Dissecting Dragons

DD 436: The Tiffany Problem - When Reality is too real for Speculative Fiction

It's pretty well established that truth is stranger than fiction, but what do you do when the facts are literally too unlikely for a reader to swallow? When historical accuracy or authenticity is likely to bounce your reader out of your story for being unrealistic? Welcome to The Tiffany Problem. This week Jules and Madeleine examine this phenomenon, follow a trail through some examples and finally, offer suggestions for how to counter it while still being accurate in your storytelling. 

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 435: Snatchers surfers and Hitchers - Bodysnatching in Speculative Fiction

Possession is a regular trope in horror and sci-fi. The idea that a physical body could be taken over by an external entity is as disturbing as it is enticing. However, there are many sub categories of this kind of bodysnatching, from parasites that physically puppeteer to Freaky Friday-esque body swaps. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the humour and horror of the trope, drawing on a wide range of speculative fiction and there own work where appropriate.

 

On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, V, the Bodysnatchers and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 434 -The Allure of the Curse - Speculative Fictions Oldest Trope

Generations of a family punished for the ill-advised actions or an ancestor? Crossed paths with the sidhe and worded an answer impolitely? Fallen foul of someone's desire for revenge? Chances are, in speculative fiction, the problem will turn out to be a curse. It may not really be the oldest speculative fiction trope but it's definitely got history. 

In this episode of the Dragons' spooky season, Jules and Madeleine drill down on the well used SFF and Horror trope of 'the curse'. How can you use the trope in a way that reads as fresh and novel? What are the main types of this trope? And what historical precedent is there for this occurrence in fiction? 

On the slab this week: Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynn Jones, Unveiled, The Ring and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 433: The Woods, the Mountains and Emptiness - an Examination of Survival Horror

Continuing with the spooky season, this week the dragons delve into the popular sub genre of survival horror. While you could argue that the point of every horror story is survival, this sub genre takes it to the next level with characters pitted against nature, the wild and even space - sometimes with a twist of the supernatural thrown in. 

But how do you go about writing survival horror that lands? What attributes should you be looking for in a main character? Why is setting so important? Join Jules and Madeleine for a discussion on all this and more.

On the slab this week: Devolution - Max Brooks, Alien, The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 432: Haunt Sweet Home - How to Write a Haunted a House

The dragons kick off spooky season with a look at one of the staples of horror - the haunted house. It's so ubiquitous now that haunted house stories are really a sub genre in their own right with their own tropes and conventions. So why do some haunted house stories work while others fall flat? This week Jules and Madeleine present a blueprint on how to build your own haunted house story complete with flickering lights, sordid history and reappearing blood stain. Rattling chains in the attic optional. 

On the slab: The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Little Stranger and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 431: This is Fine - Writing Trauma in Scifi and Fantasy part two

Part two of a two part episode

 

Most speculative fiction will involve traumatising your main character at some point but how do you make it clear to a reader or viewer that this is what is happening without ponderously 'telling' it? What narrative techniques can be employed to show this instead? How do you deliver the message with emotion without tilting over into melodrama? How do you make trauma believable? This week Jules and Madeleine delve into this tricky part of storytelling.

 

On the slab - The Stand - Stephen King, The Mask Falling - Samantha Shannon, The Blood of the Delphi and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 430: This is Fine - Writing Trauma in Sci-fi & Fantasy

Part one of a two part episode

 

Most speculative fiction will involve traumatising your main character at some point but how do you make it clear to a reader or viewer that this is what is happening without ponderously 'telling' it? What narrative techniques can be employed to show this instead? How do you deliver the message with emotion without tilting over into melodrama? How do you make trauma believable? This week Jules and Madeleine delve into this tricky part of storytelling.

On the slab - Daredevil, Twilight, I Belong to the Earth and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 429: All in the Details - How to Use Description in Speculative Fiction part 2

Part 2 of a 2 part episode

Following on from last week's over view episode, this week Jules and Madeleine get, appropriately, into the details of what to include or exclude when writing and worldbuilding. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what to include or exclude? How much detail should you go for? Is there such a thing as too much detail?

On the slab this week - Harker & Blackthorn, The Sons of Thestian, Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor, Immortal Pleasures - V Castro and many more

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 428: All in the Details - How to Use Description in Speculative Fiction part 1

Part 1 of a 2 part episode

The dragons are back and gearing up for spooky season. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the thorny issue of 'details'. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what to include or exclude? How much detail should you go for? Is there such a thing as too much detail?

On the slab this week - The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber, Fire & Hemlock and Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones, Lorna Doone - R D Blackmoore and many more. 

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 427: The Boys are Back in Town - the Dark Heart of the Superhero Genre

Please note this episode contains spoilers for all the shows and books mentioned!

It's the human in superhuman which is the interesting aspect of the superhero genre, which is why the genre is so good at holding up a dark mirror to the worst aspects of humanity as well as being aspiration. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the murky waters of dark superheroes looking at parallels between fame, money, consumerism and politics. How are superheroes the new pantheon of gods? Isn't a dark superhero just a villain? And why are writers drawn to telling these stories? 

On the slab this week - The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Velveteen vs by Seanan McGuire and many more.

 

This is the season finale but the dragons will be back in September.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic