Speculative fiction has long been the perfect place to debate - via written word or screen - the dynamics of power and the appropriation of the same. One of the most commonly used metaphors is magic. And one of the most commonly used situations, especially in YA pec fic, is a radical overhaul of the status quo in which a group of 'others' are oppressed and then rise to challenge the system. The dragons love a good revolution as much as the next fantasy fans but there are times when you have to ask yourself what exactly is the story saying? Because magic equals power, and if the oppressed group have power then why are they oppressed? Could it be that unconsciously the love of a good resistance style plot occasionally means that authors punch down instead of up? SFF authors Jules and Madeleine take a look at where this works and where it clearly doesn't. Under the microscope this week - The Black Magician Series - Trudi Canavan, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Red Queen Series - Victoria Aveyard, Gilded Cage - Vic James and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 277: All Around My Hat - More Folksong Writing Inspiration Part 2
Episode 276: All Around My Hat - More Folksong Writing Inspiration Part 1
Episode 275: Mean Girls and Internet Trolls -Positive Body Representation in Speculative Fiction Part 2
Episode 274: Mean Girls and Internet Trolls - Positive Body Representation in Speculative Fiction part 1
Episode 273: The Dark Descent into Hell - Tracing the Origins of Persephone and Other Underworld Goddesses
Episode 272: This is Not 1984 - Stopping Dystopia and False Utopia Spilling into Reality
Episode 271: Maintaining the Mood - How to Avoid Misusing Tone in Speculative Fiction
Episode 270: Its Complicated - the Highs and Lows of Relationships in Speculative Fiction
Episode 269: Making Friends and Influencing People - The Heroine's Journey in Speculative Fiction
Episode 268: He Growled, She Ejaculated - Reader Peeves and How to Avoid Them
Episode 267: The Beast Within - Exploring Characters with Darker Sides
Episode 266: That's Not Equality - When Sexism Dresses as Feminism in Speculative Fiction Part 2
Episode 265: That's Not Equality - When Sexism Dresses Up as Feminism in Speculative Fiction: Part 1
Episode 264 Challenging the System - How Magic Helps Us Deconstruct History, Politics and Social Issues
Episode 263: The Blade Itself - the Genesis of the Sword in History, Mythology and Speculative Fiction
Episode 262: Of Liking and Loathing - How to Hook Readers on your Characters
Episode 261: Reading the Classics - Hidden Meaning and Censorship in Stoker, Bronte and Shelley
Episode 260: Links and Linguistics - Why Word Choice Matters in Writing
Episode 259: Taking a Toxicity Reading - Criticism and Compromise in Speculative Fiction
Episode 258: Frills and Flirtations - What Clothing brings to Speculative Fiction
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