Dissecting Dragons

Episode 338: There are Wolves in the Woods - What Folklore Can Teach Us About Storytelling

This week the dragons are delighted to welcome Lorraine Wilson back to the show. Lorraine is the author of This is our Undoing and the recently released folkloric mystery/ family suspense The Way the Light Bends. The latter is an exceptional example of this week's discussion which makes Lorraine the perfect person to join the episode. 

Anyone who has paid any attention at all will have noticed that Jules and Madeleine are enthusiastic about folklore. But what actually defines a folk tale as opposed to a fairy tale or a myth? What are the basic structural tenets of a folk tale and how can writers tap in to them for storytelling purposes? Why is it an advantage to do so? Find out in this week's episode.

 

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Episode 337: Relatable or Debateable - Avoiding Mediocre Main Characters in Speculative Fiction.

We've all read them; books with great setting, promising story, engaging prose...and a damp squib for a main character. Sometimes this is because the author has been pushed into supplying what industry representatives think readers want in a main  character and sometimes it's just that the author has failed to listen to their own story, perhaps missing that a secondary character is both more engaging and has a better story to tell. This week the dragons look at what makes a MC engaging and what you should avoid doing when you create a character. On the slab this week: Deep Space Nine, Stranger Things, A Court of Silver Fire and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic.

Episode 336: The Lesser of Two Evils - Creating Moral Dilemmas in Speculative Fiction

There are many ways to create tension and suspense in fiction. One popular device is to give your main character a moral dilemma - a difficult choice which challenges their personal beliefs, morality or even their own view of themselves. However, this is one of those things that's really easy to do wrong, leaving your readers unsatisfied. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what defines a moral dilemma in speculative fiction and how it differs from impossible choices, as well as how to set it up so it will land with your audience. Under the microscope this week - Firefly, Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation and many more.

 

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Episode 335: Cottage Core & Interdimensional Cafes - Cosy Speculative Fiction

On a lighter note this week, Jules and Madeleine look at the growing demand for cosy speculative fiction. While this term now gets applied to various subsections of genre fiction - for example cosy mysteries - it's relatively new in sci-fi and fantasy terms. Think of it as very character driven fiction which is relatively small in scale - no huge sprawling epic worlds here - which revolves around the more mundane problems of the tightly knit cast of characters. You might not find chosen ones, fights to the death or world ending events, but you probably will find an orc setting up a coffee shop, a bakery wizard making gingerbread golems or a spaceship full of loveable misfits getting into amusing hot water. The dragons delve into what makes up cosy speculative fiction and why it's becoming increasingly popular. 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

 

Episode 334: Devotion, Betrayal & Misadventure - Queer Romance in Speculative Fiction

The dragons tackle a slightly contentious topic this week - or at least a potentially contentious angle on this topic - and take a deep dive into how LGBTQ+ characters are depicted in the media. Specifically, in speculative fiction. There's been a decided uptick in easily accessible fiction featuring queer protagonists and side characters over the last ten years or so, and this is undoubtedly a good thing. However, there are many in the bookish community who would like to see only positive examples queerness represented, where characters are only shown in positive relationships and generally as mostly good people. Respectfully, the dragons find this viewpoint just as limiting as previous trends which would only allow queer characters to be deviants and villains. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why only allowing a narrow set of parameters for 'acceptable' queer characters is a problem, and what they would like to see more of. 

On the slab this week: Gentleman Jack, Harker & Blackthorn, Pennyblade and many more.

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Episode 333: Manners Morals & Monsters - the Growing Trend of Regency Fantasy

A fairly recent addition to the list of historical fantasy sub genres is the regency fantasy. Despite being a comparatively small span of time, the Regency in England and comparable time period in Europe - especially France - seems to pair extremely well with elements such as schools of magical thought, dragons and faery courts. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the subject to discover why and what the broad appeal is for readers and viewers. On the slab this week - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Suzanna Clarke, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians - H. G. Parry, Half a Soul - Olivia Atwater and many more.

 

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Episode 332: Girls With Glass Slippers - Tracing the Origins of Cinderella

Continuing their 'Fairytales in Focus' series, this week the dragons tackle one of the best known and loved stories of all time. While Cinderella has enjoyed centuries of popularity in Europe, the tale has roots that go back millennia, and a lineage that sees versions of it emerging in almost every culture worldwide. From Egypt to India, Russia to Scotland, France to Finland, Jules and Madeleine follow the trail of 'girls who lost their slippers and sandals', emerging from ignominy and oppression to a life where their true value is seen. It's a far wilder ride than you might expect if you're only familiar with the Disney version. 

On the slab this week: Cinder - Marissa Meyer, The Slipper & the Rose (1976), Ever After (1998), Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Episode 331: Every Act of Creation is an Act of Parody - Filk Music & Fandom in Speculative Fiction

No, that is not a typo! If you're not familiar with the term 'filk' it refers to the multi-genre music produced by fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The dragons have said before that a mark of great art is that it inspires others, both amateur and professional, to create art of their own. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the witty, acerbic, poignant and humorous fan music inspired by speculative fiction. Where does the boundary between filk and mainstream come in? Where did the term come from? And what is it about filk that draws us in? Find out in this fun, light hearted episode. 

 

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Episode 330: Soaring Brooms & Leaping Sharks - Sport in Speculative Fiction

The dragons have covered aspects of worldbuilding in previous episodes, but not much attention has ever been given to the aspect of sport in writing SFF. Not just by this podcast but in general, so this week Jules and Madeleine take a look at sport in speculative fiction. Sport is an important part of cultural history and national identity. It can form a major if indirect part of diplomacy between neighbouring countries or nations at odds. The added benefit in speculative fiction is that you are not bound by the mundane - you can have magical sports and spaceship races. So why don't more authors incorporate it? And who has done so and done it well? On the slab this week: The Hunger Games, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Queen's Gambit, Fence (S.C, Pacat) and many more.

 

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Episode 329: The Heart of the Carnival - Circuses Amusement Parks & Fair Grounds in Fiction

This week the dragons are delighted to welcome back special guest Hamish Steele to talk about his forthcoming Netflix series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Based on the DeadEndia graphic novels, the setting of the series makes Hamish the perfect person to join this week's discussion.

Carnivals, circuses and fair grounds are niche but popular settings for speculative fiction. As liminal spaces where the usual rules are suspended, they are ideal places to look at the world in a different way or challenge mundane boundaries. Their inherent whimsy, surreality and eeriness allow them to fit into multiple different genres - mystery, fantasy, horror, even science fiction. But where does this setting and the sense of suspension of rules originate? And what exactly is out fascination with them born of? Find out in this week's episode.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic