Breaking the Glass Slipper: Women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror

In literary criticism, you often hear critiques of characters based on whether or not the character was realistic. But what does a realistic character look like when it comes to speculative fiction and why is it so important that a character feels realistic in worlds that are so wholly fantastic? Is it easier to create […]

In this episode, Charlotte interviews the prolific writer Seanan McGuire (also known as Mira Grant) about her writing process, inclusive characters, Maine Coons, filk (folk music of science fiction and fantasy), and more. Focusing on three recent publications that Charlotte has particularly enjoyed – Every Heart a Doorway (winner of the 2017 Nebula for best novella), Dusk or Dark or […]

Speculative fiction is not confined to prose stories or even TV and film. Video games have long focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. As such, this week, I interview master games writer (official title!), Rhianna Pratchett. Writing a novel or short story can be hard enough, but writing for games is on another level. […]

It is common for feminist writers to feel the need to focus only on stories that preoccupy themselves with the marginalisation of women. Other writers don’t necessarily dwell on the representation of their own demographic, so why should women (and other marginalised groups) feel the need to? Feminists, like us here at Breaking the Glass Slipper, […]

One of my earliest loves and the series that prompted my eternal love for the science fiction genre was Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was hopeful while exploring deep philosophical questions. I was absolutely thrilled to speak to Melinda Snodgrass, who wrote some of my favourite episodes of the series (‘Measure of a Man’ and ‘The […]