Episode 38 - Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
It's a Hogswatchnight miracle! Our extra special Hogfather episode is here just in time for the holidays. Enjoy & thank you so much for listening!
Episode 37 - Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
In which Madeleine and Grace visit the land of Faerie - and struggle to return to Wall. Neil Gaiman's Stardust is high fantasy with fascinating twists, plus the signature wit and weirdness that have led us to officially label fall 2018 Gaiman Season. Listeners can look forward to an extended discussion of questing/camping food, detailing the ways Gaiman disproves John Donne’s misogynist epigraph, and Grace’s extremely questionable Robert de Niro impression. Now place your crystal snowdrop in your buttonhole and head for the gap in the wall!
This episode was a listener request - thanks, Rachel!
If you’d like to request a book for coverage, just email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.
Question: is the 2007 film adaptation of Stardust good? Should we watch it? Comment and let us know!
Episode 36 - The Secret of Platform 13, by Eva Ibbotson
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson is an injection of joy into a weary life. After opening on a wondrous island filled with adorable-beyond-belief mistmakers, we’re traveling to the most magical place of all - London! Join Madeleine and Grace as they fantasize about gigantic sundaes, shop for bladderwrack online and engage in some truly terrible British accents (apologies to our UK listeners). The gump is open and the rescue mission is on!
This episode was a listener request - thanks, Isabel and Angela!
EPISODE MEDIA
Our childhood edition -
Before and after Grace’s and our mom’s Sunday roasts at The Jolly Butchers -
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 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.
EPISODE MEDIA
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!