This week the dragons are delighted to welcome back Laura Laakso, author of the paranormal crime/ urban fantasy series Wilde Investigations. The main character of the series - Yannia Wilde - suffers from a chronic illness, which means that her exploits in magical London, solving mysteries, are always a bit more challenging. It also makes Laura the ideal person to join Jules and Madeleine for this discussion. Like many aspects of representation, chronic illness is sometimes conflated with being the entirety of a character which does more harm than good, as does some ill researched or thoughtless inclusion of chronic illness or disability. This episode is a lively discussion of exactly what you can do to create more realistic chronically ill characters and why you might want to include one in your work. Aside from which, SFF can be the perfect place to explore the subject. Under the microscope this week: The Fault in Our Stars, the Goonies, Wilde Investigations 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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