In the season finale, Daniel and Jon break tradition and step away from themed cycles to discuss some favourite stories of theirs that haven’t been able to appear in previous episodes. From childhood favourites to more recent discoveries, learn about the media that has had an impact on the duo.

Featured stories: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Swarm, The Blacklist, Man on Fire, The Owl House, The Legend of Zelda, Orwell and more.

Jon reads Daniel’s short vampire story with a long title, A Vampire’s Treatise on Vampirism. Then, Daniel and Jon discuss the story and the reasons Daniel made the writing choices he did. They examine the philosophy and morality of the protagonist of the story and how Daniel made him stand out from the vampire crowd.

Let the Right One In is a unique entry in the history of vampire stories. Daniel and Jon discuss the many complexities of the story and how it sets itself apart from the rest of an oversaturated genre. Then, they examine the American film adaptation and its place in the film landscape where the Swedish version already exists.

Daniel and Jon dive into the history of vampire stories, the origins of the modern vampire and the wealth of narratives and symbolism that can be found among vampire stories.

Daniel and Jon discuss Run, a short story written by Daniel for the episode. They take a look at ways action can manifest in stories other than combat and survival situations and explore the importance of focus and perspective in crafting dynamic action.

Daniel, Jon and Marv discuss Marvel’s X-Men franchise. They talk about the way the character-focused storytelling and philosophical conflicts central to the series greatly enhance the action. They also spend a lot of time talking about why Storm is the coolest.

Daniel and Jon discuss the renowned Avatar franchise and break down how the philosophies of different cultures and characters are represented in their martial arts.

Daniel and Jon talk about action in stories. They go over what exactly constitutes action, how writing and portraying action differs across different media and how to create action scenes with an impact beyond spectacle.

Jon reads Daniel’s story, Five Lessons and the two of them then discuss how the process of maturing is explored within the story. They talk about the difficult parts of growing up and how they can be explored in fiction.

Daniel and Jon consider taking a broader view of what constitutes a coming of age story as they examine Good Will Hunting. They discuss how trauma can delay personal growth and how the film portrays the process of coming to terms with past suffering as an adult.

Daniel and Jon take a look at Drifting Home, a movie that is about children stranded on a magical ocean on the surface, but much more if you look a little deeper. They discuss how the film uses symbolism to explore several different comings of age and how growing up means different things for different people.

Daniel and Jon investigate coming of age stories. Just what constitutes such a story? How is our understanding of this kind of story changing and growing and why do they often feel so poignant?

Daniel and Jon examine Daniel’s short story, Paragon? They look at what happens when you transpose superhero characters from the worlds crafted around them into worlds that more closely resemble our own. They discuss the idea of superheroes as flawed beings.

Daniel is joined by Keith and Andy from Sonoran Desert Media’s Brockton Bay Chronicles. Together they take a look at the compelling characters and smart writing choices that set Worm apart from other media focused on superheroes and villains.

Daniel and Jon discuss Invincible, a comic-turned-animated-series that explores not only the dramatic action of costumed heroics but also the emotional and psychological effects the superhero lifestyle has on the ones that take up the mantle.

Daniel is joined by Marv once more as they discuss superhero stories. They discuss what makes for a compelling superhero story and ponder the origins and future of our spandex-wearing champions.

Daniel is joined by guests Dan and Marv to discuss their web serial, Secrets of Slumber. They touch on the interesting concept and intriguing worldbuilding before delving into their quirky and unique narrator, the Story Re-Teller.

Daniel and Jon explore Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief. They discuss how the already emotional and poignant story is elevated even further by its choice of narrator.

Daniel and Jon discuss the bizarre metanarrative of The Stanley Parable - in both its iterations - and how the experience of the game is informed by its narrator.

Daniel and Jon try a bit of an experimental episode as they focus on the perspectives stories are told from. They discuss the different types of point of view and how different varieties of narrator can alter the way a story is experienced.