Tag: world building

45. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin – Crafting a Slow-Burning Narrative

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The left hand of darkness analysis and book review by Jed Herne

The Left Hand of Darkness is a visionary sci-fi story about a lone human ambassador to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants’ biology allows them to choose—and change—their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely different culture that he encounters. Exploring psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness is as a landmark achievement – especially considering that it came out in 1969!

The Left Hand of Darkness analysis


In this episode, I examined how despite being very slow-paced (or, perhaps, because of this), Le Guin’s novel is incredibly engaging. Enjoy!

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Show Notes:

Read my latest space fantasy novel, Across the Broken Stars (out today!): https://jedherne.com/broken

Got thoughts? Email me at jed.herne1 (at) gmail.com – I love hearing from you and I respond to as many messages as I can.

44. Master of Sorrows by Justin Call – Crafting Compelling Magic Systems

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An in-depth look at creating interesting, cohesive magic that improves your story in meaningful ways. 

This is a follow up to an interview I did with the author a few weeks ago. We had an excellent chat about his book as a whole, and to complement our discussion, I wanted to do an episode diving deep into his magic system – which I really enjoyed and made the book feel super unique. Enjoy!

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Listen on Spotify

Or click here to listen online.

Show Notes:

My interview with Justin, author of Master of Sorrows: https://novelanalyst.com/2020/01/07/justin-call-interview/

My upcoming space fantasy book, Across the Broken Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49125250-across-the-broken-stars

36 – [Interview] Gareth Hanrahan: World Building, Writing Advice, and Creating a Successful Writing Career

~ Jed Herne ~ 2 Comments

Stoked to interview Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer – which I analysed on the show just a few days ago. We had an excellent in-depth chat about his book, how writing for role-playing games has helped him as an author, and lots more. Enjoy!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

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Or click here to listen online

Show Notes:

Gareth’s influential books:


DECLARE, Tim Powers

Lavondyss, Robert Holdstock

Deep Work, by Cal Newport

Hyperfocus, Chris Bailey (more accessible version of Deep Work)

Hamlet’s Hit Points, Robin D Laws

Storyteller Tools, M. Harold Page

House of Leaves 

Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer

My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, comes out tomorrow! (Sep 20th, 2019). Read it here: https://jedherne.com/firesofthedead

Questions, comments, queries? I love hearing from you! I respond to every email sent to: jed.herne1@gmail.com

35 – The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan – World Building for Fantasy Cities

~ Jed Herne ~ 1 Comment

In today’s episode, I outline a guide for world-building amazing fantasy cities – like the one Hanrahan created in The Gutter Prayer. Here’s my key world-building lessons learnt from this book:

1. Consider the first scene as a microcosm

2. The first scene sets the tone

3. Explore your interests

4. Consider how different characters react to the same world.

5. More ideas is better than not enough

6. Layer it up!

7. Treat the city as a character

8. It’s about the intertwining

Listen on Apple Podcasts

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Or click here to listen online

Show Notes:

My debut fantasy novella, Fires of the Dead, comes out September 20th! Buy a copy during launch week (between 20th-27th September), then send me your receipt and I’ll set you up with exclusive bonuses. My email: jed.herne1@gmail.com

Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Fires-Dead-Fantasy-Jed-Herne-ebook/dp/B07WDBLW9Y

29 – The Way of Kings – Stormlight Archive book 1 – by Brandon Sanderson – Crafting Epic Fantasy

~ Jed Herne ~ Leave a comment
What does it mean to craft epic fantasy? How is it different that other forms of fantasy? What are it’s unique strengths, and potential pitfalls? All those questions and more answered in today’s episode, which focuses on The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
Enjoy!

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Listen on Stitcher

Or click here to listen online

Shownotes:
Check out my new youtube channel for writing advice every weekday: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVjB-qFoNxNbQq0S3boWxIA?view_as=subscriber
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Twitter: @jedherne
Email: jed.herne1@gmail.com