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

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

Megan Leigh, Charlotte Bond, and Lucy Hounsom
Conventions
The Prince Without Sorrow
Interstellar Mega Chef
Intergalactic Feast
Cooking Shows
Cultural Hierarchies
Colonialism
Food Culture
Social Science Fiction
Pacifism
Violence
Zombies
British Fantasy Society
Fantasycon
Writing Community
Literary Diversity
Gastronomy
Dark Academia
Buddhism
Voyage Of the Damned

Podcast discussing women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Hosted by Megan Leigh, Charlotte Bond, and Lucy Hounsom. New episodes every other Thursday.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes274Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FictionSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

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

Latest Episodes

We’re very excited because in this episode we get to talk to another podcast! Not just any podcast but the folklore world’s hottest up and coming show, WyrdFolk Pod! This show doesn’t just talk folklore and share folktales, it describes itself as a d... more

For many fantasy writers, one of the great joys of writing a book is the opportunity it gives you to build a brand-new world. It can be based on the one we live in but with key differences. What if animals could talk? What if fairies were real? The p... more

The beauty of myth is that it grows with us, that every generation brings its own perspective and interpretation to ancient stories to create something fresh, new and relevant to the concerns of a contemporary audience. Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman Tel... more

Dark academia is a genre that has proven pretty popular. We’ve all been to school and plenty of us have been to university, so is it the pull of nostalgia that attracts readers? Or were our school days so dull that we crave reimagining them with a he... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Katia Kane
Author of Blood of Gods and Girls
KL Kaine (author)
Episode: Ways of running the world – with K.L Kaine
Bar Fridman-Tell
Author of Honeysuckle
Tor Nightfire
Episode: Creation, consent & control – with Bar Fridman-Tell
Danielle Knight
Author of A Rather Vengeful Accord
Author, A Rather Vengeful Accord
Episode: In the halls of learning – with Danielle Knight
Rym Kechacha
Author of The Apple and the Pearl
Author, The Apple and the Pearl
Episode: Theatre as portal fantasy – with Rym Kechacha
Lavanya Lakshminarayan
Science fiction writer from Bangalore, India, known for her socially conscious storytelling in the flavor hacker series.
Self-published author
Episode: Far future food – with Lavanya Lakshminarayan
Katie Bruce
Writer and events organizer for the British Fantasy Society
British Fantasy Society
Episode: Conventions – with Katie Bruce
Juliet E. McKenna
Fantasy author known for her extensive body of work and contributions to the genre
Episode: Writing the magic – with Juliet E. Mckenna
Sarah Brooks
Author of The Cautious Traveler's Guide to the Wasteland
Episode: Alternate histories – with Sarah Brooks
Leigh Radford
Author of One Yellow Eye, with a background in PR and broadcasting
Episode: Zombies are us – with Leigh Radford

Hosts

Megan Leigh
Host of Breaking the Glass Slipper; long‑running presence with co‑hosts.
Charlotte Bond
Co‑host of Breaking the Glass Slipper; frequent collaborator with the other hosts.
Lucy Hounsom
Host of Breaking the Glass Slipper and frequent co‑host with a focus on genre analysis.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 113 ratings
  • Very thought provoking and insightful

    I just started listening to the podcast. Thus far, my favorite episode has been when they had Juliet McKenna on the show. She had a lot of great insight about Arthurian literature. I really enjoyed her thoughts on the portrayal and roles of women in these stories.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cwamne
    United States3 years ago
  • Best podcast sound bite of 2023

    “It’s Thursday, I’m cold, and I don’t feel like fighting the patriarchy” I am instantly in love with this show. I’ll be listening to every episode 🥰🥰🥰

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TheMysticalists
    United States3 years ago
  • An intelligent approach

    Literature is an unparalleled way to address, unpack, and bring to light topics that are difficult albeit critical to talk about. Breaking the Glass Slipper explores these topics with an intelligent eye, interesting perspectives, and gut.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Miriam Laundry - Author
    Canada4 years ago
  • Brilliant podcast. Great chats, interesting subjects and top guests. Tell your friends!

    Podchaser
    5
    Emily Inkpen
    4 years ago
  • Great conversations, if not very intersectional

    I have a love/hate relationship with this podcast. The themes are excellent and the conversations and guests are engaging. I love the idea of having a podcast that makes space for feminist discussions in SFF and Horror contexts.

    However, I find myself feeling frustrated that this podcast only seems to understand feminism in the white feminism context. There are only occasional mentions of trans/cis genders, ability/disability themes, diverse sexualities, and racial experiences. Often the guests... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    SchoolLibrarian
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful feminist discourse in SFF/H
High level of craft and guest quality
Some feedback calls for broader intersectional perspectives
Audience appreciates accessibility and depth of analysis

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

In the halls of learning – with Danielle Knight
Q: Was it a deliberate choice to keep the romance elements subtle or more secondary due to it being YA crossover?
Yes, the romance is present but not the primary driver; the book focuses on class, ambition, and the darker aspects of the setting, with sex kept off-page to maintain the YA crossover feel.
In the halls of learning – with Danielle Knight
Q: Do you think it's nostalgia or something else driving dark academia?
I think it's wish fulfillment and an attraction to how the setting promises belonging and prestige, even as the stories acknowledge the real-world costs like debt and inequality.
Writing the magic – with Juliet E. Mckenna
Q: If you could choose a more modern writer to do an essay on, who would it be and why?
Martha Wells or Kate Elliott, as they both have significant experience and a connection with the current industry and literary landscape.
Writing the magic – with Juliet E. Mckenna
Q: What do you think writers of the past can teach new writers?
They teach enduring lessons and provide a foundational understanding of the genre's evolution, despite the changes in publishing and writing style.
Zombies are us – with Leigh Radford
Q: When I think of traditional zombie stories, I always think of people being chased and having terrible deaths. But there's virtually none of that in your book because as you said, it's set three months after the infected had been rounded up, and things were almost back to normal. I wondered why you chose this time frame rather than a more immediate one?
I never did. I always wanted to start it in the aftermath for lots of different reasons. One, I actually thought it would be funnier because specifically speaking as a Brit, I felt like three months after the outbreak, we would have started to get fed up and finding everything rather tedious about this zombie outbreak.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners are drawn to thoughtful conversations about gender, power, and representation in speculative fiction across fantasy, sci‑fi, and horror. Episodes frequently dissect patriarchal and matriarchal dynamics, explore ethics and autonomy in myth and storytelling, and spotlight the craft of world‑building, character agency, and genre conventions. A key strength is the blend of literary analysis with accessible, hands‑on discussions about writing, publishing, and community events like conventions, often featuring authors and industry professionals who bring diverse perspectives. The show is likely especially appealing to writers, readers, and industry folks who value feminist critique, craft discussions, and cultural critique within specul... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. ill-advised by Bill Nighy
2. The Book Club
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. 99% Invisible
5. Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

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this podcast launched 10 years ago and published 274 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Katia Kane
2. Bar Fridman-Tell
3. Danielle Knight
4. Rym Kechacha
5. Lavanya Lakshminarayan
6. Katie Bruce
7. Juliet E. McKenna
8. Sarah Brooks

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