Dissecting Dragons

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

This week the dragons are delighted to welcome Lorraine Wilson back to the show. Lorraine is the author of This is our Undoing and the recently released folkloric mystery/ family suspense The Way the Light Bends. The latter is an exceptional example of this week's discussion which makes Lorraine the perfect person to join the episode.  Anyone who has paid any attention at all will have noticed that Jules and Madeleine are enthusiastic about folklore. But what actually defines a folk tale as opposed to a fairy tale or a myth? What are the basic structural tenets of a folk tale and how can writers tap in to them for storytelling purposes? Why is it an advantage to do so? Find out in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

We've all read them; books with great setting, promising story, engaging prose...and a damp squib for a main character. Sometimes this is because the author has been pushed into supplying what industry representatives think readers want in a main  character and sometimes it's just that the author has failed to listen to their own story, perhaps missing that a secondary character is both more engaging and has a better story to tell. This week the dragons look at what makes a MC engaging and what you should avoid doing when you create a character. On the slab this week: Deep Space Nine, Stranger Things, A Court of Silver Fire and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic.

There are many ways to create tension and suspense in fiction. One popular device is to give your main character a moral dilemma - a difficult choice which challenges their personal beliefs, morality or even their own view of themselves. However, this is one of those things that's really easy to do wrong, leaving your readers unsatisfied. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what defines a moral dilemma in speculative fiction and how it differs from impossible choices, as well as how to set it up so it will land with your audience. Under the microscope this week - Firefly, Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

On a lighter note this week, Jules and Madeleine look at the growing demand for cosy speculative fiction. While this term now gets applied to various subsections of genre fiction - for example cosy mysteries - it's relatively new in sci-fi and fantasy terms. Think of it as very character driven fiction which is relatively small in scale - no huge sprawling epic worlds here - which revolves around the more mundane problems of the tightly knit cast of characters. You might not find chosen ones, fights to the death or world ending events, but you probably will find an orc setting up a coffee shop, a bakery wizard making gingerbread golems or a spaceship full of loveable misfits getting into amusing hot water. The dragons delve into what makes up cosy speculative fiction and why it's becoming increasingly popular.  Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic  

The dragons tackle a slightly contentious topic this week - or at least a potentially contentious angle on this topic - and take a deep dive into how LGBTQ+ characters are depicted in the media. Specifically, in speculative fiction. There's been a decided uptick in easily accessible fiction featuring queer protagonists and side characters over the last ten years or so, and this is undoubtedly a good thing. However, there are many in the bookish community who would like to see only positive examples queerness represented, where characters are only shown in positive relationships and generally as mostly good people. Respectfully, the dragons find this viewpoint just as limiting as previous trends which would only allow queer characters to be deviants and villains. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why only allowing a narrow set of parameters for 'acceptable' queer characters is a problem, and what they would like to see more of.  On the slab this week: Gentleman Jack, Harker & Blackthorn, Pennyb

A fairly recent addition to the list of historical fantasy sub genres is the regency fantasy. Despite being a comparatively small span of time, the Regency in England and comparable time period in Europe - especially France - seems to pair extremely well with elements such as schools of magical thought, dragons and faery courts. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the subject to discover why and what the broad appeal is for readers and viewers. On the slab this week - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Suzanna Clarke, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians - H. G. Parry, Half a Soul - Olivia Atwater and many more.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Continuing their 'Fairytales in Focus' series, this week the dragons tackle one of the best known and loved stories of all time. While Cinderella has enjoyed centuries of popularity in Europe, the tale has roots that go back millennia, and a lineage that sees versions of it emerging in almost every culture worldwide. From Egypt to India, Russia to Scotland, France to Finland, Jules and Madeleine follow the trail of 'girls who lost their slippers and sandals', emerging from ignominy and oppression to a life where their true value is seen. It's a far wilder ride than you might expect if you're only familiar with the Disney version.  On the slab this week: Cinder - Marissa Meyer, The Slipper & the Rose (1976), Ever After (1998), Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

No, that is not a typo! If you're not familiar with the term 'filk' it refers to the multi-genre music produced by fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The dragons have said before that a mark of great art is that it inspires others, both amateur and professional, to create art of their own. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the witty, acerbic, poignant and humorous fan music inspired by speculative fiction. Where does the boundary between filk and mainstream come in? Where did the term come from? And what is it about filk that draws us in? Find out in this fun, light hearted episode.    Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons have covered aspects of worldbuilding in previous episodes, but not much attention has ever been given to the aspect of sport in writing SFF. Not just by this podcast but in general, so this week Jules and Madeleine take a look at sport in speculative fiction. Sport is an important part of cultural history and national identity. It can form a major if indirect part of diplomacy between neighbouring countries or nations at odds. The added benefit in speculative fiction is that you are not bound by the mundane - you can have magical sports and spaceship races. So why don't more authors incorporate it? And who has done so and done it well? On the slab this week: The Hunger Games, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Queen's Gambit, Fence (S.C, Pacat) and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

This week the dragons are delighted to welcome back special guest Hamish Steele to talk about his forthcoming Netflix series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Based on the DeadEndia graphic novels, the setting of the series makes Hamish the perfect person to join this week's discussion. Carnivals, circuses and fair grounds are niche but popular settings for speculative fiction. As liminal spaces where the usual rules are suspended, they are ideal places to look at the world in a different way or challenge mundane boundaries. Their inherent whimsy, surreality and eeriness allow them to fit into multiple different genres - mystery, fantasy, horror, even science fiction. But where does this setting and the sense of suspension of rules originate? And what exactly is out fascination with them born of? Find out in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

As always, the dragons resist handing down prescriptive writing advice, however, when it comes to writing for publication and the process of publishing itself, there are definitely some dos and don'ts! This week Jules and Madeleine look at practical considerations when sending a book out into the world or when sitting down with a concept to write one. What is PLR? Are titles copyright protected? Should you be trying to write to market or chasing the latest big trend? All this and more in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The second episode in the dragons 'fairy tales in focus' series looks at the origins of famous favourite, Snow White. The story appears in many European and Indonesian folktales, with the components - for example a jealous older woman, or a young, beautiful woman trapped in suspended animation - being far older. Following the subtle but powerful themes, Jules and Madeleine uncover a story that was never intended for children at all - at least not in its original incarnations. From Giambattista Basile's The Young Slave, to Joseph Jacobs Gold Tree and Silver Tree, the dragons trace a path through Snow White's possible historical origins and through the dark forests of the Brothers Grimm.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Have you ever wondered what makes some books, films and TV series take off, while others (often arguably better produced/ written) just do ok? The dragons certainly have. And they might well have an answer. Or at least a large chunk of one. In the second part of this two part episode, Jules and Madeleine will be looking focusing themes and sub themes in bestselling fiction - and why they're just delicious for readers/ viewers when done well. On the slab this week: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight and many more.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Have you ever wondered what makes some books, films and TV series take off, while others (often arguably better produced/ written) just do ok? The dragons certainly have. And they might well have an answer. Or at least a large chunk of one. In the first part of this two part episode, Jules and Madeleine will be looking what all best selling speculative fiction has in common, focusing this time on core wounds and character arcs - and why they're just delicious for readers/ viewers when done well. On the slab this week: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight and many more.  Look out for Part two next week. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Most writers are driven to write when they strongly feel they have something to say or a story to tell. This is a good thing - readers can always tell when a writer is phoning it in. However, if you have strong opinions on various subjects and you're tackling them in your work, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that story is king and deliver your themes with more zeal than nuance. This week, the dragons look at books and films which have unfortunately strayed into preachiness as well as those who have handled their themes in a more balanced  manner, before delving into how to avoid preaching in your own work. On the slab this week: Imaginary Friend - Stephen Chbosky, The Stand - Stephen King, The Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan, Shadow and Bone and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Giving something a label can be helpful. On a book, for example, it can tell you where to shelve it in a bookstore or which audience might most appreciate being shown it. However, labels are often limiting. Outside the convenience of genre in terms of shelving and marketing, labelling a book can have a number of knock on effects. This is especially the case when the label transfers from the book to the author. Compounding this issue, is the connected problem of authors being assumed to hold the same opinions as their antagonistic characters, or even being mistaken for their main characters. This week, the dragons take a look at why these opinions form and why they are almost always wrong. Are labels more helpful or harmful on balance? Can you ever really know an author by reading their books? Join Jules and Madeleine for an opinion piece episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Jules and Madeleine are delighted to introduce a new 'series within a series' on Dissecting Dragons. Fairytales in focus will be a set of occasional podcast episodes that pop up during regularly scheduled programming, which take a single folk tale or fairy story and looks at the ways in which it has evolved and is still evolving.   This week, the dragons delve into the origins and iterations of Little Red Riding Hood. Just who is the bas guy in that fairy tale? (The answer might surprise you.) Where did the story originate and what are its enduring themes? How is the story shapeshifting to fit a modern audience? Find out in this week's deep dive. Under the scalpel this week: The Girl in Red - Christina Henry, Low Red Moon - Ivy Devlin, Scarlet - Marissa Meyer and many more.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic