Science fiction and fantasy have often provided a testing ground for examining old idea and testing new ones. This can be especially true of potentially contentious issues such as 'who does power belong to?' This week the dragons take a look at how law enforcement organisations are portrayed in speculative fiction - from The Watch books of Terry Pratchett's Discworld franchise to the totalitarian Peacekeepers of Farscape. Why is this trope so common in various sub genres of speculative fiction and how does it reflect our real societal issues? On the slab this week - Michelle Sagara's Cast series, Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series, Star Trek TNG, Life on Mars and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 235: The Alchemy of Forever - Immortality in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 234: The Power Behind the Throne - the Hidden Voices of Political Change in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 233: Hidden Cities & Forgotten Kingdoms - Lost Worlds in Speculative Fiction
Episode 232: Murder Most Foul - Killing with Purpose in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 231: Writing for Relaxation - the Therapy of Putting Pen to Paper
Episode 230: Growing Pains - the Coming of Age Narrative in Speculative Fiction
Episode 229: A Tale for Bards - Why Historical Fantasy Works
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 228: Identity Crisis - The Quest for Self Knowledge in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 227: Fighting Fire with Fire - When Good Guys Dabble with Dark Arts
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 226: Continuity Error - Retconning and Misremembering in Speculative Fiction.
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 225: Innocence and Experience - Inadequate Narrators in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 224: The Magic of the Craft - Artists Engineers and Creatives in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 223: Jump on the Train, or get off the Tracks - Pacing, Prologues & Bridging Distance in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 222: Getting the Band Back Together - Subverting Tropes in Fantasy Teams
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 221: A Knight to Remember - Courtly Love, Chivalry and Noble Warriors in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 220: The Greatest Liars - What Actors can Teach Writers about Creating Characters
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 219: Children of the Prophecy - Subverting the Chosen One Trope in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 218: Plotting, Pantsing, Middling and Snowflaking - Creating Outlines for Books and Series...or Not!
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 217: You Are Cordially Invited - Costume Dramas, 19th Century Literature & Dragons
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 216: Sugar & Spice - Nuance and the Nice-washing of Female Characters in Speculative Fiction
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