Fantasy writers - especially those who write high or epic fantasy - often draw from history in both events and setting. There are lots of good reasons for doing this, not the least of which is achieving a willing suspension of disbelief in the reader by presenting them with something vaguely familiar without bombarding them with world building info. However, this can be a double edged sword in terms of breaking new ground when delivering fantasy novels. How many times have authors of fantasy been hit with the protest 'but that's not historically accurate?' Certainly Jules and Madeleine have both had it levelled at them! In this episode, the dragons look at why that protest is not only of very limited value when applied to fantasy, it's also full of unintentional sophistry. Drawing on popular examples such as Game of Thrones, Jules and Madeleine deconstruct just why it's unhelpful to expect historical accuracy from fantasy fiction. Join us for a lively discussion.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 357: Gunpowder Crackers and Cancelling Christmas - the Myths Surrounding Common Christmas Practices
Episode 356: Nutcrackers Little Wooden Boys and Bears of Very Little Bear - The Sentient Toy Trope in Speculative Fiction
Episode 355: He’s a Maneater - the Global Invasion of Ogres in Myth & Fiction, part two.
Episode 354: He’s a Maneater - the Global Invasion of Ogres in Myth & Fiction
Episode 353: High Fidelity and Historical Accuracy - Do Adaptations have a Duty to be Accurate
Episode 352: 2022 A Space Oddity - Sci-fi (& Fantasy) Tropes which Don’t Work
Episode 351: Picture This - Enhancing Scenes with the Right Frame in Speculative Fiction
Episode 350: When Pain Says No - Chronic Illness Representation in Speculative Fiction
Episode 349: The Stones Remember - Cursed Places of the UK
Episode 348: Written in Blood - Vampires of the UK and Ireland
Episode 347: Bat Beasts Kellas Cats and Wolf-men - Lesser Known Cryptids of Britain and Ireland Part 2
Episode 346: Wodewose, Owlman & Morag - Lesser Known Cryptids of Britain & Ireland
Episode 345: Once More with Feeling - The Successes and Failures of Musical Episodes in Genre TV Shows
Episode 344: Enough to Make a Cat Laugh - Tracing the Origins of Puss in Boots
Episode 343: Exiles, OutCasts and Outsiders - Solitary Villains and Isolated Heroes
Episode 342: Distant Fathers 2D Beefcakes and Tortured Villains - Sexist Tropes Against Men in Speculative Fiction
Episode 341: True Beauty is Found Within - Tracing the Origins of Beauty & the Beast
Episode 340: There is none so capable as Anne - Why we should celebrate gentle characters
Episode 339: You Can’t Take the Sky From Me - Weird Westerns and Why We love Them
Episode 338: There are Wolves in the Woods - What Folklore Can Teach Us About Storytelling
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