Hi Gay, Happy Pride Month!

Today we're kicking off the month of June with a festive introduction to Queer Sci-Fi. There are some big Sci-Fi heads in Amy &, so get ready for a journey through all of our favourite books, authors, and films in the beloved genre. We consider if and why Sci-Fi is on the rise lately (it's existential doom again, isn't it?) and discuss the inclusion and exclusion of queerness (or sex/sexuality in general) from the genre throughout history. Expect to hear about the women who pioneered Science Fiction, the LGBTQIA+ writers making it even more radical, and why it is time to subvert all the false binaries plaguing the category.

Have a listen and please take a shot every time Abby has not engaged with a major film/TV franchise.

This month we're reading Ida by Alison Evans. Grab your copy and read along with us ahead of book club on June 25!

MENTIONS

Books

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Dune by Frank Herbert

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (as discussed in the ep, Amy & hosts do not condone this author's views or recommend that listeners read his books)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter

Highway Bodies by Alison Evans

Ida by Alison Evans

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson

The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin

The Long Way To a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

The Reindeer Hunters by Lars Mytting

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Authors

Carl Sagan

Isaac Asimov

Jules Verne

N. K. Jemisin

Octavia E. Butler

Film/TV

Alien franchise

Andromeda

Babylon 5

Battlestar Galactica

Black Mirror

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

DC and Marvel superheroes

Doctor Who franchise

E.T.

Lord of the Rings

Matrix

Signs

Star Trek franchise

Star Wars franchise

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://linktr.ee/masswisteria#465207993

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
• TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub
• YT: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyandBookClub

💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re sad to say goodbye to dragon month, but happy to send it off with a book club chat about Moniquill Blackgoose’s incredible first installment of the Nampeshiweisit series, To Shape a Dragon's Breath. This book follows the journey of Anequs, who bonds with a dragon hatchling and becomes the first Nampeshiweisit of her people in generations. However, the laws of the Anglish colonisers require her to receive formal training in dragon riding, or face the death of her dragon or even herself. Anequs leaves her home to enrol in a dragon academy. However, it’s far from smooth flying and she faces condescension, suspicion, and outright hostility from the Anglish there.

Join us as we chat all about magic dragon schools, the importance of oral storytelling and indigenous knowledges, and the ways that fantasy holds up a mirror to the devastating past and present of living in a settler colony.

Be warned: This is a book club episode, so we will be getting into spoilers!

MENTIONS

🐉 Our BOTM is To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose.

📚 BOOKS: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers; To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose; Ida by Alison Evans

🎬 MOVIES: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

🖼️GALLERY: Flinders University Museum of Art

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Bookclub
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single "Same Old" here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning poet Michael Farrell’s latest book is a foray into storytelling through the medium of the short story. In “The Victoria Principle” his playful fictions, some autobiographical, deal with everything from the concept of ornithophobia to a nude writers’ retreat in Nova Scotia. His stories reflect and warp the absurdities of modern life.

Guest:
Michael Farrell, author of the Victoria Principle and six other books of poetry.

INSTAGRAM

michaelfarrell@limechax

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Join us for our hilarious interview with USA Today, Indie, and Sunday Times bestselling author Rebecca Thorne. Rebecca talks us through her life-long love of dragons, retrospective worldbuilding, the phenomenon of cozy fantasy, and the joy of writing established lesbian couples. We had an absolute blast talking to Rebecca, so we know you'll enjoy this interview: described by participants as "cozy, like the genre".

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our bookclub on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Movies/TV
Dragonheart (1996)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Books
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Dragonology by Dugald Steer
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
Tomes and Tea series by Rebecca Thorne
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce
The McBrides series by Amy Barry
Moss'd In Space by Rebecca Thorne
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Sir Callie series by Esme Symes-Smith
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

LINKS

🐉 Where to find Rebecca:

• On IG: @rebeccathornewrites
• Website: https://rebeccathorne.net/

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/169K69qXsh/
• TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Around the School Table (xuno.com.au/podcasts), host Steve Davis is joined by David Loader OAM, Chair of the Institute of Education Reform (IER) (educationalreform.org.au), to explore one of the most urgent challenges facing Australian education: Student Disengagement.

With research suggesting that between 30% and 50% of students are disengaged at school, David argues that attendance alone does not equal learning. Many students are physically present in classrooms, yet emotionally disconnected from their education. Others are refusing school altogether. As a result, he believes the current system must rethink how success is measured.

Drawing on his decades of experience as former principal of Methodist Ladies’ College and Wesley College, David reflects on introducing one-to-one laptops in schools in 1989 — long before digital learning became mainstream. However, he explains that technology alone was never the solution. Instead, the real goal was creating more agency, creativity and independence for students.

Throughout the conversation, David challenges traditional models of teaching that position students as passive learners. Instead, he advocates for schools that encourage curiosity, exploration and student voice. He also examines the growing gap between what students are taught and what they genuinely want to learn, particularly during the critical middle years of schooling.

Furthermore, he discusses why teachers need greater freedom, why rigid curriculum structures may be limiting innovation, and how education systems must better respond to individual student needs. The episode also explores the role of educational technology, alternative schooling models, residential learning programs, and why future-ready schools must become more flexible and personalised.

This thought-provoking conversation challenges long-held assumptions about education and offers a compelling vision for schools that prioritise engagement, agency and meaningful learning for every student.

Powered by: xuno.com.au

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This week, Justina & Payton have diligently done their homework on dragon mythology to share with us the history of dragons across time and culture. This includes their connections to colonialism, Christianity, creation, harvest, life, nature and more . . . and then Amy asks us what we would hoard if we were dragons (no books allowed!), and the conversation hatches into something else entirely (I fear that I cannot list the topics here, you'll simply have to listen).

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our book club on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Books:

Beowulf

Dragonfruit, Makiia Lucier

The Rainbow Serpent, Dick Roughsey

Dragonflight, Anne McAffrey

Dragons:

Mushu, Mulan

Puff, Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow & Lenny Lipton

Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon

Falcore, The Neverending Story

Haku, Spirited Away

Barney, Barney & Friends

Other:

A History of Dragons in Western Literature, Yvonne Shiau

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's dragon month, which means we're talking fire, scales, and flying. To kick off the month, we dive headfirst into all the dragon lore we know and try to figure out what we consider True Dragon Lore (hint: none, it's all valid). We talk about what we'd like to shoot from our mouths, whether our wings are our arms, and just how small a dragon can get before it's too small. Most importantly, we answer the burning question of whether a dragon is a horse.

This month we’re reading How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Grab your copy and have a read before our bookclub on 21st May!

MENTIONS

Books
How to Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
To Ride a Raising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Temeraire by Naomi Novik
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons by Dugald Steer
Bringing Up Baby Dragons: A Guide for Beginners by Dugald Steer
Working with Dragons: A Course in Dragonology by Dugald Steer
The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Beowulf
Magician by Raymond Feist

Films/TV
Dragonheart (1996)
The Neverending Story (1984)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Reign of Fire (2002)
Cars (2006)
Monkey Magic (1978-1980)
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
House of the Dragon (2022-)
Avatar (2009)
Shrek (2001)
Merlin BBC (2008-2012)
Merlin miniseries (1998)

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/169K69qXsh/
• TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our first After Dark of the season, and we're revisiting a childhood classic, Dragonheart, as a bridge between April's YA month and our upcoming theme for May: dragons!

We reflect on the movie, discuss the lore behind the original script, lament at the lost potential for a romance between Dennis Quaid and Draco, and then deep dive into the fantasy films that we feel nostalgic for (they're just not making them like Ladyhawke anymore . . .)

MENTIONS

Films/TV:

Jurassic Park, 1993

Starship Troopers, 1997

Excalibur, 1981

Robin Hood, 1991

Ladyhawke, 1985

Willow, 1988

Conan the Barbarian, 1982

How to Train Your Dragon, 2010

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, 2002

The Matrix, 1999

Akira, 1988

Neon Genesis, 1995

Princess Bride, 1987

The Dark Crystal, 1982

Hook, 1991

Inkheart, 2008

A Knight's Tale, 2001

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, 2003

The Lord of the Rings, 2001

The Mummy, 1999

Night at the Museum, 2006

Scarface, 1983

Lionheart, 1987

Red Sonja, 1985

Flesh and Blood, 1985

Braveheart, 1995

Kingdom of Heaven, 2005

Bridge to Terabithia, 2007

The Chronicles of Narnia, 2005

Reign of Fire, 2002

Beowulf, 2007

Hercule, 2014

Clash of the Titans, 2010

Jason and the Argonauts, 2000

Game of Thrones, 2011

House of the Dragon, 2022

Willow (TV Series), 2022

Dinotopia, 2002

Dragonheart: Vengeance, 2020

Slipper and the Rose, 1976

Authors:

Charles Edward Pogue

Actors:

Dennis Quaid

Sean Connery

Dina Meyer

David Thewlis

Liam Neeson

Helen Mirren

Tim Allen

Jackie Chan

Tom Hanks

Jim Henson

Paul Bettany

Daniel Craig

Rachel Weisz

Michelle Pfeiffer

Eric Stoltz

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Christian Bale

Dwayne Johnson

Other:

Rob Cohen, Director & Film Maker

LINKS

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.