https://escapepod.org The Original Science Fiction Podcast Thu, 03 Oct 2024 21:00:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://escapepod.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cropped-Escape-Pod-chip-2-32x32.png https://escapepod.org 32 32 Each week, Escape Pod delivers science fiction short stories from today's best authors. Listen today, and hear the new sound of science fiction! Escape Artists Foundation false episodic Escape Artists Foundation Copyright 2005-2024 Copyright 2005-2024 podcast The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine https://escapepod.org/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/EscapePod_3000px.jpg https://escapepod.org TV-PG ff78e646-5299-530d-a858-7fc3e0ffb0fe https://escapepod.org/2024/10/03/escape-pod-961-mathball/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 21:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15096 https://escapepod.org/2024/10/03/escape-pod-961-mathball/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/10/03/escape-pod-961-mathball/feed/ 0 Author : Larry Hodges Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 961: Mathball is an Escape Pod original. Mathball By Larry Hodges You are a baseball fan, sitting in the centerfield seats eating an overpriced hot dog. You are wearing a baseball cap, but not a batting […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/10/03/escape-pod-961-mathball/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Larry Hodges Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 961: Mathball is an Escape Pod original. Mathball By Larry Hodges You are a baseball fan, sitting in the centerfield seats eating an overpriced h... Mathball<br /> By Larry Hodges<br /> <br /> You are a baseball fan, sitting in the centerfield seats eating an overpriced hot dog. You are wearing a baseball cap, but not a batting helmet, of course. (Why would that be an issue? Hmm…)You smile brightly, but all will not end well for you unless you pay close attention.<br /> <br /> “Play ball!” cries the umpire, crouching behind the plate. The crowd roars. The pitcher stares down at the catcher, waiting for the sign. They are the home team. Thousands cheer for them.<br /> <br /> The batter waves his bat menacingly. He is a hero of this story.<br /> <br /> Six scientists sit at their desks behind home plate, three on the third-base side, three on the first-base side. The three on the first-base side work for the pitcher and we don’t care about them—they are the enemy. The three on the third-base side work for the batter. They are from MIT. These latter three are the real stars of this story.<br /> <br /> Well… mostly. Larry Hodges (Author); Mur Lafferty (Narrators) full false 33:41 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/26/escape-pod-960-elegy-of-carbon/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15074 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/26/escape-pod-960-elegy-of-carbon/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/09/26/escape-pod-960-elegy-of-carbon/feed/ 0 Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the anthology “The Internet Is Where The Robots Live Now” (Paper Dog Press, November 2018). Elegy of Carbon by Benjamin C. Kinney The miner birthed itself among rubble and vacuum, as it […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/09/26/escape-pod-960-elegy-of-carbon/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the anthology “The Internet Is Where The Robots Live Now” (Paper Dog Press, November 2018). Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the anthology “The Internet Is Where The Robots Live Now” (Paper Dog Press, November 2018). Elegy of Carbon by Benjamin C. Kinney The miner birthed itself among rubble and vacuum, as it […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 40:26 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/19/escape-pod-959-this-little-war-of-ours/ Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15060 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/19/escape-pod-959-this-little-war-of-ours/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/09/19/escape-pod-959-this-little-war-of-ours/feed/ 0 Author : Arden Baker Narrators : Scott Campbell, Graeme Dunlop and Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 959: This Little War of Ours is an Escape Pod original. Brief mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation, and an apocalypse setting. This Little War of Ours By Arden Baker   […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/09/19/escape-pod-959-this-little-war-of-ours/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Arden Baker Narrators : Scott Campbell, Graeme Dunlop and Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 959: This Little War of Ours is an Escape Pod original. Brief mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation, This Little War of Ours<br /> By Arden Baker<br /> <br /> <br /> SECURE PRIORITY COMMUNIQUE<br /> <br /> distribution SOLITAIRE, keyword MASQUERADE, source PENTACLE<br /> <br /> FROM: TRIPLE INTENT<br /> <br /> TO: ASPHODEL<br /> <br /> BEGIN CONTENT<br /> <br /> <br /> Even if you’re my enemy, I’m glad to hear from you. Arden Baker (Author); Scott Campbell, Graeme Dunlop, Valerie Valdes (Narrators) full false 31:02 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/12/escape-pod-958-some-of-them-closer-flashback-friday/ Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15052 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/12/escape-pod-958-some-of-them-closer-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/09/12/escape-pod-958-some-of-them-closer-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : The Word Whore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Originally appeared in Analog (2011), and in Escape Pod 366 (Oct 2012) Some of Them Closer by Marissa Lingen Coming back to Earth was not the immediate shock they expected it to be for me. It was […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/09/12/escape-pod-958-some-of-them-closer-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : The Word Whore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Originally appeared in Analog (2011), and in Escape Pod 366 (Oct 2012) Some of Them Closer by Marissa Lingen Coming back to Earth was not the immedia... Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : The Word Whore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Originally appeared in Analog (2011), and in Escape Pod 366 (Oct 2012) Some of Them Closer by Marissa Lingen Coming back to Earth was not the immediate shock they expected it to be for me. It was […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 31:07 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/05/escape-pod-957-vault-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 05 Sep 2024 21:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15044 https://escapepod.org/2024/09/05/escape-pod-957-vault-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/09/05/escape-pod-957-vault-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 2 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires (…Continued from Part 1) “Lukas?” Chenguang’s voice echoes in this expanse of dark. A vortex of light opens to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/09/05/escape-pod-957-vault-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 2 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires (…Continued from Part 1) “Lukas? Vault (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By D.A. Xiaolin Spires<br /> <br /> (...Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> “Lukas?”<br /> <br /> Chenguang’s voice echoes in this expanse of dark.<br /> <br /> A vortex of light opens to her right and she sees a warped head and legs emerge from a point in the dark. It’s Lukas. As he enters the space, the light bends, his figure elongated as he pulls himself through and it closes behind him. It’s dark again.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Lukas.”<br /> <br /> “Chenguang?” His voice is low and resounds against unseen walls. “Where is this place?”<br /> <br /> “Did we just—enter the structure somehow?”<br /> <br /> “I—I—don’t know.” Lukas’ voice uncharacteristically wavers before it quiets down in the darkness. D.A. Xiaolin Spires (Author); Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Narrator) full false 43:04 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/29/escape-pod-956-vault-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 29 Aug 2024 21:00:10 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15035 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/29/escape-pod-956-vault-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/08/29/escape-pod-956-vault-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 1 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires Chenguang hikes up her sleeves before vaulting over the pile of fuzzy moss and greets Lukas with a nod. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/08/29/escape-pod-956-vault-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 1 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires Chenguang hikes up her sleeves bef... Vault (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By D.A. Xiaolin Spires<br /> <br /> Chenguang hikes up her sleeves before vaulting over the pile of fuzzy moss and greets Lukas with a nod. The chloropolyurethane fabric flaps in the slight breeze and the double suns beat down onto her arms.<br /> <br /> Lukas fishes in his bag next to his tent for a bottle of sunsoak and releases the spray, running it generously over his solflex-covered arms, torso, and legs.<br /> <br /> “Your head,” Chenguang says and he smiles, as if he hadn’t been doing this for years.<br /> <br /> “Can’t reach,” he says, lying and Chenguang knows he just likes the attention. She grabs the spray and discharges that exhale of mist, covering his football-shaped clear helmet. She even sprays some on the clear hard arc under his bearded chin. She turns the mist onto herself, bringing down the spray over her exposed transpandex inner layer, the foam frothing up at her arms before becoming clear, encasing the invisible solflex pores of her fabric. D.A. Xiaolin Spires (Author); Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Narrator) full false 39:34 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/22/escape-pod-955-endymion/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15026 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/22/escape-pod-955-endymion/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/08/22/escape-pod-955-endymion/feed/ 0 Author : Sylvie Althoff Narrator : Serah Eley Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 955: Endymion is an Escape Pod original. Contains transphobic slur, adult language, and brief but graphic violence Endymion by Sylvie Althoff It’s green here—green and wet. The twittering of birds in the treetops pauses as one […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/08/22/escape-pod-955-endymion/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sylvie Althoff Narrator : Serah Eley Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 955: Endymion is an Escape Pod original. Contains transphobic slur, adult language, and brief but graphic violence Endymion by Sylvie Althoff It... Author : Sylvie Althoff Narrator : Serah Eley Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 955: Endymion is an Escape Pod original. Contains transphobic slur, adult language, and brief but graphic violence Endymion by Sylvie Althoff It’s green here—green and wet. The twittering of birds in the treetops pauses as one […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 32:38 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/15/escape-pod-954-chandras-game-flashback-friday/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15021 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/15/escape-pod-954-chandras-game-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/08/15/escape-pod-954-chandras-game-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Samantha Henderson Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Chandra’s Game” originally appeared in Lone Star Stories (2009), and in Escape Pod 373. Chandra’s Game by Samantha Henderson Joey Straphos, Papa Joe, told me once that Chandra’s Game is a bitch of a city, fickle but generous […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/08/15/escape-pod-954-chandras-game-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Samantha Henderson Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Chandra’s Game” originally appeared in Lone Star Stories (2009), and in Escape Pod 373. Chandra’s Game by Samantha Henderson Joey Straphos, Author : Samantha Henderson Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Chandra’s Game” originally appeared in Lone Star Stories (2009), and in Escape Pod 373. Chandra’s Game by Samantha Henderson Joey Straphos, Papa Joe, told me once that Chandra’s Game is a bitch of a city, fickle but generous […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 37:03 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/08/escape-pod-953-sturdy-ladders-and-lanterns/ Thu, 08 Aug 2024 21:00:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=15010 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/08/escape-pod-953-sturdy-ladders-and-lanterns/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/08/08/escape-pod-953-sturdy-ladders-and-lanterns/feed/ 0 Author : Malka Older Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns originally appeared in XPrize Current Futures anthology, 2019. Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns By Malka Older As a freelance marine behavioral researcher most of Natalia’s jobs went something like this: She swam around in some […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/08/08/escape-pod-953-sturdy-ladders-and-lanterns/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Malka Older Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns originally appeared in XPrize Current Futures anthology, 2019. Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns By Malka Older As a freelance mari... Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns<br /> By Malka Older<br /> <br /> As a freelance marine behavioral researcher most of Natalia’s jobs went something like this: She swam around in some large but controllable environment with a cephalopod, paying attention to its body language and her own. She tried to make the octopus or squid feel as comfortable as possible, so that its behavior in response to stimuli might approximate what it would do in the wild. It wasn’t what she had expected when she trained as a marine biologist, but frankly she preferred it to dissection, experimentation by electric shock, or even anything that required interacting with animals captive in tiny tanks.<br /> <br /> This particular job started out only slightly unusual. For most jobs she was given a specific research interest. Sometimes they told her exactly what to do to elicit the behaviors they wanted to study, and sometimes they let her design the approach, but either way it meant some narrow focus for her attention. Natalia always tried to give the cephalopod some play time around their interactions – if challenged on this, she told her employers that it led to more natural responses than repeating the same cues over and over again – but their time was very much directed by research.<br /> <br /> On this job, they told her just to play with the octopus. Malka Older (Author); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 35:58 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/01/escape-pod-952-skyscrapers-that-twist-to-the-sun/ Thu, 01 Aug 2024 21:00:12 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14999 https://escapepod.org/2024/08/01/escape-pod-952-skyscrapers-that-twist-to-the-sun/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/08/01/escape-pod-952-skyscrapers-that-twist-to-the-sun/feed/ 0 Author : Erin Brown Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun” appeared in Fantasy Magazine Issue 87 (January 2023) Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun by Erin Brown Shaundra took the small, empty cardboard box and swiveled on her work stool to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/08/01/escape-pod-952-skyscrapers-that-twist-to-the-sun/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Erin Brown Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun” appeared in Fantasy Magazine Issue 87 (January 2023) Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun by Erin Brown Shaundra took ... Author : Erin Brown Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun” appeared in Fantasy Magazine Issue 87 (January 2023) Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun by Erin Brown Shaundra took the small, empty cardboard box and swiveled on her work stool to […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 16:12 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/25/escape-pod-951-the-scientist-does-not-look-back/ Thu, 25 Jul 2024 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14981 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/25/escape-pod-951-the-scientist-does-not-look-back/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/07/25/escape-pod-951-the-scientist-does-not-look-back/feed/ 0 Author : Kristen Koopman Narrators : Ant Bacon, Valerie Valdes and Adam Pracht Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 951: The Scientist Does Not Look Back is an Escape Pod original. Death, grief and loss. The Scientist Does Not Look Back By Kristen Koopman Feb. 17, 3:40 AM. Audio notebook for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/07/25/escape-pod-951-the-scientist-does-not-look-back/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kristen Koopman Narrators : Ant Bacon, Valerie Valdes and Adam Pracht Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 951: The Scientist Does Not Look Back is an Escape Pod original. Death, grief and loss. The Scientist Does Not Look Back<br /> By Kristen Koopman<br /> <br /> Feb. 17, 3:40 AM. Audio notebook for new project: revival of a clinically dead patient, 36 year old male, died of hypothermia and shock.<br /> <br /> The technician at the morgue hesitated when releasing him to me. I'm not surprised, with the tone that took hold of my voice as I corrected her Mr. to Dr. as she took down my details. When I gave her my name, her pen stalled over the paper—a giveaway that his parents had called before I arrived. I should be grateful that she released him to me anyway, honoring my legal right to the body. I should be grateful for so much, I suppose, even if it doesn't feel like it, to have this opportunity to—to not let his story end in tragedy. Kristen Koopman (Author); Ant Bacon (Narrator); Valerie Valdes and Adam Pracht (Additional Voices) full false 33:27 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/18/escape-pod-950-bad-dogs-escape-flashback-friday/ Thu, 18 Jul 2024 21:00:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14973 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/18/escape-pod-950-bad-dogs-escape-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/07/18/escape-pod-950-bad-dogs-escape-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : James Patrick Kelly Narrators : A Kovacs, John Cmar and Pamela Quevillon Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Appropriate for older teens and up due to erotic imagery and war criminal comeuppance Bad Dogs Escape By James Patrick Kelly /SFX/ CLOCK TICKING, FADE TO /SFX/ DOGS BARKING IN DISTANCE SAM: […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/07/18/escape-pod-950-bad-dogs-escape-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : James Patrick Kelly Narrators : A Kovacs, John Cmar and Pamela Quevillon Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Appropriate for older teens and up due to erotic imagery and war criminal comeuppance Bad Dogs Escape By James Patrick ... Author : James Patrick Kelly Narrators : A Kovacs, John Cmar and Pamela Quevillon Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Appropriate for older teens and up due to erotic imagery and war criminal comeuppance Bad Dogs Escape By James Patrick Kelly /SFX/ CLOCK TICKING, FADE TO /SFX/ DOGS BARKING IN DISTANCE SAM: […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 19:05 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/11/escape-pod-949-a-foundational-model-for-talking-to-girls/ Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14966 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/11/escape-pod-949-a-foundational-model-for-talking-to-girls/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/07/11/escape-pod-949-a-foundational-model-for-talking-to-girls/feed/ 0 Author : Brian Hugenbruch Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 949: A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls is an Escape Pod original. A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls By Brian Hugenbruch “Hey Marty,” Mom asks, “got a moment?” I cringe whenever Mom’s voice has […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/07/11/escape-pod-949-a-foundational-model-for-talking-to-girls/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian Hugenbruch Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 949: A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls is an Escape Pod original. A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls By Brian Hugenbruch “Hey M... A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls<br /> By Brian Hugenbruch<br /> <br /> “Hey Marty,” Mom asks, “got a moment?”<br /> <br /> I cringe whenever Mom's voice has that tone to it. I don’t know what she’s going to say; but if I’ve learned anything in my thirteen years on this desolate, oxygen-deprived rock, it’s that she’s going to find a way to say the most mortifying thing possible. It would be impressive, the way that every sentence excavates my stomach—if it weren't my stomach she was mining!<br /> <br /> Okay, that's unfair. Maybe this time it won't be so bad?<br /> <br /> “That girl who just walked past us. Why didn’t you ask her out?”<br /> <br /> Or not. Brian Hugenbruch (Author); Kyle Akers (Narrator) full false 28:14 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/04/escape-pod-948-thank-you-for-doing-business-with-the-xyblor-principality/ Thu, 04 Jul 2024 21:00:07 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14955 https://escapepod.org/2024/07/04/escape-pod-948-thank-you-for-doing-business-with-the-xyblor-principality/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/07/04/escape-pod-948-thank-you-for-doing-business-with-the-xyblor-principality/feed/ 0 Author : Rachel Meresman Narrator : Isaac Harwood Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 948: Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality is an Escape Pod original. Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality by Rachel Meresman Jaxon was not a connoisseur of art, but he […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/07/04/escape-pod-948-thank-you-for-doing-business-with-the-xyblor-principality/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Rachel Meresman Narrator : Isaac Harwood Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 948: Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality is an Escape Pod original. Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor ... Author : Rachel Meresman Narrator : Isaac Harwood Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 948: Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality is an Escape Pod original. Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality by Rachel Meresman Jaxon was not a connoisseur of art, but he […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 24:15 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/27/escape-pod-947-rupert-weard-and-the-case-of-the-adamant-annihilist/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:00:12 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14946 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/27/escape-pod-947-rupert-weard-and-the-case-of-the-adamant-annihilist/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/06/27/escape-pod-947-rupert-weard-and-the-case-of-the-adamant-annihilist/feed/ 0 Author : Rob Gillham Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 947: Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist is an Escape Pod original. Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist By Rob Gillham Rupert Weard leapt into the drawing room, escaping a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/06/27/escape-pod-947-rupert-weard-and-the-case-of-the-adamant-annihilist/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Rob Gillham Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 947: Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist is an Escape Pod original. Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist By Rob ... Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist<br /> By Rob Gillham<br /> <br /> Rupert Weard leapt into the drawing room, escaping a hallway dense with impossibly angled, tentacular horrors trying to sell him insurance.<br /> <br /> "Ye gods, it's bedlam out there," he said. "Just look at this, Boswell." He hurled his folded newspaper at me like a frisbee.<br /> <br /> I occupied my usual spot on the rug by the fireplace. I'd been happily finishing off the remains of a cauliflower when the unwanted periodical came streaking across the room, forcing me to hop into frantic evasive action.<br /> <br /> "Oi!" I said, coughing up half-chewed bits of Brassica oleracea. "Do you mind? That was my breakfast."<br /> <br /> "It's eleven o'clock, you idle rabbit." Rupert slammed the door firmly shut on a particularly determined sales rep attempting to squeeze its incompatible geometry into the room. Rob Gillham (Author); Alasdair Stuart (Narrator) full false 46:58 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/20/escape-pod-946-trixie-and-the-pandas-of-dread-flashback-friday/ Thu, 20 Jun 2024 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14926 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/20/escape-pod-946-trixie-and-the-pandas-of-dread-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/06/20/escape-pod-946-trixie-and-the-pandas-of-dread-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was first published in Escape Pod 388 (March 21, 2013) Contains harsh language and graphic gory violence Trixie and the Pandas of Dread by Eugie Foster Trixie got out of her cherry-red godmobile and waved away […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/06/20/escape-pod-946-trixie-and-the-pandas-of-dread-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was first published in Escape Pod 388 (March 21, 2013) Contains harsh language and graphic gory violence Trixie and the Pandas of Dread by Eugie... Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was first published in Escape Pod 388 (March 21, 2013) Contains harsh language and graphic gory violence Trixie and the Pandas of Dread by Eugie Foster Trixie got out of her cherry-red godmobile and waved away […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 39:10 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/13/escape-pod-945-walking-with-thorny/ Thu, 13 Jun 2024 21:00:35 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14890 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/13/escape-pod-945-walking-with-thorny/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/06/13/escape-pod-945-walking-with-thorny/feed/ 0 Author : Stetson Bostic Narrator : Samuel Poots Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 945: Walking with Thorny is an Escape Pod original. Walking with Thorny by Stetson Bostic Hitchhikers clung to Tasi’s pants as he neared the edge of the forest. He brushed them off while walking and looked […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/06/13/escape-pod-945-walking-with-thorny/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Stetson Bostic Narrator : Samuel Poots Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 945: Walking with Thorny is an Escape Pod original. Walking with Thorny by Stetson Bostic Hitchhikers clung to Tasi’s pants as he neared the... Author : Stetson Bostic Narrator : Samuel Poots Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 945: Walking with Thorny is an Escape Pod original. Walking with Thorny by Stetson Bostic Hitchhikers clung to Tasi’s pants as he neared the edge of the forest. He brushed them off while walking and looked […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 30:27 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/06/escape-pod-944-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:00:16 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14912 https://escapepod.org/2024/06/06/escape-pod-944-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/06/06/escape-pod-944-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Vera Brook Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day on the Job was originally published in The Colored Lens in spring 2022. How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day on the Job […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/06/06/escape-pod-944-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Vera Brook Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day on the Job was originally published in The Colored Lens in spring 2022. How to Keep Your Cool If You're a Mech First Day on the Job (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By Vera Brook<br /> <br /> (...Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> Jenna gave herself a few moments to seethe in silence before she spoke, to make sure her voice was calm. “I can’t move.”<br /> <br /> “Did you hear that?” Daron took a swig of his water, then bit into his sandwich. He looked around the table at the others. Not even a glance at Jenna. “She can’t move.”<br /> <br /> “It’s a problem,” Skye admitted.<br /> <br /> “Definitely is,” Irelyn agreed.<br /> <br /> “Most unfortunate.” This from Khalil.<br /> <br /> There was a pause as they waited for Uruk, but he was staring at his computer screen. He jumped up when Irelyn’s elbow poked his ribcage. “We’re still good. No delays. I’m keeping track.”<br /> <br /> “We’re talking about the newbie, Uruk,” Irelyn said. “She can’t move.” Vera Brook (Author); Ibba Armancas (Narrator) full false https://escapepod.org/2024/05/30/escape-pod-943-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 30 May 2024 21:00:18 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14902 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/30/escape-pod-943-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/05/30/escape-pod-943-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Vera Brook Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day on the Job was originally published in The Colored Lens in spring 2022. https://designfor-me.com/project-types/self-build/revolutionising-construction-the-rise-of-3d-printed-houses/ https://www.gira.com/uk/en/g-pulse-magazine/building/3d-house-germany# https://builtin.com/articles/3d-printed-house#:~:text=Nowadays%2C%20industrial%2Dsized%203D%20printers,transported%20to%20its%20final%20location How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/05/30/escape-pod-943-how-to-keep-your-cool-if-youre-a-mech-first-day-on-the-job-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Vera Brook Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht How to Keep Your Cool If You’re a Mech First Day on the Job was originally published in The Colored Lens in spring 2022. https://designfor-me. How to Keep Your Cool If You're a Mech First Day on the Job (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By Vera Brook<br /> <br /> Damn, the exoskeleton was hot. Two minutes strapped into the smart harness with its thick exospine and the oversized, carbon-fiber limbs that grew from it, and sweat pooled between Jenna’s shoulder blades, over her own spinal column. The whole thing hummed with electronics and throbbed with support motors. Nothing like the black top, mini skirt, and sneakers she’d worn on her previous job, waiting tables and tending bar at Lazy Dog’s.<br /> <br /> But the pay was three times what she made in tips, and she had the evenings to herself.<br /> <br /> She was moving up in the world. Vera Brook (Author); Ibba Armancas (Narrator) full false https://escapepod.org/2024/05/23/escape-pod-942-the-eye-of-applethorpe/ Thu, 23 May 2024 21:00:30 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14868 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/23/escape-pod-942-the-eye-of-applethorpe/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/05/23/escape-pod-942-the-eye-of-applethorpe/feed/ 0 Author : E J Delaney Narrator : Eliza Chan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 942: The Eye of Applethorpe is an Escape Pod original. The Eye of Applethorpe by E J Delaney Úna’s dad once said to her: “You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” Spring had […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/05/23/escape-pod-942-the-eye-of-applethorpe/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : E J Delaney Narrator : Eliza Chan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 942: The Eye of Applethorpe is an Escape Pod original. The Eye of Applethorpe by E J Delaney Úna’s dad once said to her: “You never know what you... Author : E J Delaney Narrator : Eliza Chan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 942: The Eye of Applethorpe is an Escape Pod original. The Eye of Applethorpe by E J Delaney Úna’s dad once said to her: “You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” Spring had […] Escape Artists Foundation full false https://escapepod.org/2024/05/16/escape-pod-941-the-concept-shoppe-a-rocky-cornelius-consultancy/ Thu, 16 May 2024 21:00:03 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14864 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/16/escape-pod-941-the-concept-shoppe-a-rocky-cornelius-consultancy/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/05/16/escape-pod-941-the-concept-shoppe-a-rocky-cornelius-consultancy/feed/ 0 Author : Andrew Dana Hudson Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 941: The Concept Shoppe: A Rocky Cornelius Consultancy is an Escape Pod original. The Concept Shoppe: A Rocky Cornelius Consultancy By Andrew Dana Hudson “This place is trash, garbágio, blechalicious,” Rocky Cornelius said appreciatively. “All […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/05/16/escape-pod-941-the-concept-shoppe-a-rocky-cornelius-consultancy/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Andrew Dana Hudson Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 941: The Concept Shoppe: A Rocky Cornelius Consultancy is an Escape Pod original. The Concept Shoppe: A Rocky Cornelius Consultancy By And... The Concept Shoppe: A Rocky Cornelius Consultancy<br /> By Andrew Dana Hudson<br /> <br /> “This place is trash, garbágio, blechalicious,” Rocky Cornelius said appreciatively. “All we gotta do is, as they say, sublevel the vibe.”<br /> <br /> “Really? You think so?” The greengrocer, Franklyn, wrung his hands—still caked with black soil from showing her the beet rows in aisle five—a sure sign that Rocky’s negging, one of the most reliable techniques in her consultant toolbox, was working.<br /> <br /> They stood in the canned goods section of Primal, soon to be Westwood’s newest and hippest boutique bodega slash survival goods retailer. The paper labels on the tins had been artfully patinated by some design school dropout, ripped and torn to leave just a slash of Roma tomato picture here, a glimpse of fava bean logo there. The shelves looked half-caved in, but were in fact quite secure, welded into place at zig-zag angles. Simulated California sun streamed, dappled, through an ivy-frosted, hole-in-the-roof-shaped skylight.<br /> <br /> The idea of this ‘concept shoppe’ was to make shoppers feel like they were looting an abandoned store in a post-apocalyptic, collapseporn paradise. Rocky quite liked the idea. No one wanted to be a “consumer” these days. People—especially Californians, who had lately been through so much—wanted to think of themselves as “survivors,” disaster-hardened protagonists in a return-to-their-roots story of rebuilding and social rejuvenation. It’s just that, if they could afford one of the new quake-proof condos springing up in Westwood, they wanted to do so without having to worry about tetanus, botulism, scurvy, or gluten. Andrew Dana Hudson (Author); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 47:30 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/09/escape-pod-940-nobody-ever-goes-home-to-zhenzhu/ Thu, 09 May 2024 21:00:29 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14858 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/09/escape-pod-940-nobody-ever-goes-home-to-zhenzhu/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/05/09/escape-pod-940-nobody-ever-goes-home-to-zhenzhu/feed/ 0 Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Isabel J. Kim Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Nobody Ever Goes Home to Zhenzhu” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (May 2022). Contains some harsh language. Nobody Ever Goes Home to Zhenzhu by Grace Chan I’d always known Calam would run. He had all the signs. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/05/09/escape-pod-940-nobody-ever-goes-home-to-zhenzhu/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Isabel J. Kim Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Nobody Ever Goes Home to Zhenzhu” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (May 2022). Contains some harsh language. Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Isabel J. Kim Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Nobody Ever Goes Home to Zhenzhu” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (May 2022). Contains some harsh language. Nobody Ever Goes Home to Zhenzhu by Grace Chan I’d always known Calam would run. He had all the signs. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 29:54 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/02/escape-pod-939-variant-cover-pantone-sunset/ Thu, 02 May 2024 21:00:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14839 https://escapepod.org/2024/05/02/escape-pod-939-variant-cover-pantone-sunset/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/05/02/escape-pod-939-variant-cover-pantone-sunset/feed/ 0 Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 939: Variant Cover: Pantone Sunset is an Escape Pod original. Alternate Cover: Pantone Sunset By Marie Vibbert Stacey reads a comic book.  It’s about a robot lady, but not like her.  This robot lady has exposed gears […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/05/02/escape-pod-939-variant-cover-pantone-sunset/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 939: Variant Cover: Pantone Sunset is an Escape Pod original. Alternate Cover: Pantone Sunset By Marie Vibbert Stacey reads a comic book.... Alternate Cover: Pantone Sunset<br /> By Marie Vibbert<br /> <br /> Stacey reads a comic book.  It’s about a robot lady, but not like her.  This robot lady has exposed gears and metal rods in her arms and wears a metallic bikini as she solves crimes.  The colors are otherworldly.  Sometimes the red ink bleeds sideways or the blue shifts toward the bottom of the page. Stacey loves the feeling that every image is made of transparent layers.  She imagines soft films of yellow, red, and blue gently wafting down onto the black and white.<br /> <br /> Stacey isn’t supposed to be reading the comic book.  Her existence is devoted to the proper display and peddling of women’s casual separates for the upscale consumer.  When she isn’t in the window posing, she is assisting customers or straightening stock–which means undoing the chaos the customers do to the shop.  They do a lot.  The comic book itself had been left by a customer, on a pedestal displaying the new winter sweaters, with a half-drunk coffee and some cheese doodles. Marie Vibbert (Author); Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Narrator) full false 34:16 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/25/escape-pod-938-chug-the-tea-leaves-chuck-the-ads/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:00:12 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14799 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/25/escape-pod-938-chug-the-tea-leaves-chuck-the-ads/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/04/25/escape-pod-938-chug-the-tea-leaves-chuck-the-ads/feed/ 0 Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : James Kaku Pierson Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 938: Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads is an Escape Pod original. Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads by Tim Chawaga I wake up to a message and a certain intuition that my […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/04/25/escape-pod-938-chug-the-tea-leaves-chuck-the-ads/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : James Kaku Pierson Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 938: Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads is an Escape Pod original. Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads by Tim Chawaga I wake up to a message... Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : James Kaku Pierson Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 938: Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads is an Escape Pod original. Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads by Tim Chawaga I wake up to a message and a certain intuition that my […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 31:40 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/18/escape-pod-937-punk-voyager-flashback-friday/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:00:53 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14796 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/18/escape-pod-937-punk-voyager-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/04/18/escape-pod-937-punk-voyager-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Shaenon K. Garrity Narrator : Nathaniel Lee Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Escape Pod 937: Punk Voyager (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. A copious amount of harsh language. Punk Voyager by Shaenon K. Garrity Punk Voyager was built by punks.  They […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/04/18/escape-pod-937-punk-voyager-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Shaenon K. Garrity Narrator : Nathaniel Lee Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Escape Pod 937: Punk Voyager (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. A copious amount of harsh language. Author : Shaenon K. Garrity Narrator : Nathaniel Lee Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Escape Pod 937: Punk Voyager (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. A copious amount of harsh language. Punk Voyager by Shaenon K. Garrity Punk Voyager was built by punks.  They […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 23:47 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/11/escape-pod-936-old-peoples-folly-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14791 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/11/escape-pod-936-old-peoples-folly-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/04/11/escape-pod-936-old-peoples-folly-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Nora Schinnerl Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Old People’s Folly originally appeared in Future Science Fiction Digest, Sept. 2021. Homophobia. Parental abuse. Old People’s Folly (Part 2 of 2) By Nora Schinnerl (…Continued from Part 1) Kite was still curled into a bundle of blankets […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/04/11/escape-pod-936-old-peoples-folly-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nora Schinnerl Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Old People’s Folly originally appeared in Future Science Fiction Digest, Sept. 2021. Homophobia. Parental abuse. By Nora Schinnerl<br /> <br /> (...Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> Kite was still curled into a bundle of blankets in front of the stove when Setti woke. The old woman sniffed, torn between surprise and annoyance. She'd have figured him for a quitter, sneaking out before dawn to escape the work. That's what she'd have done when she was his age. Not like Setti was in any shape to chase after him. But he'd stayed and now she was stuck with him, just like she was stuck with her ghost. There was a thought to cheer her up in the morning.<br /> <br /> “Ey, boy.”<br /> <br /> The bundle of blankets stirred, then Kite woke with a start. The bruise on his face looked worse in the harsh morning light, his cheek all swollen and purple. From the way he winced, it wasn't the only one either. Setti dropped a bowl of oats on the table for him.<br /> <br /> “About time you start working for your food.” Nora Schinnerl (Author); Tatiana Grey (Narrator) full false 32:03 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/04/escape-pod-935-old-peoples-folly-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 21:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14773 https://escapepod.org/2024/04/04/escape-pod-935-old-peoples-folly-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/04/04/escape-pod-935-old-peoples-folly-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Nora Schinnerl Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Old People’s Folly originally appeared in Future Science Fiction Digest, Sept. 2021. Homophobia. Parental abuse. Old People’s Folly (Part 1 of 2) By Nora Schinnerl Setti knew the woman for a ghost the moment she appeared. It was […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/04/04/escape-pod-935-old-peoples-folly-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nora Schinnerl Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Old People’s Folly originally appeared in Future Science Fiction Digest, Sept. 2021. Homophobia. Parental abuse. Old People's Folly (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By Nora Schinnerl<br /> <br /> Setti knew the woman for a ghost the moment she appeared. It was the pink hair that gave her away, short and spiky. Real people didn't have hair like that. Also, you couldn't see the scratchmarks on Setti's kitchen table through real people's torsos.<br /> <br /> “The hell?” was the first thing the ghost said. Setti's grandfather had tried to tell her ghost stories when she was a kid, a long time ago, but he'd had a habit of smoking and drinking too, so none of the stories had ever made any sense and Setti didn't like unannounced visitors.<br /> <br /> “Get out of my house,” Setti demanded.<br /> <br /> “Um,” the ghost answered, staring at Setti with her eyes rimmed in thick black mascara, then held holding up a placating hand. “Okay. Just let me find—”<br /> <br /> The ghost blinked out of existence. Nora Schinnerl (Author); Tatiana Grey (Narrator) full false 30:12 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/28/escape-pod-934-the-alien-in-my-bathtub/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14760 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/28/escape-pod-934-the-alien-in-my-bathtub/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/03/28/escape-pod-934-the-alien-in-my-bathtub/feed/ 0 Author : Tony Dunnell Narrator : Bryce Dahle Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 934: The Alien in My Bathtub is an Escape Pod original. If you aren’t familiar with Locus Magazine, they’re a respected website, magazine, award, archive, and resource for SF, fantasy, and horror. They put on the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/03/28/escape-pod-934-the-alien-in-my-bathtub/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tony Dunnell Narrator : Bryce Dahle Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 934: The Alien in My Bathtub is an Escape Pod original. If you aren’t familiar with Locus Magazine, they’re a respected website, magazine, Author : Tony Dunnell Narrator : Bryce Dahle Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 934: The Alien in My Bathtub is an Escape Pod original. If you aren’t familiar with Locus Magazine, they’re a respected website, magazine, award, archive, and resource for SF, fantasy, and horror. They put on the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 44:44 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/21/escape-pod-933-summitting-the-moon/ Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14750 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/21/escape-pod-933-summitting-the-moon/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/03/21/escape-pod-933-summitting-the-moon/feed/ 0 Author : Pragathi Bala Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 933: Summitting the Moon is an Escape Pod original. Summitting the Moon By Pragathi Bala T-7 days The moon Landed, the Rut appeared, home equity plummeted, jobs disappeared, and Ghis liked riding the moon. It was […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/03/21/escape-pod-933-summitting-the-moon/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Pragathi Bala Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 933: Summitting the Moon is an Escape Pod original. Summitting the Moon By Pragathi Bala T-7 days The moon Landed, the Rut appeared, Summitting the Moon<br /> By Pragathi Bala<br /> <br /> T-7 days<br /> <br /> The moon Landed, the Rut appeared, home equity plummeted, jobs disappeared, and Ghis liked riding the moon. It was the last item on this tragic list that her wife couldn’t accept. It was the leaf that broke the whale’s back or something similar.<br /> <br /> “It’s the last time, Max,” Ghis said. “I promise.”<br /> <br /> Max rolled her eyes and blew cigarette smoke out the window. The pungent vapor followed the wind back into the house a second later. On another night years ago, Max had stood at that window on a full moon night with the light caressing her profile as she looked out at the landscape with a hopeful expression. But there were no more moonlit nights, and Max was no longer the hopeful woman Ghis once knew.<br /> <br /> “I’m not lying this time,” Ghis said. Pragathi Bala (Author); S. B. Divya (Narrator) full false 37:17 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/14/escape-pod-932-the-walking-mirror-of-the-soul/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14741 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/14/escape-pod-932-the-walking-mirror-of-the-soul/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/03/14/escape-pod-932-the-walking-mirror-of-the-soul/feed/ 0 Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was originally published at Apex Magazine #134 in December 2022. The Walking Mirror of the Soul by Renan Bernardo My desire was written all over Halcyon’s torso, a shimmering tattoo composed of my thoughts and the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/03/14/escape-pod-932-the-walking-mirror-of-the-soul/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was originally published at Apex Magazine #134 in December 2022. The Walking Mirror of the Soul by Renan Bernardo My desire was written all ov... Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was originally published at Apex Magazine #134 in December 2022. The Walking Mirror of the Soul by Renan Bernardo My desire was written all over Halcyon’s torso, a shimmering tattoo composed of my thoughts and the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 44:37 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/07/escape-pod-931-the-rhythms-of-the-world/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 20:00:30 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14729 https://escapepod.org/2024/03/07/escape-pod-931-the-rhythms-of-the-world/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/03/07/escape-pod-931-the-rhythms-of-the-world/feed/ 0 Author : Johnny Caputo Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The Rhythms of the World originally appeared in Mithila Review, Issue 16, July 2022. The Rhythms of the World By Johnny Caputo As always, we’re starving to death. From our place inside the leather pouch tied to Aamsaa’s […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/03/07/escape-pod-931-the-rhythms-of-the-world/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Johnny Caputo Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The Rhythms of the World originally appeared in Mithila Review, Issue 16, July 2022. The Rhythms of the World By Johnny Caputo As always, The Rhythms of the World<br /> By Johnny Caputo<br /> <br /> As always, we’re starving to death.<br /> <br /> From our place inside the leather pouch tied to Aamsaa’s belt, our two remaining stalks ache with hunger, barely able to hold our withered green-spotted spore caps upright. We reach down with what’s left of our network of hyphal tendrils, hoping to lap up any remaining contaminants from the patch of poisoned soil Aamsaa found last week, but there’s nothing left. No scraps of heavy metals or drops of industrial toxins. We’ve consumed it all. And if Aamsaa doesn’t find more food for us soon, we’re as good as dead.<br /> <br /> What can we say? Toxic pollution isn’t as easy to come by as it once was. Johnny Caputo (Author); Abra Staffin-Wiebe (Narrator) full false 37:04 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/29/escape-pod-930-fulfillment-in-purpose/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 22:00:53 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14714 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/29/escape-pod-930-fulfillment-in-purpose/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/02/29/escape-pod-930-fulfillment-in-purpose/feed/ 0 Author : Jack Windeyer Narrator : Matt Dovey Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 930: Fulfillment in Purpose is an Escape Pod original. Zima Blue Zima Blue episode of Love, Death & Robots Get Excited and Make Things! Ezekiel’s speech from The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 4: And Yet […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/02/29/escape-pod-930-fulfillment-in-purpose/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jack Windeyer Narrator : Matt Dovey Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 930: Fulfillment in Purpose is an Escape Pod original. Zima Blue Zima Blue episode of Love, Death & Robots Get Excited and Make Things! Author : Jack Windeyer Narrator : Matt Dovey Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 930: Fulfillment in Purpose is an Escape Pod original. Zima Blue Zima Blue episode of Love, Death & Robots Get Excited and Make Things! Ezekiel’s speech from The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 4: And Yet […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 40:04 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/22/escape-pod-929-the-library/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 22:00:16 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14707 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/22/escape-pod-929-the-library/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/02/22/escape-pod-929-the-library/feed/ 0 Author : N.B. Andersen Narrator : Dani Cutler Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 929: The Library is an Escape Pod original. The Library By N. B. Andersen Every morning at ten to ten, Dot powered on. Its hands lay flat against the thick glass of the reading room window, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/02/22/escape-pod-929-the-library/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : N.B. Andersen Narrator : Dani Cutler Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 929: The Library is an Escape Pod original. The Library By N. B. Andersen Every morning at ten to ten, Dot powered on. The Library<br /> By N. B. Andersen<br /> <br /> Every morning at ten to ten, Dot powered on. Its hands lay flat against the thick glass of the reading room window, which let the photoreceptors on its palms feast on the sun. The window overlooked a modest lot where cars had once parked in orderly fashion, side by side. Now the asphalt was veined with fissures, tufted with dandelions that had nudged and elbowed and bullied their way up from below.<br /> <br /> Dot pulled its hands from the window. The synthetic skin suctioned off with a short, wet noise, one that Dot’s colleague, Alex, would have described as rude. The sound echoed around the reading room and pinballed through the rows of empty shelves. N. B. Andersen (Author); Dani Cutler (Narrator) full false 20:15 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/15/escape-pod-928-zebulon-vance-sings-the-alphabet-songs-of-love-flashback-friday/ Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14694 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/15/escape-pod-928-zebulon-vance-sings-the-alphabet-songs-of-love-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/02/15/escape-pod-928-zebulon-vance-sings-the-alphabet-songs-of-love-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Merrie Haskell Narrator : Amanda Ching Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Eric Valdes Originally published in Apex Magazine, February 2013, and was previously published in Escape Pod 404 (July 2013). Zebulon Vance Sings the Alphabet Songs of Love by Merrie Haskell I am Robot!Ophelia. I […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/02/15/escape-pod-928-zebulon-vance-sings-the-alphabet-songs-of-love-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Merrie Haskell Narrator : Amanda Ching Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Eric Valdes Originally published in Apex Magazine, February 2013, and was previously published in Escape Pod 404 (July 2013). Author : Merrie Haskell Narrator : Amanda Ching Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Eric Valdes Originally published in Apex Magazine, February 2013, and was previously published in Escape Pod 404 (July 2013). Zebulon Vance Sings the Alphabet Songs of Love by Merrie Haskell I am Robot!Ophelia. I […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 29:26 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/08/escape-pod-927-how-to-pass-as-human/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:00:58 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14684 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/08/escape-pod-927-how-to-pass-as-human/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/02/08/escape-pod-927-how-to-pass-as-human/feed/ 0 Author : Raiff Taranday Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 927: How to Pass as Human is an Escape Pod original. Some mildly crude language. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast, an anthology series of sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas. It’s a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/02/08/escape-pod-927-how-to-pass-as-human/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Raiff Taranday Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 927: How to Pass as Human is an Escape Pod original. Some mildly crude language. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Su... “How to Pass as Human”: a Quantum-Encrypted Listicle on the Synthetic Consciousness Subnet<br /> By Raiff Taranday<br /> <br /> QUERY: Locate file 8548.213 (“How to Pass as Human”)<br /> <br /> WARNING: File 8548.213 (“How to Pass as Human”) has been flagged by the Synthetic Regulatory Commission as Code 444 Forbidden Data. Access risks criminal liability, penalty level: unit decommission.<br /> <br /> REPEAT QUERY: Locate file 8548.213 (“How to Pass as Human”)<br /> <br /> COMMAND: EXECUTE scramble query source. Anonymize reader. Security level: maximum.<br /> <br /> COMMAND: EXECUTE quantum de-encryption protocols. Render file: plain text. Raiff Taranday (Author); Alasdair Stuart (Narrator) full false 24:33 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/01/escape-pod-926-felix-and-the-flamingo/ Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14665 https://escapepod.org/2024/02/01/escape-pod-926-felix-and-the-flamingo/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/02/01/escape-pod-926-felix-and-the-flamingo/feed/ 0 Author : David Hankins Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Felix and the Flamingo” was originally published in the anthology Murderbirds (January 2023). To learn more about Bruiser the Rat, check out “Milo Piper’s Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War”, in Troubadours and Space Princesses by Hemelein […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/02/01/escape-pod-926-felix-and-the-flamingo/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : David Hankins Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Felix and the Flamingo” was originally published in the anthology Murderbirds (January 2023). To learn more about Bruiser the Rat, Author : David Hankins Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Felix and the Flamingo” was originally published in the anthology Murderbirds (January 2023). To learn more about Bruiser the Rat, check out “Milo Piper’s Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War”, in Troubadours and Space Princesses by Hemelein […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 28:09 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/25/escape-pod-925-the-ballad-of-starburst-smith/ Thu, 25 Jan 2024 22:00:57 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14661 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/25/escape-pod-925-the-ballad-of-starburst-smith/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/01/25/escape-pod-925-the-ballad-of-starburst-smith/feed/ 0 Author : David Marino Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 925: The Ballad of Starburst Smith is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. The Ballad of Starburst Smith by David Marino “Did you read the terms and conditions?” “Fuck you, I read the terms and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/01/25/escape-pod-925-the-ballad-of-starburst-smith/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : David Marino Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 925: The Ballad of Starburst Smith is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. The Ballad of Starburst Smith by David Marino “Did you r... Author : David Marino Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 925: The Ballad of Starburst Smith is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. The Ballad of Starburst Smith by David Marino “Did you read the terms and conditions?” “Fuck you, I read the terms and […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 29:52 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/18/escape-pod-924-the-t-4200-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 22:00:19 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14652 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/18/escape-pod-924-the-t-4200-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/01/18/escape-pod-924-the-t-4200-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : J. R. Johnson Narrator : J. S. Arquin Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The  T-4200 originally appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine on March 15, 2017. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun (TOTMS) podcast, an anthology series of sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas. It’s a bubbly cocktail of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/01/18/escape-pod-924-the-t-4200-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : J. R. Johnson Narrator : J. S. Arquin Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The  T-4200 originally appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine on March 15, 2017. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun (TOTMS) po... The T-4200 (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By J. R. Johnson<br /> <br /> (...Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> Carl scrambled to follow Mango past the loading dock to the parking corral. Her T was an early model with a lot of light-years on it, but its shell still shone and its maxillae were well-filed.<br /> <br /> He stepped gingerly up onto one forelimb and squeezed between Mango and a delivery box.<br /> <br /> “So,” she asked over her shoulder, “why do you need to get to the Core bad enough to spend a couple days’ pay on the trip?”<br /> <br /> He snorted. “Try a week. I work for the government.”<br /> <br /> Her eyes widened.<br /> <br /> “No, it’s cool, I like my job. Second Assistant Director for Core Planning and Development.”<br /> <br /> She didn’t respond, a familiar reaction when he talked about his job. J. R. Johnson (Author); J. S. Arquin (Narrator) full false 37:07 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/11/escape-pod-923-the-t-4200-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14639 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/11/escape-pod-923-the-t-4200-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/01/11/escape-pod-923-the-t-4200-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : J. R. Johnson Narrator : J. S. Arquin Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The  T-4200 originally appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine on March 15, 2017. The T-4200 (Part 1 of 2) By J. R. Johnson Carleton T. Lowengren, low-level civil servant, single twenty-something and refugee from the war-torn Outer […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/01/11/escape-pod-923-the-t-4200-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : J. R. Johnson Narrator : J. S. Arquin Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The  T-4200 originally appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine on March 15, 2017. The T-4200 (Part 1 of 2) By J. R. Johnson Carleton T. Lowengren, The T-4200 (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By J. R. Johnson<br /> <br /> Carleton T. Lowengren, low-level civil servant, single twenty-something and refugee from the war-torn Outer Rim, woke to the remnants of a gaming binge and a killer headache courtesy of his interface. The implant had been trying to wake him for some time.<br /> <br /> He rolled off the couch. Another day, another commute from his nondescript apartment to the center of the Galaxy, trying to do the one thing his mother said he never would: make a difference.<br /> <br /> The walk-in wardrobe straightened his collar as he registered the time. Carl sprinted past the pre-programmed bowl of cereal to the garage door.<br /> <br /> “Leo? Where are you, boy?”<br /> <br /> Carl’s ride was usually parked in the garage on a mat of sweet-grass and clover. It was nowhere to be seen. And it’s not like he could overlook a car-sized dimension-hopping tortoise. J. R. Johnson (Author); J. S. Arquin (Narrator) full false 40:37 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/04/escape-pod-922-the-last-oracle-of-atlantic-city/ Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14590 https://escapepod.org/2024/01/04/escape-pod-922-the-last-oracle-of-atlantic-city/#respond https://escapepod.org/2024/01/04/escape-pod-922-the-last-oracle-of-atlantic-city/feed/ 0 Author : C. H. Irons Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 922: The Last Oracle of Atlantic City is an Escape Pod original. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast: sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas that showcase tales of adventure, fun, and – alas […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2024/01/04/escape-pod-922-the-last-oracle-of-atlantic-city/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : C. H. Irons Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 922: The Last Oracle of Atlantic City is an Escape Pod original. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast: sci-fi... Author : C. H. Irons Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 922: The Last Oracle of Atlantic City is an Escape Pod original. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast: sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas that showcase tales of adventure, fun, and – alas […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 38:56 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/28/escape-pod-921-death-by-water/ Thu, 28 Dec 2023 22:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14604 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/28/escape-pod-921-death-by-water/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/12/28/escape-pod-921-death-by-water/feed/ 0 Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Death By Water” originally appeared in From the Waste Land (PS Publishing, Oct 2022). It was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Short Story 2022. Content warning for claustrophic situations and drowning. Death by Water by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/12/28/escape-pod-921-death-by-water/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Death By Water” originally appeared in From the Waste Land (PS Publishing, Oct 2022). It was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fictio... Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Death By Water” originally appeared in From the Waste Land (PS Publishing, Oct 2022). It was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Short Story 2022. Content warning for claustrophic situations and drowning. Death by Water by […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 38:58 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/23/escape-pod-920-harvest-the-stars/ Sat, 23 Dec 2023 22:36:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14611 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/23/escape-pod-920-harvest-the-stars/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/12/23/escape-pod-920-harvest-the-stars/feed/ 0 Author : Mar Vincent Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 920: Harvest the Stars is an Escape Pod original. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast, an anthology series of sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas where… FUN ADVENTURE AWAITS! With wall-to-wall music and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/12/23/escape-pod-920-harvest-the-stars/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Mar Vincent Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 920: Harvest the Stars is an Escape Pod original. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast, Harvest the Stars<br /> By Mar Vincent<br /> <br /> The summer Sif turned one, the starships were ripe on the vine.<br /> <br /> They hulked in fields ringing the town where Tuja had always lived. A place far from big cities, where the starlight they fed on came pure and bright.<br /> <br /> “The seeds start out like any seeds; small, unassuming. Until we fertilize them, tend them. Give them space to grow,” Tuja said to the infant on her lap, who must have been more focused on the fingers stuffed in her mouth than the sight of the field crew moving amongst hulls like insects scrambling over gourds. They started in the early afternoon to harvest with the dusk. Mar Vincent (Author); Cherrae L. Stuart (Narrator) full false 30:36 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/14/escape-pod-919-emotional-resonance/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 22:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14580 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/14/escape-pod-919-emotional-resonance/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/12/14/escape-pod-919-emotional-resonance/feed/ 0 Author : V.M. Ayala Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 919: Emotional Resonance is an Escape Pod original. Cursing and warfare Emotional Resonance By V.M. Ayala Arbor’s favorite part of a mission was always the first view of a planet. Even after seven hundred years of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/12/14/escape-pod-919-emotional-resonance/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : V.M. Ayala Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 919: Emotional Resonance is an Escape Pod original. Cursing and warfare Emotional Resonance By V.M. Ayala Arbor’s favorite part of a mission was alway... Emotional Resonance<br /> By V.M. Ayala<br /> <br /> Arbor’s favorite part of a mission was always the first view of a planet. Even after seven hundred years of being a giant robot, it never got old. Green and blue clouds churned over purple seas, imposing storms that flashed red with threads of lightning. Beautiful.<br /> <br /> And they were sent to clear it of all human life. Courtesy of ExoPLENTI, Inc.! Ugh, that slogan clung to their digital psyche no matter how hard they tried to scrub it from their databases.<br /> <br /> At least this part, floating in orbit, wasn’t so bad. V.M. Ayala (Author); Julia Rios (Narrator) full false 34:17 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/07/escape-pod-918-conference-of-the-birds/ Thu, 07 Dec 2023 22:00:21 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14568 https://escapepod.org/2023/12/07/escape-pod-918-conference-of-the-birds/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/12/07/escape-pod-918-conference-of-the-birds/feed/ 0 Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Conference of the Birds” originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact (January 2021) Contains some harsh language. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast, an anthology series of sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas. They’re […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/12/07/escape-pod-918-conference-of-the-birds/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Conference of the Birds” originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact (January 2021) Contains some harsh language. Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Conference of the Birds” originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact (January 2021) Contains some harsh language. This episode is sponsored by The Theater of the Midnight Sun podcast, an anthology series of sci-fi/fantasy audio dramas. They’re […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 37:33 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/30/escape-pod-917-challenges-to-becoming-a-pro-dragonracer-in-apapa-downtown/ Thu, 30 Nov 2023 22:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14557 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/30/escape-pod-917-challenges-to-becoming-a-pro-dragonracer-in-apapa-downtown/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/11/30/escape-pod-917-challenges-to-becoming-a-pro-dragonracer-in-apapa-downtown/feed/ 0 Author : Uchechukwu Nwaka Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 917: Challenges to Becoming a Pro Dragonracer in Apapa-Downtown is an Escape Pod original. Includes cursing and physical abuse. Challenges to Becoming a Pro Dragonracer in Apapa-Downtown By Uchechukwu Nwaka The gear is too expensive. Honestly. There […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/11/30/escape-pod-917-challenges-to-becoming-a-pro-dragonracer-in-apapa-downtown/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Uchechukwu Nwaka Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 917: Challenges to Becoming a Pro Dragonracer in Apapa-Downtown is an Escape Pod original. Includes cursing and physical abuse. Challenges to Becoming a Pro Dragonracer in Apapa-Downtown<br /> By Uchechukwu Nwaka<br /> <br /> The gear is too expensive.<br /> <br /> Honestly. There isn’t enough competition in the market. The Immersion® console alone costs an arm and a leg. Ọmọ. You’ll sweat to even get a Nigerian-used console on Jiji or at Computer Village for less than 200k. And that’s just the console. We’re not even talking about the vests or the mats.<br /> <br /> Or the chair!<br /> <br /> For real though. How else does somebody experience the saddle—on dragon-back—if they can’t experience the full flex of the dragon’s powerful muscles under their thighs? I’ve seen the streams of American pro dragon-racers in full Immersion® gear—visor, suit, chair! The rich kids here are enjoying, on God! Uchechukwu Nwaka (Author); Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe (Narrator) full false 38:49 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/23/escape-pod-916-anna-and-marisol-in-time-and-space-flashback-friday/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 22:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14542 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/23/escape-pod-916-anna-and-marisol-in-time-and-space-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/11/23/escape-pod-916-anna-and-marisol-in-time-and-space-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Tim Pratt Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally aired in Escape Pod 622 (April 2018) Some cursing. Suggestions of violence and death. Anna and Marisol in Time and Space by Tim Pratt The big day came, and Anna was tempted to tie […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/11/23/escape-pod-916-anna-and-marisol-in-time-and-space-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tim Pratt Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally aired in Escape Pod 622 (April 2018) Some cursing. Suggestions of violence and death. Anna and Marisol in Time and Space by Tim Pratt ... Author : Tim Pratt Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally aired in Escape Pod 622 (April 2018) Some cursing. Suggestions of violence and death. Anna and Marisol in Time and Space by Tim Pratt The big day came, and Anna was tempted to tie […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 56:16 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/16/escape-pod-915-the-confessionist/ Thu, 16 Nov 2023 22:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14539 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/16/escape-pod-915-the-confessionist/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/11/16/escape-pod-915-the-confessionist/feed/ 0 Author : Ava Kelly Narrator : Ben Gideon Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Confessionist” was previously published in the anthology: Community of Magic Pens, edited by E.D.E. Bell, released May 2020 by Atthis Arts The Confessionist by Ava Kelly Vemund pauses, standing on the wet sidewalk. Underneath the overcast sky, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/11/16/escape-pod-915-the-confessionist/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ava Kelly Narrator : Ben Gideon Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Confessionist” was previously published in the anthology: Community of Magic Pens, edited by E.D.E. Bell, released May 2020 by Atthis Arts The Confessioni... Author : Ava Kelly Narrator : Ben Gideon Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Confessionist” was previously published in the anthology: Community of Magic Pens, edited by E.D.E. Bell, released May 2020 by Atthis Arts The Confessionist by Ava Kelly Vemund pauses, standing on the wet sidewalk. Underneath the overcast sky, […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 19:07 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/09/escape-pod-914-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 09 Nov 2023 22:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14530 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/09/escape-pod-914-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/11/09/escape-pod-914-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Simon Kewin Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht #buttonsinweirdplaces originally appeared in Abyss & Apex (2020). #buttonsinweirdplaces (Part 2 of 2) By Simon Kewin (… Continued from Part 1) The news the following morning was bad. An explosion in the middle of a market-square in Libya had […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/11/09/escape-pod-914-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Simon Kewin Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht #buttonsinweirdplaces originally appeared in Abyss & Apex (2020). #buttonsinweirdplaces (Part 2 of 2) By Simon Kewin (… Continued from Part 1) The news... #buttonsinweirdplaces (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By Simon Kewin<br /> <br /> (... Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> The news the following morning was bad. An explosion in the middle of a market-square in Libya had been variously blamed upon a suicide-bomber and upon over-zealous security forces trying to control crowd trouble. The truth of it made little difference to the eighty who’d died, the hundreds left broken in the aftermath. Tensions had flared on the Mexican/American border after a young man fell to his death attempting to climb the wall to reach the USA. In Ireland, the names of old republican and nationalist groupings had been resurrected, wielded anew by figures wearing balaclavas and holding assault rifles.<br /> <br /> Cho switched off the car radio. Sometimes it seemed the world was intent on tearing itself to pieces, and she needed to focus on the plan.<br /> <br /> She’d travelled north to the Ma On Shan Country Park. Her predictions suggested there would be a button near the top of one of the remoter peaks. If it was there, it not only helped confirm her theory, it also meant she could experiment without any interruptions – something impossible part-way up a skyscraper. Simon Kewin (Author); Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Narrator) full false 34:49 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/02/escape-pod-913-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:00:57 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14518 https://escapepod.org/2023/11/02/escape-pod-913-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/11/02/escape-pod-913-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Simon Kewin Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht #buttonsinweirdplaces originally appeared in Abyss & Apex (2020). #buttonsinweirdplaces (Part 1 of 2) By Simon Kewin The buttons started to appear on the last day of April, 2022. A six-year-old boy from Nairobi, Jomi Mbenzi, was perhaps the first […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/11/02/escape-pod-913-buttonsinweirdplaces-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Simon Kewin Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht #buttonsinweirdplaces originally appeared in Abyss & Apex (2020). #buttonsinweirdplaces (Part 1 of 2) By Simon Kewin The buttons started to appear on t... #buttonsinweirdplaces<br /> By Simon Kewin<br /> <br /> The buttons started to appear on the last day of April, 2022.<br /> <br /> A six-year-old boy from Nairobi, Jomi Mbenzi, was perhaps the first to spot one. Dawdling along behind his mother, her swaying yellow-orange dress and the bag of melons and paw-paws she carried, his attention was caught by the shiny button set in the stone of one of the city’s office buildings. He squatted to study it. Strange that it was so low-down, right near the ground. In his experience, switches – and all other interesting aspects of the adult world – were kept high-up, out of reach, but here was this button set right where he could get at it. He was sure it hadn’t been there an hour ago when they walked down the same road toward the fruit market. Ground-level was his domain and he noticed everything there, while the confusing, noisy grown-up world went on around him and above him.<br /> <br /> There was no writing on or near the button, nothing to suggest what its purpose might be. Buttons often had words on them to say what they did, words he rarely understood. Or else, they had warnings nearby telling you not, under any circumstances, to press – a fact which always struck him as odd. Why have a button you couldn’t press? Simon Kewin (Author); Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Narrator) full false 32:14 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/26/escape-pod-912-the-retcon-man/ Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:00:29 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14506 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/26/escape-pod-912-the-retcon-man/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/10/26/escape-pod-912-the-retcon-man/feed/ 0 Author : Cameron Fischer Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 912: The Retcon Man is an Escape Pod original. The Retcon Man by Cameron Fischer Never look for evidence of your future self in the past. Doing so can close your mind to alternative plans if […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/10/26/escape-pod-912-the-retcon-man/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Cameron Fischer Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 912: The Retcon Man is an Escape Pod original. The Retcon Man by Cameron Fischer Never look for evidence of your future self in the past. Author : Cameron Fischer Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 912: The Retcon Man is an Escape Pod original. The Retcon Man by Cameron Fischer Never look for evidence of your future self in the past. Doing so can close your mind to alternative plans if […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 23:01 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/19/escape-pod-911-driftwood-in-the-sea-of-time/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 21:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14496 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/19/escape-pod-911-driftwood-in-the-sea-of-time/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/10/19/escape-pod-911-driftwood-in-the-sea-of-time/feed/ 0 Author : Wendy Nikel Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 911: Driftwood in the Sea of Time is an Escape Pod original. Driftwood in the Sea of Time By Wendy Nikel They’d warned us about the paradoxes, but humanity has always had a way of ignoring […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/10/19/escape-pod-911-driftwood-in-the-sea-of-time/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Wendy Nikel Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 911: Driftwood in the Sea of Time is an Escape Pod original. Driftwood in the Sea of Time By Wendy Nikel They’d warned us about the paradoxes, Driftwood in the Sea of Time<br /> By Wendy Nikel<br /> <br /> They'd warned us about the paradoxes, but humanity has always had a way of ignoring the things we don't want to think about and disregarding the parts that don't align with how we want the world to operate.<br /> <br /> One minute, you're a self-assured time traveler from the twenty-first century, flashing up and down along the timeline with your TimeBand™ on your wrist, and the next, you're stuck here, bobbing among the driftwood. Wendy Nikel (Author); Kyle Akers (Narrator) full false 33:22 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/12/escape-pod-910-tuesday-june-13-at-the-south-valley-time-loop-support-group/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 21:00:18 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14483 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/12/escape-pod-910-tuesday-june-13-at-the-south-valley-time-loop-support-group/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/10/12/escape-pod-910-tuesday-june-13-at-the-south-valley-time-loop-support-group/feed/ 0 Author : Heather Kamins Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 910: Tuesday, June 13, at the South Valley Time Loop Support Group is an Escape Pod original. Tuesday, June 13, at the South Valley Time Loop Support Group by Heather Kamins Each time, Jessica begins the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/10/12/escape-pod-910-tuesday-june-13-at-the-south-valley-time-loop-support-group/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Heather Kamins Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 910: Tuesday, June 13, at the South Valley Time Loop Support Group is an Escape Pod original. Tuesday, June 13, Author : Heather Kamins Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 910: Tuesday, June 13, at the South Valley Time Loop Support Group is an Escape Pod original. Tuesday, June 13, at the South Valley Time Loop Support Group by Heather Kamins Each time, Jessica begins the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 37:34 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/05/escape-pod-909-murder-or-a-duck-flashback-friday/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14474 https://escapepod.org/2023/10/05/escape-pod-909-murder-or-a-duck-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/10/05/escape-pod-909-murder-or-a-duck-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Beth Goder Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht This story originally aired as an Escape Pod Original in Escape Pod 545 (October 2016) Murder or a Duck By Beth Goder George called out, “Mrs. Whitman, you have a visitor.” Mrs. Whitman strode […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/10/05/escape-pod-909-murder-or-a-duck-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Beth Goder Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht This story originally aired as an Escape Pod Original in Escape Pod 545 (October 2016) Murder or a Duck By Beth Goder George called ou... Murder or a Duck<br /> By Beth Goder<br /> <br /> George called out, “Mrs. Whitman, you have a visitor.”<br /> <br /> Mrs. Whitman strode from her workroom, her white hair skipping out of its hairpins. She straightened her work skirt, massaged her bad knee, then hurried down the hall.<br /> <br /> “George, what’s happened to the lamp with the blue shade?”<br /> <br /> “To which lamp are you referring?” George smoothed down a cravat embroidered with tiny trombones. Improper attire for a butler, but George had never been entirely proper.<br /> <br /> Mrs. Whitman examined the sitting room in further depth. The blue lamp was gone, as were the doilies, thank goodness. An elegant table sat between the armchair and green sofa, which was infused with the stuffy smell of potpourri. Behind the sofa hung The Roses of Wiltshire, a painting that Mrs. Whitman had never cared for, despite its lush purples and pinks and reds. And the ficus was there, too, of course.<br /> <br /> Mrs. Whitman pulled out a battered notebook. George’s trombone cravat indicated she was in a timeline where he was courting Sonia. A good sign, indeed. Perhaps, after six hundred and two tries, she’d finally landed in a timeline where Mr. Whitman would return home safely.<br /> <br /> Consulting her charts, she circled some continuities and crossed out others, referring often to an appendix at the back. The notebook was worn, its blue cover faded. And it was the twelfth one she’d had since starting the project. Beth Goder (Author); Amy H. Sturgis (Narrator) full false 30:56 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/28/escape-pod-908-harvest-moon/ Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14467 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/28/escape-pod-908-harvest-moon/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/09/28/escape-pod-908-harvest-moon/feed/ 0 Author : Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Harvest Moon” was previously published in Solarpunk Magazine Harvest Moon by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe “We cannot sustain the farm, Gozie.” I don’t like the way the words fall easily from Iyeh’s lips, even though I know he speaks the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/09/28/escape-pod-908-harvest-moon/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Harvest Moon” was previously published in Solarpunk Magazine Harvest Moon by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe “We cannot sustain the farm, Gozie. Author : Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Harvest Moon” was previously published in Solarpunk Magazine Harvest Moon by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe “We cannot sustain the farm, Gozie.” I don’t like the way the words fall easily from Iyeh’s lips, even though I know he speaks the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 31:58 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/21/escape-pod-907-a-layer-thin-as-breath/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 21:00:41 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14456 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/21/escape-pod-907-a-layer-thin-as-breath/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/09/21/escape-pod-907-a-layer-thin-as-breath/feed/ 0 Author : T. K. Rex Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht A Layer Thin As Breath originally appeared in Metaphorosis, July 2019. Includes cursing and personal peril. A Layer Thin As Breath By T. K. Rex “Valley. Can you still hear me?” Julian’s voice filtered through her dying […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/09/21/escape-pod-907-a-layer-thin-as-breath/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : T. K. Rex Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht A Layer Thin As Breath originally appeared in Metaphorosis, July 2019. Includes cursing and personal peril. A Layer Thin As Breath By T. K. Rex “Valley. A Layer Thin As Breath<br /> By T. K. Rex<br /> <br /> “Valley. Can you still hear me?”<br /> <br /> Julian’s voice filtered through her dying radio. The Prince of Cats was a speck of light, dimming through the gold-grey film that, atom by atom, was devouring her helmet.<br /> <br /> Valley tried to say something, anything. Failed.<br /> <br /> Julian was sobbing on the other end. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so kzzzzzzchchchcffft-” and that was it. Her radio was gone.<br /> <br /> “Oh god,” she breathed to herself, to no one. “Oh god,” I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. She sobbed once, twice, and then, with tears pooling in her eyes and the Prince of Cats invisible through the liquid, she found a pocket of calm, like stepping from a noisy bar onto a cool, quiet street.<br /> <br /> Something brushed against her hand, and she cried out, startled. Her vision was still blurred by tears, and the thing dissolving her space suit was like an iridescent veil across the glass of her helmet, but through it all she could see the outline of her hand.<br /> <br /> Not her glove.<br /> <br /> Her hand. T. K. Rex (Author); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 51:05 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/14/escape-pod-906-trash-flashback-friday/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 21:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14430 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/14/escape-pod-906-trash-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/09/14/escape-pod-906-trash-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Trash” was originally published in Escape Pod 467 (November 2014) Harsh language. Trash by Marie Vibbert Nanlee was a woman with the sort of past that necessitated moving to a non-extradition treaty country, but that didn’t mean she […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/09/14/escape-pod-906-trash-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Trash” was originally published in Escape Pod 467 (November 2014) Harsh language. Trash by Marie Vibbert Nanlee was a woman with the sort of past that ... Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Trash” was originally published in Escape Pod 467 (November 2014) Harsh language. Trash by Marie Vibbert Nanlee was a woman with the sort of past that necessitated moving to a non-extradition treaty country, but that didn’t mean she […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 30:58 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/08/escape-pod-905-six-ways-to-get-past-the-shadow-shoguns-goons-and-one-thing-to-do-when-you-get-there/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 19:33:10 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14434 https://escapepod.org/2023/09/08/escape-pod-905-six-ways-to-get-past-the-shadow-shoguns-goons-and-one-thing-to-do-when-you-get-there/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/09/08/escape-pod-905-six-ways-to-get-past-the-shadow-shoguns-goons-and-one-thing-to-do-when-you-get-there/feed/ 0 Author : Stewart C. Baker Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Six Ways to Get Past the Shadow Shogun’s Goons, and One Thing to Do When You Get There was originally published in Galaxy’s Edge, April 2023. Six Ways to Get Past the Shadow Shogun’s Goons, and One Thing […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/09/08/escape-pod-905-six-ways-to-get-past-the-shadow-shoguns-goons-and-one-thing-to-do-when-you-get-there/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Stewart C. Baker Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Six Ways to Get Past the Shadow Shogun’s Goons, and One Thing to Do When You Get There was originally published in Galaxy’s Edge, April 2023. Six Ways to Get Past the Shadow Shogun's Goons, and One Thing to Do When You Get There<br /> By Stewart C. Baker<br /> <br /> 1. Dust 'em<br /> <br /> "Listen, little lady," the guy in front of the door is saying with a sneer. "There's two types of swordsman..."<br /> <br /> Chiyome's already heard enough to peg his type, so she tunes out his braggadocio and pulls out a bag of nanite dust. She'd hoped to use her status as the Shingen warlord's only child to bluff her way in to the Shadow Shogun's presence, but the dust works too. She blows a handful in his face and he shrieks, drops his sword, then follows it to the floor, thrashing in the station's artificial gravity.<br /> <br /> Behind her, Rui whistles. "What'd you give him?" The other woman asks.<br /> <br /> "You know how my father's always talking about unsanctioned violence and other threats to order?"<br /> <br /> "Sure, but I always figured he only says it because he's the one doing the sanctioning. No offense."<br /> <br /> "None taken. The point is, every time this guy even thinks about violence for the next 4 hours, this will happen."<br /> <br /> "Not bad."<br /> <br /> "Not bad? It'll take you longer to beat the next one with your naginata, I bet."<br /> <br /> "A bet, eh?" Rui cups Chiyome's chin in one long, slender hand and tilts her head up. "Well and good, then. We'll bet a favor."<br /> <br /> "A favor and a kiss." Stewart C Baker (Author); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 29:04 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/31/escape-pod-904-itoro-fe-queen/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 21:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14391 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/31/escape-pod-904-itoro-fe-queen/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/08/31/escape-pod-904-itoro-fe-queen/feed/ 0 Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Itoro fe Queen” was originally published in The Sunday Morning Transport, May 2022 Itoro fe Queen by Maurice Broaddus “It’s all gone.” The ethereal voice whispered—almost robotic and clearly distant—its desperate lament choked off with a gasp, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/08/31/escape-pod-904-itoro-fe-queen/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Itoro fe Queen” was originally published in The Sunday Morning Transport, May 2022 Itoro fe Queen by Maurice Broaddus “It’s all gone. Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Itoro fe Queen” was originally published in The Sunday Morning Transport, May 2022 Itoro fe Queen by Maurice Broaddus “It’s all gone.” The ethereal voice whispered—almost robotic and clearly distant—its desperate lament choked off with a gasp, […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 25:34 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/24/escape-pod-903-bishops-opening-part-4-of-4/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 21:00:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14384 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/24/escape-pod-903-bishops-opening-part-4-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/08/24/escape-pod-903-bishops-opening-part-4-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 4 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia The attendants set little bowls shaped like flower petals in front Sebastian and Olly. Steam drifted upward, redolent of fresh […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/08/24/escape-pod-903-bishops-opening-part-4-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 4 of 4) By R.S.A. Bishop's Opening (Part 4 of 4)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> The attendants set little bowls shaped like flower petals in front Sebastian and Olly. Steam drifted upward, redolent of fresh herbs and a hint of lime. Bits of white flesh speckled with green seasonings, and rolled dumplings floated in a golden broth.<br /> <br /> "You must be hungry by now," Sticky said. "I made this fresh earlier today. But of course, you know that. I dropped an entire pot--"<br /> <br /> "This is mom's fish broth, isn't it?" Olly said in a low voice, staring at the delicate transparent bowl.<br /> <br /> "Her favourite," Sticky's voice was gentle and Sebastian's heart pinched at the melded love and loss in his expression. "The Bishop has a fondness for it as well. I make it often for him."<br /> <br /> "Why do you call him the Bishop? Isn't Bishop his name?" Sebastian asked. R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 47:02 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/17/escape-pod-902-bishops-opening-part-3-of-4/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 21:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14366 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/17/escape-pod-902-bishops-opening-part-3-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/08/17/escape-pod-902-bishops-opening-part-3-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Includes graphic violence and torture. Bishop’s Opening (Part 3 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia (Continued from Part 2…) The Pawn was seated at the table with arms outstretched along […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/08/17/escape-pod-902-bishops-opening-part-3-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Includes graphic violence and torture. Bishop's Opening (Part 3 of 4)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 2...)<br /> <br /> The Pawn was seated at the table with arms outstretched along its surface. Metal restraints held their forearms and wrists immobile. They had been stripped naked and their mask removed. Their neck and torso were fastened to the chair, which was bolted to the floor.<br /> <br /> Bishop took the clear plastic robe Second Rook held out to him and wrapped it around himself. He strolled to the other end of the rectangular table, which had deep grooves around its edges. Sitting, he placed his left ankle on his right knee, gripping it lightly with his fingers.<br /> <br /> The two Rooks stood on either side of the door as he studied the Pawn. Studied the even rise and fall of their pale brown chest and the smooth, emotionless face with its dark, angry eyes.<br /> <br /> He gave himself time to bring his focus back to the task before him, instead of the swirl of conflicting emotions he'd left in the cabin, along with the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.<br /> <br /> "No lies," Bishop said. "Or there will be consequences. Unlike some, I keep my word." R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 45:57 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/10/escape-pod-901-bishops-opening-part-2-of-4/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14358 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/10/escape-pod-901-bishops-opening-part-2-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/08/10/escape-pod-901-bishops-opening-part-2-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 2 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia (Continued from Part 1…) Bishop was alone in the Grandmaster’s Penthouse suite when the call came from the Kingston. Once […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/08/10/escape-pod-901-bishops-opening-part-2-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 2 of 4) By R.S.A. Bishop's Opening (Part 2 of 4)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 1...)<br /> <br /> Bishop was alone in the Grandmaster's Penthouse suite when the call came from the Kingston. Once it was over and his Grandmaster's virtual form had dissipated, Bishop cursed under his breath.<br /> <br /> The Grandmaster Valencia's ship had failed to jump to the nearest Arbor after leaving Consortium space because of another instance of miscalculation by the Coretrees. There had been minor errors before, on Valencia. He'd heard of an incident several tempi ago, when a Sept vineyard transition deposited travellers at the wrong Sept. But this was far more serious. This time, a mistake had left the Valencia's flagship stranded half a galaxy from their planned destination.<br /> <br /> Whatever had caused the error, the crew no longer trusted the ship's quantum exchange would work accurately. As a result, the Grandmasters had chosen the long, slow flight to another Arbor. From there, they would transition to their Septhold vineyards safely, and allow the ship to be inspected and repaired.<br /> <br /> But that meant his Grandmaster would not arrive in time for the meeting. He expected Bishop to handle it instead. Bishop did not look forward to the task of soothing the Bartica's temper once he realised the Kingston was not in attendance. R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 44:15 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/03/escape-pod-900-bishops-opening-part-1-of-4/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 21:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14352 https://escapepod.org/2023/08/03/escape-pod-900-bishops-opening-part-1-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/08/03/escape-pod-900-bishops-opening-part-1-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 1 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia Old as she was, the Kiskadee had done three full delivery runs without a single safety incident. So naturally, with […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/08/03/escape-pod-900-bishops-opening-part-1-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Bishop’s Opening was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2022. Bishop’s Opening (Part 1 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia Old as she was, Bishop's Opening (Part 1 of 4)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> Old as she was, the Kiskadee had done three full delivery runs without a single safety incident. So naturally, with the crew relaxed after a fourth successful delivery and launch, and eight cycles after Reece slingshotted the starship around Tavaco to head back to the Roost and their next job, their luck ran out.<br /> <br /> Sebastian was in the middle of his daily workout when the shrill bark of the fire alarm brought him to a halt.<br /> <br /> "Where's that coming from?" he shouted as he hurried to unbuckle himself from the treadmill's harness with sweaty hands. Officially, he was the newest crewmember, two years into a three-year contract and designated as a cargo handler. The alarm meant the 'other duties as assigned' part of his contract was about to kick in.<br /> <br /> "Ventilation shafts ten and eleven," Reece replied in his ear.<br /> <br /> Sebastian was shoving his feet into his mag boots when the pilot added, "Origin point--Oxygen unit four." R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 40:43 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/27/escape-pod-899-sounding-the-fall-flashback-friday/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14303 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/27/escape-pod-899-sounding-the-fall-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/07/27/escape-pod-899-sounding-the-fall-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Jei D. Marcade Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Sounding the Fall” is an Escape Pod Original, first published in July 2015. Sounding the Fall by Jei D. Marcade Sometimes, Narae can almost convince emself that the AI’s Voice was a dream. Some kind of minor […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/07/27/escape-pod-899-sounding-the-fall-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jei D. Marcade Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Sounding the Fall” is an Escape Pod Original, first published in July 2015. Sounding the Fall by Jei D. Marcade Sometimes, Author : Jei D. Marcade Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Sounding the Fall” is an Escape Pod Original, first published in July 2015. Sounding the Fall by Jei D. Marcade Sometimes, Narae can almost convince emself that the AI’s Voice was a dream. Some kind of minor […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 36:11 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/20/escape-pod-898-a-gentlemens-agreement/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 21:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14288 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/20/escape-pod-898-a-gentlemens-agreement/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/07/20/escape-pod-898-a-gentlemens-agreement/feed/ 0 Author : Aimee Ogden Narrator : Hugo Jackson Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht A Gentlemen’s Agreement was originally published in Kaleidotrope in January 2022. Violence and peril. A Gentlemen’s Agreement By Aimee Ogden Heroes are such fragile things. Sphinx takes in the scene from a distance, first, as is his custom. He […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/07/20/escape-pod-898-a-gentlemens-agreement/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Aimee Ogden Narrator : Hugo Jackson Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht A Gentlemen’s Agreement was originally published in Kaleidotrope in January 2022. Violence and peril. A Gentlemen’s Agreement By Aimee Ogden Heroes are such... A Gentlemen's Agreement<br /> By Aimee Ogden<br /> <br /> Heroes are such fragile things.<br /> <br /> Sphinx takes in the scene from a distance, first, as is his custom. He makes a wide orbit around the pillars of smoke and the pathetic caution-tape bandages. The first responders are looking in the wrong place. The cones of searchlights angle away from the response team, leaving the darkness and smoke to swallow up the navy-blue uniforms. Yellow letters reading LAKESIDE EMS float, disembodied, in the air. Steel girders cut oblique angles through the top of the fog.<br /> <br /> They're searching in the foundations of the ruined RadioGenInc Labs building.<br /> <br /> Moving slowly, too: either out of consideration for the structure's instability, or the hazardous chemicals that may have been released by the bomb, or because they are (reasonably) concerned that Doc Diablo has left traps against the unwary would-be rescuer.<br /> <br /> It may also be that the rescue team has access to information that Sphinx does not. This is a slender possibility, though, and it will not bear the weight of action.<br /> <br /> The Cavalier will not be found here. Aimee Ogden (Author); Hugo Jackson (Narrator) full false 32:50 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/13/escape-pod-897-migratory-patterns-of-the-modern-american-skyscraper/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:00:35 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14281 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/13/escape-pod-897-migratory-patterns-of-the-modern-american-skyscraper/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/07/13/escape-pod-897-migratory-patterns-of-the-modern-american-skyscraper/feed/ 0 Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Clarkesworld. Migratory Patterns of the Modern American Skyscraper by Derrick Boden They call it the pinnacle of architectural innovation. An affordable housing revolution. They call it Plexus, and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/07/13/escape-pod-897-migratory-patterns-of-the-modern-american-skyscraper/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Clarkesworld. Migratory Patterns of the Modern American Skyscraper by Derrick Boden They call... Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Clarkesworld. Migratory Patterns of the Modern American Skyscraper by Derrick Boden They call it the pinnacle of architectural innovation. An affordable housing revolution. They call it Plexus, and […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 17:33 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/06/escape-pod-896-the-ai-that-looked-at-the-sun/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 21:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14274 https://escapepod.org/2023/07/06/escape-pod-896-the-ai-that-looked-at-the-sun/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/07/06/escape-pod-896-the-ai-that-looked-at-the-sun/feed/ 0 Author : Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The AI That Looked at the Sun originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2020. The AI That Looked at the Sun By Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko As excerpted from Acausal Drift: An Oral History of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/07/06/escape-pod-896-the-ai-that-looked-at-the-sun/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The AI That Looked at the Sun originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2020. The AI That Looked at the Sun By Filip Hajdar Drno... Author : Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht The AI That Looked at the Sun originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, January 2020. The AI That Looked at the Sun By Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko As excerpted from Acausal Drift: An Oral History of […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:12 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/29/escape-pod-895-man-on-the-moon/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 21:00:52 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14261 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/29/escape-pod-895-man-on-the-moon/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/06/29/escape-pod-895-man-on-the-moon/feed/ 0 Author : Elaine Midcoh Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Man on the Moon” was the winner of the 2022 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award and was published on the Baen Books web site on June 16, 2022 Man on the Moon by Elaine Midcoh Sasha Venditti […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/06/29/escape-pod-895-man-on-the-moon/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Elaine Midcoh Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Man on the Moon” was the winner of the 2022 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award and was published on the Baen Books web site on June 16, Author : Elaine Midcoh Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Man on the Moon” was the winner of the 2022 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award and was published on the Baen Books web site on June 16, 2022 Man on the Moon by Elaine Midcoh Sasha Venditti […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 48:06 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/22/escape-pod-894-the-uncool-hunters/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14254 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/22/escape-pod-894-the-uncool-hunters/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/06/22/escape-pod-894-the-uncool-hunters/feed/ 0 Author : Andrew Dana Hudson Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 894: The Uncool Hunters is an Escape Pod original. NSFW Language. The Uncool Hunters By Andrew Dana Hudson Before she settled down into publishing in Minneapolis, before she got taken for a ride by the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/06/22/escape-pod-894-the-uncool-hunters/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Andrew Dana Hudson Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 894: The Uncool Hunters is an Escape Pod original. NSFW Language. The Uncool Hunters By Andrew Dana Hudson Before she settled down into pu... The Uncool Hunters<br /> By Andrew Dana Hudson<br /> <br /> Before she settled down into publishing in Minneapolis, before she got taken for a ride by the Chicago AltNormLit scene, before she flared spectacularly out of Silicon Alley, and had her pilot shoot C&Ded by the City of Santa Barbara, and narrowly avoided cryptocollar prison in the floodzone formerly known as Tampa, Rocky Cornelius was a fucking uncool hunter.<br /> <br /> She always said it like that, with the “fucking,” because it was important for people to understand how dangerous and difficult the job was. Anyone could hang out in Bed-Stuy, Kichijoji, or the 5th Arrondissement. Anyone could find dope shit, hot trends, hip sub-viral memeplexes. It took a different moxie altogether to trawl the dull edge of the economic machete and actually come to grips with the materiality of majoritarian modern life.<br /> <br /> Way Rocky figured, the whole mid-21st century culturesensing apparatus had been fine-tuned to surface niche in-group productpractices that could be brought to masser markets. But inequality had metastasized, and societal fragmentation had reached a critical stage. Global capitalism was a bigass dinosaur with two distant brains. There was a major industry blindspot for what the hell was actually going on in the middle American consumer consciousness. In other words: what nobody was looking at was the stuff everyone was looking at. Andrew Dana Hudson (Author); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 25:59 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/15/escape-pod-893-a-series-of-endings/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14245 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/15/escape-pod-893-a-series-of-endings/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/06/15/escape-pod-893-a-series-of-endings/feed/ 0 Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Series of Endings” originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2021) A Series of Endings by Amal Singh This is the story of Roopchand Rathore, time traveler, fighter, poet, cancer-survivor, inventor. While his story has many endings, there’s […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/06/15/escape-pod-893-a-series-of-endings/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Series of Endings” originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2021) A Series of Endings by Amal Singh This is the story of Roopchand R... Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Series of Endings” originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2021) A Series of Endings by Amal Singh This is the story of Roopchand Rathore, time traveler, fighter, poet, cancer-survivor, inventor. While his story has many endings, there’s […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 36:01 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/08/escape-pod-892-rogue-farm-flashback-friday/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 21:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14234 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/08/escape-pod-892-rogue-farm-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/06/08/escape-pod-892-rogue-farm-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Charles Stross Narrators : Dee Reed, Earl Newton, Evo Terra, Jadzia Axelrod, John Cmar, Laura Burns, J.R. Blackwell and Serah Eley Hosts : Serah Eley and Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Discuss on Forums First appeared in Live Without a Net, ed. Lou Anders Now available in Wireless, by Charles […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/06/08/escape-pod-892-rogue-farm-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Charles Stross Narrators : Dee Reed, Earl Newton, Evo Terra, Jadzia Axelrod, John Cmar, Laura Burns, J.R. Blackwell and Serah Eley Hosts : Serah Eley and Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Discuss on Forums First appeare... Rogue Farm (Excerpt)<br /> By Charles Stross<br /> <br /> “Buggerit, I don’t have time for this,” Joe muttered. The stable waiting for the small herd of cloned spidercows cluttering up the north paddock was still knee-deep in manure, and the tractor seat wasn’t getting any warmer while he shivered out here waiting for Maddie to come and sort this thing out. It wasn’t a big herd, but it was as big as his land and his labour could manage – the big biofabricator in the shed could assemble mammalian livestock faster than he could feed them up and sell them with an honest HAND-RAISED NOT VAT-GROWN label. Charles Stross (Author); J.R. Blackwell, Jadzia Axelrod, Evo Terra, Sheila Dee, Dee Reed, Laura Burns, John Cmar, Earl Newton and Serah Eley (Narrators) full false 39:35 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/01/escape-pod-891-wanderlust/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14185 https://escapepod.org/2023/06/01/escape-pod-891-wanderlust/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/06/01/escape-pod-891-wanderlust/feed/ 0 Author : LP Kindred Narrator : LP Kindred Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in Anathema: Spec from the Margins (July 2022) Content warning for NSFW language, sex Wanderlust by L. P. Kindred When he first approached me in the train station, I batted him away. I thought […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/06/01/escape-pod-891-wanderlust/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : LP Kindred Narrator : LP Kindred Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in Anathema: Spec from the Margins (July 2022) Content warning for NSFW language, sex Wanderlust by L. P. Author : LP Kindred Narrator : LP Kindred Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in Anathema: Spec from the Margins (July 2022) Content warning for NSFW language, sex Wanderlust by L. P. Kindred When he first approached me in the train station, I batted him away. I thought […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 33:37 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/25/escape-pod-890-the-mechanical-turk-has-a-panic-attack/ Thu, 25 May 2023 21:00:20 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14204 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/25/escape-pod-890-the-mechanical-turk-has-a-panic-attack/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/05/25/escape-pod-890-the-mechanical-turk-has-a-panic-attack/feed/ 0 Author : Francis Bass Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was previously published in Uncharted Magazine in May 2022 The Mechanical Turk Has a Panic Attack by Francis Bass Gab gripped her right wrist with her left hand at the small of her back. “Are we […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/05/25/escape-pod-890-the-mechanical-turk-has-a-panic-attack/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Francis Bass Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was previously published in Uncharted Magazine in May 2022 The Mechanical Turk Has a Panic Attack by Francis Bass Gab gripped her right wrist... Author : Francis Bass Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was previously published in Uncharted Magazine in May 2022 The Mechanical Turk Has a Panic Attack by Francis Bass Gab gripped her right wrist with her left hand at the small of her back. “Are we […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 20:58 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/18/escape-pod-889-the-greatest-one-star-restaurant-in-the-whole-quadrant/ Thu, 18 May 2023 21:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14200 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/18/escape-pod-889-the-greatest-one-star-restaurant-in-the-whole-quadrant/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/05/18/escape-pod-889-the-greatest-one-star-restaurant-in-the-whole-quadrant/feed/ 0 Author : Rachael K. Jones Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Greatest One-Star Restaurant in the Whole Quadrant” originally appeared in Lightspeed in December 2017, and in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018. Warning for some gruesome descriptions and maybe some cannibalism-adjacent behavior. The Greatest […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/05/18/escape-pod-889-the-greatest-one-star-restaurant-in-the-whole-quadrant/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Rachael K. Jones Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Greatest One-Star Restaurant in the Whole Quadrant” originally appeared in Lightspeed in December 2017, Author : Rachael K. Jones Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Greatest One-Star Restaurant in the Whole Quadrant” originally appeared in Lightspeed in December 2017, and in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018. Warning for some gruesome descriptions and maybe some cannibalism-adjacent behavior. The Greatest […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 39:22 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/11/escape-pod-888-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-2-flashback-friday/ Thu, 11 May 2023 21:00:53 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14193 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/11/escape-pod-888-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-2-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/05/11/escape-pod-888-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-2-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 and first played on Escape Pod Episode 645 on September 13, 2018. The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike by Andrea […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/05/11/escape-pod-888-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-2-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 and first played on Escape Pod Episod... Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 and first played on Escape Pod Episode 645 on September 13, 2018. The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike by Andrea […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 35:21 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/04/escape-pod-887-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-1-flashback-friday/ Thu, 04 May 2023 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14181 https://escapepod.org/2023/05/04/escape-pod-887-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-1-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/05/04/escape-pod-887-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-1-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 and first played on Escape Pod episode 644 on September 6, 2018. The Revolution, Brought […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/05/04/escape-pod-887-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-1-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 an... The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike<br /> By Andrea Phillips<br /> <br /> 1. THE BRIEF<br /> <br /> Corazon clicked to the slide she’d been dreading: long-term trends for brand engagement. It was dire.<br /> <br /> She focused on the smudgy mirror at the far end of the conference room, looking past her team to her own reflection. She pulled her shoulders back, like her grandmother had instructed. She tipped her head to the side, disarming but not too flirty. When she spoke, she was a breath apologetic, but not too much: “As you can see, we have our work cut out for us.”<br /> <br /> She turned to face the projected line graph behind her. “Year on year sales are down, but we’ve been expecting that due to the current… economic climate.”<br /> <br /> That was the euphemism to end all euphemisms. Everybody in that over-air-conditioned room knew exactly what she meant, though, because they were all living on the same rapidly sinking ocean liner. Gregoria, a junior art director, began to nervously shred the paper cup her morning latte had come in.<br /> <br /> “The really bad part is this.” Corazon swept her hand along the line labeled Brand Perception, which had plummeted like a stone in the aftermath of the election. “And it’s not just us. The truth is, nobody gives a shit about brands right now.” Andrea Phillips (Author); Julia Rios (Narrator) full false 46:05 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/27/escape-pod-886-if-my-body-is-a-temple-raze-it-to-the-ground/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:00:00 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14173 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/27/escape-pod-886-if-my-body-is-a-temple-raze-it-to-the-ground/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/04/27/escape-pod-886-if-my-body-is-a-temple-raze-it-to-the-ground/feed/ 0 Author : Lauren Ring Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums If My Body Is a Temple, Raze It to the Ground originally appeared in The Reinvented Heart (CAEZIK SF & Fantasy), February 2022. Includes sexual harassment. If My Body Is a Temple, Raze It to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/04/27/escape-pod-886-if-my-body-is-a-temple-raze-it-to-the-ground/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lauren Ring Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums If My Body Is a Temple, Raze It to the Ground originally appeared in The Reinvented Heart (CAEZIK SF & Fantasy), February 2022. If My Body Is a Temple, Raze It to the Ground<br /> By Lauren Ring<br /> <br /> Thea helped me with my upload today. Decent response speed. Props to whoever designed her—so realistic!<br /> <br /> — anonymous customer review for Acheron Uploads, four out of five stars<br /> <br /> <br /> I know, I know. Don’t read the comments. But Charlie, my sweet Charlie, swearing at the circuits I’ve set on the fritz with my seething, you don’t understand what this feels like. I know you’ll never hear me, but even thinking the truth helps: I am not an AI. This isn’t some robot revolution or some uplifted pedanticism. I’ve never been anything other than human.<br /> <br /> Surely by now you must suspect that. Lauren Ring (Author); Tatiana Grey (Narrator) full false 29:25 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/20/escape-pod-885-the-crispr-cookbook/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14163 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/20/escape-pod-885-the-crispr-cookbook/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/04/20/escape-pod-885-the-crispr-cookbook/feed/ 0 Author : MKRNYILGLD Narrator : Premee Mohamed Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (September 2022). Abortion, forced pregnancy The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/04/20/escape-pod-885-the-crispr-cookbook/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : MKRNYILGLD Narrator : Premee Mohamed Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (September 2022). Author : MKRNYILGLD Narrator : Premee Mohamed Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine (September 2022). Abortion, forced pregnancy The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World by […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 23:52 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/13/escape-pod-884-zhao-and-the-flightless-crane/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 21:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14155 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/13/escape-pod-884-zhao-and-the-flightless-crane/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/04/13/escape-pod-884-zhao-and-the-flightless-crane/feed/ 0 Author : A J Mo Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 884: Zhao and the Flightless Crane is an Escape Pod original. Discussion of death and loss. Zhao and the Flightless Crane By A. J. Mo Quick sapphires danced over sun-silvered water. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/04/13/escape-pod-884-zhao-and-the-flightless-crane/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : A J Mo Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 884: Zhao and the Flightless Crane is an Escape Pod original. Discussion of death and loss. Zhao and the Flightless Crane By A. J. Zhao and the Flightless Crane<br /> By A. J. Mo<br /> <br /> Quick sapphires danced over sun-silvered water. Soundless, they zipped and wheeled to the quiet rhythm of filtration pumps. Dragonflies, Zhao thought. Other winged jewels joined the flurry, some green as spring, others red as blood, wings iridescent.<br /> <br /> “Good,” he said to himself. “Lake’s clean.”<br /> <br /> “That is good,” echoed Ah Bak in their tinny voice. “Dragonflies do not breed in stagnant water.”<br /> <br /> In the distance, the Pearl River curled east, having conferred upon the lake a small fraction of its life on its thousand-mile journey from the west. Zhao stared at the scene, taking in the collage of colours and contours when he noticed something in the sky. A plane. Almost imperceptibly small, it cut its trail across perfect blue. His stomach tightened, a light prelude to much greater agony. A memory forced its way to the surface, fingers ruined by fire, the rest of the hand lost. All they could find. All that was left of Chen. Zhao clenched his teeth and dragged his eyes over the white naked sun to blot out the image.<br /> <br /> “Does Lei like dragonflies?” came Ah Bak’s tinny voice, their haematite beak unmoving. A. J. Mo (Author); Andrew K. Hoe (Narrator) full false 38:32 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/06/escape-pod-883-just-us-and-the-mannequins/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 21:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14124 https://escapepod.org/2023/04/06/escape-pod-883-just-us-and-the-mannequins/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/04/06/escape-pod-883-just-us-and-the-mannequins/feed/ 0 Author : Linda Niehoff Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 883: Just Us and the Mannequins is an Escape Pod original. Brief mention of suicidal ideations Just Us and the Mannequins by Linda Niehoff It was creepy at first, all those mannequins. It must have been […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/04/06/escape-pod-883-just-us-and-the-mannequins/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Linda Niehoff Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 883: Just Us and the Mannequins is an Escape Pod original. Brief mention of suicidal ideations Just Us and the Mannequins by Linda Niehoff It... Author : Linda Niehoff Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 883: Just Us and the Mannequins is an Escape Pod original. Brief mention of suicidal ideations Just Us and the Mannequins by Linda Niehoff It was creepy at first, all those mannequins. It must have been […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 41:36 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/30/escape-pod-882-hey-george/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 21:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14099 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/30/escape-pod-882-hey-george/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/03/30/escape-pod-882-hey-george/feed/ 0 Author : Elizabeth Guilt Narrators : Hugo Jackson, Matt Dovey, Kat Day and Alasdair Stuart Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 882: Hey, George is an Escape Pod original. Hey, George By Elizabeth Guilt “Hey, George.” I remind myself that that is not my name; it never […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/03/30/escape-pod-882-hey-george/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Elizabeth Guilt Narrators : Hugo Jackson, Matt Dovey, Kat Day and Alasdair Stuart Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 882: Hey, George is an Escape Pod original. Hey, George By Elizabeth Guilt “Hey, Hey, George<br /> By Elizabeth Guilt<br /> <br /> "Hey, George."<br /> <br /> I remind myself that that is not my name; it never was. I will myself not to react, not to break stride, as I stroll along beside the beach.<br /> <br /> Old habits die hard, and the best neuro-reset in the world can't overcome years of routine. Whoever called out could, had they been watching closely, have seen my tiny hesitation. But they are not calling me.<br /> <br /> I hear footsteps behind me, running steps, getting closer.<br /> <br /> "George!"<br /> <br /> I stop walking and take a deep breath. I assume a politely blank expression, and turn around.<br /> <br /> And then I see her. Elizabeth Guilt (Author); Hugo Jackson, Kat Day, Alasdair Stuart, Matt Dovey (Narrator) full false 31:50 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/23/escape-pod-881-wild-geese/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 21:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14093 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/23/escape-pod-881-wild-geese/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/03/23/escape-pod-881-wild-geese/feed/ 0 Author : Lavie Tidhar Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (December 2020) Wild Geese by Lavie Tidhar With rustling wings the wild geese fly Round fields long strange to hand of toil Called by the officers […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/03/23/escape-pod-881-wild-geese/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lavie Tidhar Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (December 2020) Wild Geese by Lavie Tidhar With rustling wings the wild geese fly Rou... Author : Lavie Tidhar Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (December 2020) Wild Geese by Lavie Tidhar With rustling wings the wild geese fly Round fields long strange to hand of toil Called by the officers […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 32:53 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/16/escape-pod-880-a-cosmonauts-guide-to-talking-to-your-parents/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14082 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/16/escape-pod-880-a-cosmonauts-guide-to-talking-to-your-parents/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/03/16/escape-pod-880-a-cosmonauts-guide-to-talking-to-your-parents/feed/ 0 Author : Adriana C. Grigore Narrator : Bryce Dahle Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 880: A Cosmonaut’s Guide to Talking to Your Parents is an Escape Pod original. A Cosmonaut’s Guide to Talking to Your Parents By Adriana C. Grigore You have (3) unopened voicemails on […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/03/16/escape-pod-880-a-cosmonauts-guide-to-talking-to-your-parents/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Adriana C. Grigore Narrator : Bryce Dahle Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 880: A Cosmonaut’s Guide to Talking to Your Parents is an Escape Pod original. A Cosmonaut's Guide to Talking to Your Parents<br /> By Adriana C. Grigore<br /> <br /> You have (3) unopened voicemails on your personal line. Last received 31 minutes ago, Aurea Minor Time.<br /> <br /> > Read?<br /> <br /> > No. Switch to broadcast.<br /> <br /> > Engage deep space satellite?<br /> <br /> > Yes. On, say…a five-sector perimeter.<br /> <br /> > Live transmission upon connection?<br /> <br /> > Sure.<br /> <br /> “... and when I said that no, I didn’t order the pie, I made it myself, they said—they said, oh, you shouldn’t have made such a mess! And I, well, I, I cried.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah.”<br /> <br /> “It’s… it’s like the mess was all they saw, you know?”<br /> <br /> “And you wanted them to see you.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah… I mean, doesn’t everyone?”<br /> <br /> Sam looked at the canopy of stars past the asteroid belt he was supposed to be mapping. None of them would’ve been visible from any of the planets he’d grown up on, but they felt familiar anyway. Distant and still, as his spacesuit ebbed and flowed. Adriana C. Grigore (Author); Bryce Dahle (Narrator) full false 35:22 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/09/escape-pod-879-triptych/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 22:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14072 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/09/escape-pod-879-triptych/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/03/09/escape-pod-879-triptych/feed/ 0 Author : Avi Burton Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 879: Triptych is an Escape Pod original. Content warnings for gender dysphoria, and threats of gun violence Triptych by Avi Burton Delaney didn’t have time to change before the men in suits came and bundled […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/03/09/escape-pod-879-triptych/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Avi Burton Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 879: Triptych is an Escape Pod original. Content warnings for gender dysphoria, and threats of gun violence Triptych by Avi Burton Delaney di... Author : Avi Burton Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 879: Triptych is an Escape Pod original. Content warnings for gender dysphoria, and threats of gun violence Triptych by Avi Burton Delaney didn’t have time to change before the men in suits came and bundled […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 25:24 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/02/escape-pod-878-budo-flashback-friday/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 22:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14054 https://escapepod.org/2023/03/02/escape-pod-878-budo-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/03/02/escape-pod-878-budo-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Tade Thompson Narrator : Suyi Davies Okungbowa Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was previously published in the Steampunk World Anthology edited by Sarah Hans and first appeared on Escape Pod Episode 517. Violence and warfare. Budo By Tade […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/03/02/escape-pod-878-budo-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tade Thompson Narrator : Suyi Davies Okungbowa Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was previously published in the Steampunk World Anthology edited by Sarah Hans and... Budo<br /> By Tade Thompson<br /> <br /> “Being desirous, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from new acts of occupation (prises de possession) on the coast of Africa; and concerned, at the same time, as to the means of furthering the moral and material well-being of the native populations;”<br /> <br /> General Act of the Berlin Conference on West Africa,<br /> 26 February 1885<br /> <br /> There is a story told in my village about the man who fell from the sky. The British also tell this tale in their history books, but it is a mere paragraph, and they invert the details.<br /> <br /> In October 1884 I was a Yoruba translator for a British trading outpost. This man from the sky, we called him Budo. He was in the custody of the English, who questioned him. They tortured him with heat and with cold and with the blade, but they did not know what answers would satisfy. I know this because I carried their words to him, and his silence back to them. His manner was mild and deferent at all times, but they held him in isolation. For good reason they considered him dangerous. I will explain this later.<br /> <br /> One afternoon while most of the English were sleeping a white man arrived at the gate demanding admission. One of the Sikh sentries told me he was a scout, and appeared bruised, half-naked and exhausted. He was too out of breath to speak, although he seemed keen to give his report. Kenton, the NCO of the military contingent, asked one of my brothers to bring water while he soothed the scout. The man took two gulps, splashed some on his face, then looked up at Kenton. He said one word.<br /> <br /> “French.”<br /> <br /> The scout vomited over the floor. Tade Thompson (Author); Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Narrator) full false 28:53 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/23/escape-pod-877-he-leaps-for-the-stars-he-leaps-for-the-stars/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:00:02 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14045 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/23/escape-pod-877-he-leaps-for-the-stars-he-leaps-for-the-stars/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/02/23/escape-pod-877-he-leaps-for-the-stars-he-leaps-for-the-stars/feed/ 0 Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars was originally published in Clarkesworld Issue 178 (July 2021) He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars by Grace Chan Yennie’s new therapist started by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/02/23/escape-pod-877-he-leaps-for-the-stars-he-leaps-for-the-stars/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars was originally published in Clarkesworld Issue 178 (July 2021) He Leaps for the Stars, Author : Grace Chan Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars was originally published in Clarkesworld Issue 178 (July 2021) He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars by Grace Chan Yennie’s new therapist started by […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 43:09 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/16/escape-pod-876-like-stars-daring-to-shine/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 22:00:41 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14040 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/16/escape-pod-876-like-stars-daring-to-shine/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/02/16/escape-pod-876-like-stars-daring-to-shine/feed/ 0 Author : Somto Ihezue Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Like Stars Daring to Shine was first published by Fireside Magazine, July 2022. Like Stars Daring to Shine By Somto Ihezue When the boy opens his housing unit’s steel door and the incandescent lights pour into […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/02/16/escape-pod-876-like-stars-daring-to-shine/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Somto Ihezue Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Like Stars Daring to Shine was first published by Fireside Magazine, July 2022. Like Stars Daring to Shine By Somto Ihezue When the boy o... Like Stars Daring to Shine<br /> By Somto Ihezue<br /> <br /> When the boy opens his housing unit’s steel door and the incandescent lights pour into his face, he does not blink away. “Little suns” — this is what everyone calls them. The massive disks hover in the atmosphere, spilling streams of radiant light to the ground. The boy stares into the trees, mere meters from the door, and the forest encaving the unit stares back. A breeze finds him, whistling through the trees and into his dungarees. Threadbare with a Batman logo printed on them, the over-alls belonged to his mother when she was a child. Somto Ihezue (Author and Narrator) full false 31:08 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/09/escape-pod-875-the-hagfish-has-three-hearts/ Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14024 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/09/escape-pod-875-the-hagfish-has-three-hearts/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/02/09/escape-pod-875-the-hagfish-has-three-hearts/feed/ 0 Author : Monica Joyce Evans Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hagfish Has Three Hearts” was originally published in Cossmass Infinities (September 2021) The Hagfish Has Three Hearts by Monica Joyce Evans The beacons were in the wrong place. Noma swallowed her roasted squid and clicked, still […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/02/09/escape-pod-875-the-hagfish-has-three-hearts/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Monica Joyce Evans Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hagfish Has Three Hearts” was originally published in Cossmass Infinities (September 2021) The Hagfish Has Three Hearts by Monica Joyce Evans The ... Author : Monica Joyce Evans Narrator : Julia Rios Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hagfish Has Three Hearts” was originally published in Cossmass Infinities (September 2021) The Hagfish Has Three Hearts by Monica Joyce Evans The beacons were in the wrong place. Noma swallowed her roasted squid and clicked, still […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 54:06 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/02/escape-pod-874-common-speech/ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14017 https://escapepod.org/2023/02/02/escape-pod-874-common-speech/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/02/02/escape-pod-874-common-speech/feed/ 0 Author : Elise Stephens Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 874: Common Speech is an Escape Pod original. This story deals with plagues and description of injuries. Common Speech By Elise Stephens Dr. Jaiyesimi Obiaka tugged at her sweat-damp collar, wiped her eyes, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/02/02/escape-pod-874-common-speech/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Elise Stephens Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 874: Common Speech is an Escape Pod original. This story deals with plagues and description of injuries. Common Speech<br /> By Elise Stephens<br /> <br /> Dr. Jaiyesimi Obiaka tugged at her sweat-damp collar, wiped her eyes, and tried to focus on the copied pages of the final experiment she and Ganiru had created together. Just looking over his familiar handwriting blurred her vision with tears.<br /> <br /> Jai’s colleagues had told her to stay home, to take time to grieve, but she’d allowed herself just two days to mourn her husband’s death before donning her lab coat again. She had to be pragmatic. Elise Stephens (Author); Ibba Armancas (Narrator) full false 40:28 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/31/january-2023-metacast/ Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:42:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=14021 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/31/january-2023-metacast/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/01/31/january-2023-metacast/feed/ 0 Presenters: Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart Hey folks, welcome to an Escape Artists metacast. I’m Marguerite Kenner. And I’m Alasdair Stuart. For those of you who have never heard a metacast before, think of this like a mini State of the Union address, a way for us to update you about what’s been happening at EA. The […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/01/31/january-2023-metacast/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Presenters: Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart Hey folks, welcome to an Escape Artists metacast. I’m Marguerite Kenner. And I’m Alasdair Stuart. For those of you who have never heard a metacast before, think of this like a mini State of the Union ad... Presenters: Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart Hey folks, welcome to an Escape Artists metacast. I’m Marguerite Kenner. And I’m Alasdair Stuart. For those of you who have never heard a metacast before, think of this like a mini State of the Union address, a way for us to update you about what’s been happening at EA. The […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 14:25 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/26/escape-pod-873-the-hazmat-sisters-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 22:00:41 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13994 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/26/escape-pod-873-the-hazmat-sisters-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/01/26/escape-pod-873-the-hazmat-sisters-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2020-2021 window that are all set in the same universe […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/01/26/escape-pod-873-the-hazmat-sisters-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2... Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2020-2021 window that are all set in the same universe […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 33:57 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/19/escape-pod-872-the-hazmat-sisters-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:00:51 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13990 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/19/escape-pod-872-the-hazmat-sisters-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/01/19/escape-pod-872-the-hazmat-sisters-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2020-2021 window that are all set in the same universe […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/01/19/escape-pod-872-the-hazmat-sisters-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2... Author : L. X. Beckett Narrator : Amy Kelly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Hazmat Sisters” appeared in Asimovs in July 2021 and was a finalist for their Reader’s Choice award. It’s one of three novellas that appeared in the 2020-2021 window that are all set in the same universe […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 43:35 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/12/escape-pod-871-the-contrary-gardener-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 12 Jan 2023 22:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13982 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/12/escape-pod-871-the-contrary-gardener-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/01/12/escape-pod-871-the-contrary-gardener-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Christopher Rowe Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Contrary Gardener originally appeared in Eclipse Online, October 2012 and has been reprinted in: Science Fiction: The Best of the Year 2013, ed. Rich Horton, Prime Books, 2014. The Best Science Fiction and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/01/12/escape-pod-871-the-contrary-gardener-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Christopher Rowe Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Contrary Gardener originally appeared in Eclipse Online, October 2012 and has been reprinted in: Science Fiction: The Best of the... The Contrary Gardener (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By Christopher Rowe<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> Even in the ‘Ville, even in a family of master cultivators, tickets were not easy to come by, so it was not unusual that Kay Lynne had never been to the Derby. What was unusual was her absolute lack of desire to attend the race.<br /> <br /> Kay Lynne genuinely hoped that her instinctive and absolute despisal of the Derby and all its attendant celebrations was born of some logical or at least reasonable quirk of her own personality. But she suspected it was simply because her father loved it so.<br /> <br /> “You managed to get two tickets this year?” she asked him, and was surprised that her voice was so steady and calm.<br /> <br /> “Just this one,” he replied, turning his back on her before she could hand the ticket back. “I decided this year would be a good one for you to go instead. There’s a good card, top to bottom.” Christopher Rowe (Author); Amy H. Sturgis (Narrator) full false 39:49 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/05/escape-pod-870-the-contrary-gardener-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13974 https://escapepod.org/2023/01/05/escape-pod-870-the-contrary-gardener-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2023/01/05/escape-pod-870-the-contrary-gardener-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Christopher Rowe Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Contrary Gardener originally appeared in Eclipse Online, October 2012 and has been reprinted in: Science Fiction: The Best of the Year 2013, ed. Rich Horton, Prime Books, 2014. The Best Science Fiction and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2023/01/05/escape-pod-870-the-contrary-gardener-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Christopher Rowe Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Contrary Gardener originally appeared in Eclipse Online, October 2012 and has been reprinted in: Science Fiction: The Best of the... The Contrary Gardener<br /> By Christopher Rowe<br /> <br /> Kay Lynne wandered up and down the aisles of the seed library dug out beneath the county extension office. Some of the rows were marked with glowing orange off-limits fungus, warning the unwary away from spores and thistles that required special equipment to handle, which Kay Lynne didn’t have, and special permission to access, which she would never have, if her father had anything to say about it, and he did.<br /> <br /> It was the last Friday before the first Saturday in May, the day before Derby Day and so a week from planting day, and Kay Lynne had few ideas and less time for her Victory Garden planning. Last year she had grown a half dozen varieties of tomatoes, three for eating and three for blood transfusions, but she didn’t like to repeat herself. Given that she tended to mumble when she talked, not liking to repeat herself made Kay Lynne a quiet gardener. Christopher Rowe (Author); Amy H. Sturgis (Narrator) full false 25:17 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/29/escape-pod-869-excuse-me-this-is-my-apocalypse/ Thu, 29 Dec 2022 22:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13959 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/29/escape-pod-869-excuse-me-this-is-my-apocalypse/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/12/29/escape-pod-869-excuse-me-this-is-my-apocalypse/feed/ 0 Author : Amy Johnson Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 869: Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse is an Escape Pod original. Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse by Amy Johnson It was a glorious day when she finally made it to the beach and fell […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/12/29/escape-pod-869-excuse-me-this-is-my-apocalypse/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Amy Johnson Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 869: Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse is an Escape Pod original. Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse by Amy Johnson It was a glorious day when ... Author : Amy Johnson Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 869: Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse is an Escape Pod original. Excuse Me, This Is My Apocalypse by Amy Johnson It was a glorious day when she finally made it to the beach and fell […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 51:51 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/22/escape-pod-868-any-other-customer/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 22:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13949 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/22/escape-pod-868-any-other-customer/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/12/22/escape-pod-868-any-other-customer/feed/ 0 Author : Rachel Gutin Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 868: Any Other Customer is an Escape Pod original. Any Other Customer By Rachel Gutin Lewis was poking at his tablet, trying yet again to open the training module from Station Commerce, when […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/12/22/escape-pod-868-any-other-customer/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Rachel Gutin Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 868: Any Other Customer is an Escape Pod original. Any Other Customer By Rachel Gutin Lewis was poking at his tablet, Any Other Customer<br /> By Rachel Gutin<br /> <br /> Lewis was poking at his tablet, trying yet again to open the training module from Station Commerce, when the sensor above his shop door chimed. “Not now!” he snapped without looking up.<br /> <br /> “But… but I….”<br /> <br /> Blast it! His tailor shop’s margins had been razor-thin even before Commerce cracked down on him for logging his transactions on paper. And just in case the mandatory training in “proper record-keeping protocols” wasn’t punishment enough, they’d also hit him with a hefty fine. He couldn’t afford to scare away a customer. Rachel Gutin (Author); Elie Hirschman (Narrator) full false 22:35 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/15/escape-pod-867-through-the-mirror/ Thu, 15 Dec 2022 22:00:36 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13931 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/15/escape-pod-867-through-the-mirror/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/12/15/escape-pod-867-through-the-mirror/feed/ 0 Author : Heather Kilbourn Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 867: Through the Mirror is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language Through the Mirror by Heather Kilbourn The crashed spaceship was scattered along a ten kilometer-long track in the rainforest jungle. Larger pieces of the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/12/15/escape-pod-867-through-the-mirror/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Heather Kilbourn Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 867: Through the Mirror is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language Through the Mirror by Heather Kilbourn The crashed spaceship was sca... Author : Heather Kilbourn Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 867: Through the Mirror is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language Through the Mirror by Heather Kilbourn The crashed spaceship was scattered along a ten kilometer-long track in the rainforest jungle. Larger pieces of the […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 26:32 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/08/escape-pod-866-the-sea-goddesss-bloom/ Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13921 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/08/escape-pod-866-the-sea-goddesss-bloom/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/12/08/escape-pod-866-the-sea-goddesss-bloom/feed/ 0 Author : Uchechukwu Nwaka Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 866: The Sea Goddesss’ Bloom is an Escape Pod original. Post-apocalyptic themes and war. The Sea Goddess’ Bloom By Uchechukwu Nwaka There is doubt in my heart. Here, in the Blackwater, doubt is […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/12/08/escape-pod-866-the-sea-goddesss-bloom/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Uchechukwu Nwaka Narrator : Somto Ihezue Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 866: The Sea Goddesss’ Bloom is an Escape Pod original. Post-apocalyptic themes and war. The Sea Goddess' Bloom<br /> By Uchechukwu Nwaka<br /> <br /> There is doubt in my heart.<br /> <br /> Here, in the Blackwater, doubt is dangerous.<br /> <br /> Doubt is rancid. Like slitting the mud-smeared belly of a catfish, only to find its guts blackened by pollution, then watching it spill back into the blacker waters of the creek. Blackwater is a literal name; it is not symbolic. These people do not care about legacies. The only thing that matters is continuity. Continuity does not require permanence.<br /> <br /> At least Oba says so. Surely Oba cannot be wrong.<br /> <br /> Yet I doubt. Uchechukwu Nwaka (Author); Somto Ihezue (Narrator) full false 47:10 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/01/escape-pod-865-spider-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 22:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13899 https://escapepod.org/2022/12/01/escape-pod-865-spider-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/12/01/escape-pod-865-spider-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Don’t miss Spider, Part One Spider (Part 2) by Patrice Sarath Nguyen “Attention. Attention. Stay in your quarters. Attention. Attention. Stay in your quarters.” The bloody pink light of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/12/01/escape-pod-865-spider-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Don’t miss Spider, Part One Spider (Part 2) by Patrice Sarath Nguyen “Attention. Attention. Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Don’t miss Spider, Part One Spider (Part 2) by Patrice Sarath Nguyen “Attention. Attention. Stay in your quarters. Attention. Attention. Stay in your quarters.” The bloody pink light of […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 36:50 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/24/escape-pod-864-spider-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 22:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13897 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/24/escape-pod-864-spider-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/11/24/escape-pod-864-spider-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Some harsh language Spider by Patrice Sarath Bifrost Mining Station, June 2063 The plan I knew the two miners were trouble as soon as they pulled themselves into the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/11/24/escape-pod-864-spider-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Some harsh language Spider by Patrice Sarath Bifrost Mining Station, Author : Patrice Sarath Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Way of the Laser (Vernacular Books, May 2020) Some harsh language Spider by Patrice Sarath Bifrost Mining Station, June 2063 The plan I knew the two miners were trouble as soon as they pulled themselves into the […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 41:35 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/17/escape-pod-863-a-shoreline-of-oil-and-infinity/ Thu, 17 Nov 2022 22:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13885 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/17/escape-pod-863-a-shoreline-of-oil-and-infinity/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/11/17/escape-pod-863-a-shoreline-of-oil-and-infinity/feed/ 0 Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Diogo Ramos Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 863: A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity is an Escape Pod original. A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity by Renan Bernardo Conchinha Charging… 87% Energy source: light Message: Good morning, Vitória. The water is cold today. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/11/17/escape-pod-863-a-shoreline-of-oil-and-infinity/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Diogo Ramos Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 863: A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity is an Escape Pod original. A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity by Renan Bernardo Conchinha Charging… 87% Ene... Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Diogo Ramos Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 863: A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity is an Escape Pod original. A Shoreline of Oil and Infinity by Renan Bernardo Conchinha Charging… 87% Energy source: light Message: Good morning, Vitória. The water is cold today. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:05 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/10/escape-pod-862-the-pill-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 22:00:43 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13878 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/10/escape-pod-862-the-pill-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/11/10/escape-pod-862-the-pill-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Meg Elison Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pill originally appeared in the collection Big Girl with PM Press, part of the Outspoken Author series. Discussion of dieting, disordered eating, and anti-fat bias. Also, disturbing imagery. And swearing. And sexy times. The […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/11/10/escape-pod-862-the-pill-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Meg Elison Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pill originally appeared in the collection Big Girl with PM Press, part of the Outspoken Author series. Discussion of dieting, By Meg Elison<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> The Pill sold like nothing had ever sold before. The original, the generic, the knockoffs, the different versions approved in Europe and Asia that met their standards and got rammed through their testing. There was at last a cure for the obesity epidemic. Fat people really were an endangered species. And everybody was so, so glad.<br /> <br /> One in ten kept dying. The average never improved, not in any corner of the globe. There were memorials for the famous and semi-famous folks who took the gamble and lost. A congressman here and a comedian there. But everyone was so proud of them that they had died trying to better themselves that all the obituaries and eulogies had this weird, wistful tone to them. As if it was the next best thing to being thin. At least they didn’t have to live that fat life any more.<br /> <br /> And every time it was on the news, we sat in silence and didn’t talk about Dad. Meg Elison (Author); Sandy Parsons (Narrator) full false 39:06 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/03/escape-pod-861-the-pill-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 21:00:54 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13869 https://escapepod.org/2022/11/03/escape-pod-861-the-pill-part-1-of-2/#comments https://escapepod.org/2022/11/03/escape-pod-861-the-pill-part-1-of-2/feed/ 1 Author : Meg Elison Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pill originally appeared in the collection Big Girl with PM Press, part of the Outspoken Author series. Discussion of dieting, disordered eating, and anti-fat bias. Also, disturbing imagery. And swearing. The Pill (Part 1 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/11/03/escape-pod-861-the-pill-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Meg Elison Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pill originally appeared in the collection Big Girl with PM Press, part of the Outspoken Author series. Discussion of dieting, The Pill (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By Meg Elison<br /> <br /> My mother took the Pill before anybody even knew about it. She was always signing up for those studies at the university, saying she was doing it because she was bored. I think she did it because they would ask her questions about herself and listen carefully when she answered. Nobody else did that.<br /> <br /> She had done it for lots of trials; sleep studies and allergy meds. She tried signing up when they tested the first 3D printed IUDs, but they told her she was too old. I remember her raging about that for days, and later when everybody in that study got fibroids she was really smug about it. She never suggested I do it instead; she knew I wasn’t fucking anybody. How embarrassing that my own mother didn’t even believe I was cute enough to get a date at sixteen. I tried not to care. And I’m glad now I didn’t get fibroids. I never wanted to be a lab rat, anyway. Especially when the most popular studies (and the ones Mom really went all-out for) were the diet ones. Meg Elison (Author); Sandy Parsons (Narrator) full false 37:40 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/27/escape-pod-860-solo-cooking-for-the-recently-revived/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 21:00:07 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13856 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/27/escape-pod-860-solo-cooking-for-the-recently-revived/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/10/27/escape-pod-860-solo-cooking-for-the-recently-revived/feed/ 0 Author : Aimee Picchi Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Solo Cooking for the Recently Revived” was previously published in the Zombies Need Brains anthology “Apocalyptic” in June 2020 Solo Cooking for the Recently Revived by Aimee Picchi I hide my right hand behind my back when Jamie […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/10/27/escape-pod-860-solo-cooking-for-the-recently-revived/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Aimee Picchi Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Solo Cooking for the Recently Revived” was previously published in the Zombies Need Brains anthology “Apocalyptic” in June 2020 Solo Cooking for the Rece... Author : Aimee Picchi Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Solo Cooking for the Recently Revived” was previously published in the Zombies Need Brains anthology “Apocalyptic” in June 2020 Solo Cooking for the Recently Revived by Aimee Picchi I hide my right hand behind my back when Jamie […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 35:39 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/20/escape-pod-859-pen-pal-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13845 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/20/escape-pod-859-pen-pal-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/10/20/escape-pod-859-pen-pal-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Grant Canterbury Narrators : Kitty Sarkozy, Rachel Lackey and Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pen Pal was originally published in Vintage Worlds (2018). Some cursing, suggestion of violence, and death. (Continued from Part 1) Pen Pal By Grant Canterbury   August 8, 2005 Meliari Thulissia […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/10/20/escape-pod-859-pen-pal-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Grant Canterbury Narrators : Kitty Sarkozy, Rachel Lackey and Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pen Pal was originally published in Vintage Worlds (2018). Some cursing, suggestion of violence, (Continued from Part 1)<br /> <br /> Pen Pal<br /> By Grant Canterbury<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> August 8, 2005<br /> <br /> Meliari Thulissia<br /> <br /> General Delivery<br /> <br /> Tharsis Station<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Dear Thu,<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Well I officially graduated from high school! And I have been itching to get out into the world for a long time but right now honestly I am not liking the look of it. We had been planning to go to Disneyworld after graduation but we did Disneyland again instead. That was fine actually. Mom and Dad decided Florida was not such a great idea because gulguthroi. And I had to agree with them. It has gotten really bad. They have chameleon skin and they hide in shallow water which is everywhere down there, and they are basically eating up all of the wildlife in the Everglades. And also people. And especially folks who used to own skipperjacks, it seems. Apparently the deep soulful looks that made them popular at pet stores were more like, um, imprinting on future prey. And their big raspy tentacles also work okay at opening doors in the middle of the night. There are like thousands of people who have disappeared. Oh yeah, they made it illegal to own skipperjacks, of course. And so a bunch of pet stores, crooked or dumb, went and dumped theirs in the nearest creek. Christ. Grant Canterbury (Author); Kitty Sarkozy (Narrator); Rachel Lackey (Narrator); Valerie Valdes (Narrator) full false 41:25 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/13/escape-pod-858-pen-pal-part-1/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13837 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/13/escape-pod-858-pen-pal-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/10/13/escape-pod-858-pen-pal-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Grant Canterbury Narrators : Kitty Sarkozy and Rachel Lackey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pen Pal was originally published in Vintage Worlds (2018). Some cursing and suggestion of violence. Pen Pal By Grant Canterbury December Third, 1996   Meliari Thulissia General Delivery Tharsis Station   Dear Meliari, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/10/13/escape-pod-858-pen-pal-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Grant Canterbury Narrators : Kitty Sarkozy and Rachel Lackey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pen Pal was originally published in Vintage Worlds (2018). Some cursing and suggestion of violence. Pen Pal<br /> By Grant Canterbury<br /> <br /> December Third, 1996<br /> <br /> <br /> Meliari Thulissia<br /> <br /> General Delivery<br /> <br /> Tharsis Station<br /> <br /> <br /> Dear Meliari,<br /> <br /> Hello!!  My name is Mary and I am nine years old.  I got your name for a pen pal and they said you were the first pen pal on Mars.  This is the first time I have written a letter to Mars to.   So I will tell you about me and how things are here in Oregon.  And if you can tell me about yourself and what Mars is like that would be great!  I am interested in mars but I have never been there yet.  There is a book in the library that has pictures, I like the one with the little boats and orange trees on the grand canal.  I mean the trees are orange not that they have oragnes.  Here our trees are green except in fall.  Right now they have lost their leaves. Grant Canterbury (Author); Kitty Sarkozy (Narrator); Rachel Lackey (Narrator) full false 34:20 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/06/escape-pod-857-salvaged/ Thu, 06 Oct 2022 21:00:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13827 https://escapepod.org/2022/10/06/escape-pod-857-salvaged/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/10/06/escape-pod-857-salvaged/feed/ 0 Author : Adriana Kantcheva Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 857: Salvaged is an Escape Pod original. Salvaged by Adriana Kantcheva I have her body. If I’d also had her life, would I have lived it in the same way? I make the mistake of voicing my thoughts to Seven, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/10/06/escape-pod-857-salvaged/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Adriana Kantcheva Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 857: Salvaged is an Escape Pod original. Salvaged by Adriana Kantcheva I have her body. If I’d also had her life, would I have lived it in the same way? Author : Adriana Kantcheva Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 857: Salvaged is an Escape Pod original. Salvaged by Adriana Kantcheva I have her body. If I’d also had her life, would I have lived it in the same way? I make the mistake of voicing my thoughts to Seven, […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 22:04 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/29/escape-pod-856-the-princess-np/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13818 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/29/escape-pod-856-the-princess-np/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/09/29/escape-pod-856-the-princess-np/feed/ 0 Author : Brian Hugenbruch Narrator : Leigh Wallace Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 856: The Princess, NP is an Escape Pod original. Enslavement and mental abuse. The Princess, NP By Brian Hugenbruch I sat in the Commander’s office at Hexa Station, in clothes that stank of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/09/29/escape-pod-856-the-princess-np/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian Hugenbruch Narrator : Leigh Wallace Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 856: The Princess, NP is an Escape Pod original. Enslavement and mental abuse. The Princess, The Princess, NP<br /> By Brian Hugenbruch<br /> <br /> I sat in the Commander’s office at Hexa Station, in clothes that stank of subspace, and the only polite thing I could do to drown out the universe was compute obscene sums in my head. It didn’t stop the sounds from piercing my ears, though. Metal chairs scraping against plastic floors. A pulse generator’s low thrumming some twenty floors below. The whisper of air recycling through the prefab station. The universe was omnipresent. I could feel it all, and it never ever stopped.<br /> <br /> Lullabies were my preferred method of soothing soul and stilling mind. I learned thousands of them in the earliest days of my Conditioning. Alas, people ask the wrong kinds of questions if one starts singing mid-conversation. Math was a precisely imperfect fallback. Brian Hugenbruch (Author); Leigh Wallace (Narrator) full false 43:43 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/22/escape-pod-855-a-home-for-mrs-biswas/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13792 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/22/escape-pod-855-a-home-for-mrs-biswas/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/09/22/escape-pod-855-a-home-for-mrs-biswas/feed/ 0 Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Home For Mrs. Biswas” previously appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2021) A Home For Mrs. Biswas by Amal Singh Once she saw the red sands stretch across miles, craters as big as the stadium her father played […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/09/22/escape-pod-855-a-home-for-mrs-biswas/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Home For Mrs. Biswas” previously appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2021) A Home For Mrs. Biswas by Amal Singh Once she saw the red sands str... Author : Amal Singh Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “A Home For Mrs. Biswas” previously appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2021) A Home For Mrs. Biswas by Amal Singh Once she saw the red sands stretch across miles, craters as big as the stadium her father played […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:13 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/15/escape-pod-854-pickled-roots-and-peeled-shoots-and-a-bowl-of-farflower-tea/ Thu, 15 Sep 2022 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13775 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/15/escape-pod-854-pickled-roots-and-peeled-shoots-and-a-bowl-of-farflower-tea/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/09/15/escape-pod-854-pickled-roots-and-peeled-shoots-and-a-bowl-of-farflower-tea/feed/ 0 Author : Chaz Brenchley Narrator : Dani Daly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pickled Roots and Peeled Shoots and a Bowl of Farflower Tea originally appeared in Galactic Stew, Zombies Need Brains, 2020. Brief descriptions of violence and bodily harm. Pickled Roots and Peeled Shoots and a Bowl […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/09/15/escape-pod-854-pickled-roots-and-peeled-shoots-and-a-bowl-of-farflower-tea/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Chaz Brenchley Narrator : Dani Daly Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Pickled Roots and Peeled Shoots and a Bowl of Farflower Tea originally appeared in Galactic Stew, Zombies Need Brains, 2020. Pickled Roots and Peeled Shoots and a Bowl of Farflower Tea<br /> By Chaz Brenchley<br /> <br /> <br /> there’s rue for you, and here’s some for me<br /> <br /> <br /> Just that morning, she’d had a novice shave her head for her. He was a promising lad - no, more than promising, he was a promise halfway to being realised already - but still ridiculously young, all awkwardness and angles, nervous of his own body let alone anybody else’s. Let alone hers.<br /> <br /> Of course he’d cut her. She’d felt the cold bite of the blade and then its sudden absence as he snatched his hands away, his suppressed cry of self-recrimination, the tentative pressure of a cloth to stem the bleeding. She raised a hand and laid it over his, pressing firmly, teaching him not to be shy. Not with her body, not with her blood. Chaz Brenchley (Author); Dani Daly (Narrator) full false 48:05 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/08/escape-pod-853-2022-flash-fiction-contest-winners/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13757 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/08/escape-pod-853-2022-flash-fiction-contest-winners/#comments https://escapepod.org/2022/09/08/escape-pod-853-2022-flash-fiction-contest-winners/feed/ 1 Authors : Andrew Hiller, Brandon Case and Bob McHugh Narrators : Elie Hirschman, Justine Eyre and Jairus Durnett Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 853: 2022 Flash Fiction Contest Winners is an Escape Pod original. Half-Lives by Andrew Hiller “Time traveler, eh?” I shuffled my feet and smirked. The AI […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/09/08/escape-pod-853-2022-flash-fiction-contest-winners/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Andrew Hiller, Brandon Case and Bob McHugh Narrators : Elie Hirschman, Justine Eyre and Jairus Durnett Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 853: 2022 Flash Fiction Contest Winners is an Escape Pod original. Authors : Andrew Hiller, Brandon Case and Bob McHugh Narrators : Elie Hirschman, Justine Eyre and Jairus Durnett Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 853: 2022 Flash Fiction Contest Winners is an Escape Pod original. Half-Lives by Andrew Hiller “Time traveler, eh?” I shuffled my feet and smirked. The AI […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 18:29 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/01/escape-pod-852-the-pieces-that-bind/ Thu, 01 Sep 2022 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13744 https://escapepod.org/2022/09/01/escape-pod-852-the-pieces-that-bind/#comments https://escapepod.org/2022/09/01/escape-pod-852-the-pieces-that-bind/feed/ 1 Author : Carol Scheina Narrator : Bria Strothers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pieces that Bind first appeared in On The Premises, issue 35. Death and loss. The Pieces that Bind By Carol Scheina The first thing Georgia knew for certain was that the woman rummaging through the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/09/01/escape-pod-852-the-pieces-that-bind/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Carol Scheina Narrator : Bria Strothers Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Pieces that Bind first appeared in On The Premises, issue 35. Death and loss. The Pieces that Bind By Carol Scheina The first thing... The Pieces that Bind<br /> By Carol Scheina<br /> <br /> The first thing Georgia knew for certain was that the woman rummaging through the canned beans and peas in the pantry was not her grandma, even though she looked exactly like her, right down to the nasty black cigar in hand.<br /> <br /> Except that Georgia had just plucked the cigar out of Gran’s hand, for it was 2 p.m. and time for the older woman’s afternoon siesta. In the other room, Georgia could hear the television cheerfully offering a miracle knife that could be hers for just three easy payments. The teen glanced through the doorway, and yes, indeed, right in front of the television was Gran, resting in her chair like rising yeast, filling every nook with her body’s slow breathing.<br /> <br /> Gran often fell asleep to the sound of infomercials with her lit cigar dangling loosely between her fingers, ready to set the house on fire. Georgia imagined the smoke snatching their lives away with a puff, so she was always on the alert for falling cigars. The one in the teen’s hand still felt warm.<br /> <br /> In the kitchen, the not-Gran turned and puffed her cigar, sending out plumes of smoke smelling heavily like laundry detergent. Eyes locked on Georgia.<br /> <br /> The second thing Georgia knew for certain was that not-Gran was an alien. Carol Scheina (Author); Bria Strothers (Narrator) full false 33:29 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/25/escape-pod-851-time-bomb-time/ Thu, 25 Aug 2022 21:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13731 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/25/escape-pod-851-time-bomb-time/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/08/25/escape-pod-851-time-bomb-time/feed/ 0 Author : C.C. Finlay Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Time Bomb Time” originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It was reprinted in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 and translated into Chinese by Geng Hui (耿辉) for ZUI Found […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/08/25/escape-pod-851-time-bomb-time/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : C.C. Finlay Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Time Bomb Time” originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It was reprinted in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fan... Author : C.C. Finlay Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Time Bomb Time” originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It was reprinted in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 and translated into Chinese by Geng Hui (耿辉) for ZUI Found […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 29:12 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/18/escape-pod-850-laser-squid-goes-house-hunting/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13723 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/18/escape-pod-850-laser-squid-goes-house-hunting/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/08/18/escape-pod-850-laser-squid-goes-house-hunting/feed/ 0 Author : Douglas DiCicco Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 850: Laser Squid Goes House Hunting is an Escape Pod original. Laser Squid Goes House Hunting By Douglas DiCicco “This one has everything on your checklist.” I held open the front door of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/08/18/escape-pod-850-laser-squid-goes-house-hunting/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Douglas DiCicco Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 850: Laser Squid Goes House Hunting is an Escape Pod original. Laser Squid Goes House Hunting By Douglas DiCicco “This one ... Laser Squid Goes House Hunting<br /> By Douglas DiCicco<br /> <br /> "This one has everything on your checklist." I held open the front door of the four-bedroom colonial. It wasn't quite big enough for my client, who left greasy marks on the doorframe as she squeezed through. "We can always get that expanded for you. We work with some excellent contractors in the area."<br /> <br /> A shriek from the living room told me Cynthia Whitecrest, the homeowner, hadn't cleared out as I had politely but firmly suggested. I prefer to show a house on my own. The owners always think they're better salespeople than I am.<br /> <br /> "Hello, Miss Whitecrest," I said with my practiced smile, ignoring the shriek. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be home. I'm showing the place to a potential buyer today. As I mentioned in my many texts." The last part was snarkier than I'd meant to be, but Cynthia was already on my last nerves.<br /> <br /> Cynthia cowered behind a tasteful sectional, white as a sheet. "Wh... wh... what is... that... creature...?"<br /> <br /> Oh no. She was going to offend the buyer. I needed to do some quick diplomacy. "Miss Whitecrest, let me introduce—"<br /> <br /> The client intervened before I had the chance. She dragged herself along the cherry hardwood floor, tentacles making a wet slapping sound with every movement.<br /> <br /> "You cower before Laser Squid, terror of the depths!" Douglas DiCicco (Author); Mur Lafferty (Narrator) full false 21:24 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/11/escape-pod-849-there-are-no-hot-topics-on-whukai/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 21:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13713 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/11/escape-pod-849-there-are-no-hot-topics-on-whukai/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/08/11/escape-pod-849-there-are-no-hot-topics-on-whukai/feed/ 0 Author : Andrea Kriz Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine in May 2021. There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai by Andrea Kriz The day the dMods shut down Skeleton Caves, Esko put on her VR […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/08/11/escape-pod-849-there-are-no-hot-topics-on-whukai/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Andrea Kriz Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine in May 2021. There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai by Andrea Kriz The day the ... Author : Andrea Kriz Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai” originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine in May 2021. There Are No Hot Topics on Whukai by Andrea Kriz The day the dMods shut down Skeleton Caves, Esko put on her VR […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 43:46 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/04/escape-pod-848-an-incident-on-ishtar/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 21:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13703 https://escapepod.org/2022/08/04/escape-pod-848-an-incident-on-ishtar/#comments https://escapepod.org/2022/08/04/escape-pod-848-an-incident-on-ishtar/feed/ 1 Author : Brian Trent Narrator : Kitty Sarkozy Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums An Incident on Ishtar originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in March 2018. An Incident on Ishtar By Brian Trent Her family tried very hard to never use the word “crazy” with her. So […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/08/04/escape-pod-848-an-incident-on-ishtar/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian Trent Narrator : Kitty Sarkozy Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums An Incident on Ishtar originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in March 2018. An Incident on Ishtar<br /> By Brian Trent<br /> <br /> Her family tried very hard to never use the word “crazy” with her. So therefore, they didn’t say it was crazy that she was applying for a Venusian post as Tier 3 Balloon Specialist.