Dissecting Dragons

Dec 05 2024 100 ep. 78 mins 88

Dissecting Dragons Podcast artwork

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 440: The Devil's Music - the Occult, Rock'n'Roll and Storytelling

Dec 05 2024 79 mins

Music has a peculiar relationship with the supernatural, and no branch more so than the occult. Certain musical genres have a long association with the devil, both in folklore and urban legend. But why is that? Where did those stories originate? And how has this shaped modern horror and SFF? This week the dragons dive into Rock'n'Roll to unravel the devil's music. On the slab thi

Episode 439: It Grows in Darkness - Mushrooms in Horror and SFF

Nov 28 2024 56 mins

From devices of comedy to alien antagonists to symbols of deep seated corruption, mushrooms and fungi make strangely appropriate side characters. They are used as set dressing, as indicators of other realms and as terrible weapons. Appropriately, they have woven tendrils so firmly through fiction that it's pretty much impossible to work out when they first entered storytelling cann

Episode 438: Jeeves Blackadder and Puss - Canny Domestics and Sneaky smart servants

Nov 21 2024 71 mins

On a lighter note this week, the dragons delve into a well loved trope which has its origins in folk and fairy tales, shifting and adapting for audiences over the centuries to reflect the socio economics of the time. The clever servant-foolish master dynamic is one which is still enjoyed today, balancing inequalities of social position, wealth and status with intellect, cunning and

Episode 437: Popular, you're gonna be popular - or are you? - Why Stage Production Musicals Often Fail on the Big Screen

Nov 14 2024 90 mins

It's no secret that the dragons are fans of musicals, so they should be delighted by all the film adaptations of popular stage shows, right? Well, that's not entirely the case. There are a variety of reasons why a stage production may not work as a film and vice versa, not withstanding any internet drama that blows up in the wake of an adaptation. This week, Jules and Madeleine tak

DD 436: The Tiffany Problem - When Reality is too real for Speculative Fiction

Nov 01 2024 90 mins

It's pretty well established that truth is stranger than fiction, but what do you do when the facts are literally too unlikely for a reader to swallow? When historical accuracy or authenticity is likely to bounce your reader out of your story for being unrealistic? Welcome to The Tiffany Problem. This week Jules and Madeleine examine this phenomenon, follow a trail through some exa

Episode 435: Snatchers surfers and Hitchers - Bodysnatching in Speculative Fiction

Oct 24 2024 78 mins

Possession is a regular trope in horror and sci-fi. The idea that a physical body could be taken over by an external entity is as disturbing as it is enticing. However, there are many sub categories of this kind of bodysnatching, from parasites that physically puppeteer to Freaky Friday-esque body swaps. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the humour and horror of the trope,

Episode 434 -The Allure of the Curse - Speculative Fictions Oldest Trope

Oct 18 2024 65 mins

Generations of a family punished for the ill-advised actions or an ancestor? Crossed paths with the sidhe and worded an answer impolitely? Fallen foul of someone's desire for revenge? Chances are, in speculative fiction, the problem will turn out to be a curse. It may not really be the oldest speculative fiction trope but it's definitely got history. In this episode of the Dragons

Episode 433: The Woods, the Mountains and Emptiness - an Examination of Survival Horror

Oct 10 2024 76 mins

Continuing with the spooky season, this week the dragons delve into the popular sub genre of survival horror. While you could argue that the point of every horror story is survival, this sub genre takes it to the next level with characters pitted against nature, the wild and even space - sometimes with a twist of the supernatural thrown in. But how do you go about writing survival

Episode 432: Haunt Sweet Home - How to Write a Haunted a House

Oct 03 2024 77 mins

The dragons kick off spooky season with a look at one of the staples of horror - the haunted house. It's so ubiquitous now that haunted house stories are really a sub genre in their own right with their own tropes and conventions. So why do some haunted house stories work while others fall flat? This week Jules and Madeleine present a blueprint on how to build your own haunted hous

Episode 431: This is Fine - Writing Trauma in Scifi and Fantasy part two

Sep 26 2024 67 mins

Part two of a two part episode Most speculative fiction will involve traumatising your main character at some point but how do you make it clear to a reader or viewer that this is what is happening without ponderously 'telling' it? What narrative techniques can be employed to show this instead? How do you deliver the message with emotion without tilting over into melodrama? H