Article – Science & Fantasy, Part 2: The New Voodoo

In my last article, I tried to rescue science-fantasy from the dumpster of “soft” sci-fi and restore it to its rightful place as an equal but contrasting genre with its roots in traditional folklore. But this “science-as-magic” approach to storytelling is not confined to modern space operas.

Evil spirits, monsters, ghosts, the undead, fatal curses, mysterious powers… Of all genres, horror has the clearest links to the folklore and fairytales of the past and still relies heavily on supernatural tropes to drive its stories. And yet, just as with science-fantasy, the genre has been undergoing a secular revolution in the last handful of decades.

Bela Lugosi (and friend) in 1932’s “White Zombie”

Take zombies, for example. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century they stuck pretty closely to their Voodoo origins. A powerful, charismatic but ultimately malevolent figure uses black magic to raise a workforce of mindless slaves (sometimes living drones, sometimes re-animated corpses) in an attempt to further his power over society. At the same time, he usually pursues a beautiful and virtuous young woman who resists his advances until she too succumbs to the zombie curse and has to be rescued (or dispatched) by the heroes.

In such scenarios, the zombies are little more than a psychological threat while the true danger is posed by the zombie master himself (it’s always a man – has there ever been a zombie mistress?) whose role is to remind us that even the strongest will and most upright morals can be undermined and usurped. (Not unlike the character of Dracula. Is it a coincidence that Bella Lugosi was cast in 1933’s White Zombie?)

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‘American Vampire’ review

If you’re reading ‘American Vampire’ then chances are you’re only doing so because of the draw of one man’s name – Stephen King. A straight vampire project by Snyder alone would have been unlikely to pick up many readers, but by pairing him with a celebrated (and established) horror writer and a fantastic artist, Vertigo have hit on a winner.

Approaching ‘American Vampire’, King’s first direct foray into comics, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

King is a difficult writer to pin down; his early work is some of the best written ‘pulp horror’ around, his habit of writing scary stories is often parodied but his ear for language and his ability to write convincing characters and dialogue is unmatched in the field. If there has been a drop off in quality recently it is more noticeable in his longer novels than the ever reliable short stories he seems to excel at. Much can be chalked up to the accident he suffered a few years ago which impacted so heavily on his writing, the direct effects most clearly seen in the derailing of the Dark Tower series into a self-pleasing anti-climax.

And yet, I love him. I buy anything he releases. So I went in with high hopes but low expectations.

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YA Books Discussion: ‘Chaos Walking’ and ‘Mortal Engines’

The Knife of Never Letting Go coverThe Ask and the Answer coverMonsters of Men book coverA Web of Air book cover

The podcast takes a literary turn as we discuss the latest in young adult literature, in particular Patrick Ness‘s award winning Chaos Walking trilogy, and A Web of Air, Philip Reeve‘s second prequel to Mortal Engines. For the first time, we’re joined by our friend Claire Fayers, writer and children’s literature aficionado extraordinaire!

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Note: Apologies for the sound quality – we recorded this podcast over lunch in a café, and there was a fair bit of background noise, which we’ve done our best to remove in editing!

Article – Science & Fantasy, Part 1: The New Magic

Splashdown according to Jules Verne...If you think you’re a science-fiction fan, you might have to think again.

Sir Terry Pratchett ruffled a few feathers recentlywhen he claimed that only ‘people who don’t know what science-fiction is, say that Doctor Who is science-fiction’.

To claim the adventures of Matt Smith and Co. are closer to fantasy than sci-fi might feel like stating the obvious but I’m willing to go further and claim that most of what passes for science-fiction in today’s media actually belongs to the genre’s trickier, more nebulous cousin: science-fantasy.
Before we go any further, let’s define our terms. The Collins English Dictionary defines science-fiction as ‘a literary genre that makes imaginative use of scientific knowledge or conjecture’. Those last four words are key. Yes, the writer has to tell a good story, yes the characters should be well rounded and believable but if the narrative doesn’t mine the challenges and pitfalls of science as sources of drama, it ain’t science-fiction.

Big Finish Special – Doctor Who Short Trips – ‘Indefinable Magic’

From the Fifth Crusade to the new Star Trek movie, our new podcast is every bit as varied as its subject matter – the new Short Trips collection from Big Finish, featuring a story by our very own Caleb Woodbridge!

We discuss the pros and cons of short fiction, the relationship between the spin-off material and the parent show and, best of all, launch a new competition, giving you the chance to win a copy of the book.

All you have to do to enter is answer this simple question: In which Century is Caleb’s story, ‘Blessed Are The Peacemakers’, set? E-mail your answer to impossiblepodcast@googlemail.com by Tuesday 14th July.

You can buy the whole catalogue of Short Trips collections, along with a host of other great fiction, at the official Big Finish website.

This edition’s podcasters: Caleb, James and Swithun

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Big Finish Special – ‘How The Doctor Changed My Life’

Join us for a very special edition of A Podcast Of Impossible Things, as we celebrate the latest short story anthology from Big Finish – Short Trips: How The Doctor Changed My Life, featuring our very own Caleb Woodbridge!

We have lots of interviews, including Michael Coen, overall winner of the competition, the full text of which can be read here, along with contributions from many of the other writers. We also speak to editor Simon Guerrier about the unique way in which the anthology was created, as well as his own ascent from the slush pile to publication. Plus, Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman chats to us about his own new short story collection, Tiny Deaths.

And as if that wasn’t enough, we launch our very first competition, with three copies of How The Doctor Changed My Life up for grabs. All you need to do is answer the following question: Where was Caleb working when he got the idea for The Shopping Trolleys of Doom?, the answer to which is in the podcast! The closing date is 25th October, after which we’ll pick the three winners at random. To enter, email your answer to impossiblepodcast@gmail.com. The competition is now closed.

We’ve also made the local press! The South Wales Echo ran a story on How The Doctor Changed My Life, including a mention of the podcast, though it must be pointed out that contrary to the description given, it’s not just Caleb’s podcast!

This edition’s commentators: Caleb, James, Peter and Swithun

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Big Finish: [Click Here]
Buy How The Doctor Changed My Life: [Big Finish] [Amazon]
Buy Tiny Deaths: [Click Here]