Be The Serpent

Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske, Jennifer Mace
  • 4.9 (99)
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Be The Serpent

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.

  1. 04/07/2022

    Episode 101: Jumping the Shark

    And 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!

    1h 2m

  2. 12/01/2021

    Episode 100: Superstravaganza

    On 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.

    1h 57m

  3. 11/17/2021

    Episode 99: Detective Boyfriends

    On 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!

    1h 4m

  4. 11/03/2021

    Episode 98: [SPOOKY NOISES]

    Happy (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!

    1h 4m

  5. 10/20/2021

    Episode 97: A Symphony of Serpents

    On 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!

    1h 1m

  6. 10/06/2021

    Episode 96: Changing Places

    On 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!

    1h 4m

  7. 09/22/2021

    Episode 95: The Jasmine Throne

    On 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!

    1h 3m

  8. 09/08/2021

    Episode 94: Into the Woods

    On 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!

    1h 2m
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4.9
out of 5
99 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske, Jennifer Mace
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2022
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2018 . All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Be The Serpent

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