Best Jim Scriven Podcasts (2025)

1
Our 5 Star Reads of 2025 You Can't Miss! 26:50

Play Pause

1d ago26:50

26:50

What were the absolute best books we read in 2025? The ones that didn’t just blow us away, but earned the always desired by not always earned: a perfect 5-star score? Today, Jim and Zach reveal their Unshakable 5-Star SFFH Discoveries of 2025 — the science fiction, fantasy, and horror reads that rose above everything else we picked up this year. Th…

1
The Most Epic Bad Guys From 2010 to 2024! 15:28

3d ago15:28

15:28

This is it — the grand finale! We’ve covered villains from the 1950s to the 2000s, and now we’re tackling the modern era: 2010 to 2024, a stretch filled with some of the most debated, beloved, and terrifying villains in genre fiction. From Negan’s brutality to Thanos’s twisted philosophy… from Taravangian’s chilling logic to Feyd-Rautha’s electrify…

1
Most EPIC Fantasy and Sci-Fi Villains of the 2000s! 13:34

4d ago13:34

13:34

We continue our Villains-by-Decade journey with the 2000s — a transformative era in fantasy and science fiction where storytelling took major leaps forward. This decade delivered richly layered worlds, morally complex narratives, and antagonists who pushed heroes — and readers — into darker, more surprising territory. Join Jim as he explores each y…

1
Most INCREDIBLE Fantasy & Sci-Fi Villains of the 1990s! 11:45

5d ago11:45

11:45

From the rise of grimdark to the explosion of cyberpunk and the rebirth of epic fantasy, the 1990s delivered some of the greatest villains speculative fiction has ever produced. In this episode, Jim walks you through a decade-long villain tour, spotlighting the most iconic antagonists in fantasy and science fiction—one of each for every year from 1…

1
Writing the Perfect Brief: A Deep Dive With Author and Lawyer David Greenwald 49:25

4d ago49:25

49:25

Have you ever thought about writing the perfect legal brief? Guest David N. Greenwald has, so much so that the retired partner from the firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore wrote a book on the subject, titled “Sentence, Paragraph, Argument, Brief: Meeting the Four Challenges of Legal Writing.” The book is the culmination of a 30-year legal career, beginnin…

1
Most EPIC Fantasy and Sci-Fi Villains of the 80s! 13:35

6d ago13:35

13:35

Step into the neon-lit, blockbuster-driven, power-fantasy decade that reshaped speculative fiction forever. In today’s episode, Jim counts down the best fantasy villain and the best science-fiction villain for every year of the 1980s — from 1980 all the way through 1989. From Lord Foul and Raistlin Majere… to the Formics and the Shrike… the ’80s ga…

1
BEST Fantasy & Sci-Fi Villains of the 1970s! 13:44

7d ago13:44

13:44

Travel back to the explosive, experimental 1970s — the decade when fantasy and science fiction grew darker, stranger, and bolder. In this episode, Jim walks year-by-year through the entire decade, naming the best fantasy villain and best science-fiction villain for every single year from 1970 to 1979. From Stormbringer’s soul-drinking hunger… to th…

1
GREATEST Fantasy & Sci-Fi Villains of the 1960s 12:39

9d ago12:39

12:39

Travel with Jim back to the psychedelic, genre-bending 1960s—the decade that transformed speculative fiction forever. In this episode, we’re counting down the best fantasy and science-fiction villains from every single year of the ’60s, pairing one fantasy foe and one sci-fi threat for each year from 1960 to 1969. From the unknowable mind of Solari…

1
Top 20 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book VILLAINS of the 1950s 10:44

12d ago10:44

10:44

Get ready to travel back to the dawn of modern genre fiction! In today’s episode, Jim breaks down the best fantasy AND science-fiction villains from every year of the 1950s—a decade packed with dark lords, psychic children, killer plants, alien invaders, sentient houses, and more. From Steerpike to Sauron, Triffids to Pod People, Hill House to the …

1
Dungeon Crawler Carl Deep Dive: Do Father & Son Agree? 12:12

14d ago12:12

12:12

In this episode, Zach sits down with his dad Jim to finally talk Dungeon Crawler Carl! Zach has been tearing through the audiobooks and just wrapped up Book 5, while Jim has been devouring the entire series on his Kindle, and has already reviewed the books elsewhere on the channel. Now it’s time to compare notes! How does the audio experience stack…

1
Guillermo del Toro Finally Gets Frankenstein RIGHT 7:46

15d ago7:46

7:46

Frankenstein is back — and THIS time, they finally got it right. In this spoiler-lite review, Jim dives into Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), a breathtaking, emotionally faithful adaptation that at last captures the heart, tragedy, and thematic power of Mary Shelley’s original novel. As a lifelong fan of Frankenstein, Jim went into this fi…

1
Hero vs. Villain: Who REALLY Carried the Story? | Jim & Zach Debate! 38:17

16d ago38:17

38:17

Who truly drives the greatest fantasy stories—the noble hero… or the villain pulling the strings from the shadows? Today, Jim & Zach go head-to-head in a playful (and heated!) debate over seven iconic hero/villain pairings across some of the biggest fantasy universes. From Gandalf vs. Sauron to Kaladin vs. Moash, we’re diving deep into who actually…

1
Final Girls by Riley Sager — A Masterclass in Misdirection 6:24

17d ago6:24

6:24

If you love thrillers packed with twists — and then twists on top of those twists — you’re in the right place. Today, Jim dives into Final Girls by Riley Sager, a mystery-thriller that refuses to let you get comfortable. Just when you think you’ve figured it out… think again. And again. And again. In this spoiler-lite review, Jim breaks down what m…

1
Top 10 Modern Fantasy Series That Deserve Faithful Adaptations 28:08

18d ago28:08

28:08

What modern fantasy stories most deserve the big-screen (or small-screen) treatment? In this episode, Jim counts down his Top 10 Modern Fantasy Series That Deserve Faithful, High-Quality Adaptations — from epic world-hopping sagas to gritty, character-driven tales of gods, rebels, and revolution. Zach is ALSO here for this one, commenting on his Da…

1
Top 10 Classic Fantasy Series That Deserve Modern Adaptations 56:34

19d ago56:34

56:34

Classic fantasy fans, this one’s for you! Jim and his guests Bill & Glenn, the hosts of the Non-Terrestrial Half-Life YouTube channel, dive into Jim’s Top 10 timeless fantasy series that absolutely deserve modern adaptation, plus an honorable mention that could steal the spotlight if done right, along with additional contributions from our guests. …

1
Big Channel Updates, Book News, and… Where’s Zach?! 10:12

19d ago10:12

10:12

Today, just the real skinny! In this solo update, Jim shares what’s been going on lately in life, love, books, and the Fantasy for the Ages channel. From a fandom retreat in the Sierra Nevada foothills to being followed by two major authors, from unboxing a stunning cyberpunk novel to catching up on indie reads and future TBR plans—there’s plenty t…

1
I Was a Teenage Slasher – Stephen Graham Jones Makes You Feel for the Killer?! 😱 7:04

22d ago7:04

7:04

What if the slasher wasn’t just a monster in a mask… but a person you couldn’t help but feel sorry for? In this episode, Jim dives into Stephen Graham Jones’ newest horror novel, I Was a Teenage Slasher — a brilliant, blood-soaked story that somehow makes the killer the one you sympathize with. From the author of The Indian Lake Trilogy, this book …

1
Mongrels: Stephen Graham Jones Redefines the Werewolf 6:14

23d ago6:14

6:14

Werewolves. Family. Survival. Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones is a werewolf story like nothing you’ve read before — gritty, heartfelt, and hauntingly real. In this solo episode, Jim dives into this 2016 horror-coming-of-age novel that redefines what it means to be a monster… or maybe just a human trying to survive on the fringes. This isn’t your t…

1
The End of the World As We Know It: The Story BEYOND Stephen King's The Stand 9:41

24d ago9:41

9:41

What if The Stand never really ended? What if dozens of incredible authors joined forces to take Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece even further? In this episode, Jim dives into The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand — a 2025 anthology edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, packed with over thirty …

1
Top 10 Monsters in Horror Literature! 12:45

25d ago12:45

12:45

From ancient vampires and cursed killers to cosmic gods and grief-born nightmares—these are the Top 10 Monsters in Horror Fiction that defined the genre. Join Jim from Fantasy for the Ages for another solo countdown through the terrifying corridors of horror literature. From Dracula to Cthulhu, Pennywise to The Overlook Hotel, Jim explores the mons…

1
Grimdark with Benefits? Jim’s Review of The Monsters We Feed 9:08

26d ago9:08

9:08

Some fantasy books flirt with darkness… The Monsters We Feed dives straight in. This is Thomas Howard Riley’s latest visit to Luminaworld—the same brutal, fascinating setting as We Break Immortals—and it’s a story that mixes lust, lies, blood, and redemption into one gritty, unforgettable tale. In this episode, Jim reviews this adults-only fantasy …

1
The Winding Road to Your Future 42:09

26d ago42:09

42:09

This is a fun one. As we know, Litigation Radio said goodbye to longtime host Dave Scriven-Young this summer. But what do we know about our new hosts, Michal “Mic” Rogson and James “Jim” Reeder? Believe it or not, they didn’t know each other well before agreeing to cohost the show. That’s a surprise. But they knew “of” each other professionally thr…

1
Top 10 Monsters in Science Fiction Literature! 12:19

27d ago12:19

12:19

Which monsters of science fiction are the most terrifying, most iconic, and most unforgettable? From alien predators and rogue AIs to genetic nightmares and cosmic invaders, Jim counts down his Top 10 Monsters in Science Fiction Literature—the ones that defined fear in the future. Before the Top 10, he even shares an honorable mention that nearly c…

1
The World-Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian — Beautiful, Baffling, Brilliant 8:49

28d ago8:49

8:49

What happens when a fantasy author decides not to hold your hand—but instead throws you straight into the deep end of his imagination? That’s what you’ll find in The World-Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian, a dark, lyrical, and mind-bending novella that blurs the line between creation and madness. In this solo episode, Jim from Fantasy for the Ages sha…

1
Top 10 Monsters in Fantasy Literature! 11:56

29d ago11:56

11:56

What makes a monster truly legendary? 🐉🔥 From the fire and arrogance of Smaug to the chilling menace of the White Walkers, I’m counting down the Top 10 Monsters in Fantasy Literature — the creatures that defined entire genres, terrified generations, and made us love the dark side of imagination. Fantasy monsters come in every shape and size: dragon…

1
Why Doctor Sleep Might Be King’s Most Underrated Sequel Ever 10:46

1M ago10:46

10:46

What happens when a haunted child grows up? In this solo episode, Jim dives into Doctor Sleep by Stephen King — the long-awaited sequel to The Shining. Decades later, Danny Torrance is now Dan, a man still scarred by trauma, addiction, and ghosts both literal and metaphorical. But when a young girl with incredible powers crosses his path, he’s draw…

1
The 30 Most Horrifying Novels Since 1975 13:24

1M ago13:24

13:24

This Halloween week, Jim dives head-first into the dark! In this solo episode of Fantasy for the Ages, we count down the 30 most horrifying novels published since 1975—books that critics, readers, and terrified fans agree are the absolute worst thing to read before bedtime. From Stephen King’s legendary nightmares (Pet Sematary, The Shining, It) to…

1
Demon’s Rise — Dark Magic, Great Characters, and a World You’ll Want More Of 6:12

1M ago6:12

6:12

What happens when dark magic, ancient myth, and flawed heroes collide? In Demon’s Rise by R. E. Sanders, the stakes soar higher than ever in The Jantakai Saga, proving once again that indie epic fantasy can stand toe-to-toe with the giants of the genre. In this spoiler-lite review, Jim dives deep into why Demon’s Rise not only delivers gripping sto…

1
Diving into Stephen Hubbard's AMAZING Novel A Conspiracy of Ravens! 58:13

1M ago58:13

58:13

Join Jim as he welcomes two fantastic fellow BookTubers — Derek from D&J’s Epic Quest and Matt from Geaux Read Books — for a full spoiler discussion of A Conspiracy of Ravens by Stephen Hubbard, the gripping first book in The Codex of Wretches & Kings series! This one dives deep — into the darkness, the betrayals, the power struggles, and the unfor…

1
What If Superheroes Fought Zombies? 8:44

1M ago8:44

8:44

What happens when superheroes appear… just in time for the zombie apocalypse? Coincidence? Hmmm… maybe not. In this episode, Jim reviews the Ex-Heroes Series by Peter Clines — a five-book thrill ride that mashes together capes, corpses, and clever storytelling in the most entertaining way possible. From Ex-Heroes (2010) through Ex-Isle (2017), this…

1
The Final 10: SFFH Books that Launched Poorly, Then Came Back STRONG! 8:29

1M ago8:29

8:29

We’ve reached the grand finale! Ten more masterpieces that were rejected, banned, or forgotten before time redeemed them. From Fahrenheit 451 to A Game of Thrones, these are the ultimate examples of books that refused to stay dead. This episode wraps up our journey through 50 legendary failures-turned-favorites—proof that every great story deserves…

1
Another 10 Brilliant Books That Flopped at First! 8:40

1M ago8:40

8:40

Some of these were critical disasters. Others were totally ignored. But every one of them became a cornerstone of fantasy, science fiction, or horror. In this episode, we cover some incredible, foundational classics — books that had to die before they could live forever. I’ll share the fascinating stories behind their early failures and how time, r…

1
10 More SFFH Books Were Initially IGNORED but Later Changed Everything! 8:45

1M ago8:45

8:45

Some stories are so bold they’re dismissed when they first appear. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Good Omens, The Blade Itself, and others on this list were mocked, ignored, or misunderstood—until they changed their genres forever. In Part 3 of They Failed First, I explore how a mix of dark humor, post-apocalyptic reflection, and grimdark grit went from…

