Since I recently updated my recording setup and my audio quality has much improved since I did the Battle of Blackwater podcast, I’ve been thinking about doing some one-off podcasts of modest length on various topics, sometimes with other podcasters when I can rope them in and sometimes just doing it solo.
So I wanted to throw this to you good folks: what topics (ASOIAF/WOIAF, fantasy genre, or historical) would you be interested in me covering?
Please put your requests/recommendations/asks in the thread below:
Race for the Iron Throne 
I’d love a series on the WoW chapters.
World of Warcraft?
Winds of winter
Historical topics would be nice, would love an entire podcast about Richard III and the ways his life and legend plays out in ASOIAF with all the many versions of him in the story (Stannis/Ned/Theon/Tyrion)?
Or say the comparison of Maurice Druoun and Accursed Kings and ASOIAF?
Just struck me…I noticed that a lot of ink is spilled on Wars of Roses and Asoiaf but the Hundred Years War is not mentioned, even if it’s behind Accursed Kings and the ravages of the countryside in Riverlands, use of mercenaries and so on. So maybe comparisons between Tour de Nesle and Cersei’s plotting, the Armagnac-Burgundy war and so on.
I like this idea as well.
Smallfolk!
What are their powers and rights, what aren’t? What have they done, what can they do?
I’m extremely interested, from what you’ve already written (Brotherhood Without Banners and Kingswood Brotherhood / Storming of the Dragon Pit / the Sparrows and the Faith / thralls and saltwives / mobility during the Great Spring Sickness / etc).
Perhaps like the Westerosi Economic Development series, a “Smallfolk Empowerment” plan?
+1 for Team Smallfolk
I wouldn’t mind say a podcast on the smallfolk, but also one where you compare and contrast it with the sometimes ambiguous smallfolk uprisings in the historical Middle Ages where you often did have populist violence against minorities and so on. The fact that there aren’t Jews and other analogues to persecuted people of the time, means that ASOIAF is largely nobility versus smallfolk with no gradations in-between.
I’d love to have your chapter by chapter analyses in audio form so I can listen in my car and while I work
If Steven did that, he’d qualify for sainthood. There’s got to be over 60 hours of audio material there.
As to requests/suggestions…I suck at good suggestions, so I say do something that sounds fun, It will reflect in higher quality in various ways and we’ll all be happier. But it’s more important that you’re happy with it.
1) Detailed Westerosi Econ Development series!!!!!!
2) Military development as it changes along with society as applied to Westeros (maybe Planets more broadly too?)
3) Maesters, magi, and priests: how knowledge of various forms is preserved, passed on and utilized in pre-modern world.
Love the work you do Steven here and on Tumblr, really enjoy it!
If you do one on Good Queen Alysanne, I know a girl 😉
Although really, you talking about the historical royalty of Westeros – Targaryen, not, I’m pretty omnivorous – would be just delightful
I’d like to know what other fantasy series you’ve read that compares favorably to ASoIAF. I would particularly like to know what other series out has so many riddles, mysteries and conspiracy theories baked into it.
The reigns of Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V. That’s a period of English history I know very little about.
Don’t limit yourself to one topic. You could dedicate a few episodes to each of the other ideas suggested here. However, if you do pick something, I think there’s more stuff to talk about with real history as opposed to ASOIAF.
I’d enjoy some history podcasts – talk about whatever interests you in particular. No doubt we’ll love it too.
I’d love to hear an overview on the similarities between Planetos’ cultures and historical cultures of the past (though perhaps this would be better done as an overall chart).
Thanks for setting the gold standard of analysis in the fandom Steven! Every time there’s a new chapter breakdown my day is instantly better!
You are the commander of the supercarrier USS George HW Bush and you find yourself in Planetos near the Summer Isles as it exists at the end of ADWD, and you correctly determine that you are in the ASOIAF universe and you know where you are in the story chronology. You are fully armed and supplied but you know for a certainty there is no way home. You must survive in Planetos. What do?
My highest praise for your splendid work Steven,
I want you to explain your R+L=J theory. I’ve read all of your works on this matter and some questions still remain you know.
And I’d like to mention the “Tower of Joy” videos by Preston Jacobs and ask about your thoughts on it.
I really enjoyed your Blackfyre essays where you extrapolated the details and specifics of the First Rebellion. Maybe something like that for other historical events that we have limited info on, i.e. the reign of Jaehaerys, the reign of Cregan Stark, the Aegon III Regency, etc.
I guess I mostly just want you to create compelling head canon for me while I spend a decade-plus waiting for Fire and Blood.
In addition to what was described above (especially history):
Id like to hear general meta-textual analysis of ASOIAF. For instance, gender and sexuality, class oppression, war and violence, specific themes and parallels between the characters etc.
Discussion of the Dunk & Egg tales in CBC format.
Guerilla insurgencies in Planetos series: The Dornish Wars, Wildling Raids, Mountain Clans, etc.
Separatist Movements in Planetos: Annexation of Massey’s Hook, Skagosi Rebellion, Greyjoy Rebellion, Reestablishing the Kingdom of the North, etc.
I second Dunk and Egg discussions.
I’d prefer something light-hearted and concise. There are quite a lot of explaining podcasts and articles of the ASOIAF-world out there already, so maybe something comparative may work better. Like what are the real-world counterparts of ASOIAF ideas, objects and so on. Or maybe just the tumblr asks turned into short podcasts? 🙂 I’m also definitely on board for the “smallfolk”-idea. That’d be a new fresh perspective!
Mayhaps the way Richard III has been woven into different characters in ASOIAF. Stannis, Tyrion, Ned, Theon, Arnolf… different parts of Richard.
I think a general-purpose “History & Politics of Pop Culture” both fits your strengths (this blog & your excellent Marvel Universe blog) and gives you a broad enough canvas that you can go all over the place. You’d be able to have stand-alone episodes most of the time with an occasional multi-parter. You could have solo shows, guests and even roundtables with a host of folks from all sorts of backgrounds.
Range of episodes off the top of my head…
– The troubling politics embedded in ‘Summer Blockbuster’, w/ one of your Tumblr compatriots as guest
– Some fun niche topic from ASOIAF, w/ a historian collegue for you to interview on real world comparisons
– Historical easter eggs found in this classic comics story, easy one for you to tackle solo
– Best Political Episodes (overt or subtle) on prestige dramas in the last decade, good one for a roundtable.
If you go somewhere in that direction I would be willing to toss a couple bucks into a Patreon for semi-regular eps.
That’s a direction I’ll look into once the Kickstarter rewards are done.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I have a really good list now.
~ The best/your favorite Minor characters or those who are under appreciated.
~ Littlefinger: an in depth look at his backgrounds, upbringing, schemes, goals, bribery network and agents both former/current/future.
~ Where would other famous fantasy characters fit in the WOIAF? Would the magical Gandalf wait in a tree for Bran to come to him or would he pull a Melisandre and seek out Stannis and be like “We’re going on an adventure”?
I’d say maybe more about Dorne in ASOIAF. I just found this podcast so I’m not sure what you’ve already covered… But Dorne has always been something I haven’t know a lot about.