Authors L.L. Madrid and Lora Durance take over the podcast this week to talk about horror, rage, and what it's like writing and reading dark content while living in an unsettling world.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Follow L.L. and Lora on Instagram: @llmadridwrites and @lroseriver

Read the mentioned Book Riot article "Dystopian Books Have Taken Over the Bestseller Lists…That Can’t Be a Good Sign" at https://bookriot.com/bestselling-books-february-6-2025/

Alisa Alering, author of the book Smothermoss and this week's podcast guest host, interviews author Gloria Munoz about her book This is the Year and what it's like to write a dystopian fiction.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Author Garrett K. Jones guest-hosts the podcast to talk about writer's block. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Hunger Games, Squid Games, Dungeon Crawler Carl...Hayley Chow joins Vickie Lan on the podcast to talk about Death Games! From real life to fiction, we cover the social commentary that centers around systemic oppression, world building, society's attraction to violent spectacle, and the importance of relatability in the main character when they're up against equally oppressed opponents.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

What should novel writers know about screen writing? Author Luis Prieto joins the podcast to talk with Vickie Lan about the basics of writing a screenplay (or an audio drama!).

Note: Sorry for the less-than-perfect audio quality from Vickie's mic! There were technical difficulties and the recording came from the desktop instead.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Mysteries, suspense, thrillers...how can writers use secrets to advance their plots? Author Teddie Peacock joins the podcast to discuss the many ways to build intrigue and keep your readers (and characters!) guessing.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Author Avitus B. Carle joins Vickie Lan on the podcast to read her story How We Survive, and to provide insight on the 'flash' side of fiction writing.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Damien Alameda returns to the podcast to discuss with Vickie Lan the Avenging Angels trope! Learn what drives these "angels" and distinguishes them from a classic hero's journey, whether they need to have a bigger impact than just their self interest, and much more.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Author Emily Colin joins Vickie Lan to discuss the building blocks of romance in speculative fiction, including how to keep momentum after the couple gets together, how character development and plot progression impact the relationship, and the way authors can manage expectations when it comes to reader responses.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Main cover photo by J.D. Fitzgerald.

Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva. 

Author and dream interpreter Megan Mary joins Vickie Lan to discuss the Fated Destiny, Discovered Magick, and The Chosen One tropes.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Where are the aliens? While NASA and military officials provide testimonials on the world stage, author Grace Richard joins Vickie Lan to discuss the ways science fiction writers have answered this question.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.