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Authors J.A. Ironside and M.E. Vaughan talk about books, films and all aspects of speculative fiction, from the nuts and bolts of writing it, to its (occasionally) obscure origins.
Episodes
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Whether you're a dedicated follower of fashion, a bit of a clothes horse or see clothing as a necessity rather than a pleasure or form of self expression, clothes feed into how we are judged since they make up part of our appearance. This is also true in speculative fiction - clothing can signal political or religious affiliations, enhance world building, describe character and a fulfil a number of other tasks as well. This week the dragons move well outside their element and look at how clothing and fashion are used in books, TV and films to support (or not!) speculative fiction. Under the microscope this week - Bridgerton, The Hunger Games, Frozen, A Court of Thorns and Roses and many more. Join Jules and Madeleine for a sartorial ramble.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Science fiction and fantasy have often provided a testing ground for examining old idea and testing new ones. This can be especially true of potentially contentious issues such as 'who does power belong to?' This week the dragons take a look at how law enforcement organisations are portrayed in speculative fiction - from The Watch books of Terry Pratchett's Discworld franchise to the totalitarian Peacekeepers of Farscape. Why is this trope so common in various sub genres of speculative fiction and how does it reflect our real societal issues? On the slab this week - Michelle Sagara's Cast series, Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series, Star Trek TNG, Life on Mars and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
It may sound counterintuitive, especially to newer writers, but leaving scenes out actually makes your book stronger and more engaging. So how do work out what to cut or which darlings to murder, whilst still meeting your audience's expectations? This week Jules and Madeleine take an in depth look at how to put together 'good bones' for a book - a skeleton that will hold the story you want to tell. From the throughline (both individual novel and series) to character arcs, child arcs and the anatomy of a scene, the dragons will discuss how to structure a story without losing your sense of direction. Under the microscope this week - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Game of Thrones and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Jan 01, 2021
Friday Jan 01, 2021
Its safe to say that 2020 is one of the most tumultuous years the world has experienced for some time. The warm up act was fire, storms and floods. The main event was a global pandemic unlike anything seen for a century. And as a bit of light relief, the UK, US and many other places have also had massive political upheavals.
It could be tempting to succumb to gloom but as the dragons do their yearly wrap up, they have chosen to make this episode about hope. Lots of good things happened in 2020 too - it was just easy to miss them with everything else taking up time on the news. o join Jules and Madeleine as they look at the best bits of 2020, both macroscopically and on a personal level.
The Dragons wish all heir listeners a very Happy New Year
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Dec 25, 2020
Friday Dec 25, 2020
It's now something of a tradition for the dragons to tackle the yearly Christmas episode by telling you something mildly horrifying about Christmas traditions. This year, Jules and Madeleine have delved further than ever before into the practices and traditions that predate the ideal of a modern winter festival. Looking at everything from Wren Hunts to Seasonal Monarchs, Krampus to Christmas Trees, this is an episode for those of you who want a little break from the saccharine slant of the season.
Wishing all our listeners a very Merry Christmas, Cool Yule or non-denominational winter celebration of your choice.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Somehow, the dragons made through almost an entire year of podcast episodes with Madeleine talking about faeries and honestly? That's just poor showing on our part. So in the run up to Yule, we resent for your entertainment, this episode on seasonal fey. Thanks to Cecily Mary Baker, the vague notion that fairies might be connected to seasons became cemented in modern minds (Daisy Meadows is continuing in this vein with a fairy for pretty much anything!) But where did this idea originate? Was it literary heavy weights such as Chaucer and Shakespeare? Or does it go back further to Celtic gods and goddesses? What's the relationship between women and winter within the monomyth? And just what do mischievous fey do on the run up to the solstice? Join us for an episode about creatures which are concerned with anything but spreading good cheer.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
This week the dragons take a look at some of the most common questions asked of them and other writers. Where do you get your ideas? Is it possible to make a living as a writer? What's the weirdest thing about being published? How do you write dialogue? Whether you're a curious newbie writer or generally interested in the process, this is a light entertaining episode with a personal touch. And hopefully, it will answer some of your questions.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Following recent hits such as The Haunting of Bly Manor and series finales such as the last few episodes of long running show Supernatural, the dragons decided to revisit the topic of LGBTQ+ inclusiveness in speculative fiction. While viewers and readers can now find far more examples of excellent work in this area, there are also a few retrograde instances. Jules and Madeleine look at the perils and pitfalls to avoid with including this branch of diversity, as well as examining where it has been done well.
On the slab this week Supernatural, Bly Manor, Sherlock, Schitts Creek and many more.
Please note that this episode contains spoilers for all of the above!
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Nov 27, 2020
Friday Nov 27, 2020
In order to tell a story effectively, a writer needs the right set of characters, including the correct protagonist. But how do you find the right cast and what should you be looking for in both your protagonist and your secondary and tertiary characters? Not to mention your antagonist! This week the dragons take a look at how you can facilitate telling the best version of your story possible by casting your book correctly. They also take a look at what happens when authors mis-cast or ignore signs that a supporting character is more compulsive. Drawing on their own work and speculative fiction behemoths such as A Song of Ice and Fire, Jules and Madeleine discuss how to create a set of characters best fitted to your story and your target audience.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Nov 20, 2020
Friday Nov 20, 2020
The moon has had a profound effect on the development of the human psyche. When we first became conscious of ourselves as sentient creatures and began to track the passage of time, the moon and the sun became inextricably linked to the process. It's no surprise then that every pantheon and culture has its own set of moon myths, deities and superstitions - many of which resonate in the way speculative fiction is written today. This week the dragons take a look at some of the moon mythos and just what this reflects in terms of the changing perceptions humans have held of themselves and their societies.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic