Podcast Summary: “The Other Side of Mictlān” by M.M. Olivas

Podcast: It's Storytime with Wil Wheaton
Host: Wil Wheaton
Episode Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this emotionally evocative episode, Wil Wheaton narrates "The Other Side of Mictlān" by M.M. Olivas, originally published in Uncanny Magazine. The story seamlessly intertwines themes of familial love, cultural heritage, grief, and the supernatural, drawing from Mexican mythologies of the afterlife. Listeners are taken on a haunting journey with a grieving family as they traverse the realms of the dead to retrieve their lost mother, confronting ancestral magic, personal regrets, and the indelible ties of family.

Wil’s narration sets a deeply intimate and reflective tone, connecting his own views on family to the narrative’s core theme.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Wil Wheaton’s Personal Intro (00:54 – 03:02)

• Wil shares a heartfelt introduction about his own family, underscoring the episode’s emotional stakes.
• Sets up the story as one about profound, imperfect, but enduring familial love.
• Notable Quote:
  • Wil: “The most important and valuable part of me that lives in the most sacred, protected depths of my heart is my family...Today’s storytime is about a family who love each other the same way we do.” (01:17)
• Introduces the story’s familial focus and connects it to universal feelings of love and gratitude.

2. Crossing Into Mictlān—A Family’s Descent (03:03 – 13:00)

• Siblings Camilo, Quint, and Emiliano prepare ritual items—deeply personal totems infused with their family's magic—to cross into the Mexican underworld ("Mictlān") and retrieve their mother.
• The rituals involve Mexican folklore: offerings to the Tlamatini, invocation of ancestral spirits, and magical objects.
• The appearance of the spectral Xoloitzcuintli (guide dog) marks the transition to the land of the dead.
• Early emotional stakes are revealed: tension, unresolved grief, and the sacramental value of family heirlooms.
• Notable Scene:
  • The use of the mother’s emergency gold pesos and the items saturated with Tonali (a form of soul/essence), signifies the family’s deep sacrifice.
  • The Xoloitzcuintli dog, described as skeletal and adorned with marigolds, becomes a literal and spiritual guide.

3. Navigating the Realms of the Dead—Sibling Friction & Courage (13:01 – 29:30)

• The siblings’ journey is framed by the traditional Nine Realms of Mictlān, each with unique challenges echoing Aztec cosmology.
• The siblings’ interpersonal dynamics come to the fore—resentments and past wounds flare up.
• Quint, Camilo, and Emiliano each confront their inner demons and self-doubt, paralleling the perilous passage through the afterlife.
• Notable Narration:
  • “All these years later and still the oaf can only feel through them lest any other sign of emotion be deemed pussy shit.” (around 22:10) — captures the raw, natural sibling banter and struggle with masculinity.
• Emiliano faces the Weeping Woman, a La Llorona figure, and empathizes with her grief—an allegory for his own feelings of inadequacy within the family.

4. Generational Perspective—Grandfather’s Legacy & Familial Magic (29:31 – 38:10)

• Flashbacks reveal the siblings’ complex relationships with their grandfather, Luis, and the complicated inheritance of family magic.
• Issues of cultural assimilation, expectations, and masculine identity rise up, particularly in conversations about "Tonali" and brujería (witchcraft).
• The narrative details how generational trauma and misunderstandings shape the ways each character loves and grieves.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Brujas always tried to keep from us the power that by blood right should be ours.” (35:40)

5. The Confrontation with Mictlantecuhtli—The Lord of the Underworld (38:11 – 48:30)

• The children find their mother among ancestral spirits, but she cannot return to life; her soul has unfinished business in Mictlān.
• Wil’s narration heightens the sense of mythic scale: “We stand before him in the belly of his massive throne room. The Lord of the Underworld leaned forward in his throne, a lazy hand resting on his charcoal thigh...” (40:25)
• The Lord issues a challenge: if he can correctly guess which sibling will inherit their mother’s magic, one must remain behind. If he fails, all three escape.
• Tension peaks as the siblings must choose—with the looming symbolism of the family’s fractured unity and hope for reconciliation.

6. Resolution—Sacrifice, Love, and Letting Go (48:31 – 55:00)

• The siblings’ mutual choices prevent any one of them from being bound to the underworld, outsmarting Mictlantecuhtli.
• The mother’s love and agency are foregrounded—her reasons for staying are rooted in her search for her lost husband, and the continued journey of a mother for her family, living and dead.
• Notable Passage:
  • “...the soul is more than the self. It’s a pouring out, a pulling in. This is what their grandfather never understood...”
  • The reunion is brief, heartbreakingly tender—underscoring that real love is imperfect, shaped by distance, regret, and the inability to say everything we wish.
• The story ends with a bittersweet farewell.
  • “So you smile and you wave and you tell them, see you later. A lifetime from now.” (54:40)

7. Context on the Author (55:01 – 56:10)

• Wil provides a short bio of M.M. Olivas, noting her background as a trans, first-generation Chicano horror writer, her accolades, and the thematic depth of her work.
• Points out how Olivas’ stories center on the intersection of queer and diasporic experiences, using speculative and horror traditions.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Wil Wheaton (Introduction):

  • “Look, it’s not all roses and chocolates. Real love never is. But it forms a bond that is so powerful it persists no matter where they are. Even on the other side of Mictlan.” (02:34)

• Story Protagonist:

  • “Your soul is trisected into your Ihiotl, Teoliya, and Tonali. Tonali is the soul that flows into you, out of you. It travels realms while you sleep and promises to make it home each morning. This is your essence, and your essence sticks to others and places and domestic objects too.” (04:50)

• Quint (Sibling Banter):

  • “This is a waste of fucking time.” (05:50)

• Tlamatini:

  • “You’ll have until the sun rises, lest you never find your way back. Están listos?” (08:34)

• Confrontation with Lord of the Underworld:

  • “You dare? ... All right. Yes, I’ll play your game.” (46:30)

• Mother’s Farewell:

  • “See you later. A lifetime from now.” (54:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Wil’s Emotional Introduction: 00:54 – 03:02
• Ritual and Crossing into Mictlān: 03:03 – 13:00
• Sibling Conflict and Journey: 13:01 – 29:30
• Encounter with the Weeping Woman: 26:30 – 29:30
• Grandfather’s Legacy and Flashbacks: 29:31 – 38:10
• Finding Their Mother: 38:11 – 40:24
• The Lord’s Game and Final Confrontation: 40:25 – 48:30
• Resolution and Farewell: 48:31 – 55:00
• Author Bio & Closing: 55:01 – 56:10

Tone & Delivery

• Wil’s narration is warm, emotionally resonant, and deeply intimate—balancing reverence for the story’s mythic roots and the raw authenticity of family conversations.
• The dialogue is natural, punctuated with Spanish phrases and familial teasing, emphasizing authentic Chicano and diasporic voices.

For New Listeners

This episode stands out for its blend of accessible mythology, honest familial tension, and Wil Wheaton’s heartfelt narration. It’s a story about how love connects us across distances—physical, emotional, and even between worlds. If you want a single episode encapsulating how genre fiction can tackle issues of culture, diaspora, queerness, and universal family bonds, this is a must-listen.

Want more?
The episode and others are available via Wil Wheaton’s website and Patreon.
M.M. Olivas’s fiction can be further explored via Uncanny Magazine and her own site.