Fantasy+Girls Podcast

There's been a strong mad scientist motif running lately with a feminist bent, and we needed to talk about it. Poor Things. Lisa Frankenstein. The Tortured Poets Department--we get into all of it, plus some of our other faves on the trope.  To keep up with FANTASY+GIRL, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform follow us @TypoPodcasts on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and subscribe to the Typo Podcasts newsletter.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Em and EJ get their act together long enough to rehash the best stories they consumed in books and screen over the past year. Stay tuned for a deep dive into Bunny, Saltburn, Poor Things, among others, and a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT from Em about what to look forward to in 2024.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

As we wrap up the summer, E. J. and Emma have completed their summer reading and are ready to report back. Emma assigned E. J. to read Bunny by Mona Awad, a speculative/horror cult favorite with shocking twists and a lot of takes. Bunny, we have a lot to talk about. Egregious spoilers ahead.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

FANTASY+GIRL is going back to school with a series dedicated to the nostalgia of summer reading assignments! For the series, Emma C. Wells and EJ Wenstrom will be challenging each other with SFF books to read, and then come back to discuss.Keep going--Emma and EJ have already announced what they're challenging each other to read first: Tune and and read along to join the discussion in the next episodes: What EJ is Assignging Emma to Read What Emma is Assignment EJ to Read ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

FANTASY+GIRL Podcast is back with a new series celebrating summer reading! Emma and EJ arechoosing a book for the other to read. The duo will then lead a deep dive into the chosen stories on the podcast! Which book did Emma choose for EJ?BUNNY by Mona Awad. Emma chose this book hoping to appeal to EJ's love of weird—but wellwritten—speculative fiction. EJ loves Catherine House and Her Fearful Symmetry—and Emma thinksBunny fits nicely with those titles (even if it is a bit weirder…possibly even darker?). The story has dark academia vibes with a dose of Mean Girls…but with magic and monsters. Sort of…How can you join the fun? Easy! Read Bunny, and let the Emma and EJ know what you think!You can comment on their social media or email them at fantasygirlpodcast@gmail.comBunny, we can't wait to hear from you! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

FANTASY+GIRL is going back to school with a series dedicated to the nostalgia of summer reading assignments! For the series, Emma C. Wells and E. J. Wenstrom will be challenging each other with SFF books to read, and then come back to discuss. Here, E. J. reveals what she's challenging Emma to read first, and why. EJ is assigning Emma to read HOW TO LIVE SAVELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE by Charles Yu. EJ has been a Charles Yu fan for years and this was the novel that started the obsession. This story starts with a time travel repairman stuck in a mutliverse full of tropey playfulness that any science fiction fan is going to get a kick out of, but underneath it, this is a story about a man trying to untangle the mess left behind when his father mysteriously disappeared, and what that means for himself and his mother left behind. (Hint: EJ loves audiobooks but says to read this one in print because of the mathematical formulas and creative use of space on the page)How can you join the fun? Easy! Read How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and let the Emma and EJ know what you think!You can comment on their social media or email them at fantasygirlpodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In which we ramble on about random things we like and a few things we don't. NOTE: FANTASY+GIRLS stands with the HarperCollins union. Wow! It's been an entire year since Emma and EJ hosted their last episode of SFF Girls. Last we saw our heroes, they were in a cabin in the Georgia mountains, drinking and making s'mores. Em plugs TikTok bc why not? It has been a good year for speculative fiction—but especially horror. 2021 was the year for Rom-Coms—but 2022 is all about the horror (and okay—rom-coms still reign supreme…but horror is having a moment!) Em shares how she went on sub in 2020 with a dark book, and it didn't do well because no one was in the headspace to deal with a really dark book—but now it seems readers (and editors) have come back to the dark side. EJ talks about films like BARBARIAN, THE MENU, and NOPE.  Female cannibal stories are also having a moment. Em talks about the cannibal to smutty smut pipeline.  Em read WE WERE EARTHLINGS. Em suggests checking the trigger warnings before beginning this book.  The second book was BONES AND ALL—the book came out in 2015, and the movie was released recently. BONES AND ALL is a warm, coming of age story—except she eats people she cares about. Again, check the trigger warnings. Next up was TENDER IS THE FLESH. Holy crap. This book broke Em.  Em says the ending of the book is bad—but not BAD as in not good. Bad as in everything. Devastating. Next up for Em was A CERTAIN HUNGER—but after TENDER IS THE FLESH, she had to take a break from dark books, and this is how she discovered Ruby Dixon and alien corn.  EJ read and liked the book MANHUNT by Gretchen Felker-Martin. MANHUNT is a futuristic dystopian where there are no men.  The book centers on trans characters who are attempting to navigate this post-apocalyptic world that is being ransacked by an army of TERFs who are trying to reorganize society. Em asked EJ what horror movies she watched in 2022 that made her stand up and take notice. EJ segways into mentioning the amount of really good content that came out in 2022 and how it was almost too much—talk about decision paralysis.  EJ points out how she is over big franchises—simply because of the sheer amount of content. She says the exception is WANDAVISION.  Em asks if she has seen DOCTOR STRANGE and says that Marvel did Wanda very dirty in that movie. Em asks EJ if she watched HOUSE OF DRAGONS. EJ hasn't and Em says she believes it is worth sticking out the slow first couple of episodes because it gets good…but adds that EJ could probably just wait for next season. Em points out that Matt Smith is in HOUSE OF DRAGONS—and Em was a huge Doctor Who fan, so it was fun to see him in this completely different role. EJ points out that there was a big announcement in the DOCTOR WHO universe. The next Doctor was announced and will be Ncuti Gatwa—who will be the first Doctor Who of color. EJ asked Em if she is still following Doctor Who and Em explains how she hasn't watched as much as she usually does. She wanted to really like Jodi Whitaker—the first female Doctor Who—but felt the writers did the character dirty and couldn't sink into any of the story lines. Of course, we must talk about WEDNESDAY. Em is still watching—but EJ devoured the entire series. Jenna Ortega is perfect as the titular character. EJ and Em make plans to unpack the series once Em finishes the show. EJ isn't 100% with how the story arc wraps up. We must talk about STRANGER THINGS. EJ points out that it ended on a cliffhanger—and Em says she didn't remember that. Em thinks that EJ missed the release of the second half. However, since this episode wrapped—Em has concluded that EJ is correct. Em keeps calling Vecna, Vecnal. Oops. Em really is just inventing STRANGER THINGS facts at this point.  Here is a link to an article that summarizes what EJ and Em are discussing and gives detailed information in case, like Em, you are a bit foggy on the subject: How Many Kids Were In Hawkins Lab (& How Many Are Dead?) (screenrant.com) STOP SAYING VECNAL. Lol. Em brings the conversation back to horror in 2022. She follows a Big Five editor on Tik Tok who does publishing question and answers. One of the questions was, why have so many witch books come out recently. The editor (on TikTok as @bhvide) speculates that the books that are coming out now were written by authors who got their first spark of an idea for the stories years ago during the women's march. Witches have long been a symbol of women's pain and rage and one of the slogans chanted during the march was something like, “We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn.”  Em asks EJ about her witch novel. EJ worries that she is missing her moment, since her novel is not yet out. Em says that she doesn't think EJ has anything to worry about—witches aren't going anywhere.  EJ asks Em if she watched OUTER RANGE on Amazon. OUTER RANGE science fiction with a Western motif.  EJ explains the general concept of the story.  Segway into WESTWORLD and then THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. PAPER GIRLS got an Amazon adaptation. EJ has loved the comic for a long time and says that the Amazon adaptation is spot on. Sadly, it is already cancelled. Segway to SFF books.  EJ read BOOK OF NIGHT by Holly Black. Em is in the middle of it right now! Speaking of Holly Black, EJ saw her and got her book signed and the National Book Festival.  WHAT BIG TEETH by Rose Szabo came out in 2022. Em points out that it has an Addam's Family vibe.  It reminds EJ of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson. Em brings up the book BUNNY—which is one of the strangest books she read in 2022. EJ says it sounds right up her alley (Em agrees). EJ and Em talk about their TBR which includes books such as: JUST LIKE HOME by Sarah Gailey THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END by C.L. Polk In 2022, Sabaa Tahir, who has written in the fantasy genre, won the National Book Award for her contemporary novel, ALL MY RAGE. She is the first Muslim woman to win the award. This episode wraps with a tangent about Book-Tok (bookish tik tok) and how authors should give it a try. Another quick trip to movies including THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. A brief recap of THE BOYS.  And finally—the space opera, western noir: COWBOY BEBOP.  2022: The year of SO MUCH content.  Find us online at TypoProductions.com and across all social media platforms as @TypoPodcasts. Find EJ everywhere as @EJWenstrom and Emma can be found most places at @Emma.C.Wells.BOOKS. She also has a TikTok focused on writing while ADHD and you can find her there as @ThatAdhdAuthor. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We're back, and just in time for a Halloween episode! Tag along (and bring your best axe and/or brain-bashing bat) as we take a deep meandering dive into our favorite zombies.

What's even better than a strong female protagonist? An entire gang of them. In this episode, Emma and EJ share their favorite all-female crews from across speculative fiction, comiserate on what makes them great, debate what earns the label, and pick their own fantasy girl gangs.