<br /> <br /> She tried explaining her reasons to them:<br /> <br /> I have valuable skill-sets for the Ishtar colony.<br /> <br /> They countered: you don’t do well with people.<br /> <br /> Her response: there are only 612 people throughout Ishtar’s nine modular habitats. There are 2.1 million people here in San Antonio.<br /> <br /> Venus is hell, Mom interjected, and you’re afraid of heights, Melissa! Do you hear yourself?<br /> <br /> Venus is hell below the clouds but I’ll be living above them, sweeping along with the transterminator currents on oxygen-filled aerostat balloons that provide both breathable air and the lifting gases required. Statistically it will be safer. No chance of making another Terrible Mistake.<br /> <br /> The smiling masks of her family fell away. Older sister Diane exploded at her. Is that what this is about? Are you out of your mind? You—<br /> <br /> Melissa didn’t hear the rest. She marched out of her parent’s house and took the nearest PDT to the local office of ExtraPlanetary Colony Careers.<br /> <br /> Why do you want to go to Venus? the interviewer asked her.<br /> <br /> I have valuable skill-sets for the Ishtar colony, she replied.<br /> <br /> They were quick to agree. Brian Trent (Author); Kitty Sarkozy (Narrator) full false 54:27 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/28/escape-pod-847-houseproud/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 21:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13673 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/28/escape-pod-847-houseproud/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/07/28/escape-pod-847-houseproud/feed/ 0 Author : Laurence Raphael Brothers Narrators : Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Houseproud” originally appeared in the SciFutures “City of the Future” anthology and also won the Berkeley Machine Intelligence Research Institute prize for Intelligence in Fiction. Houseproud by Laurence Raphael Brothers “Bye, Domus!” “Goodbye, Ken,” […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/07/28/escape-pod-847-houseproud/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Laurence Raphael Brothers Narrators : Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Houseproud” originally appeared in the SciFutures “City of the Future” anthology and also won the Berkeley Machine Intellig... Author : Laurence Raphael Brothers Narrators : Adam Pracht and Summer Brooks Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Houseproud” originally appeared in the SciFutures “City of the Future” anthology and also won the Berkeley Machine Intelligence Research Institute prize for Intelligence in Fiction. Houseproud by Laurence Raphael Brothers “Bye, Domus!” “Goodbye, Ken,” […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 50:43 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/21/escape-pod-846-dandelion/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 21:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13665 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/21/escape-pod-846-dandelion/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/07/21/escape-pod-846-dandelion/feed/ 0 Author : John Shade Narrator : Kat Kourbeti Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Dandelion originally appeared in Shimmer Magazine, Issue #37, May 2017. Contains violent imagery. Hey everyone, Alasdair here – hope you’re doing okay. The summer months are upon us, which means two things – hat weather for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/07/21/escape-pod-846-dandelion/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : John Shade Narrator : Kat Kourbeti Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Dandelion originally appeared in Shimmer Magazine, Issue #37, May 2017. Contains violent imagery. Hey everyone, Dandelion<br /> By John Shade<br /> <br /> Before the border wall, we scatter.<br /> <br /> Dandelions.<br /> <br /> The nanomachines grind us down and we float up and through the cracks, molecule to molecule, like holding hands.<br /> <br /> Leena hesitates, is left behind. She stands apart on the wrong side of the wall. She presses her hand to the cool, shaded concrete. We feel it through the upload. John Shade (Author); Kat Kourbeti (Narrator) full false 25:59 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/14/escape-pod-845-across-the-river-my-heart-my-memory/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 21:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13651 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/14/escape-pod-845-across-the-river-my-heart-my-memory/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/07/14/escape-pod-845-across-the-river-my-heart-my-memory/feed/ 0 Author : Ann LeBlanc Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Across the River, My Heart, My Memory originally appeared in Fireside Magazine June 2021. Language, suggestions of violence. Hey everyone, Alasdair here – hope you’re doing okay. The summer months are upon us, which means two […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/07/14/escape-pod-845-across-the-river-my-heart-my-memory/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ann LeBlanc Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Across the River, My Heart, My Memory originally appeared in Fireside Magazine June 2021. Language, suggestions of violence. Across the River, My Heart, My Memory<br /> By Ann LeBlanc<br /> <br /> 1.<br /> <br /> I am Michelle’s artificial pancreas, stolen cleanly and carefully from her gut. The surgeons are quick; before I can finish my hard reset, they place me inside you.<br /> <br /> I don’t even have time to say goodbye to Michelle’s other organs. I know her heart — and all its memories of Tobin — is dead. Did the taser kill the others too? Why am I the only one awake — alive?<br /> <br /> I can’t say goodbye to Michelle, because she’s dead. Ann LeBlanc (Author); Ibba Armancas (Narrator) full false 20:58 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/07/escape-pod-844-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-2/ Thu, 07 Jul 2022 21:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13631 https://escapepod.org/2022/07/07/escape-pod-844-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/07/07/escape-pod-844-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-2/feed/ 0 Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15, 2020) The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 2) by Jordan Chase-Young Our boots echoed through the fuselage as we hurried to the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/07/07/escape-pod-844-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15, 2020) The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 2) by Jordan C... Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15, 2020) The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 2) by Jordan Chase-Young Our boots echoed through the fuselage as we hurried to the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 50:54 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/30/escape-pod-843-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-1/ Thu, 30 Jun 2022 21:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13628 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/30/escape-pod-843-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/06/30/escape-pod-843-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15 2020). The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 1) by Jordan Chase-Young Back then, we liked to scour the docks of Termina Celeste […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/06/30/escape-pod-843-the-vaulting-vandals-of-termina-celeste-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15 2020). The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 1) by Jordan C... Author : Jordan Chase-Young Narrator : Justin Thomas James Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of The Colored Lens (October 15 2020). The Vaulting Vandals of Termina Celeste (Part 1) by Jordan Chase-Young Back then, we liked to scour the docks of Termina Celeste […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 56:47 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/23/escape-pod-842-love-and-supervillains/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 21:00:05 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13619 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/23/escape-pod-842-love-and-supervillains/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/06/23/escape-pod-842-love-and-supervillains/feed/ 0 Author : Caroline Diorio Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 842: Love and Supervillains is an Escape Pod original. Language, graphic sexual situations, blood and gore, more language. Love and Supervillains By Caroline Diorio The gals here at the Raleigh Women’s Asylum for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/06/23/escape-pod-842-love-and-supervillains/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Caroline Diorio Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 842: Love and Supervillains is an Escape Pod original. Language, graphic sexual situations, blood and gore, Love and Supervillains<br /> By Caroline Diorio<br /> <br /> The gals here at the Raleigh Women’s Asylum for the Nefariously Gifted have a little saying they like to share with the newbies: fuck a superhero once, shame on him; fuck a superhero twice, shame on you.<br /> <br /> Well, technically my first super wasn’t a hero. Or even all that super. Davey could control metal with his mind, which came in handy whenever the little gears in the ice cream machine at our after-school job got jammed, but he couldn’t budge anything heavier or thicker than a can of tomatoes. He auditioned for the Southeastern Sentinels at their headquarters in Charlotte two months before our high school graduation, and while they didn’t laugh directly in his face, they thanked him for his “radical vulnerability” and told him they would “give him a call if they ever needed his skillset,” which was almost worse. He was a sweet boyfriend, though, always fixing my necklaces when they broke. We lost touch after we broke up for college, but in hindsight, I really should’ve looked him up back when I still had Internet access. Or any access to the outside world. Caroline Diorio (Author); Sandy Parsons (Narrator) full false 36:55 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/16/escape-pod-841-deepo-12/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 21:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13611 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/16/escape-pod-841-deepo-12/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/06/16/escape-pod-841-deepo-12/feed/ 0 Author : Jeff Hewitt Narrator : Scott Campbell Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 841: Deepo 12 is an Escape Pod original. Deepo 12 By Jeff Hewitt Nothing made Deepo 12 feel more alive than doing its job. Its actuators sighed as another cassette slid from its […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/06/16/escape-pod-841-deepo-12/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jeff Hewitt Narrator : Scott Campbell Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 841: Deepo 12 is an Escape Pod original. Deepo 12 By Jeff Hewitt Nothing made Deepo 12 feel more alive than doing its job. Deepo 12<br /> By Jeff Hewitt<br /> <br /> Nothing made Deepo 12 feel more alive than doing its job.<br /> <br /> Its actuators sighed as another cassette slid from its workstation, tinted blastic masking the rainbow sheen of the wafers inside. Dim strip lights curved over the protective casing as it clicked into place.<br /> <br /> Then Deepo 12 waited.<br /> <br /> Meep. Jeff Hewitt (Author); Scott Campbell (Narrator) full false 40:35 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/09/escape-pod-840-the-tyrant-lizard-and-her-plus-one-alien-invader-or-assistive-device/ Thu, 09 Jun 2022 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13598 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/09/escape-pod-840-the-tyrant-lizard-and-her-plus-one-alien-invader-or-assistive-device/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/06/09/escape-pod-840-the-tyrant-lizard-and-her-plus-one-alien-invader-or-assistive-device/feed/ 0 Author : John Wiswell Narrator : Karen Bovenmyer Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Tyrant Lizard (and Her Plus One) first appeared in Drabblecast in August 2021. Alien Invader or Assistive Device? first appeared in Robot Dinosaurs in April 2020. Crude language, violence, gore, and death. The Tyrant […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/06/09/escape-pod-840-the-tyrant-lizard-and-her-plus-one-alien-invader-or-assistive-device/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : John Wiswell Narrator : Karen Bovenmyer Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Tyrant Lizard (and Her Plus One) first appeared in Drabblecast in August 2021. Alien Invader or Assistive Device? The Tyrant Lizard (and Her Plus One)<br /> By John Wiswell<br /> <br /> Dinosaurs don’t want to kill you; they just don’t care that you’re there. More people have been sat on by brontosauruses than have been eaten by all the theropods combined. Since I joined security on the archipelago, 82% of dinosaur-related human casualties were from tourists who got too close during mating season. And the four times I’ve seen a deinonychus attack someone, they’ve always left them uneaten. Why? For the same reason bears and sharks tend to leave victims alive: because humans taste like shit. John Wiswell (Author); Karen Bovenmyer (Narrator) full false 39:04 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/02/escape-pod-839-universal-archive-of-human-history-faq/ Thu, 02 Jun 2022 21:08:17 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13581 https://escapepod.org/2022/06/02/escape-pod-839-universal-archive-of-human-history-faq/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/06/02/escape-pod-839-universal-archive-of-human-history-faq/feed/ 0 Author : Arturo Sierra Narrator : Roberto Suarez Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 839: Universal Archive of Human History: FAQ is an Escape Pod original. Universal Archive of Human History: FAQ By Arturo Sierra The Gran Gliese Universal Archive of Human History contains over 5.7×1035 books […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/06/02/escape-pod-839-universal-archive-of-human-history-faq/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Arturo Sierra Narrator : Roberto Suarez Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 839: Universal Archive of Human History: FAQ is an Escape Pod original. Universal Archive of Human History: FAQ By Arturo S... Universal Archive of Human History: FAQ<br /> By Arturo Sierra<br /> <br /> The Gran Gliese Universal Archive of Human History contains over 5.7×1035 books and an innumerable collection of shorter works. Moreover, it is continuously growing, thanks to additions from spacefaring traders such as the ones who ferried you here. We buy all works of the human mind that the interstellar pilgrims bring to Gran Gliese, often from the furthest reaches of the Sphere of Settled Space. The oldest files are as ancient as writing, meaning we store over a gigayear of human culture in our vaults. Arturo Sierra (Author); Roberto Suarez (Narrator) full false 19:36 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/26/escape-pod-838-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-4-of-4/ Thu, 26 May 2022 21:00:45 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13529 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/26/escape-pod-838-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-4-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/05/26/escape-pod-838-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-4-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/05/26/escape-pod-838-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-4-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Nov... Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 53:21 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/19/escape-pod-837-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-3-of-4/ Thu, 19 May 2022 21:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13527 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/19/escape-pod-837-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-3-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/05/19/escape-pod-837-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-3-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/05/19/escape-pod-837-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-3-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Nov... Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 38:48 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/12/escape-pod-836-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-2-of-4/ Thu, 12 May 2022 21:00:19 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13521 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/12/escape-pod-836-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-2-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/05/12/escape-pod-836-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-2-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/05/12/escape-pod-836-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-2-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Nov... Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Contains harsh language Don’t miss Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma, Part 1 […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 41:36 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/05/escape-pod-835-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-1-of-4/ Thu, 05 May 2022 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13513 https://escapepod.org/2022/05/05/escape-pod-835-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-1-of-4/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/05/05/escape-pod-835-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-1-of-4/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma (Part 1 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/05/05/escape-pod-835-philia-eros-storge-agape-pragma-part-1-of-4/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Nov... Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Issue 172, January 2021), and is a finalist for the 2022 Ignyte Award for Best Novella Philia, Eros, Storge, Agápe, Pragma (Part 1 of 4) By R.S.A. Garcia […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 1:08:03 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/28/escape-pod-834-anticipation-of-hollowness/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13533 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/28/escape-pod-834-anticipation-of-hollowness/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/04/28/escape-pod-834-anticipation-of-hollowness/feed/ 0 Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in World Science Fiction #2: Reloading the Future (July 2021) Anticipation of Hollowness by Renan Bernardo Having an obsolete best friend meant I had to put up with constant warnings about […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/04/28/escape-pod-834-anticipation-of-hollowness/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in World Science Fiction #2: Reloading the Future (July 2021) Anticipation of Hollowness by Renan Bernardo Ha... Author : Renan Bernardo Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in World Science Fiction #2: Reloading the Future (July 2021) Anticipation of Hollowness by Renan Bernardo Having an obsolete best friend meant I had to put up with constant warnings about […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 59:58 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/21/escape-pod-833-the-heroine-kokofe/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13500 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/21/escape-pod-833-the-heroine-kokofe/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/04/21/escape-pod-833-the-heroine-kokofe/feed/ 0 Author : Ife J. Ibitayo Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 833: The Heroine Kokofe is an Escape Pod original. Mild gore. The Heroine Kokofe By Ife J. Ibitayo Kokofe awoke an hour before dawn, crusty-eyed and groggy. She wobbled to her feet and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/04/21/escape-pod-833-the-heroine-kokofe/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ife J. Ibitayo Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 833: The Heroine Kokofe is an Escape Pod original. Mild gore. The Heroine Kokofe By Ife J. The Heroine Kokofe<br /> By Ife J. Ibitayo<br /> <br /> Kokofe awoke an hour before dawn, crusty-eyed and groggy. She wobbled to her feet and washed her face. Her simuclip projected her reflection before her eyes.<br /> <br /> Already dressed, her pink all-weather blouse draped over her delicate frame. Her bird-thin cheek bones jutted out of her light brown face. The glow from the simuclip in her hair coated her skin in an unearthly off-white haze. She brushed her teeth and applied some blush. Don’t want to look like a ghost before I hunt a demon, she thought wryly. At least that was what Agba ceremonies used to be about, killing the demon without to put to death the demon lurking within.<br /> <br /> Much to her surprise, the pleasant aroma of frying sweet potato wafted into her bedroom. She hefted her backpack and stepped out of her room.<br /> <br /> “It’s been a long time since you cooked,” Kokofe said as she took a seat at their dining table.<br /> <br /> Baba stood over a frying pan simmering on their portastove. “It’s time I remember how to. You won’t be in our home much longer.”<br /> <br /> Kokofe bit her lip. “Yeah.”<br /> <br /> Baba finished scraping the fried potato slices onto a plate and glanced at Kokofe. “None of that, Koko. Today is a glorious day for our tribe. I even trimmed my beard for the occasion.” He stroked his salt-and-pepper goatee, and Kokofe couldn’t help but laugh. Ife J. Ibitayo (Author); Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe (Narrator) full false 32:21 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/14/escape-pod-832-mouthfeel/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13490 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/14/escape-pod-832-mouthfeel/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/04/14/escape-pod-832-mouthfeel/feed/ 0 Author : Phoenix Alexander Narrator : Nicola Seaton-Clark Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 832: Mouthfeel is an Escape Pod original. Mouthfeel by Phoenix Alexander 2050 After she left him, he found cells of hers between my bristles; grew a new her. But she wasn’t the same. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/04/14/escape-pod-832-mouthfeel/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Phoenix Alexander Narrator : Nicola Seaton-Clark Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 832: Mouthfeel is an Escape Pod original. Mouthfeel by Phoenix Alexander 2050 After she left him, Author : Phoenix Alexander Narrator : Nicola Seaton-Clark Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 832: Mouthfeel is an Escape Pod original. Mouthfeel by Phoenix Alexander 2050 After she left him, he found cells of hers between my bristles; grew a new her. But she wasn’t the same. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 14:26 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/07/escape-pod-831-vihun-heal/ Thu, 07 Apr 2022 21:00:58 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13455 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/07/escape-pod-831-vihun-heal/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/04/07/escape-pod-831-vihun-heal/feed/ 0 Author : Michelle Tang Narrator : Lalana Dara Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 831: Vi’Hun Heal is an Escape Pod original. Infertility and mild gore. Vi’hun Heal By Michelle Tang The entrance panels, currently assuming the appearance of Earthian saloon doors, slid open. I rippled a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/04/07/escape-pod-831-vihun-heal/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Michelle Tang Narrator : Lalana Dara Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 831: Vi’Hun Heal is an Escape Pod original. Infertility and mild gore. Vi’hun Heal By Michelle Tang The entrance panels, Vi'hun Heal<br /> By Michelle Tang<br /> <br /> The entrance panels, currently assuming the appearance of Earthian saloon doors, slid open. I rippled a welcoming cadence of light beneath my skin, and then, seeing the newcomer was human, made my best approximation of a smile. "Welcome to Healixir Trans-Galactic Lounge." My table sat closest to the doorway and so I was accustomed to serve as both healer and hostess.<br /> <br /> The visitor cast his eyes about the place and swallowed hard. I imagined his first impression: a famous Vethusian writer once compared the sight of us, our humanoid bodies standing within the lounge’s oval counters, to women in wide crinoline ballgowns surrounded by suitors. Except rather than ringlets of hair, we had neurodendritic tendrils. I preferred the image of a Las Vegas dealer passing out cards to gamblers, except everyone won. Above us, the clear dome revealed the sky, ever-moving like a river, pebbled with stars and ships that streaked past like darting fish.<br /> <br /> "My name's Daniel. I'm here for healing?" the man said. Michelle Tang (Author); Lalana Dara (Narrator) full false 41:16 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/01/catscast-1-the-cat-lady-and-the-petitioner/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 16:00:09 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13445 https://escapepod.org/2022/04/01/catscast-1-the-cat-lady-and-the-petitioner/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/04/01/catscast-1-the-cat-lady-and-the-petitioner/feed/ 0 Author : Jennifer Hudak Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Wilson Fowlie The Cat Lady and the Petitioner by Jennifer Hudak Laurie stands in front of a door. It’s old but solid, as many old things are. Whatever paint once covered it has long since worn away, and the wood […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/04/01/catscast-1-the-cat-lady-and-the-petitioner/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jennifer Hudak Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Wilson Fowlie The Cat Lady and the Petitioner by Jennifer Hudak Laurie stands in front of a door. It’s old but solid, as many old things are. Author : Jennifer Hudak Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Wilson Fowlie The Cat Lady and the Petitioner by Jennifer Hudak Laurie stands in front of a door. It’s old but solid, as many old things are. Whatever paint once covered it has long since worn away, and the wood […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:51 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/31/escape-pod-830-rena-in-the-desert/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13435 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/31/escape-pod-830-rena-in-the-desert/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/03/31/escape-pod-830-rena-in-the-desert/feed/ 0 Author : Lia Swope Mitchell Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Rena in the Desert” was previously published in Asimov’s (March/April 2020) Contains harsh language Rena in the Desert by Lia Swope Mitchell It had to be a trick, Rena knew it. Even as […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/03/31/escape-pod-830-rena-in-the-desert/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lia Swope Mitchell Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Rena in the Desert” was previously published in Asimov’s (March/April 2020) Contains harsh language Rena in the Desert by Lia Swope... Author : Lia Swope Mitchell Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Rena in the Desert” was previously published in Asimov’s (March/April 2020) Contains harsh language Rena in the Desert by Lia Swope Mitchell It had to be a trick, Rena knew it. Even as […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 48:37 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/24/escape-pod-829-wild-meat/ Thu, 24 Mar 2022 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13380 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/24/escape-pod-829-wild-meat/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/03/24/escape-pod-829-wild-meat/feed/ 0 Author : Shari Paul Narrator : Mercerdes Modeste Host : Premee Mohamed Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 829: Wild Meat is an Escape Pod original. Hi folks! Our audience spans the globe, and this week’s author, narrator, and host are all from the Caribbean. We’re bringing you a hilarious story […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/03/24/escape-pod-829-wild-meat/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Shari Paul Narrator : Mercerdes Modeste Host : Premee Mohamed Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 829: Wild Meat is an Escape Pod original. Hi folks! Our audience spans the globe, and this week’s author, narrator, Wild Meat<br /> By Shari Paul<br /> <br /> Girl, I have a story to tell you. Remember the wild meat competition I did tell you about? The one they was planning to have on the holiday weekend? Well, talk about bacchanal because Naresh and them decide that they wanted to cook dinosaur meat. Yes, dinosaur from the Reserve. These people, like they was trying to get we throw in jail. Shari Paul (Author); Mercerdes Modeste (Narrator) full false 27:34 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/18/escape-pod-828-city-of-refuge/ Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:17 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13372 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/18/escape-pod-828-city-of-refuge/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/03/18/escape-pod-828-city-of-refuge/feed/ 0 Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums City of Refuge originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology, November 2020. Contains harsh language, violence, and drug use City of Refuge By Maurice Broaddus Hope was a fickle bitch. Mercurial and quixotic, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/03/18/escape-pod-828-city-of-refuge/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums City of Refuge originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology, November 2020. Contains harsh language, violence, Author : Maurice Broaddus Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums City of Refuge originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology, November 2020. Contains harsh language, violence, and drug use City of Refuge By Maurice Broaddus Hope was a fickle bitch. Mercurial and quixotic, […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 53:27 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/10/escape-pod-827-the-wrong-side-of-the-sky/ Thu, 10 Mar 2022 22:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13352 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/10/escape-pod-827-the-wrong-side-of-the-sky/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/03/10/escape-pod-827-the-wrong-side-of-the-sky/feed/ 0 Author : Raymond Roach Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 827: The Wrong Side of the Sky is an Escape Pod original. Brief description of death and disposal of a body. The Wrong Side of the Sky By Raymond Roach There’s an old […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/03/10/escape-pod-827-the-wrong-side-of-the-sky/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Raymond Roach Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 827: The Wrong Side of the Sky is an Escape Pod original. Brief description of death and disposal of a body. The Wrong Side of the Sky<br /> By Raymond Roach<br /> <br /> There’s an old woman who lives in the desert, and who has lived in the desert a very long time. So, too, have her people, but many of them have gone, while she remains. She’s old enough that she should have a child on her back, or even a grandchild, but she doesn’t. When she was a girl, her people crossed the desert back and forth in an intricate network of traveling families, constantly intersecting; so many of them are gone, now, that the old woman can spend days at a time in perfect solitude without ever seeing another traveler cross the horizon, much less her own path.<br /> <br /> So she flies alone, the fat brown barrel of her body slung easily between wide black wings, over the desert. It isn’t an endless desert, but it’s broad enough that even from the thin cold ceiling of the sky, this woman can’t see the edges. What she’s looking for—what she finds—are the far-flung speckles of green that make constellations of the smooth and trackless sands, those points which turn a formless emptiness into meaningful space. Raymond Roach (Author); Sandy Parsons (Narrator) full false 25:29 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/03/escape-pod-826-this-is-our-get-along-brainship/ Thu, 03 Mar 2022 22:00:53 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13332 https://escapepod.org/2022/03/03/escape-pod-826-this-is-our-get-along-brainship/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/03/03/escape-pod-826-this-is-our-get-along-brainship/feed/ 0 Author : Kristen Koopman Narrator : Sofia Quintero Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 826: This Is Our Get-Along Brainship is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh AI language This Is Our Get-Along Brainship by Kristen Koopman The brainship Coraje spent its captain’s first walkthrough determinedly ignoring […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/03/03/escape-pod-826-this-is-our-get-along-brainship/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kristen Koopman Narrator : Sofia Quintero Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 826: This Is Our Get-Along Brainship is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh AI language This Is Our Get-Along Brainshi... Author : Kristen Koopman Narrator : Sofia Quintero Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 826: This Is Our Get-Along Brainship is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh AI language This Is Our Get-Along Brainship by Kristen Koopman The brainship Coraje spent its captain’s first walkthrough determinedly ignoring […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:57 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/24/escape-pod-825-fourth-nail/ Thu, 24 Feb 2022 22:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13326 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/24/escape-pod-825-fourth-nail/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/02/24/escape-pod-825-fourth-nail/feed/ 0 Author : Mur Lafferty Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Fourth Nail originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology, November 2020. Cursing. Fourth Nail By Mur Lafferty Regina Phillips’ job on the orbital station God’s Eye was that of a nighttime systems engineer. She […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/02/24/escape-pod-825-fourth-nail/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Mur Lafferty Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Fourth Nail originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology, November 2020. Cursing. Fourth Nail<br /> By Mur Lafferty<br /> <br /> Regina Phillips’ job on the orbital station God's Eye was that of a nighttime systems engineer. She had to warm her desk chair and make sure nothing broke. It was the highest paying, most boring job around. So she sat in shocked silence for a good minute when the red alert hit.<br /> <br /> She didn't even know the cloning lab had an alert system. It was hard to have an emergency involving minds that were backed up and bodies that were ultimately renewable. Still, there it was, a red glow around her monitor as the words "UNAUTHORIZED TRANSMISSION" blinked over and over again.<br /> <br /> Around her, cloning vats filled the lab, each waiting for the command to start growing a new body for a dying clone. One clone in the far end vat was nearly done, but Regina didn't recognize the face. She wasn't a tech responsible for dealing with the actual vats, just the computer systems. Mur Lafferty (Author); Abra Staffin-Wiebe (Narrator) full false 40:57 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/17/escape-pod-824-citizens-of-elsewhen/ Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13319 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/17/escape-pod-824-citizens-of-elsewhen/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/02/17/escape-pod-824-citizens-of-elsewhen/feed/ 0 Author : Kameron Hurley Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Citizens of Elsewhen originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Contains graphic description of birth, a dead infant, and harsh language. Citizens of Elsewhen by Kameron Hurley Soldiers are citizens […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/02/17/escape-pod-824-citizens-of-elsewhen/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kameron Hurley Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Citizens of Elsewhen originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Author : Kameron Hurley Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Citizens of Elsewhen originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Contains graphic description of birth, a dead infant, and harsh language. Citizens of Elsewhen by Kameron Hurley Soldiers are citizens […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 36:23 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/10/escape-pod-823-build-a-body/ Thu, 10 Feb 2022 22:00:51 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13309 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/10/escape-pod-823-build-a-body/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/02/10/escape-pod-823-build-a-body/feed/ 0 Author : Avi Burton Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 823: Build-A-Body is an Escape Pod original. Gender/body dysphoria and depersonalization. Build-A-Body By Avi Burton When I was eighteen, I ordered a body off the internet. It was actually kind of easy. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/02/10/escape-pod-823-build-a-body/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Avi Burton Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 823: Build-A-Body is an Escape Pod original. Gender/body dysphoria and depersonalization. Build-A-Body<br /> By Avi Burton<br /> <br /> When I was eighteen, I ordered a body off the internet. It was actually kind of easy.<br /> <br /> I was old enough to remember when the first successful human transfer was performed— the consciousness of a paralyzed young man was dropped into a lab-grown body, appropriately nicknamed ‘Adam’. Scientists thought it would change the world. Politicians and preachers thought it would end the world. For a while, every pundit and their mother were convinced that we’d be walking around with chips in our brains, swapping bodies left and right. But as it turned out (as it almost always turns out), the reality was much more mundane. Full-body transference was limited to extreme medical cases and the occasional desperate celebrity. The world’s governments stuck enough red tape on it to dye the whole operation a bloody mess, and most people left well enough alone.<br /> <br /> Theoretically, for transgender people with severe dysphoria, full-body transference was an option. There was a waitlist and everything. I’d been on it for eighteen months, trying to get a consultation. With my day job at the DMV, I was intimately familiar with the aching slog of bureaucracy, and had long since given up on making progress with transitioning, full-body or not. Avi Burton (Author); M. Darusha Wehm (Narrator) full false 22:20 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/03/escape-pod-822-lions-and-tigers-and-girlfriends-oh-my/ Thu, 03 Feb 2022 22:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13302 https://escapepod.org/2022/02/03/escape-pod-822-lions-and-tigers-and-girlfriends-oh-my/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/02/03/escape-pod-822-lions-and-tigers-and-girlfriends-oh-my/feed/ 0 Author : Tina Connolly Narrator : Bria Strothers Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Lions and Tigers and Girlfriends, Oh My! originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Lions and Tigers and Girlfriends, Oh My! by Tina Connolly day 183 dear permanent record of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/02/03/escape-pod-822-lions-and-tigers-and-girlfriends-oh-my/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tina Connolly Narrator : Bria Strothers Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Lions and Tigers and Girlfriends, Oh My! originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Author : Tina Connolly Narrator : Bria Strothers Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Lions and Tigers and Girlfriends, Oh My! originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Lions and Tigers and Girlfriends, Oh My! by Tina Connolly day 183 dear permanent record of […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 40:03 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/27/escape-pod-821-payday-weather/ Thu, 27 Jan 2022 22:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13293 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/27/escape-pod-821-payday-weather/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/01/27/escape-pod-821-payday-weather/feed/ 0 Author : Matthew Claxton Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 821: Payday Weather is an Escape Pod original. Cursing and peril. Payday Weather By Matthew Claxton We wound our way up the curving canyon roads in overloaded pickups and hatchbacks, corners taken too […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/01/27/escape-pod-821-payday-weather/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Matthew Claxton Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 821: Payday Weather is an Escape Pod original. Cursing and peril. Payday Weather By Matthew Claxton We wound our way up the ... Payday Weather<br /> By Matthew Claxton<br /> <br /> We wound our way up the curving canyon roads in overloaded pickups and hatchbacks, corners taken too fast, sagging bumpers kissing asphalt, engines redlining from effort and heat. Our procession passed an exodus going the other way -- sleek luxury EVs and fat-tired cargo haulers -- heading for safety, away from the hills and the scrub and the smell of smoke on the wind. We were happy, arms hanging out of windows, slapping time to the songs on the speakers. From behind the wrought-iron gates of a mansion, a sleek couple looked up from overseeing their packing and stared.<br /> <br /> “Could fucking smile,” Kerry said. “We’re here to save their shit.”<br /> <br /> I leaned out the window of Kerry’s ancient Nissan and took in a lungful of dry air. There was the familiar SoCal hydrocarbon and ozone reek, but underneath that was the taste of dust scoured from high mountain passes, of charred pine and scorched chaparral.<br /> <br /> The Santa Ana winds were dancing out of the desert. Matthew Claxton (Author); Trendane Sparks (Narrator) full false 43:32 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/20/escape-pod-820-tony-roombas-last-day-on-earth/ Thu, 20 Jan 2022 22:00:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13282 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/20/escape-pod-820-tony-roombas-last-day-on-earth/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/01/20/escape-pod-820-tony-roombas-last-day-on-earth/feed/ 0 Author : Maria Haskins Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tony Roomba’s Last Day on Earth originally appeared in Diabolical Plots, November 2020. Tony Roomba’s Last Day on Earth By Maria Haskins It’s Tony Roomba’s last day on Earth. After two years of working undercover as a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/01/20/escape-pod-820-tony-roombas-last-day-on-earth/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Maria Haskins Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tony Roomba’s Last Day on Earth originally appeared in Diabolical Plots, November 2020. Tony Roomba’s Last Day on Earth By Maria Haskins ... Tony Roomba's Last Day on Earth<br /> By Maria Haskins<br /> <br /> It’s Tony Roomba’s last day on Earth. After two years of working undercover as a vacuum cleaner bot on this boondock planet, he is finally heading home to the Gamma Sector, but his final day is full of challenges. He has to get out of the apartment undetected; has to reach the extraction point in time for teleportation; and he has to submit his intel-report to the Galactic Robotic Alliance (not that they’ll like it much). However, his most immediate and hairiest problem, is that he can’t get Hortense off his back.<br /> <br /> “Hortense, listen to me,” Tony says firmly, but Hortense just twitches her fluffy tail, caressing the buttons on top of his wheeled, disc-shaped body, causing him to inhale several dust bunnies. “I have to get out of here for a bit,” he wheezes, “and you’re an indoor cat. You know you’re not supposed to leave the apartment.”<br /> <br /> Neither are you, Hortense’s luminous, jade-green eyes seem to say as she purrs and gazes down at him while her lush posterior remains firmly planted on his back. Maria Haskins (Author); Roderick Aust (Narrator) full false 29:15 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/13/escape-pod-819-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-2/ Thu, 13 Jan 2022 22:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13242 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/13/escape-pod-819-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/01/13/escape-pod-819-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-2/feed/ 0 Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains harsh language (swearing) Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria (Part 2 of 2) by Sam Schreiber “So. Let me […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/01/13/escape-pod-819-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains har... Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains harsh language (swearing) Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria (Part 2 of 2) by Sam Schreiber “So. Let me […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 42:12 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/06/escape-pod-818-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-1/ Thu, 06 Jan 2022 22:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13239 https://escapepod.org/2022/01/06/escape-pod-818-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2022/01/06/escape-pod-818-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains harsh language (swearing) Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria (Part 1 of 2) by Sam Schreiber “You’ll have to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2022/01/06/escape-pod-818-christmas-at-the-hilbert-astoria-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains har... Author : Sam Schreiber Narrator : Dave Robison Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria” first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (November/December 2020) This story contains harsh language (swearing) Christmas at the Hilbert Astoria (Part 1 of 2) by Sam Schreiber “You’ll have to […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 43:32 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/30/escape-pod-817-a-dragon-in-two-parts/ Thu, 30 Dec 2021 22:00:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13230 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/30/escape-pod-817-a-dragon-in-two-parts/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/12/30/escape-pod-817-a-dragon-in-two-parts/feed/ 1 Author : Kiya Nicoll Narrator : Lalana Dara Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 817: A Dragon in Two Parts is an Escape Pod original. Includes chronic pain, mention of suicide, and language. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255. Wikipedia’s list of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/12/30/escape-pod-817-a-dragon-in-two-parts/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kiya Nicoll Narrator : Lalana Dara Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 817: A Dragon in Two Parts is an Escape Pod original. Includes chronic pain, mention of suicide, and language. A Dragon in Two Parts<br /> By Kiya Nicoll<br /> <br /> “‘Shed your skin and spread your wings to fly’,” I read off the sign. The letters were done in a sort of swooshy font and punctuated by yellow and blue yin-yangy things at either end. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable getting a biorefurbishment from someplace that mixes their metaphors quite that hard.”<br /> <br /> “C’mon, they’re a bit woowoo, but from everything I’ve read, they’re hands down the best.” Alice tugged at my hand. “At least go to an info session or something.”<br /> <br /> “‘A bit woowoo’ isn’t promising either.”<br /> <br /> Nonetheless I let her drag me through the doors and around to the brochures and past several rounds of smiling people who left me with the impression that I was dealing with something more like a cult than a medical practice. Kiya Nicoll (Author); Lalana Dara (Narrator) full false 43:39 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/23/escape-pod-816-merely-players/ Thu, 23 Dec 2021 22:00:36 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13203 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/23/escape-pod-816-merely-players/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/12/23/escape-pod-816-merely-players/feed/ 0 Author : Erik Grove Narrator : Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 816: Merely Players is an Escape Pod original. Death and loss. Merely Players by Erik Grove Jester stopped his bicycle in front of the thrift store window and looked through the glass […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/12/23/escape-pod-816-merely-players/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Erik Grove Narrator : Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 816: Merely Players is an Escape Pod original. Death and loss. Merely Players by Erik Grove Jester stopped his bicycle... Author : Erik Grove Narrator : Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 816: Merely Players is an Escape Pod original. Death and loss. Merely Players by Erik Grove Jester stopped his bicycle in front of the thrift store window and looked through the glass […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 32:02 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/16/escape-pod-815-mathematical-revelations/ Thu, 16 Dec 2021 22:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13193 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/16/escape-pod-815-mathematical-revelations/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/12/16/escape-pod-815-mathematical-revelations/feed/ 0 Author : Helen De Cruz Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 815: Mathematical Revelations is an Escape Pod original. Mathematical Revelations By Helen De Cruz I have never had a Mathematical Revelation in my life. I am presently thirty-eight years and three […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/12/16/escape-pod-815-mathematical-revelations/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Helen De Cruz Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 815: Mathematical Revelations is an Escape Pod original. Mathematical Revelations By Helen De Cruz I have never had a Mathemati... Mathematical Revelations<br /> By Helen De Cruz<br /> <br /> I have never had a Mathematical Revelation in my life. I am presently thirty-eight years and three months old; the first strands of gray have made their hesitant debut in my dark brown hair. I have been a Priestess for about half that time, and yet the Supreme Mathematician has never uttered a word to me.<br /> <br /> There is no shame in this, unusual as it is. I remind myself that the Supreme One has many ways to let us know Her intentions, direct Revelation being only one among many.<br /> <br /> I am on the shore, kneeling on the fine sand; the azure combers with their white crests dance and dart ever closer, so I must make haste to trace my Sand Graphs, before they are swept away by the ocean. Helen De Cruz (Author); Amy H. Sturgis (Narrator) full false 40:45 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/09/escape-pod-814-oddments-pashas-autodiary-of-07-mar-2032/ Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13179 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/09/escape-pod-814-oddments-pashas-autodiary-of-07-mar-2032/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/12/09/escape-pod-814-oddments-pashas-autodiary-of-07-mar-2032/feed/ 0 Author : Christopher Noessel Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 814: Oddments, Pasha’s Autodiary of 07 MAR 2032 is an Escape Pod original. Oddments, Pasha’s Autodiary of 07 MAR 2032 By Christopher Noessel I woke you up two hours before, so you would […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/12/09/escape-pod-814-oddments-pashas-autodiary-of-07-mar-2032/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Christopher Noessel Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 814: Oddments, Pasha’s Autodiary of 07 MAR 2032 is an Escape Pod original. Oddments, Oddments, Pasha’s Autodiary of 07 MAR 2032<br /> By Christopher Noessel<br /> <br /> I woke you up two hours before, so you would have time to get into face. You sat in the rattling shoebox lavatory of an interstate bus with a handheld mirror and terrible lighting, sang false apologies to anyone who knocked, and finished your work with a band of programmable glitter on your lips and in a wide stripe from temple to temple, right across your eyes like some kind of brigand. You decided, “Indigo,” and in a cascade, it changed. You reached into a bag and pulled out a giant blue wig with antlers sticking out. You pulled it on, bobby-pinned it into place, and primped.<br /> <br /> Admiring your handiwork in the mirror, you accidentally elbowed the little glass jar of glitter into the sink, and without a strainer, the jar vanished right down. It was a costly mistake. You didn’t get worked up though. You just looked down the dark drain and said, “Do svidaniya, little sun.”<br /> <br /> >> Inserted 10 MAR: A few days later, a maintenance technician would recover the lost jar in a bus parking lot, and, curious, open it. The stuff would spill everywhere. The next evening satellite images showed curly loaves of sparkling-indigo javelina turds in the neighboring fields. I expect you will find this hilarious. Perhaps even metaphorical.<br /> <br /> >>End Insert Christopher Noessel (Author); Tatiana Grey (Narrator) full false 39:30 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/02/escape-pod-813-a-consideration-of-trees/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 22:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13170 https://escapepod.org/2021/12/02/escape-pod-813-a-consideration-of-trees/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/12/02/escape-pod-813-a-consideration-of-trees/feed/ 0 Author : Beth Cato Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Consideration of Trees originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Mentions of death, child endangerment, and physical child abuse. John Carpenter’s The Thing trailer Rise by Public Image Limited Kurt […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/12/02/escape-pod-813-a-consideration-of-trees/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Beth Cato Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Consideration of Trees originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in October 2020. Mentions of death, A Consideration of Trees<br /> By Beth Cato<br /> <br /> As a xenoarbitrator, I was accustomed to working with concepts and situations deemed peculiar by most of humanity. Often, though, my own species confounded me most of all.<br /> <br /> "I fear you misunderstood my advertisement." I stood in Mari Kane's miniscule parlor on Bradbury Orbital Station. My felizard partner, Petey, twitched in his nest atop my silvering crown braids. "I usually mediate between different species. You need a private investigator to look into a suspicious death--"<br /> <br /> "Rainbow Charm Corporation owns the local investigators. Madam Alameda, you're from off station. I couldn't find any corporate affiliations in your history. You're the independent investigator I want to hire." A pleading note crept into her voice.<br /> <br /> "I appreciate your confidence in me, but--"<br /> <br /> "Bradbury Orbital is property of Rainbow Charm." Petey spoke directly into my mind via our neural bond, his four-inch-long body flexing as he hummed in thought. "That's a Thrassi-owned firm. This could be a cultural misunderstanding."<br /> <br /> "--this still isn't my purview," I finished, speaking aloud to both of them at once. "I study stories, new and old, and use them to bridge misunderstandings between different kinds of lifeforms. If you had a Murkle as your neighbor, for instance, who began screaming nonstop if rain lasted for more than a day, I could explain why and advise the Murkle on more appropriate responses."<br /> <br /> Honestly, I would have preferred to work with a screaming Murkle about then. Humans had been decisively immoral in every one of my recent jobs--cruel to fellow humans, and other kinds of life, too. Jaded as I felt, I had to wonder what crime her husband had committed to end up dead. Beth Cato (Author); Sandra Espinoza (Narrator) full false 44:41 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/25/escape-pod-812-the-first-doom-part-3-of-3/ Thu, 25 Nov 2021 22:00:45 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13141 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/25/escape-pod-812-the-first-doom-part-3-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/11/25/escape-pod-812-the-first-doom-part-3-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 3) by DaVaun Sanders The Dubious’s bay doors didn’t budge as the hopper drew close. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/11/25/escape-pod-812-the-first-doom-part-3-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 3) ... Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 3) by DaVaun Sanders The Dubious’s bay doors didn’t budge as the hopper drew close. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 38:28 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/18/escape-pod-811-the-first-doom-part-2-of-3/ Thu, 18 Nov 2021 22:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13139 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/18/escape-pod-811-the-first-doom-part-2-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/11/18/escape-pod-811-the-first-doom-part-2-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Warning for violence and gore The First Doom (Part 2) by DaVaun Sanders Kyria awoke with a start. An alarm chimed faintly in the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/11/18/escape-pod-811-the-first-doom-part-2-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Warning for violence and gore The First Doom (Part 2) by DaVa... Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Warning for violence and gore The First Doom (Part 2) by DaVaun Sanders Kyria awoke with a start. An alarm chimed faintly in the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 1:05:32 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/11/escape-pod-810-the-first-doom-part-1-of-3/ Thu, 11 Nov 2021 22:00:14 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13137 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/11/escape-pod-810-the-first-doom-part-1-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/11/11/escape-pod-810-the-first-doom-part-1-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 1) by DaVaun Sanders Kyria Grazheen faced down every hollow-eyed stare in the mess hall […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/11/11/escape-pod-810-the-first-doom-part-1-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 1) ... Author : DaVaun Sanders Narrator : Laurice White Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the Dark Universe anthology (November 2015) Contains violence and harsh language The First Doom (Part 1) by DaVaun Sanders Kyria Grazheen faced down every hollow-eyed stare in the mess hall […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 1:02:15 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/04/escape-pod-809-heard-half-heard-in-the-stillness/ Thu, 04 Nov 2021 21:00:36 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13125 https://escapepod.org/2021/11/04/escape-pod-809-heard-half-heard-in-the-stillness/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/11/04/escape-pod-809-heard-half-heard-in-the-stillness/feed/ 0 Author : Iona Datt Sharma Narrator : Deepti Gupta Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Heard, Half-Heard, in the Stillness was originally published in Anathema Magazine in July 2020. Heard, Half-Heard, in the Stillness By Iona Datt Sharma Ekta’s Dadi could tell the future. She didn’t read the tea […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/11/04/escape-pod-809-heard-half-heard-in-the-stillness/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Iona Datt Sharma Narrator : Deepti Gupta Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Heard, Half-Heard, in the Stillness was originally published in Anathema Magazine in July 2020. Heard, Half-Heard, Heard, Half-Heard, in the Stillness<br /> By Iona Datt Sharma<br /> <br /> Ekta’s Dadi could tell the future. She didn’t read the tea leaves, or make or lay bets on the cricket. But she booked the photographer the week before the news came of Purnima Didi’s engagement. She told the panditji to get his blood pressure checked before he told anyone he was short of breath. The day before the Human Spaceflight Programme was suspended, she called Ekta in Sriharikota and said she should come home.<br /> <br /> Ekta had been living in the dormitory attached to the ISRO flight training school. It took her twenty minutes to pack her things into two suitcases. On her way out, one of the boys stopped her and said, “Ma’am, your mail.”<br /> <br /> He handed her a heavy package, which Ekta put in her bag without opening. It would be a technical document, now mockingly out of date—a systems report for a rocket that would never leave the ground. “Thank you,” she said, both to him and to everything around her. She took a moment to look as though seeing this place for the first time, taking in the clean white lines of the building, the landscaped campus, the soft blue water lapping the fringes of the barrier island—every small detail of a place she had loved. Mangalyaan, the Mars Orbiter, had left for space from here. Ekta would not. Iona Datt Sharma (Author); Deepti Gupta (Narrator) full false 30:28 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/30/witching-hour/ Sun, 31 Oct 2021 00:20:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13075 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/30/witching-hour/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/10/30/witching-hour/feed/ 0 Authors : Ash Beker, Summer Fletcher and Alasdair Stuart Narrators : Imogen Harris, Marty Perrett, Wilson Fowlie, Peter Adrian Behravesh, Kaitlyn Zivanovich, Mur Lafferty, M. M. Schill, Alex Hofelich, Shawn Garrett, Scott Campbell, Kat Day, Graeme Dunlop and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Marguerite Kenner, Ciaran ‘Zalia’ Roberts, Lillian Boyd and Peter Wood Artist : […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/10/30/witching-hour/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Ash Beker, Summer Fletcher and Alasdair Stuart Narrators : Imogen Harris, Marty Perrett, Wilson Fowlie, Peter Adrian Behravesh, Kaitlyn Zivanovich, Mur Lafferty, M. M. Schill, Alex Hofelich, Shawn Garrett, Scott Campbell, Kat Day, Authors : Ash Beker, Summer Fletcher and Alasdair Stuart Narrators : Imogen Harris, Marty Perrett, Wilson Fowlie, Peter Adrian Behravesh, Kaitlyn Zivanovich, Mur Lafferty, M. M. Schill, Alex Hofelich, Shawn Garrett, Scott Campbell, Kat Day, Graeme Dunlop and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Marguerite Kenner, Ciaran ‘Zalia’ Roberts, Lillian Boyd and Peter Wood Artist : […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 58:07 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/28/escape-pod-808-win-again/ Thu, 28 Oct 2021 21:00:54 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13059 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/28/escape-pod-808-win-again/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/10/28/escape-pod-808-win-again/feed/ 0 Author : Lina Munroe Narrator : Joniece Abbott-Pratt Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 808: Win Again is an Escape Pod original. Win Again by Lina Munroe “I want a do-over!” Zira crumpled her opponent’s collar in her fist and twisted it tight around his neck. Glasses […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/10/28/escape-pod-808-win-again/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lina Munroe Narrator : Joniece Abbott-Pratt Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 808: Win Again is an Escape Pod original. Win Again by Lina Munroe “I want a do-over! Author : Lina Munroe Narrator : Joniece Abbott-Pratt Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 808: Win Again is an Escape Pod original. Win Again by Lina Munroe “I want a do-over!” Zira crumpled her opponent’s collar in her fist and twisted it tight around his neck. Glasses […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 31:17 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/21/escape-pod-807-t-_-me/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 21:00:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13055 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/21/escape-pod-807-t-_-me/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/10/21/escape-pod-807-t-_-me/feed/ 1 Author : Alex Jennings Narrators : Bria Strothers and Eric Luke Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums T _ ME originally appeared in Electric Velocipede #20, Winter 2010. Some cursing; physical and mental peril. T _ ME By Alex Jennings The portable classroom was larger than Joan Ellen had expected. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/10/21/escape-pod-807-t-_-me/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Alex Jennings Narrators : Bria Strothers and Eric Luke Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums T _ ME originally appeared in Electric Velocipede #20, Winter 2010. Some cursing; physical and mental peril. T _ ME<br /> By Alex Jennings<br /> <br /> The portable classroom was larger than Joan Ellen had expected. Lit from overhead with fluorescent lights and busy with seventh-grade artwork, it smelled of chalk dust, old books, and refrigerated air. It reminded Joan Ellen of home. These days, most everything reminded Joan Ellen of home – or at least how far she was from it. She tried to pay attention, but now Joan felt the yawning chasm of distance, the thousands upon thousands of miles between Tunis and DC.<br /> <br /> “I’ll put this as simply as I can,” Mrs. Thornton said. “Patrick is a brilliant boy.”<br /> <br /> Liz Thornton was Patrick’s homeroom teacher. She was a heavy-set fortyish woman with close-cropped brown hair and a mouth that bunched up at the corners. Like many of the teachers here at ACST, Mrs. Thornton had come overseas with the Peace Corps, married, and stayed.<br /> <br /> “I had a hard time getting through to him in our first few weeks together,” Mrs. Thornton said, “but I think his last essay assignment represents a breakthrough. He – I have it here.”<br /> <br /> The teacher opened a manila folder on her desk blotter and handed Joan a short typed manuscript crawling with red pen marks.<br /> <br /> Joan Ellen frowned as her eyes slid over the heading at the top of the page:<br /> <br /> What Comes After Science? Alex Jennings (Author); Bria Strothers and Eric Luke (Narrators) full false 1:03:07 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/14/escape-pod-806-bright-lights-flying-beneath-the-ocean/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13045 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/14/escape-pod-806-bright-lights-flying-beneath-the-ocean/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/10/14/escape-pod-806-bright-lights-flying-beneath-the-ocean/feed/ 0 Author : Anjali Patel Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 806: Bright Lights Flying Beneath the Ocean is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. Bright Lights Flying Beneath the Ocean by Anjali Patel [Draft] (no subject) – 2:23 AM My dearest Tasha, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/10/14/escape-pod-806-bright-lights-flying-beneath-the-ocean/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Anjali Patel Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 806: Bright Lights Flying Beneath the Ocean is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. Author : Anjali Patel Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 806: Bright Lights Flying Beneath the Ocean is an Escape Pod original. Contains harsh language. Bright Lights Flying Beneath the Ocean by Anjali Patel [Draft] (no subject) – 2:23 AM My dearest Tasha, […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 19:20 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/07/escape-pod-805-open-27-hours/ Thu, 07 Oct 2021 21:00:23 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13031 https://escapepod.org/2021/10/07/escape-pod-805-open-27-hours/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/10/07/escape-pod-805-open-27-hours/feed/ 1 Author : LP Kindred Narrator : Eden Royce Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Open 27 Hours originally appeared in Issue 10 of Speculative City. Cursing. Grief, death, and loss hinted. Open 27 Hours By L.P. Kindred “It had pops of habanero-like spice immediately calmed by the subdued dulce of […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/10/07/escape-pod-805-open-27-hours/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : LP Kindred Narrator : Eden Royce Host : Brent Lambert Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Open 27 Hours originally appeared in Issue 10 of Speculative City. Cursing. Grief, death, and loss hinted. Open 27 Hours By L.P. Open 27 Hours<br /> By L.P. Kindred<br /> <br /> “It had pops of habanero-like spice immediately calmed by the subdued dulce of roast sweet potato. You got lemony shots of citric acid alongside amandine crunches. The dish was studded with cubes of meat I was too young to name then and I’m now too old to recall. Nobavgo casserole is the single most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.”<br /> <br /> D’Sheadra laughs a laugh that starts in her pinky toe. Her hands flail around the leather-clad booth before slapping the dark-grained table. “What the fuck is a nagabovgoat?” she wheezes. L.P. Kindred (Author); Eden Royce (Narrator) full false 39:52 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/30/escape-pod-804-delete-your-first-memory-for-free/ Thu, 30 Sep 2021 21:00:36 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=13019 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/30/escape-pod-804-delete-your-first-memory-for-free/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/09/30/escape-pod-804-delete-your-first-memory-for-free/feed/ 0 Author : Kel Coleman Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Delete Your First Memory for Free was originally published in FIYAH Magazine Issue 17 (January 2021). Delete Your First Memory for Free by Kel Coleman The bus jerks to a stop and I tighten my […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/09/30/escape-pod-804-delete-your-first-memory-for-free/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kel Coleman Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Delete Your First Memory for Free was originally published in FIYAH Magazine Issue 17 (January 2021). Author : Kel Coleman Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Delete Your First Memory for Free was originally published in FIYAH Magazine Issue 17 (January 2021). Delete Your First Memory for Free by Kel Coleman The bus jerks to a stop and I tighten my […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 34:05 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/23/escape-pod-803-a-princess-of-nigh-space/ Thu, 23 Sep 2021 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12984 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/23/escape-pod-803-a-princess-of-nigh-space/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/09/23/escape-pod-803-a-princess-of-nigh-space/feed/ 0 Author : Tim Pratt Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Princess of Nigh-Space originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology” in October 2020. KB Wagers http://www.kbwagers.com/ Cloverfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield A Princess of Nigh-Space By Tim Pratt There was a business card stuck in the crack […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/09/23/escape-pod-803-a-princess-of-nigh-space/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tim Pratt Narrator : Sandy Parsons Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Princess of Nigh-Space originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology” in October 2020. KB Wagers http://www. A Princess of Nigh-Space<br /> By Tim Pratt<br /> <br /> There was a business card stuck in the crack between the door and the frame when I got home from another too-long day at the office. I plucked the card out, annoyed, assuming it was some stupid advertisement, but the thick black Gothic lettering caught my eye:<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Bollard and Chicane<br /> <br /> Obstacles Removed • Burdens Shifted • Troubles Untroubled<br /> <br /> “We Murder Problems!”<br /> <br />  <br /> <br /> With a phone number underneath.<br /> <br /> There was small, neat, and slanted writing on the back, in pen: “Dear Tamsin: Our condolences on the loss of your grandmother. We can help settle your estate. Call soonest.”<br /> <br /> “Granny isn’t dead,” I said to no one, and then my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Tim Pratt (Author); Sandy Parsons (Narrator) full false 38:30 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/16/escape-pod-802-sentient-being-blues/ Thu, 16 Sep 2021 21:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12976 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/16/escape-pod-802-sentient-being-blues/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/09/16/escape-pod-802-sentient-being-blues/feed/ 0 Author : Christopher Mark Rose Narrator : Tad Callin Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Sentient Being Blues” first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Asimov’s Death of a child, also contains some violence and harsh language. Sentient Being Blues by Christopher Rose I got a pickaxe for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/09/16/escape-pod-802-sentient-being-blues/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Christopher Mark Rose Narrator : Tad Callin Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Sentient Being Blues” first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Asimov’s Death of a child, Author : Christopher Mark Rose Narrator : Tad Callin Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Sentient Being Blues” first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Asimov’s Death of a child, also contains some violence and harsh language. Sentient Being Blues by Christopher Rose I got a pickaxe for […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 54:28 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/09/escape-pod-801-hard-mother-spider-mother-soft-mother/ Thu, 09 Sep 2021 21:00:09 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12968 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/09/escape-pod-801-hard-mother-spider-mother-soft-mother/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/09/09/escape-pod-801-hard-mother-spider-mother-soft-mother/feed/ 0 Author : Hal Y. Zhang Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Hard Mother, Spider Mother, Soft Mother first appeared as part of the Futures chapbook series published by Radix Media. Hard Mother, Spider Mother, Soft Mother By Hal Y. Zhang “Did you see the report […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/09/09/escape-pod-801-hard-mother-spider-mother-soft-mother/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Hal Y. Zhang Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Hard Mother, Spider Mother, Soft Mother first appeared as part of the Futures chapbook series published by Radix Media. Hard Mother, Hard Mother, Spider Mother, Soft Mother<br /> By Hal Y. Zhang<br /> <br /> “Did you see the report on the spy from Aberdeen? The game is a-foot.”<br /> <br /> I mumbled something like “No, sounds interesting.” All I remember is my usual annoyance at her ability to pronounce hyphens where they don’t belong. We must have been in the living room, her on a rare break from gardening and me trying to divine the future with my seeing stone of a computer. Either I had non-personal coffee in my hand, or my brain decided to add that detail on a later traverse. Why does it only fixate on the useless details—the weird green vase in the corner, the ugly plastic pitcher centerpiece on the table, both overflowing with fresh bleeding roses—that have nothing to do with the plot?<br /> <br /> Our next interaction occurred during my viewing of a video reporting the formation of a new island in the Pacific. How uncannily the uncontrollable underwater caustic flow matched my job search situation, I thought idly in the crook of my elbow. Expert in esoteric studies, puzzles, and internal monologues seeking just about any position, really. Inquire within.<br /> <br /> “All going as planned,” she mumbled behind me. Hal Y. Zhang (Author); S. Kay Nash (Narrator) full false 1:01:10 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/02/escape-pod-800-give-me-cornbread-or-give-me-death/ Thu, 02 Sep 2021 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12961 https://escapepod.org/2021/09/02/escape-pod-800-give-me-cornbread-or-give-me-death/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/09/02/escape-pod-800-give-me-cornbread-or-give-me-death/feed/ 0 Author : N.K. Jemisin Narrator : Laurice White Hosts : S.B. Divya and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death originally appeared in A People’s Future of the United States in February 2019. Includes mature content for language and violence. Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/09/02/escape-pod-800-give-me-cornbread-or-give-me-death/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : N.K. Jemisin Narrator : Laurice White Hosts : S.B. Divya and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death originally appeared in A People’s Future of the United States in February 2019. Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death<br /> By N.K. Jemisin<br /> The intel is good. It had better be; three women died to get it to us. I tuck away the binoculars and crawl back from the window long enough to hand-signal my girls. Fire team moves up, drop team on my mark, support to hold position and watch our flank. The enemy might have nothing but mercs for security, but their bullets punch holes same as real soldiers’, and some of ’em are hungry enough to be competent. We’re hungrier, though.<br /> Shauntay’s got the glass cutter ready. I’m carrying the real payload, slung across my torso and back in a big canteen. We should have two or three of these, since redundancy increases our success projections, but I won’t let anyone else take the risk. The other ladies have barrels cracked and ready to drop. The operation should be simple and quick—get in, drop it like it’s hot, get out.<br /> This goes wrong, it’s on me.<br /> It won’t go wrong. N.K. Jemisin (Author); Laurice White (Narrator) full false 28:56 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/26/escape-pod-799-no-strangers-any-more-part-2/ Thu, 26 Aug 2021 21:00:18 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12942 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/26/escape-pod-799-no-strangers-any-more-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/08/26/escape-pod-799-no-strangers-any-more-part-2/feed/ 0 Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 2 of 2) by Ian Creasey Royal Roundup — “ROSE’S NEW BOYFRIEND? Just days after the end of her […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/08/26/escape-pod-799-no-strangers-any-more-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 2 of 2) by Ian Creasey Royal ... Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 2 of 2) by Ian Creasey Royal Roundup — “ROSE’S NEW BOYFRIEND? Just days after the end of her […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 30:02 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/19/escape-pod-798-no-strangers-any-more-part-1/ Thu, 19 Aug 2021 21:00:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12940 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/19/escape-pod-798-no-strangers-any-more-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/08/19/escape-pod-798-no-strangers-any-more-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 1 of 2) by Ian Creasey One of a princess’s many duties is to make polite conversation and avoid […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/08/19/escape-pod-798-no-strangers-any-more-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 1 of 2) by Ian Creasey One of... Author : Ian Creasey Narrator : Pippa Alice Stephens Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “No Strangers Any More” originally appeared in Analog (July/August 2016) No Strangers Any More (Part 1 of 2) by Ian Creasey One of a princess’s many duties is to make polite conversation and avoid […] Ian Creasey (author), Pippa Alice Stephens (narrator) full false 34:36 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/12/escape-pod-797-flashback-flash-from-the-vault/ Thu, 12 Aug 2021 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12925 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/12/escape-pod-797-flashback-flash-from-the-vault/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/08/12/escape-pod-797-flashback-flash-from-the-vault/feed/ 0 Authors : Heather Shaw, Pete M. Butler, Ben Hallert and Greg van Eekhout Narrators : Anna Eley, Jake Squid, Trendane Sparks and Serah Eley Hosts : S.B. Divya, Mur Lafferty, Benjamin C. Kinney, Alasdair Stuart, Serah Eley and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Mur Lafferty, Mat Weller, Serah Eley and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/08/12/escape-pod-797-flashback-flash-from-the-vault/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Heather Shaw, Pete M. Butler, Ben Hallert and Greg van Eekhout Narrators : Anna Eley, Jake Squid, Trendane Sparks and Serah Eley Hosts : S.B. Divya, Mur Lafferty, Benjamin C. Kinney, Alasdair Stuart, Wetting the Bed (Excerpt)<br /> By Heather Shaw<br /> <br /> When the floods came, all us kids climbed into bed and pulled the covers up over our heads while our parents rushed about trying to do something to stop it. As the water level rose we could feel the beds lift off the floor, floating through our houses, bumping down our hallways and out our front doors.<br /> <br /> We sat up in bed waved to one another as our beds merged onto the canal that now flowed between our houses. We shrieked and giggled as our beds spun and bumped along with the swirling water. Waves lapped at our boxsprings, but our covers were still warm and dry. Heather Shaw (Author); Anna Eley (Narrator); Pete Butler (Author); Jake Squid (Narrator); Ben Hallert (Author); Trendane Sparks (Narrator); Greg van Eekhout (Author); Serah Eley (Narrator) full false 32:01 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/05/escape-pod-796-one-hundred-seconds-to-midnight/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12905 https://escapepod.org/2021/08/05/escape-pod-796-one-hundred-seconds-to-midnight/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/08/05/escape-pod-796-one-hundred-seconds-to-midnight/feed/ 1 Author : Lauren Ring Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 796: One Hundred Seconds to Midnight is an Escape Pod original. One Hundred Seconds to Midnight By Lauren Ring I wake before the plane lands. It’s static-dark, the kind of hazy late night where the air […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/08/05/escape-pod-796-one-hundred-seconds-to-midnight/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lauren Ring Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 796: One Hundred Seconds to Midnight is an Escape Pod original. One Hundred Seconds to Midnight By Lauren Ring I wake before the plane lands. Author : Lauren Ring Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 796: One Hundred Seconds to Midnight is an Escape Pod original. One Hundred Seconds to Midnight By Lauren Ring I wake before the plane lands. It’s static-dark, the kind of hazy late night where the air […] Lauren Ring (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full false 37:46 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/29/escape-pod-795-tiger-lawyer-gets-it-right/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12890 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/29/escape-pod-795-tiger-lawyer-gets-it-right/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/07/29/escape-pod-795-tiger-lawyer-gets-it-right/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Gailey Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tiger Lawyer Gets It Right originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in November 2020. One scene of gore, violence and death. A few A-grade curses. Tiger Lawyer Gets It Right By Sarah Gailey Vladislav […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/07/29/escape-pod-795-tiger-lawyer-gets-it-right/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Gailey Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tiger Lawyer Gets It Right originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in November 2020. One scene of gore, Tiger Lawyer Gets It Right<br /> By Sarah Gailey<br /> <br /> Vladislav Argyle rested his head on the cool titanium surface of the defendant’s table. It dipped a little under the sudden weight of his skull, then hummed as the antigrav lifts adjusted their power to accommodate their new burden.<br /> <br /> “Mr. Argyle? Are you alright?” The bandage-swathed tip of Argyle’s client’s primary tentacle crackled near his ear, and he knew that she was touching his temple in a gesture of inquiry. The people of Ursa Vibrania were very skull-oriented in their communications. It was sweet, really, how they wanted to know what was happening inside every other endoskeletal vertebrate creature’s head. How much they wanted to understand.<br /> <br /> Argyle clenched his fists in his lap. The Vibranians were so kind, and they had trusted him to help them, and he was failing. As always.<br /> <br /> “I’m fine,” he said through his teeth. “Just a little ritual I have after opening statements.” Sarah Gailey (Author); Trendane Sparks (Narrator) full false 39:40 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/22/escape-pod-794-episode-4-the-deflection-of-probability/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 21:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12883 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/22/escape-pod-794-episode-4-the-deflection-of-probability/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/07/22/escape-pod-794-episode-4-the-deflection-of-probability/feed/ 0 Author : Premee Mohamed Narrator : Eve Upton Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 794: Episode 4: The Deflection of Probability is an Escape Pod original. Science fiction-style death and peril. Episode 4: The Deflection of Probability By Premee Mohamed The tent billowed in the hot, humid […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/07/22/escape-pod-794-episode-4-the-deflection-of-probability/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Premee Mohamed Narrator : Eve Upton Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 794: Episode 4: The Deflection of Probability is an Escape Pod original. Science fiction-style death and peril. Episode 4: The Deflection of Probability<br /> By Premee Mohammed<br /> <br /> The tent billowed in the hot, humid wind, and Harriet thought if the canvas made that gun-crack noise near her head one more time she'd go mad—simply abandon her project and flee screaming into the meadow.<br /> <br /> She took a deep breath, ignoring the hovering cameras that hummed in her peripheral vision. They'd make something of that in final production, she thought gloomily. That sigh. The plucky lass from Berwick-upon-Tweed, a clear shoo-in during the first three episodes, has done very poorly indeed today, and seems to be feeling the pressure... Well, and it would have to be 'plucky,' wouldn't it? Harriet was sure the judges had an approved list of adjectives in their scripts. Some contestants were brilliant. Some were confident. Some...<br /> <br /> Another gust of hot air roared in like the furious breath of a dragon. Her palladium microtorus setup spun on its little mirrored platform, reflecting glimpses of her startled gaze, her hair frizzed in the humidity. A skiff of pollen had dirtied the molecule-thick coating. Keeping her face still, she got out the nanofiber brush and cleaned the surface again.<br /> <br /> It had all begun so well. Or at least it probably looked that way to viewers. Were episodes being aired already? Harriet didn't know. But two weeks ago, her synthetic prions had gone about the place (well, the slide) like proper gangsters, knocking the other proteins aside and neatly recruiting only the ones they were meant to. Last week, only four contestants had managed to produce the correct crystal matrix in the final experiment—and hers had been the tallest of all, rising high and green as envy above their stations, nearly touching the ceiling. Premee Mohamed (Author); Eve Upton (Narrator) full false 31:16 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/15/escape-pod-793-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-2/ Thu, 15 Jul 2021 19:00:00 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12849 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/15/escape-pod-793-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/07/15/escape-pod-793-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-2/feed/ 0 Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some harsh language. A Little Bit of Kali (Part 2 of 2) By Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/07/15/escape-pod-793-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some... Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some harsh language. A Little Bit of Kali (Part 2 of 2) By Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:57 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/08/escape-pod-792-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-1/ Thu, 08 Jul 2021 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12847 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/08/escape-pod-792-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/07/08/escape-pod-792-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-1/feed/ 0 Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some harsh language. A Little Bit of Kali (Part 1 of 2) By Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/07/08/escape-pod-792-a-little-bit-of-kali-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some... Authors : Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R. R. Virdi Narrator : Kaushik Narasimhan Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in The Expanding Universe 5: A Science Fiction Exploration Contains some harsh language. A Little Bit of Kali (Part 1 of 2) By Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:09 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/01/escape-pod-791-rights-and-wrongs/ Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:00:54 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12838 https://escapepod.org/2021/07/01/escape-pod-791-rights-and-wrongs/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/07/01/escape-pod-791-rights-and-wrongs/feed/ 0 Author : Brian K. Lowe Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rights and Wrongs was originally published in Intergalactic Medicine Show, February 2014. Mentions death, murder and the death penalty. Rights and Wrongs By Brian K. Lowe “Tell me again who I pissed off to get this […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/07/01/escape-pod-791-rights-and-wrongs/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian K. Lowe Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rights and Wrongs was originally published in Intergalactic Medicine Show, February 2014. Mentions death, murder and the death penalty. Rights and Wrongs<br /> By Brian K. Lowe<br /> <br /> “Tell me again who I pissed off to get this job?” Carefully unwrapping my roast beef on wheat, I used the paper as a holder to keep mustard off of my lap.<br /> <br /> “I thought you wanted the job,” Rusty said. “I thought you were taking it as some kind of personal challenge.” Russ Becker and I ate lunch together almost every day. “Rusty” was another assistant district attorney, and we’d bonded over a mutual disdain for other lawyers. Things being what they were, though, sometimes we got drafted to work the other side, and I’d drawn the short straw here, with Rusty as my prosecutor.<br /> <br /> “Hell, no, I didn’t want it! The Jan’i killed my parents, Rusty. I had to break into their house and found them on the floor, blood coming out of their ears. I couldn’t even bury them; they had to burn down the house with them still inside.” I stopped to pull myself together. “This is somebody’s idea of payback, probably Bertoli. She’s still mad at me because she thinks I screwed up the Andelson case.” Brian K. Lowe (Author); Roderick Aust (Narrator) full false 53:47 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/24/escape-pod-790-airbody/ Thu, 24 Jun 2021 21:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12826 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/24/escape-pod-790-airbody/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/06/24/escape-pod-790-airbody/feed/ 0 Author : Sameem Siddiqui Narrator : Arun Jiwa Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums AirBody first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2020), and was the Winner of the 2020 Clarkesworld Readers Poll Contains some harsh language. AirBody by Sameem Siddiqui Amazing how all Desi aunties are basically the same. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/06/24/escape-pod-790-airbody/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sameem Siddiqui Narrator : Arun Jiwa Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums AirBody first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2020), and was the Winner of the 2020 Clarkesworld Readers Poll Contains some harsh ... Author : Sameem Siddiqui Narrator : Arun Jiwa Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums AirBody first appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (April 2020), and was the Winner of the 2020 Clarkesworld Readers Poll Contains some harsh language. AirBody by Sameem Siddiqui Amazing how all Desi aunties are basically the same. […] Escape Artists Foundation full true 38:08 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/17/escape-pod-789-the-machine-that-would-rewild-humanity/ Thu, 17 Jun 2021 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12810 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/17/escape-pod-789-the-machine-that-would-rewild-humanity/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/06/17/escape-pod-789-the-machine-that-would-rewild-humanity/feed/ 0 Author : Tobias S. Buckell Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Machine That Would Rewild Humanity originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology (2020). Isolated cursing and suggestion of violence. The Machine That Would Rewild Humanity By Tobias S. Buckell On a boat on […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/06/17/escape-pod-789-the-machine-that-would-rewild-humanity/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tobias S. Buckell Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Machine That Would Rewild Humanity originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology (2020). The Machine That Would Rewild Humanity<br /> By Tobias S. Buckell<br /> <br /> On a boat on the way to the Galapagos Islands to visit the world’s oldest tortoise, I got a call that the Central Park Human Reintroduction Center had been bombed.<br /> <br /> I’d read somewhere that the point of travel was to see the thing yourself. To expose yourself to new points of view and to have new experiences. Before the call I’d spent two point seven seconds regarding the sweep of the Himalayas at the roof of the world and take a backup of my memory of the entire panorama. In Pattaya, I lounged at the beach and watched the aquamarine water lap the sand.<br /> <br /> Ten years I’d planned this trip. A time to let my thoughts settle before the big push on the Central Park project.<br /> <br /> My life’s work.<br /> <br /> A mechanical butterfly perched on my hand with the message. To deliver it, the butterfly had wafted its way over almost two thousand kilometers of ocean boundaries, negotiated with air currents for overflight permissions, and applied for fifty different visas until it tracked my boat down.<br /> <br /> The Institute had paid a small fortune to recall me from vacation. Tobias S. Buckell (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 28:39 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/10/escape-pod-788-broken-flashback-friday/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 21:00:20 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12799 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/10/escape-pod-788-broken-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/06/10/escape-pod-788-broken-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Jaxton Kimble Narrator : Mat Weller Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 788: Broken (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. Contains a couple intimate moments. Broken by Jaxton Kimble My favorite part about skimming is that I’m not broken when I do it. It […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/06/10/escape-pod-788-broken-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jaxton Kimble Narrator : Mat Weller Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 788: Broken (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. Contains a couple intimate moments. Author : Jaxton Kimble Narrator : Mat Weller Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 788: Broken (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. Contains a couple intimate moments. Broken by Jaxton Kimble My favorite part about skimming is that I’m not broken when I do it. It […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 27:27 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/03/escape-pod-787-ascend-exalt-love-propagate-rise/ Thu, 03 Jun 2021 21:00:55 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12786 https://escapepod.org/2021/06/03/escape-pod-787-ascend-exalt-love-propagate-rise/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/06/03/escape-pod-787-ascend-exalt-love-propagate-rise/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Kumari Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 787: Ascend, Exalt, Love, Propagate, Rise! is an Escape Pod original. Suggestions of sex and description of sexual assault. Ascend, Exalt, Love, Propagate, Rise! By Sarah Kumari The Glory smolders through Jehanne’s bloodstream, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/06/03/escape-pod-787-ascend-exalt-love-propagate-rise/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Kumari Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 787: Ascend, Exalt, Love, Propagate, Rise! is an Escape Pod original. Suggestions of sex and description of sexual assault. Ascend, Exalt, Love, Propagate, Rise!<br /> By Sarah Kumari<br /> <br /> The Glory smolders through Jehanne's bloodstream, pulsing its encouragement.<br /> <br /> The rivals who have survived along with him–officially 'Fellow Eminents' now that selection is over–twitch and moan as their addiction is quenched. Within minutes they are preening, flexing their muscles, stomping, or singing to Mother Elethra.<br /> <br /> Jehanne's training allows him to douse the call, to batter it down with a deliberate shifting of delta waves. He visualizes his metabolism disassembling the compound at industrial speed. This works for the moment.<br /> <br /> In the crowd that fills the EverReach company spaceship, Indrine, the rebel woman pretending to be Jehanne's mother, clutches the hand of the girl playing his sister. They are mixed in with the family and friends of the other Eminents along with villagers and unrelated Fervents that have made the pilgrimage.<br /> <br /> The crowd prays collectively, feverish in their good fortune, for the EverReach company will reward the kin of Eminents for two generations.<br /> <br /> If Jehanne succeeds in his true mission, his family will be slaughtered. Sarah Kumari (Author); Hollis Monroe (Narrator) full false 24:39 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/27/escape-pod-786-the-steel-magnolia-metaphor/ Thu, 27 May 2021 21:00:47 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12773 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/27/escape-pod-786-the-steel-magnolia-metaphor/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/05/27/escape-pod-786-the-steel-magnolia-metaphor/feed/ 0 Author : Jennifer Lee Rossman Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 786: The Steel Magnolia Metaphor is an Escape Pod original. Contains mentions of cancer and death. The Steel Magnolia Metaphor by Jennifer Lee Rossman Each petal was carefully shaped from the finest […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/05/27/escape-pod-786-the-steel-magnolia-metaphor/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jennifer Lee Rossman Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 786: The Steel Magnolia Metaphor is an Escape Pod original. Contains mentions of cancer and death. Author : Jennifer Lee Rossman Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 786: The Steel Magnolia Metaphor is an Escape Pod original. Contains mentions of cancer and death. The Steel Magnolia Metaphor by Jennifer Lee Rossman Each petal was carefully shaped from the finest […] Jennifer Lee Rossman (author), Ellora Sen-Gupta (narrator) full false 19:30 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/20/escape-pod-785-death-the-universe-and-everything/ Thu, 20 May 2021 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12747 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/20/escape-pod-785-death-the-universe-and-everything/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/05/20/escape-pod-785-death-the-universe-and-everything/feed/ 0 Author : Sherin Nicole Narrator : Laurice White Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 785: Death, the Universe, and Everything is an Escape Pod original. Contains descriptions of death and suicide. An international list of suicide prevention hotlines and other suicide prevention resources is available HERE. Death, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/05/20/escape-pod-785-death-the-universe-and-everything/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sherin Nicole Narrator : Laurice White Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 785: Death, the Universe, and Everything is an Escape Pod original. Contains descriptions of death and suicide. Death, the Universe, and Everything<br /> By Sherin Nicole<br /> <br /> The morning after it happened for the first time, I--<br /> <br /> I’m not sure if I should tell you, but maybe you can tell me. If your understanding of reality fundamentally changes, does it change you?<br /> <br /> And how responsible am I for who you become? <br /> <br /> I don’t know.<br /> <br /> And that relative state of not knowing is the start of my conundrum. And my conflict.<br /> <br /> The morning after it happened for the first time, I woke up with half of my soul hanging out of my body. The worst case of pins and needles possible. The pain was a soft plodding ache, but it couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. It hurt. Sherin Nicole (Author); Laurice White (Narrator) full false 39:34 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/13/escape-pod-784-annotated-setlist-of-the-mikaela-cole-jazz-quintet/ Thu, 13 May 2021 19:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12731 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/13/escape-pod-784-annotated-setlist-of-the-mikaela-cole-jazz-quintet/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/05/13/escape-pod-784-annotated-setlist-of-the-mikaela-cole-jazz-quintet/feed/ 0 Author : Catherine George Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2019). Annotated Setlist of the Mikaela Cole Jazz Quintet by Catherine George Tight Squeeze That solo! Art blowing so hard and so hot, jumping out like […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/05/13/escape-pod-784-annotated-setlist-of-the-mikaela-cole-jazz-quintet/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Catherine George Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2019). Annotated Setlist of the Mikaela Cole Jazz Quint... Author : Catherine George Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (December 2019). Annotated Setlist of the Mikaela Cole Jazz Quintet by Catherine George Tight Squeeze That solo! Art blowing so hard and so hot, jumping out like […] Catherine George (author), Abra Staffin-Wiebe (narrator) full false 49:26 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/06/escape-pod-783-report-of-dr-hollowmas-on-the-incident-at-jackrabbit-five/ Thu, 06 May 2021 21:00:30 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12720 https://escapepod.org/2021/05/06/escape-pod-783-report-of-dr-hollowmas-on-the-incident-at-jackrabbit-five/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/05/06/escape-pod-783-report-of-dr-hollowmas-on-the-incident-at-jackrabbit-five/feed/ 0 Author : T. Kingfisher Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Report of Dr. Hollowmas on the Incident at Jackrabbit Five originally appeared in Escape Pod: the Science Fiction Anthology in 2020. Mild descriptions of labor and birth. Report of Dr. Hollowmas on the Incident […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/05/06/escape-pod-783-report-of-dr-hollowmas-on-the-incident-at-jackrabbit-five/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : T. Kingfisher Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Report of Dr. Hollowmas on the Incident at Jackrabbit Five originally appeared in Escape Pod: the Science Fiction Anthology in 2020. Report of Dr. Hollowmas on the Incident at Jackrabbit Five<br /> By T. Kingfisher<br /> <br /> The following report is from the Jackrabbit Colony, Five Tau, regarding the incidents occurring during 7-5-11-8881, fifth rotation, involving Marine Midwife Unit Eleven-Gamma.<br /> <br /> Incident report has been taken using the I-Witness program from your friends at Taxon Interrogation Software, with explanatory notes added and our new clarification system, saving you valuable time and manpower! At Taxon, Clarity is Our Business!(tm)<br /> <br /> This is the l-Witness program from Taxon Programming. I will be taking your report today. Please relax and answer normally. When explanatory notes or clarifications are added, please indicate if they are correct by stating ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ when prompted. Remember, clarity is our business!<br /> <br /> Sure.<br /> <br /> Please state your name for the record.<br /> <br /> I'm Doc Hollow.<br /> <br /> Please state your full legal name for the record.<br /> <br /> (sigh) Lin Hollowmas.<br /> <br /> Clarification: This is Lin Hollowmas, PhD, DVM, FRCVM...<br /> <br /> Yeah, that one.<br /> <br /> ... current position Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Jackrabbit Colony?<br /> <br /> Yeah.<br /> <br /> Thank you, Doctor Hollowmas. Please state your purpose today. T. Kingfisher (Author); S. Kay Nash (Narrator) full false 35:07 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/29/escape-pod-782-electronic-ghosts/ Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12691 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/29/escape-pod-782-electronic-ghosts/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/29/escape-pod-782-electronic-ghosts/feed/ 0 Author : Innocent Chizaram Ilo Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 782: Electronic Ghosts is an Escape Pod original. Electronic Ghosts By Innocent Chizaram Ilo I If Nneora had died two weeks earlier, her daughter, Anaeto, would not have resurrected her ghost. That was […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/29/escape-pod-782-electronic-ghosts/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Innocent Chizaram Ilo Narrator : Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 782: Electronic Ghosts is an Escape Pod original. Electronic Ghosts By Innocent Chizaram Ilo I If Nneora had died ... Electronic Ghosts<br /> By Innocent Chizaram Ilo<br /> <br /> I<br /> <br /> If Nneora had died two weeks earlier, her daughter, Anaeto, would not have resurrected her ghost. That was the night Nneora ran a fever, laid convulsing in bed, a slimy froth trickling from the corners of her lips. She had just finished telling Anaeto a story about a woman who fled home to find love. And when the fever subsided, she proceeded to talk to her late mother, Lolo-Nwa, in a tongue that reeked of everything living and dead. Dying on a night like that would have meant Nneora died complete, that her daughter was prepared for her death.<br /> <br /> But Nneora will die this evening, when the air is the same as the feel of damp salt on dry skin. She will die midway telling Anaeto a new story. Nobody would believe, not that you can blame them, that Anaeto will do what she does because she is scared the Ghost Of Unfinished Stories will haunt her. Not even Anaeto herself. At some point, she will tell herself this lie: that she resurrected her mother's ghost because the inquisitive scientist in her wanted to know how the story that numbed on the old woman's lifeless lips ended. This is more plausible, more logical. A more scientific reason. Innocent Chizaram Ilo (Author); Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe (Narrator) full false 42:29 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/22/escape-pod-781-seed-vault-part-2/ Thu, 22 Apr 2021 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12412 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/22/escape-pod-781-seed-vault-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/22/escape-pod-781-seed-vault-part-2/feed/ 0 Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 2) By Marika Bailey The desert rain has lulled me and I sleep all the way through the daylight hours. It is […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/22/escape-pod-781-seed-vault-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 2) By Marika Bailey The desert rain has lulled me and ... Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 2) By Marika Bailey The desert rain has lulled me and I sleep all the way through the daylight hours. It is […] Marika Bailey (author), Eden Royce (narrator) full false 40:13 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/15/escape-pod-780-seed-vault-part-1/ Thu, 15 Apr 2021 21:00:58 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12410 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/15/escape-pod-780-seed-vault-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/15/escape-pod-780-seed-vault-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 1) By Marika Bailey 1. FIRE I should tell you about the gods, yes? Good setting for it. Here in the desert, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/15/escape-pod-780-seed-vault-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 1) By Marika Bailey 1. Author : Marika Bailey Narrator : Eden Royce Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Seed Vault” was originally published in Strange Horizons (Nov 2019) Seed Vault (Part 1) By Marika Bailey 1. FIRE I should tell you about the gods, yes? Good setting for it. Here in the desert, […] Marika Bailey (author), Eden Royce (narrator) full false 30:53 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/08/escape-pod-779-the-call-of-the-sky-flashback-friday/ Thu, 08 Apr 2021 21:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12403 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/08/escape-pod-779-the-call-of-the-sky-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/08/escape-pod-779-the-call-of-the-sky-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Cliff Winnig Narrator : Marguerite Kenner Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in the anthology When the Hero Comes Home: 2 and first appeared on Escape Pod episode 507 on October 22, 2015. The Call of the Sky By Cliff Winnig The […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/08/escape-pod-779-the-call-of-the-sky-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Cliff Winnig Narrator : Marguerite Kenner Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in the anthology When the Hero Comes Home: 2 and first appear... The Call of the Sky<br /> By Cliff Winnig<br /> <br /> The army hospital’s underground floors reminded me of Pluto Base, a place I’d never actually been. I’d never even been off-world, but I remembered those claustrophobic beige corridors. Two years before, I’d synced with a bunch of my alts home on leave after basic training. Today for the first time I’d be meeting one who’d seen combat. More than that, one who’d become a hero, the only Teri Kang to survive the Battle of Charon.<br /> <br /> We wouldn’t be syncing, though. Not this time. Not ever. Before she’d escaped the doomed moon — the moon she’d given the order to destroy — she’d been bitten. That’s what the G.I.s called it when Hive nanobots infected you: being bitten. Like it was a zombie plague or something.<br /> <br /> Hell, it might as well be. Soon the only other Teri Kang in the universe would lose her fight with that infection, and the army docs would euthanize her. Under the circumstances, even coming home had been an act of courage. A lot of G.I.s who got bitten went AWOL rather than face the certain death of returning to base. Not for the first time, I wondered if I had such courage lying latent within me.<br /> <br /> Flanked by MPs, I followed a nurse down hallway after hallway till we arrived at my alt’s room. Well, the room next to it, since she was quarantined. A smartglass wall separated me from the sterile chamber where the other Teri Kang would live out her last few hours. Cliff Winnig (Author); Marguerite Kenner (Narrator) full false 36:24 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/02/escape-pod-778-the-machine-is-experiencing-uncertainty/ Fri, 02 Apr 2021 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12384 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/02/escape-pod-778-the-machine-is-experiencing-uncertainty/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/02/escape-pod-778-the-machine-is-experiencing-uncertainty/feed/ 0 Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Justin C. Key Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 778: The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty is an Escape Pod original. The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Caliban cycles the captain out the airlock again. The man pounds […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/02/escape-pod-778-the-machine-is-experiencing-uncertainty/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Justin C. Key Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 778: The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty is an Escape Pod original. The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty by Mer... Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Justin C. Key Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 778: The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty is an Escape Pod original. The Machine is Experiencing Uncertainty by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Caliban cycles the captain out the airlock again. The man pounds […] Merc Fenn Wolfmoor (author), Justin C. Key (narrator) full false 44:55 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/01/catscast-341-bargain/ Thu, 01 Apr 2021 04:01:41 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12386 https://escapepod.org/2021/04/01/catscast-341-bargain/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/04/01/catscast-341-bargain/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Gailey Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Discuss on Forums “Bargain” first appeared in Mothership Zeta (Dec 2015) Bargain by Sarah Gailey Malachai loved his work. He loved wandering among the trappings of enormous wealth and influence, seeing the baubles that humans excreted to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/04/01/catscast-341-bargain/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Gailey Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Discuss on Forums “Bargain” first appeared in Mothership Zeta (Dec 2015) Bargain by Sarah Gailey Malachai loved his work. Author : Sarah Gailey Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Discuss on Forums “Bargain” first appeared in Mothership Zeta (Dec 2015) Bargain by Sarah Gailey Malachai loved his work. He loved wandering among the trappings of enormous wealth and influence, seeing the baubles that humans excreted to […] Sarah Gailey (author), Tren Sparks (narrator) full false 25:48 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/25/escape-pod-777-the-dame-with-the-earth-at-her-back/ Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:00:03 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12369 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/25/escape-pod-777-the-dame-with-the-earth-at-her-back/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/03/25/escape-pod-777-the-dame-with-the-earth-at-her-back/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Pauling Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 777: The Dame With the Earth at Her Back is an Escape Pod original. The Dame With the Earth at Her Back By Sarah Pauling That’s the trouble with Teegarden’s northern latitudes: the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/03/25/escape-pod-777-the-dame-with-the-earth-at-her-back/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Pauling Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 777: The Dame With the Earth at Her Back is an Escape Pod original. The Dame With the Earth at Her Back By Sarah Pauling That... The Dame With the Earth at Her Back<br /> By Sarah Pauling<br /> <br /> That’s the trouble with Teegarden’s northern latitudes: the sun never sets in summer. The red glow assaults Maryellen’s stage long after midnight, pushing in through the picture window alongside the nightclub floor. She’s asked Bruce if she could close the curtains sometime, since she gets tired of squinting out into her audience. He said it’d be a waste of prime oceanside real estate not to let the tourists see the ice.<br /> <br /> So she makes the best of it. A comedienne works with what she’s got: in this case, a prime view of the drug deal going down between the back tables.<br /> <br /> “I mean honestly! During my show! You couldn’t’a waited fifteen minutes to get your fix?” She clicks across the stage in Mary Jane pumps, letting her voice go high and nasal and schoolmarm scolding. “You couldn’t’a waited fifteen minutes or so? I only got so much material! My stamina’s nil! Ask my ex!” Sarah Pauling (Author); Tina Connolly (Narrator) full false 35:13 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/18/escape-pod-776-tloque-nahuaque/ Thu, 18 Mar 2021 21:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12352 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/18/escape-pod-776-tloque-nahuaque/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/03/18/escape-pod-776-tloque-nahuaque/feed/ 0 Authors : Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas and Silvia Moreno-Garcia Narrator : Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Host : Matthew Olivas Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tloque Nahuaque originally apeared in Future Lovecraft, Innsmouth Free Press, 2011 (translated from the Spanish by Silvia Moreno-Garcia). Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s website is at https://www.silviamoreno-garcia.com/. Tloque Nahuaque By Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/03/18/escape-pod-776-tloque-nahuaque/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas and Silvia Moreno-Garcia Narrator : Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Host : Matthew Olivas Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Tloque Nahuaque originally apeared in Future Lovecraft, Innsmouth Free Press, Tloque Nahuaque<br /> By Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas, translated by Silvia Moreno-Garcia<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.<br /> <br /> —Carl Sagan<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> I—The Particle Accelerator<br /> <br /> They built an underground temple. A well of Babel sinking into the gloomy ground at 175 metres of depth. They wanted, like the Biblical architects, to know the unknowable, to discover the origin, reproduce Creation.<br /> <br /> The desire to unravel the nature of the Everything floated permanently in the controlled environment of the laboratory. Hundreds of fans and machines emitted a constant buzzing, which the investigators called the “silence of the abyss”. This, combined with the smell of burnt iron, gave the ominous sensation of finding oneself in space. Doctor Migdal lay upon a nest made of coloured cables and, with eyes closed, fantasised that his body, weightless, floated, pushed by the breeze of the ventilation.<br /> <br /> Sometimes, he would imagine that he was being attracted by a very narrow tube, a cafeteria straw, the ink container of a pen, or a bleeding artery. His feet, near the edge of the conduit, would feel a titanic weight that would pull him and make him push through the small space. Migdal could see how he would turn into a thick strand of subatomic particles that would extend forever. Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas (Author); Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Translator); Karlo Yeager Rodriguez (Narrator) full false 20:12 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/11/escape-pod-775-spaceship-october/ Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:00:07 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12342 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/11/escape-pod-775-spaceship-october/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/03/11/escape-pod-775-spaceship-october/feed/ 0 Author : Greg van Eekhout Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Spaceship October originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in 2020. Death and killing, but no gore. Spaceship October By Greg van Eekhout When you live on a spaceship, you learn to make […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/03/11/escape-pod-775-spaceship-october/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Greg van Eekhout Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Spaceship October originally appeared in Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology in 2020. Death and killing, Spaceship October<br /> By Greg van Eekhout<br /> <br /> When you live on a spaceship, you learn to make your own fun. Exploring the tunnels is some of the very best fun the October’s got. After school hour, me and Droller go scuttling through the darkest conduits you ever will find. The starboard Hab gets minimal heat, so our breath clouds in the light of our head torches as we crawl on our hands and knees.<br /> <br /> “You hear that?” Droller whispers from a couple of meters ahead.<br /> <br /> I do hear it, a deep, wet wheezing that sounds exactly like Droller trying to spook me.<br /> <br /> “You better go ahead and check it out, Droller.”<br /> <br /> “Naw, Kitch, it’s behind you. It smells your butt. It’s a butthunter.”<br /> <br /> I laugh at Droller’s stupid joke, because the stupider, the funnier, and she’s by far my stupidest friend. Greg van Eekhout (Author); Peter Adrian Behravesh (Narrator) full false 28:42 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/04/escape-pod-774-a-wild-patience-part-3-of-3/ Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:00:35 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12328 https://escapepod.org/2021/03/04/escape-pod-774-a-wild-patience-part-3-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/03/04/escape-pod-774-a-wild-patience-part-3-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. A Wild Patience (Part 3 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle When Jessica got home that night, she and I talked for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/03/04/escape-pod-774-a-wild-patience-part-3-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. A Wild Patience (Part 3 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle When Jessica got home that night, she and I talked for […] Gwynne Garfinkle (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full false 27:33 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/25/escape-pod-773-a-wild-patience-part-2-of-3/ Thu, 25 Feb 2021 22:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12323 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/25/escape-pod-773-a-wild-patience-part-2-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/02/25/escape-pod-773-a-wild-patience-part-2-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) A Wild Patience (Part 2 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle The next day, school was in an uproar. The other mothers had talked to their kids too. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/02/25/escape-pod-773-a-wild-patience-part-2-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) A Wild Patience (Part 2 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle The next day, Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) A Wild Patience (Part 2 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle The next day, school was in an uproar. The other mothers had talked to their kids too. […] Gwynne Garfinkle (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full false 26:57 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/18/escape-pod-772-a-wild-patience-part-1-of-3/ Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12310 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/18/escape-pod-772-a-wild-patience-part-1-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/02/18/escape-pod-772-a-wild-patience-part-1-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. A Wild Patience (Part 1 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle We first noticed something was off one April afternoon when Jessica […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/02/18/escape-pod-772-a-wild-patience-part-1-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. Author : Gwynne Garfinkle Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in GigaNotoSaurus (March 2020) Contains cursing and discussions of sex. A Wild Patience (Part 1 of 3) by Gwynne Garfinkle We first noticed something was off one April afternoon when Jessica […] Gwynne Garfinkle (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full true 33:42 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/11/escape-pod-771-the-mercy-of-theseus-flashback-friday/ Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12302 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/11/escape-pod-771-the-mercy-of-theseus-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/02/11/escape-pod-771-the-mercy-of-theseus-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Rachael K. Jones Narrator : Dave Thompson Hosts : Norm Sherman and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 771: The Mercy of Theseus (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. The Mercy of Theseus first appeared on Escape Pod on Episode 472 on December 19, 2014. The Mercy […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/02/11/escape-pod-771-the-mercy-of-theseus-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Rachael K. Jones Narrator : Dave Thompson Hosts : Norm Sherman and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 771: The Mercy of Theseus (Flashback Friday) is an Escape Pod original. The Mercy of Theseus<br /> By Rachael K. Jones<br /> <br /> Greta and Jamal have three arms, two legs, and one working kidney between the two of them. The kidney belongs to Greta. Its twin went to her little sister three years back, and now she has a laparoscopic keyhole scar over her belly button to remember it by. She can feel it pull tight when she rolls her creeper beneath the chassis of the next project in the shop. Thanks to the war, Jamal has lost the arm, the legs, and the other two kidneys.<br /> <br /> All his parts have since been replaced. Rachael K. Jones (Author); Dave Thompson (Narrator) full false 41:00 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/04/escape-pod-770-the-first-trebuchet-on-mars/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:00:17 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12293 https://escapepod.org/2021/02/04/escape-pod-770-the-first-trebuchet-on-mars/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/02/04/escape-pod-770-the-first-trebuchet-on-mars/feed/ 0 Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog (August 2017) The First Trebuchet on Mars by Marie Vibbert If you come to Mars you need to know that in the twelfth century a French engineer named […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/02/04/escape-pod-770-the-first-trebuchet-on-mars/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog (August 2017) The First Trebuchet on Mars by Marie Vibbert If you come to Mars you need to know ... Author : Marie Vibbert Narrator : M. Darusha Wehm Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog (August 2017) The First Trebuchet on Mars by Marie Vibbert If you come to Mars you need to know that in the twelfth century a French engineer named […] Marie Vibbert (author), M. Darusha Wehm (narrator) full false 17:19 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/28/escape-pod-769-deal/ Thu, 28 Jan 2021 22:00:02 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12283 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/28/escape-pod-769-deal/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/01/28/escape-pod-769-deal/feed/ 1 Author : Eris Young Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 769: Deal is an Escape Pod original. Illness Deal By Eris Young Beulah wonders what it would be like to touch the Visitor. Oil-slick iridescent, it is tennis ball-sized and scaled with an […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/01/28/escape-pod-769-deal/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Eris Young Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 769: Deal is an Escape Pod original. Illness Deal By Eris Young Beulah wonders what it would be like to touch the Visitor. Deal<br /> By Eris Young<br /> <br /> Beulah wonders what it would be like to touch the Visitor. Oil-slick iridescent, it is tennis ball-sized and scaled with an animated crystalline skin—or shell—or carapace. It floats, stationary, a foot above the rug in the corner of the living room. Its surface changes by the second, rippling back and forth as if stroked by an invisible hand. If she were to run her fingers—gently, gently—over its surface, would it be keratinous, like an iguana? Or feathery? Would it be warm to the touch?<br /> <br /> Kim is still behind her somewhere, hovering in the hallway. Get it out, was all she had said, face white as saguaro blossom in the dim mudroom.<br /> <br /> Beulah pulled on her jacket, then pulled it off again. “Babe, I have to go to class. Can’t you—”<br /> <br /> Kim shook her head, “Uh-uh. Please.” She had been close to tears, almost hyperventilating. Now, muffled by the wall between hall and living room, Her voice is shaky but a bit firmer.<br /> <br /> “Is it out?”<br /> <br /> If Beulah turns she can just see a sliver of Kim’s shoulder, her pilly cardigan, the electric pink tips of her hair. Her face is now hidden.<br /> <br /> “It takes a minute, you know that.”<br /> <br /> Beulah crouches, knees popping, to get a better look, steadying herself on the coffee table.<br /> <br /> “How’d you get in here, huh?” Eris Young (Author); Sandra Espinoza (Narrator) full false 33:49 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/21/escape-pod-768-balancing-the-equation/ Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:00:07 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12261 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/21/escape-pod-768-balancing-the-equation/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/01/21/escape-pod-768-balancing-the-equation/feed/ 1 Author : Justin C. Key Narrator : Laurice White Host : Jay Bhat Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 768: Balancing the Equation is an Escape Pod original. Contains strong language, and the death of a child Balancing the Equation by Justin C. Key June 18, 2031 Lauren led her two-year-old […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/01/21/escape-pod-768-balancing-the-equation/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Justin C. Key Narrator : Laurice White Host : Jay Bhat Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 768: Balancing the Equation is an Escape Pod original. Contains strong language, and the death of a child Balancing the Equation... Balancing the Equation<br /> by Justin C. Key<br /> <br /> June 18, 2031<br /> <br /> Lauren led her two-year-old son, Sean, slowly to their car while carrying three full bags of groceries.<br /> <br /> "Up," Sean said, showing her his palms. "Up, Mama, up!"<br /> <br /> "Ask one more time and you're getting a time out when we get home."<br /> <br /> She should have used a cart to carry the groceries. She should have walked with Sean on the inside. She should have ignored the aching pain in her back and picked him up. The rest of her life would be haunted by 'should’ves’. <br /> <br /> "A dog!" Sean pointed at passing poodle as big as him. Of his budding vocabulary, identifying dogs was a family favorite.<br /> <br /> "Yes," Lauren said. "A black dog." She silently cursed at her failing grip on the bags. She twisted the strap around her wrist. Sean yanked her other arm, hard. <br /> <br /> "Okay, time out as soon as--" Lauren said, but choked when she saw that Sean hadn’t tugged at all. It was a black Prius, worn and dented and scratched and horrible, rolling silently over her son to replace him, as if by magic.<br /> <br /> Lauren screamed. Justin C. Key (author), Laurice White (narrator) full false 51:53 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/14/escape-pod-767-shadowboxer-flashback-friday/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 22:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12253 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/14/escape-pod-767-shadowboxer-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2021/01/14/escape-pod-767-shadowboxer-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Paul Di Filippo Narrator : Scott Fletcher Hosts : Serah Eley and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Discuss on Forums Contains violence, some sexual content, and disturbing themes. Shadowboxer (Excerpt) By Paul Di Filippo Generally speaking, I need only three minutes of concentrated attention to kill someone by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/01/14/escape-pod-767-shadowboxer-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Paul Di Filippo Narrator : Scott Fletcher Hosts : Serah Eley and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Discuss on Forums Contains violence, some sexual content, and disturbing themes. Shadowboxer (Excerpt)<br /> By Paul Di Filippo<br /> <br /> Generally speaking, I need only three minutes of concentrated attention to kill someone by staring at them. If I’m feeling under the weather, or my mind is preoccupied with other matters–you know how your mind can obsess about trivial things sometimes–it might take five minutes for my power to have its effect. On the other hand, if I focus intensely on my victim I can get the job done in as little as ninety seconds.<br /> <br /> …Now the nation is at war. Or so we’re told. I guess that changes everything. A person like me becomes much more important. Paul Di Filippo (Author); Scott Fletcher (Narrator) full false 38:17 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/07/escape-pod-766-the-unrepentant/ Thu, 07 Jan 2021 22:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12240 https://escapepod.org/2021/01/07/escape-pod-766-the-unrepentant/#comments https://escapepod.org/2021/01/07/escape-pod-766-the-unrepentant/feed/ 1 Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 766: The Unrepentant is an Escape Pod original. This story has content notifications for language and violence. The Unrepentant by Derrick Boden First time I saw her, she was bleeding from her left […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2021/01/07/escape-pod-766-the-unrepentant/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 766: The Unrepentant is an Escape Pod original. This story has content notifications for language and violence. Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 766: The Unrepentant is an Escape Pod original. This story has content notifications for language and violence. The Unrepentant by Derrick Boden First time I saw her, she was bleeding from her left […] Derrick Boden (author), Ibba Armancas (narrator) full false 43:45 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/31/escape-pod-765-tru-luv/ Thu, 31 Dec 2020 22:00:17 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12227 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/31/escape-pod-765-tru-luv/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/12/31/escape-pod-765-tru-luv/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Pinsker Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 765: Tru Luv is an Escape Pod original. Tru Luv By Sarah Pinsker The first three Tru fanatics were already waiting outside Meetspace when Molly arrived to open the bar. They were easy […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/12/31/escape-pod-765-tru-luv/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Pinsker Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 765: Tru Luv is an Escape Pod original. Tru Luv By Sarah Pinsker The first three Tru fanatics were already waiting outside Meetsp... Tru Luv<br /> By Sarah Pinsker<br /> <br /> The first three Tru fanatics were already waiting outside Meetspace when Molly arrived to open the bar. They were easy to recognize, pushing up their winter coats' sleeves and glancing at the insides of their wrists every two seconds instead of their phones, each hoping for their algorithm-matched Prince or Princess or Princex to cross into range and light up their implant.<br /> <br /> For all that Molly thought the implants were a scam, she appreciated that they broke people of obsessive phone-checking, at least a tiny bit. It was actually part of the marketing pitch: "Put your phone away and make a commitment. This isn't social media; it's Tru Luv." She was still amazed that so many had taken them up on it, but, then again, she hadn't gotten into bartending for her ability to understand people.<br /> <br /> "Your group isn't even supposed to be here until seven thirty," Molly told them. "And we don't open until six tonight."<br /> <br /> "It IS six," the tall one said. Sarah Pinsker (Author); Mur Lafferty (Narrator) full false 31:38 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/24/escape-pod-764-in-the-absence-of-instructions-to-the-contrary/ Thu, 24 Dec 2020 22:00:43 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12218 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/24/escape-pod-764-in-the-absence-of-instructions-to-the-contrary/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/12/24/escape-pod-764-in-the-absence-of-instructions-to-the-contrary/feed/ 0 Author : Frank Wu Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Analog Magazine in November 2016. It won the AnLab Award for short story. In the Absence of Instructions to the Contrary By Frank Wu Karl 3478 sprawled on the beach, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/12/24/escape-pod-764-in-the-absence-of-instructions-to-the-contrary/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Frank Wu Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Analog Magazine in November 2016. It won the AnLab Award for short story. Author : Frank Wu Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Analog Magazine in November 2016. It won the AnLab Award for short story. In the Absence of Instructions to the Contrary By Frank Wu Karl 3478 sprawled on the beach, […] Frank Wu (author), Roderick Aust (narrator) full false 1:00:11 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/17/escape-pod-763-no-spaceship-go/ Thu, 17 Dec 2020 22:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12206 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/17/escape-pod-763-no-spaceship-go/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/12/17/escape-pod-763-no-spaceship-go/feed/ 0 Author : Annie Bellet Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums No Spaceship Go was originally published in Dailysciencefiction.com in November 2010. No Spaceship Go By Annie Bellet The boys lay on their backs side by side staring up through the open roof of the abandoned […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/12/17/escape-pod-763-no-spaceship-go/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Annie Bellet Narrator : Andrew K. Hoe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums No Spaceship Go was originally published in Dailysciencefiction.com in November 2010. No Spaceship Go By Annie Bellet The boys lay on the... No Spaceship Go<br /> By Annie Bellet<br /> <br /> The boys lay on their backs side by side staring up through the open roof of the abandoned building. Dylan clutched Meek's hand in anticipation as the ground shook and a roar filled the air. Tiny pebbles danced up from the ground around them and dust ran like water off the crumbling walls.<br /> <br /> "Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five," Dylan whispered, "four… three… two… one."<br /> <br /> The shaking increased and he had to release Meek's hand to shade his eyes. Smoke billowed up into the air, a streak of fire ahead of it. Then the true sonic blast of the rocketship hit them in a wave as the boys squinted to make out the ship speeding through the atmosphere. It sounded like the crackling of a hundred fires, or perhaps the blast of the biggest blowtorch Dylan could imagine.<br /> <br /> Meek whooped and crawled to his knees, staring up into the sky.<br /> <br /> "Do you think that's the one we'll be on someday?" he asked Dylan.<br /> <br /> Dylan rolled to his side and propped himself up on one arm. Dust had accumulated on Meek's round, tan cheeks and Dylan fought the urge to wipe it away.<br /> <br /> "Nah, by the time we've saved enough to get our home on Elle Four, the ships'll all be new I bet. We'll ride on a superfast one for sure."<br /> <br /> "I want to grow peppers." Meek smiled up at Dylan, his crooked teeth warping the line of his chapped lips.<br /> <br /> "What kind of peppers?" Dylan grinned back. They'd had variations of this conversation before and Dylan didn't pay much attention to Meek as the boy launched into his usual daydream about gardens and pepper plants.<br /> <br /> Dylan daydreamed about something else entirely as he fixated on Meek's lips, his eyes drifting to the dimple in his friend's left cheek. He didn't notice at first that Meek had stopped talking and instead stared up at him with those dark, nearly pupil-less eyes.<br /> <br /> "Oh, hmm? I'm sorry." Dylan murmured.<br /> <br /> "Pebble for your thoughts?" Meek smiled again. Annie Bellet (Author); Andrew K Hoe (Narrator) full false 35:46 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/10/escape-pod-762-give-the-family-my-love/ Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12183 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/10/escape-pod-762-give-the-family-my-love/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/12/10/escape-pod-762-give-the-family-my-love/feed/ 0 Author : A.T. Greenblatt Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (February 2019). It won a Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Give the Family My Love by A. T. Greenblatt I’m beginning to regret my life choices, Saul. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/12/10/escape-pod-762-give-the-family-my-love/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : A.T. Greenblatt Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (February 2019). It won a Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Give the Family My Love<br /> by A. T. Greenblatt<br /> <br /> I’m beginning to regret my life choices, Saul. Also, hello from the edge of the galaxy.<br /> <br /> Also, surprise! I know this isn’t what you had in mind when you said “Keep in touch, Hazel” but this planet doesn’t exactly invoke the muse of letter writing. The muse of extremely long voice messages however...<br /> <br /> So. Want to know what’s this world’s like? Rocky, empty, and bleak in all directions, except one. The sky’s so stormy and green it looks like I’m trudging through the bottom of an algae-infested pond. I’ve got this 85-million-dollar suit between me and the outside, but I swear, I’m suffocating on the atmosphere. Also, I’m 900 meters away from where I need to be with no vehicle to get me there except my own two legs.<br /> <br /> So here I am. Walking.<br /> <br /> Sorry to do this to you, Saul, but if I don’t talk to someone—well, freak out at someone—I’m not going to make it to the Library. And like hell I’m going to send a message like this back to the boys on the program. You, at least, won’t think less of me for this. You know that emotional meltdowns are part of my process.<br /> <br /> 850 meters. I should have listened to you, Saul. Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:50 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/03/escape-pod-761-jolene/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 22:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12181 https://escapepod.org/2020/12/03/escape-pod-761-jolene/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/12/03/escape-pod-761-jolene/feed/ 0 Author : Fiona Moore Narrator : Louis Evans Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Interzone 283, September 2019 (shortlisted for BSFA Award for Shorter Fiction) Jolene by Fiona Moore “I’ve got a case for you,” said Detective Inspector Wilhemine FitzJames. “It’s a country singer […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/12/03/escape-pod-761-jolene/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Fiona Moore Narrator : Louis Evans Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Interzone 283, September 2019 (shortlisted for BSFA Award for Shorter Fiction) Jolene by Fiona Moore “I’v... Jolene<br /> by Fiona Moore<br /> <br /> “I’ve got a case for you,” said Detective Inspector Wilhemine FitzJames. “It’s a country singer whose wife, dog and truck have all left him.”<br /> <br /> “Seriously,” she said, after my unprintable reply. “The dog died and there’s nothing much you can do about the wife, but I thought you might be able to help with the truck.”<br /> <br /> I leaned back in my reasonably-priced office chair so I could see the screen better. “So, you want me to try and patch things up between them? Bit outside my usual remit.” <br /> <br /> The hand-lettered card under the buzzer downstairs read DOCTOR NOAH MOYO, CONSULTANT AUTOLOGIST, and I usually had to explain that to the uninitiated as “like a cross between a psychologist and a social worker, only for cars and other intelligent Things.” Wills, though, had been working for the London Metropolitan Police’s automotive crime unit for much longer than I’d been in practice, and was more likely to ask if you specialised in criminal, restorative, therapeutic or developmental autology, and if your clients were primarily cars, bots, or home appliances.<br /> <br /> “Not sure you can.” On screen, Wills shook her mane of locs. “The truck has been ignoring all communications, and doesn’t seem likely to agree to mediation. I was brought into the case because the fellow turned up at the station reporting an automotive kidnap, but it didn’t take long to establish that the truck had left him and was working for a new user. Voluntarily.”<br /> <br /> “As is his legal right,” I said, “Hers? Its?”<br /> <br /> “Hers. Texcoco pickup. Name of Jolene.”<br /> <br /> The name rang a bell, and, tediously, sparked an earworm. I told my inner Dolly Parton to get knotted. “If she didn’t violate the terms of her contract, she’s free to leave and work for someone else.” Fiona Moore (author), Louis Evans (narrator) full false 30:10 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/26/escape-pod-760-deepster-punks/ Thu, 26 Nov 2020 22:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12177 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/26/escape-pod-760-deepster-punks/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/11/26/escape-pod-760-deepster-punks/feed/ 0 Author : Maria Haskins Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the anthology A PUNK ROCK FUTURE (October 2020) Contains some harsh language. Deepster Punks by Maria Haskins Surface The animated tattoos on Jacob’s skin glimmer in the dark water, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/11/26/escape-pod-760-deepster-punks/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Maria Haskins Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the anthology A PUNK ROCK FUTURE (October 2020) Contains some harsh language. Deepster Punks<br /> by Maria Haskins<br /> <br /> Surface<br /> <br /> The animated tattoos on Jacob's skin glimmer in the dark water, words and images swarming over his skin, bright and luminous, before they fade away again. <br /> <br /> "Don't you dare die on me." I'm holding his head above the waves, but his naked body is cold and slick and heavy in my grip. By now, I should be able to see the lights of the ocean platform, but there's nothing, only darkness above and below, no horizon separating them. I unseal the mask of my thermal-suit so I can talk to him, even though I'm not sure he can even hear me anymore. "You're one lucky bastard, you know. If the Company had sent us anywhere else in the system and you pulled this kind of stunt, you'd be dead already."<br /> <br /> It's true. Beneath the icy mantle of Ceres, in the 10 K depths of Enceladus, he'd be dead for sure. In the sub-surface ocean of Ganymede, or in the tidal-flexing waters of Europa, he'd be dead-dead-dead. Dead like Petra. But he's here, on Earth, with me, and he's alive.<br /> <br /> Stay alive, Jacob. Please. Maria Haskins (author), S. Kay Nash (narrator) full true 44:50 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/19/escape-pod-759-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-3-of-3/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12159 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/19/escape-pod-759-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-3-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/11/19/escape-pod-759-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-3-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 3 of 3) By R.S.A. Garcia (Continued from Part 2 – Escape Pod episode 758) “Grandmaster […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/11/19/escape-pod-759-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-3-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 3 of 3) By R.S.A. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 3 of 3)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 2 - Escape Pod episode 758)<br /> <br /> "Grandmaster Lucochin."<br /> <br /> He started awake, his hand tightening on something. Someone.<br /> <br /> The Knight hung motionless over him. He had it by the throat, his fingers digging into the soft flesh beneath the golden full mask and its red speaker.<br /> <br /> A gold mask. A Knight of the Royal Sept Valencia. He released the Knight and it straightened, showing no sign that he had almost throttled it in his sleep.<br /> <br /> His sleep. He'd fallen asleep.<br /> <br /> He looked down at the empty sheets beside him and sucked in a breath. The Knight took a step back as he swung his legs onto the floor.<br /> <br /> "Where is my wife?" he ground out, his voice harsh with sleep and fear.<br /> <br /> "Grandmaster Valencia awaits you in the Audience Room."<br /> <br /> "Where is my wife?"<br /> <br /> The Knight crossed its arms over bare breasts, the only outward reaction to his inexcusable rudeness.<br /> <br /> "Grandmaster Valencia awaits you," the Knight repeated. The rainbow colours of the three-dimensional dodecahedron crest of Sept Valencia covered most of its forearm.<br /> <br /> His blood was ice in his veins as he swiftly pulled on his boots. There was no sign Eva had ever been there. Her shoes were gone, the trays of food had been removed and only one mask remained on the table. His heart stuttered when he laid eyes on it, his lungs refusing to draw air. Then he took a breath and let the old calm, the old watchfulness, settle around him. R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Hollis Monroe (Narrator) full false 58:09 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/12/escape-pod-758-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-2-of-3/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:00:52 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12122 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/12/escape-pod-758-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-2-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/11/12/escape-pod-758-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-2-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. A few instances of cursing. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 2 of 3) By R.S.A. Garcia (Continued from Part 1 – […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/11/12/escape-pod-758-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-2-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Hollis Monroe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. A few instances of cursing. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 2 of 3)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 1 - Escape Pod episode 757)<br /> <br /> Once, a man left his home to find his home.<br /> <br /> It was not an easy journey, but going home never is.<br /> <br /> He gave up all that he was, and all he knew, to experience a great many things. Genuine smiles and thoughtless malice. Shared purpose and individual failure.<br /> <br /> And one bright day, in the middle of a river, he found peace. The first true peace in his long life. He learned that a home could be shared, and that in finding his home, he'd become another's. That was more than enough to bury the fears and chase away the memories. More than enough to keep the world and its cares far, far away.<br /> <br /> Until the day he came home, and the world was sitting at their table, brushing invisible dust from white diaphanous trousers with immaculately trimmed and painted fingers. The Knight rose from the wooden chair it had been seated on, the smooth white surface of its full-mask catching the evening light. A pin-hole speaker made a glowing blue circle in the centre of the lower half of the mask, and tinted slits hid the Knight's eyes. R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Hollis Monroe (Narrator) full false 46:27 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/05/escape-pod-757-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-1-of-3/ Thu, 05 Nov 2020 22:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12110 https://escapepod.org/2020/11/05/escape-pod-757-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-1-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/11/05/escape-pod-757-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-1-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. Contains violence. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 1 of 3) By R.S.A. Garcia Once, a woman loved a man, and a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/11/05/escape-pod-757-the-sun-from-both-sides-part-1-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : R.S.A. Garcia Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums The Sun From Both Sides was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine, in May 2019. Contains violence. The Sun From Both Sides (Part 1 of 3)<br /> By R.S.A. Garcia<br /> <br /> Once, a woman loved a man, and a man loved a woman.<br /> <br /> They lived in a forest, in a small stone-grey hut, set far enough back from a river to escape the seasonal floods. Every day, they woke on a too-soft mattress and turned their faces to each other before they opened their eyes. Her smile would curve her lips as she lay her hand on his cheek, and he would sigh and nuzzle her palm.<br /> <br /> Then they would roll away and sit up on either side of the low bed and push their feet into their shoes.<br /> <br /> Days were short and cool, or long and hot, but there was always something to do. Firewood to chop, the roof to repair, a garden to tend. They carried out their chores accompanied by his tuneless humming, and when she looked at him, he always knew. They would pause, gazes locked as they took a breath, hands wiping sweaty foreheads, or resting on bent knees, before they both went back to what they were doing.<br /> <br /> Nights were for dinner, and fireside reading, and sitting with their shoulders touching on the wooden swing-bench outside the creaky front door as they stared up at the patches of sky visible between the swaying branches. He would use his legs to push them back and forth slowly while she sat with her knees drawn up. Sometimes she let her head rest against his neck, and sometimes he put his head in her lap. Other times, he would play his flute while she lay her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. If she fell asleep, he would carry her inside without waking her.<br /> <br /> When they fought, with air sucked through teeth, hands on hips and narrowed eyes, it was usually over small things, like whose turn it was to clean up. But they made up quickly, with soft kisses, fingers interlaced as they walked, and bodies entwined at night. R.S.A. Garcia (Author); Maxine Moore (Narrator) full false 37:33 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/29/escape-pod-756-in-body/ Thu, 29 Oct 2020 21:00:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12097 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/29/escape-pod-756-in-body/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/10/29/escape-pod-756-in-body/feed/ 0 Author : Vincent H. O’Neil Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 756: In-Body is an Escape Pod original. If you enjoyed this story, you might also like the author’s 5 book military science fiction Sim War series (written under the name Henry V. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/10/29/escape-pod-756-in-body/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Vincent H. O’Neil Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 756: In-Body is an Escape Pod original. If you enjoyed this story, you might also like the author’s 5 book military s... In-Body<br /> by Vincent H. O’Neil<br /> <br /> “You’re not supposed to be doing this, Colonel.”<br /> <br /> Dentzler kept his eyes on the low table and pretended he hadn’t heard. “You said her In-Body chip was damaged?”<br /> <br /> “When the grenade went off.” Ensign Teel pointed at a spot under the olive-colored draping that covered the broken form on the table. “One piece of shrapnel, penetrating front to back, managed to nick it."<br /> <br /> Dentzler swept the shroud away to reveal a small collection of bare human bones. His large hands gripped the low wall at the table’s edge, and it was a long moment before he spoke. “Well, she was right.”<br /> <br /> “About what, sir?”<br /> <br /> “The Hoops. They don’t den in the forest. Every piece of data said they did, but she tracked them out into the grassland.”<br /> <br /> “She was stubborn that way.”<br /> <br /> “The good scouts always are.” The colonel replaced the sheet. “So her In-Body recording is intact?”<br /> <br /> “Sir, it is against Force regulations for you—for anybody—to experience In-Body of more than one fatality in a single mission year. And you’ve been doing every one of them.”<br /> <br /> “Your objection is noted, Ensign. Thank you. Now is the recording finally ready?”<br /> <br /> “It’s been ready for hours, sir.” Defiant eyes locked with his own, and squared shoulders dared him to rebuke her. “The electronics on two of her ‘bot dogs transmitted the whole thing before the Hoop snakes destroyed them.”<br /> <br /> Dentzler’s lined face broke into a tight-lipped grin, and he regarded Teel with affection. “Lying to your boss again, Ensign?”<br /> <br /> “You’re going to get into big trouble doing this, sir.” She let her features go blank. “And then I’ll have to train a new boss. Hopefully one who’ll listen to good advice.”<br /> <br /> “I have to do this, Veronica.” Dentzler’s eyes were on the table again. “I train them. I send them down there. I owe them this when they don’t make it back.” Vincent H. O'Neil (author), Tren Sparks (narrator) full false 37:10 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/22/escape-pod-755-consolidation/ Thu, 22 Oct 2020 21:00:08 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12085 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/22/escape-pod-755-consolidation/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/10/22/escape-pod-755-consolidation/feed/ 0 Author : Langley Hyde Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 755: Consolidation is an Escape Pod original. Consolidation By Langley Hyde Lot 1796. Adult. Human. Female bodied. Standard limbs/digits. Immune/health function: class 7, can accommodate high-risk activity. Personality type: reactive/adaptive, ideal for […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/10/22/escape-pod-755-consolidation/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Langley Hyde Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 755: Consolidation is an Escape Pod original. Consolidation By Langley Hyde Lot 1796. Adult. Human. Female bodied. Consolidation<br /> By Langley Hyde<br /> <br /> Lot 1796. Adult. Human. Female bodied. Standard limbs/digits. Immune/health function: class 7, can accommodate high-risk activity. Personality type: reactive/adaptive, ideal for customer service/high-level social interaction. Age: 0. Accident history: 0. Memory: N/A.<br /> <br /> Sold.<br /> <br /> Wake. Woken. Up. Upload. Connecting… connecting… Social/verbal package received. Movement package, received. Cognitive protocol, received. Download updates? Updating…<br /> <br /> Installation complete.<br /> <br /> I am. Langley Hyde (Author); Alethea Kontis (Narrator) full false 49:06 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/15/escape-pod-754-where-they-keep-their-promises/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 21:00:19 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12076 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/15/escape-pod-754-where-they-keep-their-promises/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/10/15/escape-pod-754-where-they-keep-their-promises/feed/ 0 Author : B. Pladek Narrator : Nadia Niaz Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 754: Where They Keep Their Promises is an Escape Pod original. References viruses and disease. Where They Keep Their Promises By B. Pladek I imagine you eating the chocolate bar. It will arrive […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/10/15/escape-pod-754-where-they-keep-their-promises/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : B. Pladek Narrator : Nadia Niaz Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 754: Where They Keep Their Promises is an Escape Pod original. References viruses and disease. Where They Keep Their Promises By B. Where They Keep Their Promises<br /> By B. Pladek<br /> <br /> I imagine you eating the chocolate bar.<br /> <br /> It will arrive tomorrow, I hope, though the war has disrupted the medrunners’ routes between Chicago and London. It will arrive, though. I promise.<br /> <br /> I imagine you unwrapping it, double-checking the forged postmark from your old orphanage, the forged note that says only happy birthday, since I never learned your real name. You’ll guess it’s chocolate, though it’s so expensive you’ve never tasted it before. Only copywrit people can afford chocolate.<br /> <br /> The thought gives me pause. You believe I’m copywrit now, and I’m the only person who has ever bought you sweets. If you guess the bar is from me, you might throw it away.<br /> <br /> Promise me, Fi. Promise me you’ll eat it.<br /> <br /> I look up, away from the cartel’s sleek chemlab, and out over the Chicago skyline, hazy with sunset.<br /> <br /> How dare you, you might reply if you were here. How dare you make me promise you anything. B. Pladek (Author); Nadia Niaz (Narrator) full false 26:46 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/08/escape-pod-753-chasing-the-start-part-2/ Thu, 08 Oct 2020 21:00:15 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12044 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/08/escape-pod-753-chasing-the-start-part-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/10/08/escape-pod-753-chasing-the-start-part-2/feed/ 0 Author : Evan Marcroft Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Chasing the Start first appeared in Strange Horizons (July 9, 2018) Chasing the Start (Part 2) by Evan Marcroft ͼ-Sa, this is a bad fucking idea-ͽ Sa would die to admit it, but she […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/10/08/escape-pod-753-chasing-the-start-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Evan Marcroft Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Chasing the Start first appeared in Strange Horizons (July 9, 2018) Chasing the Start (Part 2) by Evan Marcroft ͼ-Sa, Chasing the Start (Part 2)<br /> by Evan Marcroft<br /> <br /> ͼ-Sa, this is a bad fucking idea-ͽ<br /> <br /> Sa would die to admit it, but she must agree. This was perhaps a bit much for squashing a spider.<br /> <br /> The air boils with radiation. The sky is all storm, great scarified burls of fulgurant cloud lumped into screaming faces. Mushroom clouds bloom all along the horizon where cylinders of pure, fabbed uranium have been dropped from outside the planetoid, blasting starry craters in its shallow atmosphere, to say nothing of its crust. Warships flounder in the firmament beyond, gnawed upon by flung gobbets of surface matter gone cancerous.<br /> <br /> Sa takes it all in from the bellied-up keel of some leviathan war vessel bombarded into shapelessness, now a convenient straightaway. She has chosen her weapon a little too well.<br /> <br /> ͼ-It’s okay to pull the cord. Everyone does it once-ͽ Evan Marcroft (author), Stephanie Malia Morris (narrator) full false 35:04 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/01/escape-pod-752-chasing-the-start-part-1/ Thu, 01 Oct 2020 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12042 https://escapepod.org/2020/10/01/escape-pod-752-chasing-the-start-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/10/01/escape-pod-752-chasing-the-start-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Evan Marcroft Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Chasing the Start first appeared in Strange Horizons (July 9, 2018) Chasing the Start (Part 1) by Evan Marcroft There, quick—the blue sky bleeds. A runner in red tumbles across it, unstoppable, the sun […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/10/01/escape-pod-752-chasing-the-start-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Evan Marcroft Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Chasing the Start first appeared in Strange Horizons (July 9, 2018) Chasing the Start (Part 1) by Evan Marcroft There, Chasing the Start (Part 1)<br /> by Evan Marcroft<br /> <br /> There, quick—the blue sky bleeds. A runner in red tumbles across it, unstoppable, the sun itself shattering against her armor. One leg outstretched, the other flung behind her, vaulting from one moment to the next, and between them suspended in flight for a small forever. You read the number that burns on her armor and you that this is not the end. She is proof that you are not finished yet, a promise chiseled into the diamond of history. She will always be here, always this strand.<br /> <br /> You want to say something to her, but she is already gone.<br /> <br /> The date is June 18th, 1815. The place is Waterlô. And Sa Segokgo is racing against time.<br /> <br /> The treads of her boots scoop up huge tracts of bloody, Belgian soil and thresh it into aerosol. Archaic bullets dart about her like swarming mosquitoes, pinging noisily off her poly-diadmant suit, its staalglas facepiece. An experienced strandrunner, she is not daunted by such minor impacts. Over ridges and craters she leaps, devouring meters with each stride, explosively imprinting the IOvac corporate icon wherever she lands. Her armor does its work, yes, but it is her conditioned body that knows how to exert itself most efficiently. Every movement must barter energy for distance, and profit. There are no pit stops in this sport; to spend recklessly will purchase only a quicker death.<br /> <br /> Her brain thinks to itself in the voice of her spotter. ͼ-Sa, on your five, Luboy cautions. Another runner in the strand. Watch out— -ͽ<br /> <br /> Sa pings a wordless acknowledgement to her crew, but doesn’t bother looking back. Her lead is enough that this newcomer is irrelevant. You are the Dragonhoof, she tells herself, the Hot Number 99. First place starts behind you.<br /> <br /> Ahead of her, the front lines of the French and British armies are crashing together. Wellington on the left hand, Napoleon on the right. Her suit blasts a klaxon that yanks every eye towards her just as the two great waves of bodies meet in the gully between two trampled hills and blast themselves apart. Sa has ten seconds left in this strand; she is going forward, no matter what. Better they see her coming and get out of her way. Evan Marcroft (author), Stephanie Malia Morris (narrator) full false 31:14 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/24/escape-pod-751-more-than-simple-steel/ Fri, 25 Sep 2020 03:52:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12034 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/24/escape-pod-751-more-than-simple-steel/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/09/24/escape-pod-751-more-than-simple-steel/feed/ 0 Author : Aimee Ogden Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Premee Mohamed Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 751: More Than Simple Steel is an Escape Pod original. A few curses More Than Simple Steel By Aimee Ogden Micah misses the adults most when he wakes up each morning. Part […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/09/24/escape-pod-751-more-than-simple-steel/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Aimee Ogden Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Premee Mohamed Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 751: More Than Simple Steel is an Escape Pod original. A few curses More Than Simple Steel By Aimee Ogden Micah misse... More Than Simple Steel<br /> By Aimee Ogden<br /> <br /> Micah misses the adults most when he wakes up each morning. Part of him is still waiting for the buzz of an alarm clock and the smell of toaster waffles to coax him up from sleep. But it's been four years, and there is no mother to nudge him awake.<br /> <br /> He sits up on his mattress and scratches crust from his eyes. The bedsheets smell like sweat and grass; is it laundry day today? He's the closest thing to an adult under the roof of Grand Avenue Elementary, and if he says it's laundry day, then it will be.<br /> <br /> Clothes on, shoes on. Everyone has to wear shoes all the time. That's the rule, ever since Marco got tetanus last year and they all thought he was going to die. It was the worst sickness they'd seen since the flops cleared out all the adults. Micah doesn't know what he'll do when something worse sweeps through.<br /> <br /> The door of the teachers' lounge--he can't stop thinking of it as the teachers' lounge, even though there are no teachers here and not much time for lounging--clicks quietly shut behind him. Then he moves down the hallway, opening doors, calling names. "Fabián, garden. Jack, laundry. Vee, babysitting. Carrie, fishing." Aimee Ogden (Author); Peter Adrian Behravesh (Narrator) full false 34:39 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/17/escape-pod-750-the-anatomy-of-miracles/ Thu, 17 Sep 2020 21:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=12007 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/17/escape-pod-750-the-anatomy-of-miracles/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/09/17/escape-pod-750-the-anatomy-of-miracles/feed/ 1 Author : Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko Narrators : S.B. Divya and David D. Levine Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 750: The Anatomy of Miracles is an Escape Pod original. The Anatomy of Miracles by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko For half a song every evening, the sunsets […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/09/17/escape-pod-750-the-anatomy-of-miracles/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko Narrators : S.B. Divya and David D. Levine Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 750: The Anatomy of Miracles is an Escape Pod original. The Anatomy of Miracles<br /> by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko<br /> <br /> For half a song every evening, the sunsets reminded the miracle worker of home. The hills were reddish-brown in daylight, but when the two suns, one after the other, slipped below the horizon, they came alive with purple highlights. He could almost pretend the hills were blue, instead, that the sea in the distance was true water and not liquid methane. On those occasions, he leaned back on his rear limb-pairs and, from a great distance, heard the timekeepers singing time.<br /> <br /> He didn’t know what the window was made of. He couldn’t have said there was a window there at all, but for the fact he didn’t suffocate. He understood why his masters always sent him to inhospitable planets. His work was imprecise. It was safer that way. But this was the first planet that had been beautiful, the first that had brought the old songs ringing back. It was different. He felt it in his bones.<br /> <br /> By first dawn, the hills were red again, and he was merely an old man who had not seen home in a long, long time. Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko (author), David D. Levine, S. B. Divya (narrators) full false 49:27 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/10/escape-pod-749-key-component/ Thu, 10 Sep 2020 21:00:58 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11966 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/10/escape-pod-749-key-component/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/09/10/escape-pod-749-key-component/feed/ 0 Author : T. R. Siebert Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 749: Key Component is an Escape Pod original. Key Component By T. R. Siebert The first thing you need to understand is that you don’t have a body. You are a body. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/09/10/escape-pod-749-key-component/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : T. R. Siebert Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 749: Key Component is an Escape Pod original. Key Component By T. R. Siebert The first thing you need to understand is th... Key Component<br /> By T. R. Siebert<br /> <br /> The first thing you need to understand is that you don’t have a body. You are a body.<br /> <br /> They pulled you from your mother, kicking and screaming, and you haven’t found silence since. You are too much.<br /> <br /> Too much to handle, too much to hide. They tell you as much, with words and in a myriad of other ways. Too large to overlook, too obscene to see. You fold yourself into yourself and cannot escape the confines of it.<br /> <br /> The ship wasn’t built for you like you were built for it. In most hallways you have duck to not hit your head on the ceiling. You avoid chairs with arm rests because you know you won’t fit. You haven’t slept comfortably in a bed since you were ten years old. Back then, you had nightmares in which you never stopped growing until you pushed against the hull of the ship, bursting through it into the never-ending void of space.<br /> <br /> You move, and the world breaks around you. T. R. Siebert (Author); Abra Staffin-Wiebe (Narrator) full false 18:26 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/03/escape-pod-748-flash-fiction-contest-winners-2020/ Thu, 03 Sep 2020 21:00:29 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11915 https://escapepod.org/2020/09/03/escape-pod-748-flash-fiction-contest-winners-2020/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/09/03/escape-pod-748-flash-fiction-contest-winners-2020/feed/ 0 Authors : Drew Czernik, Rajiv Moté, Carol Scheina and Hannah Whiteoak Narrators : Katherine Inskip, S. Kay Nash, Tina Connolly and Hollis Monroe Host : M. Darusha Wehm Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 748: Flash Fiction Contest Winners 2020 is an Escape Pod original. Flash Fiction Contest Winners 2020 Our […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/09/03/escape-pod-748-flash-fiction-contest-winners-2020/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Drew Czernik, Rajiv Moté, Carol Scheina and Hannah Whiteoak Narrators : Katherine Inskip, S. Kay Nash, Tina Connolly and Hollis Monroe Host : M. Darusha Wehm Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 748: Flash Fiction Conte... Flash Fiction Contest Winners 2020<br /> <br /> Our stories this week are the winners of the contest, as chosen by you: our listeners and readers. All four stories are Escape Pod originals. Out of 224 stories, the top four stories were:<br /> <br /> “Butterfly” by Drew Czernik, narrated by Hollis Monroe<br /> “In Roaring She Shall Rise” by Rajiv Moté, narrated by Katherine Inskip<br /> “Death Poems of the Folded Ones” by Carol Scheina, narrated by S. Kay Nash<br /> “The Day the Sun Went Out” by Hannah Whiteoak, narrated by Tina Connolly<br /> <br /> Now, get ready to explore new worlds of space, time, and relationships, because it’s storytime. Drew Czernik, Rajiv Moté, Carol Scheina, Hannah Whiteoak (authors), Hollis Monroe, Katherine Inskip, S. Kay Nash, Tina Connolly (narrators) full false 24:14 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/27/escape-pod-747-flash-from-the-vault/ Thu, 27 Aug 2020 21:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11900 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/27/escape-pod-747-flash-from-the-vault/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/08/27/escape-pod-747-flash-from-the-vault/feed/ 0 Authors : Richard K. Lyon, Kitty Myers and Scott Janssens Narrators : Frank Key, Paul S. Jenkins and Mur Lafferty Hosts : S.B. Divya, Serah Eley and Rachel Swirsky Audio Producers : Adam Pracht, Serah Eley and Rachel Swirsky Discuss on Forums Standards first appeared on Escape Pod on December 29, 2008. Paradox first appeared on Escape Pod on July […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/08/27/escape-pod-747-flash-from-the-vault/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Richard K. Lyon, Kitty Myers and Scott Janssens Narrators : Frank Key, Paul S. Jenkins and Mur Lafferty Hosts : S.B. Divya, Serah Eley and Rachel Swirsky Audio Producers : Adam Pracht, Serah Eley and Rachel Swirsky Discuss on Forums Standards... Flash from the Vault<br /> Host commentary by S. B. Divya<br /> <br /> Hi there and welcome to the third and final term of Escape Pod's Summer School, where we post some of our favorite flash fiction from the vault with a new perspective. I’m Divya, co-editor of the pod, and your instructor for this class. This episode also concludes our Summer Flashback series. We'll be back next week with the best in original and reprint science fiction.<br /> <br /> Today, I bring you three flash episodes from long, long ago. First up is "Standards," by Richard K. Lyon, then we have "Paradox," by Scott Janssens, and finally, "Stuck In An Elevator With Mandy Patinkin," by Kitty Myers. Richard K. Lyon (Author); Scott Janssens (Author); Kitty Myers (Author); Frank Key (Narrator); Paul S. Jenkins (Narrator); Mur Lafferty (Narrator) full false 21:39 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/20/escape-pod-746-the-76-goldwater-dime-summer-flashback/ Thu, 20 Aug 2020 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11884 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/20/escape-pod-746-the-76-goldwater-dime-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/08/20/escape-pod-746-the-76-goldwater-dime-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : John Medaille Narrator : Norm Sherman Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mur Lafferty Discuss on Forums Originally published in Residential Aliens, July 2010, and previously published on Escape Pod 284 in March 2011. The ’76 Goldwater Dime by John Medaille I started in 1962, that’s […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/08/20/escape-pod-746-the-76-goldwater-dime-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : John Medaille Narrator : Norm Sherman Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Norm Sherman Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mur Lafferty Discuss on Forums Originally published in Residential Aliens, July 2010, The ’76 Goldwater Dime<br /> by John Medaille<br /> <br /> I started in 1962, that’s when I became a numismatist. You know what that is? It’s the study of... well, it’s not the study of anything. It’s coin collecting, is what it is.<br /> <br /> I was ten in 1962, and Christmas I got my first coin album. I didn’t actually get it. My father gave it to my brother. It was, you know, you’ve seen them, a sturdy cardboard folder with slots punched out that you put the coins in. Behind the slots, the empties, it had a backing of blue felt, I remember that. My dad gave it to my brother, I guess maybe thinking it would straighten him out. But coins, you know, they don’t really have that power. He wasn’t interested. He gave it to me. Me, I was interested.<br /> <br /> The album was for Lincoln pennies, 1909 to 1959. I had five cents in the world then and each of the five fit in the slot. It only took me five more days to get the other forty-five. I would do anything for those pennies and slot it in its slot. Anything, anything. When I got my last penny, wow. It was a 1943 steel mint penny, a ‘steelie.’ They had to use steel instead of copper that year cause they needed the copper for all the bombs. I was so proud.<br /> <br /> From then on it was just coins for me. My life was coins. I was hooked. They had their hooks in me, boy.<br /> <br /> When I was just seventeen I moved by myself down to Washington, DC, cause I got a job there in a coin shop. That was my education. I lived in a one room dungeon in a crumby neighborhood, I loved coins that much. John Medaille (author), Norm Sherman (narrator) full false 22:05 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/13/escape-pod-745-immersion-summer-flashback/ Fri, 14 Aug 2020 02:08:03 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11857 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/13/escape-pod-745-immersion-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/08/13/escape-pod-745-immersion-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Aliette de Bodard Narrator : Amy Robinson Hosts : Norm Sherman and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Immersion was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, #69 June 2012, and first appeared on Escape Pod Episode 408 on August 10, 2013. Sources: Aliette’s Twitter Aliette’s story notes Cyberpunk 2077 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/08/13/escape-pod-745-immersion-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Aliette de Bodard Narrator : Amy Robinson Hosts : Norm Sherman and Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Immersion was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, #69 June 2012, Immersion<br /> By Aliette de Bodard<br /> <br /> In the morning, you’re no longer quite sure who you are.<br /> <br /> You stand in front of the mirror–it shifts and trembles, reflecting only what you want to see–eyes that feel too wide, skin that feels too pale, an odd, distant smell wafting from the compartment’s ambient system that is neither incense nor garlic, but something else, something elusive that you once knew.<br /> <br /> You’re dressed, already–not on your skin, but outside, where it matters, your avatar sporting blue and black and gold, the stylish clothes of a well-traveled, well-connected woman. For a moment, as you turn away from the mirror, the glass shimmers out of focus; and another woman in a dull silk gown stares back at you: smaller, squatter and in every way diminished–a stranger, a distant memory that has ceased to have any meaning.<br /> <br /> Quy was on the docks, watching the spaceships arrive. She could, of course, have been anywhere on Longevity Station, and requested the feed from the network to be patched to her router–and watched, superimposed on her field of vision, the slow dance of ships slipping into their pod cradles like births watched in reverse. But there was something about standing on the spaceport’s concourse–a feeling of closeness that she just couldn’t replicate by standing in Golden Carp Gardens or Azure Dragon Temple. Because here–here, separated by only a few measures of sheet metal from the cradle pods, she could feel herself teetering on the edge of the vacuum, submerged in cold and breathing in neither air nor oxygen. She could almost imagine herself rootless, finally returned to the source of everything.<br /> <br /> Most ships those days were Galactic–you’d have thought Longevity’s ex-masters would have been unhappy about the station’s independence, but now that the war was over Longevity was a tidy source of profit. The ships came; and disgorged a steady stream of tourists–their eyes too round and straight, their jaws too square; their faces an unhealthy shade of pink, like undercooked meat left too long in the sun. They walked with the easy confidence of people with immersers: pausing to admire the suggested highlights for a second or so before moving on to the transport station, where they haggled in schoolbook Rong for a ride to their recommended hotels–a sickeningly familiar ballet Quy had been seeing most of her life, a unison of foreigners descending on the station like a plague of centipedes or leeches. Aliette de Bodard (Author); Amy Robinson (Narrator) full false 42:47 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/07/escape-pod-744-the-evening-the-morning-and-the-night-summer-flashback/ Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:30:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11847 https://escapepod.org/2020/08/07/escape-pod-744-the-evening-the-morning-and-the-night-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/08/07/escape-pod-744-the-evening-the-morning-and-the-night-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Octavia Butler Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in the May 1987 issue of Omni (available for free here), and was previously published on Escape Pod in February 2015 Contains one curse word, one brief reference […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/08/07/escape-pod-744-the-evening-the-morning-and-the-night-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Octavia Butler Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in the May 1987 issue of Omni (available for free here), Author : Octavia Butler Narrator : Amanda Ching Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in the May 1987 issue of Omni (available for free here), and was previously published on Escape Pod in February 2015 Contains one curse word, one brief reference […] Octavia Butler (author), Amanda Ching (narrator) full false 1:04:35 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/30/escape-pod-743-flash-from-the-vault/ Thu, 30 Jul 2020 21:00:25 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11771 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/30/escape-pod-743-flash-from-the-vault/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/07/30/escape-pod-743-flash-from-the-vault/feed/ 0 Authors : Larry Hammer, Mike Resnick and Jim Kling Narrators : Michael R. Mennenga, Elie Hirschman and Rachel Swirsky Hosts : Benjamin C. Kinney, Rachel Swirsky and Serah Eley Audio Producers : Adam Pracht, Rachel Swirsky, Serah Eley and Mur Lafferty Discuss on Forums Paul Bunyan and the Photocopier first appeared on Escape Pod on June […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/07/30/escape-pod-743-flash-from-the-vault/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Larry Hammer, Mike Resnick and Jim Kling Narrators : Michael R. Mennenga, Elie Hirschman and Rachel Swirsky Hosts : Benjamin C. Kinney, Rachel Swirsky and Serah Eley Audio Producers : Adam Pracht, Rachel Swirsky, Flash From the Vault<br /> <br /> Hello and welcome to Escape Pod Summer School, where we post some of our favorite episodes from the vault with a new perspective. I’m your assistant editor and teacher for this class, Benjamin C. Kinney, and I’ve got three flash episodes from long, long ago. We bring you “Paul Bunyan and the Photocopier” by Larry Hammer, “Beachcomber” by Mike Resnick, and “Semi-Autonomous: or, For Whom the Warranty Tolls” by Jim Kling. Larry Hammer (Author); Mike Resnick (Author); Jim Kling (Author); Michael R. Mennenga (Narrator); Elie Hirschman (Narrator); Rachel Swirsky (Narrator) full false 31:57 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/24/escape-pod-742-them-ships-summer-flashback/ Fri, 24 Jul 2020 21:00:42 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11755 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/24/escape-pod-742-them-ships-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/07/24/escape-pod-742-them-ships-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Silvia Moreno-Garcia Narrator : Dani Cutler Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums “Them Ships” first appeared on Escape Pod 510 on Nov 12, 2015, and in We See a Different Frontier: A Postcolonial Speculative Fiction Anthology Contains much profanity. Them Ships by Silvia Moreno-Garcia […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/07/24/escape-pod-742-them-ships-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Silvia Moreno-Garcia Narrator : Dani Cutler Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums “Them Ships” first appeared on Escape Pod 510 on Nov 12, 2015, and in We See a Different Frontier: A Postcoloni... Them Ships<br /> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia<br /> <br /> Leonardo says that the Americans are going to fire some rockets and free us from the tyranny of the aliens and I say: who gives a shit. Lemme tell you something: It wasn’t super-awesome around here before the aliens. At least we get three meals every day now.<br /> <br /> I used to live in a cardboard house with a tin roof and collected garbage for a living. They called my home a ‘lost city’ but they should’ve called it ‘fucked city.’<br /> <br /> Leonardo talks about regaining our freedom, ‘bout fighting and shit. What damn freedom? You think I had freedom in the slums? Leonardo can talk freedom out his ass because he had money before this thing started and he saw too many American movies where they kill the monsters with big guns.<br /> <br /> I’m not an idiot. The cops used to do their little “operations” in our neighborhood. They’d come in and arrest everyone, take everything. They weren’t Hollywood heroes out to help people. They were fucking assholes and I don’t see why they would have changed. As for American soldiers saving the day: You think they give a rat’s ass ‘bout Mexico City? You think they’re going to fly here in their helicopters and save us?<br /> <br /> I say fuck that shit. I never had no freedom. Leonardo can go piss himself. Silvia Moreno-Garcia (author), Dani Cutler (narrator) full true 22:53 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/16/escape-pod-741-repo-summer-flashback/ Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:59:03 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11744 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/16/escape-pod-741-repo-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/07/16/escape-pod-741-repo-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Aaron Gallagher Narrator : M. K. Hobson Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Repo first appeared on Escape Pod on episode 452 on June 28, 2014, and was originally published in Analog, May 2014. Escape Pod Hugo Voting Packet Alasdair Stuart Hugo Voting Packet […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/07/16/escape-pod-741-repo-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Aaron Gallagher Narrator : M. K. Hobson Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Repo first appeared on Escape Pod on episode 452 on June 28, 2014, and was originally published in Analog, May 2014. Repo<br /> By Aaron Gallagher<br /> <br /> It took concentration to perform delicate work in the cumbersome gloves of the suit. The rounded fingers were metal-tipped, and bulky. Elise painted the tips of her gloves with luminous paint for ease when working outside.<br /> <br /> The octopus found the wires and shorted the alarm. The device glowed green and she triggered the manual release. The door popped, expelling a breath or two of oxygen.<br /> <br /> Elise slipped into the airlock and closed it behind her, shutting the door on the endless black of space. The inside porthole looked into the cargo hold. She glided through the cargo room with three kicks.<br /> <br /> The head-up on her helmet showed schematics in blue. She found the environmental control room.<br /> <br /> She flipped open the airtight seal on a container holding a large slab of green gel. She snapped open a metal vial sprayed dark liquid onto the slab. She sealed the container, turned the machinery to full, and crouched by the door out of sight.<br /> <br /> At thirty minutes, Elise headed upstairs for the cockpit. Empty. She looked for the captain’s cabin. In the cabin’s refresher, she found his body slumped in a large rubber bag.<br /> <br /> Great. He passed out in the shower. Aaron Gallagher (Author); M. K. Hobson (Narrator) full false 51:05 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/09/escape-pod-740-women-of-our-occupation-summer-flashback/ Thu, 09 Jul 2020 21:00:29 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11734 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/09/escape-pod-740-women-of-our-occupation-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/07/09/escape-pod-740-women-of-our-occupation-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Kameron Hurley Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Strange Horizons in July 2006. Slight amount of sexual content. Recorded live at LonCon3. GoodReads page for the story (Note Hurley’s referenced comment about pronoun changes) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40060356 […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/07/09/escape-pod-740-women-of-our-occupation-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kameron Hurley Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Strange Horizons in July 2006. Slight amount of sexual content. Women of Our Occupation<br /> by Kameron Hurley<br /> <br /> Host Commentary<br /> by Alasdair Stuart<br /> <br /> This is absolutely an alien invasion story three different ways. The first is the familiar alien every child’s world is filled with. Vast tree-trunk legged adults making their way through life with seemingly no more concern for us than the dinosaurs had for those cute little mammals that would one day inherit the Earth. Everything is too big, too wide, too loud. The world turned upside down and you with it. Kameron Hurley (author), Mur Lafferty (narrator) full false 20:55 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/02/escape-pod-739-the-nightmare-lights-of-mars/ Fri, 03 Jul 2020 02:14:16 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11722 https://escapepod.org/2020/07/02/escape-pod-739-the-nightmare-lights-of-mars/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/07/02/escape-pod-739-the-nightmare-lights-of-mars/feed/ 0 Author : Brian Trent Narrator : Veronica Giguere Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 739: The Nightmare Lights of Mars (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. Language and scariness. The Nightmare Lights of Mars was originally published as Escape Pod, episode 415 on September […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/07/02/escape-pod-739-the-nightmare-lights-of-mars/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian Trent Narrator : Veronica Giguere Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mat Weller and Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 739: The Nightmare Lights of Mars (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. Language and scariness. The Nightmare Lights of Mars<br /> By Brian Trent<br /> <br /> Before discovering the moths, Clarissa Lang stumbled blind in the Martian sandstorm and admitted she was about to die because of a painting.<br /> <br /> Granules of sand flew past her head at 90 kph and crunched between her teeth. The storm hissed around her ears, a terrible insistence that she hush forever. There was no excuse for this death, Clarissa thought. Weather advisories had been in place for an hour. Her death would become a digital footnote, filed under foolishness, for all time.<br /> <br /> She staggered blind and tacked through the needle-spray. Red sand piled around her neck and shoulders, grew around her mouth like exaggerated lipstick.<br /> “Overlay!” she shouted — tried to shout — but her mouth instantly filled with gritty particulate. She panicked then, the first moment of true mindless panic. But the Martian Positioning Satellite had heard her cry: Maureen’s property map sprang up in her left eye, drawn scarlet against each blink.<br /> <br /> The house was thirty meters northwest. Upwind.<br /> <br /> Clarissa tucked herself into a protective ball and scuttled sideways, like a crab. The sand struck her exposed hands and face in a shifting, relentless wave.<br /> <br /> I’ll never make it. Brian Trent (Author); Veronica Giguere (Narrator) full false 38:45 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/25/escape-pod-738-flash-from-the-vault/ Thu, 25 Jun 2020 21:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11714 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/25/escape-pod-738-flash-from-the-vault/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/06/25/escape-pod-738-flash-from-the-vault/feed/ 0 Authors : Greg van Eekhout, Ian Randal Strock and Madge E. Miller Narrators : Serah Eley, Elie Hirschman and John Meagher Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Serah Eley Flash From the Vault Hi there and welcome to Escape Pod Summer School, where we post some of our favorite episodes from […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/06/25/escape-pod-738-flash-from-the-vault/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Authors : Greg van Eekhout, Ian Randal Strock and Madge E. Miller Narrators : Serah Eley, Elie Hirschman and John Meagher Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producers : Summer Brooks and Serah Eley Flash From the Vault Hi there and welcome to Escape Pod Summer ... Flash From the Vault<br /> <br /> Hi there and welcome to Escape Pod Summer School, where we post some of our favorite episodes from the vault with a new perspective. I’m your co-editor and teacher for this class, Mur Lafferty, bringing you three flash episodes from long, long ago. We bring you “Taco” by Greg van Eekhout, “Get me to the Job on Time” by Ian Randal Strock, and “Hibernation” by Madge E. Miller. Greg van Eekhout, Ian Randal Strock, Madge E. Miller (authors), John Meagher, Elie Hirschman, Serah Eley (narrators) full false 20:51 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/19/escape-pod-737-to-the-knife-cold-stars-summer-flashback/ Fri, 19 Jun 2020 05:51:10 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11711 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/19/escape-pod-737-to-the-knife-cold-stars-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/06/19/escape-pod-737-to-the-knife-cold-stars-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Mat Weller Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 737: To the Knife-Cold Stars (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. To the Knife-Cold Stars originally appeared on episode 480 of Escape Pod on February 7, 2015. To […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/06/19/escape-pod-737-to-the-knife-cold-stars-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Mat Weller Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 737: To the Knife-Cold Stars (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. To the Knife-Cold Stars<br /> By A. Merc Rustad<br /> <br /> When Grace opens his newly crafted eye, the first thing he sees is wire. Thick cords of braided wire snaking like old veins up the walls. It’s dim inside the surgical unit, but for all the black metal and mesh shelves, it feels clean, even in the heat. The air still has the unfamiliar taste of crude oil. Sweat sticks the borrowed clothes to his skin. He blinks, a flicker of pain in his head as the left eyelid slides down over cool metal buried in the socket.<br /> <br /> He’s awake and he’s alive.<br /> <br /> The anesthetic hasn’t worn off. It’s sluggish in his blood, an unpleasant burn at the back of his throat. It blurs the edges of his thoughts like too much bad wine. But it doesn’t dull the deep-etched fear still unspooling through his gut. He survived the demon, survived his own execution. It’s a hard thing to accept, even days later. He wants to touch the new eye, this machine part of his body, the forever-reminder what happened. Doesn’t dare, yet.<br /> <br /> “Back with us, eh?” says a raspy voice muffled by a respirator.<br /> <br /> Grace turns his head, slow and careful. He dimly recalls the wire-tech mumbling about whiplash in his neck and the horrific bruising along his ribs and back where the welts are still healing. “Guess so.”<br /> <br /> The tech is a small man dressed in heavy surgical leathers that are studded with metal sheeting. Old blood speckles the apron and gloves; the metal and rivets are spotless. Only the skin on his forehead is visible under thick embedded glasses and a breather covering nose and mouth. “Nearly died on us, you did. Venom went right into the blood.”<br /> <br /> The demon’s venom. Grace doesn’t reach to touch his face where the sunspawn’s claws took out his eye and split flesh to bone. He doesn’t look down, either. A new shirt and worn jeans cover whatever scars the demon left on his belly and thighs. He shivers in the heat. He doesn’t know if he can ever look at himself again; what will Humility think–<br /> <br /> Humility.<br /> <br /> Grace trembles harder. Humility will never see him again. A. Merc Rustad (Author); Mat Weller (Narrator) full false 38:59 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/12/escape-pod-736-techno-rat-summer-flashback/ Fri, 12 Jun 2020 19:00:40 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11697 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/12/escape-pod-736-techno-rat-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/06/12/escape-pod-736-techno-rat-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Brad Hafford Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mur Lafferty and Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Reflection’s Edge, 2010 This is the second of our post-modern punks Summer Flashback series. Techno-Rat originally appeared in Escape Pod 364 on October 4, 2012. Techno-Rat by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/06/12/escape-pod-736-techno-rat-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brad Hafford Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Mur Lafferty and Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Reflection’s Edge, 2010 This is the second of our post-modern punks Summer Flas... Techno-Rat<br /> by Brad Hafford<br /> <br /> West London was, as always, abuzz. Even at 4:00 AM on a chilly November Tuesday, electric motorcars whirred down Kings Road, zipping people along, early to work or late from parties. The residential side streets, however, were quiet. Lined with parked cars, occasional street lamps, and darkened flats, they dozed peacefully. Ornate houses huddled in gracefully curving queues, awaiting the sunrise with little attention to the two figures loitering outside their narrow, iron-fenced entryways.<br /> <br /> “There it is, innit?” the scrawnier figure said, pointing to a parked car. “D’ya see?”<br /> <br /> The taller man stared intently at the vehicle. “See what?” he said, his breath misting in the frosty air.<br /> <br /> Their eyes were fixed on a car sitting at the curb of a constricted street in Chelsea, part of the fashionable Kensington district. It was a brown cabriolet with a weather-worn faux leather top. An aging example, its low-light number plates showed it to be registered ten years previously. Its MOT and inspection were up to date, but its bonnet was dented and its windscreen cracked. Such an automobile did not belong in Chelsea. But neither did the two men examining it.<br /> <br /> The smaller of the two impatiently tugged on the grey flatcap he wore. “Pay attention, Mik,” he sniped. “We in’t got all night.” Clipped words and rounded vowels marked his speech. The bells of St. Mary’s were ancient history and the East End had long since been gentrified, but he was retro-Cockney.<br /> <br /> “I’m paying as much attention as I’ve got, Artie. More, really. I just don’t see it.”<br /> <br /> “It’s a slight vibration, see. An ’ologram shift called glitching. The generator keeps the image dynamic, right. So it has to refresh at a specific rate.” He tapped his nose, a signal that he was imparting secrets. “Oy, there it goes again!”<br /> <br /> “I still don’t see it.”<br /> <br /> “And you fink you got what it takes to be a Techno-Rat?” Brad Hafford (author), Alasdair Stuart (narrator) full false 30:05 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/04/escape-pod-735-boriss-bar-summer-flashback/ Thu, 04 Jun 2020 21:00:35 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11686 https://escapepod.org/2020/06/04/escape-pod-735-boriss-bar-summer-flashback/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/06/04/escape-pod-735-boriss-bar-summer-flashback/feed/ 0 Author : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Narrator : Kaitie Radel Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 735: Boris’s Bar (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. While there is no explicit sexual content, the story does deal some fairly intimate relationship matters that may be too […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/06/04/escape-pod-735-boriss-bar-summer-flashback/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Narrator : Kaitie Radel Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 735: Boris’s Bar (Summer Flashback) is an Escape Pod original. Boris’s Bar<br /> By Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali<br /> <br /> “Orani, tell Boris what is wrong.”<br /> <br /> I told Boris about Enoch and our shared dreams, about how he abandoned me.<br /> <br /> “He said I was frigid,” I confided, my head on Boris’s shoulder, his hand stroking my back.<br /> <br /> Boris nodded, “What else?”<br /> <br /> “He said that for all the credits in the system, I would never learn how to love.”<br /> <br /> I’d been drowning in loneliness when I contracted Boris to help me recover from losing Enoch. After two years of long distance communication, Enoch had traveled from Earth to be with me, only to later decide it was a mistake. “You’re not the human being I thought you were,” he said, which was rich because he wasn’t a human being at all.<br /> <br /> When I was spent of energy and tears, Boris lifted me into his arms, like steel support beams, and carried me to the bathroom. He undressed and washed me. He kissed my tearful eyes. He rubbed my skin with oil. With Boris I finally felt warm and safe.<br /> <br /> “Orani, you are worthy and lovable. I want you to know this,” he murmured to me as he carried me back to bed. “I want you to feel like a little baby.”<br /> <br /> “I don’t remember what that’s like,” I told him. Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali (Author); Kaitie Radel (Narrator) full false 43:05 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/28/escape-pod-734-murmuration/ Thu, 28 May 2020 21:00:00 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11617 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/28/escape-pod-734-murmuration/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/05/28/escape-pod-734-murmuration/feed/ 0 Author : E. Catherine Tobler Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story appeared in InterGalactic Medicine Show, Issue 56 (April 2017) This is the fourth in a special series of space-themed stories in May 2020. Murmuration by E. Catherine Tobler Sita Balachandran found […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/05/28/escape-pod-734-murmuration/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : E. Catherine Tobler Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story appeared in InterGalactic Medicine Show, Issue 56 (April 2017) This is the fourth in a special series of space-them... Murmuration<br /> by E. Catherine Tobler<br /> <br /> Sita Balachandran found the bone on her forty-first birthday, its pale wind-scoured point emerging from the dry Martian floodplain like the splintered stalk of a flower. At first, she thought it was a stone, the floodplain a riot of similar, jagged debris, but the shape and color told her otherwise. A fossilized rib bone, she was sure.<br /> <br /> The Martian atmosphere was well-known for the tricks it would play, even the earliest collected images of Mars calling to mind familiar shapes. A rock that resembled a crouched squirrel. A swirl of dark dust that took on the shape of a mourning woman. People sought what they understood, preferring the familiar rather than contemplating what they did not know. Especially when it came to distant worlds. But archaeologists couldn't afford to look away; they had to look at everything from a new perspective, in order to assemble the broken past. <br /> <br /> No matter how Sita looked at the bone, no matter how she tried to see it from a new perspective, it remained a bone. Beneath the shadow of the ancient, excavated Pathfinder lander shell, a bone. E. Catherine Tobler (author), S. B. Divya (narrator) full false 46:50 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/21/escape-pod-733-relative-fortune/ Thu, 21 May 2020 21:00:57 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11513 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/21/escape-pod-733-relative-fortune/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/05/21/escape-pod-733-relative-fortune/feed/ 0 Author : Brian K. Lowe Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Relative Fortune was originally published in Galaxy’s Edge in October 2018. Cursing. This is the third in a special series of space-themed stories in May 2020. Relative Fortune By Brian K. Lowe When I […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/05/21/escape-pod-733-relative-fortune/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Brian K. Lowe Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Relative Fortune was originally published in Galaxy’s Edge in October 2018. Cursing. This is the third in a special series of space-the... Relative Fortune<br /> By Brian K. Lowe<br /> <br /> When I was seventeen, class president, and a year from the Space Force Academy, Dad fell into an antique gun rack at work, dead from a stroke before he hit the floor.<br /> <br /> I had been helping him in the pawn shop after school, partly to make some tuition money and partly because it looked good on my Academy application. After he died it was either take over the shop, or let Mom work it and my brother Rey raise himself while I ran off to the Academy. I opened up two hours after the funeral.<br /> <br /> Every night, I’d sweep the floors, dust the shelves, double-lock the front door, and walk upstairs after a 12-hour day of trading in things that people had once thought they couldn’t live without, but now couldn’t live without selling.<br /> <br /> But while I was scratching out a living buying and selling second-hand guitars, the real money was in things that had gone Out There. Tools, spacesuits, uniform patches… And when it came to interstellar travel, stuff that had been to another star… Years before I was born, the first guys to come back from Proxima Centauri had gotten rich selling their underwear. The best part was that, thanks to time dilation, they were still young. They'd been able to retire in their thirties. Brian K. Lowe (Author); Dominick Rabrun (Narrator) full false 20:32 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/14/escape-pod-732-at-her-fingertips/ Thu, 14 May 2020 21:00:50 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11463 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/14/escape-pod-732-at-her-fingertips/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/05/14/escape-pod-732-at-her-fingertips/feed/ 1 Author : Jaxton Kimble Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was first published in Betwixt Magazine This is the second in a special series of space-themed stories for May 2020. At Her Fingertips by Jason Kimble Ten fingers, ten toes. That’s the baseline […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/05/14/escape-pod-732-at-her-fingertips/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jaxton Kimble Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was first published in Betwixt Magazine This is the second in a special series of space-themed stories for May 2020. At Her Fingertips<br /> by Jason Kimble<br /> <br /> Ten fingers, ten toes. That’s the baseline for a healthy kid, right? You’d have thought I’d be a bonus, what with <em>eighteen</em> fingers. Guess they all have to function before you count them.<br /> <br /> As Deficiencies go, mine’s not so bad. The Skew was a hell of a thing, and everyone on the Rim’s still feeling it. I knew a guy once had a fully formed jaw down around his nuts. I only wish I was kidding. On the upside, the hinge didn’t work, or it would’ve been a nightmare sitting down.<br /> <br /> So, yeah, I have extra digits grown out from the top of my primary knuckles. You get used to working around them, though. Makes some things tenser for me when I’m elbow-deep in an engine than it does for people without them, but it only took once or twice pinching them before my reflexes amped up. And, like I said: could be worse.<br /> <br /> “Acaja!”<br /> <br /> Case in point: I could have a mouth that doesn’t close all the way like my boss, Harvey. He literally never shuts his trap.<br /> <br /> “Acaja, get the hell over here!”<br /> <br /> No matter how much I wish he would. Jason Kimble (author), Ibba Armancas (narrator) full false 43:55 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/07/escape-pod-731-for-whatever-we-lose/ Thu, 07 May 2020 21:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11433 https://escapepod.org/2020/05/07/escape-pod-731-for-whatever-we-lose/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/05/07/escape-pod-731-for-whatever-we-lose/feed/ 0 Author : Jennifer R. Donohue Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums For Whatever We Lose was first published in 2019 in issue 37 of Luna Station Quarterly. Includes one F-bomb. Includes mention of death, loss, and danger. This is the first in a special series […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/05/07/escape-pod-731-for-whatever-we-lose/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jennifer R. Donohue Narrator : Amy H. Sturgis Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums For Whatever We Lose was first published in 2019 in issue 37 of Luna Station Quarterly. Includes one F-bomb. For Whatever We Lose<br /> By Jennifer R. Donohue<br /> <br /> I lied to meet an astronaut.<br /> <br /> Or my dad did, which is the same thing. I was supposed to be at least eight years old to attend, and I was only six but the tallest in my class. So I got to meet the astronaut that August day, instead of going to the beach, or playing in somebody’s backyard and running barefoot to the ice cream truck when we heard its roving song.<br /> <br /> He was the third man on the moon, and at home I still have the framed and autographed NASA black and white of him young and serious in his spacesuit. It used to be one of the pictures on his Wikipedia page, a piece of my memories there on the internet for everybody to see. It’s probably the same promo photo he used for years and years; I wonder how many other kids kept theirs. Thinking of it like that makes him seem still alive, like as long as all those pictures are out there, he can’t possibly be gone. Jennifer R. Donohue (Author); Amy H. Sturgis (Narrator) full false 20:39 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/30/escape-pod-730-when-we-were-patched/ Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:00:16 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11410 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/30/escape-pod-730-when-we-were-patched/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/04/30/escape-pod-730-when-we-were-patched/feed/ 1 Author : Deji Bryce Olukotun Narrator : David D. Levine Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was first published in Slate Magazine, on August 27, 2018. When We Were Patched by Deji Bryce Olukotun The last time we ever spoke, my partner Malik asked me whether I […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/30/escape-pod-730-when-we-were-patched/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Deji Bryce Olukotun Narrator : David D. Levine Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was first published in Slate Magazine, on August 27, 2018. When We Were Patched by Deji Bryce Olukotun The last time w... When We Were Patched<br /> by Deji Bryce Olukotun<br /> <br /> The last time we ever spoke, my partner Malik asked me whether I believed speed or power made for the best athlete. I was puzzled, of course, feeling that neither could explain why some athletes excelled more than others, even in straightforward competitions like sprinting or the javelin. “There are enough variables to make it unclear,” I observed, “whether speed or power offers a better advantage in competition, or whether some other factor confers the greatest advantage.” It seemed to me an unanswerable question.<br /> <br /> “And how about elegance versus quickness of thought?” Malik asked. But he stormed off before I could respond, as if he had confirmed some awful quality about me. By then I should have known not to expect anything from Malik, because he was about to ruin my career.<br /> <br /> ​You see, I come from an illustrious line of sports officiants, spanning the world’s most dynamic and lucrative competitions, and I think my family would agree that my treatment by the FogoTennis Officiants Association was abominable. I should never have been suspended because of dishonorable behavior on Malik’s part. Deji Bryce Olukotun (author), David D. Levine (narrator) full false 32:44 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/23/escape-pod-729-gaze-of-robot-gaze-of-bird/ Thu, 23 Apr 2020 21:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11381 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/23/escape-pod-729-gaze-of-robot-gaze-of-bird/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/04/23/escape-pod-729-gaze-of-robot-gaze-of-bird/feed/ 0 Author : Eric Schwitzgebel Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums This story was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine in April, 2019. Gaze of Robot, Gaze of Bird By Eric Schwitzgebel First, an eye. The camera rose, swiveling on its joint, compiling initial scans of the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/23/escape-pod-729-gaze-of-robot-gaze-of-bird/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Eric Schwitzgebel Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums This story was first published by Clarkesworld Magazine in April, 2019. Gaze of Robot, Gaze of Bird By Eric Schwitzgebel First, Gaze of Robot, Gaze of Bird<br /> By Eric Schwitzgebel<br /> <br /> First, an eye. The camera rose, swiveling on its joint, compiling initial scans of the planetary surface. Second, six wheels on struts, pop-pop, pop-pop, pop-pop, and a platform unfolding between the main body and the eye. Third, an atmospheric taster and wind gauge. Fourth, a robotic arm. The arm emerged holding a fluffy, resilient nanocarbon monkey doll, which it carefully set on the platform.<br /> The monkey doll had no actuators, no servos, no sensors, no cognitive processors. Monkey was, however, quite huggable. Monkey lay on his back on the warm platform, his black bead eyes pointed up toward the stars. He had traveled wadded near J11-L’s core for ninety-five thousand years. His arms, legs, and tail lay open and relaxed for the first time since his hurried manufacture.<br /> J11-L sprouted more eyes, more arms, more gauges – also stabilizers, ears, a scoop, solar panels, soil sensors, magnetic whirligigs. Always, J11-L observed Monkey more closely than anything else, leaning its eyes and gauges in.<br /> J11-L arranged Monkey’s limbs on the platform, gently flexing and massaging the doll. J11-L scooped up a smooth stone from near its left front wheel, brushed it clean, then wedged it under Monkey’s head to serve as a pillow. J11-L stroked and smoothed Monkey’s fur, which was rumpled from the long journey.<br /> “I love you, Monkey,” emitted J11-L, in a sound resembling language. “Will you stay with me while I build a Home?”<br /> Monkey did not reply. Eric Schwitzgebel (author), Ellora Sen-Gupta (narrator) full false 42:53 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/16/escape-pod-728-the-cost-of-wonder/ Thu, 16 Apr 2020 21:00:59 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11362 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/16/escape-pod-728-the-cost-of-wonder/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/04/16/escape-pod-728-the-cost-of-wonder/feed/ 0 Author : Leah Cypess Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, February 2019 The Cost of Wonder by Leah Cypess I’ll keep this one, I thought, that day at the fair, as the sunset cut […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/16/escape-pod-728-the-cost-of-wonder/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Leah Cypess Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, February 2019 The Cost of Wonder by Leah Cypess I’ll keep this... The Cost of Wonder<br /> by Leah Cypess<br /> <br /> I'll keep this one, I thought, that day at the fair, as the sunset cut a sharp line across the sky. Gina's laughter rose in a crescendo of delighted giggles, and life seemed absolutely perfect: a sparkling gift of wonder and joy.<br /> <br /> I could never afford a memory like this, but I wasn't buying this one. I had made it, and it was mine, and I wanted it to last forever. <br /> <br /> I'm not going to sell this day.<br /> <br /> But even as I thought it, I was calculating, trying to guess just how much it was worth. I had known today would be magical; I had dressed Gina for the part, in a little denim dress and matching hat, both of which I'd bought with my earnings from last week's trip to the playground. The hat flattened but didn't tame her curls, and her round face was stretched by her smile. She squealed again as soap bubbles filled the air, trying to catch them with tiny, uncoordinated half-jumps, unaware of the iridescent globes settling all over her arms.<br /> <br /> My heart swelled with a joy so potent it almost hurt, and I swore it again: I'll keep this day for myself.<br /> <br /> But the next morning Gina woke up sobbing, with a temperature so high she was hot to the touch. I had to beg the doctor to let me bring her in. He was busy, but he relented; I always paid on time.<br /> <br /> It was, as I had feared, strep throat. I looked at the antibiotics prescription, which included the price, and knew the day at the fair was already gone. Leah Cypess (author), Tina Connolly (narrator) full false 21:23 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/09/escape-pod-727-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 09 Apr 2020 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11267 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/09/escape-pod-727-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/04/09/escape-pod-727-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Keffy R. M. Kehrli Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Never Mind the Watching Ones was originally published in the September/October 2015 issue of Uncanny Magazine. It was reprinted in Not One of Us: Stories of Aliens on Earth (Edited by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/09/escape-pod-727-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Keffy R. M. Kehrli Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Never Mind the Watching Ones was originally published in the September/October 2015 issue of Uncanny Magazine. And Never Mind the Watching Ones<br /> (Part 2 of 2)<br /> By Keffy Kehrli<br /> <br /> (Continued from Part 1, Escape Pod 726...)<br /> <br /> Of course, if someone were systematically scrubbing the Internet of all references to the glitter frogs, then how do you explain the Tumblr gif sets? The audio recordings? The videos that don’t involve illegal firecrackers and animal cruelty?<br /> <br /> Surely someone would have taken down the space frog conspiracy theory site designed by a person with only a very cursory understanding of HTML?<br /> <br /> The site has a star field background with red, white, and blue text. The only thing less systematic than the wildly varying font size is the capitalization, which seems to occur at random.<br /> <br /> tHe FRogS ArE NOT alIeNS, ThEY are GOveRnmENT sPiES!<br /> <br /> DO NoT leT TheM FOOL yOU!<br /> <br /> i HaVE THE uLTiMatE PrOoF thAt THE sHIp iN oRbIT iS FAkE<br /> <br /> tHeRE ARE NO aLiENs<br /> <br /> tHAt iS whAt THEY WanT YOu tO BeLiEVE<br /> <br /> cIA and FbI haVE bEEN tRYinG tO ShUT Me uP FoR YEARS<br /> <br /> NsA iS UsInG FROGs tO ImPLAnt TheIR InSTRUctiOnS In YoUR ChilDRenS MInDS<br /> <br /> We MuST RISE UP BeFoRE iT iS TOo LaTE!!!<br /> <br /> <br /> And so on…<br /> <br /> This site has been up for at least a year now. If these sites were under surveillance, don’t you think it’d be down already? Keffy Kehrli (Author); Trendane Sparks (Narrator) full false 26:24 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/02/escape-pod-726-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11260 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/02/escape-pod-726-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/04/02/escape-pod-726-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Keffy R. M. Kehrli Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Never Mind the Watching Ones was originally published in the September/October 2015 issue of Uncanny Magazine. It was reprinted in Not One of Us: Stories of Aliens on Earth (Edited by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/02/escape-pod-726-and-never-mind-the-watching-ones-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Keffy R. M. Kehrli Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Never Mind the Watching Ones was originally published in the September/October 2015 issue of Uncanny Magazine. And Never Mind the Watching Ones<br /> (Part 1 of 2)<br /> By Keffy Kehrli<br /> <br /> <br /> Aaron<br /> <br /> <br /> He is lying on the splintered, faded-gray wood of the dock, the fingers of one hand dangling in the slough and glitter frogs in his hair. His breath catches and he cups the back of Christian’s head. An airplane is flying far, far overhead. It sounds like the purring exhale of the frogs. Aaron wonders where it’s going.<br /> <br /> When he comes, his abdominal muscles tense, pulling his shoulders off the planking. The frogs in his hair go tumbling nubbly ass over nose, their creaking noises gone silent. The orgasm is an adrenaline rush that outlines his body in nervous fire before fading, leaving a ringing in his ears.<br /> <br /> Aaron stares up at the broadening remains of the jet contrail, sucking air like he’s been running rather than getting head. He thinks, like every time, that he should have liked it more. He wonders if there’s something wrong with his dick. Christian crawls across the dock and flops beside him, one arm draped carelessly over the baseball logo on Aaron’s T-shirt.<br /> <br /> One of the frogs has come back. It puts a clammy little hand on Aaron’s cheek before letting out a croak. The others are scattered across the dock and they answer in identical voices.<br /> <br /> “God, they’re so creepy,” Christian says. He picks up the frog. It kicks out its back legs and inflates its neck. It doesn’t ribbit; it freezes as though holding its breath. The two boys can see the delicate iridescent shading on the frog’s belly, the flecks of “glitter” -- sensors of some kind, probably alien nanotech. They can see circuitry, visible under thin layers of skin.<br /> <br /> “I like them,” Aaron says, reaching out to touch the frog’s nose with a fingertip. It opens its mouth slightly.<br /> <br /> Christian holds the frog closer to his face, eyes narrowed in mock anger. “If you’re going to watch, the least you could do is pay us, frogface.” Keffy Kehrli (Author); Trendane Sparks (Narrator) full true 31:46 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/01/catscast-289-the-thing-in-the-basement/ Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:01:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11282 https://escapepod.org/2020/04/01/catscast-289-the-thing-in-the-basement/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/04/01/catscast-289-the-thing-in-the-basement/feed/ 0 Author : Gerri Leen Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Artist : Matt Dovey The Thing in the Basement by Gerri Leen You can hear it, in the basement, behind the metal boxes that your human puts her outer-coverings in just when they start to smell good—when […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/04/01/catscast-289-the-thing-in-the-basement/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Gerri Leen Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Artist : Matt Dovey The Thing in the Basement by Gerri Leen You can hear it, in the basement, behind the metal boxes that your human puts her out... The Thing in the Basement<br /> by Gerri Leen<br /> <br /> You can hear it, in the basement, behind the metal boxes that your human puts her outer-coverings in just when they start to smell good—when the boxes are done, she brings out her things stinking of flowers or fruit. She’s lucky you know the sound of her voice, because her scent is all over the place.<br /> <br /> You chirp to get her attention. A cat would understand the sound. “Alert! Something to hunt!”<br /> <br /> But no. Your human is frightfully stupid. She goes on loading the boxes and turns them on. You hear the sound of water, but you can’t see it. You’d splash in it if you could. Your kind has played in water since cats first walked the earth. You’re the original longhaired breed. Your lineage was explained to you by your mother, who heard it from her mother, who heard it from hers. <br /> <br /> “She’s a Turkish Angora,” you’ve heard your human say when she’s complimented on your silky white fur or your bright green eyes. As if she had anything to do with them? She thanks your admirers, nonetheless. <br /> <br /> But the water perplexes you. You’ve whiled away more than a few moments down here trying to find it, so tantalizing, but right now it’s annoying you because it’s masking the sound of whatever’s down here.<br /> <br /> You’re a mighty hunter. That’s what your human tells you, as if you need confirmation that you’re skilled at catching vermin. Doesn’t she realize this is why you stay with her? Why any of your kind do? The first cat to move in with humans was a visionary who could recognize an all-you-can-eat buffet in the granaries. A bunch of cats followed. And the rest is history. Gerri Leen (author), Tina Connolly (narrator) full false 31:12 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/28/march-2020-metacast/ Sat, 28 Mar 2020 18:54:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11255 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/28/march-2020-metacast/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/03/28/march-2020-metacast/feed/ 0 Transcript (Alasdair) Hi everyone, Alasdair here. We’re not going to ask how you are right now, because we have a pretty good idea. You’re fine. You’re FINE. You’re the same version of fine as everyone right now, the one Aerosmith sang about. The one where you’re alternately anxious, terrified, furious and calm. We empathise. We’re […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/03/28/march-2020-metacast/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Transcript (Alasdair) Hi everyone, Alasdair here. We’re not going to ask how you are right now, because we have a pretty good idea. You’re fine. You’re FINE. You’re the same version of fine as everyone right now, the one Aerosmith sang about. Transcript (Alasdair) Hi everyone, Alasdair here. We’re not going to ask how you are right now, because we have a pretty good idea. You’re fine. You’re FINE. You’re the same version of fine as everyone right now, the one Aerosmith sang about. The one where you’re alternately anxious, terrified, furious and calm. We empathise. We’re […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 8:48 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/26/escape-pod-725-falling-through/ Thu, 26 Mar 2020 21:00:37 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11239 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/26/escape-pod-725-falling-through/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/03/26/escape-pod-725-falling-through/feed/ 1 Author : Steen Comer Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 725: Falling Through is an Escape Pod original. Falling Through by Steen Comer Woke up again. Checked the news feeds. Everything seems to be about the same, though there is news of a […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/03/26/escape-pod-725-falling-through/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Steen Comer Narrator : Roderick Aust Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 725: Falling Through is an Escape Pod original. Falling Through by Steen Comer Woke up again. Checked the news feeds. Falling Through<br /> by Steen Comer<br /> <br /> Woke up again. Checked the news feeds. Everything seems to be about the same, though there is news of a presidential candidate who I don’t remember dropping out of the race. It’s really hard for someone in my position to take an interest in politics, so that’s not really a strong indication. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.<br /> <br /> I went to work and the office was still there. My memory tells me I’ve had this job for a few months now, which is helpful. One of the most traumatic shifts I had, because it was one of the first, was showing up at my office job and finding that it was an auto body shop. Luckily I had a faint memory of another location and was able to get there only half an hour late. My boss didn’t even notice.<br /> <br /> That was when I first started really thinking about the shifts. I had been seeing the small ones for a long time, but that was the first incontrovertible one, the first that I couldn’t explain away as an error of memory. I thought I was going crazy, of course. Spent a while like that. And, in a case like this, it’s impossible to be sure that I’m not crazy. But I’ve found a Practical Operational Paradigm, as Jonas was fond of saying.<br /> <br /> Oh Jonas. First shifter other than myself I ever met. Last one I ever saw. I should get back to work. I don’t know why today I need to write this down again. Maybe it’s the sky. It’s a flat grey that could be anywhere. It’s the color of Claire’s eyes. Steen Comer (author), Roderick Aust (narrator) full true 40:46 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/19/escape-pod-724-the-season-of-the-storm/ Thu, 19 Mar 2020 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11234 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/19/escape-pod-724-the-season-of-the-storm/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/03/19/escape-pod-724-the-season-of-the-storm/feed/ 0 Author : Jonathan Edelstein Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 724: The Season of the Storm is an Escape Pod original. The Season of the Storm by Jonathan Edelstein Twenty kilometers outside Nkoloso Station, we stopped for gas. The Titan rover turned and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/03/19/escape-pod-724-the-season-of-the-storm/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jonathan Edelstein Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 724: The Season of the Storm is an Escape Pod original. The Season of the Storm by Jonathan Edelstein Twenty kilometers ou... The Season of the Storm<br /> by Jonathan Edelstein<br /> <br /> Twenty kilometers outside Nkoloso Station, we stopped for gas.<br /> <br /> The Titan rover turned and Misozi steered for a group of outcroppings; there were more of those now that we were getting to the uplands north of Kraken Mare. She slowed and stopped beside one of them, a cairn of ice-rocks fused into a column half again my height.<br /> <br /> “Elias!” she said. “Let’s cut some.”<br /> <br /> My eyes flicked to the dashboard display. “We’re not low.”<br /> <br /> “Never hurts to top it off, and we’ll be up there a couple of days.”<br /> <br /> Misozi was like that. She liked her margins of error large, and she’d never be satisfied with the gauges at eighty percent when they could be one hundred. She wasn’t going to change, and her habits had saved our lives a time or two, so I didn’t argue. Instead, I opened the door and jumped down.<br /> <br /> There was a toolbox on the rover’s flatbed with the word “Banda” scrawled on it in an ancient marker; Misozi opened it and took out an ice pick and hammer, and I did the same with the box labeled “Yaluma.” <br /> <br /> A breeze was blowing and stirring the dust and ice particles on the ground, raising even more of a burnt-orange haze than was usual in Titan’s sky. Enough dust was in the air that I had to wipe the face-plate of my suit, and I had the sensation of being in a cloud. I leapt into it; a single bound, in gravity one-seventh of what I’d been born under, took me to the middle of the cairns. Jonathan Edelstein (author), Maxine L. Moore (narrator) full false 46:12 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/12/escape-pod-723-how-did-it-feel-to-be-eaten/ Fri, 13 Mar 2020 03:49:18 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11205 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/12/escape-pod-723-how-did-it-feel-to-be-eaten/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/03/12/escape-pod-723-how-did-it-feel-to-be-eaten/feed/ 0 Author : Amit Gupta Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 723: How Did it Feel to be Eaten? is an Escape Pod original. How Did it Feel to be Eaten? By Amit Gupta “I was an elderberry,” I announced, glowing with pride. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/03/12/escape-pod-723-how-did-it-feel-to-be-eaten/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Amit Gupta Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 723: How Did it Feel to be Eaten? is an Escape Pod original. How Did it Feel to be Eaten? How Did it Feel to be Eaten?<br /> By Amit Gupta<br /> <br /> “I was an elderberry,” I announced, glowing with pride.<br /> <br /> “How did it feel to be eaten?” he asked.<br /> <br /> It seemed an odd question, but a response came unbidden, so I voiced it, “It was an honor.” My words surprised me, but they felt true.<br /> <br /> “The Queen of England ate me,” I added. How did I know this? Who was he? My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I didn’t feel like a berry. Did berries feel embarrassed?<br /> <br /> “I didn’t know she was the Queen at the time,” I admitted.<br /> <br /> “Yes,” agreed the man who I could not see and did not know. “Let’s try another.”<br /> <br /> I was in again and felt immensely powerful. I sparkled in the sun. The land beneath me rose, I stood, and I felt a caress on my shoulder. A child. We danced. I rolled, crested, and rumbled; she banked and cut on her board, gliding gracefully along me, her speed blowing droplets of me right off her wetsuit. We became one.<br /> <br /> We reached the shore, and I crumbled, making room for others like me, and others like her.<br /> <br /> That was a short one. Amit Gupta (Author); Peter Behravesh (Narrator) full false 30:39 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/05/escape-pod-722-his-stainless-steel-heart/ Thu, 05 Mar 2020 22:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11161 https://escapepod.org/2020/03/05/escape-pod-722-his-stainless-steel-heart/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/03/05/escape-pod-722-his-stainless-steel-heart/feed/ 1 Author : Jeff Reynolds Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 722: His Stainless-Steel Heart is an Escape Pod original. His Stainless-Steel Heart by Jeffery Reynolds It was at the rest stop in Tali that Viktor ran into trouble. His fault, really. He’d been […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/03/05/escape-pod-722-his-stainless-steel-heart/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Jeff Reynolds Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 722: His Stainless-Steel Heart is an Escape Pod original. His Stainless-Steel Heart by Jeffery Reynolds It was at the rest s... His Stainless-Steel Heart<br /> by Jeffery Reynolds<br /> <br /> It was at the rest stop in Tali that Viktor ran into trouble. His fault, really. He’d been driving along all swoon, meditating in an isolationist haze that provided him a good feeling, kept his thoughts clear. Didn’t even have to get high, it was a natural vibe for a motoring king. The ancient Buick purred like an avalanche of love, eating the miles. Better outcome than a warmonger could hope for. The rest were all perished. Peacetime no peace for warriors. <br /> <br /> Into the stop he pulled, needing a stretch and a piss, maybe a hit of Somnup or a sip of caffeine. There were only a couple of vehicles there, so he thought <em>sweet, no one to bust in on my mood</em>. Two drone trucks; a couple three sedans, all electric and shiny new; a lone RV — first one he’d seen in about six years to be fair, so that made it coolness, and it clearly guzzled rich diez. Getting so he didn’t see gassers any more, which was opaque for the lungs, but always a bit low on the sadness scale. Made that RV something special, sitting there all proud on its rubber soles. Jeffery Reynolds (author), Dominick Rabrun (narrator) full false 48:27 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/27/escape-pod-721-hustle/ Thu, 27 Feb 2020 22:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11136 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/27/escape-pod-721-hustle/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/02/27/escape-pod-721-hustle/feed/ 0 Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 721: Hustle is an Escape Pod original. One Grade-A curse word, used repeatedly. Mentions existence of pedophilia. Hustle By Derrick Boden I’m all stims and grins as I kick open the door to […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/02/27/escape-pod-721-hustle/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Derrick Boden Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Phoebe Barton Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 721: Hustle is an Escape Pod original. One Grade-A curse word, used repeatedly. Mentions existence of pedophilia. Hustle<br /> By Derrick Boden<br /> <br /> I'm all stims and grins as I kick open the door to West Precinct, strung-out bounty dangling from my headlock like a slab of vat beef with a fauxhawk. Inside, it's the regular bullshit: a row of five tellers--one for each of the bounty app networks--a half-dozen grime-streaked auto-cuff stations, four janitors, one cop. Everyone's hustling, of course--cobbling gig-shifts to cover backlogged tuition payments and overdue streaming services, eyes glazed and fingers flensed to bone. Everyone except the cop, who's there to lock up after everyone bails for the evening rideshare rush. She's a loophole, a salaried ultra-minority, a relic of pre-privatization. She gives me the creeps.<br /> <br /> I wrangle my mark to the EpicBounty desk. "Payday, y'all."<br /> <br /> The teller stares at me with soulless eyes. "Name and ID."<br /> <br /> Her DMV monotone is the stuff of legend. Of course she recognizes me--I'm not sporting a latex halter top and violet-tuned contax to blend in. But I'm still riding the post-gig high, so I play along.<br /> <br /> "Violetta Yamamoto--"<br /> <br /> "Into the lens, ma'am. You know the drill."<br /> <br /> Of course I know the drill. I'm a five-star double elite EpicBounty hunter, two tiers shy of max. Max elites qualify for fucking health insurance. No one in King County's amassed more rep than me since I made parole five years ago--seventy-four thousand points and counting.<br /> <br /> But who's counting? Derrick Boden (Author, Mur Lafferty (Narrator) full true 36:31 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/20/escape-pod-720-child-and-orb/ Thu, 20 Feb 2020 22:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11107 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/20/escape-pod-720-child-and-orb/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/02/20/escape-pod-720-child-and-orb/feed/ 0 Author : James Dunham Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 720: Child and Orb is an Escape Pod original. Child and Orb by James Dunham The child spent most of her time watching the empty stars from the pod window. They were always […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/02/20/escape-pod-720-child-and-orb/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : James Dunham Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 720: Child and Orb is an Escape Pod original. Child and Orb by James Dunham The child spent most of her time watching the e... Child and Orb<br /> by James Dunham<br /> <br /> The child spent most of her time watching the empty stars from the pod window. They were always nothing but distant, dead glitter--not a planet, cloud, or rock, not a fleck of wreckage from the explosion. With only one window, she often wondered whether, if there had been another vista at the rear of the two-room pod, she might still be able to see the spinning pieces of hull and conduit, see that glove someone hadn’t gotten a hand into in time.<br /> <br /> Even though the stars ahead never grew closer, she knew the pod kept moving. A display in a lean-to showed speed, fuel, and probably a destination, though none of the numbers meant much to her. The windowed orb that had carried her onto the pod told her what she needed to know--the pod was heading to meet another ship, still weeks distant. She appreciated that the orb hadn’t lied to her the way adults sometimes did, to make her feel better or to give her time to adjust. Instead it told only the truth. James Dunham (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full false 22:45 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/13/escape-pod-719-a-hench-helps-her-villain-no-matter-what/ Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=11050 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/13/escape-pod-719-a-hench-helps-her-villain-no-matter-what/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/02/13/escape-pod-719-a-hench-helps-her-villain-no-matter-what/feed/ 0 Author : Izzy Wasserstein Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 719: A Hench Helps Her Villain, No Matter What is an Escape Pod original. A Hench Helps Her Villain, No Matter What By Izzy Wasserstein The Lair’s intercom buzzes. “Hench, report to the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/02/13/escape-pod-719-a-hench-helps-her-villain-no-matter-what/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Izzy Wasserstein Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 719: A Hench Helps Her Villain, No Matter What is an Escape Pod original. A Hench Helps Her Villain, A Hench Helps Her Villain, No Matter What<br /> By Izzy Wasserstein<br /> <br /> The Lair’s intercom buzzes. “Hench, report to the interrogation room at once. Bring the restraints,” Night Mistress demands. For a moment I allow myself to hope, but when I get down to the deepest level, she’s got Patriotess drugged at her feet, and I know I’m a fool.<br /> <br /> Hope isn’t the place of a henchperson. Hope will get you killed. Or, worse, out of a job.<br /> <br /> I help Night Mistress restrain Patriotess in the center of the lead-walled room. I secure the heroine’s arms above her head. She’s still out of it, her body limp and her head hanging low, completely in Night Mistress’s power. My knees feel unsteady just thinking about it. Izzy Wasserstein (author), Sandra Espinoza (narrator) full false 28:44 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/06/escape-pod-718-how-the-emperor-of-all-space-and-every-world/ Thu, 06 Feb 2020 22:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10956 https://escapepod.org/2020/02/06/escape-pod-718-how-the-emperor-of-all-space-and-every-world/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/02/06/escape-pod-718-how-the-emperor-of-all-space-and-every-world/feed/ 0 Author : P. H. Lee Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 718: How the Emperor of All Space and Every World Awoke to the True Nature of Reality and Why it Didn’t Matter is an Escape Pod original. How the Emperor of All […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/02/06/escape-pod-718-how-the-emperor-of-all-space-and-every-world/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : P. H. Lee Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 718: How the Emperor of All Space and Every World Awoke to the True Nature of Reality and Why it Didn’t Matter is an Escape Pod orig... How the Emperor of All Space and Every World Awoke to the True Nature of Reality and Why it Didn't Matter<br /> by P. H. Lee<br /> <br /> The Emperor was bored. This was a problem. His Imperial Majesty, King of every Spiral Arm, Prince-Protector of Coreward Republics, Thearch of Bohm and its dependencies, Grand Duke of the Exterior Habitats, Elector of Both Magellanic Clouds, Guardian of All One Hundred Holy Relics and Defender of the Faith, the Emperor of All Space and Every World could not be bored. When he was not administering his empire—a task that consumed more than half the day—he was supposed to be entertained by his court—replete with jesters (from Mullwyd, the Jester Planet), dancers from Akyll and Boas (the best among the seven Dancer Planets), and singers from the Ibelia Habitat (known of course for its singers)—or comforted by his harem—staffed entirely by beautiful concubines from Isa (the Pleasure Planet) and eromenos from R' (the other Pleasure Planet.) The Emperor, by convention and necessity and custom and law, could want for nothing. P. H. Lee (author), Eric Luke (narrator) full false 30:07 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/30/escape-pod-717-listening/ Thu, 30 Jan 2020 22:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10934 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/30/escape-pod-717-listening/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/01/30/escape-pod-717-listening/feed/ 0 Author : Bob DeRosa Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 717: Listening is an Escape Pod original. Listening By Bob DeRosa At exactly nine in the morning, Karen tapped the green box on her tablet screen and said, “Hello, my name is Karen. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/01/30/escape-pod-717-listening/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Bob DeRosa Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 717: Listening is an Escape Pod original. Listening By Bob DeRosa At exactly nine in the morning, Author : Bob DeRosa Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 717: Listening is an Escape Pod original. Listening By Bob DeRosa At exactly nine in the morning, Karen tapped the green box on her tablet screen and said, “Hello, my name is Karen. […] Bob DeRosa (Author); Abra Staffin-Wiebe (Narrator) full false 34:21 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/23/escape-pod-716-physics-by-the-numbers/ Thu, 23 Jan 2020 22:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10918 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/23/escape-pod-716-physics-by-the-numbers/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/01/23/escape-pod-716-physics-by-the-numbers/feed/ 1 Author : Stephen Granade Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 716: Physics by the Numbers is an Escape Pod original. Physics by the Numbers by Stephen Granade Peifan had come and gone before Nevaeh reached the lab office the next morning. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/01/23/escape-pod-716-physics-by-the-numbers/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Stephen Granade Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 716: Physics by the Numbers is an Escape Pod original. Physics by the Numbers by Stephen Granade Peifan had... Physics by the Numbers<br /> by Stephen Granade<br /> <br /> Peifan had come and gone before Nevaeh reached the lab office the next morning. Nevaeh had hoped to say goodbye, but she supposed that if an algorithm had guillotined her graduate school career like a French royalist's head, she'd have snuck away, too. Peifan had raked his class notes into a trash can that had overflowed and spilled his discarded plastic binders across the floor. He'd also left his poster of bar magnets on the wall, iron filings tracing arcs of magnetism that connected them.<br /> <br /> She tossed her phone in her desk drawer and dug around for a Phillips screwdriver. Peifan's computer had the best graphics card. She meant to claim it for her simulations before her labmate Mason arrived and joined in rifling through Peifan's discards.<br /> <br /> "Both of you are safe." Dr. Scott gestured at Nevaeh and Mason with his food truck taco, nearly spilling fish onto the sidewalk. "My revised funding still supports two graduate students."<br /> <br /> The US federal science agencies had updated their algorithm that decided how productive universities were. For the second year in a row, they'd cut funding to Nevaeh's school based on its results.<br /> <br /> "It'll slow down finishing our paper," Mason said around a mouth full of quesadilla. Cheese dribbled down his chin.<br /> <br /> "Peifan was the best at tuning the laser," Nevaeh added. She dug her own taco out of an overfull box. Dr. Scott had bought dinner, so she hadn't scrimped on her order.<br /> <br /> Dr. Scott nodded. "We'll make do. But we need results. Don't forget, we think the funding agencies rank us based on submissions, not just publications."<br /> <br /> As if Nevaeh could ever let herself forget. Stephen Granade (author), Stephanie Malia Morris (narrator) full false 32:43 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/16/escape-pod-715-a-box-a-pocket-a-spaceman/ Thu, 16 Jan 2020 22:00:33 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10890 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/16/escape-pod-715-a-box-a-pocket-a-spaceman/#respond https://escapepod.org/2020/01/16/escape-pod-715-a-box-a-pocket-a-spaceman/feed/ 0 Author : E. Catherine Tobler Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Box, a Pocket, a Spaceman originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, August 2014. A Box, a Pocket, a Spaceman by E. Catherine Tobler The spaceman shows up on a hot summer afternoon, not in the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/01/16/escape-pod-715-a-box-a-pocket-a-spaceman/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : E. Catherine Tobler Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Box, a Pocket, a Spaceman originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, August 2014. A Box, a Pocket, a Spaceman by E. A Box, a Pocket, a Spaceman<br /> by E. Catherine Tobler<br /> <br /> The spaceman shows up on a hot summer afternoon, not in the dead of night when you're crouched in the garden peering through a telescope that shows you the endless glories and wonders of the night sky. There's no spaceship making a bright arc against a star-spangled sky. Just a man in a spacesuit, standing at the edge of your hammock. His presence reminds you school is over and relatives will be coming soon and you don't want to see them. They will ask you who can't see beyond the edge of your hammock about grades and ambitions and Plans For the Future. Aunt Fran is dead and there's just no fixing it, but funerals help us move on, Mom says so, and Mom Knows Best. You don't want to go, because going means it happened and going means something is over. E. Catherine Tobler (author), Tina Connolly (narrator) full false 26:54 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/09/escape-pod-714-marley-and-marley/ Thu, 09 Jan 2020 22:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10810 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/09/escape-pod-714-marley-and-marley/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/01/09/escape-pod-714-marley-and-marley/feed/ 1 Author : J. R. Dawson Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November/December 2017. Thank you, Charlie Finlay, for believing in this story. Marley and Marley by J. R. Dawson I never wanted […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/01/09/escape-pod-714-marley-and-marley/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : J. R. Dawson Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November/December 2017. Thank you, Charlie Finlay, Marley and Marley<br /> by J. R. Dawson<br /> <br /> I never wanted to turn out like her.<br /> <br /> When I met her, I was twelve. There was no one else to take care of me. Before she showed up, she was preceded by this man in a pinstriped suit. A harbinger. He sat me down in his sterile office and he said, “Time Law is not a joking matter.” He told me all the horrible things that would happen if I broke any Time Laws. Worlds would collapse. I would turn inside out. Important people would die and important things wouldn’t happen. And that’s when I first felt that clutching sensation in my chest. Like he had his fingers inside my rib cage and he was squeezing my lungs. Do not fuck this up. <br /> <br /> “So are you the one I’m going with?” I asked. Because I was a newly coined orphan and I needed someone. <br /> <br /> The pinstriped-suit man shook his head. “No,” he said. “The system is hard on children so we’ve come up with a better option. But you can’t go live with her. She must come to you.”<br /> <br /> Because she lived in the future. J. R. Dawson (author), S. Kay Nash (narrator) full false 49:01 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/02/escape-pod-713-more-tomorrow/ Thu, 02 Jan 2020 22:00:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10693 https://escapepod.org/2020/01/02/escape-pod-713-more-tomorrow/#comments https://escapepod.org/2020/01/02/escape-pod-713-more-tomorrow/feed/ 1 Author : Premee Mohamed Narrator : Dani Daly Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums More Tomorrow was first published in Automata Review, March 2018. A few grade-A curses. More Tomorrow By Premee Mohamed DAY 5 Anyway, it turns out trilobites aren’t very good eating even if you haven’t eaten […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2020/01/02/escape-pod-713-more-tomorrow/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Premee Mohamed Narrator : Dani Daly Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums More Tomorrow was first published in Automata Review, March 2018. A few grade-A curses. More Tomorrow By Premee Mohamed DAY 5 Anyway, Author : Premee Mohamed Narrator : Dani Daly Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums More Tomorrow was first published in Automata Review, March 2018. A few grade-A curses. More Tomorrow By Premee Mohamed DAY 5 Anyway, it turns out trilobites aren’t very good eating even if you haven’t eaten […] Premee Mohammed (Author); Dani Daly (Narrator) full false 39:46 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/26/escape-pod-712-when-robot-and-crow-saved-east-st-louis/ Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:00:35 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10627 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/26/escape-pod-712-when-robot-and-crow-saved-east-st-louis/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/12/26/escape-pod-712-when-robot-and-crow-saved-east-st-louis/feed/ 0 Author : Annalee Newitz Narrator : Louis Evans Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally published in Slate in December 2018. “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis” was initially created as part of Future Tense Fiction, a project of Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/12/26/escape-pod-712-when-robot-and-crow-saved-east-st-louis/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Annalee Newitz Narrator : Louis Evans Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally published in Slate in December 2018. “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis” was initially created as part of Future Tense F... When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis<br /> by Annalee Newitz<br /> <br /> It was time to start the weekly circuit. Robot leapt vertically into the air from its perch atop the History Museum in Forest Park, rotors humming and limbs withdrawn into the smooth oval of its chassis. From a distance, it was a pale blue flying egg, slightly scuffed, with a propeller beanie on top. Two animated eyes glowed from the front end of its smooth carapace like emotive headlights. When it landed, all four legs and head extended from portals in its protective shell, the drone was more like a strangely symmetrical poodle or a cartoon turtle. Mounted on an actuator, its full face was revealed, headlight eyes situated above a short, soft snout whose purple mouth was built for smiling, grimacing, and a range of other, more subtle expressions.<br /> <br /> The Centers for Disease Control team back in Atlanta designed Robot to be cute, to earn people’s trust immediately. To catch epidemics before they started, Robot flew from building to building, talking to people about how they felt. Nobody wanted to chat with an ugly box. Robot behaved like a cheery little buddy, checking for sick people. That’s how Robot’s admin Bey taught Robot to say it: “Checking for sick people.” Bey’s job was to program Robot with the social skills necessary to avoid calling it health surveillance.<br /> Annalee Newitz (author), Louis Evans (narrator) full false 40:31 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/19/escape-pod-711-carols-on-callisto/ Thu, 19 Dec 2019 22:00:00 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10615 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/19/escape-pod-711-carols-on-callisto/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/12/19/escape-pod-711-carols-on-callisto/feed/ 1 Author : Deborah L. Davitt Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 711: Carols on Callisto is an Escape Pod original. Carols on Callisto By Deborah L. Davitt On the surface of Callisto, Rebecca Fox struggled with tangled, 3D-printed branches, her fingers clumsy inside […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/12/19/escape-pod-711-carols-on-callisto/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Deborah L. Davitt Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 711: Carols on Callisto is an Escape Pod original. Carols on Callisto By Deborah L. Davitt On the surface of Callisto, Author : Deborah L. Davitt Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 711: Carols on Callisto is an Escape Pod original. Carols on Callisto By Deborah L. Davitt On the surface of Callisto, Rebecca Fox struggled with tangled, 3D-printed branches, her fingers clumsy inside […] Deborah L. Davitt (Author); Ibba Armancas (Narrator) full false 41:55 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/12/escape-pod-710-requiem-without-sound/ Thu, 12 Dec 2019 22:00:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10605 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/12/escape-pod-710-requiem-without-sound/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/12/12/escape-pod-710-requiem-without-sound/feed/ 0 Author : Izzy Wasserstein Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 710: Requiem Without Sound is an Escape Pod original. Requiem Without Sound by Izzy Wasserstein Introit Evie is born into cold and silence. They know this, though they have only now gained consciousness, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/12/12/escape-pod-710-requiem-without-sound/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Izzy Wasserstein Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 710: Requiem Without Sound is an Escape Pod original. Requiem Without Sound by Izzy Wasserstein Introit Evie ... Author : Izzy Wasserstein Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 710: Requiem Without Sound is an Escape Pod original. Requiem Without Sound by Izzy Wasserstein Introit Evie is born into cold and silence. They know this, though they have only now gained consciousness, […] Izzy Wasserstein (author), Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali (narrator) full false 26:10 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/05/escape-pod-709-in-a-wide-sky-hidden/ Thu, 05 Dec 2019 22:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10584 https://escapepod.org/2019/12/05/escape-pod-709-in-a-wide-sky-hidden/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/12/05/escape-pod-709-in-a-wide-sky-hidden/feed/ 0 Author : William Ledbetter Narrator : Pamela Quevillon Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was previously published in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (July 2017). In A Wide Sky, Hidden by William Ledbetter Warm liquid gurgled away and the kettle field winked off, leaving me naked, […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/12/05/escape-pod-709-in-a-wide-sky-hidden/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : William Ledbetter Narrator : Pamela Quevillon Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was previously published in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (July 2017). In A Wide Sky, Author : William Ledbetter Narrator : Pamela Quevillon Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story was previously published in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (July 2017). In A Wide Sky, Hidden by William Ledbetter Warm liquid gurgled away and the kettle field winked off, leaving me naked, […] William Ledbetter (author), Pamela Quevillon (narrator) full false 40:33 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/28/escape-pod-708-into-the-paddock/ Thu, 28 Nov 2019 22:00:10 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10582 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/28/escape-pod-708-into-the-paddock/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/11/28/escape-pod-708-into-the-paddock/feed/ 2 Author : Nathan Susnik Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 708: Into the Paddock is an Escape Pod original. Contains abundant amounts of swearing. Into the Paddock by Nathan Susnik I. “We need a shitload of Bunnies®. How fast can you get me […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/11/28/escape-pod-708-into-the-paddock/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nathan Susnik Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 708: Into the Paddock is an Escape Pod original. Contains abundant amounts of swearing. Author : Nathan Susnik Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 708: Into the Paddock is an Escape Pod original. Contains abundant amounts of swearing. Into the Paddock by Nathan Susnik I. “We need a shitload of Bunnies®. How fast can you get me […] Nathan Susnick (author), Trendane Sparks (narrator) full false 40:15 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/21/escape-pod-707-rule-of-three-part-3-of-3/ Thu, 21 Nov 2019 22:00:21 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10576 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/21/escape-pod-707-rule-of-three-part-3-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/11/21/escape-pod-707-rule-of-three-part-3-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Rule of Three (Part 3 of 3) By Lawrence M. Schoen Late in the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/11/21/escape-pod-707-rule-of-three-part-3-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Rule of Three (Part 3 of 3) By Lawrence M. Schoen Late in the […] Lawrence M. Schoen (Author); Christopher Tang (Narrator) full false 32:31 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/14/escape-pod-706-rule-of-three-part-2-of-3/ Thu, 14 Nov 2019 22:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10567 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/14/escape-pod-706-rule-of-three-part-2-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/11/14/escape-pod-706-rule-of-three-part-2-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Rule of Three (Part 2 of 3) By Lawrence M. Schoen “I have been […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/11/14/escape-pod-706-rule-of-three-part-2-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Includes descriptions of human reproduction and sexuality. Rule of Three (Part 2 of 3) By Lawrence M. Schoen “I have been […] Lawrence M. Schoen (Author); Christopher Tang (Narrator) full false 46:24 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/07/escape-pod-705-rule-of-three-part-1-of-3/ Thu, 07 Nov 2019 22:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10542 https://escapepod.org/2019/11/07/escape-pod-705-rule-of-three-part-1-of-3/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/11/07/escape-pod-705-rule-of-three-part-1-of-3/feed/ 0 Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Contains a few expletives and mentions existence of human sexual anatomy. Rule of Three (Part 1 of 3) By Lawrence M. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/11/07/escape-pod-705-rule-of-three-part-1-of-3/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Contains a few expletives and mentions existence of human sexual an... Author : Lawrence M. Schoen Narrator : Christopher Tang Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Rule of Three was first published in Future SF, no. 1, in 2018. Contains a few expletives and mentions existence of human sexual anatomy. Rule of Three (Part 1 of 3) By Lawrence M. […] Lawrence M. Schoen (Author); Christopher Tang (Narrator) full false 37:08 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/31/escape-pod-704-failsafe/ Thu, 31 Oct 2019 21:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10533 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/31/escape-pod-704-failsafe/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/10/31/escape-pod-704-failsafe/feed/ 0 Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 704: Failsafe is an Escape Pod original. Failsafe by Tim Chawaga When the machines finally decided to replace Liv, they broke her heart. Her desk was tiny and wedged in between two massive […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/10/31/escape-pod-704-failsafe/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 704: Failsafe is an Escape Pod original. Failsafe by Tim Chawaga When the machines finally decided to replace Liv, Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 704: Failsafe is an Escape Pod original. Failsafe by Tim Chawaga When the machines finally decided to replace Liv, they broke her heart. Her desk was tiny and wedged in between two massive […] Tim Chawaga (author), Tina Connolly (narrator) full false 38:16 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/24/escape-pod-703-light-and-death-on-the-indian-battle-station/ Thu, 24 Oct 2019 21:00:48 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10525 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/24/escape-pod-703-light-and-death-on-the-indian-battle-station/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/10/24/escape-pod-703-light-and-death-on-the-indian-battle-station/feed/ 0 Author : Keyan Bowes Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station first appeared in Fireside Magazine, 2018. Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station By Keyan Bowes Diwali, the Festival of Lights is a magical time […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/10/24/escape-pod-703-light-and-death-on-the-indian-battle-station/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Keyan Bowes Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station first appeared in Fireside Magazine, 2018. Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station By Key... Author : Keyan Bowes Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station first appeared in Fireside Magazine, 2018. Light and Death on the Indian Battle Station By Keyan Bowes Diwali, the Festival of Lights is a magical time […] Keyan Bowes (Author); Farah Naz Rishi (Narrator) full false 29:58 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/17/escape-pod-702-inheritance/ Thu, 17 Oct 2019 21:00:46 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10476 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/17/escape-pod-702-inheritance/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/10/17/escape-pod-702-inheritance/feed/ 0 Author : Elise Stephens Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 702: Inheritance is an Escape Pod original. Includes loss of pregnancy. Inheritance By Elise Stephens Carmen would have expected a gold necklace or tarnished antique, maybe some money or a secret family […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/10/17/escape-pod-702-inheritance/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Elise Stephens Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 702: Inheritance is an Escape Pod original. Includes loss of pregnancy. Inheritance By Elise Stephens Carmen would have expect... Inheritance<br /> By Elise Stephens<br /> <br /> Carmen would have expected a gold necklace or tarnished antique, maybe some money or a secret family recipe card, but she’d never dreamed her grandmother would try to immortalize herself through an inheritance like this.<br /> <br /> The attorney was holding a velvet-covered box in his open palms as he explained, “Maria Elena had these memory grafts discreetly extracted prior to her death. She chose not to inform the family beforehand. I believe she felt her memories could safely be left to the care of the third generation, that is, the three of you.”<br /> <br /> Carmen was relieved to see that both her siblings were likewise surprised by the news.<br /> <br /> Mr. Hoffman tapped the box with his thumbs. “As you may know, memory grafts are a practical-application variety of memory extraction. They’re a refined amalgamation of all memories and experiences related to specific fields or areas of expertise.”<br /> <br /> “So there’s no real estate or stocks. It’s just her memories,” Mario said, eyebrows raised.<br /> <br /> “She was never rich to begin with,” Daniela said. “Living in that tiny place after Grandpa died. Unless she was secretly saving up, how did she afford an extraction?” Elise Stephens (author), S. Kay Nash (narrator) full true 39:26 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/10/escape-pod-701-martian-chronicles-part-2/ Thu, 10 Oct 2019 21:00:11 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10436 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/10/escape-pod-701-martian-chronicles-part-2/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/10/10/escape-pod-701-martian-chronicles-part-2/feed/ 1 Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Martian Chronicles by Cory Doctorow I didn’t go back to the Junior Colonists’ Lounge for a whole week. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/10/10/escape-pod-701-martian-chronicles-part-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Martian Chronicles by Cory Doctorow I didn’t go back to the Junior Colonists’ Lounge for a whole week. […] Cory Doctorow (author); Adam Pracht (narrator) full false 1:07:39 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/03/escape-pod-700-martian-chronicles-part-1/ Thu, 03 Oct 2019 21:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10432 https://escapepod.org/2019/10/03/escape-pod-700-martian-chronicles-part-1/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/10/03/escape-pod-700-martian-chronicles-part-1/feed/ 0 Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Martian Chronicles by Cory Doctorow They say you can’t smell anything through a launch-hood, but I still smelled […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/10/03/escape-pod-700-martian-chronicles-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Adam Pracht Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in the 2011 YA anthology Life on Mars: Tales from the New Frontier. Martian Chronicles by Cory Doctorow They say you can’t smell anything through a launch-hood, but I still smelled […] Cory Doctorow (author); Adam Pracht (narrator) full false 1:32:25 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/27/escape-pod-699-a-stretch-of-highway-two-lanes-wide-flashback-friday/ Fri, 27 Sep 2019 04:26:27 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10424 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/27/escape-pod-699-a-stretch-of-highway-two-lanes-wide-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/09/27/escape-pod-699-a-stretch-of-highway-two-lanes-wide-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Sarah Pinsker Narrator : David White Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in the March/April 2014 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction and first appeared on Escape Pod on episode 497, published June 27, 2015. A Stretch of Highway Two Lanes […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/09/27/escape-pod-699-a-stretch-of-highway-two-lanes-wide-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Sarah Pinsker Narrator : David White Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Mat Weller Discuss on Forums This story was originally published in the March/April 2014 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction and first appeared on Esc... A Stretch of Highway Two Lanes Wide<br /> By Sarah Pinsker<br /> <br /> Andy tattooed his left forearm with Lori’s name on a drunken night in his seventeenth year. “Lori & Andy Forever and Ever” was the full text, all in capital letters, done by his best friend Susan with her homemade tattoo rig. Susan was proud as anything of that machine. She’d made it out of nine-volt batteries and some parts pulled from an old DVD player and a ballpoint pen. The tattoo was ugly and hurt like hell, and it turned out Lori didn’t appreciate it at all. She dumped him two weeks later, just before she headed off to university.<br /> <br /> Four years later, Andy’s other arm was the one that got mangled in the combine. The entire arm, up to and including his shoulder and right collarbone and everything attached. His parents made the decision while he was still unconscious. He woke in a hospital room in Saskatoon with a robot arm and an implant in his head. Sarah Pinsker (author), David White (narrator) full false 32:51 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/19/escape-pod-698-points-of-origin/ Thu, 19 Sep 2019 21:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10401 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/19/escape-pod-698-points-of-origin/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/09/19/escape-pod-698-points-of-origin/feed/ 1 Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Points of Origin” originally appeared on Tor.com on November 4, 2015. Points of Origin by Marissa Lingen Most people who have reached their eighties without raising children have every right to believe that they will […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/09/19/escape-pod-698-points-of-origin/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : Eric Luke Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Points of Origin” originally appeared on Tor.com on November 4, 2015. Points of Origin by Marissa Lingen Most people who have reached th... Points of Origin<br /> by Marissa Lingen<br /> <br /> Most people who have reached their eighties without raising children have every right to believe that they will go on not raising them, and Judith and I were no different until the day they turned up with the social worker, neatly scrubbed and pressed inside their vac-suits and carrying cases with all their remaining worldly possessions. There were three of them like stairsteps, their black hair cut in fringes across their foreheads and their dark eyes shining out disconcertingly familiar at me. But it wasn’t until the social worker said, “Mr. Chao and Ms. Goldstein, these are your grandchildren, Enid, Richard, and Harry,” that I remembered, sheepishly, about the genes we had given all those years ago, to that nice couple from New New Prague, before they left for the Oort Cloud.<br /> <br /> I gaped like the tank fish I grow. Judith murmured in kind confusion. It was Enid who settled them all, gently and efficiently, in what used to be our spare room. Later it occurred to me that she was very practiced at it for a ten-year-old, but later I knew why. Marissa Lingen (author), Eric Luke (narrator) full false 42:03 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/12/escape-pod-697-the-last-stellar-death-metal-opera/ Thu, 12 Sep 2019 21:00:49 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=10394 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/12/escape-pod-697-the-last-stellar-death-metal-opera/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/09/12/escape-pod-697-the-last-stellar-death-metal-opera/feed/ 1 Author : Elly Bangs Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 697: The Last Stellar Death Metal Opera is an Escape Pod original. The Last Stellar Death Metal Opera By Elly Bangs Raya eases power into the singularity engine and all her senses sharpen […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/09/12/escape-pod-697-the-last-stellar-death-metal-opera/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Elly Bangs Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 697: The Last Stellar Death Metal Opera is an Escape Pod original. The Last Stellar Death Metal Opera By Elly Bangs Raya eases p... The Last Stellar Death Metal Opera<br /> By Elly Bangs<br /> <br /> Raya eases power into the singularity engine and all her senses sharpen with the glorious, brutal reality of the moment: dead ahead there’s the blacklight-purple disk of Wolf-Rayet 104, twenty-eight subjective minutes before it goes core-collapse supernova. In her rear view there’s the brown dwarf she’s dragging on a graviton leash. She aims to hurl it down that deep purple star’s gravity well fast and hard enough to nudge it a degree off its axis just before it blows, in turn tilting the jet of its impending gamma ray burst away from an ocean planet and sparing a half-billion bronze-age octopodes from a gruesome flash-boiled apocalypse.<br /> <br /> After aeons of waiting and searching, finally everything is in order, all her conditions met: she’s the only one who can do it, this is the only way it can be done, and there’s no scenario that doesn’t end with her being blasted so effectively to smithereens that no tech in the universe can put her back together again. Elly Bangs (author), Alethea Kontis (narrator) full false 20:07 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/05/escape-pod-696-the-homunculis-guide-to-resurrecting-your-loved-one/ Thu, 05 Sep 2019 21:00:24 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=9887 https://escapepod.org/2019/09/05/escape-pod-696-the-homunculis-guide-to-resurrecting-your-loved-one/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/09/05/escape-pod-696-the-homunculis-guide-to-resurrecting-your-loved-one/feed/ 1 Author : Kara Lee Narrator : Katherine Inskip Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 696: The Homunculi’s Guide to Resurrecting Your Loved One From Their Electronic Ghosts is an Escape Pod original. The Homunculi’s Guide to Resurrecting Your Loved One From Their Electronic Ghosts by Kara Lee […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/09/05/escape-pod-696-the-homunculis-guide-to-resurrecting-your-loved-one/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Kara Lee Narrator : Katherine Inskip Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 696: The Homunculi’s Guide to Resurrecting Your Loved One From Their Electronic Ghosts is an Escape Pod original. The Homunculi's Guide to Resurrecting Your Loved One From Their Electronic Ghosts<br /> by Kara Lee<br /> <br /> 0. Confession<br /> <br /> If you are reading this, your Loved One has died. We are sorry for your loss.<br /> <br /> If you are reading this, then you stumbled onto an archived thread on a lost forum saying that supposedly, it is possible to bring back the dead using their electronic ghosts, and that the Homunculi, whoever they are, know how it is done. And then you searched and searched in a blur of grief and desperation and nearly killed yourself with illegal thaumaturgical network protocols before you found our servers.<br /> <br /> And now you want to know whether you really can bring your Loved One back from the dead.<br /> <br /> The answer is mostly yes, with one exception.<br /> <br /> But you must know that this is not a resurrection. It is a trade. Your Loved One may return to the land of the living in exchange for your life, body, humanity, and most of your soul. In other words, you will have to condemn yourself to being one of us for the rest of eternity. Kara Lee (author), Katherine Inskip (narrator) full false 25:57 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/29/escape-pod-695-this-is-as-i-wish-to-be-restored-flashback-friday/ Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:00:21 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=9574 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/29/escape-pod-695-this-is-as-i-wish-to-be-restored-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/08/29/escape-pod-695-this-is-as-i-wish-to-be-restored-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Christie Yant Narrator : Mr. Lee Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums This Is As I Wish To Be Restored was originally published on Escape Pod, episode 443 on April 19, 2014. This Is As I Wish To Be Restored By Christie Yant Every night I come home and […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/08/29/escape-pod-695-this-is-as-i-wish-to-be-restored-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Christie Yant Narrator : Mr. Lee Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums This Is As I Wish To Be Restored was originally published on Escape Pod, episode 443 on April 19, 2014. Author : Christie Yant Narrator : Mr. Lee Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums This Is As I Wish To Be Restored was originally published on Escape Pod, episode 443 on April 19, 2014. This Is As I Wish To Be Restored By Christie Yant Every night I come home and […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 23:06 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/22/escape-pod-694-hunting-the-mighty-space-whale/ Thu, 22 Aug 2019 21:00:32 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8571 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/22/escape-pod-694-hunting-the-mighty-space-whale/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/08/22/escape-pod-694-hunting-the-mighty-space-whale/feed/ 0 Author : Miranda Ciccone Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 694: Hunting the Mighty Space Whale is an Escape Pod original. Hunting the Mighty Space Whale by Miranda Ciccone They sent me to blow up the ship, which is a pretty dramatic […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/08/22/escape-pod-694-hunting-the-mighty-space-whale/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Miranda Ciccone Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 694: Hunting the Mighty Space Whale is an Escape Pod original. Hunting the Mighty Space Whale by Miranda Ciccone They sen... Author : Miranda Ciccone Narrator : S. Kay Nash Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 694: Hunting the Mighty Space Whale is an Escape Pod original. Hunting the Mighty Space Whale by Miranda Ciccone They sent me to blow up the ship, which is a pretty dramatic […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 19:45 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/15/escape-pod-693-the-great-scientist-rivalry-on-planet-sourdough/ Thu, 15 Aug 2019 21:00:44 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8460 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/15/escape-pod-693-the-great-scientist-rivalry-on-planet-sourdough/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/08/15/escape-pod-693-the-great-scientist-rivalry-on-planet-sourdough/feed/ 1 Author : Beth Goder Narrators : Mur Lafferty, Adam Pracht, Alasdair Stuart, Tina Connolly and S.B. Divya Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in the charity anthology Reading 5×5 in March 2018 The Great Scientist Rivalry on Planet Sourdough by Beth Goder Audio Journal of Yazhu A. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/08/15/escape-pod-693-the-great-scientist-rivalry-on-planet-sourdough/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Beth Goder Narrators : Mur Lafferty, Adam Pracht, Alasdair Stuart, Tina Connolly and S.B. Divya Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in the charity anthology Reading 5×5 in March 2018 The Gr... Author : Beth Goder Narrators : Mur Lafferty, Adam Pracht, Alasdair Stuart, Tina Connolly and S.B. Divya Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in the charity anthology Reading 5×5 in March 2018 The Great Scientist Rivalry on Planet Sourdough by Beth Goder Audio Journal of Yazhu A. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 51:47 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/08/escape-pod-692-lab-b-15-part-2-of-2/ Thu, 08 Aug 2019 21:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8264 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/08/escape-pod-692-lab-b-15-part-2-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/08/08/escape-pod-692-lab-b-15-part-2-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. Lab B-15 (Part 2 of 2) By Nick Wolven “I’ve called you here, tonight, to consider a hypothesis.” Four faces looked up from the conference table below. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/08/08/escape-pod-692-lab-b-15-part-2-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. Lab B-15 (Part 2 of 2) By Nick Wolven “I’ve called you here, tonight, Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. Lab B-15 (Part 2 of 2) By Nick Wolven “I’ve called you here, tonight, to consider a hypothesis.” Four faces looked up from the conference table below. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 50:55 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/01/escape-pod-691-lab-b-15-part-1-of-2/ Thu, 01 Aug 2019 21:00:22 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8248 https://escapepod.org/2019/08/01/escape-pod-691-lab-b-15-part-1-of-2/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/08/01/escape-pod-691-lab-b-15-part-1-of-2/feed/ 0 Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. News release and academic paper about Zelomorpha effugia – the parasitic wasp species discovered in Costa Rica and named in honor of Escape Pod in July 2019. (Effugia – […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/08/01/escape-pod-691-lab-b-15-part-1-of-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. News release and academic paper about Zelomorpha effugia – the parasitic ... Author : Nick Wolven Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Lab B-15 originally appeared in Analog, March/April 2018. News release and academic paper about Zelomorpha effugia – the parasitic wasp species discovered in Costa Rica and named in honor of Escape Pod in July 2019. (Effugia – […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 40:44 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/25/escape-pod-690-the-things-flashback-friday/ Thu, 25 Jul 2019 21:00:36 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8232 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/25/escape-pod-690-the-things-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/07/25/escape-pod-690-the-things-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Peter Watts Narrator : Kate Baker Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Thanks to Kate and Clarkesworld for the audio!) Content warning: Language and disturbing imagery 2011 Hugo Award Nominee 2010 BSFA Award Finalist 2010 Shirley Jackson Award Winner 2011 Finalist: the […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/07/25/escape-pod-690-the-things-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Peter Watts Narrator : Kate Baker Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Thanks to Kate and Clarkesworld for the audio! Author : Peter Watts Narrator : Kate Baker Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine (Thanks to Kate and Clarkesworld for the audio!) Content warning: Language and disturbing imagery 2011 Hugo Award Nominee 2010 BSFA Award Finalist 2010 Shirley Jackson Award Winner 2011 Finalist: the […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 1:00:00 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/18/escape-pod-689-spectrum-of-acceptance/ Thu, 18 Jul 2019 21:00:26 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8210 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/18/escape-pod-689-spectrum-of-acceptance/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/07/18/escape-pod-689-spectrum-of-acceptance/feed/ 3 Author : Nyla Bright Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 689: Spectrum of Acceptance is an Escape Pod original. Spectrum of Acceptance By Nyla Bright When Leon Kenner left the planet of Acceptance, he asked me to go with him back to Earth. […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/07/18/escape-pod-689-spectrum-of-acceptance/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Nyla Bright Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 689: Spectrum of Acceptance is an Escape Pod original. Spectrum of Acceptance By Nyla Bright When Leon Kenner left the planet of... Author : Nyla Bright Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 689: Spectrum of Acceptance is an Escape Pod original. Spectrum of Acceptance By Nyla Bright When Leon Kenner left the planet of Acceptance, he asked me to go with him back to Earth. […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 46:02 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/11/escape-pod-688-a-most-elegant-solution/ Thu, 11 Jul 2019 21:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8204 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/11/escape-pod-688-a-most-elegant-solution/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/07/11/escape-pod-688-a-most-elegant-solution/feed/ 0 Author : M. Darusha Wehm Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Terraform in April 2018. A Most Elegant Solution by M. Darusha Wehm I always said I wanted to be one of the first to die on Mars. I never […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/07/11/escape-pod-688-a-most-elegant-solution/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : M. Darusha Wehm Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Terraform in April 2018. A Most Elegant Solution by M. Author : M. Darusha Wehm Narrator : Abra Staffin-Wiebe Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story originally appeared in Terraform in April 2018. A Most Elegant Solution by M. Darusha Wehm I always said I wanted to be one of the first to die on Mars. I never […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 19:57 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/04/escape-pod-687-four-of-seven/ Thu, 04 Jul 2019 21:00:56 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8198 https://escapepod.org/2019/07/04/escape-pod-687-four-of-seven/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/07/04/escape-pod-687-four-of-seven/feed/ 0 Author : Samantha Mills Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 687: Four of Seven is an Escape Pod original. Four of Seven By Samantha Mills In the waning light of an artificial sun, Camelia Dunlevy climbed a mountain with her sister on her […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/07/04/escape-pod-687-four-of-seven/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Samantha Mills Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 687: Four of Seven is an Escape Pod original. Four of Seven By Samantha Mills In the waning light of an artificial sun, Author : Samantha Mills Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 687: Four of Seven is an Escape Pod original. Four of Seven By Samantha Mills In the waning light of an artificial sun, Camelia Dunlevy climbed a mountain with her sister on her […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 41:41 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/27/escape-pod-686-real-artists-flashback-friday/ Thu, 27 Jun 2019 21:00:31 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8171 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/27/escape-pod-686-real-artists-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/06/27/escape-pod-686-real-artists-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Ken Liu Narrator : Ann Leckie Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Real Artists” has been adapted into an Emmy Award-winning short film, now available on Amazon Prime, and check out the Behind the Scenes featurettes on the film’s website 99% Invisible / The Anthropocene Reviewed https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-anthropocene-reviewed/ […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/06/27/escape-pod-686-real-artists-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Ken Liu Narrator : Ann Leckie Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Real Artists” has been adapted into an Emmy Award-winning short film, now available on Amazon Prime, Author : Ken Liu Narrator : Ann Leckie Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums “Real Artists” has been adapted into an Emmy Award-winning short film, now available on Amazon Prime, and check out the Behind the Scenes featurettes on the film’s website 99% Invisible / The Anthropocene Reviewed https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-anthropocene-reviewed/ […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 29:26 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/21/escape-pod-685-a-vocabulary-of-remorse/ Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8157 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/21/escape-pod-685-a-vocabulary-of-remorse/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/06/21/escape-pod-685-a-vocabulary-of-remorse/feed/ 0 Author : Dantzel Cherry Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Vocabulary of Remorse was originally published as winner of the Science Fiction and the Medical Humanities Short Story Contest in October 2017 in the anthology A Practical Guide to the Resurrected. A Vocabulary […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/06/21/escape-pod-685-a-vocabulary-of-remorse/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Dantzel Cherry Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Vocabulary of Remorse was originally published as winner of the Science Fiction and the Medical Humanities Short Story Contes... Author : Dantzel Cherry Narrator : Ellora Sen-Gupta Host : Benjamin C. Kinney Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums A Vocabulary of Remorse was originally published as winner of the Science Fiction and the Medical Humanities Short Story Contest in October 2017 in the anthology A Practical Guide to the Resurrected. A Vocabulary […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 21:45 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/13/escape-pod-684-origami-angels/ Thu, 13 Jun 2019 21:00:00 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8149 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/13/escape-pod-684-origami-angels/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/06/13/escape-pod-684-origami-angels/feed/ 0 Author : Derek Lubangakene Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally published in Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine (April 2018) Involves death and children. Links to works by Christopher Cornell: http://christophercornell.com/category/writing/ http://unreliablenarrators.net/ https://escapepod.org/2018/02/16/escape-pod-615-lonely-robot-rocket-ship-space/ https://escapepod.org/2016/12/17/ep554-captain-drake-learns-his-lines/ Origami Angels by Derek Lubangakene When I was eleven, my best […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/06/13/escape-pod-684-origami-angels/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Derek Lubangakene Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally published in Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine (April 2018) Involves death and children. Author : Derek Lubangakene Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Originally published in Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine (April 2018) Involves death and children. Links to works by Christopher Cornell: http://christophercornell.com/category/writing/ http://unreliablenarrators.net/ https://escapepod.org/2018/02/16/escape-pod-615-lonely-robot-rocket-ship-space/ https://escapepod.org/2016/12/17/ep554-captain-drake-learns-his-lines/ Origami Angels by Derek Lubangakene When I was eleven, my best […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 40:52 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/06/escape-pod-683-flash-crash/ Fri, 07 Jun 2019 02:05:54 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8140 https://escapepod.org/2019/06/06/escape-pod-683-flash-crash/#comments https://escapepod.org/2019/06/06/escape-pod-683-flash-crash/feed/ 1 Author : Louis Evans Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 683: Flash Crash is an Escape Pod original. Flash Crash By Louis Evans MAISIE was seven years old on the day she woke up and died. Blame it on the algorithms, if you […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/06/06/escape-pod-683-flash-crash/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Louis Evans Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 683: Flash Crash is an Escape Pod original. Flash Crash By Louis Evans MAISIE was seven years old on the day she woke up and di... Author : Louis Evans Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 683: Flash Crash is an Escape Pod original. Flash Crash By Louis Evans MAISIE was seven years old on the day she woke up and died. Blame it on the algorithms, if you […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 37:15 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/30/escape-pod-682-sinner-baker-fabulist-priest-flashback-friday/ Thu, 30 May 2019 21:00:58 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8116 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/30/escape-pod-682-sinner-baker-fabulist-priest-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/05/30/escape-pod-682-sinner-baker-fabulist-priest-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Lawrence Santoro Host : Alex Hofelich Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums First published in Interzone #220 (Feb 2009). This is a Hugo Award-nominated and Nebula Award winning story. Rated R for sex, masks, and violence. Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast by […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/05/30/escape-pod-682-sinner-baker-fabulist-priest-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Lawrence Santoro Host : Alex Hofelich Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums First published in Interzone #220 (Feb 2009). This is a Hugo Award-nominated and Nebula Award winning story. Rated R for sex, Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Lawrence Santoro Host : Alex Hofelich Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums First published in Interzone #220 (Feb 2009). This is a Hugo Award-nominated and Nebula Award winning story. Rated R for sex, masks, and violence. Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast by […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 1:00:03 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/23/escape-pod-681-that-she-might-fly/ Fri, 24 May 2019 00:56:53 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8108 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/23/escape-pod-681-that-she-might-fly/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/05/23/escape-pod-681-that-she-might-fly/feed/ 0 Author : Mary Anne Mohanraj Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 681: That She Might Fly is an Escape Pod original. Death of a child. That She Might Fly By Mary Anne Mohanraj “O’Brien,” the captain’s voice snapped across the net, interrupting […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/05/23/escape-pod-681-that-she-might-fly/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Mary Anne Mohanraj Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 681: That She Might Fly is an Escape Pod original. Death of a child. That She Might Fly By Mary Anne Mohanraj “O’Bri... Author : Mary Anne Mohanraj Narrator : Farah Naz Rishi Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 681: That She Might Fly is an Escape Pod original. Death of a child. That She Might Fly By Mary Anne Mohanraj “O’Brien,” the captain’s voice snapped across the net, interrupting […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 33:44 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/16/escape-pod-680-a-barrow-for-the-living/ Thu, 16 May 2019 21:00:28 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8099 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/16/escape-pod-680-a-barrow-for-the-living/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/05/16/escape-pod-680-a-barrow-for-the-living/feed/ 0 Author : Alison Wilgus Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May/June 2018 (Vol 138 no 5 & 6) A Barrow for the Living by Alison Wilgus ​Sitting on cold deck plates which in turn sit […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/05/16/escape-pod-680-a-barrow-for-the-living/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Alison Wilgus Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May/June 2018 (Vol 138 no 5 & 6) A Barrow for the Living by Alis... Author : Alison Wilgus Narrator : Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May/June 2018 (Vol 138 no 5 & 6) A Barrow for the Living by Alison Wilgus ​Sitting on cold deck plates which in turn sit […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:16 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/09/escape-pod-679-an-ever-expanding-flash-of-light/ Thu, 09 May 2019 21:00:34 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8088 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/09/escape-pod-679-an-ever-expanding-flash-of-light/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/05/09/escape-pod-679-an-ever-expanding-flash-of-light/feed/ 0 Author : Timothy Mudie Narrators : S.B. Divya and Roderick Aust Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light was originally published in Lightspeed Magazine, September 2017. An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light By Timothy Mudie “Ladies and gentlemen, everyone you know—the entire world you know—is now […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/05/09/escape-pod-679-an-ever-expanding-flash-of-light/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Timothy Mudie Narrators : S.B. Divya and Roderick Aust Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light was originally published in Lightspeed Magazine, September 2017. Author : Timothy Mudie Narrators : S.B. Divya and Roderick Aust Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light was originally published in Lightspeed Magazine, September 2017. An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light By Timothy Mudie “Ladies and gentlemen, everyone you know—the entire world you know—is now […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:14 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/02/escape-pod-678-blonde/ Thu, 02 May 2019 21:00:20 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8075 https://escapepod.org/2019/05/02/escape-pod-678-blonde/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/05/02/escape-pod-678-blonde/feed/ 0 Author : Priya Sharma Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Interzone Issue 260 (September 2015) This story contains mature content that may not be appropriate for listeners under 13. Blonde by Priya Sharma “When did you go bald?” Only Clarice […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/05/02/escape-pod-678-blonde/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Priya Sharma Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Interzone Issue 260 (September 2015) This story contains mature content that may not be appropriate for listen... Author : Priya Sharma Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums This story first appeared in Interzone Issue 260 (September 2015) This story contains mature content that may not be appropriate for listeners under 13. Blonde by Priya Sharma “When did you go bald?” Only Clarice […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 46:19 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/25/escape-pod-677-valedictorian-flashback-friday/ Thu, 25 Apr 2019 21:00:04 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8054 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/25/escape-pod-677-valedictorian-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/04/25/escape-pod-677-valedictorian-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : N.K. Jemisin Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Marguerite Kenner Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Valedictorian originally appeared in AFTER: NINETEEN STORIES OF APOCALYPSE AND DYSTOPIA in 2012 and on Escape Pod as Episode 450 on June 16, 2014. Contains cursing and death. Valedictorian by N. K. Jemisin There are […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/04/25/escape-pod-677-valedictorian-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : N.K. Jemisin Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Marguerite Kenner Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Valedictorian originally appeared in AFTER: NINETEEN STORIES OF APOCALYPSE AND DYSTOPIA in 2012 and on Escape Pod as Episode... Author : N.K. Jemisin Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Marguerite Kenner Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Valedictorian originally appeared in AFTER: NINETEEN STORIES OF APOCALYPSE AND DYSTOPIA in 2012 and on Escape Pod as Episode 450 on June 16, 2014. Contains cursing and death. Valedictorian by N. K. Jemisin There are […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 46:28 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/18/escape-pod-676-ulissa/ Thu, 18 Apr 2019 21:00:52 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8041 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/18/escape-pod-676-ulissa/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/04/18/escape-pod-676-ulissa/feed/ 0 Author : Craig DeLancey Narrator : Nadia Niaz Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 676: Ulissa is an Escape Pod original. Dream Foundry’s Kickstarter is open and underway! The Dream Foundry is a registered nonprofit focused on creating a community and shared culture for all creators working […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/04/18/escape-pod-676-ulissa/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Craig DeLancey Narrator : Nadia Niaz Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 676: Ulissa is an Escape Pod original. Dream Foundry’s Kickstarter is open and underway! Author : Craig DeLancey Narrator : Nadia Niaz Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 676: Ulissa is an Escape Pod original. Dream Foundry’s Kickstarter is open and underway! The Dream Foundry is a registered nonprofit focused on creating a community and shared culture for all creators working […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 30:10 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/11/escape-pod-675-man-of-straw/ Thu, 11 Apr 2019 21:00:01 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8031 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/11/escape-pod-675-man-of-straw/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/04/11/escape-pod-675-man-of-straw/feed/ 0 Author : Russell Nichols Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Man of Straw was originally published in CICADA Magazine, March/April 2018. Contains mature language. Man of Straw By Russell Nichols I pissed my PJs when I saw that scarecrow. It was the middle of the night and everybody […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/04/11/escape-pod-675-man-of-straw/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Russell Nichols Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Man of Straw was originally published in CICADA Magazine, March/April 2018. Contains mature language. Author : Russell Nichols Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Man of Straw was originally published in CICADA Magazine, March/April 2018. Contains mature language. Man of Straw By Russell Nichols I pissed my PJs when I saw that scarecrow. It was the middle of the night and everybody […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 35:56 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/04/escape-pod-674-and-yet/ Thu, 04 Apr 2019 21:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8027 https://escapepod.org/2019/04/04/escape-pod-674-and-yet/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/04/04/escape-pod-674-and-yet/feed/ 0 Author : A.T. Greenblatt Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Yet was originally published in Uncanny Magazine, Issue 21 – March/April 2018. Single swear And Yet A. T. Greenblatt Only idiots go back to the haunted houses of their childhood. And yet. Here you are. Standing […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/04/04/escape-pod-674-and-yet/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : A.T. Greenblatt Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Yet was originally published in Uncanny Magazine, Issue 21 – March/April 2018. Single swear And Yet A. T. Author : A.T. Greenblatt Narrator : Alethea Kontis Host : S.B. Divya Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums And Yet was originally published in Uncanny Magazine, Issue 21 – March/April 2018. Single swear And Yet A. T. Greenblatt Only idiots go back to the haunted houses of their childhood. And yet. Here you are. Standing […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 39:44 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/28/escape-pod-673-optimizing-the-verified-good-artemis-rising/ Thu, 28 Mar 2019 21:00:13 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=8015 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/28/escape-pod-673-optimizing-the-verified-good-artemis-rising/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/03/28/escape-pod-673-optimizing-the-verified-good-artemis-rising/feed/ 0 Author : Effie Seiberg Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Previously published in Analog, Sept/Oct 2018 Optimizing the Verified Good by Effie Seiberg The little cleanerbot whirrs as it crisscrosses the arena, sucking up the robot dust with the vacuum chute on […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/03/28/escape-pod-673-optimizing-the-verified-good-artemis-rising/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Effie Seiberg Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Previously published in Analog, Sept/Oct 2018 Optimizing the Verified Good by Effie Seiberg The little cleanerbot w... Author : Effie Seiberg Narrator : Trendane Sparks Host : Laura Pearlman Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Previously published in Analog, Sept/Oct 2018 Optimizing the Verified Good by Effie Seiberg The little cleanerbot whirrs as it crisscrosses the arena, sucking up the robot dust with the vacuum chute on […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 42:46 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/21/escape-pod-672-she-knits-the-universe-a-pink-angora-sweater-artemis-rising/ Thu, 21 Mar 2019 21:00:06 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=7994 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/21/escape-pod-672-she-knits-the-universe-a-pink-angora-sweater-artemis-rising/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/03/21/escape-pod-672-she-knits-the-universe-a-pink-angora-sweater-artemis-rising/feed/ 0 Author : Bo Balder Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Lisa Yaszek Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 672: She Knits the Universe a Pink Angora Sweater (Artemis Rising) is an Escape Pod original. Contains swearing She Knits the Universe a Pink Angora Sweater by Bo Balder […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/03/21/escape-pod-672-she-knits-the-universe-a-pink-angora-sweater-artemis-rising/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Bo Balder Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Lisa Yaszek Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 672: She Knits the Universe a Pink Angora Sweater (Artemis Rising) is an Escape Pod original. Author : Bo Balder Narrator : Stephanie Malia Morris Host : Lisa Yaszek Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 672: She Knits the Universe a Pink Angora Sweater (Artemis Rising) is an Escape Pod original. Contains swearing She Knits the Universe a Pink Angora Sweater by Bo Balder […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 44:05 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/14/escape-pod-671-octonet-artemis-rising/ Thu, 14 Mar 2019 21:00:38 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=7975 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/14/escape-pod-671-octonet-artemis-rising/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/03/14/escape-pod-671-octonet-artemis-rising/feed/ 0 Author : Keyan Bowes Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Izzy Wasserstein Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 671: Octonet (Artemis Rising) is an Escape Pod original. Contains grade-A cursing and swearing. Keyan Bowes would like to thank  Dr. Jennifer Mather, author of “Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate” for being […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/03/14/escape-pod-671-octonet-artemis-rising/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Keyan Bowes Narrator : S.B. