Worlds Beyond Worlds: Mushrooms and De-Centering Our Selves

Worlds Beyond Worlds - Interview with Ryan Kirk

Ryan Kirk on Building a Fantasy Career, Writing Consistency, and Supporting Authors Host Patrick J, D'Silva introduces a Worlds Beyond Worlds interview with Twin Cities science fiction and fantasy author Ryan Kirk, noting mid-episode audio issues on Patrick’s track while Ryan remains clear. Ryan recounts stumbling into novel-writing through National Novel Writing Month, finishing a first “trash” draft, then writing a 120,000-word novel that self-published successfully on Amazon and launched a hybrid career; his breakout book was Night. They discuss writing in quiet early/late hours, Ryan’s flexible daily process (handwriting, typing, dictation) and goal of 2,000–3,000 words a day, emphasizing consistent small effort. Ryan cites influences including Fonda Lee, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Ender’s Game, and outlines business challenges in a saturated market. He explains how readers can best support authors via direct sales/Kickstarters and word-of-mouth, summarizes his standalone The Last Fang of God and its rune-based divine power system, and previews a new fantasy-thriller series slated for March and June. They end by exploring why fiction helps make sense of life and how readers co-create meaning with authors. 00:00 Audio Disclaimer 00:52 Podcast Launch Intro 02:16 Ryan Writing Origin 03:34 NaNoWriMo Breakthrough 06:03 First Book Success 08:08 Influences and Favorites 10:24 Daily Writing Routine 12:56 Consistency Over Sprints 16:04 Publishing Market Challenges 18:55 How Readers Support Authors 23:18 Father Daughter Fantasy 24:55 Gods Dreams and Devotion 26:12 Runes as Divine Language 28:32 Standalone vs Series Pressure 31:06 Stakes Spoilers and Media Savvy 33:06 Cozy Fantasy and Reading Taste 36:18 Books as Co Created Worlds 37:53 New Thriller Fantasy Series 39:36 Why Start a Podcast 43:09 Fiction as Safe Insight 48:59 Letting Stories Go 50:00 Closing Thanks and Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit worldbeyondworlds.substack.com [https://worldbeyondworlds.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Worlds Beyond Worlds: Retrospective on Autonomy in Learning series

This was such an amazing experience discussing autonomy in learning with my old students. Thank you for listening! If you want to be the first to know about new content, please consider subscribing using the box below. Feel free to leave a comment! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit worldbeyondworlds.substack.com [https://worldbeyondworlds.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Worlds Beyond Worlds: Gaming, Coloniality, and Critiquing Our Darlings

Worlds Beyond Worlds Ep. 3: Gaming, Coloniality, and Critiquing Our Darlings In this episode of Worlds Beyond Worlds, host Patrick J. D'Silva talks with former DU students James, Andrew, and Zane about his Spring 2025 course on race, religion, and science fiction, with a special emphasis on gaming. James, now an adjunct at Regis University, describes adapting the course’s discussion-and-reflection structure for his own class on sacred encounters. Andrew and Zane, both Joint Doctoral Program PhD students, reflect on key course readings such as Charles Mills’ “The Wretched of Middle Earth” and David Higgins’ Reverse Colonization, and highlight Indigenous futurism as transformative. They discuss final projects: James’ creative Elder Scrolls narrative critiquing imperial religious bans, Zane’s Warhammer 40K paper on Anglo-Protestant anti-Catholic tropes and fascist appropriation, and Andrew’s BioShock Infinite analysis linking baptism, redemption, and colonial violence. Follow Zane on Substack: https://theosophia.substack.com/ [https://theosophia.substack.com/] 00:00 Episode Setup 01:41 James Intro and Teaching 04:15 Sacred Encounters Course 07:28 Andrew Intro and Fandom 09:39 Zane Intro and Ministry 14:04 Course Structure Reflections 14:47 Zane on Reverse Colonization 18:29 Andrew on Tolkien and Race 23:21 James on Indigenous Futurism 34:06 Final Project Transition 34:35 Elder Scrolls Creative Project 41:26 Masters Final Triumph 41:55 Orc Mage Backstory 44:13 Creative Outlet Blend 45:10 Zane Warhammer Focus 48:14 Catholic Gothic Continuity 50:43 Alt Right Aesthetics 57:39 Andrew Bioshock Thesis 01:01:19 Redemption And Decolonization 01:07:56 Publishing And Conferences 01:11:50 Course Takeaways 01:20:44 Fiction As Cultural Product 01:26:04 Season Wrap And Farewell This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit worldbeyondworlds.substack.com [https://worldbeyondworlds.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Worlds Beyond Worlds - Afrofuturism, Autonomy, and Utopia

Afrofuturism, Autonomy, and Utopia: Robert Munson and Kirsten Dahlquist on Wakanda and Earthseed Patrick J. D'Silva hosts Worlds Beyond Worlds and continues conversations with former students from his Race, Religion, and Science Fiction course, joined by DU/Iliff doctoral students Kirsten Dahlquist and Robert Munson, whose creative finals engaged Afrofuturism. They discuss why they took the course, emphasizing science fiction fandom, life-giving pedagogy, and research interests in Black imagination. They reflect on the course’s autonomy-based structure—choosing among many materials and open-ended discussions—its initial anxiety due to academic trust issues, and how it became generative. New or challenging takeaways include racial critique of Tolkien via Charles Mills’ “Wretched of Middle Earth,” debates about utopia and who defines it, and recognizing problematic elements of media while still enjoying. Robert describes a poetry chapbook/zine on Wakanda as refuge and praxis; Kirsten describes a guided “God is Change” vision journal inspired by Octavia Butler’s Earthseed and adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy. They compare creative work to research papers and close by describing the course as interrogating futures, absences, and assumptions through curiosity. For more of Robert's work, you can follow him on Substack: Musings from a Broken Heart [https://substack.com/@musingsfromabrokenheart?r=abtdk&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=stories&shareImageVariant=light] 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:36 Meet Kirsten and Robert 01:28 Why They Took the Class 03:50 Life Giving Coursework 05:27 Course Design and Autonomy 08:34 Trust and Classroom Safety 15:50 New and Challenging Takeaways 20:30 Middle Earth and Racialization 25:36 Critique While Enjoying 27:40 Politics in Pop Culture 29:31 Final Project Options 30:25 Robert’s Wakanda Zine 36:56 Kirsten’s Vision Journal 42:41 Creative vs Paper Labor 47:52 What the Course Was 51:11 Closing and Next Episode This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit worldbeyondworlds.substack.com [https://worldbeyondworlds.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Worlds Beyond Worlds: Mushrooms and De-Centering Our Selves

Mushroom Short Stories, Nonlinear Thinking, and De-Centering Our Selves: Former Students Reflect on Race, Religion, and Science Fiction Patrick J. D'Silva introduces the Worlds Beyond Worlds podcast with the first of three conversations with former students from his course “Race, Religion, and Science Fiction,” focused on both the course’s themes and what it felt like to have autonomy in learning. He reunites with Kim, Josh, and Gus, who share their academic backgrounds and why they enrolled, then discuss the course’s flexible structure—choosing readings from curated options, shaping discussions, and using alternative formats like podcasts—in contrast to rigid, top-down classes that can penalize students for life circumstances. They describe how units and peer perspectives reframed topics like cyberpunk, disability, and worldbuilding, and they explain their final creative projects: Kim’s mushroom-based fiction, Josh’s non-linear story about identity, language, and land, and Gus’s narrative critiquing Christian worldviews and oppression. The episode previews a next conversation with Kirsten and Robert on Afrofuturism, Parable of the Sower, and Wakanda. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:15 Course Origins 03:37 Meet Kim 05:03 Meet Josh 07:44 Meet Gus 10:29 Autonomy Course Design 12:24 Student Reflections 21:33 Suffering and Access 24:53 Kim Choose Adventure 30:18 New Perspectives Units 32:15 Disability in Star Trek 35:59 Final Project Options 37:09 UN Essay Options 37:52 Creative Project Examples 39:13 Kim’s Mushroom Fiction 43:23 Teacher Reflection on Creativity 45:49 Josh’s Nonlinear Story 49:24 Ritual Language and Identity 57:07 Gus Decentering Self 01:00:10 Aliens and Human Consumption 01:04:19 Open Ended Learning 01:08:09 Course Takeaways Roundtable 01:13:01 Closing Thanks and Next Episode This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit worldbeyondworlds.substack.com [https://worldbeyondworlds.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]