NON-FICTION: WHY FANTASY FANS & WRITERS SHOULD READ NON-FICTION. Brian Lee Durfee

Main ideas / lessons

• Fantasy writers (and fantasy readers) should read non-fiction to improve realism and depth.
• Truth is often stranger than fiction. Non-fiction provides credible “craziness” that makes fictional stories feel more believable and compelling.
• Writers should broaden their perspectives by reading across viewpoints—political, religious, and cultural—so their writing is well-rounded rather than one-sided.
• Non-fiction supports worldbuilding, including:
  • historical accuracy (places, cultures, revolutions, motivations)
  • how wars are fought and how technologies work
  • social and economic systems
  • believable belief systems and ideologies
• Research materials matter for practical details (e.g., war context, weapons/vehicles, even the types of horses used for different roles).

---

Methodology / “how to” guidance (detailed)

Why read non-fiction

• Read non-fiction because:
  • Fiction can’t outdo reality in terms of surprising events and human behavior.
  • Real-life stories (especially true crime and biographies) show what humans can do—helping you write convincing characters and events.
  • Non-fiction provides grounding for serious genres like mystery, horror, fantasy, and epic fantasy.

How to use non-fiction for writing better fantasy

• Use biographies and true-crime accounts to supply:
  • extreme-but-real human behavior
  • credible motivations and outcomes
  • “implausibility proof” (readers accept shocking events when they’re grounded in reality)
• Read political and ideological perspectives from multiple sides:
  • conservatives vs. liberals
  • “woke” perspectives vs. conservative critiques
  • aim for understanding, not just agreement, so your writing reflects how different people actually think
• Read multiple religious traditions and major viewpoints:
  • understand atheistic arguments (e.g., Richard Dawkins as a reference point)
  • understand Christianity, Mormonism, Islam, Judaism, etc.
  • read primary/canonical texts (e.g., the Bible, Quran, Book of Mormon) to write religion more accurately
• Study history to avoid errors and enrich settings:
  • learn medieval history relevant to your fantasy locations
  • avoid default eurocentric settings by researching other regions if you’re writing outside Europe (examples mentioned: India, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Africa, China)
  • research major events that drive plot mechanisms, such as revolutions:
    • understand what people felt and why they kept fighting
    • example: read 1776 to understand motivations during the American Revolution
• Study war, technology, and tactics for epic conflict realism:
  • read about major wars (especially WWII) and specific battles (example: Battle of Trafalgar)
  • understand economic and social rise/fall contexts behind conflicts (examples mentioned: Third Reich, communism, socialism, capitalism, Adolf Hitler’s rise to power)
  • learn the mechanics of combat details relevant to your fantasy:
    • how machine guns work (as an example of technological awareness)
    • how swords and sword fighting work
    • differences in horses for warfare vs. other uses, including:
      • war chargers vs. palfreys
      • draft horses vs. battlefield mounts
• Use “guns, germs, and steel” style science/worldbuilding knowledge:
  • understand migration, how societies develop, and how economic systems evolve
  • build coherent systems of:
    • economics
    • religion
    • governance/feudal structures
    • the pathways by which “evil” emerges (religion/ideology/economics)

If you’re not a writer

• The advice still applies, but framed as education:
  • read presidential biographies
  • read science and history books
  • read battle history (especially WWII) and broad genre literature
  • for music fans, read biographies of major rock musicians and bands (examples referenced below)

Channel approach (how the speaker recommends engaging with reading)

• The speaker emphasizes reviewing “everything,” not only one genre:
  • westerns, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, non-fiction
  • eventually romance (and why it matters, using Twilight as an example)

---

Concrete examples / references mentioned

Books / topics used as examples

• The Dirt (Motley Crue) — as an example of “real-life craziness”
• Silence of the Lambs — cited as a popular “outlandish” story
• 1776 — for revolution understanding
• Guns, Germs, and Steel — science-driven worldbuilding
• Wheel of Time — via a reference to Robert Jordan
• Twilight — via romance discussion

People / events referenced

• Elizabeth Smart (kidnapping hidden “in plain sight”)
• Ted Bundy (true-crime/serial killer referenced)
• WWII and the Third Reich
• Adolf Hitler’s rise to power (mentioned generally)
• The American Revolution (via 1776)

Music/biography examples

• Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons (KISS)
• Ace Frehley (spelled in subtitles as “Ace freely”)
• Chris Spark / Peter Chris (as named in subtitles; exact identities unclear due to subtitle errors)
• Bruce Springsteen
• Elton John

---

Speakers / sources featured (as named in subtitles)

Speaker

• Brian Lee Durfee (author; video host)

Notable authors / figures referenced

• Robert Jordan (example of someone with real war experience writing epic fantasy)
• Motley Crue (band; referenced via The Dirt)
• Elizabeth Smart
• Ted Bundy
• Ronald Reagan
• Barack Obama
• Richard Dawkins
• Adolf Hitler
• Paul Stanleys (referenced as “Paul Stanleys”; subtitle spelling may be off—context suggests Paul Stanley of KISS)

Religious texts / traditions referenced

• Bible
• Quran
• Book of Mormon
• Christianity
• Mormonism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Atheism (as a viewpoint, via Dawkins)

Other titles referenced

• The Dirt
• Silence of the Lambs
• 1776
• Guns, Germs, and Steel
• Wheel of Time
• Twilight

Historical/battle references referenced

• World War II
• Third Reich
• Battle of Trafalgar
• Medieval battles
• Revolutions (1776 / American Revolution context)