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.
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Episode 429: All in the Details - How to Use Description in Speculative Fiction part 2
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Part 2 of a 2 part episode Following on from last week's over view episode, this week Jules and Madeleine get, appropriately, into the details of what to include or exclude when writing and worldbuilding. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what …
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Episode 428: All in the Details - How to Use Description in Speculative Fiction part 1
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Part 1 of a 2 part episode The dragons are back and gearing up for spooky season. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the thorny issue of 'details'. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what to include or exclude? How much detail should …
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Episode 427: The Boys are Back in Town - the Dark Heart of the Superhero Genre
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Please note this episode contains spoilers for all the shows and books mentioned! It's the human in superhuman which is the interesting aspect of the superhero genre, which is why the genre is so good at holding up a dark mirror to the worst aspects of humanity as well as being aspiration. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the murky waters o…
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Episode 426: Change, Uncertainty and Unhappiness - making low stakes compelling
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Not every story can be or needs to be high octane intensity. In fact some of the best books are objectively quiet affairs. Low stakes does not mean low story or lack of compelling reading or viewing experience however. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why low stakes can be just as enthralling as high stakes, and in many ways can provid…
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Episode 425: A Thousand Ships - The Awkward Side of Retelling Greek Myths
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Myths and stories from the classical world have always been popular inspiring works of art, poetry, books and plays across centuries. Lately, Greek mythology has enjoyed an even bigger revival powered by the era of the 'feminist retelling'. However, while many of these books may be enjoyable stories in their own right, they are almost always bad re…
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Episode 424: Starving Artists and Worshipped Writers - unrealistic depictions of creatives in Film and TV
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Every profession has at some point suffered from misrepresentation in fiction, however the inaccurate way writers are often depicted in screenplays is especially ironic. However, the dragons do acknowledge that exaggeration and outright fabrication often make for better storytelling so with that in mind, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the main …
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Episode 423: Memory became legend legend became myth - the dawn of the fantasy genre part 2
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If you're a long term listener, you'll already be aware that the concept of 'genre' is mostly just a tool to aid categorisation, especially when it comes to selling books. That said, there are points on the timeline that are considered recognised emergence points for specific major genres. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the evolution…
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Episode 422: Memory became legend legend became myth - the dawn of the fantasy genre part 1
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If you're a long term listener, you'll already be aware that the concept of 'genre' is mostly just a tool to aid categorisation, especially when it comes to selling books. That said, there are points on the timeline that are considered recognised emergence points for specific major genres. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the evolution…
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Episode 421: Impossible Monsters - Dinosaurs and Megafauna in Speculative Fiction
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Dinosaurs and prehistoric megafauna have been capturing human imagination for centuries. Certain myths may well have been partially shaped by the discovery of dinosaur bones, whilst our progressing understanding of the dinosaurs 180 million year reign and how it ended, has coloured our understanding of our own place in the natural order. No surpris…
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Episode 420: Never Coming Home - The Moving Beyond Bereavement and Death is a Sad Thing Tropes
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Storytelling is a powerful tool for exploring difficult issues - both in terms of catharsis and also at a distance. This is especially true for death and bereavement. While the dragons have discussed grief in speculative fiction before, this week they are examining bereavement as a storytelling mode in its own right. How do you write bereavement in…
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Episode 419: The Sun, the Moon & the Spindle - Tracing the Origins of Sleeping Beauty
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It's time for another episode in the fairytales in focus series and this week the dragons are delving into one of the best known and (inexplicably?) best beloved. The tale of the Sleeping Beauty has gone through many permutations over the centuries and most likely has an oral tradition that was even older. It has been co-opted by Medieval Romantic …
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Episode 418: the Dark Decent - Transforming a Hero into a Villain in SFF
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The villain who redeems themself is a highly popular trope, but so is it's mirror and sister trope - the hero who becomes the villain. Operating on the assumption that no one is born 'bad', this trope is an engaging look at how someone might gradually descend into villainy and not even realise until after they have arrived. This week, the dragons d…
