Dissecting Dragons

Episode 348: Written in Blood - Vampires of the UK and Ireland

Continuing their spooky season, this week the dragons tackle one of the best known monsters of all: the vampire. Generally regarded as more of an Eastern European creature, rather than a UK monster, it might surprise the listener to discover that there are many accounts of vampires in UK and Irish folklore. They appear in Medieval chronicles and Irish sagas. And there are still stories and reports being made in the UK up to the present day. Grab a your drink of choice and settle in for a deep dive in to the blood drinking fiends of Britain and Ireland. 

 

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Episode 347: Bat Beasts Kellas Cats and Wolf-men - Lesser Known Cryptids of Britain and Ireland Part 2

Continuing with their spooky theme for October, this week the dragons take a look at another six UK and Irish cryptids. From the origins of werewolves in Ossary leading to the Tipperary wolf-man, to the bizarre Bat-beast of Kent, to a genuine cryptid which may have fed legends of the Scottish Cait Sith, this episode is a wild ride through folkloric imagination with a few creepy tales thrown in.

 

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Episode 346: Wodewose, Owlman & Morag - Lesser Known Cryptids of Britain & Ireland

It's October and you know what that means! Tis the season to be spooky! In line with their usual policy of providing Hallowe'en themed episodes during October, the dragons are delighted to start with a look at some of the UK and Irelands least known and strange cryptids. This week discover one of Nessie's other loch dwelling 'cousins', discuss the likelihood of 'Owlman', and explore two possible candidates for the title of UK Bigfoot, as well as many more.

 

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Episode 345: Once More with Feeling - The Successes and Failures of Musical Episodes in Genre TV Shows

The dragons are once again delighted to welcome Hamish Steele, author of popular comics/ graphic novels Deadendia and Pantheon, and creator of hit Netflix series Deadend: Paranormal Park, to the show. (And with some exciting news too!) This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at that peculiar but appealing phenomenon in long running TV shows - the musical episode. As a long time lover of musicals and a creator of just such a musical episode, Hamish is ideally situated to wade in on the discussion. Tracing the 'lineage' of the trend from cult classics like 'Fame' (1980) through a few very dicey attempts in the 80s and early 90s, before the sub-genre was cemented by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this dissection looks at why a musical episode might be appealing, why it can make or break a show with your audience, and why sometimes it doesn't work. Under the microscope this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deadend: Paranormal Park, Ally McBeal, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic. 

Episode 344: Enough to Make a Cat Laugh - Tracing the Origins of Puss in Boots

This week the dragons bring you another episode in their 'fairy tales in focus' series. Puss in Boots is incredibly popular, especially with children, and unlike many fairy tales, it contains no real moral. So just where did this story originate and what do its characters symbolise? The Perrault version is by far the best known, but even he struggled to paste a 'lesson' onto the story, so in what ways did he misunderstand the subversive nature of the story? Find out as Jules and Madeleine trace the tale's origins back to Italy and from there across Europe, Asia and Africa. On the slab this week: Pixar's Puss in Boots, A Tale of Two Castles - Gail Carson Levine and many more.

 

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Episode 343: Exiles, OutCasts and Outsiders - Solitary Villains and Isolated Heroes

The base setting for the human species is sociability to some degree. Even the most misanthropic or introverted of us are not meant to be completely cut off from all other people. In narrative terms, however, isolation can be a great way to test your character. It can also provide interesting back story or provide a setting or frame for a survival story. So what sort of tests can you set for your MC? How can you use isolation to explore characterisation or setting? Find out in this week's episode. Under the microscope this week: Castaway, The Martian, The Clan of the Cave Bear and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Episode 342: Distant Fathers 2D Beefcakes and Tortured Villains - Sexist Tropes Against Men in Speculative Fiction

Regular listeners of the podcast will be quite well versed in the dragons opinions on sexist tropes against women, however there are certainly tropes which are sexist against men too, which they haven't covered in quite as much detail. This week the dragons take a look at some of these tropes as well as discussing the insidious growing trend of punishing male characters for their biological sex in speculative fiction. From fathers always being distant to male villains always being sex offenders, here are the tropes Jules and Madeleine think could do with being retired.

On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mrs Doubtfire, Leon and many more

 

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Episode 341: True Beauty is Found Within - Tracing the Origins of Beauty & the Beast

The dragons return this week with another 'fairy tales in focus' episode. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time - quite an achievement when the story as we now know it, the most popular iteration, is a mere two hundred and sixty years old! While many of the themes and motifs can be found in earlier folk tales and myths, the current version is incredibly young by fairy tale standards and is probably partially inspired by historical events at the court of the French king, Henry II. Jules and Madeleine trace it's journey and permutations from myth to history to folk tale and beyond. On the slab this week - Heart's Blood - Juliet Marillier, Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte, Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen and many more.

 

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Episode 340: There is none so capable as Anne - Why we should celebrate gentle characters

Characters who are more extroverted and more obviously dynamic are generally easier to shape a story around. However, stories featuring gentler, more introverted characters can be very rewarding to both write and read too. In fact, many beloved, favourite characters across genres fall into this category. So what's the problem? Well, unless you get a screenwriter who understands how to portray these characters in film, often gentler characters get butchered during adaptation. But there are good reasons for keeping the characters as they are and excellent reasons for including gentler characters in your work. This week the dragons dive into why and how to write and include quieter characters. Under the microscope this week: Persuasion - Jane Austen, The Lord of the Rings, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith and many more.

 

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Episode 339: You Can’t Take the Sky From Me - Weird Westerns and Why We love Them

The dragons are always happy to consider requests and this episode is a response to one such request. Weird Western is an odd genre in many ways, being a mixture of the western sub-genre of general or saga style historical fiction with 'weird' elements. These may include dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, paranormal or even romance. And yet despite being a complete hotch podge, Weird Western is very definitely its own genre and is growing in popularity. So this week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what goes into one, the common archetypes and tropes and a peek at their favourite examples. On the slab this week: Firefly, Cowboy Bee-bop, Stephen King's The Dark Tower and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic