Befriend The Reaper
One of the most common tropes in fantasy genres is personifying Death \u2013 turning this abstract and often terrifying concept into a character that people can interact with. Sometimes Death is portrayed as a Grim Reaper, but Death doesn\u2019t have to be grim. Death can be compassionate, and even funny. And more often in recent years, Death has been depicted as someone with deeply ambivalent feelings about their job. I talk with listeners about their favorite portrayals of Death from Discworld to Sandman to Dead Like Me, and why imagining Death as a character changed the way they felt about death and grief.\xa0\nOur ad partner is Multitude. If you\u2019re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here.\nList of media mentioned in this episode:\nThe Sandman comics and Netflix series\nDead Like Me\nDiscworld novels by Terry Pratchett\nDeath With Interruptions by Jose Saramago\nOn A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony\nThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak\nCritical Role podcast\nThe Seventh Seal\nBill and Ted\u2019s Bogus Journey\nMonty Python and The Meaning of Life\nPersonification of Death academic study from 2019\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices