Be the Serpent

On this episode of Be The Serpent, we're discussing economics-- no wait! Come back! It's going to be fun! Money in fantasy settings, alternative currencies, worldbuilding... All the stuff you like! Our tentpoles this week are The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, the movie In Time, and the fanfic “Freeport” by Maldoror_Chant. (And if you haven't yet checked out the podcast's official Discord chat, you're missing out! Link available on our website, http://betheserpent.podbean.com) What We’re Reading: The Henchmen of Zenda by KJ Charles Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Other Stuff We Mentioned: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope Skies of Wonder, Skies of Danger, an anthology (including a short story by Macey) Viable Paradise (a SFF writer’s workshop) Aphra Behn The History of Money by Jack Weatherford Saikaku Ihara Maslow’s hierarchy of needs The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins The economics of slow-burn coffee shop AUs Hopepunk The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang The Folding Knife by K.J. Parker Australian vs. American currency differences The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett (esp. Making Money) The Craft Sequence series by Max Gladstone “Harry Potter and the Natural 20” by Sir Poley Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling The Silk Road Tamagotchis Oversized tourist attractions for children to climb on in/around Queensland, Australia 18th century French people getting extra freaky to avoid pregnancy England’s Wool Act of 1699 God’s Own Country Transcription: The transcript for this episode is available on our website. Thank you to our loyal scribes: Magali, Neharika, and Sara!

On this special episode, we're not talking about a theme -- we're answering a cornucopia of amazing questions from our darling listeners! It's the one you've all been waiting for! It's the extravaganza! And, as announced in the episode, our lovely scribes have launched a Discord chat for fans of the show! Check it out at: https://discord.gg/7aNPaGV What We’re Reading: Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson Space Opera by Cat Valente Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger Other Stuff We Mentioned: Daemons Sorting Hat Chats Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood) Mei Changsu (Nirvana in Fire) Ocean’s Thirteen Julius Caesar’s sexuality Alexander Hamilton Freya’s Hamilton fic “Interlude (Rise Up)” Julie d’Aubigny Josephine Baker Australian bush fires The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat Ninefox Gambit and Raven Strategem by Yoon Ha Lee Ursula Vernon / T. Kingfisher The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett (esp. the City Watch, Tiffany Aching and Moist Von Lipwig books) The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold The Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik Buffy the Vampire Slayer Xena: Warrior Princess Fanfic tropes such as: Identity porn, MPreg/Pregnancy fic, Kidfic, Sick!fic, Slow-burn Romance, Competence porn, political complicated fic Embers a fanfic in the Avatar: The Last Airbender The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan Kate Elliott Leverage Farscape EA RPGs specifically Dragon Age and Mass Effect Alex’s obsession with the Dorian/Iron Bull listing on AO3 The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey The Lost Years of Merlin series by T.A. Barron The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings The Acorna series by Anne McCaffrey Gavia Baker-Whitelaw and her podcast Overinvested Alien Star Trek Naruto "Dreaming of Sunshine" by Silver Queen Freya’s Naruto fanfic "Solfege" by Fahye (Freya) Elliot Schafer from In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee Be the Serpent Discord Chat "Freeport" by Maldoror_Chant (one of the tentpoles for episode 11!) Transcript: The link to a transcript of the show is available on our website, http://betheserpent.podbean.com. Thank you to our scribes: Sara, Neharika, and Magali for their work!

On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're discussing space empires! We talk a little bit about the history of empires, writerly tips for constructing an empire, and the problems of imperialism. The tentpoles this week are: Ancillary Justice (and the rest of the Imperial Radch trilogy) by Ann Leckie, Star Wars, and The Course of Honour by Avoliot What We’re Reading: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente “Maggie Fitzgerald and the Saltwater Drip” by antistar_e Other Stuff We Mentioned: Farscape Saga Killjoys Tithe by Holly Black White Cat by Holly Black Spider-Woman/The White Widow/the Spider-Gwen series 4th Street Fantasy Convention Katamari Damacy Game of Thrones The Little Prince The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli The Sun Chronicles (forthcoming) by Kate Elliott Jupiter Ascending Ninefox Gambit and the others in the The Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee Terraforming Star Trek Eurovision (esp. Verka Serduchka, the Buroanovskiye Babushki, and sparkles) Transcription: The transcript for this episode is available on our website. Thanks as always to the scribes, Magali, Neharika, and Sarah, for their help!

On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're discussing "Theft of Assets, Destruction of Property" by Helenish, Think of England by KJ Charles, and the television show Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, as well as a full buffet of romance tropes. And we're joined by a guest, the lovely Amanda Jean from The Hopeless Romantic podcast!! Things we mentioned: Think of England by KJ Charles Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Theft of Assets, Destruction of Property by Helenish The Hopeless Romantic with Amanda Jean and Austin Chant Eurovision Douglas Adams The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell, Candy Tan Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Think Once, Think Twice" by Fahye (Freya) Bear by Marian Engel Captive Prince (again) by CS Pacat Sherlock Yuri!!! On Ice "Victor Effing Nikiforov" by shysweetthing "i know my madness" by astoryaboutwar Piper Vaughn’s Portland Pack Chronicles Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera Isobelle Carmody What we’re reading: Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho The Tea Master And The Detective by Aliette de Bodard Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente Transcription: The transcription of this episode is available on our website!

On this episode of Be the Serpent, we're talking about historiography, propaganda, narrative control, Macey's misspent youth as a frozen meat salesperson, and some excellent pieces of fiction: "Written by the Victors" by Speranza, the Broadway show Hamilton, and The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. Things We Mentioned: "Written by the Victors" by Speranza Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin The House of Niccolò series by Dorothy Dunnett Person of Interest fanfic A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland Ars Atlantiadae by multiple creators (usernames found in the link) Podfic of Written by the Victors by multiple readers (usernames found in the link) Steve Rogers at 100: Celebrating Captain America on Film by eleveninches, Febricant, hellotailor, M_Leigh, neenya, tigrrmilk Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow "Interlude (Rise Up)" by Fahye Mark Oshiro reading "Interlude (Rise Up)" Podfic of "Interlude (Rise Up)" by various narrators Black Sails Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Pirates of the Caribbean The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall The Newsflesh Series by Mira Grant Hogfather by Terry Pratchett What We’re Reading: The Lymond Chronicles (specifically The Ringed Castle and Checkmate) by Dorothy Dunnett The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang Still too much Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfic Transcription: The transcript of this episode is available on our website!