Speculative Sandbox: a podcast for writers and readers

Oct 28 2024 105 ep. 42 mins 38

Speculative Sandbox: a podcast for writers and readers artwork

Join Vickie Lan and unpack the tropes that make fiction fun! Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Cover image photographed by J.D. Fitzgerald. Episode cover images and zoom backgrounds feature royalty-free images from Canva and Pexels. Audio provided by Anchor and Transistor.fm

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64. "American Psycho" watch party

Oct 28 2024 107 mins

In honor of Halloween, guest Michael Crawford and Vickie Lan sit down to watch and unpack the tropes found in the classic 2000 horror movie American Psycho, including 80s yuppie culture, the unreliable narrator, psychopath characteristics, and the purposeful ambiguity of its characters and settings. Rewatch with us! "American Psycho" is currently available on Netflix. Rated R. Spec

63. LatinX Representation in Speculative Fiction

Oct 21 2024 50 mins

Angela Alvarez joins Vickie Lan to talk about Latinx representation in speculative fiction and the powerful story opportunities that come from writing through an authentic lens. The video version of this episode can be found on Spotifyand YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcas

62. What Booksellers Want

Oct 14 2024 41 mins

Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, owner of Stacks Book Club, joins Vickie Lan on the podcast to talk about tropes from a bookseller's perspective. Learn which tropes are tired and which tropes are on the rise, what booksellers look for when curating their list, and how indie authors can build relationships with their local bookstores. Note: Stacks Book Club will be hosting in-store novel wri

61. Spice & Everything Nice

Oct 07 2024 41 mins

It's time to unpack spicy books with Wendy Dwan, LAC EMDR Therapist and smut expert! Wendy and Vickie Lan talk trigger warnings, societal impressions and taboos, and the mental health impacts of spicy fiction. The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expre

60. The Lawless Lawman

Sep 30 2024 48 mins

John Wick, Dexter, James Bond. Rob Hart joins Vickie Lan to discuss the Lawless Lawman character archetype in fiction as well as his book “Assassins Anonymous”. What makes operating outside of the law so attractive? And is this character truly lawless, or does he just have a personal code that he holds above the law? The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and

59. RECORDED LIVE: Infidelity, guilt, and self-exploration with Jessica Elisheva Emerson

Sep 23 2024 41 mins

Wife-swapping, traditions, religious identities, and self-exploration. This episode was filmed live at Stacks Book Club with Vickie Lan as part of author Jessica Elisheva Emerson's debut book tour for "Olive Days", now available!VIDEO: Watch the video interview on Spotify!Stacks Book Club is an indie bookstore located in Oro Valley, Arizona. Husband-and-wife owners, Crispin and Liz

58. We're back!

Sep 16 2024 20 mins

Vickie Lan returns to Speculative Sandbox with a new format! Learn what's new, what's changing, and what to look forward to. Episode note:- 4:42: I mention “industry professionals” in the context of working on contract within for a publishing house or movie studio, but but this term definitely shouldn’t minimize the professionalism and hard work of indie/self authors and arti

[REWIND] Ensembles: The "Kings of the Wyld" character development tour

Dec 25 2023 55 mins

[Originally aired February 6, 2023] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Award-winning Author Nicholas Eames kicks off the spring 2023 season with a deep dive into the ensemble cast in his novel "Kings of the Wyld." Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast

[REWIND] Cautionary Tales: Dystopian Societies

Dec 18 2023 52 mins

[Originally aired March 23, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Not all Dystopian societies are terrible...right? Guest writer Brad Allis joins me in a discussion of the dystopian trope, why we love to read and write them, and their small silver linings (if any!) Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opi

[REWIND] Am I the Drama? Problematic Protagonists

Dec 11 2023 60 mins

[Originally aired March 16, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST EPISODES. Good protagonists, evil protagonists, evilly good protagonists? Author Matthew C. Brown joins Speculative Sandbox in a chat about complex protagonists, the appeal of evil characters, and how story telling has evolved as our interactions on social media take center stage. Speculative Sandbox i