:

    1. What is the purpose of the craft?
    2. What scale of distance does this craft travel? Does it orbit a single planet? Travel between multiple in the same solar system? Travel vast lightyears across the universe?
    3. How fast does it travel? If it has FTL travel, what is the mechanism for it?
    4. Is this a populated or un-populated craft? If the former, how many crew/passengers does it carry?
    5. Does the craft possess any level of sentience? If so, what is its temperament/personality like?
    6. What does the craft look like? Size, shape, colour, etc.
    7. Is the technology of this craft unique, or widely-used?
    8. What is the craft’s fuel source?
    9. What is the craft’s impact on the world(s) around it?
    10. How do you get from the craft to other places?
    • Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
    • Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
    • Next month’s novel: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
    • Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
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