Star-Crossed-Lovers abound! Last year’s Valentine’s Day episode (featuring our favorite couples in SFF) continues to be our most downloaded episode of all time. This year Em and EJ list their favorite star-crossed-lovers. From comics, books, and movies—from well-known to more obscure—this episode centers romances that the universe attempted to tear apart. Who is their number one? Listen and find out.

* This episode was recording in the days following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. * 2020. It's over, and good riddance. But one silver lining to a tumultuous, bizarro year? There were some damn good books, shows and movies. Em and EJ discuss their highlights, what they're looking forward to most in 2021, and the importance of story amid a deeply divided world.

We’re in the home stretch of 2020, ya’ll. Em and EJ embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving with a look at their favorite themed speculative fiction and pop culture (or the next closest thing). They also share about their NaNoWriMo goals and experiences. Also some alligators, just for fun.

In this final episode of our female-driven horror miniseries, Em and EJ take a stroll through Bad City and weigh the pros and cons of befriending a vampire.

The BabadookEm and EJ talk about the monstrosity of grief, the dark side of motherhood, and what frightens us most with guest host Erica Waters, author of Ghost Wood Song.

Em and EJ explore more female-driven horror with Ma, starring Octavia Spencer in a wildly unhinged and out-of-character role. Claustrophobic small towns, dumb teenagers and a few seriously inappropriate laughs ahead.

Continuing Em and EJ's exploration of female-driven horror, we dive into the French film He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, which offers two sides to the same twisted love story.

Em and EJ are leaning into our cravings for the dark and the weird with a series focused on female-driven horror! Each episode focuses on a different film featuring female writers, directors, characters and themes. We're kicking off the series with the 2008 cult classic Jennifer's Body, and we all owe Megan Fox an apology.

Em and EJ acknowledge the important Black Lives Matter movement that took place during the gap between recording episodes, the impacts of systemic racism in publishing, and the value of reading diversely. Then, in this concluding episode of the series, we set out to determine our favorite apocalypse, only to be distracted by our deepening pandemic obsession with gothic and horror themes. We've out-caveated ourselves in this one.

*Recorded in April* Em and E.J. take a detour from the typical, bleak, oh-no-the-world's-ending typical apocalypse sob stories and face off for the title of wackiest doomsday. Get ready for snarky aliens, distant planets, and naturally, the '80s.

*Recorded in April* The pursuit for the best apocalypse of them all continues. Em and E.J. take a twisting road through their favorite apocalpyses...apocalypti...apocali? Also, a brief consideration of what qualifies as an apocalypse anyway.

*Recorded in April* In a world...where no one can leave their home unmasked...Em and EJ face off in a challenge to find the very best apocalypse of them all. It gets weird.

Love through space and time! For Valentine's Day, Em and EJ talk their favorite science fiction and fantasy couples, and what makes them so special, including the final word in Vampire Bill vs. Eric, a deep dive into the nuances of Black Mirror, and a Game of Thrones fan fiction dream couple.

What's your 2020 vision for reading? Reading anxiety is real! EJ and Em talk about their plans to tackle their reading goals (or lack thereof) in 2020. And what's with all these carefully cultivated reading lists anyway? Are they helpful? Annoying? Both? Probably.

The past decade has brought a slew of new and important conversations to the surface, and with it, we've seen female and nonbinary characters unlike any we've encountered before. Em and EJ call out some of the highlights.

2020 is here and its going to bring more great new books, movies and shows than you could ever consume. Em and EJ chat about the titles they're most excited for and totally ruin their TBR lists with all the new adds.

2019 in review! Em and EJ look back at their years, call out their fave SFF things and a few they could maybe have done without (looking at you, Joker). Also some light dabbling in how our experience of time has changed over the 2010s. The reading list for this one is MASSIVE so have a pen ready and let's go. (Or join the Unicorn Army on Patreon for lists and links for this and every episode.)

Em & E. J. share stories from you, our glorious listeners! Listen in for some unusual horror tales from our friends.

Haunted houses. Lingering souls. Things going bump in the night while you sleep. Em & E. J. get far too specific about encounters with the other side of the veil.

Some of the worst monsters already lurk among us every day. The things that scare us half to death aren’t limited to the fantastical, and in this episode, Em and E. J. get dark about the things that scare them the most. Sleepwalking. Real life brushes with serial killers. Beheading. We’re bringing all the chills—and want to hear yours too.

Continuing our HALLOWEEN SPECIAL theme of creeping ourselves out, in this episode we talk witches, from Hermoine to American Horror Story, and real-life legends. Who’s your favorite witch? Join the conversation in the comments.

Em and E. J. dive into Halloween head first with deep dive chat about the devil and demons within our stories. We splurge our favorites, analyze, overanalyze, and totally creep each other out. Listen in and add your own favorite and fearsome devil tales in the comments.