For the month of July, the New Worlds Patreon turns its attention back to religion — this time for a look at some of its underlying concepts. We begin with what makes a god . . . which is something that differs quite a bit depending on what religion you ask! Comment over there.

Given how dangerous childbirth was in history — and can still be even today — I sometimes marvel that the human species still exists. This week the New Worlds Patreon delves into the perils and practices of delivering a child, both past and present. Comment over there!

As the New Worlds Patreon proceeds through the topic of childbearing, we’ve finally arrived at the pregnancy stage of the process — or more to the point, all the cultural requirements and prohibitions surrounding that. Comment over there!

This week on the New Worlds Patreon, we’re talking about one of the great advances in human history: birth control. Comment over there!

My patrons are awesome. No sooner do I put potentially “icky” subjects like sanitation or childbearing in the monthly topic polls than they vote for them — in this case with a much clearer majority than most of the polls get. Which is why this week’s New Worlds essay is about menstruation, and all the cultural baggage that surrounds it in various places and times. Comment over there!

As most of you probably know by now, one of the bonus funding goals for the New Worlds Patreon covers a fifth post in the months that have five Fridays. For these “theory posts,” I step away from the specifics of what goes into a world, and instead look at more abstract matters: either techniques of handling this stuff in writing, or anthropological concepts of use in worldbuilding. This month is one of the latter, with the idea of cultural spheres. Comment over there!

The tradition of keeping captive animals for display is an old one. This week, the New Worlds Patreon discusses zoos and menageries, past present, and future! Comment over there.

Do you have a dog? A cat? A bird? A tarantula? This week the New Worlds Patreon continues its exploration of the animals in our lives with a look at pets. Comment over there!

Our pets today have it easy: we rarely make them work for their kibble. This week, the New Worlds Patreon tackles the category of working animals! Comment over there.

It’s onward to a new month with the New Worlds Patreon, which means a new topic: animals! Starting with livestock, and questions like “what is domestication” and “why have we domesticated these animals and not those.” Comment over there!