No Dragons Press

Episode 1: “Addie Gets a Job”

Show Notes

These are the show notes from No Dragons Press: Episode One. (Chapter 1 begins at 3:44.)

Greetings! You’re listening to No Dragons Press: A HIGH FANTASY Podcast! Each week you’ll hear another installment in the adventures of Addie McCallister, a small-town bartender who is destined to save the universe, as long as the weed doesn’t run out.

I’m your host, Maggie Gibbs—author of No Dragons Press, creator of the High Fantasy universe, and Grand Master of the “bonkers stoner fantasy” genre—and today I’ll be reading Chapter One: Addie Gets a Job.

Hey, everyone, I am so super excited to finally be here. Today is the very first episode of No Dragons Press!

I don’t want to take up too much time talking, but today, before getting into the chapter itself, I wanted to take just a moment to tell you a little bit about the show so you know what to expect every week.

No Dragons Press: A HIGH FANTASY Podcast Show Structure

Generally, I’m going to break the show into two sections: my introduction, which is what you’re listening to now, and the main content of the episode, where I’ll read one new chapter every show.

I’ll always try to keep the introductions brief, but if you find that you’re in a hurry, or if you don’t want to listen to my babbling, or for whatever reason you just want to jump right to the story itself, check out nodragonspress/podcast and take a look at the show notes and I’ll do my best to let you know what time I actually started reading so you can skip ahead.

“High Fantasy” = High + Fantasy

A quick note on the “high fantasy” part:

“High fantasy” as a genre generally takes place in a completely made-up world. No Dragons Press starts in the real world, but (spoiler alert #2) it doesn’t stay there for long.

Yes, It’s That Kind of “High”

And yes, as you may have guessed by now, “high” has a double meaning here. This is a book in which situations are portrayed in which people are frequently high.

So, this whole thing started because I was sitting around one day, thinking about how bonkers it must be for characters when they experience weird, otherworldly elements in a real-world setting. Like, that moment where they have to reconsider their perceptions of the world. And I found myself thinking how much more bonkers that moment would be for a character who’s really, really stoned.

So, there it is: that’s where No Dragons Press came from. You could say it starts high and becomes fantasy.

Content Warning

It’s not like my protagonist is some scary weirdo or like, morally bereft. She’s actually really normal, a tax-paying citizen who’s just trying to figure her shit out like the rest of us. The being high part is really just incidental to the story. Kind of like it is for a lot of human adults.

Anyway, so here’s the disclaimer: you should know that the book I’ll be reading for you contains references to marijuana, which the federal government has classified as an illegal substance. It also contains occasional adult language. Kind of like it is for a lot of human adults.

For these reasons, this podcast is meant for mature audiences only.

No Dragons Press is Really a Fun Fantasy Adventure in Podcast Form

But really, this isn’t a “drug book,” and this isn’t a “drug podcast.” That’s kind of not the point.

But because this is the first episode, I want to be totally upfront with you, and I want to make you a few promises right now.

• I will not be smoking marijuana on the show.
• I will not advise you to smoke marijuana, or to break any laws.
• I will not be high on the show. (Although I may occasionally have a beer.)

This is not that kind of show. It’s a show where I read you a chapter a week from a book I really love and had a great time writing, and I hope you have as much fun as I did listening to it.

…And Also in Text and Illustration Form

And, if you hate my voice, you can read the story in text form for free. Just go to nodragonspress.com/podcast for more details.

OK, enough with the boring stuff, thanks for bearing with me.

I hope you enjoy No Dragons Press, a High Fantasy Adventure: Book One, Chapter One: Addie Gets a Job.

Thanks so much for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you’re listening or visit nodragonspress.com/podcast for updates, and tune in next week for another episode of No Dragons Press: A High Fantasy Podcast. Take care, you guys.