Words To That Effect

9: Imaginary Countries and the Ruritanian Romance

October 16, 2017 14:49 - 16 minutes

Writers make up imaginary countries all the time, and for a variety of reasons. It’s relatively straightforward to slip in a familiar-sounding name into a part of the world your reader or viewer may not be too familiar with. Livonia, Wallaria, Tazbekistan…They could be countries, right? But there’s one name in particular which stands out. It is the imaginary country, and the inspiration for an entire subgenre. This is the country of Ruritania. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

WTTE - 009 - Imaginary Countries and the Ruritanian Romance

October 16, 2017 14:49 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MB

Imaginary Countries Writers make up imaginary countries all the time, and for a variety of reasons. It’s relatively straightforward to slip in a familiar-sounding name into a part of the world your reader or viewer may not be too familiar with. Livonia, Wallaria, Tazbekistan… They could be countries, right? But read more... The post Episode 9: Imaginary Countries and the Ruritanian Romance appeared first on Words To That Effect.

8: A Lawyer, an Author, and a Murderer

October 02, 2017 05:00 - 13 minutes

The case of William Edward Hickman went to trial in Los Angeles in 1928. The accused was charged with the gruesome murder of a 12-year-old girl, and he faced the death penalty. The trial was reported all across the U.S. because it was the culmination of a horrific tale of murder and kidnapping which had gripped the entire nation. This is the story of a murder which encompasses psychiatry, heredity, and a world-famous writer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTTE - 008 - A Lawyer, an Author, and a Murderer

October 02, 2017 05:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB

“The most horrible crime of the 1920s” The case of William Edward Hickman went to trial in Los Angeles in 1928. The accused was charged with the gruesome murder of a 12-year-old girl, and he faced the death penalty. The trial was reported all across the U.S. because it was read more... The post Episode 8: A Lawyer, an Author, and a Murderer – The Trial of William Edward Hickman appeared first on Words To That Effect.

WTTE - 007 - Overpopulation from Malthus to Manila

September 18, 2017 05:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MB

7 Billion People A baby girl was born in a hospital in the Philippines, on 30th October, 2011. However, unlike all the other children born that day, the arrival of Danica May Camacho was witnessed by a crowd of photographers and journalists. The world’s media were gathered in a read more... The post Episode 7: Overpopulation from Malthus to Manila appeared first on Words To That Effect.

7: Overpopulation from Malthus to Manila

September 18, 2017 05:00 - 16 minutes

A baby girl was born in a hospital in the Philippines, on 30th October, 2011. However, unlike all the other children born that day, the arrival of Danica May Camacho was witnessed by a crowd of photographers and journalists. The world’s media were gathered in a hospital in Manila because this little girl was the 7 billionth person on earth. “Overpopulation” is a word that gets used and abused in a variety of ways. But while much of the discussion around it may seem like a relatively modern ...

WTTE - 006 - Neurasthenia, Cowboys, and Feminists

September 04, 2017 08:29 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB

Neurasthenia: The “National Disease of America” In 1881 an American neurologist named George Miller Beard published a hugely influential book: American Nervousness. In it, he laid out the symptoms, cures, and implications of what he called “neurasthenia”, essentially what one might call nervous exhaustion. Beard didn’t coin the term but read more... The post Episode 6: Neurasthenia, Cowboys, and Feminists appeared first on Words To That Effect.

6: Neurasthenia, Cowboys, and Feminists

September 04, 2017 08:29 - 18 minutes

In 1881 an American neurologist named George Miller Beard published a hugely influential book: American Nervousness. In it, he laid out the symptoms, cures, and implications of what he called “neurasthenia”, essentially what one might call nervous exhaustion. If you read books or newspapers from the 1880s right through to at least the 1930s you find numerous accounts of neurasthenia. Characters in fiction are constantly suffering from it. Every newspaper ran ads claiming to cure the disease. ...

WTTE - 005 - Canals on Mars

August 20, 2017 22:29 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

Percival Lowell, Science Fiction, and the Canals on Mars (c) ESO / M. Kornmesser Artist’s impression of Mars about four billion years ago. For as long as humans have been looking at the night sky, the planet Mars has fascinated us. But while astronomers had charted the movements of read more... The post Episode 5: Canals on Mars appeared first on Words To That Effect.

5: Canals on Mars

August 20, 2017 22:29 - 16 minutes

For as long as humans have been looking at the night sky, the planet Mars has fascinated us. But while astronomers had charted the movements of the planet for hundreds of years, there had never been a chance to see the planet in any detail. Then, in 1877, everything changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTTE - 004 - Popular Literature

August 06, 2017 20:59 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MB

What is popular literature? Walk into most bookshops and you will find fiction categories like “Crime”, “Science Fiction”, and “Horror”. You will also tend to find a section called “Literature”. But how does a book get placed here? Is there really such a thing as “Literature” (with a capital “L”), read more... The post Episode 4: Popular Literature appeared first on Words To That Effect.

4: What is Popular Literature?

August 06, 2017 20:59 - 16 minutes

What is popular literature? Walk into most bookshops and you will find fiction categories like “Crime”, “Science Fiction”, and “Horror”. You will also tend to find a section called “Literature”. But how does a book get placed here? Is there really such a thing as “Literature” (with a capital “L”)? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTTE - 003 - Irish Science Fiction

July 20, 2017 12:12 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MB

What is Irish Science Fiction? Ireland is not, it is fair to say, the first country that springs to mind when you think “science fiction”. When aliens land on Earth, we tend to assume they’ll land in New York, or London, or Tokyo. Definitely not Dublin or Cork. But then, read more... The post Episode 3: Irish Science Fiction appeared first on Words To That Effect.

3: Irish Science Fiction

July 20, 2017 12:12 - 18 minutes

What is Irish Science Fiction? Ireland is not, it is fair to say, the first country that springs to mind when you think “science fiction”. When aliens land on Earth, we tend to assume they’ll land in New York, or London, or Tokyo. Definitely not Dublin or Cork. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTTE - 002 - Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Spiritualism

July 10, 2017 11:25 - 16 minutes - 15 MB

Sherlock Holmes is the most rational and scientific detective of them all. So why did his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, passionately believe in ghosts, fairies, and telepathy? Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle is now best remembered as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. In fact, his creation has long taken read more... The post Episode 2: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Spiritualism appeared first on Words To That Effect.

2: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Spiritualism

July 10, 2017 11:25 - 17 minutes

Sherlock Holmes is the most rational and scientific detective of them all. So why did his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, passionately believe in ghosts, fairies, and telepathy? Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle is now best remembered as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. In fact, his creation has long taken read more... The post Episode 2: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Spiritualism appeared first on Words To That Effect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

1: Invasion Fiction, William Le Queux, and Fake News

June 25, 2017 21:52 - 15 minutes

What is invasion fiction? Who was the mysterious William Le Queux? Why did a group of famous British authors secretly meet at the outbreak of World War I? And what did “fake news” look like a century ago? Episode 1 of Words To That Effect explores the power of read more... The post Episode 1: Invasion Fiction, William Le Queux, and Fake News appeared first on Words To That Effect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTTE - 001 - Invasion Fiction, William Le Queux, and Fake News

June 25, 2017 21:52 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MB

What is invasion fiction? Who was the mysterious William Le Queux? Why did a group of famous British authors secretly meet at the outbreak of World War I? And what did “fake news” look like a century ago? Episode 1 of Words To That Effect explores the power of read more... The post Episode 1: Invasion Fiction, William Le Queux, and Fake News appeared first on Words To That Effect.

WTTE - 000 - Introduction

June 22, 2017 13:08 - 2 minutes - 2.07 MB

An Introduction and a Preview Welcome to Words To That Effect, a new podcast of the intriguing, the curious, and the unexplored. This is Episode 0 – really just a short introduction to the podcast, telling you a little bit about the format, the guests, and what you can expect read more... The post Episode 0: Introduction appeared first on Words To That Effect.

Introduction

June 22, 2017 13:08 - 3 minutes

An Introduction and a Preview. Welcome to Words To That Effect, a new podcast that tells stories of the fiction that shapes popular culture. This is a short introduction to the podcast, telling you a little bit about the format, the guests, and what you can expect... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices