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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 May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
One of the trickier aspects of getting a book to hang together is getting the pace of the narrative right. Not only does the required pace vary based on story, it also varies based on genre and reader expectations. This week the dragons unravel how to pace a novel, looking at pacing related to structure, genre and style; cheats and tricks for various genres; how sentence structure can help manage pacing; and when to prologue or use bridging distance. Join Jules and Madeleine for a writing focused episode, as they look at some of their favourite examples of books which got the pacing right.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 15, 2020
Friday May 15, 2020
What fantasy fan doesn't love a good quest narrative, especially one which features a broad cast of unlikely heroes, thrown together by events and a common goal? In fact, such narratives are not confined to High or Epic fantasy, but can be found in everything from low, dark or urban fantasy, to space opera to military sci-fi to historical fiction. The week the dragons delve into the appeal of this kind of story and the 'band of brothers' cast which usually accompanies it. How can modern SFF writers bend and subvert tropes and archetypes to tell a more diverse and engaging story? Do you even need a fantasy team for your tale at all? And what are the origins of this type of narrative? On the slab this week; Classical mythology, Lord of the Rings, The Kings of teh Wyld by Nicholas Eames and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 08, 2020
Friday May 08, 2020
The concept of 'knight' has become it's own sub-category within the warrior archetype. Influenced by Medieval history, romantic poetry and British mythology, many authors find the addition of a noble warrior - who adheres to a code of conduct and courtly behaviour - to be an essential addition to High and Epic fantasy. Even authors who subvert this trope, are benefiting from a long association where knights are the good guys. It's one of the more successful pieces of Medieval propaganda! This week the dragons delve into why this archetype is so popular? Where did it really come from? How accurate is the idea of a 'knight in shining armour astride a white charger'? And what do the terms 'courtly love' and 'chivalry' really mean? Buckle on your cuiress for an episode with a sting in its tale. On the slab this week: Tamora Pearce - The Song of the Lioness, George R R Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire, The Knight's Tale - Geoffrey Chaucer, Le Morte d'Artur - Mallory, and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 01, 2020
Friday May 01, 2020
Acting and writing have a surprising amount in common, especially when it comes to developing techniques to create character. Both of these creative disciplines draw on similar sources such as personal experience and observation. So what can an actor teach a writer about how to use those sources? How does the ability to 'substitute' breath life into characters in action? And what exercises can the writer try to make best use of these techniques to create deep characterisation? This week the dragons delve into the topic of how to create characters, drawing on their own experience in writing as well as performances on stage and screen.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
The dragons are delighted to welcome special guest Veronica Roth to this week's episode!
Veronica is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent series, as well as two short story collections and a sci-fi YA duology. Divergent and its sequels were adapted for screen. Her most recent book is an adult fantasy novel - Chosen Ones - which launched on 7th April 2020. Chosen Ones tackles the question of what happens after a group of fated teen heroes fulfil the destiny laid out for them, which makes Veronica the perfect guest for this episode. Jules and Madeleine have looked at why the 'chosen one' trope is so popular and occasionally so reviled in a previous episode; this time the dragons look at how the trope is both wish fulfilment fantasy and telling reflection of some of the less savoury practises of the modern world. It's the 'human' in superhumans that forms the really interesting story after all. Under the microscope this week - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and, of course, Chosen Ones.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 17, 2020
Friday Apr 17, 2020
There are many ways to tackle writing a book and no one way is the only right way. Successful methods vary from writer to writer and even, book to book! This week Jules and Madeleine look at some of the most common methods, including what works, or has worked, for the dragons. One book often has a habit of becoming many. Alternatively, you may start out wanting write episodes in a series of books or you may have an over reaching arc in mind that requires more than one book. From writing one book to writing a series of them, the dragons dig into the weeds on what makes a series successful and what you should be considering if you're writing one. On the slab this week - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, Incryptid and October Daye by Seanan McGuire, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 10, 2020
Friday Apr 10, 2020
The dragons have often said that historical fiction fulfils the same needs as SFF for many people - intricate world building, the strange familiarity, the sense of visiting another place where the rules are completely different and doing so safely, and a rich, immersive story. For this, reason the Period or Costume Drama is amongst the most popular of genre adaptations. Following on from a previous episode on adaptation and reimaginings of speculative fiction, this week Jules and Madeleine look at the pros and cons of Period Drama; how historically accurate do they need to be? How faithful to the source material? And is it possible to breach the centuries between the audience a 19th C novel was intended for and a more modern audience? Under examination this week - Ivanhoe, Mansfield Park, Jane Eyre, Gentleman Jack and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 03, 2020
Friday Apr 03, 2020
Episode 216: Sugar & Spice - Nuance and the Nice-washing of Female Characters in Speculative Fiction
While SFF has gradually been including a broader selection of fully formed female characters - as opposed to the sexy lamps, girls in refrigerators and 2D love interests of earlier speculative fiction decades - there is still one aspect that appears to elude our grasp. The vast majority of female characters have to be mostly 'nice' (unless very obviously the villain.) This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why this is still prevalent and why it causes problems. On the slab this week - The Witcher, The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Episode 215: The Book was Better than the Film, or When it Wasn't - Adaptations, Revamps and Sequels
What's better than a beloved book or film? The same book presented as a film or a series of sequels to a childhood favourite movie? Or maybe even a revamp or reboot of a classic? More of what you already love can only be a good thing, right? Well not always. In some cases not even most of the time. This week* the dragons are looking at books and films and TV series where an adaptation was better than the original; where the adaptation really wasn't better; and when the sequels or reboots surprise you by being better than the source material. Jules and Madeleine look at why a film is sometimes better than the book, and why some books just don't adapt well. On the slab this week - Beautiful Creatures, Star Trek in all its incarnations, The Witcher, Dr Sleep and many more.
(* Jules and Madeleine are well aware of the current pandemic and while they've decided to continue the podcast as entertainment and escapism, they do discuss it at the beginning of the podcast. If you would like to skip this, tune in at the 22min mark - it's a long episode!)
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Episode 214: Something Sweet & Deadly - Easter Eggs and the Problems with Fan Service
The dragons are sorry to report that this episode does not contain chocolate of any kind. However they do tackle the other kind of 'Easter egg' - the ones that authors and film makers scatter through their work for fans; little rewards and extras for readers and viewers being fans. Jules and Madeleine are all for Easter eggs (both kinds!) but feel that giving readers what they want is a delicate balancing act. Sure, little rewards are fun and it's a foolish writer who pays zero attention to what their fans want. But can fan service actually be damaging to a book, a film, a franchise? If you try and please everyone, do you end up pleasing no one? (Including the vocal minority of fans demanding changes!) And when should you listen to criticism from your fans? Under the microscope this week: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Trek Discovery, Deep Space Nine and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic