Poets At War
Poets At War
Joshua David Ling
Poets At War Ep. 273: John Knox, Powerpuff Girls, & Post-apocalyptic Paladins
2 hour Posted Sep 11, 2026 at 1:15 pm.
— Intro: "I Missed This Recording" — Joshua pulls back the curtain on a February 18th session that almost slipped through the cracks, and warns of an abrupt cutoff.01:46 — John's Royal Road Serial: 167 Chapters In — Fifth volume, five-star reviews, the faithful reader, and the chapter where Maude finally faces real demons.07:19 — Hazel's Cameo: The Mystery DVD — A dual-sided Powerpuff Girls disc with no label, and a goodnight for the broodling.08:02 — Maude Burns the Forest: Losing a Reader — The regent's scorched-earth siege, "they can have the ashes," and the character logic behind it.14:43 — Building a Free Audience — Discord instead of Patreon, the VA disability, AI-narrated podcasts, and web comic dreams.18:36 — Preaching vs. Storytelling — Self-sacrifice always hits, parables, and stories reaching the right people at the right time.22:07 — Worm, Wildbow & Serial Craft — The 24-novel superhero serial, TV-episode chapter structure, and eight-POV volumes.28:48 — Maude the Prophet — Stigmata, visions, a biblical judge's throne, and character change that takes a thousand pages.32:49 — New Camera, Enchanting Epics & The Brood Update — Teleprompters, a hybrid radio-drama musical, and the state of the Brood.38:40 — Worldbuilding From History — Tolkien, Robert Jordan, The Silmarillion's long shadow, and butterfly-effect apocalypses.43:14 — The History Deep Dive — Celts and Picts, Henry II and the High Kings, Cromwell's "fine, I'll do it myself," and the Plantagenets' Hundred Years' War.51:37 — Lady Jane Grey: The Nine-Day Queen — Why the Lings' third daughter is named Jane, and dignity to the end.56:48 — John Knox: The Lady Is Light Enough — The monstrous regiment, the Siege of St. Andrews, the galley slave, and the bride who said yes.1:07:14 — Heritage, Alfred & Common Law — Scots-Irish roots, Deuteronomy's common law, and Nathan calling David to repent.1:12:03 — Dante Arrives: Grimdark 101 — Mistborn, Warhammer 40K's corpse starch, and Horizon Zero Dawn's deleted library.1:18:48 — The Post-Post-Apocalypse — One prayer heard, the first paladin, fire abandoned, and Napoleon worshiped as a war god.1:31:05 — Knights, Book Titles & Family Chaos — The Knights of Adonai, the Maiden's Child naming debate, and nieces raised on Demon Slayer.1:59:47 — Outro & Sign-off — The abrupt end, and how to join the Brood.If you're a true poetry patriot, you can support us on and Patreon, at https://patreon.com/poetsatwar/ and get the recordings of all of our encouraging and strategic meetings early and uncut! Over and out.
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Show notes
Today on the program, Joshua pulls back the curtain on a recording he almost missed: a late-night session with John (Ramzait), Dante, and Daniel, recorded February 18th, 2026. John, deep into the fifth volume of his Royal Road serial at chapter 167, shares the high life of the web-serial trenches: five-star reviews, the one loyal reader who says 'thanks for the chapter' every release, the regent's scorched-earth siege that cost him a follower, and the plan to give readers a Discord home, free — because the VA disability comes first. The conversation spirals through Joshua's favorite serial Worm, the Powerpuff Girls as a perfect story machine (via a mysterious dual-sided DVD and a cameo from Hazel), the theology of self-sacrifice in storytelling, and a glorious history deep dive: Henry II and the end of Ireland's High Kings, Cromwell as 'fine, I'll do it myself,' Lady Jane Gray (the nine-day queen who named the Lings' third daughter), and John Knox — galley slave, author of the most clickbait title in Reformation history, and the man who threw Mary's picture out an oar window with 'The lady is light enough, let her swim.' Then Dante arrives with Warhammer 40K's corpse starch and Horizon Zero Dawn's deleted library, Daniel pitches the seven-book Maiden's Child with a heist for book four, and Joshua relates the Knights of Adonai — Protestant knights with HEMA style training. Chapters: