Fangirl Jeanne, fanfic elder, is back to revisit the fan fiction formerly known as “Manacled,” now traditionally published as “Alchemised” by SenLinYu. Three years after our initial discussion about Manacled in episodes 116 and 117, we delve into the transformation of this Harry Potter/”Dramione” (aka Draco-Hermione) + Handmaid’s Tale fanfic into a commercially-published romantasy novel. What happens to subtext when you remove the context of the text? What are the ethics of profiting from fanfic? What’s the harm in supporting derivative works of a prolific anti-Trans activist?

File off those serial numbers and sit back and relax an absolute descent into madness as we try to figure out what the heck went on here.

To counteract some of the harm of discussing this book, Jeanne suggests supporting trans charities such as the Good Law Project and the Trevor Project.

Jeanne also recommends several books by trans authors or featuring trans characters:

• Reforged by Seth Haddon
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
• A Lady for the Duke by Alexis Hall

Andrea recommended:

• A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Guest: Fangirl Jeanne

Website | BlueSky | Threads

Topics:

• 00:25 Revisiting Manacled: Three Years Later
• 01:33 The Rise of Fan Fiction in the TikTok Era
• 03:21 From Fan Fiction to Published Novels
• 08:11 The Ethics of Consuming Fan Fiction
• 21:48 Highlighting Trans Charities and Authors
• 26:55 The Transformation of Manacled to Alchemised
• 38:31 Alchemised: A Romantasy Review
• 51:41 The Resonance Dilemma
• 52:40 Lazy Worldbuilding
• 52:57 Info Dumps and Pacing Issues
• 54:21 Immigrant Labor and Alchemy
• 54:41 Confusing Technology and Setting
• 56:01 The Good Guy Government
• 01:00:22 Character Backstories and Relationships
• 01:10:00 Romantasy and Market Trends
• 01:11:52 Critique of Alchemised
• 01:13:55 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Have you read Lisa Kleypas's neogothic duology: Devil in Winter and It Happened One Autumn? Tehyah Carver shares her provocative claims about Kleypas’s Wallflower series, including how St. Vincent is a gothic heroine. We also discuss the revisions the author made to the texts around 2021, theories on why the changes were made, and how we feel about them.

What differentiates a villain from an interesting character in romance and how have contemporary romance readers' expectations evolved and what are the broader implications of rewriting problematic elements in historical romance fiction?

• 00:00 Tehyah’s Romance Credentials
• 03:57 Lisa Kleypas's Novels
• 07:07 The Magic of Stony Cross Park
• 11:23 Romance Genre and Reader Response
• 18:26 Neogothic Romance and Social Anxieties
• 23:52 Revisions in Romance Novels
• 51:18 What kind of dog is Sebastian St. Vincent?
• 51:55 Sebastian's Villainous Nature and Reader Perspectives
• 53:47 Gothic Elements in Devil in Winter
• 55:48 Sebastian as a Gothic Heroine
• 57:44 Cam's Role and Racial Elements
• 01:06:42 Sebastian's Masculinity and Gender Roles
• 01:15:01 Revisions and Reader Perceptions
• 01:27:01 Don’t be Boring: Concluding Thoughts on Romance

Guest: Tehyah Carver

• PhD student at Teachers College Columbia University, “real” romance fan and legit scholar
  • Instagram

Discussed:

• Lisa Kleypas Wallflower series: Devil in Winter & It Happened One Autumn: Neogothic Duology, plus Secrets of a Summer Night
• Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction (2021): Edited By Jayashree Kamblé, Eric Murphy Selinger, Hsu-Ming Teo
  • Chapter 4: Gothic Romance by Angela Toscano

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com

Are readers of dark romance or bodice rippers more morbidly curious than those who read sweet romcoms? Is the allure of horror and scary romance similar. Dr. Coltan Scrivner joins Shelf Love to discuss his new book, “Morbidly Curious,” and its insights on why people are drawn to scary media. The conversation delves into how understanding morbid curiosity can provide new perspectives on romance readers, the stereotypes surrounding both horror and romance fans, and the psychological underpinnings of consuming these genres. Dr. Scrivner shares his research on formidability dynamics within horror, how horror media impacts its audience, and the surprising therapeutic benefits they may offer.

Guest: Dr. Coltan Scrivner

Website | Substack | Book

Shelf Love:

• NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com