Author: Lulu

Our podcast is back, and we’re in our hater era! In this episode, we tackle the infamously divisive 2023 film Saltburn, a psychological thriller directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford scholarship student invited to his wealthy friend’s summer estate, Saltburn, for a summer that takes a dark turn. (Spoiler alert: we didn’t like it.) Topics discussed include the film’s muddled class commentary, our hatred of the film’s ending, and it’s intent to shock and upset the viewer. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Blue Eye Samurai (2023-)
• Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
• A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris
• The Holdovers (dir. Alexander Payne)
• Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
• Bellies by Nicola Dinan
• Promising Young Woman (dir. Emerald Fennell)
• The Eternals (dir. Chloe Zhao)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh)
• Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)
• Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)
• Can posh people write good slass satire? By Patrick Sproull for Dazed
• Romeo + Juliet (dir. Baz Luhrmann)
• Biting the Hand by Julia Lee
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
• Temper by Layne Fargo
• They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
• Interview With the Vampire (2022–)

Content Warnings: Discussions of drug overdose, suicide, murder, classism, racism, manipulation, and sexual assault

Also, not actually related to the content of this episode, but if you are an American listener, we would like to invite you to call your representatives and demand a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. 5calls.org makes it easy to do.  

We’re back for our first episode of the summer! In this one, we take a trip to post-Rome Britain to explore our fascination with a time period that is more myth than history. Going full history nerd, we take a look at three books set in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman imperial powers: Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, and Sistersong by Lucy Holland. We discuss the possible origin of the King Arthur myth, queer medieval narratives, and the cultural diversity of Britain at this time–as well as wizards, warlords, and murder ballads. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Little Blue Encyclopedia for Vivian by Hazel Jane Plante
• The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
• Bernard Cornwell’s books
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• Perceval by Chretien de Troyes
• The Two Sisters by Steeleye Span
• On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain by Gildas
• History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Content Warnings:

Discussions of war, death, and body horror

Also 1) apologies for the distant car horn in a few moments and 2) our discussion of Here Lies Arthur involves talking about some characters who present as different genders over the course of the story and so has some varying pronoun usage.

This week, we’ve got a guest on our podcast as author M.K. Lobb drops by to answer our questions about her young adult fantasy novel Seven Faceless Saints. Tune in to hear us discuss the real historical inspiration behind her fantasy world, the joys of writing angsty romance, and the importance of angry female characters. 

As usual, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, etc.

Media mentioned

• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
• Keep This To Yourself by Tom Ryan
• I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
• Karen McManus (YA mystery author)
• The Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
• Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Content warnings: discussions of war, PTSD, and murder

Episode 30 is out! As usual, it’s available on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

This week’s episode is a blast to the past as we delve into a new genre for this podcast: historical romance novels. Focusing on five novels–A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian, The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan, and The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite–we delve into how they fit into the overall genre while crafting individual love stories that stand out on their own. We discuss some of our favorite romance tropes and how these books subvert them or play them straight, as well as examining the historical contexts a bit. Plus: seances, heists, and Worcestershire sauce.

Other media mentioned

• AMC’s Interview With the Vampire
• A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Winter Be My Shield by Jo Spurrier
• The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert
• Bridgerton (TV show)
• Belle (2013 movie)
• “Why Are So Many Novels Set in the Regency Period?” by Jess Romeo for JSTOR Daily
• Jane Austen
• Georgette Heyer
• Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
• The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes Cat Sebastian

Content warnings: discussions of historical racism, sexism, colonialism, homophobia, and slavery, as well as two novels that deal with parental death

Episode 31 is out now! As usual, it’s available to listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the character of John Constantine, DC’s infamous dirtbag warlock. Beginning with his iconic Hellblazer comic and going on to discuss his many movie and TV appearances, we tackle some of his most iconic storylines, how various adaptations do or don’t work, and why we find one British magician’s poor life choices so compelling. 

Media mentioned:

• Lockwood & Co. (Netflix show)
• The Last of Us (HBO show)
• The Legend of Vox Machina (TV show)
• Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
• Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
• The Newsreader (TV show)
• Andor (TV show)
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• Sandman by Neil Gaiman
• DC Pride Anthology (2021)
• Constantine: The Hellblazer by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle
• Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano
• DC Bombshells by Marguerite Bennett
• Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
• Constantine: All His Engines by Mike Carey
• The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey
• Constantine: City of Demons
• The Sandman episode 3: “Dream a Little Dream of Me”
• Legends of Tomorrow

Content warnings: lung cancer, suicide, child abuse, homophobia, biphobia, racism

Our twenty-ninth episode is out!

This episode, we’re taking a turn into the classics by reviewing two retellings of Emily Brontë’s gothic novel Wuthering Heights: Black Spring by Alison Croggon and What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri. We indulge our inner English majors by getting very excited about cycles of tragedy, ghosts, and doomed romance while also discussing how the novels put their own spin on a classic work of literature. As always, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Other media mentioned

• The Rings of Power
• The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
• House of the Dragon
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
• Sistersong by Lucy Holland
• Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
• A League of Their Own (TV show)
• House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• AMC’s Interview With the Vampire (TV show)
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore
• The Books of Ambha by Tasha Suri
• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
• Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

Content warnings: discussions of abuse, racism, murder, colonialism, famine, death

Episode 28 is available for streaming on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes, and more.

Segueing into Spooky Season, this week we’re bringing a seasonally-appropriate episode on witchy books! Focusing on The Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke and Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper, we discuss the different takes on witches in both novels, their representation of magic-wielding lesbian and bisexual women, and how supernatural elements are used to underscore and develop the character relationships. (And also how a drag show act served as the seed of inspiration for this episode.)

Content warnings: car crash, parental death, homophobia

Other media mentioned

• The Sandman (comic)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
• The Sandman (Netflix show)
• Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
• Hellblazer by Jamie Delano
• The Scratch Daughter by H.A. Clarke (upcoming)
• The Lost Coast by A.R. Capetta
• Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones

Episode 27 is available to listen on Podbean, Spotify, and more.

The start of fall may be nearing, but we’re here to prolong summer with an episode on the movie Fire Island! A modern gay adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, it follows a group of friends on their annual summer vacation. Topics include how the movie updates the novel’s social commentary and class dynamics, what makes the iconic Elizabeth/Darcy relationship work, and how the film deviates from the source text in fun and interesting ways. Also, a lot of positive yelling about the romance.

Other Media Mentioned:

• The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
• The Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing
• Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
• The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
• Wildhood (2021) dir. Bretten Hannam
• Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud
• Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (many times!)
• Pride and Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) dir. Burr Steers
• Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
• The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
• Pride by Ibi Zoboi
• The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
• Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by Lev A.C. Rosen

Content Warnings: discussions of classism, anti-Asian racism, and revenge porn.

It’s summer, and that means sunny weather, visits to the beach…and murder? This week’s episode is on two seaside mysteries, Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow and I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick. Topics include mental health representation, balancing nuanced characters with twisty plots, and how the setting enhances both books. (Note: we do not spoil the big plot twists in either of these books.) As always, you can listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Media mentioned

• The Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke
• Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me by Shelby Criswell
• The Heartbreak Baker by A.R. Capetta
• The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
• Rooks and Ruin trilogy by Melissa Caruso
• Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery
• Legion (TV show)
• You Don’t Know Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow
• This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow
• I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistion
• Knives Out (2019) 

Content warnings

Murder, drowning, racism, mental health struggles including suicidal ideation and intrusive thoughts

We’re back! This week, we’re discussing A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske and and Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho, two novels that reimagine English history with a magical twist. Topics include wizard bureaucracy, ambitious women, and the way that both novels intertwine fantasy and history. As always, you can listen on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, and more.

Other media mentioned:

• A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
• Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
• Nimona by N.D. Stephenson
• Heartstopper (TV show)
• From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos
• The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• K.J. Charles’s books
• Jupiter Ascending
• The Fantasy Inn podcast
• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
• Black Sails (TV show)
• The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert
• The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
• Knives Out
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The True Queen by Zen Cho
• The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
• Legally Blonde
• The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
• Episode 21: Murder, Magic, and Making Different Histories

Content warnings: Discussions of historical homophobia, racism, sexism, slavery, and colonialism.