A trope which has seen a rise in popularity lately - whether in romance, urban fantasy, sci-fi or a number of other genres and sub genres - is that of 'enemies to lovers'. Two people start out at odds: either they hate each for a variety of reasons or they're on opposing sides in a conflict. Events conspire to throw them together and a romantic plot or sub plot happens, fuelled by its very unlikeliness it seems. This week the dragons take a look at why this trope is so popular, delving into development of conflict and character arc as well as common 'way stations' the trope needs to hit in order to work successfully. They also take a look at a few examples where it doesn't work and why.
Under the microscope this week: The Black Magician series by Trudi Canavan, Opal Cohen Series by Maria V Snyder, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 414: Seasons May Change - Stars Farmers & Wild Weather Calendars
Episode 413: Dragon riders & wolf speakers - the Animal Soul Bond in Speculative Fiction
Episode 412: By the Blade - the Evolution of Heroic Fantasy
Episode 411: Kitchen Heroes - Humble Protagonists who get Things Done in Speculative Fiction
Episode 410: In a Rural Dream - The Rise of Cottagecore
Episode 409: Pitched Perfectly - The Film was Better than the Book
Episode 408: There’s good news and...more good news - 2023 in review
Episode 407: Jingle Bell Rock - Storytelling through the medium of songs the Christmas edition
Episode 406: A Picture Says a Thousand Words - The Rise of the Graphic Novel
Episode 405: The Fairest of Them All - The Pursuit of Beauty as a Literary Device
Episode 404: It was Great Apart from the Ending - Beloved Fiction that Wobbled on the Dismount
Episode 403: The Old Family Business - Gangster Witches and Legacy Monster Hunters
Episode: 402 Of Gold and Hubris - Tracing the Origins of Rumpelstiltskin
Episode 401: Girls on Ice - a History of the Fridging Trope
Episode 400: Strange Fruit in the Gallant South - Exploring the Southern Gothic
Episode 399: This Set is Cursed - Strange Events Behind the Scenes at Horror Films
DD Episode 398: Joyous Companions Forever - examining the queerness of the vampire genre
Episode 397: The Beautiful and the Damned - examining the Queerness of the Vampire Genre
Ep 396: It Came from Out of the closet - The Queer Relationship with Horror
Ep 395: Weirdstones and Magic Keys - What makes a Children’s book a classic?
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