Breaking the Glass Slipper: Women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror

In this episode, Charlotte and Lucy talk to writer and lecturer Tiffani Angus. They discussed the estrangement of women’s bodies in apocalyptic fiction and the trends Tiffani discovered in her research on the subject. While there is a lot of genre fiction written about the apocalypse, many would fail a ‘realism’ test when it comes […] The post Where are the tampons? with Tiffani Angus first appear...

In this episode, Charlotte and Lucy talk to writer and lecturer Tiffani Angus. They discuss the estrangement of women's bodies in apocalyptic fiction. While there is a lot of genre fiction written about the apocalypse, many would fail a 'realism' test when it comes to basic bodily functions. Women menstruate. They go through menopause. They suffer from endometriosis. Both men and women urinate, su...

All stories require conflict of some kind… but does it always need to be violent conflict? There is certainly a trend in fantasy, science fiction, and horror to find narratives driving towards a massive violent conclusion. These have become set-pieces, the very things that sell Blockbuster films to audiences. We expect them in our genre […] The post Violence as climactic conflict first appeared on...

Do science fiction, fantasy, and horror narratives require violence? Are there other ways of creating conflict and tension in genre stories? This week, Charlotte, Lucy, and Megan look at how violence is used in genre fiction as the default approach to conflict. Full episode notes including further reading and all texts mentioned can be found at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Back in 1985, Alison Bechdel had the characters of her cartoon strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, jokingly make a gender equality ‘test’ for films. 33 years later, the Bechdel (or Bechdel-Wallace, to give credit to her friend Liz Wallace for the idea) test is still used to determine whether a film has any claim to […] The post The Bechdel-Wallace test first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper .

For over 30 years we have used the Bechdel-Wallace test to push for gender equality in film. But does it go far enough? The Bechdel-Wallace test should be applauded for getting the conversation started, but we believe it is time to move on. We should be demanding that a higher bar is set and that our media passes more often than not. But what would such a test look like? Full further reading notes...

Charlotte takes the lead in this episode, where we chat to Jeannette Ng about her use of Christian mythology in her debut novel, Under the Pendulum Sun. From using relatively unknown elements of Christianity to developing alternate patriarchies to highlight the impermanence of our own, Jeannette is as interesting as she is educational. If you take nothing […] The post Christian mythology in fantas...

We chat to fantasy writer Jeannette Ng about her use of Christian mythology in her debut novel, Under the Pendulum Sun. Full episode notes are available here: http://wp.me/p7P6my-cd

Are you ready for your to-read and to-watch lists to explode? Charlotte, Lucy, and I discuss our favourite genre pieces of 2017 and what we’re most looking forward to in 2018. We lament terrible accents and characters that have no agency, celebrate all the books, films, and TV we loved, and find common ground with […] The post 2017 in review and anticipation for 2018 first appeared on Breaking the...

Charlotte, Lucy, and I discuss our favourite genre pieces of 2017 and what we're most looking forward to in 2018. Get ready for your to-read and to-watch lists to explode! Full notes, including all texts mentioned in the episode are available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Charlotte interviews RJ Barker on writing female characters, his favourite genres, and writing characters with disabilities. Full episode notes available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Regular listeners will already be familiar with the fabulous RJ Barker who joined us live at Nine Worlds to discuss realistic characters. This week, Charlotte interviews RJ about writing female characters, his favourite genres, and writing characters with disabilities. RJ’s stellar debut, Age of Assassins, combines elements of traditional fantasy with murder mystery and historical fiction. […] The...

Most science fiction and fantasy focus on humans – or at least societal structures that are recognisable from within cultures on Earth. Given that genre fiction is meant to be one of unlimited imagination, why do we find it so difficult to imagine societies where hierarchies aren’t defined by gender, and more specifically, where the […] The post Subverting social norms with Adrian Tchaikovsky firs...

Megan chats to award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky about worldbuilding and creating societies that don't regurgitate the social norms we are familiar with. Full episode notes available on www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

How important are video games in showcasing diversity? Can they do it better than other forms of media? Whether ‘diversity’ means eschewing the traditional cis white male protagonist or encountering a broad spectrum of race, gender and relationships, can gaming offer us a safe space to explore topics we might otherwise find difficult in the […] The post Diversity in video games with Emily Marlow f...

Lucy chats to Emily R Marlow about diversity in RPGs and the importance of gender representation in gaming. Full episode notes available here: http://wp.me/p7P6my-aS

This week, we are taking a slight detour from our usual subject matter and taking a look at witchcraft and ritual in the real world from writers who identify as witches and explore these ideas in their non-fiction writing. After coming across Katie West’s latest project, Becoming Dangerous, I wanted to talk to her about ideas […] The post Witchcraft, ritual, and power first appeared on Breaking th...

We take a look at witchcraft in the real world and how women use witchcraft as an empowering movement in times of political uncertainty. Guests in this episode are Katie West, Gabriela Herstik, and Sophie Saint Thomas. Full episode notes available at http://www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

At this year’s FantasyCon in Peterborough, Breaking the Glass Slipper was lucky enough to interview one of the guests of honour, Pat Cadigan. Pat is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, a three-time winner of the Locus Award, twice-winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and one-time winner of the Hugo Award. And yes, Pat […] The post Pat Cadigan: Queen of Cyberpunk LIVE first appeared...

We interviewed Pat Cadigan at FantasyCon 2017 on the resurgence of cyberpunk, writing both novels and short fiction, the relationship between technology and the mind, and keeping her ideas fresh.

Mermaids, Harpies, Valkyries, Succubae, Sirens, Banshees, Nymphs – We’ve been encountering the mythical female in literature and folklore for thousands of years. She appears in numerous religions, sometimes as saviour, sometimes as a harbinger of doom. She lures men to their death, transports them to the afterlife, enchants them, tricks them and sets them free. […] The post Mythical females first...

Megan, Charlotte, and Lucy look at the popularity of female creatures in mythology and folklore and what these she-beasts say about women, our place in society, and why they aren't all negative representations.

Young adult fiction is called a genre, a bookshop category, and more. It is a way of grouping books together based, usually, on the age of the protagonist. But a young adult protagonist does not mean that a book will only appeal to a younger audience, nor should it. And books that are written for […] The post In praise of YA with Frances Hardinge first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper .

We talk to award-winning YA author Frances Hardinge about everything that young adult (YA) fiction has to offer both readers and writers. Full episode notes available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Horror aficionado Charlotte talks with author Tim Lebbon, whose published bibliography is extensive. Lebbon has written countless horror and dark fantasy novels, both his original ideas as well as film novelisations and franchise tie-ins. A fan of his work, Charlotte particularly wanted to interview Tim about some of his stellar female characters. Does he consciously […] The post Interview with Ti...