Discussion episodes
The feminist obligation
It is common for feminist writers to feel the need to focus only on stories that preoccupy themselves with the marginalisation of women. Other writers don’t necessarily dwell on the representation of their own demographic, so why should women (and other marginalised...
Maiden, mother, and crone: Ageism in genre fiction
Wanting to see equal representation in genre fiction doesn't stop at gender. We want to see all kinds of people represented across gender, creed, sexuality, race, age, physical ability, taste in films, dog lovers, cat lovers, tea drinkers, and even those coffee...
Fight scenes and women warriors with Juliet McKenna
As Kameron Hurley discusses in her Hugo Award-winning article, 'We Have Always Fought', women have always fought. So why don't we see more women warriors in science fiction and fantasy novels? History is full of women on battlefields and in brawls, even if the history...
Disney Princesses
It isn't possible to be too old for Disney films. You might go through that contrary teenage phase of claiming to have outgrown them, but we all know that's a lie. Whether you are 6 or 66, no matter your gender, nationality, or creed, Disney films have a special place...
Love triangles
Love triangles are as a common as mud when it comes to fiction. Is your story lacking tension? Throw in a love triangle! Do you want to hook in a teenage audience? Throw in a love triangle? Want some audience titillation?! ... You get the idea. But love triangles can...
The 2017 speculative fiction prospectus
It is the holiday season and everyone is thinking about presents. Don't lie, you know you are. You've been making a list (even if only in your head) of presents you'd like to receive and trying to work out what your loved ones would like. So, in the spirit of this...
Guilty pleasures
While we may wish we only appreciated science fiction, fantasy, or horror that presented ideas of gender equality, we'd be lying if we tried to make that claim. There are plenty of books, films, tv shows out there that would make our favourites list that – if we were...
Unnecessary romance and token love interests
It should come as no surprise to regular listeners of Breaking the Glass Slipper that we take issue with female characters being included in a narrative purely to act as a love interest. Unfortunately, it happens all too often. The conversation has flared up again...
Gender swapping
The new Ghostbusters film is not alone, almost every week we hear of a new franchise reboot or cult film remake with a gender-swapped cast. From turning Splash into the tale of a merman to an Ocean's Eleven reboot with a full cast of women, it appears as though...