One of the most common tropes in fantasy genres is personifying Death – turning this abstract and often terrifying concept into a character that people can interact with. Sometimes Death is portrayed as a Grim Reaper, but Death doesn’t have to be grim. Death can be compassionate, and even funny. And more often in recent years, Death has been depicted as someone with deeply ambivalent feelings about their job. I talk with listeners about their favorite portrayals of Death from Discworld to Sandman to Dead Like Me, and why imagining Death as a character changed the way they felt about death and grief. 

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List of media mentioned in this episode:

The Sandman comics and Netflix series

Dead Like Me

Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett

Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago

On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Critical Role podcast

The Seventh Seal

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Monty Python and The Meaning of Life

Personification of Death academic study from 2019

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