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LitRPG author S.C. Culligan and narrator Luke Daniels join me to explore The Ascension Protocol—and the collaboration that brings it to life. We talk pop-culture Easter eggs, Fen’s extraordinary abilities, and the challenges of narrating battles involving his Echoes. We also dig into Seraph’s sentience, the mysteries of the Old Ones, and whether “Hardcore” offers true free will or a trap set by the system. Along the way, Luke shares his approach to voicing everyone from NPCs to ancient, god-like AIs. Luke also gives listeners a peek at several upcoming audiobook projects, including SLAY by Scott Sigler and Rob Otto, Malleable by Brody Hunsaker, and Cinder’s Edge by Gil Hess. S.C. Culligan talks about the upcoming release of Singularity’s Edge, reveals that Book 3 of The Ascension Protocol is already underway, and teases his next project—a dark tournament card-battler he describes as Mortal Kombat meets Magic: The Gathering. JD Mullenary's Interview with pirateaba:https://abnormalvaverage.com/2026/10/16/a-quick-interview-with-pirateaba/Pre-release for Good vs. Evil, Volume 1:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HL9M6QZC

GOOD VS EVIL VOLUME ONE PRE-ORDER NOW AVAILABLE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HL9M6QZC This week, the Spoiler Sessions table gets a little crowded. I’m joined by a huge group of LitRPG influencers, podcasters, reviewers, and BookTok creators for a special release-party episode celebrating Good vs. Evil: Volume 1, an upcoming collection of ten progression fantasy, LitRPG, and science-fiction short stories built around a deceptively simple idea: What happened to the good guys? Inspired in part by a conversation started by Steve Beaulieu about the disappearance of genuinely heroic characters from modern fiction, Good vs. Evil brings together stories about heroes with moral compasses—people willing to stand their ground, protect others, and face villains who are actually worth rooting against. We talk about whether unwaveringly good characters are harder to write than morally gray ones, how morality changes across settings ranging from legendary fantasy worlds to the far future, what makes a villain truly evil, and how each author approached the eternal conflict between good and evil. Along the way, our guests discuss stories from an absolutely stacked lineup of authors and narrators: TJ Lombardi & Wayne Mitchell • SerasStreams & Jeremy Frazier • Troy Osgood & Zura Johnson • AlwaysRollsAOne & Michael Norman Johnson • The Longwinded One & Andrea Parsneau • Tommy Kerper & Jonathan McClain • Jay Krauss & Luke Daniels • Plum Parrot & Daryl Mayfield • Joedan Worley & Jonathan Sleep • Malory & Neil Hellegers Even better, this is a community project with a purpose: 50% of all revenue from the collection will support a new author scholarship fund for future LitRPG Cons, helping new voices in the genre get their chance to be part of the community. Good vs. Evil: Volume 1 releases November 1 on Amazon, with the audiobook arriving January 15. I also give a quick shoutout to Royal Rogue, an upcoming progression-fantasy action roguelite featuring characters from The Path of Ascension, Calamitous Bob, Stray Cat Strut, and The Vampire Vincent. Its Kickstarter launches later this month, so keep an eye out if that sounds like your kind of game. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/critrpg/lit-rpg-a-progression-fantasy-action-roguelite Influencer Links: Wilkie World Wanderer https://www.youtube.com/@WilkieWorldWanderer https://www.tiktok.com/@wilkieworldwanderer Peter Whetzel Reads https://linktr.ee/Peterwhetzelreads https://www.buzzsprout.com/2569971 weread4xp https://www.instagram.com/weread4xp https://www.youtube.com/@weread4xp keepreadingkristen Instagram and TikTok @Kristen Schoonover https://www.mynameisdagoe.com/ UpperPen https://upperpen.com DownstoRead https://www.tiktok.com/@downstoread CritHappens https://linktr.ee/CritHappens_Author Dennis https://linktr.ee/dennisreadslitrpg The Morrigan https://linktr.ee/Morri_Tries Jess https://iowpod.com

We sat down with hit LitRPG author Aaron Renfroe to unpack Apocalypse BREAKER. He also shared the behind-the-scenes logistics of his massive crossover with Sean Oswald's Welcome to the Multiverse, teased his upcoming collaboration with David North, and revealed how his developer work with litrpgtools.com and Pivot Press supports the next generation of authors.

PopPop from *PopPop’s LitRPG World* joins me as co-host for a conversation with Benjamin Kerei, author of the *Unorthodox Farming*, *The Vampire Vincent*, and *First Line of Defense* series. We dig into the evolution of *Unorthodox Farming*, including how Arnold transformed from a “dungeon-diving farmer” into the trap-building exploitationist readers know today, and hear about Kerei’s original—and apparently physically impossible—ending for the first book. We also venture into *The Vampire Vincent* to talk about Angelica’s escape, her passionate following among fans, and what Kerei may—or may not—have planned for her next. Finally, we discuss Kerei’s involvement in bringing the legendary Korean LitRPG *The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor* to Western readers, with its release coming in spring 2027.

Fresh from the Indie Author Table at LitRPG Con 2026, co-host Reck Well and I sat down with an incredible group of indie authors—David Baxter, Bosloe, Travis Dean, KT Hanna, Steve Harthun, Lance Krautlarger, Doug Lohse, Timothy McGowen, Frank Morin, Waldo Rodriguez, BJ Webster, and Brian Wrestler—for a rapid-fire roundtable covering everything from introducing themselves as one of their main characters (or Princess Donut) to sharing their favorite memories from the convention and the Indie Author Table. Along the way, they revealed the strangest fan questions they've ever received, the weirdest things they've Googled while writing, the writing advice they happily ignore, and the coolest fan creations inspired by their books. The result is a fun, fast-paced episode full of laughs, convention stories, writing insights, and a behind-the-scenes look at the camaraderie that makes the LitRPG community so special.

Join us as we sit down with LitRPG authors R.A. Cooper and Aoife Wai, who also collaborate under the shared pen name Cooper Wai. We explore the stories behind A Titan's Core, Battle Bard, Bone Queen, and the Uncharted Bloodlines Universe, diving into unwritten lore, deleted scenes, and the unexpected side characters who became reader favorites. We also discuss Hunter Origins, their cultivation tower-climbing story currently on Royal Road, the hidden library of exclusive stories on their website, and the editorial challenge of replacing A Titan's Core's original Ascender number system with a credit-based progression mechanic. If you enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at worldbuilding, character creation, and the writing process, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

This week on Spoiler Sessions, I sat down with Dakota Krout alongside his longtime audiobook collaborator Christian J. Gilliland for a wide-ranging conversation covering the past, present, and future of Dakota's ever-expanding universe of stories. We explored fan-favorite series including The Completionist Chronicles, Full Murderhobo, The Divine Dungeon, and the upcoming Chance Encounter, diving into lore mysteries like the origins of Cookie, Luke's mysterious sponsor, the fate of Murder World's earlier visitors, and the enigmatic force watching Joe in The Completionist Chronicles. Dakota also discusses how he creates so many wildly different systems and premises, shares stories about LitRPG Con traditions, and reveals a few personal favorites along the way. Christian gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at narrating more than 260 audiobooks, how his partnership with Dakota began, and whose idea those beloved audiobook bloopers really were. If you're a fan of Dakota's worlds—or just want to hear two creators clearly having a great time together—this is an episode you won't want to miss.

In this Spoiler Session, we sit down with author Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon) and narrator Heath Miller just four weeks before LitRPG Con to dissect the massive thirteen-book journey of Jason Asano. Travis reflects on the evolution of his non-traditional hero, speculating on whether current-book Jason would win an argument against his Book 1 self, while discussing the difficulty of keeping curse-based combat interesting as the stakes escalate. We explore the emotional fallout of character death, the strategic use of epilogue chapters to flesh out the world, and the challenges of balancing LitRPG elements during the series' transitions between worlds. Finally, Heath Miller provides a behind-the-scenes look at how he has evolved Jason’s voice through the various ranks and which characters from the hundreds in the series have been the most difficult to maintain over the years.

In this episode of Spoiler Sessions, I sit down with author Reck Well to dive deep into their LitRPG series *Stumbling Up*. We explore some of the story's biggest mysteries, including whether the System is truly neutral, the possibility of more off-worlders arriving from Earth, Meredeath's missing sister, and the truth behind Richard the banana slug's immortality and origins. We also discuss one of the series' most debated questions: did Richard secretly save Leo's life? As a special surprise, narrator Jeremy Frazier joins the conversation to talk about bringing Richard's unforgettable voice to life, recording a dual-narrator production, and how regional character backgrounds influenced his performance. If you're a fan of dungeon crawls, lovable slugs, mysterious Systems, and behind-the-scenes audiobook insights, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

This week on Spoiler Sessions, I sat down with LitRPG pioneer Luke Chmilenko, joined by special guest narrator Neil Hellegers, to talk about everything from the upcoming traditional hardcover release of Ascend Online through Aethon to Luke's future projects, Requiem and The Last Sovereign. We discussed how LitRPG has evolved since the genre's early days, which trends Luke was excited about. Luke also shared some early hints about the themes and magic systems behind his upcoming series, while Neil offered a fascinating look at the challenges of bringing characters like Sylvas and Mira to life in Starbreaker. Whether you're a longtime Ascend Online fan or curious about what's next from one of the genre's most influential authors, this episode was packed with behind-the-scenes insights and plenty of spoilers.

LitRPG author Ryan Tang joins the podcast for a deep dive into Mimic & Me, Second Chance Circus, and the challenges of building long-running progression fantasy worlds. Joined by guest co-host Dakota from the UpperPen Podcast, we talk about Chester’s hidden past, foreshadowing demons and Calamities, balancing planning versus letting a story “breathe,” and how Ryan completely reworked characters, cities, and story structure after lessons learned from Royal Road serialization. We also get into co-author collaboration with Cassius Lange, the future of the Calamity Arc, and the differences between writing chaotic comedic moments and building a cohesive narrative readers can invest in for the long haul.

In this Spoiler Session, I’m joined by Jason Downs from DownstoRead as we sit down with John Stovall to dig deep into the world behind Demon Card Enforcer. We talk about the design philosophy behind new cards and expansions, the gods and factions driving the Great Game, and how future series like Card Apocalypse fit into the larger setting he’s building. If you enjoy deep worldbuilding, card mechanics, multiverse theories, and behind-the-scenes LitRPG discussion, this episode has a lot to unpack.

In this episode of Spoiler Sessions, The Longwinded One sits down with LitRPG veteran Harmon Cooper and special guest Andrea Parsneau for a conversation about the evolution of the genre, the rise of audiobook-first audiences, and how author and narrator collaborations can shape a series for years. Harmon and Andrea talk about how they first started working together back in 2018, what they think LitRPG has managed to preserve as it exploded into the mainstream, and whether the massive growth of Audible has changed the way stories are written and paced. The discussion also dives into Harmon’s upcoming LitRPG, I Can’t Believe I Have to Defeat the Demon Lord to Pay Off My Student Loans, including the absolutely ridiculous inspiration behind the title and premise, along with a look at his upcoming collaboration with Luke Chmilenko. If you’ve ever wondered how much the genre has changed, how audio has transformed storytelling, or what happens when experienced creators stop pretending they have every answer planned out in advance, this is a great conversation to jump into.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dennis from Dennis Reads LitRPG as we sit down with Haylock Jobson to dive into the world of Heretical Fishing. We explore why fishing is treated as heresy in the setting and whether that taboo has real roots or is just a lingering belief no one questions anymore. We also get into the turning point in Book 2 where food becomes a pathway to cultivation and how that idea evolved into such a core part of the story. Haylock shares his thoughts on letting the animal companions completely run wild in scenes, often stealing the spotlight in the best ways, and talks about his approach to keeping the magic system intentionally loose so it doesn’t box in the story.

In this episode of Spoiler Sessions, we sit down with RinoZ and special guest Jeff Hays to dig into Chrysalis from the inside out. We explore big “what if” moments like whether Anthony could ever replace or rebuild the Queen and what that would mean for the colony’s identity, break down the comedic (and maybe not-so-comedic) dynamic between Isaac Bird and Morrelia, and talk about how characters like Michaelangelant helped the colony evolve from a hive into a full cast with personality. We also get into Travelling Tolly and the sense that there’s always more happening off-screen in the world than we see. We even touch briefly on Book of the Dead, contrasting its darker system-driven storytelling with the humor and progression of Chrysalis, making this a must-listen for LitRPG fans who want a behind-the-scenes look at both the writing and performance sides of the series.