Speculative Sandbox
[currently on break!] Speculative Sandbox is your audio playground for speculative fiction lovers. In each episode, Vickie Lan workshops a trope with a writer/author with an eye for character development, world building, and plot structures. From dystopian governments to parallel universes, mind control to interplanetary travel, let's speculate. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own. Cover art by Sofia Hansson Linktree: https://linktr.ee/speculativesandbox
Episodes
[Originally aired February 6, 2023] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Award-winning Author Nicholas Eames kicks off the spring 2023 season with a deep dive into the ensemble cast in his novel "Kings of the Wyld."
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by So...
[Originally aired March 23, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST episodes! Not all Dystopian societies are terrible...right? Guest writer Brad Allis joins me in a discussion of the dystopian trope, why we love to read and write them, and their small silver linings (if any!)
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast a...
[Originally aired March 16, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our BEST EPISODES. Good protagonists, evil protagonists, evilly good protagonists? Author Matthew C. Brown joins Speculative Sandbox in a chat about complex protagonists, the appeal of evil characters, and how story telling has evolved as our interactions on social media take center stage.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a vo...
[Originally aired December 6, 2022] Happy holidays! We're revisiting our TOP EPISODES. Jason Pargin, New York Times Bestselling Author of the John Dies at the End and Zoe Ashe books series, joins the podcast to talk about the end of the world. What is it about this trope that has a hold on society? And is our worldwide demise enough stakes to get the audience truly invested? You won't want to miss this one. Your survival de...
Author Daniel Bautz returns to the podcast in this Author Takeover to walk you through the book cover design process.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.
Links:
Is Moby Dick one of the greatest secondary world fantasies ever written? Author David Hopkins takes over the podcast to discuss this classic novel through a new lens.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from P...
Author Vanessa Thurgood joins the podcast in this Author Takeover to discuss the "Deals with the Devil" trope.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.
Links:
Happy Halloween! Author John James Minster returns to the podcast to share his experience with the paranormal and how he instills authenticity in his horror writing.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels....
Newcomer and author D. A. Randall joins the podcast to talk about the Birth of a Superhero.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.
Links:
Please welcome newcomer Author Katee Stein to Speculative Sandbox, where she walks us through the importance of creating safe spaces and communities as writers.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com o...
Author Garrett K. Jones from our episode on “Unreliable Narrators” takes over the podcast to examine the evolution of storytelling in media, from the episodic format of early sitcoms to the long-form storytelling of today. Examples include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, and How I Met Your Mother.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions exp...
Drag Queen and Author Joshua Valentine, the "Lady Gaga of the Writing World", joins Speculative Sandbox to unpack symbolism in storytelling.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson
Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.
L...
Fantasy author and Shakespeare teacher David Hopkins joins the podcast to talk about the twisted paths of succession. From George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” to HBO’s “Succession”, what makes an effective succession story? We’ll discuss the types of characters that make good contenders, real-life succession stories, and the ways writers can make the succession journey as messy as possible.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainm...
Continuing our talk from our episode "Madness", Ian Young returns to the podcast to talk about "Mass Hysteria." What did the term "hysteria" originally mean? And does a panic on a large scale always have a scientific explanation?
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.
Main cover art illust...
What is scifaiku and astropoetry? Wendy Van Camp, Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, CA, joins the podcast for a poetry reading and lesson. Participate in the lesson! Read the words submitted by our listeners below, write your own scifaiku, and send it to vickielan@gmail.com or direct message Speculative Sandbox on Instagram. We'll share your poem on social media!
Sci-fi trope:
Cybernetic implants
Aliens are hu...
Could we one day customize our own bodies? Author and podcast host Jordan Griffin joins Speculative Sandbox to talk about gene-editing. How close are we to science fiction? We break down the science, including CRISPR technology, genetically-modified foods, and the ethical concerns of human experimentation.
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individual...
From combatting systemic oppression to leaning into gender stereotypes to solve the case, female sleuths tend to find themselves in interesting situations. Author Brittany Sweeting joins the podcast to talk about female sleuths! We discuss famous characters like Nancy Drew, Enola Holmes, and Jessica Jones, as well as break down the difference between an amateur sleuth and detective. Finally, we explore real-world sleuthing, includi...
Author and robot enthusiast Mara Lynn Johnstone joins Speculative Sandbox to unpack the character development opportunities of fictional robots. From killing machines to tools and the childlike mind, what kind of character arcs can authors explore to give their robots depth? And does a self-fulfilled robot serve humanity's needs?
Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opin...
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