Back in early 2023—two days before my 50th birthday, when I was in a very retrospective headspace—I had the honor and pleasure of sitting for an interview with acclaimed documentarian * for Fantasy Rising, his upcoming streaming documentary on the history of the fantasy genre.

We talked for hours, and it felt so natural that I don’t really have much recollection of what I said. I didn’t go in with prepared soundbites I wanted to get on camera, just an open heart and a love of the genre I have been part of as both fan and professional for my entire life.

I’m sure I was brilliant and enthralling as usual, but you don’t need to have faith in me. Tom assembled a cast of interviewees far more clever and experienced than I. Names like Raymond E. Feist, Scott Lynch, Sir Ian Livingstone, Max Gladstone, Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Bear and Theodora Goss, in addition to a number of journalists and scholars who have studied the fantasy phenomenon for decades.

With a streaming deal in place, Tom is kickstarting funding for completion of the project:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tomodell/fantasy-rising

The Kickstarter comes with a bunch of exclusive goodies, and there’s only 17 days left to bid, so click the link, watch the trailer, maybe leave a bid (please and thank you) and if you’re really feeling it, tell me I looked good on the eve of the big five oh.

*Tom O’Dell is the writer, editor, director and producer of over 20 feature docs and co-founder of the independent documentary studio Spiritlevel Cinema. His work focusses on the arts, entertainment and history, previous films include: How The Beatles Changed The World; Manson, Music From An Unsound Mind; Rise Of The Superheroes; Gone With The Wind: The Rise And Fall Of Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Murder Network and Kraftwerk and The Electronic Revolution.