Tales from the Fandom

Tales from the Fandom is a podcast that explores a variety of fandoms with a different guest each week. Fandom topics range from TV Shows, Movies, Books, Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, and more.

Episode 443: Don Martin talks fandom influences, podcasting, and his work as an Author of poetry, Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire, and more 02/02/2026

Episode 443: Don Martin talks fandom influences, podcasting, and his work as an Author of poetry, Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire, and more New York Times best-selling author Don Martin joins me on the podcast for a wonderful episode full of laughs, learning, and beautiful words. We kick things off by talking about his podcast, Head on Fire. Don talks about how and why he started it, and what you can expect to find by listening or watching his episodes. He interviews experts in overlooked fields, searching for answers to life's biggest and smallest questions. From there, we talk about some of his early fandom influences. From the X-Men, to a focus on the Animorphs series by Katherine Applegate. We discuss how his time spent with family in West Virginia and the history and stories that come out of Appalachia formed the foundations for his future work. Don then talks about how he started writing poetry when he was 10-12. Under the guidance of his uncle as his poetry & writing mentor, Don continued to develop and hone his craft. If you haven't found a poet you like, Don says you just haven't found the right one and recommends a number of poets and poetry to read. Link are at the end of the show notes. Then we talk about Don's novel, Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire. As mentioned previously, Don talks about how the idea for the novel started with a real town and story in West Virginia. From there, Verity Vox can be described as Kiki's Delivery Service meets Old Gods of Appalachia. We talk spoiler free about the book, and Don talks about how he infused the book's town and characters with his personal history with West Virginia and the family that resides there. We also talk about what's coming next for his work, and some projects that we hinted at are out now, including Hexes and Heroes. You can find Don at: Verity Vox and The Curse of Foxfire - Don Martin's catalog on Amazon - You can find Hexes and Heroes at: You can find Head on Fire Podcast at: Don's Poetry Recommendations Include: Clint Smith - Above Ground - Andrea Gibson - Lord of the Butterflies - Franny Choi - Maggie Smith - Good Bones - Maggie Smith - The Well Speaks Of Its Own Poison - Staceyann Chin - Beau Sia - Taylor Mali - Saul Williams - Danez Smith - Morgan Parker - Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night - Maya Popa - Wound Is the Origin of Wonder - /episode/index/show/talesfromthefandom/id/39958710

Episode 442: LexiChuChu returns and talks Video Games, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, Cosplay & Cosplay Judging 01/26/2026

Episode 442: LexiChuChu returns and talks Video Games, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, Cosplay & Cosplay Judging After 5+ years, Lexi aka LexiChuChu on IG returns to the podcast! Lexi's been busy over on their side of the country and we finally had the stars (and schedules) align for their return! We get to catch up a bit before we dive into the realm of Video Games. We kick things off by talking about Hades. Lexi has put in a lot of hours with that game and you'll find out how many hours they've got, plus their favorite weapons for dear ol Zagreus. Plus, we discuss Hades 2 and the different mechanics and gameplay from Hades. Lexi also talks about a game category that we have determined to call Catharsis Games. No, they're not the cozy games you're used to hearing about. Lexi talks about what games are in her catharsis game category and what draws them to those particular games. From there, we're venturing back into Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In Lexi's first episode, this was a topic we had talked about. Now here we are with even more to say. Lexi talks about the multiple Dungeons and Dragons games they play and/or DM in, along with other TTRPG's like Pathfinder, Coyote and Crow, and more. We discuss the gameplay at the table versus online, the storylines that have been created, and the TTRPG systems they'd love to try in the future (here's looking at you, Blades in the Dark!) We then come full circle with more Cosplay. Lexi talks about the past 5 years and what they've been doing in that space, and getting back into building/crafting some cosplay pieces for competition this year. We talk about what they're working on and even more ideas for the future. We also talk about Cosplay Judging, as Lexi has judged for several competitions. We talk about what it's like having seams looked at, techniques being judged, and how to be a good competitor (in skill and respect for others) in cosplay competitions. You can find Lexi at: You can listen to Lexi's first episode here: /episode/index/show/talesfromthefandom/id/39875065

Episode 441: Darvily talks Video Games, Fantasy, and Cosplay 01/19/2026

Episode 440: Stacy Kellam talks Romantasy Books and Fantasy inspired costumes & photography 01/12/2026

Episode 439: KaiaKayy talks The Lord of the Rings 01/05/2026

Episode 438: Lola Valentine of Winx Forever Podcast talks Winx Club 11/03/2025

Episode 437: Byuka returns and talks Umamusume: Pretty Derby 10/27/2025

Episode 436: Eden Royce returns and talks Psychopomp & Circumstance, writing for an anime movie, and more! 10/20/2025

Episode 436: Eden Royce returns and talks Psychopomp & Circumstance, writing for an anime movie, and more! Real life friend, 7x podcast guest, and multi-award winning author Eden Royce joins me from England as we get to catch up, talk her latest works, and more! We start things off by talking about her latest book, Psychopomp & Circumstance. It's her first published work geared towards adults. Billed as a historical southern gothic fantasy, we talk about how this book came about. From her writing process for adults vs children, the themes of the books, the characters, and the setting. I won an ARC, so I was able to read it a few months ago and there are certain scenes that still stick with me from this book. We also talk about some of her previously published works. Then, Eden talks about her latest announcement. Eden is co-writing a horror/thriller anime called Webe: Spirit Detective under the production company, N LITE, and being executive producerd by Jaden and Willow Smith. Eden talks about how she was found specifically for this movie, the work and how its different than writing her novels and short stories, and what this may lead to for the future. Eden and I talk about which works of hers may she'd love to see get translated for the visual medium. We wrap things up by talking about what she's working on currently or planning for the future! Purchase Psychopomp & Circumstance at: UK - Afrori Books US - Signed copy via Sistah SciFi or on Amazon at: Purchase Conjure Island at: Purchase Root Magic at: Purchase Who Lost, I Found at: or on Kindle at: Purchase The Black Girl Survives In This One at: Purchase Blackened Roots: An Anthology of the Undead at: You can find Eden at: You can listen to Eden's previous podcast episodes here: Episode 2: Project 13 Dark: One Year Anniversary: Women in Tabletop Gaming special episode: Book Trek: Eden Royce, Author of Root Magic: Episode 324: /episode/index/show/talesfromthefandom/id/38637160