Be The Serpent Alexandra Rowland, Freya Marske, Jennifer Mace

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!

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 F**k 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.

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!

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!

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!

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!