Dragons, Sexy Robots & Adventures

This week DSRA is back and tackling one of the most ambitious works in the English language–John Milton’s Paradise Lost. James starts us off by going through early cultural interpretations of Satan. He traces how versions of the Devil in folklore and medieval theatre lead to Milton’s famous take on him. Claire talks about the life of John Milton and what people, world events and institutions lead him to write one of the English language’s greatest poems. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on Paradise Lost, their preconceptions of it, and why it’s so important. They also discuss how it will tie into our next topic, The Golden Compass, book one of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.

We’re continuing our pairing of influential sci-fi radio dramas by following up our War of the Worlds episode with the BBC’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Joining us is Eli McIlveen, the creator of the scripted podcast Alba Salix and the improv podcast Civilized. Claire begins by discussing satire, breaking down its many forms and some of its earliest iterations. James discusses some of Douglass Adams’ influences (whether they were intentional or not) from the sketch group Monty Python to the author Robert Sheckley. Eli talks about the production behind the famed radio drama, including how the Radiophonic Workshop used sound effects to bring Douglass’ vision to life. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on the drama, how it has influenced Eli’s work and why we paired it with War of the Worlds.

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is one of the first and greatest science fiction novels of all time. The radio drama adaptation performed by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre is perhaps the most acclaimed and infamous broadcast of the medium. James begins by taking us through the time period surrounding “The Black War” that the British Empire waged in Tasmania and how that conflict inspired H.G. Wells to write about Martians that had similar invasion plans for England. Kyle (that’s right–Kyle Willoughby!) continues with a more light hearted segment about the beginnings of drama on radio, and the process of adapting the classic sci-fi novel into a radio program that may or may not have panicked millions. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on the show, and why we’re pairing it with BBC Radio’s production of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This episode includes a promo for The Once and Future Nerd podcast.

Halloween is almost here! It’s time for Coraline. The film was directed by Henry Selick, and is based on a novella by Neil Gaiman. James begins by explaining that the story borrows from a long line of coming-of-age fairy tales. He then compares stories from the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Madam d’Aulnoy, and Gaiman’s primary inspiration — Victorian author Lucy Clifford. Next, Claire discusses the career of Henry Selick and why Neil Gaiman entrusted him with the movie rights. She also describes the hurdles that Laika Studios overcame to survive, and the difficulty they faced making something so technically and commercially challenging. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on the film, and the Victorian connections between Coraline and Dracula. This episode features an ad from The Sartorial Geek podcast.

Dracula by Bram Stoker is one of the most influential books of horror ever written. It’s October, and right now, that’s what we’re about. Claire begins with an overview of vampire legends across the millennia. Next she focuses in on the real life conditions and circumstances that led to such widespread belief in the bloodsucking monsters. James takes a look at the life of the notoriously private and secretive author, Bram Stoker. He then considers the particular influences in contemporary literature and folklore that helped Stoker give birth to the character of Dracula. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on the book and what’s so compelling about vampires. This episode features an ad from the Dear Murder Street podcast.

We’re following up our episode on Mobile Suit Gundam with another one of the most pivotal anime ever made– Neon Genesis Evangelion. Claire starts by exploring why giant robots are such a huge part of Japanese culture, including the powerful idea of the samurai. She then goes through the different genres that make up Neon Genesis Evangelion. James explains why it was unlike the other critically acclaimed anime that came before it. He also discusses creator Hideaki Anno’s career and psychological themes. Our host’s conclude with their thoughts on the inner lives of the characters, the show’s fan service and how the series is a response to its era.

When Mobile Suit Gundam came out in 1979 it changed Japanese pop culture and the perception of what Giant Robots could be. The team at DSRA couldn’t be more excited to delve into one of the most beloved animes. James starts off by going through all of the different genres that led to creator Yoshiyuki Tomino creating the first real robot mecha. Claire then talks about why Gundam is such a popular work and the themes that Tomino explored in the show. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on how the series holds up today, and how it pairs with our next episode on Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Die is a comic book created by writer, Kieron Gillen and artist, Stephanie Hans, about five adults in our world compelled to return to the horror of a fantasy world that they barely escaped in their youth. The series is published by Image Comics and was released to rave reviews in 2018. James uses this opportunity to tackle a set of questions about the role of fantasy that came up in our discussion of The NeverEnding Story: Why do people enter imaginary worlds? How does it change them? And why does this activity cause some to fear? He begins by discussing the paracosms (detailed imaginary worlds) created by children. Claire jumps in and describes Gillen’s collaboration with Stephanie Hans, the revelation that sparked the series, and how his fears, about the life lost in his youth to role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, shaped the characters and world of Die. Our hosts conclude by discussing the shared themes of The NeverEnding Story and Die, and how a love of imaginary worlds has shaped their own lives.

This year marks the fantasy film’s 35th anniversary, and it’s a great opportunity for us to talk about escaping to magical lands. The NeverEnding Story is about a grieving, bullied boy named Bastian Balthazar Bux and his heroic alter ego Atreu’s quest to save the land of Fantasia, a world made of hopes and dreams. Claire begins our show by looking at how and why modern fantasy stories have so often been dismissively viewed as escapist and without literary value. James picks up by talking about the director Wolfgang Petersen’s adaptation of author Michael Ende’s German bestseller, the decorated design team behind the special effects, and why Ende was so passionately against the final product. Our hosts conclude with their thoughts on how the film holds up all these years later. They also take a moment to consider how it may connect to Die, the Image Comics series by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, and our next story of real world people entering magical lands.

We are so thankful to have published one hundred episodes! Thank you to all of our listeners! We’ve had the pleasure of discussing so many great pieces of nerd history and we’re looking back at some of our favorites and why they’ve had such a lasting effect on us. In addition to responding to listener feedback, Claire and James discuss takeaways from Black Panther (episode 64), The Big Book of Science Fiction (episode 15), Journey to the West (episodes 89/68), Princess Mononoke (episode 80), Avengers: Infinite War (episode 69), Black Mirror (episode 63), and Blade Runner 2049 (episode 55). Check out our social media for our 100th Episode Giveaway!