I Might Believe in Faeries

In this episode, I am joined again by writer and Gene Wolfe expert, Marc Aramini. Marc and I have an in-depth discussion of the first book of Wolfe’s Latro series, The Soldier of the Mist.
The events of the book take place in 479 B. C. shortly after the battle of the 300 Spartans (and thousands of their slaves) fighting against the Persian army at Thermopylae. Latro is a mercenary in the Persian army who suffers from a head wound that gives him amnesia.
We discuss the events of the first book, the frame narrative, and the characters.
The Chapter Guide to Gene Wolfe’s Latro Novels by Michael Andre-Driussi can be found here.
The physical editions of Marc’s first two books are now available on Amazon:
* Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951-1986
* Beyond Time and Memory: An Exploration of the fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1987-1990
Marc’s YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@marcaramini9794
Marc can be found on Twitter.com at @marc_aramini
*************************************************************************************************************
Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber
Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563
Subscribe to my Substack -
for updates on the show, essays, and more!
Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries
Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries
Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Logo Art by Linnea Kisby
This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission.
*************************************************************************************************************


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

The Man Who Was Thursday was written by Gilbert Keith Chesterton in 1908 and is described as a metaphysical thriller. It is also one of the greatest Catholic novels of the 20th Century.
Gabriel Syme, a poet detective, infiltrates a secret society of anarchists to try to foil their plans of world destruction.
Gregorio Montejo returns as a guest to discuss this miraculous novel. We discuss Chesterton’s use of paradox, why the novel is called a nightmare, the color red, and so much more!
Follow Gregorio on Twitter.com @KtistecP
Do yourself a favor and subscribe to Gregorio’s substack Past Masters and read his essay on Chesterton here:
*************************************************************************************************************
Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber
Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563
Subscribe to my Substack -
for updates on the show, essays, and more!
Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries
Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries
Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Logo Art by Linnea Kisby
This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission.
*************************************************************************************************************


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

What is astrology? Is it different from astronomy? How was astrology viewed in the ancient world and Christian Middle Ages? What about astrology is forbidden to Christians and is there anything about it that is good, true, and beautiful?
Deacon Seraphim (Richard) Rohlin returns to the show to discuss all of this and more.
Find Deacon Rohlin on Twitter.com @richardrohlin
The Symbolic World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/
Resources:
Catholic Answers: Steer Clear of Modern Astrology: https://www.catholic.com/qa/steer-clear-of-modern-astrology
Jimmy Akin: Thomas Aquinas and the Occult: https://jimmyakin.com/2020/06/thomas-aquinas-on-the-occult.html
Origen and the Life of the Stars: A History of an Idea (Oxford Early Christian Studies): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198263619?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521716616?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
*************************************************************************************************************
Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber
Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563
Subscribe to my Substack -
for updates on the show, essays, and more!
Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries
Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries
Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Logo Art by Linnea Kisby
This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission.
*************************************************************************************************************


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

Independent Tolkien scholar, Ian Gunn, joins the show to discuss an article he wrote titled, “Tolkien’s Invasion of Dragons”, which was published in Mythlore in 2025.
Have the dragons disappeared from the world or are they still lurking about? What do we even do with one if we stumble across one in our garden?
Ian and I discuss Tolkien’s belief that tales of heroic myths and legends can revivify society and restore the “memory of the high and the perilous.”
We don’t want to be invaded by dragons, but sometimes that is exactly what we need.
“Tolkien’s Invasion of Dragons” (Mythlore 2025): https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3375&context=mythlore
Joie de Vivre Journal: https://www.jdvjournal.com/
Ian Gunn can be found on Substact: Thoughts on Tolkien
Ian Gunn can be found on Twitter.com @tolkienthoughts
*************************************************************************************************************
Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber
Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563
Subscribe to my Substack -
for updates on the show, essays, and more!
Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries
Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries
Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Logo Art by Linnea Kisby
This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission.
*************************************************************************************************************


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

What are the mysterious beings known as fairies? Can they be defined? How have fairy encounters in Europe changed over the centuries?
Dr. Francis Young returns to the show to discuss his new book, Fairies: A History, by Polity Books (2026). Dr. Young traces fairies and fairy encounters from pagan Europe all the way to the 21st Century. He argues that it is not useful to think of fairies as beings that can be proved and documented scientifically, but experienced through a type of perception. Have we moderns lost this type of perception?
What does Tolkien’s conception of Faerie have to do with all of this?
How did the Reformation and the Enlightenment impact fairy belief?
We discuss all of this and more in this episode of IMBIF.
Fairies: A History: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=fairies-a-history--9781509566778
Dr. Young can be found on Twitter.com @DrFrancisYoung
His substack is Francis Young
*************************************************************************************************************
Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber
Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563
Subscribe to my Substack -
for updates on the show, essays, and more!
Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries
Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries
Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Logo Art by Linnea Kisby
This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission.
*************************************************************************************************************



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe