Possession is a regular trope in horror and sci-fi. The idea that a physical body could be taken over by an external entity is as disturbing as it is enticing. However, there are many sub categories of this kind of bodysnatching, from parasites that physically puppeteer to Freaky Friday-esque body swaps. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the humour and horror of the trope, drawing on a wide range of speculative fiction and there own work where appropriate.

On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, V, the Bodysnatchers and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Generations of a family punished for the ill-advised actions or an ancestor? Crossed paths with the sidhe and worded an answer impolitely? Fallen foul of someone's desire for revenge? Chances are, in speculative fiction, the problem will turn out to be a curse. It may not really be the oldest speculative fiction trope but it's definitely got history.

In this episode of the Dragons' spooky season, Jules and Madeleine drill down on the well used SFF and Horror trope of 'the curse'. How can you use the trope in a way that reads as fresh and novel? What are the main types of this trope? And what historical precedent is there for this occurrence in fiction?

On the slab this week: Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynn Jones, Unveiled, The Ring and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Continuing with the spooky season, this week the dragons delve into the popular sub genre of survival horror. While you could argue that the point of every horror story is survival, this sub genre takes it to the next level with characters pitted against nature, the wild and even space - sometimes with a twist of the supernatural thrown in.

But how do you go about writing survival horror that lands? What attributes should you be looking for in a main character? Why is setting so important? Join Jules and Madeleine for a discussion on all this and more.

On the slab this week: Devolution - Max Brooks, Alien, The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling and many more.

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic