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Since we've been talking about names for the past couple of episodes, here's one of my absolute favourites from the Allusiovaults: Yes, As In, featuring people who have names that are more usually found as common nouns and adjectives.
Content note: there are a few swears in this episode. (None of the people have swear names, though.)
Hey, remember the Draculae miniseries?
Appropriately, the topic continues to be undead: people keep asking me to talk about those books!
The Slate podcast Decoder Ring has just done an episode about Powers of Darkness, in which I pop up; hear here.
Iris Ichishita, who appeared in Draculae episodes 3 and 4, has brought back her podcast series Power of Darkness which is all about these books; I’m on an episode discussing secret societies, and I’m afraid I did inform Iris about the existence of Pig-gate. Alleged existence.
5 November 2026, I’ll be talking about the Powers of Darknesses on a panel about translation and truth at the Open University's online conference Telling the truth? Authorship, audiences and authenticity across discourse, texts and narratives. It’s online and registration is free.
Sign up at theallusionist.org/donate to fund the continuing existence of this independent podcast. For $5/month or above, get the ad-free version of the show. Donors at all levels can join me for regular livestreams where I read relaxingly from my ever-expanding collection of vintage dictionaries, plus you get bonus written content including behind the scenes info about every episode, membership of the Allusioverse Discord community, and watchalong parties for films and TV shows: in November we'll watch Billy Wilder's excellent Agatha Christie adaptation Witness for the Prosecution, and each week we're watching the 2026 season of Great British Bake Off and its Canadian counterpart - and, you get my drawings of Paul Hollywood in the style of medieval marginalia. You can even give someone a gift membership!
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
hoggin, noun: a mixture of sand and gravel, used especially in road-building.
Origin 19th century: of unknown origin.
CREDITS:
In alphabetical order of surname, you heard from
Peregrine Andrews. Yes, peregrine as in falcon. Peregrine is a producer and sound designer.
Paul Bae. As in the term of affection, or Korean stomach. Paul is behind the hit fiction podcasts The Big Loop and The Black Tapes.
Dennis Funk. As in the music genre...or the yesterday-sex-smell. Dennis makes audio and music and the audio magazine Written In Air.
Phoebe Judge. As in a judge. Phoebe hosts the podcasts Criminal and This Is Love.
Cinnamon Nippard. Yes, as in the spice. Cinnamon is a journalist and radio producer.
Princess Ojiaku. As in royalty. Princess is a journalist who specialises in science and health.
Emerald Paston and Sapphire Paston. As in the jewels. Emerald is a writer and producer.
Caspar Salmon. As in the muscular and brave fish. Caspar is a writer, and also the star of the short film Fish Story, recounting his family's fishy claim to fame.
Steve Pretty. As in attractive or cunning. Steve is a musician and music producer, and leads the Hackney Colliery Band.
Tiger Webb. As in the animal. Tiger deals with the A(ustralian)B(roadcasting)C(orporation)'s style guide, and writes very interesting articles about language.
Loveis Wise. As in what Bertrand Russell said. Loveis is an artist.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman. The music is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch, and the podcast we are both in, Answer Me This.
Find the Allusionist at youtube.com/allusionistshow, instagram.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, @allusionistshow.bsky.social… If I’m there, I’m there as @allusionistshow.
- HZ.
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