ECHOES: A FATHOMS DEEP PODCAST - SHOW NOTES
Episode 2: Walking in Magical Footsteps - Show Notes
Description:
In a world increasingly divided by ideology and identity, where do we turn to cultivate the empathy necessary for our shared humanity? The answer may lie between the covers of fantasy novels, where dragons soar and impossible magic bends reality.
In this episode, we explore fantasy literature's most profound and underrecognized power: its capacity to expand our ability to understand and care for others across the greatest differences. Drawing from psychological research and personal reading experience, we discover how fantasy performs remarkable feats of cognitive alchemy that strengthen our empathic muscles.
Release Schedule:
New episodes on the 8th and 22nd of each month, complementing written articles published on the 1st and 15th at Fathoms Deep on Substack.
Links:
Written article: Walking in Magical Footsteps
Author website: morganadrake.com
Morgan's Fantasy fiction: Dimidium Tales
SOUND CREDITS
Pirate Ship at Bay.wav by CGEffex -- https://freesound.org/s/93678/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
SHIP SOUND REQUEST!.wav by hello_flowers -- https://freesound.org/s/31006/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
REFERENCES
- Bal, P. M., & Veltkamp, M. (2013). How does fiction reading influence empathy? An experimental investigation on the role of emotional transportation. PLoS ONE, 8(1).
- Gabriel, S., & Young, A. F. (2011). Becoming a vampire without being bitten: The narrative collective-assimilation hypothesis. Psychological Science, 22(8), 990-994.
- Johnson, D. R. (2012). Transportation into a story increases empathy, prosocial behavior, and perceptual bias toward fearful expressions. Personality and Individual Differences, 52(2), 150-155.
- Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science, 342(6156), 377-380.
- Le Guin, U. K. (1968). A Wizard of Earthsea. Parnassus Press.
- Mar, R. A., & Oatley, K. (2008). The function of fiction is the abstraction and simulation of social experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173-192.
- Nussbaum, M. C. (1997). Poetic Justice: The Literary Imagination and Public Life. Beacon Press.
COMING NEXT
Coming June 8: "The Kraken: From Norse Legend to Scientific Discovery" - Exploring how maritime folklore contained accurate ecological observations centuries before science caught up
CONNECT WITH FATHOMS DEEP
Articles & Research: fathomsdeepbeyond.substack.com
Dimidium World's Fiction: dimidiumtales.substack.com
Author Website: www.morganadrake.com
Newsletter Signup: subscribe to my newsletter
ABOUT ECHOES
Echoes: A Fathoms Deep Podcast explores where maritime legend meets the craft of fantasy. Each episode dives into historical mysteries, cultural traditions, and supernatural phenomena of the sea, revealing how this research can transform your approach to worldbuilding and character creation. Hosted by Morgan A. Drake, author of dark maritime fantasy and architect of the Dimidium world.
Thank you for listening,
Morgan A. Drake
