Join my friend Michael and me for a conversation about the necessity of fantasy, fiction, and the simple act of play, whether that's through fantasy and romance books or tabletop games, like D&D. This conversation started in response to his recent academic paper where Michael defends play, and fantasy, as a way to create meaning, reflect, and to simply take the edge off. Through the episode, we use books, games, and community to defend the human need to simply have fun. WARNING: The episode starts in the middle of us talking about the recent documentary, Quiet on Set. If you're sensitive to the subject matter of that documentary, then I recommend skipping to the 3 minute, 8 second mark. If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email! Where else to find me: IG: @inbedwithbookspod YT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPod EM: [email protected]