Stories Across Borders

To close off SAB's second season, Daniel and Jon take some time to discuss some favourite books, games, shows and films that didn't get to appear in their themed cycles. Features: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Swarm, The Blacklist, Man on Fire, The Owl House, Serial Experiments Lain, The Legend of Zelda and Orwell.

Jon reads Daniel's short story A Vampire's Treatise on Vampirism. Then, the two discuss how Daniel made his protagonist stand out from other vampiric characters and why he chose to write him in the way he did. Is there a way for a vampiric character to stay true to being a vampire and also be a net positive for the world?

Daniel and Jon discuss John Ajvide Lindqvist and Tomas Alfredson's unique vampire film, Let The Right One In, based on Lindqvist's book of the same name. How does the story use vampirism to explore complex moral grey-areas and relationships? Does the American version of the movie have a place in media?

Monsters in the dark, metaphors or objects of lust - vampires have been all that and more. Daniel and Jon break down the history of the vampire story and explore the different types of vampire we've ended up with and why. Just how versatile a narrative element are vampires?

Listen to Daniel's short story, Run and then a follow-up discussion on the story and how it focuses on movement and action outside the context of combat or survival. Why are focus and perspective so important in action scenes?

Daniel, Jon and @Marv_Missy discuss the X-Men franchise in its various iterations. How does character investment improve action? Why is Storm just the coolest?

Daniel and Jon delve into one of their favourite animated franchises and discuss how the action in The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra and their various spin-offs is informed by the worldbuilding and the philosophies of its characters. How can action be indicative of character drama and the plot at large?

Daniel and Jon discuss the differences between action in visual mediums and the written word. How can you craft a dynamic action scene with only words?

Jon reads Daniel's short story, Five Lessons. Then, the two of them discuss the content of the story. Do coming of age stories need to lean into trauma and drama? Is it really possible to pinpoint the exact moment someone's childhood starts to come to a close?

Daniel and Jon break down another classic film with Good Will Hunting. They discuss why the movie counts as a coming of age film and why it was so influential and important. How do past traumas influence a character's growth in the present?

Daniel and Jon talk about the anime movie Drifting Home and how it portrays several different comings of age. How does the film make use of symbolism to reflect the growth of its characters?

Daniel and Jon discuss coming of age stories, a surprisingly diverse branch of fiction. Why do these stories resonate so strongly with the young and old alike?

Daniel and Jon discuss Invincible, a huge animated superhero series based on a successful comic series. How does Invincible highlight its human elements in a world that is superhuman?

Daniel is joined by Andy and Keith from @SDMediaGroup to discuss the webserial, Worm. How does Worm stand out from the crowd with consistent worldbuilding and a focus on consequences?

Daniel and Jon discuss Daniel's short story Paragon? What would it really be like if people with superpowers were dropped into a world more like our own?

Daniel is joined again by @Marv_Missy to discuss superhero stories. Why can they be so gripping? What are some common pitfalls in these stories?

Daniel is joined by special guests @Marv_Missy and Dan to discuss their web-serial, Secrets of Slumber. When does an objective narrator stop being so objective? Can a narrator who isn't in the story still be a character? Secrets of Slumber: https://slumberserial.wordpress.com/

Daniel and Jon deconstruct The Stanley Parable. How does the game's narrator draw our attention to the layers of metanarrative within and drive the plot forward?

Daniel and Jon discuss a modern classic, The Book Thief. How does its use of Death as a narrator highlight the themes of the story and raise thought-provoking questions?

Daniel and Jon discuss narration and perspective. How does the point of view we experience a story from influence our experience of it?

Daniel and Jon discuss a classic, Forrest Gump. How does this book and movie approach serious subject matter with a positive philosophy? Where does its storytelling excel and where does it fall flat?

Daniel and Jon subvert expectations by discussing positivity in storytelling. How does injecting a little hope and happiness enhance even the darkest, grittiest stories?

Daniel and Jon examine Stephen McCranie's Webtoon, Space Boy. How does the story take an approach towards surprisingly dark and complex subject matter that centres around healing and positivity? How does it explore the negative sides of positivity?

Daniel and Jon delve into Daniel's short story, Digging. How can a character's positive attitude and decision to focus on the good in their life be unhealthy and lead to conflict? How can a character's refusal to acknowledge the good in the bad prevent them from growing and healing?

Daniel and Jon take a look at Predestination, a favourite movie of Daniel's. How does it use Time Travel to build an interesting character study and to explore themes of destiny?