The topic of the 'not like the other girls' trope is a potentially fraught one. For starters, it's not always clear where a piece of fiction falls into this trope with opinions varying greatly. This week Jules and Madeleine revisit this thorny issue, taking a look at how things have progressed over the last few years and whether it might not be time to examine whether the calling out of the trope is not in fact as potentially harmful as the trope itself. And what exactly does all that have to do with underwear? On the slab this week: Anne with an E, Little Women, The Hunger Games and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It will come as no surprise to regular listeners that the dragons are passionate about good diverse representation in speculative fiction, and they've certainly discussed segments of that huge topic before. This time, Jules and Madeleine are focusing on how bisexuality is depicted in SFF, both for good and ill, and in ways that are frankly misunderstood. So just how important are labels? Can you have good representation without them? And what are some of the real bugbears about how bisexuality is displayed and how people misinterpret it that really annoy both dragons?  On the slab this week: The Witcher, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Boys and many more.

Despite discussing folktales and fairy stories regularly and at length, the dragons haven't really touched on 'modern' original fairy tales. That is books or stories written using fairy tale story modes but often set in contemporary or even futuristic settings. Contrasting the contemporary with the traditional fairy tale really highlights how steeped the both are in the politics and morality of the time, whilst still capturing that timelessness of themes. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at a selection of case studies including Elizabeth von Arnem's The Enchanted April, Elizabeth Goudge's The Little White Horse and George Orwell's Animal Farm.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Special Guest Episode!   This week the dragons are thrilled to welcome C. N. Rowan to the show. As the author of the imPerfect Cathar urban fantasy series, which follows Paul, an 800 yr old immortal who was once a 'perfect' of the group we came to call the Cathars, but is now a magic wielding, monster hunting emotional train wreck with a smart mouth and a nose for trouble. The series is darkly comedic and a lot of fun, which make Chris the perfect person to join the episode's discussion.  Urban fantasy is spawning sub genres at speed and there are target audiences who are just ravenous for these new twists on a well established genre. But how do you make your UF books stand out? Well, one way is to add a strong historical component. How? Tune into to find out. On the slab this week: Indiana Jones, imPerfect Cathar, The Parasol Protectorate and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It's been a while since the dragons have done a 'fairy tales in focus' episode so this week Jules and Madeleine take a dive into the origins, inspiration and socio-political interpretations of 'The Little Mermaid'. Written in the early nineteenth century by Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, the story cannot boast the long history of other popular fairy stories. It's also devoid of the usual happy ending and the substitute for happily ever after is oddly unsatisfying and eerie. However, it still became one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time. Why is that and what was Anderson really saying? What folktales influenced his work? And are any of the literary interpretations close to the mark? Find out in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Hard science fiction has been a recognised term since the 1950s. Hard fantasy is comparatively more recent as a definition but is certainly something which is being applied now to fantasy with a highly logical world, heavy political threads or more challenging storylines. However, there are cons as well as pros to narrowing the field genre wise, and a certain amount of intellectual or literary snobbery creeps in. So what does the qualifier 'hard' mean in reference to sff? What qualities qualify a book for the term? And what are the drawbacks? This week Jules and Madeleine dive into the subject with examples such as The Masquerade series by Seth Dickenson, Dune by Frank Herbert and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There are few things more annoying to a reader than being cheated by the author - whether intentionally or not. One of the most annoying forms of this is the cliffhanger. Originally a device which accidentally emerged from serialised Victorian fiction, it turned into a way of manipulating the audience into buying the next book or watching the next episode. This week, Jules and Madeleine discuss the various types of cliffhangers used in speculative fiction and address why most of the time, using any sort of cliffhanger is a bad choice. On the slab this week: The Eternals, Crescent City - S.J.Maas, The Empire Strikes Back and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Creating an actual villain, rather than just an antagonist, is a tricky business. It's easy to go too far and fall into the realms of cartoonish unbelievability. On the other hand, your villain needs to feel like a clear and present danger otherwise what are they doing in your MC's story? This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the main pitfalls on the road to making your villain genuinely menacing, as well as offering tips for how to make them villainous and still believable. Under the microscope this week: Lord of the Rings, The Terminator, Harker & Blackthorn and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Special guest episode! The dragons are delighted to welcome urban fantasy author, Heather G Harris, to the show this week. Heather is the author of the wildly popular Other Realm and Other Wolf series, and her British set UF is packed with humour, unusual creatures and great characters, which makes her the perfect person to join this week's discussion. (As well as a chat about her books and hints about forthcoming projects.)   