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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 Mar 12, 2021
Friday Mar 12, 2021
While there's definitely been a shift towards rebalancing gender roles and female leads in SFF in the last couple of decades, lately there's also been an upswing in the number of books marketed as 'feminist' which are anything but. Some of the tropes and portrayals of female characters are just silly, and some are more sinister. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the problems inherent in pitching a book as feminist when it's success is predicated on recycling the same tired, sexist tropes readers and writers have been combatting since the 70s. On the slab this week: A Court of Silver Flames - S J Maas, The Cities of the Dead - Alys Arden, Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs, The Avengers (Marvel Studios) and many more. Part 1 of a two episode topic.
Please note that this episode will contain major spoilers for every book or film discussed.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Mar 05, 2021
Friday Mar 05, 2021
This week Jules and Madeleine are delighted to welcome special guest Nicole Glover to the show. Nicole is the author of the historical fantasy 'The Conductors', which is set in Philadelphia just after the Proclamation of Emancipation and covers many of the themes discussed in this week's episode. Every fantasy fan loves a good magic system and as aspects both of a well built fantasy world and tools to explore a variety of real life issues, magic systems can be invaluable. The dragons delve into what makes a magic system work and where writers really need to be careful that they're saying what they think they're saying. Under the microscope this week The Conductors by Nicole Glover, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H G Parry, The X-men, The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Any SFF reader will recognise a sword as an archetypal object with a myriad types of symbolism even before you get into it's designated uses. Swords with names, swords with magical powers, swords used to perform great and terrible deeds are rife in mythology all over the world. This week the dragons take a look at this elegant and deadly weapon, following a trail through history, various martial styles, folklore and finally into how blades have been used in speculative fiction. On the slab this week The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman, Star Wars, Excalibur, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
One of the most difficult things for most writers is finding their target audience. Assuming you've managed the basics - finishing a book, selling/ publishing it, packaging it to appeal to your target audience - how do you hook a new reader and keep them reading? One of the key things to consider is writing compelling, narratively likeable characters. (This doesn't mean they need to be conventionally likeable of course!) In this episode Jules and Madeleine get in the weeds on what makes a character compelling, how to design a character from the ground up and how to apply these tactics to side characters. As well as the authors' own work, this week's line up includes A Court of Thorns and Roses, Wuthering Heights and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Every so often the dragons like to go off on a tangent and look at something that's slightly outside their usual podcasting terrain. This week Jules and Madeleine tackle the question: are you really reading what you think you're reading? Publishing, mindset and the context of the time something was written in can vastly change it's essential meaning, and that's before the inheritors of a writer's estate start chopping and changing things! Using Frankenstein, Dracula and the Tenant of Wildfell Hall as examples, the dragons take you on a tour of the story behind the story. It's a wild ride.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Writing on it's most fundamental level is putting the right words in the write order with the intention of communicating your meaning, often in the form of a story. But are there words which should be off the table when it comes to storytelling? Why do authors pick the words they do? How do you shape prose to create a style that is true both to your voice and the story? And what exactly is euphonics in terms of writing? Reaching new depths of nerd-dom, this week the dragons look at words. From etymology to being authentic to story (without being a dick), Jules and Madeleine have got you covered.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Jan 29, 2021
Friday Jan 29, 2021
The bookish community has its fair share of people with opinions and most of the time that's a good thing. However there are times when differences of opinions on speculative fiction lead to figurative blows and even all kinds of nastiness. One of the big issues seems to be whether a reader or viewer can enjoy something which someone else considers problematic. And one of the problems is that criticism which starts off as reasonable either becomes abusive or is met with abuse. This week the dragons delve into this thorny subject with a look at why, how and what to do to avoid these situations spiraling.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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