Realms Unknown

Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan bring you episode 20 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for speculative fiction tropes, news and recommendations!This week, it's all about neurodivergent heroes in sci-fi and fantasy!Episode 20This week's news features Guillermo del Toro's new Frankenstein movie, the new Predator: Killer of Killers movie and is gravity proof that life on Earth is actually a simulation?Hear what Alice and Tom have been enjoying recently, which tropes they love or hate, then take a deep dive with them into early sci-fi and fantasy, and hear the things that they used to love but now make them feel a bit urrrgh.Alice Fraser - A Passion for PassionTom Neenan - The HaunteningTom Neenan Is Not All MenNewsFILM FrankensteinFILM Predator: Killer of KillersFILM MountainheadWhat have you been into?TV Rick and MortyBlood Song - Anthony RyanWitch King - Martha WellsSub-genre deep dive: neurodivergent heroesSherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan DoyleTV BonesTemperance Brennan series - Kathy ReichsA Drop of Corruption - Robert Jackson BennettTV Star TrekTV Red DwarfThe mines of urrrghFILM PassengersSubscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our shows https://www.youtube.com/@BuglePodcastSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful discussion, Patrick Lenton, an author known for 'In Spite of You', joins host Alice Fraser to explore compelling themes in speculative fiction. They dive into the complexities of gender representation in sci-fi and fantasy, highlighting important works such as the Honor Harrington series and Mulan. The conversation also touches on the ethical dilemmas of using AI in creative writing and critiques the grimdark genre's reliance on violence. Alongside fun media recommendations, Patrick shares his thoughts on the evolving landscape of storytelling.

Host Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan (The Mash Report, The Hauntening) bring you episode 18 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for speculative fiction tropes, news and recommendations!This week, we're looking at experiments in form!Episode 18This week's news features the Highlander remake moving to Amazon, Sinners continuing to tear up the box office, and the sad introduction of AI-narrated audiobooks.Hear what Alice and Tom have been enjoying recently, which tropes they love or hate, then take a deep dive with them into early sci-fi and fantasy, and hear the things that they used to love but now make them feel a bit urrrgh.Host bookAlice Fraser - A Passion for PassionNewsFILM Highlander remakeFILM SinnersWhat have you been into?FILM SinnersThe Blacktongue Thief - Christopher BuehlmanThe Murderbot Diaries - Martha WellsTrope on a ropeGuards! Guards! - Terry PratchettSub-genre deep dive: experiments in formThe Book of Good Times - Hank GreenThe Ship of Theseus - VM StrakaThis Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneSCP-3008Frankenstein - Mary ShelleySubcutanean - Aaron ReedPODCAST - The Last PostPODCAST - RevolutionsWEBCOMIC - xkcdWEBCOMIC - Saturday Morning Breakfast CerealPODCAST Beef and Dairy NetworkPODCAST Welcome to Night ValeConvince MeThe Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick NessRedshirts - John ScalziThe mines of urrrghFILM Indiana Jones and The Temple of DoomFILM Wall-ESubscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our showsSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Alice Fraser and Eleanor Morton bring you episode 17 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for speculative fiction tropes, news and recommendations!This week, we're looking at early sci fi and fantasy!Episode 17This week's news features the Apple TV+ series Foundation, a surprisingly sexual story about E.T. and how Margaret Attwood receiving an entertainment award may distract from similarities with current issues. Hear what Alice and Eleanor have been enjoying recently, which tropes they love or hate, then take a deep dive with them into early sci-fi and fantasy, and hear the things that they used to love but now make them feel a bit urrrgh. Host booksAlice Fraser - A Passion for PassionEleanor Morton - Life Lessons From Historical WomenNewsTV FoundationFILM E.T.What have you been into?The Lost World - Arthur Conan DoyleDinotopia - James GurneyThe Daughters’ War - Christopher Buelman The Edge Chronicles - Paul Stewart and Chris RiddellSub-genre deep dive: early sci-fi and fantasyFrankenstein - Mary ShelleyThe Last Man - Mary ShelleyFILM Elysium (diversion)Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - Jules Verne From the Earth to the Moon - Jules VerneThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen - Alan GarnerGulliver’s Travels - Jonathan SwiftGAME: The Landlord’s GameThe Odyssey - HomerOne Thousand and One Nights / Arabian NightsLe Morte d’Arthur - Sir Thomas Malory Lud in the Mist - Hope Mirrlees The Broken Sword - Poul AndersonJonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna ClarkeThe mines of urrrghFILM GhostbustersTintinSubscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our showsSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber https://thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate store🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Eleanor Morton.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Alice Fraser and fellow writer, podcaster and comedian Andrew Hunter Murray (QI, Private Eye, There's No Such Thing As A Fish) bring you episode 16 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!This week, we're looking at heroes operating outside of the law in sci fi and fantasy!Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our showsSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series below.Episode 16In this week's news roundup of sci-fi and fantasy in the real world, there's an actual working bionic hand, actor Issa Rae says she could never fall in love with a chatbot, and there's also book news of an alien abduction Rom-Com!Andrew has been enjoying the latest Star Wars series Andor and the Japanese epic kaiju film Godzilla Minus One, while Alice has been deep into reading Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen.We, of course, bring you tropes galore! Hey, remember though, guys - humans are messy and you're going to love this back story about girls cross-dressing as boys to become attractive to other girls.Alice's mines of urrgh this week is Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree, and they wonder should you edit on the fly while reading to your child and should books have newer editions without the discomfort?Host booksAlice Fraser - A Passion for PassionAndrew Hunter Murray - A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and EnteringNewsNever Let Me Go / Klara and the Sun - Kazuo IshiguroI Got Abducted By Aliens And Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-com - Kimberly LemmingWhat have you been into?AndorGodzilla Minus OneWake of Vultures - Lila BowenSub-genre deep dive: heroes operating outside of the lawFireflyThe ExpanseAlien seriesSleeper Beach - Nick HarkawaySabriel - Garth NixJudge DreddHot FuzzPeter PanJungle BookTaltos - Steven BrustV For Vendetta - Alan MooreThe Watchmen - Alan MooreMinority ReportStar WarsTrope on a ropeThe World's EndIndependence DayMen In BlackMad Max: Fury RoadRings of PowerThe mines of urrrghThe Magic Faraway Tree - Enid Blyton🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Andrew Hunter Murray.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Alice Fraser and Chris Skinner bring you episode 15 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!This week, we're looking at actual parenting in sci fi and fantasy!Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our showsSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series below.Episode 15In this week's sci fi and fantasy news, the new trailer for Predator: Badlands is pretty fantastic and horror movie Sinners starring Michael B. Jordan is doing huge things at the box office.Chris had a really joyous time watching the stage production of Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro, and enjoyed bingeing the TV series Paradise. Alice has been laid on her back reading A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett and The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso.Chris isn't keen on the trope of the thick cockney-sounding low level bad guys, and Alice notes the trope of kids being aged up and dropped back into the plot later on, or even people having previously undeclared secret children!Alice's mines of urrgh this week is the comic book Phantom which she enjoyed as a child, but has not dated well unless you're particularly keen on white saviour complex.For all of the books mentioned in the sub genre deep dive this week, please see the lists below!Alice's bookAlice Fraser - A Passion for PassionChris' podcastMildly InformedNewsFILM Predator: BadlandsFILM: SinnersWhat have you been into?THEATRE (/FILM) My Neighbour TotoroA Drop of Corruption - Robert Jackson BennettThe Last Hour Between Worlds - Melissa CarusoTV ParadiseSub-genre deep dive: parentingTV Raised by WolvesMANGA Lone Wolf and Cub - writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki KojimaTV Sweet ToothHeir to Sevenwaters - Juliet MarillierGRAPHIC NOVEL SagaFILM Beasts of the Southern WildGAME God of WarTehanu - Ursula Le GuinBroken Earth trilogy - N K JemisinThe Road - Cormac McCarthyThud - Terry PratchettThe mines of urrrghCOMIC - Phantom🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Follow us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Chris Skinner.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Alice Fraser and James Colley bring you episode 14 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!It's a mushroom / plant life / flora core / sentient forest special!Subscribe to The Bugle YouTube channel for episodes of all of our showsSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber thebuglepodcast.com/donateHelp your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series below.Episode 14In this week's sci fi and fantasy/real world crossover news, is there life on distant planet K2-18B, and are dire wolves making a comeback?James has been enjoying The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie and Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges, while Alice has been dipping a toe into Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson.In this week's Trope on a Rope section, the forced 'here's six months earlier' flashbacks are annoying James and Alice really wishes that people would just wear appropriate headwear in the desert.Kurt Vonnegut's use of misogyny tarnishes James' otherwise love of the author, along with fatness being used as shorthand for evil of some sort.For all of the books mentioned in the sub genre deep dive this week, please see the lists below!Hosts' booksAlice Fraser - A Passion for PassionJames Colley - The Next Big ThingWhat have you been into?The Blade Itself - Joe AbercrombieLabyrinths - Jorge Luis BorgesMushroom Blues - Adrian M. GibsonSub-genre deep dive: plant life / flora coreThe Day of the Triffids - John WyndhamWar of the Worlds - HG WellsFILM Little Shop of HorrorsHyperion - Dan SimmonsTV Farscape‘Amnesty’ from Bloodchild and Other Stories - Octavia ButlerTV/GAME The Last of UsThe Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson BennettTV Seeds of Doom - Dr Who episodeBlue Moon Rising - Simon R GreenGAME BotanicaGAME Strange HorticultureGAME Caves of QudGAME Hollow Knight🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Find us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and James Colley.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Alice Fraser, and Tom Neenan bring you episode 13 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!Please take our listener survey so we can do even better: http://bit.ly/realmsunknown-surveyAll episodes are available in your podcast feed and on our YouTube channelSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber thebuglepodcast.com/donateYou can support your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series below.Episode 13In this week's news, Alice makes international front pages after she decides not to take a trip the US, Nanowrimo is cancelled (the organisation, not the event) and we may soon see more quality sci-fi from China.Tom has recently been enjoying the start of season two of The Last of Us, while Alice has been distracting herself from real-life dystopian futures by dipping back into the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.Tom's trope on a rope for this week is the oil pit fire scene, used way too often, while Alice's is the antisocial heroine.In Mines of Urgh, Tom is looking for positive representations of limb difference, given that it's commonly used as a signifier for evil.And listener Jen convinces Tom so convincingly to read The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, that he orders the book during the podcast record!For all of the books mentioned in the romance in sci -fi sub genre deep dive this week, please see the lists below!What have you been into?TV - The Last of UsTemeraire series - Naomi NovikConvince MeThe Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick NessSub-genre deep dive: admin/bureaucracy TV Star TrekThe Craft Sequence - Max GladstoneFILM Terry Gilliam - BrazilVorkosigan Saga series - Lois McMaster BujoldFILM Alien RomulusTV Dr Who episodes The Sunmakers / Paradise TowersHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas AdamsGAME Papers PleaseGAME Return of the Obra DinnFILM Shin GodzillaTyrant Philosophers series - Adrian TchaikovskyLandover series - Terry BrooksThe Traitor Baru Cormorant series - Seth DickinsonDagger and Coin series - Daniel AbrahamTerry PratchettFILM Amazing GraceMines of UrghStar WarsGood Omens🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!🦋 Find us on Bluesky!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Tom Neenan.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Alice Fraser, and romance critic Jen Prokop from the Fated Mates podcast (space episode), bring you episode 12 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!Please take our listener survey so we can do even better: http://bit.ly/realmsunknown-surveyAll episodes are available in your podcast feed and on our YouTube channelSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber thebuglepodcast.com/donateYou can support your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series below.Episode 12In this week's news, rumours abound that Meryl Streep could be cast as Aslan in Greta Gerwig's forthcoming Narnia films, and Alice and Jen discuss Simon & Schuster's rebrand and 'Simon Maverick' audiobook imprint. Jen has recently been enjoying mafia romance such as The Kings of Italy series by Mila Finelli and the Perfectly Imperfect series by Neva Altaj. Alice's trope on a rope for this week is people being granted immortality and being pissed about it, while Jen takes issue with fake dating. In Mines of Urgh, Alice has a problem with her beloved The Dragonriders of Pern and then Jen sees how the heteronormative style of books of a past era, such as Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward show us how far gender and sex have come in recent years. For all of the books mentioned in the romance in sci -fi sub genre deep dive this week, please see the lists below! What have you been into?The Kings of Italy series - Mila FinelliPerfectly Imperfect series - Neva AltajThese Summer Storms - Sarah MacLeanRomance in sci-fiShards of Honor / Barrayar / A Civil Campaign - Lois McMaster BujoldFiasco - Constance Fay (read Jen's article here)Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn MuirThe Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey NiffeneggerThis is How You Lose the Time War - Max GladstoneThe Space Between Worlds - Micaiah JohnsonWinter’s Orbit - Everina Maxwell Ringworld - Larry NivenSex Criminals - Matt Fraction and Chip ZdarskyDragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey The Kushiel’s series - Jacqueline Carey Aurora Blazing - Jessie Mihalik 🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Jen Prokop.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please take our listener survey so we can do even better: http://bit.ly/realmsunknown-surveyHosts Alice Fraser and James Colley bring you episode 11 of Realms Unknown: your one-stop show for genre fiction tropes, news and recommendations!All episodes are available in your podcast feed and on our YouTube channelSupport Realms Unknown by becoming a Team Bugle subscriber. We offer extra shows, merch and warm fluffy feelings! thebuglepodcast.com/donateYou can support your local bookshop by buying the books mentioned in the show in our Bookshop affiliate storeExplore the list of all books, games, films and TV series at the bottom of these show notes.Episode 11In this week's news, Edgar Wright has finished filming his remake of The Running Man, while set images from The Odyssey, starring Zendaya and Tom Holland have been released.James has been enjoying The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Alice has been reading The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone, and they both loved Hyperion by Dan Simmons.In this week's Trope on a Rope section, James wonders if anyone has seen the 'Filbert report on Liberia'? and Alice notices all of the noir detectives getting the shit beaten out of them.The 'Convince Me' section sees listener Joyce Ketterer give the big pitch to the Tiffany Aching series of books by Terry Pratchett.And take a plunge in the deep dive sub-genre submarine, as James and Alice rattle off all manner of evil corporations in the worlds of film, games and books.NewsFILMSThe Running ManThe OdysseyWhat have you been into of late?BOOKSMinistry of Time - Kaliane BradleyMax Gladstone - The Craft SequenceHyperion - Dan SimmonsConvince MeTerry Pratchett - Tiffany Aching seriesTerry Pratchett - The Amazing Maurice and his Educated RodentsFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions - Edwin Abbott AbbottSub genre submarine - Evil corporationsTV FuturamaFILMThe Fifth ElementTank GirlAlienJudge DreddBOOKSThursday Next series - Jasper FfordeMurderbot series - Martha WellsHit - Delilah S DawsonGAMESPortalFallout🔔 Subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts or recommendations! We’d love to hear from you!Produced by Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter. Hosted by Alice Fraser and James Colley.📧 Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Email us at realmsunknown@thebuglepodcast.com🌐 Visit thebuglepodcast.com to support us and find more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.