Falden's Forge

Falden's Forge

Exploring History & Fantasy

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How to Break a Castle
Castles and Fantasy Part 2: Sieges
 • Eric Falden
What Were Castles Actually For?
Castles and Fantasy, Part 1: Purpose
 • Eric Falden
What Did Kings Actually Do All Day?
It's not politics. It's personal.
 • Eric Falden
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Falden's Forge
Falden's Forge
Where I hammer out my stories. Join this ragtag fellowship to explore the intersection of history, narrative, and the fantasy genre. Adventure awaits.

Essays on Fantasy Narrative

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Tolkien's "Errors" and Their Lessons
What The Hobbit teaches us about worldbuilding, setting, and fantasy.
 • Eric Falden
A Conversation with Hilary Layne
The mind behind The Second Story and 'The Blue Prince'
 • Eric Falden and Hilary Layne
Magic Says More Than You Think
Why magic should explain stories. [Magic Systems, Part 3 of 3]
 • Eric Falden and Ian Dunmore
In Defense of Soft Magic Systems
Why stories should not explain magic. [Magic Systems, Part 2 of 3]
 • Eric Falden and Ian Dunmore
In Defense of Hard Magic Systems
Why stories should explain magic. [Magic Systems, Part 1 of 3]
 • Eric Falden and Ian Dunmore
Is Tolkien Old-Fashioned? What Happens when Substackers Dissect “On Fairy-Stories.”
Pt. 5: Highlights from the Community
 • Eric Falden and Clifford Stumme
Embracing Reality by Escaping to Faërie
Pt. 3 on Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories," with Clifford Stumme: Escapism, Technology, and Endorsing Reality
 • Eric Falden
The Heart of Fantasy According to Tolkien
Pt. 1 on Tolkien's "On Fairy-Stories," with Clifford Stumme: Exploring Faërie, Fantasy, and Myth.
 • Eric Falden
Why Hard & Soft Magic Systems Matter
It’s not about worldbuilding. It’s about narrative.
 • Eric Falden
How To Classify Fantasy Subgenres
And why its important to get it right.
 • Eric Falden
How “Real” Should Fantasy Be?
Using history to build realistically unreal worlds.
 • Eric Falden
The Moment I Learned To Love Fantasy
... and love myself a little bit too.
 • Eric Falden
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