Dissecting Dragons

Dissecting Dragons: Episode 6: Merlin, Mordred and Morgana - Magic in Arthurian Legend

Episode 6: Merlin, Mordred and Morgana - Magic in Arthurian Legend

There have been countless re-tellings and re-imaginings of Arthurian myths and legends over the centuries - most recently a spate of films, plays, musicals and TV series have appeared. SFF authors J.A.Ironside and M.E.Vaughan delve into the history behind the myth, pulling out well known strands of the stories and looking at where and how these stories originated and were changed. With a particular look at 'magic' within the Arthurian legend, our intrepid authors discuss the Fenian Cycle and Fionn mac Cumhaill, from Irish myth, and the Briedei Cycle from pre-Celtic Scotland in comparison to Arthur and his court as it became known in the middle ages and renaissance. Also under the microscope this are BBC TV series 'Merlin', the 1981 film 'Excalibur', Mallory's Le Morte d'Artur, Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae and The Once and Future King by T.H.White.

Title music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic

Dissecting Dragons: Episode 5: Sci-Fi Westerns, Fantasy and Opera - Humankind's Conquest of Space

Episode 5: Sci-Fi Westerns, Fantasy and Space Opera - Humankind's conquest of Space.

SFF and speculative fiction authors, J.A.Ironside and M.E.Vaughan, take on the tricky subject of exactly what classifies science fiction. From dystopian futures to space colonies to AI, sci-fi reflects the times in which it is born but everyone seems to have a different opinion on what constitutes sci-fi. Looking at Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, the original Star Trek, Frank Herbert's Dune and the now ubiquitous superhero movie (thank you Marvel and DC!), our intrepid authors boldly go where many have gone before, but few have ever returned with satisfactory answers. 

Title Music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic

Dissecting Dragons - Episode 4 - Witches, Brooms and Spells: Enchanting and Entrapping Children in Fiction.

Special Guest Episode!

Dissecting Dragons: Episode 4 - Witches, Brooms and Spells: Enchanting and Entrapping Children in Fiction.

Witches have had a bit of a makeover in children's fiction - not least of whom are the Witches and Wizards of J.K.Rowling's creation - but just how did witches change from holding out poisoned apples and enticing unwary children into houses of gingerbread, to representing personal power, a sense of responsibility for others and, above all, being aspirational characters for children?  Fantasy authors M.E.Vaughan and J.A.Ironside will be discussing all this and more in this week's episode with their first ever guest star, James Nichol. James is a children's author whose book The Apprentice Witch is due for release 7th July 2016. Together the three authors cover The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy, Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones, the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett and, of course, Harry Potter. 

Title music: 'Ecstasy' bySmiling Cynic

Dissecting Dragons Episode 3: Deus Ex Machina - it was all a Dream - When Writers let you down.

Episode 3 - Deus Ex Machina - it was all a Dream: when Writers let you down.

This week Fantasy authors J.A.Ironside and M.E.Vaughan are looking at films and fiction where the ending just didn't deliver (in their opinion). Never mind not getting the ending you want, what about endings that are lazy, contrived or really just a slap in the face when you've been so invested in a writer's work? This week's 'dissection' focuses on the good and the bad endings of works such as The Divergent Trilogy, Jennifer Fallon's Tide Lord quartet, Harry Potter, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and certain seasons of the hit show, Supernatural. 

Title Music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic

Warning: This podcast is all about endings so there WILL BE SPOILERS! 

Dissecting Dragons: Episode 2: Tainted Love - of triangles, love potions and the Happily Ever After.

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Episode 2 - Tainted Love - of Triangles, Love Potions and the Happily Ever After

This week, fantasy authors M.E. Vaughan and J.A. Ironside tackle the subject of romance in speculative fiction, with a special look at the origins of Valentine's Day and the tropes of fantasy romance thoroughly examined. Wuthering Heights, Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series, The Hunger Games and Anne McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern are some of the books and films discussed.

Title music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic

Dissecting Dragons: Episode 1 - Rags to Rebel Leaders - the re-emergence of the fairytale

Dissecting Dragons

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.

Episode 1 - Rags to Rebel leaders - the re-emergence of the Fairy Tale looks at the origin of speculative fiction in oral tales and how those tales are being adapted for new generations and genres. Books and films discussed include Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and the new Disney Cinderella.

Title Music: 'Ecstasy' by Smiling Cynic