Different tropes are designed to appeal to different readers and viewers, and, as the dragons have said on many occasions, there is nothing inherently wrong with tropes. Why not give your audience more of what it wants? However there are tropes that are packaged in such a way as to close the narrative of a story to perspectives other than the default, and do so under the guise of providing a strong female lead or co-lead. These tropes can be damaging and need some re-engineering. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at one of the most infamous character tropes - the Manic Pixie Dream Girl - and it's possible antithesis - the Nervous Timid Goth Boy. On the slab this episode - Scott Pilgrim, Weird Science, The Belgariad by David Eddings 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
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Anne of Green Gables
The Federalist Papers
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends