This episode includes a discussion of This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey, a young adult fantasy thriller that blends the author's passions for magic and medicine. It also references other reading and text recommendations such as:

• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda
• Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
• Books by Leigh Bardugo
• Books by Laini Taylor
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  
• Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• How to Be Normal by Ange Crawford
• Anomaly by Emma Lord

Also discussed are:

• The commodification of magic, and how this metaphor opens up rich discussion about pharmaceuticals, access, privilege, and the ethics of who gets to control resources;
• The allure and danger of wealth, celebrity and influencer culture, and how young people can critically examine power structures without losing sight of their own values;
• The balance between queer joy and queer trauma in contemporary YA, and the importance of offering affirming, escapist narratives alongside stories that tackle hardship;
• How genre blending can hook reluctant readers while still allowing for sophisticated exploration of class, authority and power;
• The role of limitations in world-building, and how clear rules within a magic system strengthen tension and narrative satisfaction;
• Comparative possibilities with The Great Gatsby, particularly around glamour, illusion, class aspiration and the corruption of the “dream” across different historical contexts;
• And, as always, the value of championing contemporary Australian genre fiction in classrooms to engage students with stories that feel both grounded and relevant to their lives.