Sept. 1, 2026

The Art of Not Explaining

Show Notes

Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin talk about trusting your readers, revealing worldbuilding through your characters, and resisting the urge to explain everything you’ve created. They look at examples from science fiction and fantasy, discuss when backstory actually belongs on the page, and explain why it’s perfectly fine—even desirable—for readers not to understand everything right away.

Chapters:

00:00 Introductions
01:10 Why Info Dumps Hurt Your Story
06:58 Trust Your Reader
11:10 Worldbuilding Without Explaining Everything
20:06 Write for Your Character, Not Your Reader
25:48 What to Do With All That Extra Worldbuilding
31:15 When Research Becomes an Info Dump
37:32 Beware the Prologue
41:40 Outro

Links from This Episode:

Note: Some links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004G60EHS/geektells-20

The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Hyperion-Cantos-Book-ebook/dp/B004G60FWM/geektells-20

The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin
https://www.amazon.com/Left-Hand-Darkness-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00YBA7PGW/geektells-20

Dune, by Frank Herbert
https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Frank-Herbert-ebook/dp/B00B7NPRY8/geektells-20

The Abominable, by Dan Simmons
https://www.amazon.com/Abominable-Novel-Dan-Simmons-ebook/dp/B00AFGHJ1W/geektells-20