Urban fantasy is something of an umbrella term and can include different micro genres depending on who's doing the categorising. For the purposes of this episode, UF is fantasy set against the backdrop of the mundane modern world as we know it. One of the interesting aspects of the genre is the slightly different flavour UK and Irish UF has in comparison to US UF. Considering the similarities between the UK and her cousins across the pond, what's at the root of this? Is there a real difference? And if so, what differences have we noticed? (Hint: yes there is the tea aspect. But it's not just the tea...) Join Jules, Madeleine and their guest as they tackle this topic and discuss some of their favourite Indie UF writers.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There are many ways to end a story but one of the most popular is triumph against a seemingly insurmountable foe. While there is something very satisfying about bringing your heroes to a point where it seems all is lost before they snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, there are definitely ways to do it wrong. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look a different ways of achieving this kind of ending in a believable way. On the slab this week: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things and Many more.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Most writers at some point become familiar with the idea of the monomyth and the work of Joseph Campbell. However, despite the misleading name, the monomyth is not the only blueprint for all storytelling. While it's very prevalent in almost ever story in the Western world, there are several other storytelling modes which privilege different aspects of a story for a variety of different reasons. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at other kinds of story templates, travelling through the monomyth to the Heroine's Journey and then onto modes used in other parts of the world.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Every so often the dragons like to break away from writing technique and storytelling analysis and do something light and fun. This week they have a list of contenders for the hand of an imaginary batchelorette. Our would be suitors are drawn from the most highly sought after romantic male leads of fiction - from Mr Darcy to Edward Cullen. But just what is it that makes any of our romantic hopefuls appealing? Find out as Jules and Madeleine gently poke fun at them and weigh their finer qualities.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Welcome to another 'fairytales in focus' episode. This week the dragons are tackling one of the most gruesome popular folk stories. The story of well known wife murderer 'Bluebeard' has inspired a lot of Gothic and horror fiction, but its own origins - while comparatively recent - are somewhat unusual. In addition, while it's often slammed for being a truly sexist story, digging into the folklore suggests that its 'moral' was probably lost in translation. Jules and Madeleine track the story's grisly journey through history and folk tradition in this episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Retelling a well known myth, fairytale or historical event from a marginalised, often voiceless character's perspective is not a new idea, however it has gained a lot of traction and popularity over the last few years. This is especially true of 'feminist retellings'. Whether the term 'feminist retelling' is more of a marketing term or a true reflection of the contents is up for debate however, and is further complicated by the fact that the word feminism means different things to different people at different time periods. However, the dragons feel that the recent slew of feminist retellings come with their own set of problems. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the good, the bad and the ugly of reimagining myths from a female perspective. On the slab this week: Circe - Madeleine Miller, Morgan is my Name - Sophie Keetch, The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Sometimes the lives of authors are stranger or more fraught than the books they write in true truth is stranger than fiction style. Following on from a past episode which tracked the strange deaths and mysteries of four well known authors, the dragons present to you four more authors who lived unconventional lives which were at odds with the time they lived in or even their own storytelling. Tune in this week for a discussion on V.C. Andrews, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins and Emily Dickinson.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Every so often the dragons like to catch up on some of the more bizarre or annoying happenings of the writing world. A certain recent article tipped the scales this time so in this episode Jules and Madeleine are looking at attitudes and trends which have been in the spotlight recently. Is there any benefit to 'scrubbing' beloved but somewhat dated children's fiction? Is there such a thing as a writer who writes too much? What constitutes boring in terms of real life people and fictional characters? And is there any merit to adopting a 'with me or against me' viewpoint? (As always this is an opinion piece and the dragons welcome other viewpoints and comments.)    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

In last week's episode, Jules and Madeleine examined the werewolf in folklore, it's transformation from noble guardian to monstrous predator, and why everything you think you know about werewolves is in fact wrong, This week, the dragons take a look at the werewolf in film and literature. From desirable outlet of wildness to expression of uncontrollable rage, the werewolf has been a favourite monster for decades. This episode considers why. On the slab this week: In the Company of Wolves, An American Werewolf in London, Blood and Chocolate and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

In a previous episode, the dragons discussed shapeshifters in folklore and fiction, however they did not devote much time to the European, UK and Irish cryptid - the werewolf. In part one of a two part episode, Jules and Madeleine follow the changes this creature undergoes from early Medieval times to the modern day. Like many aspects of folklore, the werewolf has been shaped by historical events and changing mindsets, and is in many ways more representative of the broad sweeps of European history than its contemporary monsters. Join us for an episode which explains why everything you thought you knew about werewolves is wrong.

Considering that writing and publishing are completely so closely linked, they couldn't be more different in terms of execution for the author. Assuming you manage to be one of the small number of people who actually finish writing a book, you may well find yourself bewildered as to what to do next. Drawing on their decade of experience in the industry, Jules and Madeleine use this episode to give you an overview of your options including why one path might be more suitable for you than another. The dragons also include tips on negotiating contracts, creative control and realistic representations of royalty rates. You've written a book? Great. Here's what you do next.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

A strangely contentious issue when it comes to writing is whether or not your main character needs to be likeable. The vast majority of readers would probably argue in one direction while many subsections of the writing community would argue the opposite. For a subject where it's clear everyone's mileage varies, it's interesting that the question causes such a division and even anger. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what a 'likeable character' is in writing terms, as well as how you can make your character likeable. How can you give your main character broader audience appeal? How do you make readers identify with your MC? And how can you avoid making them unintentionally unlikeable? Find out in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

SFF has traditionally always been a form of literature where difficult topics are deconstructed and examined. The best examples are those science fiction and fantasy novels which focus on story first, weaving socio-economic or political themes in afterwards. However, it's really easy to include things in your writing which you didn't intend to include. Classism is one of those insidious flavours that can creep in without you noticing it. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at how to avoid this as well as examining a few examples of speculative fiction which deliberately engage with the subject. On the slab this week: Battlestar Galactica, The Black Magician - Trudi Canavan, Ironman 3 and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Fun, escapism and entertainment may not be the only reason readers pick up books, but they're fairly high up the list of considerations. Something you might want to keep in mind when you're writing! Jules and Madeleine have talked in a previous episode (or several) about how to keep your readers engaged with your book. This week, the dragons take a look at a specific aspect of that process. Wish fulfilment gets a bad rap in literature terms but delving into what it actually entails, shows that this is an undeserved reputation. How can you add wish fulfilment without derailing your plot? How can it be used to make your book appeal to a broader audience? What should you avoid doing if you don't want to lose a reader?  Under the microscope this week: Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, The Martian - Andy Weir and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

While most books focus on one, two or three main characters and have secondary characters filling in as needed, sff lends itself well to an 'ensemble cast'. Not to be confused with a large cast which may incorporate many characters but still has only a few POV characters which directly affect the story, an ensemble cast has four or more main characters, each on their own arc, each affecting the plot and resolution equally. This week Jules and Madeleine look at the advantages and pitfalls of using an ensemble cast in your book, including why you might want to create one, how it makes for richer world building and when not to do it. On the slab this week: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R R Martin, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novak, Deep Space Nine and many more   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

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

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

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 

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

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

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

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

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

  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

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

The advent of streaming television services has meant that more video content has been required and with that demand, has come a more specific requirement for less mainstream, more niche material. This has been great for SFF fans who now face an embarrassment of riches which cater to their very specific trope preferences. However, the half empty side of this is that beloved speculative fiction which has previously only been available in book form, is now being adapted for TV series...and not all series are created equal. This week the dragons tackle the big question this raises: do adaptations have a duty to be accurate? And moving on from SFF and why you might chose to not partake or an adaptation of your favourite book, is there a responsibility to not take liberties with historical adaptations? Under the microscope this week: Interview with a Vampire, The Woman King, Braveheart, His Dark Materials and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Everyone has their own trope bugbears which have more to do with personal taste than anything else, and that's fine. The dragons are no different. However there are some tropes which just fundamentally don't work - at least not if you're going to cut corners. Either they result in shoddy worldbuilding or poor story structure or they're just so ick that they knock the reader out of the story. That's not to say that they can never work but you do have to be careful how you handle them. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at some of the worst offenders and best examples of the same trope done right, in sci-fi and fantasy. On the slab this week - Star Trek Discovery, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Virtual Sexuality and many more.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Not to be confused with 'framing devices' such as a narrative within a secondary story, 'Framing' is a type of narrative enhancer which can be used to add tone or flavour to a scene. This week, Jules and Madeleine look at how specific scenes and even whole plots can be gently adjusted using this technique, especially when it comes to movies and TV. Why might you wish to use framing? How can it be used to as a subtler form of political or social messaging? And what happens when it goes wrong? Find out in this week's episode. On the slab this week - The Witcher, She-Ra Princesses of Power, Dead End: Paranormal Park and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

This week the dragons are delighted to welcome back Laura Laakso, author of the paranormal crime/ urban fantasy series Wilde Investigations. The main character of the series - Yannia Wilde - suffers from a chronic illness, which means that her exploits in magical London, solving mysteries, are always a bit more challenging. It also makes Laura the ideal person to join Jules and Madeleine for this discussion. Like many aspects of representation, chronic illness is sometimes conflated with being the entirety of a character which does more harm than good, as does some ill researched or thoughtless inclusion of chronic illness or disability. This episode is a lively discussion of exactly what you can do to create more realistic chronically ill characters and why you might want to include one in your work. Aside from which, SFF can be the perfect place to explore the subject. Under the microscope this week: The Fault in Our Stars, the Goonies, Wilde Investigations and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Finishing up their spooky season specials and taking inspiration from previous years 'cursed objects' episodes, this week the dragons take a look at 'cursed' places. A handful of tame hauntings will not qualify a place as 'cursed' under this definition. Oh no. A single lonely ghost sighting won't fit. The places Jules and Madeleine discuss in this episode have an ongoing pattern of centuries of hauntings, strange happenings, UFO sightings, as well as a long a bloody history of violence and atrocity. Join the dragons for a curated (though by no means exhaustive) selection of the most afflicted places in the UK.  At around the 75% mark, we briefly discuss 'murder tourism' and a certain serial killer's house. While we do not go into graphic detail, we also don't dance around the topic. If you're not in a good place to listen to that discussion, maybe put this one on the backburner and enjoy one of our back catalogue of episodes instead.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Continuing their spooky season, this week the dragons tackle one of the best known monsters of all: the vampire. Generally regarded as more of an Eastern European creature, rather than a UK monster, it might surprise the listener to discover that there are many accounts of vampires in UK and Irish folklore. They appear in Medieval chronicles and Irish sagas. And there are still stories and reports being made in the UK up to the present day. Grab a your drink of choice and settle in for a deep dive in to the blood drinking fiends of Britain and Ireland.    Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Continuing with their spooky theme for October, this week the dragons take a look at another six UK and Irish cryptids. From the origins of werewolves in Ossary leading to the Tipperary wolf-man, to the bizarre Bat-beast of Kent, to a genuine cryptid which may have fed legends of the Scottish Cait Sith, this episode is a wild ride through folkloric imagination with a few creepy tales thrown in.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It's October and you know what that means! Tis the season to be spooky! In line with their usual policy of providing Hallowe'en themed episodes during October, the dragons are delighted to start with a look at some of the UK and Irelands least known and strange cryptids. This week discover one of Nessie's other loch dwelling 'cousins', discuss the likelihood of 'Owlman', and explore two possible candidates for the title of UK Bigfoot, as well as many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons are once again delighted to welcome Hamish Steele, author of popular comics/ graphic novels Deadendia and Pantheon, and creator of hit Netflix series Deadend: Paranormal Park, to the show. (And with some exciting news too!) This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at that peculiar but appealing phenomenon in long running TV shows - the musical episode. As a long time lover of musicals and a creator of just such a musical episode, Hamish is ideally situated to wade in on the discussion. Tracing the 'lineage' of the trend from cult classics like 'Fame' (1980) through a few very dicey attempts in the 80s and early 90s, before the sub-genre was cemented by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this dissection looks at why a musical episode might be appealing, why it can make or break a show with your audience, and why sometimes it doesn't work. Under the microscope this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deadend: Paranormal Park, Ally McBeal, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic. 

This week the dragons bring you another episode in their 'fairy tales in focus' series. Puss in Boots is incredibly popular, especially with children, and unlike many fairy tales, it contains no real moral. So just where did this story originate and what do its characters symbolise? The Perrault version is by far the best known, but even he struggled to paste a 'lesson' onto the story, so in what ways did he misunderstand the subversive nature of the story? Find out as Jules and Madeleine trace the tale's origins back to Italy and from there across Europe, Asia and Africa. On the slab this week: Pixar's Puss in Boots, A Tale of Two Castles - Gail Carson Levine and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling cynic

The base setting for the human species is sociability to some degree. Even the most misanthropic or introverted of us are not meant to be completely cut off from all other people. In narrative terms, however, isolation can be a great way to test your character. It can also provide interesting back story or provide a setting or frame for a survival story. So what sort of tests can you set for your MC? How can you use isolation to explore characterisation or setting? Find out in this week's episode. Under the microscope this week: Castaway, The Martian, The Clan of the Cave Bear and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Regular listeners of the podcast will be quite well versed in the dragons opinions on sexist tropes against women, however there are certainly tropes which are sexist against men too, which they haven't covered in quite as much detail. This week the dragons take a look at some of these tropes as well as discussing the insidious growing trend of punishing male characters for their biological sex in speculative fiction. From fathers always being distant to male villains always being sex offenders, here are the tropes Jules and Madeleine think could do with being retired. On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mrs Doubtfire, Leon and many more   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons return this week with another 'fairy tales in focus' episode. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time - quite an achievement when the story as we now know it, the most popular iteration, is a mere two hundred and sixty years old! While many of the themes and motifs can be found in earlier folk tales and myths, the current version is incredibly young by fairy tale standards and is probably partially inspired by historical events at the court of the French king, Henry II. Jules and Madeleine trace it's journey and permutations from myth to history to folk tale and beyond. On the slab this week - Heart's Blood - Juliet Marillier, Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte, Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Characters who are more extroverted and more obviously dynamic are generally easier to shape a story around. However, stories featuring gentler, more introverted characters can be very rewarding to both write and read too. In fact, many beloved, favourite characters across genres fall into this category. So what's the problem? Well, unless you get a screenwriter who understands how to portray these characters in film, often gentler characters get butchered during adaptation. But there are good reasons for keeping the characters as they are and excellent reasons for including gentler characters in your work. This week the dragons dive into why and how to write and include quieter characters. Under the microscope this week: Persuasion - Jane Austen, The Lord of the Rings, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons are always happy to consider requests and this episode is a response to one such request. Weird Western is an odd genre in many ways, being a mixture of the western sub-genre of general or saga style historical fiction with 'weird' elements. These may include dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, paranormal or even romance. And yet despite being a complete hotch podge, Weird Western is very definitely its own genre and is growing in popularity. So this week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what goes into one, the common archetypes and tropes and a peek at their favourite examples. On the slab this week: Firefly, Cowboy Bee-bop, Stephen King's The Dark Tower and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic