Podcast
Be The Serpent
Hosted by Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske, Jennifer Mace · EN
A podcast by three red-headed fantasy authors talking about everything from academic mythology to dick jokes (and sometimes, both at once), as well as the role of fanfiction as an integral yet oft-overlooked part of the literary conversation and in the broader cultural context. It is, obviously, a podcast of extremely deep literary merit.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 101: Jumping the Shark
Apr 7, 202201:01:40Tap to summarizeAnd here you thought that the Twitter announcement on April Fool's Day about our upcoming shark episode WAS the joke! No! The joke is on us because we had to watch Sharknado for this prank! Also Jaws and Deep Blue Sea. What We’re Into Lately If They Haven’t Learned Your Name by silentwalrus Succession The Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon “A Cornstalk Fiddle” by notbecauseofvictories “To Call the Darkness Home” by scioscribe The Heir to the House of Prince by Ada_Lovelaced & elph13 “Aurelius (to be called) Magnus” by Victoria Goddard “Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander” by Victoria Goddard Black Sails Other Stuff We Mentioned Captain America: The Winter Soldier The Thick of It Diana Wynne Jones (author) Dan Brown (author) The Devil Went Down to Georgia (And Then Went Down on Johnny) series by notbecauseofvictories Justified The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard The Chant series by Alexandra Rowland Alien Overinvested podcast Overinvested’s Jaws episode Titanic Jurassic World Jurassic Park Star Wars Watergate scandal Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley The Day After Tomorrow 2012 Sharks In Venice The Meg The “Cows With Guns” YouTube video Freya’s Twitter: @freyamarkse A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (sequel to A Marvellous Light, coming out Nov 1st, 2022) Pre-order for A Restless Truth Macey’s Twitter: @englishmace “heat death” poem by Jennifer Mace “Silk & Steel” short story anthology (featuring Jennifer Mace & Freya Marske) Alex’s Twitter: @_alexrowland A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (coming out Aug 30th, 2022) Alex’s website store: alexandrarowland.net/store. The infamous “sharks are smooth as hell” shitpost Content Warnings Gore (in every tentpole & throughout episode discussion) Body horror (in episode discussion) Sexual harassment (in Sharknado) Misogyny (discussed) Transcription The transcript of this episode is available here. Thanks to our fabulous scribes for their work!
Transcribe →Episode 100: Superstravaganza
Dec 1, 202101:57:09Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode, we have a two-hour special to answer questions sent in by our darling listeners! Thank you to everyone who has been with us through the last four years! The Great Hiatus begins now, but we will return for at least one more episode next year! Get hype! What We’re Into Lately My Name Beyond Evil Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers All the Feels by Olivia Dade Frankenstein by Mary Shelley And This, Your Living Kiss by opal_bullets The Courtier’s Love Affair (and Other Stories) by tridenture Harlots Bridgerton The Living and the Dead Macey’s NaNoWriMo Project: The Resurrection Chalice In the Realms of Gold by Victoria Goddard Sword Dance trilogy by AJ Demas Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard Alex’s NaNoWriMo Project: Some by Virtue Fall Other Stuff We’ve Mentioned Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade Supernatural Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty Merlin A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian Silk and Steel Our Opinions Are Correct Tales from the Trunk Fated Mates Heaving Bosoms Smart Bitches, Trashy Books Fansplaining The Fantasy Inn Breaking the Glass Slipper Overinvested Campaign Skyjacks Tor.com The Rec Center Pinboard Dragon Age: Inquisition Fantasia in D Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart BtS episode 6 “Cross Your Stars and Hope to Bi” BtS Special Episode Strange Horizons Miss Congeniality BtS episode 80 “Extravaganza” My Hero Academia Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperOfDoom BtS episode 98 “[SPOOKY NOISES]” “Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru” by Anubis_2701 Naruto The Witcher (video game) The Witcher (TV) Person of Interest (2011) The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin The Ones Who Stay And Fight by N.K. Jemisin Singing my Sister Down by Margo Lanagan The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Yuri!!! in Space series by Fahye Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland A Sword On Two Fingers by Freya Marske (unpublished) Viable Paradise (writers’ workshop) Sam Hawke (Australian author) Jenn Lyons (Author) E. Jade Lomax (Author) The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins Welcome to Night Vale podcast The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard astolat Macey’s Frozen Meat Salesman Segment Macey’s misspent youth Sutton cottage (from A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske) Stars in the marsh (from A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland) Transcription The transcript of this episode is available here. We'd like to take this moment to give an extra-special thank you to our team of scribes, who are amazing and meticulous and dedicated and extremely hard-working. Scribes, thank you, thank you, thank you. You're all amazing.
Transcribe →Episode 99: Detective Boyfriends
Nov 17, 202101:03:58Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode, we're celebrating the release of Freya's debut book by talking about detectives in love! The tentpoles are Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders by Aliette de Bodard, A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, and the fanfic If Life Was A Movie We’d Have A Better Soundtrack Than This by galaxysoup. What We’re Into Lately Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat The Saint of Steel series by T. Kingfisher that ruthless love by alherath The Warrior of the Third Veil by Victoria Goddard The Sisters Avramapul series by Victoria Goddard Other Stuff We Mentioned Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat Chant Universe by Alexandra Rowland "You Should Really Be Reading Victoria Goddard’s Nine Worlds Series" by Alexandra Rowland Guardian Bones Castle Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy L. Sayers A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland House The Angel of Crows by Katherine Addison Doctor Who The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons Captive Prince series by C. S. Pacat Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold Leverage The X-Files Hannibal Rosemary & Thyme Poirot Hinterland Hot Fuzz Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas Twilight by Stephenie Meyer The Will Darling Adventures by K.J. Charles John le Carré James Bond novels by Ian Fleming Think of England by K.J. Charles An iconic Doctor & Donna scene from Doctor Who Greenwing & Dart series by Victoria Goddard Be the Serpent Episode 33: Turn In Your Badge and Gun! A Private Reason for This by femmequixotic (aka mentioned Harry/Draco case fic) A Dead Djinn In Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman For Next Time None, it's the Extravaganza! Content Warnings Minor fantasy violence in Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders and A Marvellous Light. Transcription The transcript of this episode is available here. Thank you so much to our wonderful team of scribes for their hard work!
Transcribe →Episode 98: [SPOOKY NOISES]
Nov 3, 202101:04:14Tap to summarizeHappy (slightly belated) spooky season, darling listeners! On this week's episode we're talking about afterlife career plans and... well, ghosts! Tentpoles this week are Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, the film Ghost, and the Inception fic, “The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts” by AvocadoLove. What We’re Into Lately Squid Game The Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons A Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu My Words Will Be Your Light by Page161of180 The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons Midnight Mass Naruto self-insert fic the name of the game by a_sassin the sun don't shine underground by ultranos Bar Cart Bookshelf How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom The Bride of the Blue Wind by Victoria Goddard “You Should Really Be Reading Victoria Goddard’s Nine Worlds Series” by Alexandra Rowland Other Stuff We Mentioned Snowpiercer The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins The Magicians The Queen's Gambit Avatar: The Last Airbender The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard Bluebeard Inception The Sixth Sense Dead Like Me (2003) The Ghost of You by luchia The Untamed All that’s left of two hearts on fire by Lirelyn A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Crimson Peak Be the Serpent Episode 74: Darling, It’s Better Down Where It’s Wetter Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant Ghostbusters Supernatural Ask a Mortician YouTube channel a tempest, a cyclone, a goddamned hurricane by Dialux Boku no Hiro Akademia Yesterday Upon The Stair by PitViperOfDoom Black Sails the aftershocks remain by pdameron A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland For Next Time A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske Content Warnings Some gore in Ghost. Depictions/discussions of death through all tentpoles and the podcast discussion Transcription The transcript of this episode can be found here. Thank you to our wonderful team of scribes for their work!
Transcribe →Episode 97: A Symphony of Serpents
Oct 20, 202101:00:37Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode, we're discussing music! Musicians! Being gripped by the madness of creation! Selling one's soul for art! The tentpoles this week are the film Amadeus, the fanfic "String Theory" by toft, and Ryka Aoki’s Light from Uncommon Stars. What We’re Into Lately The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Adderson The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach Compass of thy Soul by Umei_no_Mai Campaign Skyjacks Skyjacks: Couriers Call Hannah Gadsby: Douglas The Wilds ‘In the Company of Gentlemen’ by Victoria Goddard Other Stuff We Mentioned Leverage The other two Feminine Pursuits books by Olivia Waite Sherlock Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Hollow and Honeycomb by antistar_e The Old Guard Lost The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett Stargate: Atlantis Shakespeare in Love Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (“topless towers of Ilium” quote) Maskerade by Terry Pratchett The Phantom of the Opera “Requiem” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Requiem” by Gabriel Fauré "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band The Devil Went Down to Georgia (And Then Went Down on Johnny) series by notbecauseofvictories Black Swan (2010) Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun Catalyst by Jennifer Mace (unreleased) Scheherazade (character) A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland Hamilton (musical) Fall Out Boy (band) Crystal Singer series by Anne McCaffrey Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente Soul Music by Terry Pratchett Beatlemania Def Leppard (band) The Velvet Underground (band) Isavalta series by Sarah Zettel The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen The Goose Girl from Grimms’ Fairy Tales Jack and the Beanstalk “Bonny Swans” traditional ballad Sistersong by Lucy Holland “The Bonny Swans” by Loreena McKennitt Hild by Nicola Griffith Johann Sebastian Bach Harry Potter film score Ramin Djawadi’s musical scores for Game of Thrones & Westworld The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers For Next Time Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Content Warnings Attempted suicide (in Amadeus and brief mention of it in the discussion) On-the-page sexual assault, on-the-page hate transphobia, child abuse both explicit and referenced (in Light From Uncommon Stars) Transcription The transcript of this episode can be found here. Thank you to our wondrous choir of scribes!
Transcribe →Episode 96: Changing Places
Oct 6, 202101:04:06Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode, we're discussing body swap fic! Swapping bodies! Trading meatsuits! It's all fun and comedy, right? ...Or is it? Anyway, the tentpoles for this episode are the anime film, Your Name, the fanfic Vinculum by Skadiseven, and the Farscape episode, "Out of Their Minds." What We’re Into Lately Bombshell by Sarah MacLean The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton Schmigadoon! (on Apple TV) Hunger Makes the Wolf by Alex Wells Pressure Machine by the Killers Campaign Skyjacks (podcast) The Bachelor’s Valet by Arden Powell Petty Treasons by Victoria Goddard Other Stuff We Mentioned The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard The Untamed Star Trek: The Next Generation Farscape The Dark Crystal Jupiter Ascending Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers Star Trek: The Original Series Laughing Gas by PG Wodehouse Stranger Than Fiction Babylon 5 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Sword Art Online Stargate The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Captain America: The Winter Soldier to memory now I can’t recall by Etharei Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones Night Watch by Terry Pratchett Guardian Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett Good Omens miniseries For Next Time Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki Content Warnings Mention of molestation in the context of the bodyswap trope (in episode discussion) Mention of dysphoria & trans erasure in the context of the bodyswap trope (in episode discussion) Transcription The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you to our stylish and fashionable team of scribes!
Transcribe →Episode 95: The Jasmine Throne
Sep 22, 202101:02:58Tap to summarizeOn today's episode we're doing another deep dive on the marvelously sapphic fantasy novel The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri! What We’re Into Lately The Secrets of Charlotte Street series by Scarlett Peckham - book 2: The Earl I Ruined - book 3: The Lord I Left Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch The Bachelor’s Valet by Arden Powell Game of Thrones fanfic Hunger Makes the Wolf by Alex Wells cast your bitterness into the sea by Kilerkki Campaign Skyjacks Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard Other Stuff We Mentioned Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Swordheart and The Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher Jeeves/Wooster fanfiction Firefly Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard The Witcher “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame Game of Thrones Empresses in the Palace The Realm of Ash The Magpie Lord series A Cradle of Vines by Jennifer Mace Sleeping Beauty ‘Seasons of Glass and Iron’ by Amal El-Mohtar Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri The Twilight Zone theme The Unbroken by C.L. Clark She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske For Next Time Your Name. Content Warnings Violence against women, imperialist violence, semi-graphic death descriptions, references to torture and drugging in The Jasmine Throne Transcription The transcript of this episode is available here. Thanks once again to our most excellent team of scribes for their hard work!
Transcribe →Episode 94: Into the Woods
Sep 8, 202101:01:45Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode, Macey is forcing us to put on our hiking shoes and dragging us out into the forest to look at some "really nice moss." The tentpoles we’re discussing are Princess Mononoke, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and Ursula K. Le Guin’s story ‘Vaster Than Empires and More Slow.’ What We’re Into Lately ‘a kind of dwell and welcome’ by leupagus Reputation by Lex Croucher Seven Days in June by Tia Williams orange_crushed ‘s Untamed fics (esp Pentimento.) And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed The Necessity of Stars by E. Catherine Tobler Victoria Goddard’s books: Greenwing & Dart series (esp Love-in-a-Mist) Ask A Mortician Youtube Channel Other Stuff We Mentioned Ted Lasso Gundam Wing Ponyo Robin Hood legends Hannibal The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones The Jungle Book by Ruyard Kipling The Secret Life of the Forest by Richard M. Ketchum The Hidden Life of Trees by by Peter Wohlleben Pando QI Semiosis by Sue Burke Brain coral Green Man motif For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten Hild by Nicola Griffith The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Into the Woods Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon Black Sails Vikings Magician by Raymond E. Feist The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Westworld Stargate: Atlantis Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Black Spot TV show Avatar Avatar: The Last Airbender Pocahontas Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer BTS Episode 16: A Bump In the Night, and Not the Sexy Kind Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake Merlin Sheldrake’s YouTube video showing him eating book fungus Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben Around the World In 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori ‘Colors of the Wind’ from Pochahontas The Biggest Estate On Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia by Bill Gammage Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden For Next Time The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri Content Warnings Racism (in ‘Vaster Than Empires and More Slow’) Problematic portrayal of an autistic character (in ‘Vaster Than Empires and More Slow’) Transcription The transcript for this episode is available here! Thanks to our team of scribes for their great work!
Transcribe →Episode 93: The Glamorous Authorial Life
Aug 25, 202101:02:56Tap to summarizeOn this week's episode we're discussing the glamorous authorial life -- authors (and other publishing professionals) through the lens of how they're depicted in media. Tentpoles this week are the film Stranger Than Fiction, the K-Drama Romance Is a Bonus Book, the story “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” by Ken Liu and The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey. What We’re Into Lately Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon Guardian fic Macey’s all-fandom OT3 feast Victoria Goddard books specifically the Greenwing & Dart series Ask A Mortician Youtube Channel Other Stuff We Mentioned The Great British Bake-Off To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty ‘letters from the ides’ by Jennifer Mace (poet) The Witcher (TV show) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Sam Hawke Younger The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch Moulin Rouge Untitled Seminal Male-Focused Work by Jennifer Mace (Literary author) Seven Days In June by Tia Williams Emily Henry For Next Time Silver In the Wood by Emily Tesh Transcription The transcript for this episode is available here. Huge thanks to our team of scribes for their hard work!
Transcribe →Episode 92: Podcasting: The Musical!
Aug 11, 202101:04:43Tap to summarizeOn today's episode, we're bursting into song at socially inappropriate times to talk about... musicals! Our tentpoles are the Bollywood musical Aaja Nachle, the first two episodes of Galavant, and the musical Wicked. What We’re Into Lately Battle Royal by Lucy Parker Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Red Azalea by CeNedraRiva The Changeling by Annerb The Armistice series by Annerb World Ain’t Ready by idiopathicsmile survival is a talent by ShanaStoryteller Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller Campaign Skyjacks Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard Other Stuff We Mentioned Hadestown the musical Into The Woods the musical Les Misérables the musical “The Confrontation” from Les Misérables Come From Away the musical The Fast and the Furious Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold The Decemberists Weekend at Bernie’s The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire The Wizard of Oz The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Maleficent “No One Mourns The Wicked” from Wicked Hamilton the musical Single Use Weapon by Fahye Glee Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary “Defying Gravity” from Wicked “Dancing Through Life” from Wicked The Princess Bride “Galavant” from Galavant “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast “Stand Up” from Galavant Crazy Ex-Girlfriend A Knight’s Tale Shrek Camelot the musical Spamalot the musical In the Heights High School Musical 2 “I Don’t Dance” from High School Musical 2 Hairspray (2007) Footloose (2011) Bride & Prejudice (2004) A Chorus Line (1985) Cabaret (1972) Moulin Rouge! (2001) John Wick (2014) Peter Pan (AKA Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up; or Peter and Wendy) Pantomime Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Magicians Scrubs Farscape Six Oliver! musical (based on Oliver Twist) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Prince of Egypt Jesus Christ Superstar Jaskier’s theme from The Witcher ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from Les Misérables ‘One Day More’ from Les Misérables ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton The Beatles Groundhog Day the musical Groundhog Day film Swan Lake Peer Gynt suites Carnival of the Animals Peter and the Wolf ‘Peter and the Wolf March’ from Peter and the Wolf 'The Swan' from Carnival of the Animals For Next Time The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey Transcription The transcript of this episode is available here. Extra extra thank-yous to our team of scribes this week because YOWZA that was a lot of Other Things We Talked About to wrangle links for!
Transcribe →