Episode 41: 'Hild' and 'Station Eleven'

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, kick things off with a debate about cultural cringe, tall poppy syndrome, big girl pants and why all these elements may have contributed to a dearth of Australian content on this podcast of late. Things, they will be a changing. This episode of The Coode Street Podcast focusing on Australian Science Fiction is mentioned, as is Kirstyn's love of The Babadook, an Australian film about which she recently talked at length with Terry Frost on The Martian Drive-In Podcast.

The two novels up for dissection this episode are Hild by Nicola Griffith (12:30) and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (58:30).



The reviews, blogs, podcasts and books mentioned during the discussion can be found via the following links:

• Gemaecca, the ongoing Hild research blog kept by Nicola Griffith (her regular blog lives here)
• Nicola Griffith talking about Hild on The Coode Street Podcast
• The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth
• Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality by Hanne Blank
• Review of Hild by T.S. Miller at Strange Horizons
• Review of Station Eleven at The Skeptical Reader
• Review of Station Eleven by Sigrid Nunez at The New York Times

If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:35:30 for final remarks.

For the next episode, Kirstyn has chosen The Bitterwood Bible by Angela Slatter while Ian is recommending How to be Both by Ali Smith. Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!