Episode 330: Soaring Brooms & Leaping Sharks - Sport in Speculative Fiction

The dragons have covered aspects of worldbuilding in previous episodes, but not much attention has ever been given to the aspect of sport in writing SFF. Not just by this podcast but in general, so this week Jules and Madeleine take a look at sport in speculative fiction. Sport is an important part of cultural history and national identity. It can form a major if indirect part of diplomacy between neighbouring countries or nations at odds. The added benefit in speculative fiction is that you are not bound by the mundane - you can have magical sports and spaceship races. So why don't more authors incorporate it? And who has done so and done it well? On the slab this week: The Hunger Games, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Queen's Gambit, Fence (S.C, Pacat) and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic