Our Episodes
The poison salon – with Rose Biggin
In the preface to Les Fleurs du mal, Baudelaire indicated that boredom is the truest suffering, andthis idea later became central to the fin de siècle movement, an era of decadence in which artificemasqueraded as, or was even elevated to the status of, art. The...
Medical hive minds – with Hiron Ennes
When it comes to science fiction – and particularly dystopian science fiction – doctors are either the saviours of humanity with their invaluable medical knowledge, or they are the villains, using a lack of rules to exploit the vulnerable for their own questionable...
Exploring Jewish folklore – with Ariel Kaplan
Folklore and fairy tales can sometimes be inextricably bound up with religion. In the Grimms’ own collection of fairy tales, the Devil turns up and so do angels. 'The Peasant in Heaven' as well as 'The Devil and his Grandmother' were included alongside more famous...
The singing bone – with Lucy Holland & Charlotte Bond
For this week's episode, Lucy and Charlotte thought they'd take the opportunity to talk about something they have a passion for: folklore. In particular, the ballad of the Singing Bone, which is Aarne Thompson index number 780. To give it its full name, the Aarne...
The AI apocalypse with Emma Mieko Candon
It’s a standard rule of writing that if you want your protagonist to look heroic and competent, you’ve got to get a powerful and menacing antagonist. In the past, writers have used AI as an overwhelming and hostile force, while others have chosen gods. But Emma Mieko...
Politics and tropes in fantasy with Andrea Stewart
I went a little bit left-field with the introduction to this episode, but I was weirdly excited by the fact that there was a major event in politics on the day I'd planned to discuss politics on the podcast! So please just bear with me, I promise it is all related to...
Embracing rage in speculative fiction with Kritika H. Rao
In this episode, I am really excited to talk about a book I was invited to read last year. The premise drew me in immediately – the last of humanity fighting to exist above an inhospitable earth – the only thing keeping them safe is their city built and maintained by...
The realities of colonialism – with C.L. Clark
Speculative fiction is no stranger to exploring issues of colonialism, particularly in science fiction, from first contact stories to wars over territories. While many such stories are extremely black and white, the realities of colonialism are far murkier. A colonial...
After the end – with Cassandra Khaw
Horror works best when it’s relatable. The best protagonists in a horror story are those that are just like us: they’re sensible, trying to scrape by, possibly raise families, and make the most of life. We empathise with people we understand. Cassandra Khaw is no...