Tropes often go hand in hand. A preordained destiny often goes with the 'chosen one' trope: the 'sins of the father' often goes with the 'magical bloodline trope'. And in general, no trope is bad in and of itself, although the latter has certainly drawn a lot of flak over recent years - largely due to poor examples of the trope. This week, the dragons take a look at characters born to magical or enhanced bloodlines. What causes this trope to fall into elitism? Can it ever work? Does it deserve the bad reputation it seems to have earned? And what do Jules and Madeleine think about using it themselves?
On the slab this week: The Once and Future King, Unveiled, Dune, House of the Dragon and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 335: Cottage Core & Interdimensional Cafes - Cosy Speculative Fiction
Episode 334: Devotion, Betrayal & Misadventure - Queer Romance in Speculative Fiction
Episode 333: Manners Morals & Monsters - the Growing Trend of Regency Fantasy
Episode 332: Girls With Glass Slippers - Tracing the Origins of Cinderella
Episode 331: Every Act of Creation is an Act of Parody - Filk Music & Fandom in Speculative Fiction
Episode 330: Soaring Brooms & Leaping Sharks - Sport in Speculative Fiction
Episode 329: The Heart of the Carnival - Circuses Amusement Parks & Fair Grounds in Fiction
Episode 328: Getting Your House in Order - 15 things writers shouldn’t do and 5 things they should
Episode 327: White as Snow, Red as Blood - Tracing the origins of Snow White
Episode 326: The Buttery Goodness - What Makes a Story Grab it’s Audience (Part Two)
Episode 325: The Buttery Goodness - What Makes a Story Grab its Audience (Part One)
Episode 324: Dodging the Pulpit - Preachiness in Speculative Fiction and How to Avoid It
Episode 323: Judge Me Not By My Works - The Problem of Labelling Authors
Episode 322: Girls Who Stray From the Path - Tracing the Journey of Little Red Riding Hood
Episode 321: Lesbians against Drink Driving - The Problem of the Activist Character in Speculative Fiction
Episode 320: Within these Hallowed Halls - Dark Academia in Speculative Fiction
Episode 319: Love Never Dies - Romance and Obsession in Speculative Fiction
Episode 318: Mjolnir, Carnwenhau & Sting - Signature Weapons and Combat Mistakes in Speculative Fiction
Episode 317: I Want Candy! - Giving Your Characters a Balanced Diet in Speculative Fiction
Episode 316: Vampire Detectives and Snarky Female Cops - Urban Fantasy Tropes that need a Change
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