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Episodes
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 Jun 05, 2020
Friday Jun 05, 2020
In a past episode, Jules and Madeleine went into detail about 'unreliable narrators'. If the effect you want to create in your reader is to make them constantly question the narrative, causing conflict between the reader and the narrator in order to create tension, then an unreliable narrator can be a great choice. However there are other kinds of narrator which can be used similarly but to create more nuanced effects in your reader. This week the dragons look at the 'inadequate narrator'. More details in the episode obviously but children, animals and non humans are all examples of inadequate narrators. What sort of narratives are these characters best for and what are the advantages of using them? On the slab this week Jojo Rabbit, Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian, The Rosie Project by Graham Simsion and many more.
(NB - Jules and Madeline both refer to 'The Mysterious Case of the Dog in the Night-time'. Obviously they mean 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' by Mark Haddon - apologies for the error!)
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 29, 2020
Friday May 29, 2020
Speculative fiction is rife with magical objects - rings, crowns, swords and far stranger items - the presence of which shape the narrative as the object is lost, stolen, regained and destroyed. However, while archetype such as the bard or minstrel show up regularly, slightly less attention is paid to magic wielders in SFF whose power is expressed through creating something. This week the dragons delve into the world of the magical creative from the dwarves of Nordic mythology to the artist characters that see the future. What is it about the process of creating that so fascinates us? How can these characters be used to create an unusual magic system? On the slab this week - Heroes, L J Smiths Dark Visions series, Tamora Pearce's Circle of Magic and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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