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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 Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
On this week's episode we're talking about Groundhog Day AUs! We're discussing the original trope-namer, the 1993 movie Groundhog Day; the Yuri!! On Ice fic "Maelstrom" by feelslikefire, and the flash fiction piece, "The First Stop Is Always the Last" by John Wiswell.
What We’re Reading
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Possessed by Elif Batuman
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett
Freya’s Yuri!!! in Space fics
Torn by Rowenna Miller
Other Stuff We Mentioned
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
National Novel Writing Month
Spiders Georg
Person of Interest
The Pineapple festival in Fort Pierce, Florida
The Sandy Shoes festival, Fort Pierce, Florida
Friday fest, Fort Pierce, Florida
The Groundhog Day musical
The official broadway recording of “If I Had My Time Again”
Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Naruto
Chunin Exam Day by Perfect Lionheart
Time Braid by ShaperV
“Quickening Days” by Fahye
Freeport by Maldoror_Chant
Embers by Inkgirl and Vathara
Lightning on the Wave
“The First Stop is Always the Last” by John Wiswell
Sliders
“Purple Days” by baurus
Edge of Tomorrow
All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
Victory Condition by astolat
Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling
“Dark Prince” by LoveMyRomance
Final Fantasy VII
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
World Without End by Sorted
Aesop’s fables
Steven King’s Dark Tower series
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Serpentcast Discord
Merlin
For Next Time
Drastically Redefining Protocol by rageprufrock
Transcript
The transcript of the episode is available here. As always, thanks to our glamorous and wonderful scribes: Neharika, Millie, Sara, and Magali, who were also joined this week by Kelly!
Wednesday Nov 07, 2018
Wednesday Nov 07, 2018
On this episode, we're back on our bullshit to talk about worldbuilding with mythology. Our tentpoles this week are Alexandra Rowland's A Conspiracy of Truths, Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds, and KJ Parker's "Let Maps to Others".
What We’re Into This Week
In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard
Kakashi/Iruka fic by, particularly, Maldoror and thehoyden
Teetering on the brink of Venom fanfic
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Terry Pratchett
Pliny’s letters
Graffiti in Pompeii
Memes
Incomplete by astolat
The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Alana by Tamora Pierce
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Buffy
Charmed
Doctor Who
Dragon Ball Z
Supernatural
Black Sails
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
“Icebreaker” by Cesare
“Motion Parallax” by Laughsalot3412
Community
The My Life as a Background Slytherin comics by Emily McGovern
For Next Time:
"The First Stop is Always the Last" by John Wiswell
Transcription:
The transcript of this episode is available here. Thanks to our wonderful and brilliant scribes: Sara, Millie, Neharika, and Magali!
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
It's time for another Extravaganza episode! This week we're taking a fantastic selection of listener questions and trying to pressure Freya into making some Weird Sounds!
What We’re Into This Week
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Band Sinister by K.J. Charles
Homestuck
Torn by Rowenna Miller
Wynonna Earp
Other Stuff We Mentioned
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Georgette Heyer
Les Miserables
The Chinese drama Guardian
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
Yellowcake (esp. “Ferryman”) by Margo Lanagan
“Murder Mysteries” by Neil Gaiman
“Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee
“Seasons of Glass and Iron” by Amal El-Mohtar
“Unprimary Sources” by coveredinfeels
The Starlit Wood, edited by Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee
A. Merc Rustad
John Wiswell
“Salamander Six-Guns” by Martin Cahill
In The End by Alexandra Rowland
“The Manor House” by Fahye
“A Cradle of Vines” by Jennifer Mace
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Redwall series by Brian Jaques
Lord of the Rings fanfiction
The Very Secret Diaries by Cassandra Clare
Shaman King
Transcript:
The transcript of this episode is available here. Our wonderful scribes (Magali, Neharika, Sara, and Millie) did a fantastic job!
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're discussing OT3s (One True Threesomes). After all, it's twentygayteen, people! Give us more polyamory in canon media! Our tentpoles this week are “The Rundown Job” (Leverage season 5, episode 9); “Always Starts the Same, with a Boy and a Girl”, by lightgetsin (White Collar fanfic); and “Didn’t Know How Lost I Was”, by Annakovsky (Star Wars fanfic).
What We’re Into this Week
Mother of Invention edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Rivqa Rafael
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross
City of Lies by Sam Hawke
Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn
Ada Harper’s A Treason of Truths
1688: A Global History by John E. Wills Jr.
The Adventure Zone
The Chinese drama Guardian
Other Stuff We Mentioned
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
Spiders Georg
Leverage
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
White Collar
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley
Ursula Le Guin’s story “A Fisherman of the Inland Sea”
Sedoretu
Black Sails
For Next Time
Nothing! Next the Episode 20 Extravaganza! Catch up on your TBR pile and preorder A Conspiracy of Truths!
Transcript:
The transcript of this episode can be found here, lovingly crafted by Sara, Neharika, and Millie.
Wednesday Sep 26, 2018
Wednesday Sep 26, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're talking about heists and thieves and how much we love them. We almost called this episode "Sticky Fingers, Stolen Hearts". The tentpoles for this week are Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Ocean's 8, and two Inception fics by imperfectcircle: "Palm, Ditch, Steal" and "Load, Misdirection, Switch".
What We’re Reading:
Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
Witchmark by CL Polk
1688: A Global History by John E. Wills Jr.
Other Stuff We Mentioned:
Revenge
Nirvana in Fire
Guardian
Wynonna Earp
“The Great Chinese Art Heist” article in GQ
Alex’s loathing of stage magicians
Now You See Me
Sorting Hat Chats
Be the Serpent, Episode 13: "Machiavellian Overthinkers"
“Palm, Ditch, Steal” by imperfectcircle
“Load, Misdirection, Switch” by imperfectcircle
Inception
Tuckman’s stages of group development
Leverage
The Belgariad by David Eddings
Malloreon by David Eddings
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings
“Miss the Train Before” by Fahye (incomplete)
For Next Time:
Always Starts the Same, with a Boy and a Girl by lightgetsin
Transcription:
The transcript of this episode is available here. Our scribes are superheroes and we do not deserve them. Thank you, Magali, Sara, Neharika, and Millie!
Wednesday Sep 12, 2018
Wednesday Sep 12, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're talking about sex -- why we write about it, why we read about it, and more. Our tentpoles this week are Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles, and the entire genre of F/F fanfiction (with three great recs from us)!
What We’re Reading
Heroine Worship (Sarah Kuhn)
A Duke by Default (Alyssa Cole)
Alex finally played Dragon Age: Inquisition!
Other Stuff We Mentioned
Leverage
The Hugo Awards
Bad Sex Awards from the Literary Review
The Sins of the Cities trilogy by KJ Charles
A Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles
Bird in the Hand by novembersmith
Truth and Measure by Telanu
Oral Histories by Telanu
Prizefight Verse by Telanu
Captive Prince
The Devil Wears Prada
Glee
Legends
Gwen/Morgana (Merlin)
How the mouth changes its shape by breathedout
Due South
Restoree by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
The Tiger’s Daughter by Arsenault Rivera
Docile by Kellan Szpara (Spring 2020)
The Seventh Function of Language by Laurent Binet
For Next Time:
Ocean's 8 (2018)
Transcription:
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thanks to Magali, Sara, and Neharika -- and a special thanks and warm welcome to the newest scribe to join our ranks: Millie!!
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're talking about some creepy stuff! Guest star Ryan Boyd, of the horror podcast Rank and Vile, joins us to discuss Clive Barker's "Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament", both the book and movie versions of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, and the Hannibal fanfic "Where All Ladders Start" by emungere.
What We’re Reading
Black Sails fanfic
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson
The Henchmen of Zenda by K.J. Charles
Spectred Isle by K.J. Charles
Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfic (again)
Lost Country by William Gay
Space Opera by Catherynne Valente
Stuff We Mentioned
Ryan Boyd’s podcast, Rank and Vile
Dune by Frank Herbert
Halloween Horror Nights
The Skeleton Key (2005)
“Mr. Try-Again.” by A. Merc Rustad
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
The Addams Family
Get Out
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker
“A Cradle of Vines” by Jennifer Mace
Maniac
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Carrie by Stephen King
The Green Mile, Part 1: Two Dead Girls by Stephen King
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Episode 14 of Be The Serpent: Once Upon A Something
Saw, the movie
Glitter and Gold, a fanvid by voordeel
Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris
The Hannibal Lecter movies
The tv show Pushing Daisies
The tv show Dead Like Me
M*A*S*H
Nightmare on Elm Street 3
For Next Time:
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Transcription:
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thanks to our amazing scribes, Magali, Sara, and Neharika!
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
Wednesday Aug 15, 2018
On this episode, we're talking about horse books! It's just that a lot of the horses in these horse books have wings... and... breathe fire... so yeah. But they're horses and it's a horse book! Listen to find out why! The tentpoles for this episode are Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, You Drive Through the Dust by Dira Sudis, and the movie How to Train Your Dragon.
What We’re Reading
A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfic
Needs Must by thatotherperv
Rag and Bone by KJ Charles
Witchmark by CL Polk
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Other Stuff We Mentioned
A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher (and the rest of the Magic Shop series) by Bruce Coville
The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stein
The Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate
The Abhorsen books by Garth Nix
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Brainship series by Anne McCaffrey
Farscape
How I Met Your Mother
Wizard of Earthsea from the Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin
Dragonflight and The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
Generation Kill
Nirvana in Fire
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
The “Worst Cat” Tumblr
The Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey
Dragon’s Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
Transcription:
The transcript for this episode is available here. Thasnk you to our scribes: Sara, Neharika, and Magali!
Wednesday Aug 01, 2018
Wednesday Aug 01, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're discussing fairytales: how do they work, what purpose does their beauty and terror serve, and why are they so intertwined with everything we read? Our tentpoles this week are Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, Stardust (the movie), and the Yuri on Ice fanfic "hood & glove".
What We’re Reading:
Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
The Starlit Wood (anthology), ed. Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe
Rag and Bone by KJ Charles
Other Stuff We Mentioned:
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The movie Stardust
“Hood & glove” by Fahye/Freya Marske [which features artwork by hawberries]
The folk tales “Tam Lin,” "Baba Yaga's Daughter" and “Little Red Riding Hood”
“Cinderella”
Queer Eye
This interview between Shveta Thakrar and Over The Rainbow Fairy Tale about Euro-centric attitudes about fairy tales
The Orpheus myth
Sir Orfeo (medieval ballad)
“King Orpheo” (Scottish song)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Stardust (the book) by Neil Gaiman
“Rapunzel”, the fairy tale
Tangled
The fairy tale “Snow White”
The Princess Bride
Yuri!!! On Ice
Supernatural
The hieros gamos
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Victory Condition by astolat
Seelie and the Unseelie Courts
“Cradle of Vines” by Jennifer Mace
“The Bonny Swans”
“Win me, win me, an ye will” by Fahye/Freya Marske
Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown
Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs Oliphant
Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Tithe by Holly Black
Into The Woods, the musical
Aarne-Thompson Tale Type Index
Thompson’s Motif Index
Dewey Decimal System
Swan Lake, the ballet
Maleficent
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty which is based on “Sleeping Beauty”
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire
Alice in Wonderland 1999 TV filmstrongtime
Transcription:
The transcript for this episode can be found here. Thanks as always to our scribes: Sara, Neharika, and Magali!
Wednesday Jul 18, 2018
Wednesday Jul 18, 2018
On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're discussing some of our favorite sneaky, conniving little shits and their schemes, both successful and embarrassing. The tentpoles for this episode are A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lithograph by romantic_drift, and Jingo by Terry Pratchett.
What We’re Reading:
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Mark Oshiro’s Anger is a Gift
Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott
Queen’s Gambit by bedlamsbard
Unfit to Print by K. J. Charles
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox
Reflections by Diana Wynne Jones
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
Still more Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfics
Other Stuff We Mentioned:
Fernand Braudel’s The Structures of Everyday Life
Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland
"Love in Every Stitch" by Alexandra Rowland (published in Fireside Magazine Issue 57, digital release forthcoming!)
"Cradle of Vines" by Jennifer Mace
Cast of Wonders
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
The Borgias
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
A Deeper Season by lightgetsin, sahiya
Nirvana in Fire
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
City Watch Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Going Postal and Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Ocean’s series
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (and the short story “Pet”)
Misethere by Astolat
Once Upon a Time
Elementary
Magnificent Century
The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett
Transcription:
The transcript for this episode is available here. Hail the scribes, hail those quick-fingered three: Sara, Neharika, Magali!