In the magical world of Fantasia, a storm is gathering. A great big Nothing is threatening to swallow up the land of the hopes and dreams of mankind into total oblivion. Only a great warrior—and an intrepid reader—can come together to give the Childlike Empress a new name, thus saving Fantasia from its impending doom. This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re diving headfirst into the pages of 1984’s The Neverending Story (based on the novel by Michael Ende). It’s the film that first introduced us as young people to certain mythological traditions and difficult philosophical concepts. Climb aboard your Luck Dragon for an in-depth discussion of the iconography (from AURYN to the sphinx) and philosophy (from existentialism to esoterica) of the Neverending Story.

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week, and this is Episode 3: Detected. It originally aired in February of 2017 and explored our fascination with detective stories. With a special emphasis on the best-loved detective in fiction—Sherlock Holmes—we’ll interpret the clues and uncover the truth about why detective stories continue to be told. Join the investigation by hopping in the time machine with us.

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The Wheel of Ka is back! On the next installment of our podcast reread of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Derek & Steve discuss the first half of Book Four: Wizard & Glass. King finally lets the readers into the murky history of Gliead’s last Gunslinger, Roland, and we learn of his youth and the love that would come to define the romantic nature of his heart, Susan Delgado. Derek and Steve unpack the themes, from Roland and Susan’s parallel to Paris and Helen from the Greek myth of the Trojan war, to the the traumatic and unfair predicament of Susan’s forced and sordid arrangement with Mayor Thorin. Let us not forget the three coffin hunters and their conspiracy to undo the Affiliation, or the mysterious witch, Rhea, and her pink glowing piece of glass. Grip your sandalwood revolvers and do not forget the face of your father in this next installment of the Wheel of Ka. 

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We’re just days from the premiere of Stranger Things 3 on Netflix, so we’re going back through the first two seasons to demystify the many monsters of the Upside Down. Drawing on the mythological inspiration for the Demogorgon, the role of Dungeons & Dragons in shaping the imagination, and the long history of monsters in the movies, this episode seeks to understand why we create monstrous beasts to contend with. Most importantly, we’ll explore how Stranger Things gives us a model of monster that realizes the intangible depths of childhood trauma—and gives us a model for how to fight back. Brief cameos from Godzilla, Frankenstein, King Kong, and more as we read listener responses to our “favorite classic monster” Twitter poll!

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine y’all! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week to make it available on all platforms. This is Episode 2: Hey Princess, which aired in February of 2017. We discuss our hero, Princess Leia/General Organa from the Star Wars franchise and her legacy for the princess archetype in Hollywood. With an exploration of Central European fairy tales and Disney’s iconic princesses, we try to learn how to better craft women characters.

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It’s a most triumphant part two to our discussion of the wise fools Bill S. Preston, esq. and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan! This week, we’ll get into the wacky and ambitious sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. As we track the heroes’ journey through the afterlife—heaven, hell, a new-age seance, and everywhere in between, we’ll explore its roots in Greek mythology and classic world cinema. We’ll break down the film’s relationship to the story of Sisyphus, cross-cultural personifications of death, psychoanalytical touchstones, and the medieval imagery of the Danse Macabre—because sooner or later, you’re gonna dance with the reaper.

God gave rock and roll to you. 

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IT'S THE MIDNIGHT MYTH TIME MACHINE! We’re republishing our back catalog, which has heretofore been unavailable on most platforms. We’re starting with Episode 1: Villainy, in which Derek & Laurel deliver side-by-side case studies of two iconic villains. First, an exploration of Dracula and the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation of the classic vampire tale that upends traditional villain narratives. Next, a study of Voldemort, the larger-than-life antagonist of the Harry Potter saga and magical demagogue. Plus, the basics of melodrama, and Laurel predicts Cersei Lannister's successful strategy against the White Walkers. Stay tuned each week for our older episodes in addition to our regular weekly content.

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The year is 2688. The place is San Dimas, California.The air is clean, the water is clean, and even the dirt… is clean! Buckle up, friends, because we’re going back (and forward) in time for this episode, exploring the cult classic and career launch for the one and only Keanu Reeves: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. For an unassuming slacker buddy comedy, Excellent Adventure delves into its own special moral philosophy, pays tribute to its sci-fi forefathers (H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and even Mark Twain), and asks a fundamental question: can art and music really change the world? Join us as we discuss progress toward Utopia, the themes and legacy of time travel science fiction, and the philosophical depth of your favorite metalheads. Most importantly, we’ll understand what it means to be excellent to each other (and party on, dudes!)

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Some physicists believe the universe was created in the Big Bang approximately 13.8 billion years ago. These theories are, unfortunately, incorrect. The universe was, in fact, created by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett, and I’m afraid it’s turtles all the way down. Welcome to the Midnight Myth Podcast’s exploration of the mythological sources and philosophies of Good Omens (a new limited series on Amazon Prime and a novel from 1990). The end times are here, and we’ve lost the Antichrist. But is it a mistake, or just part of the ineffable plan? From the Angel of the Eastern Gate and the serpent in the Garden of Eden to the philosophies of the Enlightenment and the persistent “problem of evil” within theology—this episode breaks down the big questions of existence. To the world! *clink*

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With Game of Thrones in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another character study. Our listeners voted (back in early April) for a Bran Stark episode, and little did we know that he would become such a key player in the final episodes. We’ll draw on ancient Celtic and Norse mythological traditions to discover the antecedents of the character, discuss the archetypes he conforms to (and subverts), and analyze George R.R. Martin and the showrunners’ intent in crafting the final fate of Bran.

Learn more about Bran the Blessed and the Welsh Mabinogion, Odin the all-father, and the Fisher King in our sources here.

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