What fantasy fan doesn't love a good quest narrative, especially one which features a broad cast of unlikely heroes, thrown together by events and a common goal? In fact, such narratives are not confined to High or Epic fantasy, but can be found in everything from low, dark or urban fantasy, to space opera to military sci-fi to historical fiction. The week the dragons delve into the appeal of this kind of story and the 'band of brothers' cast which usually accompanies it. How can modern SFF writers bend and subvert tropes and archetypes to tell a more diverse and engaging story? Do you even need a fantasy team for your tale at all? And what are the origins of this type of narrative? On the slab this week; Classical mythology, Lord of the Rings, The Kings of teh Wyld by Nicholas Eames and many more.
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 427: The Boys are Back in Town - the Dark Heart of the Superhero Genre
Episode 426: Change, Uncertainty and Unhappiness - making low stakes compelling
Episode 425: A Thousand Ships - The Awkward Side of Retelling Greek Myths
Episode 424: Starving Artists and Worshipped Writers - unrealistic depictions of creatives in Film and TV
Episode 423: Memory became legend legend became myth - the dawn of the fantasy genre part 2
Episode 422: Memory became legend legend became myth - the dawn of the fantasy genre part 1
Episode 421: Impossible Monsters - Dinosaurs and Megafauna in Speculative Fiction
Episode 420: Never Coming Home - The Moving Beyond Bereavement and Death is a Sad Thing Tropes
Episode 419: The Sun, the Moon & the Spindle - Tracing the Origins of Sleeping Beauty
Episode 418: the Dark Decent - Transforming a Hero into a Villain in SFF
Episode 417: An Abundance of Janes and Cathys - Retellings of the classics and why they usually suck pt 2
Episode 416: An Abundance of Janes and Cathys - Retellings of the classics and why they usually suck part 1
Episode 415: Seafarers, Swashbucklers and Chaotic Archaeologists - the evolution of Adventure Fiction
Episode 414: Seasons May Change - Stars Farmers & Wild Weather Calendars
Episode 413: Dragon riders & wolf speakers - the Animal Soul Bond in Speculative Fiction
Episode 412: By the Blade - the Evolution of Heroic Fantasy
Episode 411: Kitchen Heroes - Humble Protagonists who get Things Done in Speculative Fiction
Episode 410: In a Rural Dream - The Rise of Cottagecore
Episode 409: Pitched Perfectly - The Film was Better than the Book
Episode 408: There’s good news and...more good news - 2023 in review
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