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A podcast by three red-headed fantasy authors talking about everything from academic mythology to dick jokes (and sometimes, both at once), as well as the role of fanfiction as an integral yet oft-overlooked part of the literary conversation and in the broader cultural context. It is, obviously, a podcast of extremely deep literary merit.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 10, 2021
Wednesday Mar 10, 2021
On this week's episode, we're discussing a few changes we're making in our approach to the podcast, and we're gushing about some of our favorite recent and upcoming works, including Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan, and She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan.
What We’re Into Lately
Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons
thepartyresponsible’s Batman-Avengers crossover fic
Do Every Stupid Thing by thepartyresponsible
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty
Invitation to Wine (将进酒) by Tang Jiu Qing 唐酒卿 (Mandarin)
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Be the Serpent Episode 71: Back To School (feat. Naomi Novik)
Be the Serpent Episode 72: Fangs for the Memories
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Wild Beauty Anna-Marie McLemore
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
The infamous Only One Bed trope
Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole
Runaway Royals series by Alyssa Cole
Books by Alisha Rai
For Next Time
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Content Warnings:
The Duke Who Didn't concerns protagonists encountering racism (both ambient and direct).
She Who Became The Sun interrogates gender essentialist prejudice accurate to its historical setting.
Raybearer deals with themes of child abuse/neglect.
Transcription
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you, scribes!!
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
On this week's episode, we're bringing you an extra-long, extra special surprise: We're playing a one-shot of an RPG, using a game system designed by Alex, which uses a tarot deck rather than dice! Enjoy!
As per the outro of this episode, the links to our statements in response to feedback we received on Episode 71:
Macey’s statement RE BTS ep 71
Freya’s statement RE BTS ep 71
For Next Time
We're taking a week off our regular release schedule. Never fear, we will return to your ears four weeks hence, rather than two.
Transcription
The transcript for this episode can be found here. Extra thanks to our scribe team this week, they really knocked it out of the park with this chonky episiode!
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
This week we're talking about new technologies, platforms, and formats of storytelling! The tentpoles this week are the first episode of Campaign Skyjacks, the interactive fiction game Stay by E. Jade Lomax, and the twitter threadfic Still Waters aka Turtle Creek.
What We’re Into Lately
Untamed by Anna Cowan
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
Qi hun
Hades
Yesterday Upon The Stair by PitViperOfDoom
24 Hours in the Past
The Repair Shop
History Cold Case
Other Stuff We Mentioned
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Patricia Highsmith novels
Hikaru No Go manga and anime
The Queen’s Gambit
Great British Bake Off
“Birds Are Trying to Reinvent Your Heart” by Jennifer Mace
“Eat prey, love” by Freya Marske in Unnatural Order
Mermaids Monthly
Weekend at Bernie’s
Milliways RPG
My Brother, My Brother, and Me
The Adventure Zone
Critical Role
Serial Box
The Witcher
Person of Interest, aka “The husbands show”
The Harper Hall of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Pirates of the Caribbean
Groundhog Day
Sleep No More
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Mass Effect 3
Stephen King’s It
It (2017)
It (2019)
The War of the Worlds radio show
Welcome to Night Vale podcast
Alice Isn’t Dead (presented by Welcome to Night Vale)
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries webseries
The Magnus Archives podcast
The Bright Sessions podcast
The Archers radio play
‘Fan Is A Tool-Using Animal’ talk by Maciej Cegłowski
Delicious website
Macey’s audio fiction “A Cradle of Vines” out with Cast of Wonders
Macey’s upcoming audio fiction piece with GlitterShip
Snow White folktale
For Next Time
Nothing! It's the Extravaganza, and we've got an extra-special surprise for you!
Transcription
The transcript of this episode can be found here. Thank you as always to our stunningly talented team of scribes!
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
On this week's episode, we're discussing celebrity culture, the cost of fame, and three brilliant tentpoles: A Knight’s Tale, Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade, and “#bakudeku” by rageprufrock.
What We’re Into Lately
The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Eager by Ben Goldfarb
live from new york by varnes
The Murder of Crows by cerbykerby
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Lots of Untamed fic
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Drastically Redefining Protocol by rageprufrock
Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
No Less Unthinkable by rageprufrock
Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston
You’re Wrong About podcast
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (upcoming, 2022)
Jaskier from The Witcher
For Next Time
Stay? by E. Jade Lomax (Interactive Fiction game)
Transcription
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you to our wonderful team of scribes for their hard work!
Wednesday Dec 30, 2020
Wednesday Dec 30, 2020
Happy holidays, everybody! On this episode, we're sticking with the theme of the season and discussing holidays in fiction! The tentpoles this week are the Doctor Who episode “A Christmas Carol,” the Disney film Coco, and the Scum Villain's Self Saving System fanfic “Shang Qinghua's No Good Very Bad Several Iterations Of A Day.”
What We’re Into Lately
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas
How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole
Four Letter Word For Intercourse by bendingsignpost
The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas
Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Runaway Royals series by Alyssa Cole
Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole
Freya’s favorite Supernatural fic
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Murder under the Mistletoe
"Ernesto de la Cruz vs. The Court of Public Opinion" by skater_of_the_surface
The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
The Princess Switch: Switched Again
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby
The Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe fey conspiracy by Jodi McAlister
The Nightmare Before Christmas
World Building for Masochists episode 14
reputation by Taylor Swift
For Next Time
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Transcription
The transcript of this episode is available here. Huge thanks as always to our team of scribes!
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
On this week's episode, your Serpents were in the middle of National Novel Writing Month, so they used their smart juicy brains and planned an episode without ANY TENTPOLES WHATSOEVER. It's a craft discussion episode!!
What We’re Into Lately
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
May the Best Man Win by Z. R. Ellor
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
“Artificial Condition” by Martha Wells
“Rogue Protocol” by Martha Wells
where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor
His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale
“The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex” by Tamsyn Muir
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Avatar renaissance fic
“Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck”
Embers by Vathara
That Picture of Gwendoline Christie and Oscar Isaac
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The sequel to A Marvellous Light
Catalyst by Jennifer Mace
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland
“Hallelujah” song by Leonard Cohen
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
For Next Time
Coco (Pixar, 2017)
Transcription
The transcript of this episode can be found here. As always, many many thanks to our amazing team of scribes for their work!
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
On today's episode, we're talking about bards and storytellers! What is art even FOR? The tentpoles this week are Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey, “With a Conquering Air” by inexplicifics, and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo.
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Chronicles of Ghadid series by K. A. Doore
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Viable Paradise roommates
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Murder wife from Luther
A Taste of Golden Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Ruoxi Chen at Tor.com
BtS Untamed episode
BtS Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells the Story episode
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Asterix comics by René Goscinny
“Only Love Proudly and Gladly and Well” by inexplicifics
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Dragon Harper books
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
BtS Sympathy for the Devil episode
Bread and Roses protest song
Bread and Circuses phrase
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey
Symphony For the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson
Captain America
Tchaikovsky (composer)
Kalevala Finnish epic poetry compilation
4 Chord Song by Axis of Awesome
New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland
Macey’s bardic piano performance at the Nebula Awards
Cats musical
Les Mis musical
For Next Time
Nothing! (Next time is the mid-Nano episode)
Transcription
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you to our brilliant team of scribes!
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
On this week's episode, we're talking about mermaids, sirens, selkies, and other moist ladies who may or may not want to eat your whole face off! Guess what: The sea is terrifying! Fuck the sea! Tentpoles this week are The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, and the Studio Ghibli movie Ponyo.
What We’re Into Lately
Piranesi by Susanna Clark
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Division Bells by Iona Datt Sharma
Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller
Please miss postman by Shamelesscooper
Care and Custody by esama
Scum Villain fanfic
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland
The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
The Untamed fix-its
Kingsman fic
Finding Faeries by Alexandra Rowland
How enslaved peoples escaped into the swamps
The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. le Guin
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
“The Deep” by clipping. (song)
“Ride of the Valkyries” (song)
Ponyo On the Cliff By the Sea (song)
Tithe by Holly Black
Scum Villain fanfic
Eat Prey, Love by Freya Marske
Unnatural Order (upcoming short story anthology)
‘saltwashed’ by Jennifer Mace
Catalyst by Jennifer Mace
Oglaf NSFW webcomic
Diamonds of the Sea mermen holiday ornaments
Macey’s mentioned NSFW Bad Dragon link can be found here
RE Mermaid Fucking research: ‘cloaca’
For Next Time
Dragonsinger (Harper Hall of Pern) by Anne McCaffrey
Transcription
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thanks as always to our most excellent scribblin' scribes for their hard work. <3
Wednesday Nov 04, 2020
Wednesday Nov 04, 2020
On this week's episode, we're talking about sports! The tentpoles are Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, Bend It Like Beckham, and “Thirty Years and Change” by sunsmasher.
What We’re Into Lately
Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott
Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan
Scum Villain fanfic
The Untamed fanfic
Yuri!!! on Ice fanfic (because nostalgia)
Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Space American Idol
Fence series by C. S. Pacat
Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
"Our Opinions Are Correct" podcast
Sharps by K.J. Parker
Court of Fives series by Kate Elliott
Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Ender’s Game + series by Orson Scott Card
Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz
City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
“Stargazer” by Fahye
Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun
Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (“show me one atom of truth” quote)
Be the Serpent Episode 72
For Next Time
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
Transcription
The transcript for this episode can be found here. Huge huge thanks to our scribes for their hard work this week.
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
On today's episode, we're getting into that Spooky Season mood and talking about the dreaded VAMPYR. Or vampire, as Macey and Freya insist on pronouncing it. The tentpoles this week are “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” by Kellen Szpara, What We Do in the Shadows, and “pro bono” by astronicht.
Note: This episode has been edited to amend a sidebar discussion we had in response to discussion about the racist representation in A Deadly Education, which we tentpoled in the previous episode. The segment begins at 0:13:12 of the audio, and on page 9 of the transcript.
What We’re Into Lately
Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran
Naruto longfic
Scum Villain longfic
An easy lie by Nythtak
Hold the Line: A Guide to Defending Democracy
For A Good Time, Call by ScarlettStorm
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
Dug from Up
Finding Faeries by Alexandra Rowland
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
A Twitter thread and Goodreads review by @newamsterdame
"Racism vs Rep: Missteps of Naomi Novik's A Deadly Education" by Larissa Irankunda
Writing the Other workshop
Writing the Other book
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty
What We Do in the Shadows TV series
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker
Interview With a Vampire by Anne Rice
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
The Inherent Eroticism of Vore
Dirty Talking With Jesus
The pros and cons of cannibalism
Mulching the rich
Alex’s new book Finding Faeries: Discovering Sprites, Pixies, Redcaps, and Other Fantastical Creatures in an Urban Environment
For Next Time
Transcription
The transcript for this episode is available here. As always, huge huge thank you to the team of scribes for their amazing work.