This is a formerly Patreon exclusive episode of The Hidden Bookcase.
For our latest Patreon episode, we're discussing My Feminist Call to Historical Fantasy by Samantha Shannon, an essay on how historically informed fantasy settings do, and should, incoporate misogony.
Click here for closed captions. Transcript available here.
Content warnings: Mentions of sexism/misogony in both real and fictional contexts, sexual assault, racism, ableism, childbirth, homophobia, transphobia, and J. K. Rowling.
Media mentioned in this episode (roughly) in order referenced:
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon [US LINK]
The Attic Monologues by Morgna Greensmith (Podcast) [Listen Online]
A Sonf of Ice and Fire (Series/TV Series) by George R. R. Martin [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
The Lord of the Rings (Series) by J. R. Tolkien [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Noughts and Crosses (Series) by Malorie Blackman [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu [US LINK]
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir [US LINK]
The Sword in the Stars (Series) by Amy Rose Capetta and Cory McCarthy [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
The Lunar Chronicles (Series) by Marissa Meyer [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Exolore (Podcast) [Listen Online]
Avatar the Last Airbender (TV Series) by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino
Dragon Age: Origins (Video Game) [Website]
The Dragon Prince (TV Series) by Justin Richmond and Aaron Ehasz
The Owl House (TV Series) by Dana Terrace
Steven Universe (TV Series) by Rebecca Sugar
Nimona (Film) by Noelle Stevenson
Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore [US LINK]
Notes on this episode:
Morgan mentions the Game of Thrones TV Series having more sexual assault than the books it's based on. Tumblr user @tafkarfanfic did a statistical analysis of how frequently it occurs in the books vs. in the show, and found that there was a higher number in the books. However, there are some sexual assaults included in the show that do not appear in the books (such as that involving Sansa, which Morgan references here.)
Sorren (me, hi) also confidently guesses that Dragon Age Origins came out in the early 2000s/2002- he misspoke (I swear!) and the actual year DA:O first released is indeed 2009. (I promise I know those graphics were impossible in 2002. My brain just switched off for a moment.)
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
This is a formerly Patreon exclusive episode of The Hidden Bookcase.
For our latest Patreon episode, we're discussing The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow, a short story about martyrdom, cycles, and devotion chosen by Morgan.
Click here for closed captions. Transcript available here.
Content warnings: Mentions of war, manipulation, suicide, sacrifice, drowning, and dissociation.
Media mentioned in this episode (roughly) in order referenced:
The Locked Tomb (Series) by Tamsyn Muir [US Link]
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow [UK Link] / [US Link]
Persephone from (Into Shadow) by Lev Grossman [Read Online]
The Attic Monologues by Morgan Greensmith [Listen Online]
How to Train Your Dragon (Series) by Cressida Cowell [UK Link]
Cursed (Netflix Series)
The King of Scars (Series) by Leigh Bardugo [UK Link] / [US Link]
Graceling by Kristin Cashore [UK Link] / [US Link]
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
To (belatedly!) close out Swordtember, we're reading In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, chosen by Morgan. Let's talk misandry, miscommunicaion, and mummy issues.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: Discussions of parental abandonment and neglect, homophobia, a non-consensual kiss, child soldiers, war and violence, fantasy racism including internalised racism, and sexism, including structural sexism and harassment of teens.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Check out The Attic Monologues ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
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Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media mentioned in this episode, in order referenced:
Our next episode will be a formerly Patreon exclusive episode!
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
This is a formerly Patreon exclusive episode of The Hidden Bookcase!
For our very first Patreon episode, we're discussing The Ocean is a Lesbian by Julia Armfield, an essay on nautical and watery symbolism in sapphic stories.
Click here for closed captions. Transcript available here.
Content warnings: Mentions of suicide, drowning, war, and rape.
Media mentioned in this episode (roughly) in order referenced:
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore [US Link]
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield [UK Link] / [US Link]
The Locked Tomb (Series) by Tamsyn Muir [US Link]
The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan [UK Link]
Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens [UK Link] / [US Link]
The Legend of Korra (TV Series)
H2O: Just Add Water (TV Series)
Many Benefits by Zoey Davis [Listen Online]
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood [UK Link] / [US Link]
Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Borthers Grimm [UK Link] / [US Link]
A Trans Man Walks Into A Gay Bar by Harry Nicholas [UK Link] / [US Link]
Comrades by Henry Scott Tuke [View Online]
Parallels by Matthias Lehmann [US Link]
The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Takuda-Hall [UK Link] / [US Link]
Elusive by Petra Szeman (Artwork) [Artist Portfolio]
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker [UK Link] / [US Link]
Rivers of London (Series) by Ben Aaronovitch [UK Link]
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Series) by Rick Riordan [UK Link] / [US Link]
Love Simon (Film)
Heartstopper (TV Series)
A Day of Fallen Night) by Samantha Shannon [UK Link] / [US Link]
In The Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu [US Link]
Tits on the Moon by Dessa [Watch Online]
And here's the visual art mentioned in this episode:
It's Swordtember! Our first read is A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland, chosen by Sorren. Let's talk devotion, duty, and doors.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: Discussions of anxiety, OCD, kidnapping, death, behanding, murder and unhealthy relationships.
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Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media mentioned in this episode, in order referenced:
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
It's Moist Month 2.0 at The Hidden Bookcase! Our second read is Into the Drowning Deep, chosen by guest Alex Abrahams. Let's talk anglerfish, angry mermaids, and alternate pennames.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
A huge thank you to Alex for guesting on this episode! Find him @frankensteinsexchange on Instagram or @alexbrhams on Twitter and BlueSky.
Content warnings: References to fictional death, including blood, animal death, and loss of a sister. Joking references to kink including knifeplay and drug use. Mentions of transphobia, specifically transmisogony, ableism, and chronic pain. Brief allusions to climate change.
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・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media mentioned in this episode, in order referenced:
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
It's Moist Month 2.0 at The Hidden Bookcase! Our first read is Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, chosen by Morgan. Let's talk serpents, spice and spooky dentists...
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: discussions of breaking and entering, interrogation, beheading, execution, bodily harm, sex, oppressive regimes, propaganda, misgendering, sex work; mentions of mould, shooting, bribery, masochism, indoctrination, homelessness, capitalism; references to animal mutilation/taxidermy, BDSM and kink dynamics, animal attack.
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Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media mentioned in this episode, in order referenced:
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
Happy Disability Pride Month bookwyrms! To celebrate, we're chatting with queer fantasy romance author D.N. Bryn about disability representation in romantic fiction (or fiction with romantic elements!)
Content warnings: Discussions of ableism, including interpersonal and societal ableism. Mentions of unsafe binding. Sexual references. References to terminal illness and eating disorders.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
A heartfelt thank you to D.N. Bryn for joining us! Visit their website at dnbyrn.com or follow their Instagram @dn_bryn or their Tiktok @dnbrynauthor.
・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
This episode we're joined by Leon Egan to discuss their new young adult novel, Listen Closely, an opposites-attract love story about two audio drama aficionados thrust together for their work exprience at a local radio station!
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to transphobia, ableism, self-isolation, bullying, outing, and TERFs.
For Leon's links, including Tell No Tales and the pilot episodes of The Night Market and Unfathomable Depths, click here!
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・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Our next episode will be a chat with D.N. Bryn on Disability in Romance to close out Disability Pride Month!
It's Disability Pride Month! Our first read is Faithbreaker, the final installment in Hannah Kaner's Fallen Gods trilogy. Let's talk endings, entanglments, and Elon Musk.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to fictional war, death and murder, animal death, burning alive. Discussions of ableism. Sexual jokes.
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Thank you so much India for reading this whole trilogy alongside us! You can find links to all of her socials, including her new YouTube channel here.
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Media we recommended this episode:
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Happy Pride Month bookwyrms- we missed you!
Join us for a celebration of our third anniversary, including a quiz on all things Hidden Bookcase with quizmaster extraordinairre Kit Lovick, a bookish 'hear me out,' cake, and a peek at our summer schedule.
Content warnings: References to the U.S. election, transphobia/homophobia, sexual jokes. References to fictional murders including child murders, kidnapping, and incest.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
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. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. Penguin's 2025 WriteNow Program . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Our next reads:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Join us for a cosy chat by the fire as we go over our favourite reads of 2024, the titles we're looking forward to picking up in 2025, and our reading goals for the year!
Content warnings: Discussions of fictional examples of suicidality, cannabilism, and violent hate crime, allusions to the Palestinian genocide, mentions of racism including the K.K.K. and ableism. COVID mention and references to long periods of illness.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
✸Check out The Attic Monologues Season 3 Fundraiser!✸
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Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Usually we list all of the books we mention on an episode in the shownotes, but since this was a wrap-up, we chatted about a lot more titles than usual! You can view the list in its entirety here, organised by the context in which we mentioned each book.
We're going on a short hiatus- keep an eye out on our socials and feed and we'll let you know when new episodes are on the horizon!
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
It's Witch Winter at The Hidden Bookcase! Our second read is Hooky Volume 2 by Míriam Bonastre Tur. Let's talk twins, terrifying tropes, and trauma hair.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to xenophobia, death and murder including parental death, sibling and animal death, gore, internalised homophobia, murder, possession, and falling/heights.
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・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
It's Witch Winter at The Hidden Bookcase! Our second read is Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. Let's talk
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to transphobia, homophobia, imperialism, racism, colonialism, sexism, transmisogony. Mention of J.K. Rowling.
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・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
It's ahistorical autumn at The Hidden Bookcase! Our final read is She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, chosen by our guest Cailean Steed. Let's talk fate, fanfiction, and... fisting?
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to imprisonment, child murder, genital mutilation, traumatic amputation, war, death by suffocation, homophobia and transphobia, misogony and sexism, rape, and gender dysphoria.
A big thank you to Cailean for joining us for this episode. You can find their writing and links to their socials at caileansteed.com.
❤ To find out more about The Common Press' ongoing fundraiser, click here. ❤
・:*˚:✧｡ Check out our Patreon!・:*˚:✧｡
・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Next episode's read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
Transcripts available here.
・:*˚:✧｡ Check out our Patreon!・:*˚:✧｡
・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Join us for an interview with Jessica Mary Best on her sapphic sci-fi murder mystery, Stars, Hide Your Fires, recently released in paperback! Let's talk conlangs, comedy as catharsis, and character chemistry! Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts Content warnings: References to fictional murder, poisoning, classism, and serious illness. Discussion of a real-life mugging and physical assault. A big thank you to Best for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Bluesky, Instagram, or visit her website at jessicamarybest.com. ˚☽˚｡⋆ Order a copy of Stars, Hide Your Fires ˚☽˚｡⋆ UK Link
・:*˚:✧｡ Check out our Patreon!・:*˚:✧｡ https://www.patreon.com/TheHiddenBookcase ・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡ https://discord.gg/wWU6u6xYEu Visit our Bookshop.Org page! UK Link US Link Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
- The Strange Case of Starship Iris (Audiodrama) Website
- Keep It Steady (Audiodrama) Website Our next read: - She Who Became the Sun UK Link US Link Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
It's Ahistorical Autumn at The Hidden Bookcase! Our second read is Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland. Let's talk asexual rep, awkward conversations with your siblings, and audiobook excellence.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: Aphobia, cheating, death, child murder, war an colonialism.
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Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.
In celebration of Fat Liberation Month, we're joined by writer and psychotherapist Anya Josephs to discuss fat representation in science-fiction and fantasy. Let's talk symbolic representation, systemic vs. individual experiences, and striving to tell stories that change real-world narratives.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com
Content warnings: Discussons of fatphobia, including interpersonal, internalised, structural and societal ableism. Mentions of disordered eating.
You can find Anya Josephs' work, including young adult fantasy novel, Queen of All, on her website.
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・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡ Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Further reading:
Our next read:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
It's ahistorical autumn at The Hidden Bookcase! Our first read is The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley, a joint recommendation by Sorren and guest Kit Lovick. Let's talk timelines, tortoises, and tube stations.
Transcripts available at planarprod.com/the-hidden-bookcase-transcripts
Content warnings: References to war, abduction, slavery, child murder and death, sexual assault, corrective rape, colonialism and traumatic amputation.
A big thank you to Kit for joining us for this episode! You can follow him on Twitter @sharpsnooter. Click here for more information about urban fantasy horror podcast The Attic Monologues, or find science-fiction miniseries To Chart a Well-Trod Course on Twitter @welltrodpod.
・:*˚:✧｡ Check out our Patreon!・:*˚:✧｡
・:*˚:✧｡ Join our Discord for bookish chats and cosy cats!・:*˚:✧｡
Visit our Bookshop.Org page! [UK LINK] / [US LINK]
Other media referenced in this episode (in order mentioned):
Next episode, we'll be discussing fat representation in speculative fiction in celebration of Fat Liberation Month, alongside author Anya Josephs:
Keep safe- please always check the content warnings of any media we mention if you need before diving in.