Guiding Worlds through Anthropological Story w/ Michael Kilman
On this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we sit down with Michael Kilman, an applied anthropologist, author, educator, and science communicator committed to making anthropology accessible to everyone. With over a decade of experience teaching cultural anthropology and diversity, Michael brings ethnographic thinking into fiction writing, filmmaking, and public education. He hosts several YouTube series, including Anthropology in 10 or Less and Ask an Anthropologist About Worldbuilding, and is the co-author of Build Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers.
Michael reflects on his path into anthropology, his graduate work on community media, and his applied projects ranging from fieldwork in Mexico to collaborative filmmaking with Native American communities. He discusses the realities of adjunct teaching, the impact of the pandemic on higher education, and how anthropological thinking shapes his speculative fiction, worldbuilding consultations, instructional design work, and science-communication platforms. His TEDx talk, Anthropology, Our Imagination, and How to Understand Difference, captures his mission to use story to build empathy and expand perspective.
Listen now to learn more about applied anthropology, collaborative media, worldbuilding, storytelling, and how anthropological thinking helps us imagine better worlds.
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL
LinkedIn: Michael Kilman M.S
Website: Loridian’s Laboratory
Substack: Loridian’s Laboratory
Podcast: Resistance Reads
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Ask an Anthropologist About Worldbuilding
Anthropology Through Science Fiction
Published Works by Michael Kilman
Colorado and the West: Native American History in Colorado
Exploring Digital Ethnography: From Principles to Practice (Chapter 6)
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Applied Anthropology - A field approach focused on solving real-world community issues, such as identifying on the ground that local illiteracy in Nuevo León was driven by child farm labor, where reading was a luxury.
Worldbuilding as Pedagogy - An educational method where students build fictional worlds in groups to actualize anthropological concepts and negotiate cultural differences, utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy.
Media and Filmmaking (Visual Anthropology) - An applied approach using documentary filmmaking and community media systems to challenge corporate media narratives.
Collaborative Video Production - An ethnographic technique of teaching video editing, storytelling, and post-production to research participants to co-create documentary films.
Fieldwork and Storytelling - Core anthropological methods centered on listening to people's lived experiences, observing diverse ways of knowing, and unearthing local stories.
"Working the Problem" in the Field - A hands-on field practice requiring researchers to rapidly solve logistical breakdowns, emergencies, and unexpected obstacles on site.
Field Readiness & Adaptability - Essential researcher traits requiring non-materialism, non-squeamishness, and being comfortable with discomfort in high-stress field conditions.