Megan Leigh interviews African speculative fiction writer Chinelo Onwualu about racism in the industry, expectations of African writing, and the trends coming out of the continent. Full episode notes can be found at www.breakingtheglassslipper.com The post Episode 12: African speculative fiction with Chinelo Onwualu first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
‘We need to include all voices.’ This podcast was set up to increase the conversation around a marginalised group in speculative fiction: women. But women aren’t the only marginalised voices in the industry. Fireside Fiction recently published a report on the embedded racism in the SF publishing industry, including this revelation: In 2015, of 2,039 […] The post African speculative fiction with Chinelo Onwualu first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
It’s so exciting to see so many women recognised in the industry awards right now that we just had to have a little ‘squee’ about it. Charlotte interviews extreme horror author Dawn Cano. The post Episode 11: Hugos, Nebulas, and Dawn Cano first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper .
After the last marathon episode, we have kept things more succinct. First up, Charlotte, Lucy, and Megan geek-out about the 2016 SFF Awards season. Women seem to finally be getting their due and we are all kinds of chuffed about it. After all, women have been writing fantastic books for years, so it’s about bloody […] The post Hugos, Nebulas, and Dawn Cano first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Recorded live at Nine Worlds Geekfest in London on August 13th, 2016. Discussion of both perceived and real barriers women experience when pursuing a writing career in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Megan, Charlotte, and Lucy are joined by three fantastic guests: Gillian Redfearn (Gollancz), Lydia Gittins (Titan Books), and Alasdair Stuart (Escape Artists). ***Please […] The post Episode 10: Barriers to women in SFF publishing (Live at Nine Worlds) first appeared on Breaking the Glass Sli...
It seems fitting that Breaking the Glass Slipper would make its live debut at Nine Worlds Geekfest in London, a convention that prides itself on diversity, panel parity, and accessibility. As such, we were there flying the flag for women in genre fiction, recording our panel on ‘Barriers to women in SFF publishing’ (or as […] The post Live at Nine Worlds first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
*Please note that this episode contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 6. Listen at your own risk. This week, we discuss the tropes common to female villains in SFFH, from irritating cliches to our favourite villainesses. Visit the Pop Verse post for a full list of all texts mentioned in the episode. The post Episode 9: Virgins and villainesses (part 2) first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
It’s a bit of a long one this week. Get the three of us together and we can’t shut up about female villains! While I might be biased, I have to say that this is one of our best episodes yet, with Lucy spouting such gems like ‘speaking of psychos…’ and ‘I mean, Gary Oldman… […] The post Virgins and villainesses (part 2) first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Charlotte takes the helm today, overseeing a discussion of virgins in SFFH. Why do women who have sex often die? Why are magical abilities so often linked to virginity? We ask these questions and more as we discuss desire, gender stereotypes, and go on a tangent about The Fifth Element. Full list of texts references […] The post Episode 8: Virgins and villainesses (part 1) first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Have you ever noticed that the women who have sex are often the first to die, while their virginal counterparts tend to last through to the bitter end? This week, Lucy, Charlotte, and I discuss the beginnings of this trope and its inherent sexism, along with a few tangents. For those trying to keep up […] The post Virgins and villainesses (part 1) first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Charlotte interviews an author who writes both erotica (as Janine Ashbless) and horror (as Keris McDonald). They discuss pornography vs erotica, what frightens a horror writer, and pacing stories as a kind of ‘teasing’. If you blush easy, this might be one to save for when you get home. The post Episode 7: Interview with Janine Ashbless/Keris McDonald first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
This week, Charlotte talks to erotica and horror (as Keris McDonald) author Janine Ashbless. No topic is off limits with this wordsmith. They discuss pornography vs erotica, what frightens a horror writer, and pacing stories as a kind of ‘teasing’. If you blush easy, this might be one to save for when you get home. In September, The […] The post Interview with Janine Ashbless/Keris McDonald first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Many of us were lucky enough to grow up on Jim Henson’s magical film, Labyrinth. But what is it about the film and its female protagonist that speaks to so many? In memory of the late David Bowie and celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary, Charlotte, Megan, and Lucy discuss why the film remains such an […] The post Episode 6: Labyrinth first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
This Monday marked the 30th anniversary of Labyrinth’s release (in the US). In these three decades, the entire world has been captivated by the story of teenager Sarah and her adventures in the labyrinth. The film is dark, imaginative, and strangely relatable for such a weird fantasy world. With David Bowie’s sexually charged performance, Jim Henson’s […] The post Labyrinth first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Megan Leigh interviews fantasy writer Ben Peek. The discussion covers his gender and ethnically diverse Children Trilogy, tropes of female characters in fantasy, and the pitfalls involved with marketing writers must navigate once they secure a publishing deal. The post Episode 5: Interview with Ben Peek first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
This week on Breaking the Glass Slipper, I interview Aussie fantasy writer Ben Peek. If you aren’t familiar with Ben’s writing, show your support for an emerging talent by buying his books! His most recent publication is Leviathan’s Blood, the second in the Children Trilogy. The first in the series, The Godless, set-up an intriguing and original […] The post Interview with Ben Peek first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Today’s episode is an interruption to our previously scheduled episode, an interview with Ben Peek. Fear not, we will post the interview next time. In the meantime, a controversy amongst the SFF community was recently sparked by a British educator when he posted a blog about the dangers of exposing children to fantasy. When we […] The post Samantha Shannon on the imagination of the child first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
When a headteacher in the UK wrote a blog decrying fantasy and science fiction books, purporting that they are damaging to children’s minds, YA author Samantha Shannon hit back with a commentary piece in The Guardian. We invited her to join us and discuss the importance of exposure to the fantastical at a young age. The post Episode 4: Samantha Shannon on the imagination of the child first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
How hard is it to write characters of the opposite gender? Are there merits to gender stereotypes in writing? Lucy, Charlotte, and Megan discuss gender in terms of their own writing and reading experiences. The post Episode 3: Writing gender first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper .
When you set out to write a novel or short story, do you find yourself naturally writing a male protagonist? What about peripheral characters, do you unconsciously refer to them as he? Gender is an inescapable part of character development. An author must choose what gender to make their characters just as they decide cultural […] The post Writing gender first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Episode 2 of Breaking the Glass Slipper features host Lucy Hounsom interviewing fantasy writer Jen Williams. Williams is the author of the Copper Cat trilogy (The Copper Promise, The Iron Ghost, and The Silver Tide). The post Episode 2: Interview with Jen Williams first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper .
This week, host Lucy Hounsom interviews Jen Williams. Jen Williams is the author of The Copper Cat trilogy: The Copper Promise, The Iron Ghost, and The Silver Tide, and is currently working on the first book in a new fantasy series. Along with writer Den Patrick, Jen runs the Super Relaxed Fantasy Club in London on […] The post Interview with Jen Williams first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
Welcome to the brand new podcast, Breaking the Glass Slipper. There are so many wonderful women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror but they are often overlooked. We ask why gender inequality continues to pervade best of lists and where the bottleneck may lie. If you’re interested in any of the lists or articles […] The post Gender inequality in ‘best of’ lists first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
The very first episode of a new podcast discussing women (writers and characters) in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Hosted by Megan Leigh, Charlotte Bond, and Lucy Hounsom. This week’s topic is best of lists and the gender inequality in them we see time and time again. The post Episode 1: Gender inequality in ‘best of’ lists first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper ....