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Episode 417: An Abundance of Janes and Cathys - Retellings of the classics and why they usually suck pt 2
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Nineteenth century novels remain rich fodder both for adaptation and complete reimagining. However, it is rarely as easy as writers and screenwriters believe to strike the balance between respect for the source material, alteration to provide accessibility for a modern audience and presenting the themes which made the book a classic in the first pl…
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Episode 416: An Abundance of Janes and Cathys - Retellings of the classics and why they usually suck part 1
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Nineteenth century novels remain rich fodder both for adaptation and complete reimagining. However, it is rarely as easy as writers and screenwriters believe to strike the balance between respect for the source material, alteration to provide accessibility for a modern audience and presenting the themes which made the book a classic in the first pl…
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Episode 415: Seafarers, Swashbucklers and Chaotic Archaeologists - the evolution of Adventure Fiction
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From unlikely and surprisingly hardy explorers to accidental time travellers, adventure fiction combines the best of wonder and thrilling pace. Understandably seen as popcorn fiction by some due to its focus on pacey events and in-the-nick-of-time rescues, adventure fiction has a surprisingly long and distinguished pedigree. This week Jules and Mad…
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Episode 414: Seasons May Change - Stars Farmers & Wild Weather Calendars
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After a brief sabbatical, the dragons are back with an all new set of episodes! This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the folkloric symbolism and the physical reality of the seasons. Many writers overlook the importance of the seasons, and the various levels on which we interact with them, which means they miss an easy opportunity for world bui…
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Episode 413: Dragon riders & wolf speakers - the Animal Soul Bond in Speculative Fiction
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An interesting slant on both the animal companion and the soul mate tropes, is the 'soul bonded animal' trope. It's been popular in sci-fi and fantasy for many decades but is reaching new levels of popularity with the recent wave of new fantasy. But what is it about being emotionally and psychically connected to an animal - especially a fantastical…
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Episode 412: By the Blade - the Evolution of Heroic Fantasy
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Heroic fantasy better know as Sword & Sorcery, is one of the oldest forms of modern fantasy. It's arguably the progenitor or at least co-parent of both Noblebright and Grimdark, as well as influencing several other subgenres of sci fi and fantasy. And yet despite this, despite its greater accessibility than Epic fantasy, Sword & Sorcery does not en…
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Episode 411: Kitchen Heroes - Humble Protagonists who get Things Done in Speculative Fiction
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Have you ever noticed how often a lynchpin character is not, in fact, 'the chosen one'? Or how many times a simple, mundane skill or a knack for being friendly and straight forward saves the day while high powered, flashy characters flounder? This week Jules and Madeleine look at why a 'kitchen hero' - someone who thinks about things like seeing to…
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Episode 410: In a Rural Dream - The Rise of Cottagecore
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Aesthetic movements becoming literary genres is not a new thing; nor is the waxing and waning in fashion of those aesthetics. One such example which is enjoying something of a renaissance is 'cottagecore'. The celebration of a back to basics simple, rural life with emphasis on low conflict and high crafting has reached a huge level of popularity. N…
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Episode 409: Pitched Perfectly - The Film was Better than the Book
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The dragons are starting the year with the controversial take that sometimes the film adaptation of a story is better than the book. Obviously this is a bold take as any book worm will tell you, but is there any truth in it? How much is down to personal preference or accessibility of story? How much is a result of what media you engage with first? …
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Episode 408: There’s good news and...more good news - 2023 in review
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For the final episode of 2023, the dragons are once again suggesting that the last year wasn't as bad as you might think. Certainly, it wasn't as bad as the 24hr news cycle would have you believe. This week, in a light and hopeful episode, Jules and Madeleine take a look at some of the good things that have happened in 2023 - from advances in medic…
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Episode 407: Jingle Bell Rock - Storytelling through the medium of songs the Christmas edition
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Tis the season and this week the dragons bring you a festive episode that looks at how songs can tell surprisingly complicated and nuanced stories. Since it's almost Christmas, Jules and Madeleine have chosen well known Christmas songs for those experiment. Join them for a light hearted, sort-of writing based episode - perfect for listening to as y…
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Episode 406: A Picture Says a Thousand Words - The Rise of the Graphic Novel
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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 sever…
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Episode 405: The Fairest of Them All - The Pursuit of Beauty as a Literary Device
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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 fictio…
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