Dissecting Dragons

Episode 406: A Picture Says a Thousand Words - The Rise of the Graphic Novel

The creation of graphic novels is not only a form of illustration but a type of story telling in its own right, and one with a far older history than you might guess. Despite an undeserved reputation for being a soft form of reading (something they share with audio books) graphic novels are nuanced and multi layered, often able to communicate several things at once in a way that other books just don't. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the startling origins of this type of storytelling, looking at what makes a graphic novel work and drawing on examples from their favourites. Under the microscope this week: Punderland by Linda Sejic, Mouseguard by David Peterson, The Boys by Garth Innis and many more.

 

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Episode 405: The Fairest of Them All - The Pursuit of Beauty as a Literary Device

There are many physical characteristics which, when used in storytelling, have ingrained concordances with less tangible traits. It's a code we imbibe through fiction starting with folktales and continuing through ever possible genre and storytelling mode. Beauty is one of these characteristics and as real life push back spills over into how fiction is written, descriptions of physical beauty are being scorned. At least by a small very vocal contingent. So just what are you saying when you incorporate physical beauty in your character make up? The dragons are willing to bet you're saying more than you perhaps realise. This week Jules and Madeleine explore what associations come package with this characteristic, why you might want to use it (despite the naysayers) and how to do it in a way that enriches your character, rather than detracts from them.

On the slab this week: The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde, Rouge - Mona Awad, Fairest - Gail Carson Levine and many more.

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Episode 404: It was Great Apart from the Ending - Beloved Fiction that Wobbled on the Dismount

Writing a book is hard. Ending a book in way that satisfies most of your readers is unbelievably hard - even before you factor in that you will never please everyone. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why this is true. Examining books and films they enjoyed but which didn't stick the ending, the dragons list the ways an ending can fail its fans and how to avoid this. 

On the slab this week: Avengers Endgame, The Mist - Stephen King, The Witcher Season 3 and many more.

 

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Episode 403: The Old Family Business - Gangster Witches and Legacy Monster Hunters

A SFF trope currently rising in popularity is that of the magical crime family. This is especially prevalent in conjunction with magic wielders and witches. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why mixing the popular 'gangster' trope with magic is such a winning combination, before comparing it with another staple of the genre - the legacy monster hunter. Technically both have a wobbly relationship with the law, but each are approaching (generally) from opposite directions, so why are both equally popular? On the slab this week: Supernatural, One for my Lover - Olivie Blake, The Mayfair Witches series - Anne Rice and many more.

 

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Episode: 402 Of Gold and Hubris - Tracing the Origins of Rumpelstiltskin

This week, the dragons bring you another fairy tales in focus episode. Rumpelstiltskin is a mixed bag when you really look at it, but this macabre and often funny tale of deception and trickery has always resonated with children. However, this story dates back far further than the Brothers Grimm. In fact there's good evidence that it may be one of the oldest fairy tales in existence. Join Jules and Madeleine as they take a look at what's hidden in the story, from it's probable bloody origins as a tale of bargaining and sacrifice to its more modern retellings as a horror story or an upbeat fantasy. On the slab this week: Gilded - Marissa Meyer, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novak, A Curse as Dark as Gold - Elizabeth C Bunce and many more.

 

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Episode 401: Girls on Ice - a History of the Fridging Trope

Regular listeners of the show will already know that very few tropes and writing trends are actually new. All of them have come from somewhere and often those origins are surprising. The fridging trope is one that bears a justifiable amount of scorn but it's also one that exists for a reason and has a shockingly long pedigree. This week, Jules and Madeleine travel back to the earliest recorded origins of this trope, before looking at why it exists and how to take the necessary elements of it and use it in your own work in a way that isn't problematic. From Ancient Greece to World War II, from Early Medieval Wales to the Arthurian Cycle, the dragons take a tour through time and storytelling. 

 

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Episode 400: Strange Fruit in the Gallant South - Exploring the Southern Gothic

Gothic fiction may have started out as a sophisticated joke, but like so many initially unlikely genres, it picked up a following, developed rules and tropes and then continued to surprise and delight readers for the next two hundred and fifty years. Gothic fiction - like traditional ghost stories - holds up a mirror to the human soul often with unflattering results. Considering its roots in desolate, crumbling castles and stormy nights, its a surprisingly versatile and slippery genre which probably explains why it takes some interesting turns when it travels across the pond. American gothic or southern gothic followed a similar evolutionary path from being a ghastly joke to taking on a life and power of its own. This week, Jules and Madeleine look at the key differences between the parent and child genres as they delve in to what makes the Southern Gothic tick like the Tell Tale Heart. Under the microscope this week - Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches, Rosemary Clement Moore's The Splendour Falls and many more.

 

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Episode 399: This Set is Cursed - Strange Events Behind the Scenes at Horror Films

This week's episode in the October spookathon takes a look at horror films. Now, obviously creepy and strange things happen on the sets of horror films - that's sort of the point. But what about all those accounts of rum goings-on that aren't in the script? Is there a logical explanation? Are they urban legends or promotional stunts? Or could there possibly be something truly inexplicable going on? Find out as Jules and Madeleine pull back the curtain on the darker areas of the silver screen. On the slab this week - Nightmare on Elm Street, The Twilight Zone, The Possession and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

DD Episode 398: Joyous Companions Forever - examining the queerness of the vampire genre

Part two of a two part episode

 

Continuing both the spooky season and their examination of how vampires in fiction challenge all standards of norm, the dragons delve further into our favourite fanged monsters. This week Jules and Madeleine tackle vampires in conjunction with coming of age, identity and the parallels between sex and death. Under the microscope this time: The Lost Boys, Let the Right One In, The Vampire Diaries by L J Smith and more.

 

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Episode 397: The Beautiful and the Damned - examining the Queerness of the Vampire Genre

Part 1 of a two part episode

Continuing their month long spookathon, this week the dragons tackle aspects of the vampire genre. In narrative terms vampires have provided an excellent vessel for examining aspects of humanity, whether that's trauma causing monstrousness, or non-conformity. The vampire also has a fairly long queer history and it's no surprise that LGBTQ folks have flocked to films and literature featuring our favourite fanged monsters. How do vampires in speculative fiction challenge rigid norms regarding sex and sexuality? Why do they make such good vehicles for exploring family and the other? And what exactly was Bram Stoker driving at with some of his very un-Victorian story choices? Drink deep listeners - it's not merely wine. On the slab this week: Carmilla - Sheridan le Farnu, Christabel - Samuel Taylor Coleredge, What we do in the Shadows, Castlevania and more. 

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic