Episode 54

Ep54: Manufacturing worlds - an introduction

In this episode, we dive into an introduction on creating the fictional realities we love to get lost in. From the shores of Midkemia to the neon-lit streets of homegrown tabletop RPG campaigns, I explore how our imaginations construct and inhabit these spaces. Joining the discussion are my friends and fellow tabletop DMs, Andrés Díez de Castro and Nik Paro, who share the collaborative creative processes behind their own unique worlds.

Highlights

  • The Foundation of Worlds: Reflections on my early introduction to fantasy through Raymond E. Feist's Magician and then into other worlds. However, it's not just about fantasy and science fiction
  • The Secret to Relatability: Andrés argues that the best world-building balances relatable cultural elements with fresh magical or technological twists so the setting doesn't feel too mundane or too alien.
  • Finding the "Red Thread": Nik emphasises the importance of having a core narrative thread that ties a fantastical world together, warning that introducing too many contrasting elements can cause a setting to clash.
  • Hyperphantasia vs. Aphantasia: Dups discusses the fascinating spectrum of human imagination. He contrasts his own hyperphantasia—experiencing imagination like a vivid 4K film—with aphantasia.
  • Finding Inspiration: The group discusses their creative influences, from the intricate, storm-ravaged ecology of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive to the consciousness-transferring, gritty sci-fi of Altered Carbon.
  • Words Over Visuals: Dups shares a personal anecdote about discovering the world of Star Wars through a novelisation before ever seeing the film, illustrating the raw power of descriptive storytelling.

Books & Media Mentioned in this Episode

  • Magician by Raymond E. Feist
  • The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, David Eddings, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, and R.A. Salvatore
  • Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive
  • Altered Carbon
  • Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Doctor Who

Connect with the Show

What is your favourite fictional world? Dups would love to hear from you.

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About the Podcast

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Tales under the cat tree: Conversations on Imagination, Tech & Human Adventure
Hosted by tech leader and storyteller Duleepa Wijayawardhana, this podcast explores the intersections of technology, fiction, and human adventure. Words create the worlds we live in—join us for weekly conversations that spark your imagination.

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About your host

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Duleepa Wijayawardhana

It started with late nights, glue sticks, and a university newspaper / radio.

That early obsession with how words reach people took me from student journalism to a career spanning the globe. I’ve gone from designing newspapers and having radio shows to building systems at BioWare (yes, the RPG legends), managing data at MySQL, and now leading tech at Supermetrics in Helsinki.

But at my core, I’m still that geek who believes writing is just code for the human mind.

While a computer chip executes code exactly, your imagination runs stories based on your own unique wiring. Tales under the cat tree is where we run those programs together. Whether we're exploring the fiction that inspires us or the tech that defines us, my goal is to spark your imagination and—most importantly—never make you go "meh."

Words create the worlds we live in. Let's explore them.