Podcast cover image, with Vickie Lan posing with books and wind-swept hair and loose pages.

WE UNPACK THE TROPES THAT MAKE FICTION FUN

Each episode, Vickie Lan workshops a trope with a writer/author with an eye for character development, world building, and plot structures to better understand the fundamentals of storytelling. From dystopian governments to parallel universes, mind control to interplanetary travel, let's speculate!

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

Cover photo by J.D. Fitzgerald. Episode covers feature royalty-free images from Pexels.com and Canva.

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THE LATEST

Video versions of the episodes are available on Spotify and YouTube.

  • Deep, relatable, and thought-provoking

    “I love this podcast. The topics are fascinating. The content is easy to digest, the sound quality is great, and the interviews are fluid. I think this show is amazing for writers because of the literature insights that lead to valuable advice. And it's just as enjoyable as a reader. The topics involving psyche and tropes can be really deep, relatable, and thought-provoking.”

  • Storytelling at its DNA

    “Amazing exploration of storytelling at its dna— where it comes from, why it matters, the tropes we know, and how all of it clicks in our psyche.”

  • Interesting topics

    “Where has this show been all my life? I absolutely love it! The host is well-versed in the subject matter, engaging, and provides great questions to her guests. I love the natural flow of conversation on interesting topics and they discuss a variety of books. If you’re a writer, or lover of books, I highly recommend this podcast for inspiration and more!”

  • Will keep you intrigued

    “A fantastic host with great interviews. The topics cover a wide variety of fiction that will keep you intrigued from beginning to end.”

  • Great for anyone who writes anything

    "The host is amazing and the guests work so well with her to bring interesting views to even more interesting topics. I use the insights in my D & D writing and even in my own podcast episodes."

  • Love the topics

    "There are so many interesting discussions on different aspects of speculative fiction and science fiction & fantasy fiction. Plus, the guests are all really cool people with interesting points of view."

Guest Interest Form

Please note: episodes are dedicated to a fiction trope or topic. All guests will have the opportunity to promote their work. Traditional and indie-published authors and professionals welcome.