Breaking the Glass Slipper: Women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror

The beauty of myth is that it grows with us, that every generation brings its own perspective and interpretation to ancient stories to create something fresh, new and relevant to the concerns of a contemporary audience. Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman Tell was inspired by the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, in which a magician creates a […] The post Creation, consent & control – with Bar Fridman-Tell first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

We chat to fantasy writer Jeannette Ng about her use of Christian mythology in her debut novel, Under the Pendulum Sun. Full episode notes are available here: http://wp.me/p7P6my-cd

Are you ready for your to-read and to-watch lists to explode? Charlotte, Lucy, and I discuss our favourite genre pieces of 2017 and what we’re most looking forward to in 2018. We lament terrible accents and characters that have no agency, celebrate all the books, films, and TV we loved, and find common ground with […] The post 2017 in review and anticipation for 2018 first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Charlotte, Lucy, and I discuss our favourite genre pieces of 2017 and what we're most looking forward to in 2018. Get ready for your to-read and to-watch lists to explode! Full notes, including all texts mentioned in the episode are available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Charlotte interviews RJ Barker on writing female characters, his favourite genres, and writing characters with disabilities. Full episode notes available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Regular listeners will already be familiar with the fabulous RJ Barker who joined us live at Nine Worlds to discuss realistic characters. This week, Charlotte interviews RJ about writing female characters, his favourite genres, and writing characters with disabilities. RJ’s stellar debut, Age of Assassins, combines elements of traditional fantasy with murder mystery and historical fiction. […] The post Interview with RJ Barker first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Most science fiction and fantasy focus on humans – or at least societal structures that are recognisable from within cultures on Earth. Given that genre fiction is meant to be one of unlimited imagination, why do we find it so difficult to imagine societies where hierarchies aren’t defined by gender, and more specifically, where the […] The post Subverting social norms with Adrian Tchaikovsky first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Megan chats to award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky about worldbuilding and creating societies that don't regurgitate the social norms we are familiar with. Full episode notes available on www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

How important are video games in showcasing diversity? Can they do it better than other forms of media? Whether ‘diversity’ means eschewing the traditional cis white male protagonist or encountering a broad spectrum of race, gender and relationships, can gaming offer us a safe space to explore topics we might otherwise find difficult in the […] The post Diversity in video games with Emily Marlow first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Lucy chats to Emily R Marlow about diversity in RPGs and the importance of gender representation in gaming. Full episode notes available here: http://wp.me/p7P6my-aS

This week, we are taking a slight detour from our usual subject matter and taking a look at witchcraft and ritual in the real world from writers who identify as witches and explore these ideas in their non-fiction writing. After coming across Katie West’s latest project, Becoming Dangerous, I wanted to talk to her about ideas […] The post Witchcraft, ritual, and power first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

We take a look at witchcraft in the real world and how women use witchcraft as an empowering movement in times of political uncertainty. Guests in this episode are Katie West, Gabriela Herstik, and Sophie Saint Thomas. Full episode notes available at http://www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

At this year’s FantasyCon in Peterborough, Breaking the Glass Slipper was lucky enough to interview one of the guests of honour, Pat Cadigan. Pat is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, a three-time winner of the Locus Award, twice-winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and one-time winner of the Hugo Award. And yes, Pat […] The post Pat Cadigan: Queen of Cyberpunk LIVE first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

We interviewed Pat Cadigan at FantasyCon 2017 on the resurgence of cyberpunk, writing both novels and short fiction, the relationship between technology and the mind, and keeping her ideas fresh.

Mermaids, Harpies, Valkyries, Succubae, Sirens, Banshees, Nymphs – We’ve been encountering the mythical female in literature and folklore for thousands of years. She appears in numerous religions, sometimes as saviour, sometimes as a harbinger of doom. She lures men to their death, transports them to the afterlife, enchants them, tricks them and sets them free. […] The post Mythical females first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Megan, Charlotte, and Lucy look at the popularity of female creatures in mythology and folklore and what these she-beasts say about women, our place in society, and why they aren't all negative representations.

