Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Where do orcs really come from? In this episode of the Asians Represent! podcast, Daniel and Drew sit down with Dr. Christopher LeCluyse, a professor of literature, media, and writing at Westminster University to discuss his new book, Race & Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons.
Chris' work traces how depictions of “monstrous races” in the game are rooted in more than 2,000 years of history and how these influences continue to shape how race functions in the game. From ancient Greek descriptions of headless monsters to J.R.R. Tolkien's hierarchy of fantasy beings, this episode maps a clear picture of how real-world racial stereotypes became embedded in the DNA of fantasy gaming.
0:00 Introduction & Content Warning
1:30 About Dr. LeCluyse & the book
9:00 Carl Linnaeus and the invention of racial taxonomy
17:30 How Gygax gamified race
25:00 The drow — an evil black matriarchy
32:00 The Welfare Queen of the Demon Web Pits
34:00 The movie Bright and orcs as racial stand-ins
Check out Race & Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons when it comes out next month - mcfarlandbooks.com/product/race-and-monstrosity-in-dungeons-dragons/. If your local book store doesn't have it, ask them to order it!
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Help us produce new and exclusive content! Join us on Patreon for exclusive audio and series!
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*//SPONSOR*
The Asians Represent! podcast is brought to you by Adventure Dice, your Canadian source for RPG dice, role-playing game accessories, and other tabletop gaming goodies. Head to adventuredice.ca and use code AZNSREPRESENT for 10% off your entire order!
Check out WANDERING BLADES, a wuxia tabletop RPG of hyper-violent melodrama, at wanderingblades.com
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New Videos Every Month!
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Website: *aznsrepresent.carrd.co*
Blue Sky: *@aznsrepresent*
Discord server: *discord.gg/aznsrepresent*
Podcast Back Catalog: pod.link/1429004408
*//CONTACT*
If you have questions about this episode’s themes, suggestions, or anything else related to Asians Represent, get in touch with us at aznsrepresent.com
Where do orcs really come from? In this episode of the Asians Represent! podcast, Daniel and Drew sit down with Dr. Christopher LeCluyse, a professor of literature, media, and writing at Westminster University to discuss his new book, Race & Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons.
Chris' work traces how depictions of “monstrous races” in the game are rooted in more than 2,000 years of history and how these influences continue to shape how race functions in the game. From ancient Greek descriptions of headless monsters to J.R.R. Tolkien's hierarchy of fantasy beings, this episode maps a clear picture of how real-world racial stereotypes became embedded in the DNA of fantasy gaming.
0:00 Introduction & Content Warning
1:30 About Dr. LeCluyse & the book
9:00 Carl Linnaeus and the invention of racial taxonomy
17:30 How Gygax gamified race
25:00 The drow — an evil black matriarchy
32:00 The Welfare Queen of the Demon Web Pits
34:00 The movie Bright and orcs as racial stand-ins
Check out Race & Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons when it comes out next month - mcfarlandbooks.com/product/race-and-monstrosity-in-dungeons-dragons/. If your local book store doesn't have it, ask them to order it!
*//SUPPORT*
Help us produce new and exclusive content! Join us on Patreon for exclusive audio and series!
patreon.com/aznsrepresent
*//SPONSOR*
The Asians Represent! podcast is brought to you by Adventure Dice, your Canadian source for RPG dice, role-playing game accessories, and other tabletop gaming goodies. Head to adventuredice.ca and use code AZNSREPRESENT for 10% off your entire order!
Check out WANDERING BLADES, a wuxia tabletop RPG of hyper-violent melodrama, at wanderingblades.com
*//SUBSCRIBE*
youtube.com/aznsrepresent?sub_confirmation=1
New Videos Every Month!
*//FOLLOW*
Website: *aznsrepresent.carrd.co*
Blue Sky: *@aznsrepresent*
Discord server: *discord.gg/aznsrepresent*
Podcast Back Catalog: pod.link/1429004408
*//CONTACT*
If you have questions about this episode’s themes, suggestions, or anything else related to Asians Represent, get in touch with us at aznsrepresent.com
