111.21: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
111.21: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
/

Advent day 21: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Music

Music is by Chris Zabriskie: chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // instagram // youtube

108: Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (Patron’s Choice)

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
108: Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (Patron's Choice)
/

Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jannson
The Map!

Intro 00.07 // Synopsis 01.33 // Remarks 13.33 (OSR modules; OSR branding vs. mainstream RPGs; sandboxes, internal consistency, ecology, liminal spaces) // Media 33.11 (Fear of a Black Dragon Gardens of Ynn, Hilda, Tequendria and other OSR titles) // Thanks 35.35

Patreon

Support this podcast on The Fictoplasm Patreon!

Music Credits

Music is by Chris Zabriskie: chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // instagram // youtube

Samples: “Is that you or are you you?” from Reappear, “Another version of you” from Thoughtless

103: Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
103: Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge
/

Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge

Intro 00:06 // Synopsis 01:00 // Remarks 10:21 (small communities, NPCs’ desires, surprise powers and downsides, the spirit world) // Media 19:58 (Amelie, Wonderfalls, Touch, Joan of Arcadia)

Patreon

Support this podcast on The Fictoplasm Patreon!

Music Credits

Music is by Chris Zabriskie: chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // instagram // youtube

Samples: “Is that you or are you you?” from Reappear, “Another version of you” from Thoughtless

Episode 310: The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
Episode 310: The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
/

For our second seasonal episode Ralph and Liz discuss Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising as part of the worldwide #thedarkisreading hashtag.

Show Notes

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

Elizabeth Lovegrove and Ralph Lovegrove

  • Synopsis 00:35
  • Themes 10:50
    • Comparisons with The Box Of Delights
    • Winter and isolation
    • Myth and prophecy
    • Time travel
    • Transformed landscape
  • RPG bit 22:55
    • Ralph’s idea: The Dark Is Rising meets The Hunger Games meets Power Rangers/Chronicle
    • Liz’s idea: The Dark Is Rising without the supernatural
    • Dialect
    • Alas Vegas and Yet Already
  • Last words 34:30

Music Credits

“Is That You Or Are You You?” from Reappear by Chris Zabriskie

“But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton” from Direct To Video by Chris Zabriskie

chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // free music archive

Episode 309: The Box of Delights by John Masefield

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
Episode 309: The Box of Delights by John Masefield
/

Just in time for Christmas, Ralph and Liz discuss the book and TV series of the children’s fantasy The Box of Delights by John Masefield.

Show Notes

The Box of Delights by John Masefield

Adapted for the BBC by Alan Seymour

  • Synopsis 01:05
  • Themes 10:15
    • Pagan myth vs. warring magicians
    • Sapphire and Steel vs. Dr Who
  • The RPG bit 25:05
    • Night Witches, Malandros, Tales from the Loop
    • A Taste for Murder
    • Monsterhearts
    • The Just City by Jo Walton
  • Coming soon: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Music Credits

“Is That You Or Are You You?” from Reappear by Chris Zabriskie

“But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton” from Direct To Video by Chris Zabriskie

chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // free music archive

Episode 306: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
Episode 306: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
/

Ralph and Tim discuss Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain, a more manageable Middle Earth, the power of recurring characters and emotional growth.

Show Notes

The Chronicles of Prydain (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Lyr, Taran Wanderer, The High King) by Lloyd Alexander

Tim Harford and Ralph Lovegrove

  • Synopsis 1:30
  • Themes 9:30
    • The power of myth
    • Emotional character development
    • The Cauldron born
    • Annuvin and other remote places
    • Sense of scale
    • Recurring characters and motifs
  • RPG bit 45:05
    • Recurring NPCs
    • Short vs. Long term campaigns (and getting old)
    • Cross genre and transposing characters
    • The political landscape
    • BECMI D&D, Pendragon, Ars Magica
    • Descents, ascents, Unknown Armies

Music Credits

“Is That You Or Are You You?” from Reappear by Chris Zabriskie

“But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton” from Direct To Video by Chris Zabriskie

chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // free music archive

Episode 304: The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
Episode 304: The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
/

This episode Liz, Ralph and guest Rhiannon Lassiter experience a magical awakening in Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover

Show Notes

The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

Rhiannon Lassiter, Elizabeth Lovegrove, Ralph Lovegrove

  • Synopsis 2:55
  • Themes 6:30
  • RPG bit 22:40
    • Liz’s game 22:45
    • Rhi’s game 26:55
    • Ralph’s idea 30:57
  • Closing 42:36

Music Credits

“Is That You Or Are You You?” from Reappear by Chris Zabriskie

“But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton” from Direct To Video by Chris Zabriskie

chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // free music archive

Special: Don’t Wake The Bear, Hare!

fictoplasm
fictoplasm
Special: Don't Wake The Bear, Hare!
/

It’s one year since we released our first episode! We talk about the coming season 3, plus our son’s favourite book…

Show Notes

Liz and Ralph with some pre-Season 3 ramblings, plus Don’t Wake The Bear, Hare! by Steve Smallman and Caroline Pedler

Season 3 ideas 02:10 // Synopsis 07:50 // Themes 09:45 // Liz’s game 14:50 // Dread 18:05 // Ralph’s game 18:55 // Before the Storm 21:55

Music credits

“Cylinder Nine” from Cylinders by Chris Zabriskie

chriszabriskie.com // bandcamp // free music archive