1
From Forgotten to Fantastic: 10 More SFF & Horror Legends That Time Redeemed 8:50

1M ago8:50

8:50

We’re back with ten more incredible stories that failed first but ultimately became unforgettable. From The Stars My Destination to House of Leaves, these novels were too strange, too challenging, or too far ahead of their time—but readers finally caught up. In this second part of the series, I’ll share how experimental horror, surreal sci-fi, and …

1
Marvel Zombies Falls SHORT of AMAZING Potential? 6:51

1M ago6:51

6:51

Marvel Zombies is finally here on Disney Plus — but does it live up to the gruesome greatness of the comics? In this episode, Jim from Fantasy for the Ages shares his spoiler-lite thoughts on the new four-episode animated series, from that awful trailer to the surprising standouts (looking at you, Blade and Red Guardian). Jim dives into how this ad…

1
They Failed First: 10 Legendary SFF & Horror Books That Flopped Before Becoming Beloved 9:09

1M ago9:09

9:09

Some of the most famous fantasy, science fiction, and horror books of all time bombed when they first hit shelves! In this episode, I kick off a five-part series exploring 50 legendary works that were ignored, rejected, or destroyed before finding their readers. From Dune’s 20-publisher rejection streak to The Colour of Magic’s tiny first printing,…

1
Building Credibility and Favor With the Judge, as Told by a Judge 44:29

1M ago44:29

44:29

As the saying goes, a good lawyer knows the law, a great lawyer knows the judge. Building credibility with the court in any case is vital. Veteran attorney and longtime judge Mark Drummond explains why and how you earn trust. Trust and credibility are built brick by brick. It takes a lifetime to build your reputation, but breach that trust once, an…

1
30 Lesser-Known Yet Fantastic & Inspirational SFFH Reads 17:24

1M ago17:24

17:24

Are you craving something new to read — something magical, thought-provoking, or deeply inspiring that isn’t already on every “Top 10 Fantasy” list? In this episode, Jim shares 30 lesser-known but fantastic novels across fantasy, science fiction, and horror — each one uniquely written, highly rated by readers and critics alike, and bursting with im…

1
Vampires, Hope, and the End of the World — The Passage Trilogy Review 7:01

1M ago7:01

7:01

When a government experiment goes horribly wrong and unleashes a plague that reshapes humanity itself, what begins as a thriller becomes one of the most powerful modern sagas in speculative fiction. In this spoiler-lite review, Jim dives into Justin Cronin’s The Passage Trilogy — a breathtaking mix of vampire apocalypse, dystopian survival, and pro…

1
What are the BEST Horror Novel SERIES Since 1950? 15:31

2M ago15:31

15:31

What happens when you take seventy years of horror fiction and let the data decide which series reign supreme? Sales, acclaim, and fan ratings all collide in this countdown of the Top 20 Horror Series Since 1950 — ranked not by fear, but by facts. From cursed towns and haunted houses to cannibal geniuses and psychic vampire hunters, this list has i…

1
What are the BEST Sci-Fi Book SERIES Since 1950? 18:22

2M ago18:22

18:22

We’ve ranked the best in fantasy… now it’s time to head for the stars! 🌌 In this solo episode, Jim breaks down the Top 20 Science Fiction Book Series (4 or more books) published since 1950 — ranked entirely by the data. No opinions. No nostalgia. Just cold, hard numbers. These rankings combine total sales, critical acclaim, and average reader ratin…

1
What are the BEST Fantasy Book SERIES Since 1950? 26:07

2M ago26:07

26:07

What happens when you strip away opinion and nostalgia, and let the data decide which fantasy book series reign supreme? In this solo episode, Jim dives deep into sales numbers, critical acclaim, and average fan ratings across Goodreads, Storygraph, and Amazon to reveal the Top 20 Fantasy Series (4+ books) published since 1950, ranked purely by the…

1
Discover 20 Wildly Creative Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror Movies and Shows You SHOULD Watch! 22:46

2M ago22:46

22:46

20 movies and shows—mostly movies—ranked from OK to Awesome-sauce! In this episode I share 18 films and 2 TV series from Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy released since the year 2000. These are creative, entertaining, sometimes bizarre, but always worthwhile watches for the right audience. I’ll give you the year, the genre, a spoiler-lite summa…

1
Litigating on Your Own Behalf: How a Ground Breaker Breaks Career Barriers 53:49

2M ago53:49

53:49

By Legal Talk Network

2M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

Zach’s been on a reading spree! In this episode, Jim introduces the last 10 fantasy and science fiction reads Zach has enjoyed — with spoiler-lite synopses — while Zach reacts, sets the record straight, and shares three reasons why you might want to pick each up. From grimdark battles to magical schools, from strange new worlds to unforgettable cha…