Speculative Sandbox

In honor of Halloween, guest Michael Crawford and Vickie Lan sit down to watch and unpack the tropes found in the classic 2000 horror movie  American Psycho, including 80s yuppie culture, the unreliable narrator, psychopath characteristics, and the purposeful ambiguity of its characters and settings. Rewatch with us! "American Psycho" is currently available on Netflix. Rated R. Speculative Sandbox...

Angela Alvarez joins Vickie Lan to talk about Latinx representation in speculative fiction and the powerful story opportunities that come from writing through an authentic lens. Note: "LatinX" in the context of this episode is used to to inclusively refer to all genders within the community. The video version of this episode can be found on Spotifyand YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainm...

Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, owner of Stacks Book Club, joins Vickie Lan on the podcast to talk about tropes from a bookseller's perspective. Learn which tropes are tired and which tropes are on the rise, what booksellers look for when curating their list, and how indie authors can build relationships with their local bookstores. Note: Stacks Book Club will be hosting in-store novel writing events in N...

It's time to unpack spicy books with Wendy Dwan, LAC EMDR Therapist and smut expert! Wendy and Vickie Lan talk trigger warnings, societal impressions and taboos, and the mental health impacts of spicy fiction. The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individu...

John Wick, Dexter, James Bond. Rob Hart joins Vickie Lan to discuss the Lawless Lawman character archetype in fiction as well as his book “Assassins Anonymous”. What makes operating outside of the law so attractive? And is this character truly lawless, or does he just have a personal code that he holds above the law? The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculativ...

Wife-swapping, traditions, religious identities, and self-exploration. This episode was filmed live at Stacks Book Club with Vickie Lan as part of author Jessica Elisheva Emerson's debut book tour for "Olive Days", now available! VIDEO: Watch the video interview on Spotify! Stacks Book Club is an indie bookstore located in Oro Valley, Arizona. Husband-and-wife owners, Crispin and Lizzy, believe in...

Vickie Lan returns to Speculative Sandbox with a new format! Learn what's new, what's changing, and what to look forward to. Episode note: - 4:42: I mention “industry professionals” in the context of working on contract within for a publishing house or movie studio, but but this term definitely shouldn’t minimize the professionalism and hard work of indie/self authors and artists! Need to update m...

[Originally aired February 6, 2023] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Award-winning Author Nicholas Eames kicks off the spring 2023 season with a deep dive into the ensemble cast in his novel "Kings of the Wyld." Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Ma...

[Originally aired March 23, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Not all Dystopian societies are terrible...right? Guest writer Brad Allis joins me in a discussion of the dystopian trope, why we love to read and write them, and their small silver linings (if any!)  Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed b...

[Originally aired March 16, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST EPISODES. Good protagonists, evil protagonists, evilly good protagonists? Author Matthew C. Brown joins Speculative Sandbox in a chat about complex protagonists, the appeal of evil characters, and how story telling has evolved as our interactions on social media take center stage. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainme...

[Originally aired December 6, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our TOP EPISODES. Jason Pargin, New York Times Bestselling Author of the John Dies at the End and Zoe Ashe books series, joins the podcast to talk about the end of the world. What is it about this trope that has a hold on society? And is our worldwide demise enough stakes to get the audience truly invested? You won't want...

Welcome to Speculative Sandbox's first live recording, in partnership with Stacks Book Club and Pine Reads Reviews. Author Matt Mendez talks about his new book, "The Broke Hearts", and unpacks the heartbreak of intergenerational trauma, father and son relationships, and the importance of male friendships. VIDEO: Watch the video interview on Spotify! Stacks Book Club is an indie bookstore located i...

Author Daniel Bautz returns to the podcast in this Author Takeover to walk you through the book cover design process. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva. ...

Is Moby Dick one of the greatest secondary world fantasies ever written? Author David Hopkins takes over the podcast to discuss this classic novel through a new lens. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature ro...

Author Vanessa Thurgood joins the podcast in this Author Takeover to discuss the "Deals with the Devil" trope. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canv...

Happy Halloween! Author John James Minster returns to the podcast to share his experience with the paranormal and how he instills authenticity in his horror writing. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature roy...

Do you have difficulty starting your manuscript? You may remember Author and Roundtable Radio podcast host Odin Halvorson from our episode on Maps. He returns in this Author Takeover to discuss the ways writers can channel their creative muse. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Mai...

Newcomer and author D. A. Randall joins the podcast to talk about the Birth of a Superhero. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.  Links: ⁠⁠Guest form⁠⁠ ⁠⁠M...

Please welcome newcomer Author Katee Stein to Speculative Sandbox, where she walks us through the importance of creating safe spaces and communities as writers. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature royalty-...

Author Garrett K. Jones from our episode on “Unreliable Narrators” takes over the podcast to examine the evolution of storytelling in media, from the episodic format of early sitcoms to the long-form storytelling of today. Examples include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, and How I Met Your Mother. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a v...

Drag Queen and Author Joshua Valentine, the "Lady Gaga of the Writing World", joins Speculative Sandbox to unpack symbolism in storytelling. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photo...

Fantasy author and Shakespeare teacher David Hopkins joins the podcast to talk about the twisted paths of succession. From George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” to HBO’s “Succession”, what makes an effective succession story? We’ll discuss the types of characters that make good contenders, real-life succession stories, and the ways writers can make the succession journey as messy as possible. Spe...

Continuing our talk from our episode "Madness", Ian Young returns to the podcast to talk about "Mass Hysteria." What did the term "hysteria" originally mean? And does a panic on a large scale always have a scientific explanation? Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast ar...

What is scifaiku and astropoetry? Wendy Van Camp, Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, CA, joins the podcast for a poetry reading and lesson. Participate in the lesson! Read the words submitted by our listeners below, write your own scifaiku, and send it to vickielan@gmail.com or direct message Speculative Sandbox on Instagram. We'll share your poem on social media! Sci-fi trope: Cybernetic...

Could we one day customize our own bodies? Author and podcast host Jordan Griffin joins Speculative Sandbox to talk about gene-editing. How close are we to science fiction? We break down the science, including CRISPR technology, genetically-modified foods, and the ethical concerns of human experimentation. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opi...