The Fantasy Forum

Escapism and The Vampire Diaries

Podcast host, Jeanne Yoon, invites close friend and fellow fantasy fan, Hanna Lee, to discuss how escapism impacts society. This episode explores Daniel Baker’s article “Why We Need Dragons: The Progressive Potential of Fantasy” and its claim that individuals need fantasy. This idea is connected with The Vampire Diaries television series and the strong influence it has brought upon many viewers. In their discussion, they recall characters and events of core fantasy elements and examine what makes the relatively dated show still a prominent topic of discussion among young fans today.

Transtemporal and Transnational Fantasy and The Nine-Tailed Fox

Podcast host, Adela Sheng, speaks with her friend, Shannon Kim from Auburn University, about an enduring creature of Asian cultural fantasy: the Nine-Tailed Fox. In this episode, they utilize this fantastical creature to explore fantasy’s role in society and its lasting cultural impact. They discuss the many different traits the Nine-Tailed Fox takes on across various cultures and time periods, as well as its portrayal in modern fantasy media.

Fantasy and Family and Dungeons & Dragons

Looking for nerdy tales of fantastical adventure with strong family values? Then check out this week's episode of The Fantasy Forum. Special host, Connor McCary, welcomes Chad Valentine, a father-of-four and lifelong Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast to The Fantasy Forum to talk about Fantasy’s role in building relationships. In this episode, they discuss how Dungeons and Dragons became a regular family tradition and what about it brought them together. They also discuss the interesting lessons from the family Dungeons and Dragons campaign that carried over into everyday life.

Feminism in Fantasy and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

Sometimes fantasy is purely imagination, but other times it reflects reality and elements of society. Through the increasingly progressive era that we live in today, relevant topics such as equality and feminism are embodied in many fantasy works. In this podcast, host Palak Sharma and guest Lynne Park discuss how feminism is present in the fantasy TV show Miraculous, and delve into how ‘real’ these characteristics are, as well as how having a prominent female protagonist alters the message of the show as a whole.

The Uses of Fantasy Aesthetics and Loki

This episode’s host, Ryan Thomas Lynch, chats with Sergio Ruiz, his good friend and fraternity brother who is a huge Marvel fan, about how the hit Disney+ show Loki is able to put its characters in very relatable situations despite narrative of the show being about the literal “God of Mischief” who gets arrested by an omnipotent time traveling bureaucracy (oops, spoiler warning). We talk about what we think the show did right, what it didn’t have to do, and what it did wrong in using fantasy elements to create the lifelike scenarios for its characters. Then they try to extrapolate that idea further into how fantasy should be used by others to make their stories more enjoyable and more relatable – without being too confusing or rules heavy ‐ handed allegories.