Stories Across Borders

Stories Across Borders is Daniel’s fiction-focused podcast where he, along with his various guests, discusses stories told across a wide range of different mediums. The podcast follows a cyclical format where each set of four episodes follows a theme.

The first episode will always be a more general discussion based on the theme. The next two will focus on specific examples of that theme. The final episode in a cycle features a reading of a story - usually one written by Daniel himself for the episode - and follow-up discussion.

Stories Across Borders is also available on Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Stories Across Borders
Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 26 - Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In is a unique entry in the history of vampire stories. Daniel and Jon discuss the many complexities of the story and how it sets itself apart from the rest of an oversaturated genre. Then, they examine the American film adaptation and its place in the film landscape where the Swedish version already exists.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 25 - Vampires

Daniel and Jon dive into the history of vampire stories, the origins of the modern vampire and the wealth of narratives and symbolism that can be found among vampire stories.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 24 - Run

Daniel and Jon discuss Run, a short story written by Daniel for the episode. They take a look at ways action can manifest in stories other than combat and survival situations and explore the importance of focus and perspective in crafting dynamic action.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 23 - X-Men

Daniel, Jon and Marv discuss Marvel’s X-Men franchise. They talk about the way the character-focused storytelling and philosophical conflicts central to the series greatly enhance the action. They also spend a lot of time talking about why Storm is the coolest.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 22 - Avatar

Daniel and Jon discuss the renowned Avatar franchise and break down how the philosophies of different cultures and characters are represented in their martial arts.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 21 - Action

Daniel and Jon talk about action in stories. They go over what exactly constitutes action, how writing and portraying action differs across different media and how to create action scenes with an impact beyond spectacle.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 20 - Five Lessons

Jon reads Daniel’s story, Five Lessons and the two of them then discuss how the process of maturing is explored within the story. They talk about the difficult parts of growing up and how they can be explored in fiction.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 19 - Good Will Hunting

Daniel and Jon consider taking a broader view of what constitutes a coming of age story as they examine Good Will Hunting. They discuss how trauma can delay personal growth and how the film portrays the process of coming to terms with past suffering as an adult.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 18 - Drifting Home

Daniel and Jon take a look at Drifting Home, a movie that is about children stranded on a magical ocean on the surface, but much more if you look a little deeper. They discuss how the film uses symbolism to explore several different comings of age and how growing up means different things for different people.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 17 - Coming of Age Stories

Daniel and Jon investigate coming of age stories. Just what constitutes such a story? How is our understanding of this kind of story changing and growing and why do they often feel so poignant?

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 16 - Paragon?

Daniel and Jon examine Daniel’s short story, Paragon? They look at what happens when you transpose superhero characters from the worlds crafted around them into worlds that more closely resemble our own. They discuss the idea of superheroes as flawed beings.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 14 - Invincible

Daniel and Jon discuss Invincible, a comic-turned-animated-series that explores not only the dramatic action of costumed heroics but also the emotional and psychological effects the superhero lifestyle has on the ones that take up the mantle.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 13 - Superheroes

Daniel is joined by Marv once more as they discuss superhero stories. They discuss what makes for a compelling superhero story and ponder the origins and future of our spandex-wearing champions.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 11 - The Book Thief

Daniel and Jon explore Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief. They discuss how the already emotional and poignant story is elevated even further by its choice of narrator.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 9 - Narration

Daniel and Jon try a bit of an experimental episode as they focus on the perspectives stories are told from. They discuss the different types of point of view and how different varieties of narrator can alter the way a story is experienced.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 8 - Digging

Jon reads Daniel’s short story, Digging. Then, the two of them discuss how the story relates to the theme of positivity - in particular, how positivity can actually breed conflict and character development in a story.

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Daniel Radford Daniel Radford

Season 2: Episode 7 - Space Boy

Daniel and Jon discuss Stephen McCranie’s Webtoon, Space Boy. They examine how it uses positivity to explore heartfelt, emotional and often surprisingly dark story elements in a meaningful way while touching on both healthy and unhealthy forms of positivity in-universe.

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