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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 May 25, 2018
Friday May 25, 2018
Epiosde 119: Love Conquers All - Power Couples who destroyed the Story
Be warned: This Episode contains spoilers for both Sarah J, Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series (especially A Court of Frost and Starlight). If you don't wish to be spoilified, it may be best to skip this one.
The dragons have discussed the spec fic romantic subplot before. And the shipping of two characters. Let's face it we all want our ships to sail, don't we? But what if two characters getting together romantically is the absolute worst thing that could happen to a series? Narratives are driven by conflict. If you hope to write a six book series but the two MCs get together in book three, that conflict needs to come from somewhere else - and it had better have been set up in book two as a subplot! This week Jules and Madeleine look at favourite sff 'power couples' and where it worked for them to get together as opposed to where it spelled 'death' for the franchise. (There is some overly salty language from Jules here on the latest S.J. Maas novella so gird your loins.) Drawing from their own experience as writers, the dragons discuss how you can eat your cake and have it when it comes to resolving a romantic subplot, as well as the importance of retiring tier one characters to second or third tier in a series when it's time.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 18, 2018
Friday May 18, 2018
Episode 118: You Fancy Me Mad - Renfield, Lear and Ophelia: Madness in Speculative Fiction
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and as usual the dragons are coming at the subject from a slightly different angle. Fiction has - not to put it indelicately - misunderstood, misrepresented and often exploited mental illness. SFF authors Jules and Madeleine delve back into the origins of this rather toxic trope in gothic fiction. Just why was 'madness' such a popular component of the gothic novel? What was the relationship between madness and nature? And where did this chain of association begin? On the slab this week - Frankenstein - Mary Shelley. Dracual. Bram Stoker, The Moonstone and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte and of course, Edgar Allen Poe.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 11, 2018
Friday May 11, 2018
Episode 117: Dinosaurs and Mega Cryptids - Man-made Monsters in Speculative Fiction
The monster movie has held a certain amount of fond nostalgia for sff fans since the early advent of cinema. These creatures tend not to be direct correlations of creatures of myth, legend or history, and often embody both the capricious, phenominal power of nature, and the fatal curiosity of human kind. Obviously some of these films have aged slightly better than others! This week the dragons take a look at the origins of these creatures and how they feed our need to confront fear - even if only from a cosy armchair perspective. On the slab this week - Jurassic Park, King Kong, Alien, Jawsand many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday May 04, 2018
Friday May 04, 2018
Episode 116: Cliches are Cliche for a Reason - Why Tropes aren't bad...but Some Tropes need to Die.
When writing for a target audience a writer will include and rework various tropes of the genre. There are only so man basic plots after all, so the freshness and originality of a story comes from how it's told. Contrary to certain opinions in the book review community, tropes aren't a bad thing - there's nothing wrong with giving your audience more of what thay want. However there are some tropes that continue and perpetuate a toxic stereotype of mindset when they are repeated in literature. And those tropes really need to be identified and stamped out. Looking at their own experiences in writing and taking examples from film, TV and books, the dragons attempt to untangle the worthy from the unworthy in this weeks episode. On the slab this week Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Circle of Magic by Tamra Pearce, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 27, 2018
Friday Apr 27, 2018
Episode 115: Clothes Make the Man - Cross-dressing in Speculative Fiction
Throughout history, there have been many documented cases of people donning the clothing of the opposite sex. The reasons for this are myriad and complex - wht would a cis-gendered person disguise themselves as another gender? Whether it's a woman dressing like a man to obtain a medical degree or a man dressing like a woman in order to escape violence, cross-dressing has been part of our history for thousands of years. Whether it's from the desire to create art and entertainment, or for necessity and freedom, the stories behind these cases are fascinating and have given rise to a sub genre of myth and speculative fiction. This week the dragons rummage through the dressing up box looking for answers.
On the slab this week The Song of the Lioness - Tamora Pearce, Mulan, Robin Hood and the Bishop and many more.
(Please note that we are specifically talking about cis gendered people dressing in opoosition to their sex, not Trans people who are dressing to reflect who the are.)
Title music: Ecsyasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 20, 2018
Friday Apr 20, 2018
Episode 114: Queer Eye for the Straight Story - Reading Speculative Fiction through a Queer Filter
While diversity representation is slowly becoming more balanced in books, film and TV, the scales still tilt firmly towards a straight, white, cis-gendered, heterosexual and usually male default. This creates an expectation that all stories will default to this default setting which everyone to some degree ingests on a subconscious level. This week the dragons try an exercise whereby they deviate from the default and read fiction as though the standard is for a character to be 'queer' or non-cis gendered and non heterosexual, before exploring how shifting the default can enhance both reading experience and real worl perception. On the slab this week - The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch, Moby Dick - Hermann Melville, Dracula - Bram Stoker, The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 13, 2018
Friday Apr 13, 2018
Episode 113: Decoy Ducks and Red Herrings - Sayings, Urban Legends and Aphorisms
Language is a peculiar beast. We invent words for everything and then combine them in odd ways to describe circumstances. If language is odd then metaphor and simile is even odder. This week the dragons look at some of the most peculiar sayings and proverbs in English (with a fair smattering of French and Irish ones too.) Part of cracking the ability to write dialogue is understanding the mind set of a character and when or if they might use a particular saying. Jules and Madeleine also discuss creting your own sayings for dialogue in speculative fiction. Buckle in for some very peculiar proverb origin stories...
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Apr 06, 2018
Friday Apr 06, 2018
Episode 112: Spies, Traitors & Turncoats - Informants in Speculative Fiction
Spy thrillers provide some of the most twisting and suspenceful plots imaginable and it's not unusual to have a spy or traitor character in other settings. This week the dragons delve into the morally ambiguous world of spycraft, citing their own favourite examples in speculative fiction. On the slab this week Trickster's Choice - Tamora Pearce, Alias, The Night Manager, Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Mar 30, 2018
Friday Mar 30, 2018
Episode 111: Larger than Life - The Fictional World of Giants
Giants are some ways, one of the stranger mythological creatures, ubiquitous in almost all cultures as dragons and mermaids, but varying greatly in characteristics. Were their origins buried in history in cultural clashes? Are they metaphorical for natural cataclysms or people who possessed what seemed more than human ability? What is their lingering hold on our subconscious as archetypes? Tune in this week as the dragons delve into these mysteries. From Jack and the Beanstalk to Balor of the Fearsome Eye, giants have had an enormous foothold in our collective imaginations for some time.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Friday Mar 23, 2018
Friday Mar 23, 2018
Episode 110: Saying What You Really Mean - The Importance of Theme in Speculative Fiction
Spoiler Warning: We discuss Star Wars - The Last Jedi
Theme is one of those elusive things that experinced writers tell you you must have or at least be aware of, but that no one can really tell you how to do. Even if you have a really strong grasp on your theme, it can get away from you and deliver a message you didn't intend. Add to that themes can become out dated over time. So why is theme important? Why should you be mindful about what you're really saying with your book? This week the dragons delve into these questions using the Star Wars saga (films rather than expanded universe) to examine examples of theme - where it works, where it's a bit cringeworthy and how The Last Jedi has subverted and updated all these ideas.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic