A fantasy podcast is a podcast related to or discussing the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

genre, which usually focuses on the magical,

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

ical, or

folkloric Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

. Fantasy stories are set in

fictional universe A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...

s or

fantasy world A fantasy world is a world created for/from fictional media, such as literature, film or games. Typical fantasy worlds involve magic or magical abilities, nonexistent technology and, sometimes, either a historical or futuristic theme. Some wor ...

s that are often reminiscent of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and the early modern period. Despite having a fictional setting, fantasy stories can contain or reference locations, events, or people from the real world. Characters in these stories often encounter fictional creatures such as dwarves,

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

s, and

fairies A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...

. Common types of fantasy podcasts are

audio dramas Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

, narrated short stories,

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

s, or discussions and reviews of fantasy topics such as fantasy films, books, games, and other media. The intended audience of a fantasy podcast can vary from young children to adults. Fantasy podcasts emerged from storytelling and the creation of the radio. Fantasy podcasts have often been adapted into

television programs A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s, and

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

. Fantasy podcasts are a subgenre of fiction podcasts and are distinguished from science fiction podcasts and

horror podcast Horror is a genre of podcasts covering fiction, non-fiction, and reviews of the horror genre generally. History Horror podcasts are typically created and run by volunteers in their free time. As some podcasts such as ''Archive 81'' and ''Th ...

s by the absence of scientific or macabre themes, respectively, though these subgenres regularly overlap.

Genre

As of 2021, The longest running fantasy podcast is

PodCastle ''PodCastle'' is a weekly audio fantasy fiction podcast. They release audio performances of fantasy short fiction, including all the subgenres of fantasy, including magical realism, urban fantasy, slipstream, high fantasy, and dark fantasy. As ...

, which has been actively releasing content since 2007. The most common subgenre of fantasy podcasts is

high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...

, however, other subgenres include

urban fantasy Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy which places imaginary and unreal elements in an approximation of a contemporary urban setting. The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for cl ...

, modern fantasy, and

dark fantasy Dark fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporate disturbing and frightening themes of fantasy. It often combines fantasy with elements of horror or has a gloomy dark tone or a sense of horror and dr ...

Science fiction and fantasy podcasts

The content of fantasy podcasts often overlaps with science fiction podcasts. These two genres are often grouped together under the label science fiction and fantasy podcasts, which is sometimes shortened to sci-fi/fantasy podcasts or simply SFF. Some examples of podcasts that cover both science fiction and fantasy topics include ''SFF Yeah!'', ''The SFF Audio Podcast'', and ''Sword & Laser''.'''' Two of the longest running science fiction and fantasy podcasts, as of 2021, are ''Sword and Laser'' and the ''

Clarkesworld Magazine ''Clarkesworld Magazine'' (ISSN 1937-7843) is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It released its first issue October 1, 2006 and has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Elizabet ...

'' podcast, which have both been regularly releasing episodes since 2008.

Style

Audio drama

The Two Princes ''The Two Princes'' is a scripted fantasy action adventure podcast from Gimlet Media. It was created and written by Kevin Christopher Snipes and directed by Mimi O'Donnell. The story focuses on two princes from warring kingdoms who become unwittin ...

'' is a popular audio drama style

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

fantasy podcast. Other fantasy podcasts include ''Carcerem'' and ''Roommate From Hell''. Aja Romano, for ''Vox'', compiled a list of seven fantasy audio drama podcast that included ''Kalila Stormfire's Economical Magick Services'', ''The Magical History of Knox County'', ''Victoriocity'', ''The Alexandria Archives'', ''Love and Luck'', ''Alba Salix'', and ''Supernatural Sexuality with Dr Seabrooke.'' Other fantasy audio dramas or audio fiction podcasts include ''Inn Between'', ''The Once and Future Nerd'', ''The Penumbra Podcast'', and ''The Prickwillow Papers''.

Narrated short stories

Based on an

Audio Publishers Association The Audio Publishers Association (APA) is the first and only not-for-profit trade organization of the audiobook industry in the United States. Its mission is to "advocate the common, collective business interests of audio publishers." Membership is ...

report, the audiobook industry grew thirty-four percent between 2015 and 2016. According to Andrew Liptak, for ''

The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...

'', this increasing listenership has contributed to the success of podcasts released by science fiction and fantasy magazines. For instance, the ''

'' releases a science fiction and fantasy podcast containing short stories read by Kate Baker. As opposed to an audio drama, the stories are read by an individual rather than a cast of voice actors. Other example of fantasy magazines that release short stories as podcast episodes include ''The BCS Audio Vault'' and ''PodCastle''.''''

Improvisation

The fantasy podcast '' Hello from the Magic Tavern'' is entirely improvised except for the premise of the fantasy world in which the characters reside. The improv science fiction podcasts '' Mission to Zyxx'' and ''Voyage to the Stars'' both have fantasy themes.

Role-playing games

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

'', a

tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...

, is often adapted into fantasy podcasts. Marion Frayna, of

AsiaOne AsiaOne is Singapore's first pure play digital content platform, serving readers primarily in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. AsiaOne was first launched in 1995 by Singapore Press Holdings and is currently a joint venture between mm2 Asia ...

, recommends learning how to play the game by watching or listening to other people play on

live streams Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...

(such as ''

Critical Role ''Critical Role'' is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The show started streaming partway through the cast's first campaign in March 2015. Campaign one ended in October 2017 after ...

'') or podcasts (such as ''

The Adventure Zone ''The Adventure Zone'' is a weekly comedy and adventure actual play podcast based loosely upon the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game series, along with other role-playing games. The show is distributed by the Maximum Fun network and hosted by brother ...

''). These fantasy podcasts often include players asking questions and actively learning the rules of the game and regularly involve players making jokes and improvising rather than following a script.'''' Other ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing or actual play podcasts include ''The Broadswords'', ''

Rivals of Waterdeep ''Rivals of Waterdeep'' is an American actual play web series, with a podcast adaptation, where the cast plays ''Dungeons & Dragons'' using the fifth edition ruleset. It is set in the ''Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting and the show's Dungeon ...

'', ''Tavern Tales Junior'', and ''Roll For Wenches''. Other role-playing game systems have been used to create fantasy podcasts such as ''Welcome to Warda'' which uses the Fate system, ''Queer Dungeoneers'' which uses

Dungeon World ''Dungeon World'' is a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game created by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel. The game uses the Powered by the Apocalypse engine originally designed for ''Apocalypse World'' and used in ''Monsterhearts'' and other games. Th ...

, and ''Very Random Encounters'' which uses a different role-playing system for each

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

Discussion and critique

Fantasy podcasts such as ''SFF Yeah!'' and ''Sword & Laser'' cover news of fantasy related media and discuss or review the latest releases. For instance, ''SFF Yeah!'' discusses the latest science fiction and fantasy books.'''' Rather than discuss or review fantasy related media, nonfiction podcasts like ''

Imaginary Worlds ''Imaginary Worlds: the Art of Fantasy'' is a study of the modern literary fantasy genre written by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books in June, 1973 as the fifty-eighth volume of its ''Ballantine Adult Fantasy ser ...

'' and ''Words to That Effect'' explore, analysis, and deconstruct fantasy worlds and the themes and tropes used in the genre.

Adaptions

Some

web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single i ...

have been adapted into podcast form, including shows such as ''Critical Role'', ''High Rollers'', and ''Girls, Guts, Glory''. Fantasy podcasts have been adapted into books, comics, and film. For instance, ''Sword and Laser'' has been adapted into a book and ''The Adventure Zone'' has been adapted into both books and comics. ''The Two Princes'' has been adapted into film. Fantasy magazines have been adapted into podcasts or vice versa. For instance, the ''

'' podcast and ''The BCS Audio Vault'' produced by Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online Magazine. Fantasy podcasts have been used by businesses as marketing campaigns to increase brand visibility. For instance, the German software company,

SAP Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...

, produced a podcast entitled ''Searching for Salaì''.

References

External links

* on FictionPodcasts.com * on Podchaser * on Player FM {{Fantasy fiction, state=expanded Fantasy Fantasy genres Speculative fiction Fantasy podcasts