episode-header-image

Feb 2018

1h 12m

Mythology (STORYTELLING) with John Buche...

About this episode

Superhero movies. Bastardized fairy tales. The psychology of celebrity. Star Wars. And yes, some ancient Greek and Roman myths. Professional mythologist and screenwriting consultant John Bucher spins some yarns and unravels some mysteries behind what makes a good story, and why we so desperately need them. Also: rethinking your own life's narrative and gaining a greater appreciation for Elvira. Trust me.

John Bucher's website and Twitter

More episode sources & links

Support Ologies on Patreon for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Steven Ray Morris

Music by Nick Thorburn

Up next

Fromology (CHEESE) Part 1 with Kyra James

Soft. Hard. Fresh. Aged. Stinky. Illegal. Let’s talk cheese with Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) and Fromologist, Kyra James. We chat about proprietary bacterial slurries, basement caves, cheese knife etiquette, rind eating, vegetarian versus vegan cheeses, cheese history, di ... Show More

Lampyridology (FIREFLIES) aka Sparklebuttology Updated Encore with Sara Lewis

Let’s light up your life and butt. World-renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University gives us some updates to her 2021 episode, sharing her love of a bug that many think is merely mythological. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate the night, the dos and don’ts o ... Show More

Crotalology (RATTLESNAKES) with Emily Taylor

Fangs. Rattles. Misconceptions. Crawl out from under your rock for the angelic rattle of one of the world’s most maligned, misunderstood, gorgeous, mysterious, efficient creatures. Herpetology professor, rattlesnake scientist and thus, Crotalologist Dr. Emily Taylor discusses why ... Show More

Recommended Episodes

Conversations: Modern Mythologizing, Hellenizing Apuleius, Psyche & Eros w/ Luna McNamara

Liv is joined by author Luna McNamara to discuss her new novel Psyche & Eros (and so much more myth!). Find Psyche & Eros wherever you get your books and follow Luna on Twitter and Instagram. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too m ... Show More

Nobody Labours Like Heracles (Hercules): The Cultural History of the Panhellenic Hero

Heracles was like, a really big deal. Examining the historical and cultural impact of a 1000+ year old hero. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods an ... Show More

Orestes & Electra, the Angriest, Best-Named Children of Greek Mythology (The Oresteia Part 2)

Siblings Orestes and Electra have quite the reunion; they plot and plot and plot. There's a reason it's a story covered by all three remaining tragedians.CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as d ... Show More

Jason is a Perpetual Dirtbag, Hypsipyle & the Lemnian Women

Returning to Iolchus, before Jason ever met Medea, and the other woman he promised himself to and subsequently abandoned, Hypsipyle, one of the infamous Lemnian Women. CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters ... Show More

Mini Myth: Zodiac Constellations, Chiron, Trainer to the Stars (Sagittarius)

Let's talk Zodiac. Sagittarius, who just happens to be that beloved centaur, Chiron.CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.Sources: Th ... Show More

Back On His Sh*t, Heracles (Hercules) Wants to Get Hitched, Encounters w/ Iole & Omphale (More Heracles Part 1)

Heracles is at it again! We return to this "hero" after he's "purified" himself from the murder of his wife and children... So obviously he's looking to get married again! For past episodes on ol' Herc, check out this Spotify playlist. Submit your questions or comments about Atla ... Show More

Mini Myth: All the Best Heroes Have Boyfriends, Heracles & Hylas (Plus More LGBTQ Stories)

Happy Pride! Heracles and Hylas loved each other very much, but as with most gay love stories of Greek mythology... it doesn't end well. #BLM This episode also includes last year's PRIDE episode as a bonus, CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and ... Show More

Beloved Boyfriends of Greek Myth's Most Famous Heroes

Stories of Achilles and Heracles and their beloved boyfriends. Featuring a clip from my conversation with Charlotte Gregory, episodes on Plato's Symposium, and the episode dedicated to Heracles' lovers. Find all episodes from past Pride Months in this Spotify playlist. Help keep ... Show More

Short Snorter by Charles Einstein - Short Sci Fi Story From the 1950s

His saucer was parked in the woods, and Mr. Steariot (from Venus) was parked in the lobby.... Short Snorter by Charles Einstein, that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. What does Willie Mays, Curb Your Enthusiasm, stuntman Super Dave Osborne and the 1991 movie Defending Your Life ... Show More

Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami