Not every story can be or needs to be high octane intensity. In fact some of the best books are objectively quiet affairs. Low stakes does not mean low story or lack of compelling reading or viewing experience however. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why low stakes can be just as enthralling as high stakes, and in many ways can provide deeper connections between the reader and the characters. How do you make a low stakes story compelling? What are the dos and don'ts of writing low stakes? And how do you keep a reader's attention focused on your MC when the world isn't ending?

On the slab this week - Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, Swordheart by T Kingfisher and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Myths and stories from the classical world have always been popular inspiring works of art, poetry, books and plays across centuries. Lately, Greek mythology has enjoyed an even bigger revival powered by the era of the 'feminist retelling'. However, while many of these books may be enjoyable stories in their own right, they are almost always bad retellings of the original source material - although 'original' is a relative term. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a frank look at why this happens, why overlaying a modern lens over literature that is several thousand years old is often doomed to failure and how you can find a balance between anachronistically modern and incomprehensively contemporaneous with the original. On the slab this week - A Thousand Ships - Natalie Haynes, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Every profession has at some point suffered from misrepresentation in fiction, however the inaccurate way writers are often depicted in screenplays is especially ironic. However, the dragons do acknowledge that exaggeration and outright fabrication often make for better storytelling so with that in mind, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the main writer character types used in fiction. From tormented geniuses to hardbitten hacks, this tongue in cheek episode is full of characterisation ideas if you ever want to include a writer character in your own writing.

On the slab this week - Argylle, Limitless, The Help and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

If you're a long term listener, you'll already be aware that the concept of 'genre' is mostly just a tool to aid categorisation, especially when it comes to selling books. That said, there are points on the timeline that are considered recognised emergence points for specific major genres. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the evolution of fantasy: where did the idea come from? When did it diverge from fairy tales and folklore? And how did it become the speculative fiction power house genre it is today?

Part 1 of a 2 part episode.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Dinosaurs and prehistoric megafauna have been capturing human imagination for centuries. Certain myths may well have been partially shaped by the discovery of dinosaur bones, whilst our progressing understanding of the dinosaurs 180 million year reign and how it ended, has coloured our understanding of our own place in the natural order.

No surprise then that dinosaurs should appear in so much fiction - both written and staged or filmed. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why these creatures hold such fascination for us, and why they have bled into fantasy and science fiction in a way that cannot be erased.

Under the microscope this week: Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton, The Palaeontologist - Luke Dumas, Dinotopia and many more.

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Storytelling is a powerful tool for exploring difficult issues - both in terms of catharsis and also at a distance. This is especially true for death and bereavement. While the dragons have discussed grief in speculative fiction before, this week they are examining bereavement as a storytelling mode in its own right.

How do you write bereavement in a way that isn't overwhelming, off-putting or just false? What are the popular tropes which explore this issue? And just why might you include it in sff anyway? On the slab this week - Fruits Basket, Star Trek: Discovery, A Symphony of Echoes - Jodi Taylor and many more.

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It's time for another episode in the fairytales in focus series and this week the dragons are delving into one of the best known and (inexplicably?) best beloved. The tale of the Sleeping Beauty has gone through many permutations over the centuries and most likely has an oral tradition that was even older. It has been co-opted by Medieval Romantic poetry, pops up in Norse sagas, and was even used as code for aspects of Gnostic Christian movements. So what is it about this story which is so enduring? Is it the cursed child theme? The political coding in some versions? Or does it resonate with something even deeper? Find out in this weeks extended episode.

On the slab this week - The Witchwood Knot - Olivia Atwater, A Long Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan, Tchaikovsky's ballet and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic