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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 Oct 09, 2020
Friday Oct 09, 2020
At nineteen years of age, Mary Shelley (then Mary Godwin since she had not yet married her poet) invented a new genre of literature. Not that anyone was aware of it at the time of course but then hindsight is a wonderful thing. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus went through several reprints during Shelley's own life time and its intense, disquieting and all too relatable themes have influenced many hundreds of subsequent writers in SciFi, Horror and the Gothic. What many may not be aware of is how Mary's own unconventional and often tragic life influenced her work. From an unusual, rather macabre childhood to a scandalous affair with a married man; from the events of the summer of 1816 at Villa Diodati on the shores of Lake Geneva to the tangled threads of her family life, Mary Shelley lived a life that ran contradictory to the socially acceptable mores of the time. Like many outsiders, this meant she saw more clearly than most. This week the dragons take a look at one of the Gothic genres heavyweight champions and how her strange and remarkable book shaped an entire genre.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Oct 02, 2020
Friday Oct 02, 2020
After much merriment, followed by more mysterious random tech failures than the dragons have ever experienced before, Jules and Madeleine are pleased to present for your entertainment, this episode on Cursed Objects. Perhaps you've heard of the Hope Diamond? We are certain you'll find the true history even more interesting, not least the works of literature it inspired. Or maybe you didn't realise that a famous story about a cursed ring, originated from a young professor of Old English assisting with translations at Dwarf Hill near Lydney Camp in Gloucestershire. The real object's history is an interesting tale. And anything can be cursed, apparently, mundane or fabulous, old or new, innocuous or sinister. Stones, dolls, chairs, jewellery...you name it. Join the dragons on a trip through the histories of a selection of cursed objects and the speculative fiction inspired by them.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Sep 25, 2020
Friday Sep 25, 2020
The dark and supernatural seducer of myth and folklore tells us a lot about a culture's tendencies and viewpoint when it comes to sex, marriage and forming a society. It also explains at least partially how that group of people view and treat women. Almost every culture in every time period has or has had a 'daemon lover' myth but the moral behind these stories varies greatly. Today, it can be found reflected in the huge body of paranormal romance. In the 1920s, if found its reflection first in films such as the 1922 'Nosferatu' and then followed the progress of the film industry - the daemon lover becoming more suave, sophisticated and appealing with each incarnation. Before the daemon lover ever touched the silver screen, he (and it almost always is a 'he') starred in literature and, in particular, in the gothic novel. This week Jules and Madeleine dig into the archetype - why is the presence of such a character so prevalent? Why has his image gone through so many permutations? And what exactly does his presence in speculative fiction say about our mindset today?
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Sep 18, 2020
Friday Sep 18, 2020
Ordinarily, the dragons would not be delving into the romance genre except as a nod to sub plots in SFF. While romance does share speculative elements - and there are whole sub genres dedicated to romantic fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi romance etc - it's not normally Jules and Madeleine's cup of tea. However, the dragons also maintain that you can learn important writing lessons from pretty much any genre and romance has more to teach us than most. If you're looking to improve target audience engagement, timing, structure, character engagement or a wealth of other techniques, this episode is for you. On the slab this week - Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary, Pride and Prejudice, Molly Harper's Half Moon Hollow series and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
The bookish, film and TV, and fan based communities are thriving - full of passionate individuals who are not afraid to speak their minds. The dragons appreciate this as they tend to do the same. On the other hand, no fandom of bookish community agrees on everything in totality. There needs to be room for many different opinions and, more importantly, mature disagreement. So this week, Jules and Madeleine bring you part one of a two part special, looking at SFF and speculative issues where the dragons don't agree with the masses - or occasionally, with each other. Changing Lara Croft did the opposite of what the designers intended? Tick box diversity is bad for representation? There are no passe tropes? Join us for lively discussions on these and more.
Friday Sep 04, 2020
Friday Sep 04, 2020
The bookish, film and TV, and fan based communities are thriving - full of passionate individuals who are not afraid to speak their minds. The dragons appreciate this as they tend to do the same. On the other hand, no fandom of bookish community agrees on everything in totality. There needs to be room for many different opinions and, more importantly, mature disagreement. So this week, Jules and Madeleine bring you part one of a two part special, looking at SFF and speculative issues where the dragons don't agree with the masses - or occasionally, with each other. Nuance is important in storytelling? Is hate-reading useful? Not every character needs a 'fated mate'? Join us for lively discussions on these and more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Friday Aug 28, 2020
We all love those amusing memes which say things like 'I'm a writer - I tell lies for a living' but as fun as those oversimplifications are, writers also have a duty to do due diligence and report accurately. This is especially true when the writer is portraying events or experiences different from their own where misinformation is already rife and their misreporting may do harm. If you're thinking 'but the dragons both write speculative fiction, what do you mean about accuracy?' - don't worry; this week Jules and Madeleine look at the problems around careless representation of sensitive issues, research and why it's actually fun, and how accuracy should play a part in whatever you right, regardless of genre.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Aug 21, 2020
Friday Aug 21, 2020
This week the dragons take a look at the often deceptive world of publishing, together with what kind of marketing an author will be expected to do and how to go about it. Gathered in this podcast are the main bits of advice Jules and Madeleine wish they'd had at their fingertips when they started this writing malarkey. What does 'bestseller' really mean and how do you become one? How can you make your book attractive to potential buyers? How do you build a platform and where do you find your audience? All this and more in this week's episode.
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Friday Aug 14, 2020
The concept of eternal life is not a new trope in Speculative Fiction. Everything from the earliest oral tradition to the myths of the classical world to today's modern SFF engages with the idea. But what drives stories of this type and what causes us to flip the script and look at the disadvantages? This week, the dragons look at these questions and many others as they examine how the tropes of immortality and eternal life are treated in speculative fiction. Under the microscope this week - vampires, The Old Guard, Full Metal Alchemist and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Aug 07, 2020
Friday Aug 07, 2020
The dragons are delighted to welcome special guest, Somaiya Daud to this week's episode. Somaiya is the author of the 2018 hit YA sci-fi Mirage and the recently released follow up, Court of Lions. Her books look closely at those who effect change via political means but are often left out of the political narrative, which makes her the perfect guest for this week's topic. Politics and revolution are bread and butter tropes for SFF, both adult and YA, but often marginalised voices are left out, despite usually being part of the main driving force for change. This week Jules and Madeleine look at why this is and what is so alluring about a political thread in fantasy and science fiction.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic