Be The Serpent

On this week's episode, we're discussing a few changes we're making in our approach to the podcast, and we're gushing about some of our favorite recent and upcoming works, including Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan, and She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan.

What We’re Into Lately

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard 

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons

thepartyresponsible’s Batman-Avengers crossover fic

Do Every Stupid Thing by thepartyresponsible

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Bridgerton

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

Invitation to Wine (将进酒) by Tang Jiu Qing 唐酒卿 (Mandarin)

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Be the Serpent Episode 71: Back To School (feat. Naomi Novik)

Be the Serpent Episode 72: Fangs for the Memories

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

The Saddle Club

Gossip Girl

The Belles  by Dhonielle Clayton

Wild Beauty Anna-Marie McLemore

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

The infamous Only One Bed trope

Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole

Runaway Royals series by Alyssa Cole

Books by Alisha Rai  

For Next Time

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

Content Warnings:

The Duke Who Didn't concerns protagonists encountering racism (both ambient and direct).

She Who Became The Sun interrogates gender essentialist prejudice accurate to its historical setting.

Raybearer deals with themes of child abuse/neglect.

Transcription

The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you, scribes!!

On this week's episode, we're bringing you an extra-long, extra special surprise: We're playing a one-shot of an RPG, using a game system designed by Alex, which uses a tarot deck rather than dice! Enjoy!

As per the outro of this episode, the links to our statements in response to feedback we received on Episode 71:

Macey’s statement RE BTS ep 71

Freya’s statement RE BTS ep 71

Alex’s statement RE BTS ep 71

For Next Time

We're taking a week off our regular release schedule. Never fear, we will return to your ears four weeks hence, rather than two.

Transcription

The transcript for this episode can be found  here. Extra thanks to our scribe team this week, they really knocked it out of the park with this chonky episiode!

This week we're talking about new technologies, platforms, and formats of storytelling! The tentpoles this week are the first episode of Campaign Skyjacks, the interactive fiction game Stay by E. Jade Lomax, and the twitter threadfic Still Waters aka Turtle Creek.

Untamed by Anna Cowan

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Patricia Highsmith novels

Homestuck

Blaseball

The War of the Worlds radio show

Welcome to Night Vale podcast

Alice Isn’t Dead (presented by Welcome to Night Vale)

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries webseries

The Magnus Archives podcast

The Bright Sessions podcast

The Archers radio play

‘Fan Is A Tool-Using Animal’ talk by Maciej Cegłowski

Delicious website

Macey’s audio fiction “A Cradle of Vines” out with Cast of Wonders

Macey’s upcoming audio fiction piece with GlitterShip

Snow White folktale

For Next Time

Nothing! It's the Extravaganza, and we've got an extra-special surprise for you!

Transcription

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Thank you as always to our stunningly talented team of scribes!

On this week's episode, we're discussing celebrity culture, the cost of fame, and three brilliant tentpoles: A Knight’s Tale, Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade, and “#bakudeku” by rageprufrock.

What We’re Into Lately

The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold

Eager by Ben Goldfarb

live from new york by varnes

The Murder of Crows by cerbykerby

Hades

My Hero Academia

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri

The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

Lots of Untamed fic

Saturday Night Live

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

AML preorders pinned tweet

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Jupiter Ascending

Bend It Like Beckham

Game of Thrones

Drastically Redefining Protocol by rageprufrock

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

Boku No Hero Academia

No Less Unthinkable by rageprufrock 

Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston

Black Sails 

You’re Wrong About podcast

Hannibal

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (upcoming, 2022)

Notting Hill

Fame

Jaskier from The Witcher

For Next Time

Stay? by E. Jade Lomax (Interactive Fiction game)

Transcription

The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you to our wonderful team of scribes for their hard work!

Happy holidays, everybody! On this episode, we're sticking with the theme of the season and discussing holidays in fiction! The tentpoles this week are the Doctor Who episode “A Christmas Carol,” the Disney film Coco, and the Scum Villain's Self Saving System fanfic “Shang Qinghua's No Good Very Bad Several Iterations Of A Day.”

What We’re Into Lately

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

Four Letter Word For Intercourse by bendingsignpost

The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke

Hades

Helstrom

Hikaru no Go

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas

Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle

Runaway Royals series by Alyssa Cole

Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole

“Yo a ti, Cas”

Freya’s favorite Supernatural fic

Bastion

The Exorcist

Mermaids Monthly Kickstarter

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Murder under the Mistletoe 

"Ernesto de la Cruz vs. The Court of Public Opinion" by skater_of_the_surface

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù

The Deep  by Rivers Solomon

A Knight Before Christmas

The Princess Switch

The Princess Switch: Switched Again

A Christmas Prince

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby

The Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe fey conspiracy by Jodi McAlister

Orphan Black

Jupiter Ascending

The Nightmare Before Christmas

V for Vendetta

Die Hard

World Building for Masochists episode 14

reputation by Taylor Swift

For Next Time

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Transcription

The transcript of this episode is available here. Huge thanks as always to our team of scribes!

On this week's episode, your Serpents were in the middle of National Novel Writing Month, so they used their smart juicy brains and planned an episode without ANY TENTPOLES WHATSOEVER. It's a craft discussion episode!!

What We’re Into Lately

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

May the Best Man Win by Z. R. Ellor

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

“Artificial Condition” by Martha Wells

“Rogue Protocol” by Martha Wells

where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor

His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale

“The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex” by Tamsyn Muir

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Avatar renaissance fic

“Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck”

Embers by Vathara

The Untamed OnlyFans fic

That Picture of Gwendoline Christie and Oscar Isaac

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The sequel to A Marvellous Light

The Great Emu War 

Catalyst by Jennifer Mace

Chekov’s gun

Thor: Ragnarok

A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland

Becky Chambers

“Hallelujah” song by Leonard Cohen

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

For Next Time

Coco (Pixar, 2017)

Transcription

The transcript of this episode can be found here. As always, many many thanks to our amazing team of scribes for their work!

On today's episode, we're talking about bards and storytellers! What is art even FOR? The tentpoles this week are Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey, “With a Conquering Air” by inexplicifics, and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo.

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Chronicles of Ghadid series by K. A. Doore

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Mad Max: Fury Road meme face

Viable Paradise roommates

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Murder wife from Luther

Chess

A Taste of Golden Iron by Alexandra Rowland

Ruoxi Chen at Tor.com

BtS Untamed episode

Taliesin

BtS Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells the Story episode

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey 

Asterix comics by René Goscinny

“Only Love Proudly and Gladly and Well” by inexplicifics

 In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Empress of Salt and Fortune  by Nghi Vo

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Dragon Harper books

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare 

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 

BtS Sympathy for the Devil episode

Bread and Roses protest song

Bread and Circuses phrase

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Pride

The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey

Atomic Blonde

The Untamed 

Symphony For the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson

Captain America

The Avengers

English Folk Song Suite

Tchaikovsky (composer)

Grimm Fairy Tales

Kalevala Finnish epic poetry compilation

Waltzing Matilda

Toss a Coin to Your Witcher

4 Chord Song by Axis of Awesome

New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak

A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland

A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland

Macey’s bardic piano performance at the Nebula Awards

Cats musical

Les Mis musical

The Mary Ellen Carter

For Next Time

Nothing! (Next time is the mid-Nano episode)

Transcription

The transcript for this episode is available here. Thank you to our brilliant team of scribes!

On this week's episode, we're talking about mermaids, sirens, selkies, and other moist ladies who may or may not want to eat your whole face off! Guess what: The sea is terrifying! Fuck the sea! Tentpoles this week are The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, and the Studio Ghibli movie Ponyo.

What We’re Into Lately

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Division Bells by Iona Datt Sharma

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller

Please miss postman by Shamelesscooper

Care and Custody by esama

Scum Villain fanfic

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark

A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

Veep

The West Wing

The Untamed fix-its

Kingsman fic

Finding Faeries by Alexandra Rowland

clipping.

How enslaved peoples escaped into the swamps

The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. le Guin

On Drakon

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

Fantasia

Maleficent 

“The Deep” by clipping. (song)

“Ride of the Valkyries” (song)

Ponyo On the Cliff By the Sea (song)

Tithe by Holly Black

Moana

Scum Villain fanfic

Eat Prey, Love by Freya Marske

Unnatural Order (upcoming short story anthology)

‘saltwashed’ by Jennifer Mace

Catalyst by Jennifer Mace

Oglaf NSFW webcomic

Diamonds of the Sea mermen holiday ornaments

Macey’s mentioned NSFW Bad Dragon link can be found here

RE Mermaid Fucking research: ‘cloaca’

The Little Mermaid

For Next Time

Dragonsinger (Harper Hall of Pern) by Anne McCaffrey

Transcription

The transcript for this episode is available here. Thanks as always to our most excellent scribblin' scribes for their hard work.

On this week's episode, we're talking about sports! The tentpoles are Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, Bend It Like Beckham, and “Thirty Years and Change” by sunsmasher.

What We’re Into Lately

Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott

Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

Binging with Babish

Scum Villain fanfic

The Untamed fanfic

Yuri!!! on Ice fanfic (because nostalgia)

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Scum Villain anime

Haikyuu!!

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Blaseball

Space American Idol

Fence series by C. S. Pacat

Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat

Bon Appetit Youtube Universe

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Welcome to Night Vale

“Street Cleaning Day”

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Billy Elliot

Charlie Jane Anders

Annalee Newitz

"Our Opinions Are Correct" podcast

Naruto

Prince of Tennis

Howl's Moving Castle

A Knight’s Tale 

Check, please! 

Sharps by K.J. Parker

Court of Fives series by Kate Elliott

Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Ender’s Game + series by Orson Scott Card

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

Palio di Siena

“Stargazer” by Fahye

Princess Tutu

Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun

Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate

17776

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (“show me one atom of truth” quote)

Be the Serpent Episode 72

For Next Time

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Transcription

The transcript for this episode can be found here. Huge huge thanks to our scribes for their hard work this week.

On today's episode, we're getting into that Spooky Season mood and talking about the dreaded VAMPYR. Or vampire, as Macey and Freya insist on pronouncing it. The tentpoles this week are “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” by Kellen Szpara, What We Do in the Shadows, and “pro bono” by astronicht.

Note: This episode has been edited to amend a sidebar discussion we had in response to discussion about the racist representation in A Deadly Education, which we tentpoled in the previous episode. The segment begins at 0:13:12 of the audio, and on page 9 of the transcript.

What We’re Into Lately

Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Naruto longfic

Scum Villain longfic

An easy lie by Nythtak

Say Yes to the Dress

Say Yes to the Dress: UK

Nazranaa Diaries

Curvy Brides’ Boutique

Hold the Line: A Guide to Defending Democracy

Love is More Than a Word

For A Good Time, Call by ScarlettStorm

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson

Serial

Dug from Up

The Untamed

Tales from the Trunk

Finding Faeries by Alexandra Rowland

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A Twitter thread and Goodreads review by @newamsterdame

"Racism vs Rep: Missteps of Naomi Novik's A Deadly Education" by Larissa Irankunda

Writing the Other workshop

Writing the Other book

Asians Represent

Gold Ennies

Flying Fables

Deadline City

Disney’s Sleeping Beauty

Flight of the Conchords

What We Do in the Shadows TV series

Big Brother

Be the Serpent Episode 66

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by  Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

Interview With a Vampire by Anne Rice

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett 

Pulp Fiction

Van Helsing

Elizabeth Bathory 

Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Firefly

True Blood

The Vampire Diaries

Twilight

Dragon Ball

The Inherent Eroticism of Vore

Dirty Talking With Jesus

The pros and cons of cannibalism 

Sweeney Todd

Mulching the rich

Alex’s new book Finding Faeries: Discovering Sprites, Pixies, Redcaps, and Other Fantastical Creatures in an Urban Environment

For Next Time

Bend It Like Beckham

Transcription

The transcript for this episode is available here. As always, huge huge thank you to the team of scribes for their amazing work.