Dissecting Dragons

Episode 363: Easter Eggs Accidents or Clever Inclusions - Delving into Disney Fan Theories

Fan theories are one unexpected but gratifying indicator that someone has really connected with your work. And the bigger the fan base, the wackier and more oddly compelling the theories grow. This week, Jules and Madeleine use Disney films to examine this phenomenon, taking a light hearted look at several fan theories of popular films and delving into how the theories may have come about as well as how likely they are to fit.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 362: The Maiden in the Tower - Tracing the Origins of Rapunzel

The dragons are back with another 'fairytales in focus' episode. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at the origins of folk favourite, Rapunzel. While the story everyone is most familiar with is that collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, there are earlier incarnations of the story which cast the events in a somewhat different light. Added to which inspiration for the story comes from some diverse and unusual places from the Greek myth of Danaae to St Barbara of Nicodemia to Persian epic poetry. Tune into this weeks discussion of where the story of 'Little Parsley' came from. 

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 361: The Butler Did it - or Did He - How Who-dunnits Have Shaped Speculative Fiction

Most of us have a soft spot for mysteries and even if we don't, everyone knows the basic premise of a who-dunnit. Starting with Wilkie Collins and the first detective novel, following through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and finally taking a fixed shape in Agatha Christie's mystery novels, the who-dunnit appeals to us on multiple levels. Interestingly, it has also influenced other genres lending aspects of mystery, well known tropes and elements of suspense and tension to fantasy, sci-fi and even romance. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why we're wired to find a who-dunnit compelling; why the story form has very much become it's own thing and how you can leverage that for your own writing.

On the slab this week: Knives Out, Death on the Nile, See How they Run and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Episode 360: Fated Brides & Fatal Spies - the Romantasy Phenomenon

Fantasy and romance both have their origins in the High Romance tradition. It's comparatively recently that the two have become separate, specific genres with their own tropes and expectations. Which makes the current fantasy-romance trend especially interesting. A romantasy is one of those storytelling recipes where the quantities of ingredients are going to vary according to taste from fantasy elements used as mere window dressing for the romance, to well-built complex worlds where the focus is nevertheless on the romance. This week the dragons take a look at what makes a good romantasy and why they are increasing in popularity. Under the microscope this week: The Bridge Kingdom - Danielle L Jensen, That Time I got Drunk and Saved a Demon - Kimberley Lemming, Half a Soul - Olivia Atwater and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 359: A Great and Mighty Destiny - Legacies and Magical Bloodlines in Speculative Fiction

Tropes often go hand in hand. A preordained destiny often goes with the 'chosen one' trope: the 'sins of the father' often goes with the 'magical bloodline trope'. And in general, no trope is bad in and of itself, although the latter has certainly drawn a lot of flak over recent years - largely due to poor examples of the trope. This week, the dragons take a look at characters born to magical or enhanced bloodlines. What causes this trope to fall into elitism? Can it ever work? Does it deserve the bad reputation it seems to have earned? And what do Jules and Madeleine think about using it themselves?

On the slab this week: The Once and Future King, Unveiled, Dune, House of the Dragon and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 358: Wonders and Irritations - 2022 in Review

Another year has passed and the dragons are once again looking back before moving forward. As usual, Jules and Madeleine are drawing your attention to some of the great things that happened in 2022 which you may not be aware of. While this past year may have felt at times like a worthy successor to the previous two years in terms of 'irritations' - and the dragons certainly mention a few - it was also a year of great strides forward in medicine, science, art, conservation and many other areas. Tune in for a light hearted and positive recap of some of the best bits of 2022.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 357: Gunpowder Crackers and Cancelling Christmas - the Myths Surrounding Common Christmas Practices

The Dragons would like to wish all their listeners a very Merry Christmas/ Seasons Greetings/ Happy Yule

Following in their tradition of providing festive folklore for Christmas, this year the dragons take a look at some of the common misconceptions regarding certain traditions and practices for this time of year. Do evergreens symbolise eternal life? Why were crackers invented? And what are the origins of this winter festival? Find out in this light hearted episode.

 

Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 356: Nutcrackers Little Wooden Boys and Bears of Very Little Bear - The Sentient Toy Trope in Speculative Fiction

Heading into the festive season, the dragons take a look at a staple trope of childhood films and books: toys, teddy bears and dolls which 'come to life', exhibit sentience or are generally anthropomorphic. Simple on the surface, this surprisingly old and versatile trope lends itself to everything from tales of childhood wonder to featuring in adult horror stories. Focusing more on using the trope as an exploration of childhood, Jules and Madeleine look at the nuances of this eerie and wonderful trope. On the slab this week: Pinocchio, The Nutcracker, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Mouse and his Child, Toy Story and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 355: He’s a Maneater - the Global Invasion of Ogres in Myth & Fiction, part two.

 

Most folkloric devices, tropes and common characters have strong ties to the times and cultures they exist in, reflecting various mindsets and shapeshifting to stay relevant - just as fairy tales do. However, few creatures have such mysterious origins or such a chequered past as the 'Ogre' and its various other incarnations. In this second part of a two part episode, the dragons delve into how ogres have been used in fairy tales and fantasy, even in sci-fi, both to represent specific undesirable human characteristics and as a sly form of xenophobia. Join Jules and Madeleine as they look at how the ogre-villain narrative is gradually being shifted and what this means for the evolution of SFF.

 

Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Episode 354: He’s a Maneater - the Global Invasion of Ogres in Myth & Fiction

Most folkloric devices, tropes and common characters have strong ties to the times and cultures they exist in, reflecting various mindsets and shapeshifting to stay relevant - just as fairy tales do. However, few creatures have such mysterious origins or such a chequered past as the 'Ogre' and its various other incarnations. In this first part of a two part episode, the dragons trace the origins of the catch-all villain, trekking across continents and centuries and examining what and why such a creature would evolve in folklore. Join Jules and Madeleine into a deep dive into the human psyche, where they examine why we need to create supernatural villains as well as looking at historical possibilities they derived from.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic