Episode 445: No More Mr Nice Guy - the Geek Misogynist in Speculative Fiction Part 2
Part 2 of a 2 part episode.
This week, Jules and Madeleine return to the 'nice guy' trope. A trope that probably started with good intentions but soured quickly. Can this trope affect perceptions in real life? If so, how far does that go? Can you write a genuinely nice guy? And what is the 'nice guy renaissance'?
On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harker & Blackthorn and many mor
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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Episode 444: No More Mr Nice Guy - the Geek Misogynist in Speculative Fiction part 1
The dragons are back! Join us for an exciting season delving into new writing topics and speculative fiction takes.
This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the 'nice guy' trope. While the term is relatively new, the character type is not, cropping up in Shakespeare, Austen and even in folklore. While this was a character archetype introduced originally to balance the over-muscled, over-sexed and under-brained macho male lead of the seventies and eighties, writers took their collective eye off the ball and things went south pretty quickly. So what is a 'nice guy' and why does something so innocuous sounding carry so much collective dirt? Find out in part one of a two part episode.
On the slab this week: Friends, Little Women - L M Montgomery, Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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Episode 443: 2024, the Real Life Experience - A Year in Review
As we bid adieu to 2024, the dragons are once again looking back on a year of news. There have been some definite low points, however there has also been a lot of good news this year which may have gone unremarked. Jules and Madeleine are redressing that balance with a selection of good news stories, scientific discoveries and reminiscences on their favourite books and films of the year. Join us for a hopeful episode as we gear up for taking 2025 by the horns.
(This is the last episode of 2024 but we will be back in February after a short break)
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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Episode 442: The Witches of Midwinter - Following the Wild Dance and Furious Hosts of Christmas
It's that time of year again: frantic last minute shopping, swearing at rolls of Sellotape, covering fir trees with bling....and the dragons emerge with a festive folkloric offering that adds a bit of shadow to the season.
This year Jules and Madeleine take a look at the strange relationship between Christmas and witchcraft. If that sounds implausible, stick around - there is a bizarre logic behind it. As with many folkloric traditions, the Christmas witch goes back centuries but some of the modern iterations bring a new level of horror to the tradition. We remember Father Christmas but forget Perchta. We tell stories about St Nicholas but forget St Lucy and her alter Ego, Bloody Lucy. And just who led the wild hunts during Saturnalia and later the twelve days of Christmas? Find out in a special festive episode.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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Episode 441: Remaking the 80s - Rewriting Classic Films for a Modern Audience
There are few phrases as bedight with dubious associations as 'for a modern audience'. In terms of storytelling, are we saying that the original story was flawed? That tends not to go down well with fans of the original. Or, conversely, does the phrase mean that a modern audience is somehow incapable of engaging with the original and needs to have the material dumbed down? Despite the trickiness of the situation, there has been an upsurge in reboots and remakes lately with even more scheduled for release in 2025. This week the dragons delve into why that is and whether it's a good use of storytelling muscles or not?
On the slab this week: Fright Night, Road House, Disney Live action and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
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.
USA