Young adult fiction is called a genre, a bookshop category, and more. It is a way of grouping books together based, usually, on the age of the protagonist. But a young adult protagonist does not mean that a book will only appeal to a younger audience, nor should it. And books that are written for […] The post In praise of YA with Frances Hardinge first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

We talk to award-winning YA author Frances Hardinge about everything that young adult (YA) fiction has to offer both readers and writers. Full episode notes available at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com

Horror aficionado Charlotte talks with author Tim Lebbon, whose published bibliography is extensive. Lebbon has written countless horror and dark fantasy novels, both his original ideas as well as film novelisations and franchise tie-ins. A fan of his work, Charlotte particularly wanted to interview Tim about some of his stellar female characters. Does he consciously […] The post Interview with Tim Lebbon first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Charlotte interviews horror writer Tim Lebbon on his writing process, his character inspirations, and what scares him.

Bonus episode: Megan Leigh, Charlotte Bond, Lucy Hounsom, and Kieron Gillen discuss the power of playlists in writing and inspirate at Nine Worlds Geekfest 2017.

All three of us were flying the Breaking the Glass Slipper flag at Nine Worlds Geekfest 2017. Each of us were on numerous panels. Being the ‘tech geek’ of the three of us, however, I managed to record the two panels I was on outside of our live podcast episode. Of course, my very limited tech […] The post Bonus content: Live at Nine Worlds first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Bonus episode: Megan Leigh interviews Chris Wooding at Nine Worlds Geekfest.

In literary criticism, you often hear critiques of characters based on whether or not the character was realistic. But what does a realistic character look like when it comes to speculative fiction and why is it so important that a character feels realistic in worlds that are so wholly fantastic? Is it easier to create […] The post Realistic characters with RJ Barker and Anna Smith Spark first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Recorded live at Nine Worlds Geekfest 2017. RJ Barker and Anna Smith Spark discuss what realistic characters are, why they are important, and how to write them.

Charlotte interviews the prolific writer Seanan McGuire (also known as Mira Grant) about her writing process, inclusive characters, Maine Coons, filk, and more.

In this episode, Charlotte interviews the prolific writer Seanan McGuire (also known as Mira Grant) about her writing process, inclusive characters, Maine Coons, filk (folk music of science fiction and fantasy), and more. Focusing on three recent publications that Charlotte has particularly enjoyed – Every Heart a Doorway (winner of the 2017 Nebula for best novella), Dusk or Dark or […] The post Interview with Seanan McGuire first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Speculative fiction is not confined to prose stories or even TV and film. Video games have long focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. As such, this week, I interview master games writer (official title!), Rhianna Pratchett. Writing a novel or short story can be hard enough, but writing for games is on another level. […] The post Writing video games with Rhianna Pratchett first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Megan interviews writer Rhianna Pratchett on writing for games, updating an iconic series, and her favourite games.

It is common for feminist writers to feel the need to focus only on stories that preoccupy themselves with the marginalisation of women. Other writers don’t necessarily dwell on the representation of their own demographic, so why should women (and other marginalised groups) feel the need to? Feminists, like us here at Breaking the Glass Slipper, […] The post The feminist obligation first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

As responsible feminists, we attempt to further feminism in all that we do. But is that actually limiting us?

One of my earliest loves and the series that prompted my eternal love for the science fiction genre was Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was hopeful while exploring deep philosophical questions. I was absolutely thrilled to speak to Melinda Snodgrass, who wrote some of my favourite episodes of the series (‘Measure of a Man’ and ‘The […] The post Melinda Snodgrass on optimism in science fiction first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Screenwriter, novelist, short story writer, and editor Melinda Snodgrass chats to Megan about Star Trek, optimism in SF, and gender issues in the industry.

Today is a big day in the UK: the general election. After we mark our ballots (because, of course, all BtGS listeners will get out there and vote today, right?!) and while we all bite our nails in nervous anticipation of the result, we have the perfect distraction… an interview with comics writer Kieron Gillen. […] The post Kieron Gillen on gender and diversity in comics first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Megan talks to comic writer Kieron Gillen about diversity within the comics industry as well as the comics themselves.

This week, Charlotte interviews Victorian steampunk/alternate history/comedy/gothic/romance/surrealist/urban fantasy writer Gail Carriger. This is one writer you cannot easily slot into a neat classification. Her writing defies genre so much she has practically invented her own! Gail talks about writing across a wide variety of genres and how she came to write such unique stories. From […] The post Gail Carriger on comedy in SFF and the heroine’s journey first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Charlotte interviews Gail Carriger about her disregard for genre constraints, the joys of making readers laugh, and whether you should put the milk or the tea in the cup first!

Genre fiction explores different possibilities of all kinds – what life might be like with the invention of new technologies, other worlds completely divorced from what we know, and more. But why, then, do we still find so many minority voices erased from these ‘other’ worlds where anything is possible. The only limit to science […] The post Ytasha Womack on Afrofuturism first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Megan talks to Ytasha Womack, author of Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture about the origins, values, and art of the movement.

Wanting to see equal representation in genre fiction doesn’t stop at gender. We want to see all kinds of people represented across gender, creed, sexuality, race, age, physical ability, taste in films, dog lovers, cat lovers, tea drinkers, and even those coffee drinkers… You get the point. This week, we ask why only young folk […] The post Maiden, mother, and crone: Ageism in genre fiction first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Wanting to see equal representation in genre fiction doesn't stop at gender. We discuss the lack of 'older' protagonists in genre fiction and the problematic tropes and assumptions about older characters we see.

As Kameron Hurley discusses in her Hugo Award-winning article, ‘We Have Always Fought‘, women have always fought. So why don’t we see more women warriors in science fiction and fantasy novels? History is full of women on battlefields and in brawls, even if the history books might gloss over it. Remember: much of the history […] The post Fight scenes and women warriors with Juliet McKenna first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

Writing fight scenes is a tricky business, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind and elements you must get right or risk alienating the reader, so we talk to writer and martial artist Juliet McKenna on insights into writing better fight scenes and what some of the most common problems are.

It isn’t possible to be too old for Disney films. You might go through that contrary teenage phase of claiming to have outgrown them, but we all know that’s a lie. Whether you are 6 or 66, no matter your gender, nationality, or creed, Disney films have a special place in all our hearts. While […] The post Disney Princesses first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

How feminist are the Disney princesses? Have we seen a positive trend in the modern examples? What else does Disney need to do to create positive role models for children?

2017 is set to be a big year for Laura Lam. With two new books, the final in her Micah Grey trilogy, Masquerade, and the second in the Pacifica series, Shattered Minds, as well as a short story included in the anthology Nasty Women, she’s definitely one to look out for. If you’ve not come across her books […] The post Laura Lam on exploring the queer experience in SFF first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

With the final book in her Micah Grey series out this month, Laura Lam talks to Lucy about exploring the queer experience in her writing.

Please note that this episode may contain content that could upset some listeners. Audience discretion is advised. Late in 2016 I stumbled across a post on Tor.com entitled ‘Do Better: Sexual violence in SFF‘ by Sarah Gailey and I knew I had to interview her for Breaking the Glass Slipper. I wasn’t disappointed. My chat with […] The post Sarah Gailey on sexual violence in SFF first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

*Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence that may upset some listeners. Genre fiction is, by definition, limitless in its possibilities. Writers could create any world they want... so why do they so often create fictional worlds where sexual violence, particularly against women, is commonplace?

This week, Charlotte interviews horror writer Alison Littlewood, whose debut novel A Cold Season made a splash when it was first released, making the Richard and Judy Book Club. Since then, she’s published another seven books, including two short story collections. While her writing predominantly falls into the category of horror, Alison is not averse to trying […] The post Interview with Alison Littlewood first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.