I welcome a panel of fantasy authors—David and Michael (writing as Paragon Exordium/Mikel Melwassul), Caroline Ailanthus, and Jay Requard—to discuss why fantasy remains culturally relevant amid technology, AI, and shifting reader tastes. Panelists share current projects and favorite fantasy IPs (A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones, One Piece, Tolkien, and R.A. Salvatore) and argue fantasy’s durability comes from escapism, safely exploring difficult topics, and a renewed hunger for hopeful heroes after years of grimdark. They debate how fantasy blends with other genres, what defines fantasy versus science fiction, and the importance of grounded worldbuilding, research, and avoiding anachronisms. The conversation closes with how authors’ worldviews seep into their work, plus where to find them and which fantasy objects they’d want.

00:00 Fantasy Panel Kickoff

00:40 David Introduces Paragon

02:01 Michael Updates Projects

03:08 Caroline Tolkien Response

06:25 Jay Salvatore Influence

07:37 Host Favorites And Question

09:10 Fantasy Relevance Today

14:56 Escapism And Social Themes

16:56 Caroline On Fantasy Functions

20:17 Yellowstone As Modern Fantasy

23:08 Why Fantasy Blends Genres

26:52 Defining Fantasy Rules

32:08 Magic Versus Sci Fi

35:39 Bright And Veneer Critique

39:08 Author Mission And Tropes

41:58 Mythic Beasts as Memory

43:28 Paragon Collective Amnesia

44:08 Genre Lines and Examples

46:21 Fantasy Without Shortcuts

49:14 Publishing and Subgenres

51:33 Technology Dates Urban Fantasy

55:15 Research and Anachronisms

59:09 Modernizing Dragon Warfare

01:04:44 Worldview and Allegory

01:11:28 Timelessness Versus Politics

01:13:50 Coauthor Perspectives and Goals

01:17:53 Fantasy Objects and Farewell

In episode 36 of Creative Dynamos, fantasy author Brian Rathbone discusses his path from horse training and a 35-year technology career to self-publishing, including mentally developing stories for years before writing after a 2005 layoff. He recounts early mistakes like an expensive print run with no distribution, later success selling eBooks via MobiPocket (before Amazon acquired it), and setbacks from Amazon’s 2016 algorithm and Kindle Unlimited shift. Rathbone explains defining personal success, building audience through free podcast novels, and focusing on long-term backlist sales using aggressive price rotations, SEO-focused metadata, and wide distribution, with Google Play and Chirp as key channels. He outlines his 12-book epic fantasy series built as four complete trilogies, a children’s book success (“The Silliest Dragon”), lessons on cliffhangers, community collaboration, and his in-progress historical fantasy duology “Witches and Scoundrels and Fools,” aiming for completion by year’s end. He shares where to find him at https://brianrathbone.com, on Threads as “Fantasy author Brian Rathbone,” and via email at brian@brianrathbone.com.

00:00 Meet Brian Rathbone

00:32 From Farm to Fantasy

02:24 First Epic and Publishing Reality

04:35 Print Run Mistakes and Early Ebooks

06:17 Amazon Shifts and Cliffhanger Lessons

07:58 Defining Success and Audiobooks

12:12 Backlist Strategy and Going Wide

16:33 World of Gods Premise

19:19 Accidental Kids Books

21:50 Unexpected Global Readers

23:45 What Epic Fantasy Means

26:33 Writing Accessible Series and Social Snippets

29:03 Content That Feels Human

30:19 Platform Wins and Flops

31:49 Plotting an Epic Series

32:09 Writing Like a Coder

33:12 Finding the Series Ending

34:26 New Historical Fantasy

36:16 Duology for Marketing

37:18 Shorts as Proof of Concept

41:02 Pricing and Free Hooks

42:16 Retailer SEO Strategy

44:40 Chirp and Box Sets

47:43 Collabs and Promoting Others

50:23 Building Writer Community

54:39 Podcasts and Approachability

56:57 Where to Find Brian

In episode 35 of Creative Dynamos, I talk with author Eric Swett, discussing the value of local writer communities for sharing advice on writing, marketing, and events. Swett traces his path from D&D dungeon mastering to fiction, shifting from formulaic fantasy to a post-apocalyptic serial and a daily 100-word exercise that became his first published book. He describes his Armageddon Angels series, featuring Justin—an angel who becomes the Grim Reaper—and a four-book arc focused on the horsemen, plus mystery-focused books filling a five-year gap. Swett explains his approach to worldbuilding, his blend of Christian-influenced mythology with fantasy elements, and inspirations like Supernatural and Lovecraft. We cover the benefits and costs of in-person events, strategies for low-cost venues, supportive author communities, and the guiding principle “progress, not perfection,” before sharing where to find Swett online and at upcoming events.

https://www.instagram.com/innocenteric/

https://www.facebook.com/ericswettauthorinprogress/

https://bsky.app/profile/innocenteric.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@eswett_mywritersc