Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re blasting off into the hybrid world of science fantasy (or sci-fantasy, speculative fantasy, etc)! Whether you’re dreaming up starships powered by magic or crafting a galaxy of necromancers and tech wizards, this episode is your ultimate guide to blending the fantastical with the futuristic.

And for the first time, I'm joined by our wonderful producer Bridget Serdock, as we tackle questions like: What defines science fantasy? How do you balance magic and technology without confusing your readers? And most importantly, how can this underdog genre help your stories stand out? Drawing examples from classics like Dune, The Locked Tomb series, and even Mass Effect, we’ll dig into world-building tips, key tropes, and the challenges (and joys!) of creating a cohesive universe where magic and tech collide.

Plus, Bridget shares their insights from building a sci-fantasy D&D campaign, and we swap our favorite storytelling tricks for making this genre work. If you’ve ever thought, “Can I write a space opera with dragons?” the answer is YES.

Email your own advice prompt to fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com or join our Discord and let us know what's on your mind.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/