Authors J.A. Ironside and M.E. Vaughan talk about books, films and all aspects of speculative fiction, from the nuts and bolts of writing it, to its (occasionally) obscure origins.
Episode 466: The Better Angels of Our Nature - 2025 in Review
2025 has felt like a bit of a slog for many people - including, at points, the dragons. But despite that, and despite some longstanding terrible events in the News, lost of amazing things have happened this year. As has become tradition, Jules and Madeleine take a look a selection of 'good news' items from 2025 - including developments in science, technology and medicine, wins in conservation and environmental preservation and even a bit of culture. Join us for an upbeat discussion of the best bits of the year.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
26 Dec 2025
Episode 465: Tinsel and Time Loops - Temporal Chaos at Christmas
On the surface, you probably wouldn't immediately think of time travel when you think of Christmas stories, and yet there is a distinct connection which is hard to deny. Nor does it date to when Dr Who regularly began to deliver Christmas special episodes - it goes far further back than that. For the final episode in this year's festive selection, the dragons dive into why Christmas is the perfect setting for a time travel story. From liminal spaces where impossible deliveries take place in a single night to the chance to go back a right a wrong, learn from a mistake or take a missed opportunity, Christmas magic and temporal mechanics go hand in hand.
Under the mistletoe this week - The Chronicles of St Mary's, A Christmas Carol, Torchwood and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
19 Dec 2025
Episode 464: Krampus The Grinch and Holiday Mischief - Why Christmas Needs Villains
Every enduring Christmas story has a villain woven in somewhere - whether that's King Herod in the nativity or Ebenezer Scrooge, the Grinch of Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Whether the audience is rooting for huge redemption arc or waiting for the bad guy to take a nosedive off the Nakatomi Plaza, there's something about a festive story that uniquely lends itself to a good villain. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into what makes a good Christmas villain; where do they come from? (The answer is surprisingly far back!) And how do you create your own?
On the slab this week - A Christmas Carol, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The Winter Smith and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
70
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Dissecting Dragons
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Dissecting Dragons?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
