Episode 35 - Thud!, by Terry Pratchett

It’s time for the Dragon Babies Election Day special featuring a discussion of racial prejudice and police biases in fantasy literature. Terry Pratchett and Thud! provide plenty of parallels to discuss between Sam Vimes’ approach to troll and dwarf tensions in the city of Ankh-Morpork and human rights violations and inequities in our own society. Listeners can also enjoy an argument about math, discussion of bacon as a lone food source, and a background on Madeleine’s love of vampires.

This episode is a listener request - thanks, Julian!

If you’re a Terry Pratchett fan, check out our other Discworld episodes:

• Episode 8 - Mort

• Episode 13 - The Wee Free Men

Episode 34 - The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

We FINALLY managed to read our alethiometer correctly and were told it was high time we covered The Golden Compass! We joined Lyra, Pantalaimon, Iorek (Grace’s new Favorite Bear) and a couple of the worst parents we’ve encountered in fantasy to transcend this universe and eat a ton of raw seal meat along the way. Discussion ranges from the religious controversy surrounding His Dark Materials to how Lyra offers a fresh take on a child hero to our own analysis of why we weren’t huge Compass fans as children (and why that’s all changed). Grace has already started reading The Subtle Knife again and Madeleine is angry about Dust - and we’d love for you to join us. Enjoy!

This episode was a listener request - thanks, Jenny! If you’d like to request a book, shoot us an email at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

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Madeleine’s childhood edition which put her off the book (maybe we are just jerks [we are] but this design seems inexcusably terrible) -

Philip Pullman on Catholicism & Christianity at large

Feel like doing a super deep inspiration dive and reading Paradise Lost? Here it is in its entirety!

Episode 33 - The Raven Ring, by Patricia C. Wrede

We’re rereading The Raven Ring, by Patricia C. Wrede! Travel with us to Lyra, where there’s a super engaging fantasy murder mystery afoot and endless D&D-esque quests popping up in your path. Have you ever attempted to leave a city again and again, only to be beset by thieves, sworn mortal enemies, and an annoyingly persistent lord? You’ll relate to Eleret as she applies careful logic to the chaos surrounding her, all while navigating the emotional fallout of her mother’s suspicious death.

This episode has a whole lot to offer, from an in-depth discussion of being a woman warrior in fantasy (and why Patricia C. Wrede gets it right), to the timeless appeal of an impish rogue, to a noble’s breakfast that leaves Madeleine feeling nauseous and recalling memories of bad clams. Grab your raven’s feet and make sure nobody’s blocking your throwing lines - trouble’s afoot in Ciaron!

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Our childhood edition, whose cover we discuss:

Past episodes of ours mentioned during our Raven Ring discussion:

• Episode 4 - Dealing with Dragons

• Episode 26 - First Test

• Episode 29 - Crown Duel

Imaginary Worlds episode - Fantastical Feasts

MINI EPISODE - Coraline (2009)

This is a mini episode for your mini enjoyment! We rewatched the 2009 film adaptation of Coraline, directed by Henry Selick - and we chatted about it! Check out our full-length Coraline episode for an in-depth discussion of Neil Gaiman’s superbly creepy novella.

Shout-out to the Ink to Film podcast, who happened to be covering Coraline at the same time as us and who also happen to be pretty cool dudes whose stuff we think you’ll enjoy!

Episode 32 - Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

It's time to take a trip through a bricked-up door, armed with only a rock to ward against unspeakable evil... that's right, we're rereading Coraline, by Neil Gaiman! Don't be tricked by the delicious roast chicken dinner - Other Mother is up to no good, and the souls trapped behind the mirror aren't the only clue. We discuss the importance of ordinary kids represented in children's literature, indulge in a mountain of eerie pretend food, and try to articulate why this story frightens us quite a bit more as adults. Join us, but don't forget your stone (or your cat), or you might not be able to find the way back.

This episode is a listener request - thanks, Isabel!

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Grace forgot to take a picture of the book jacket author's photo before returning it to the library, but please enjoy this dreamy shot in all its pixelated glory:

Dave McKean's illustrations are all incredible, but here are a few of our favorites: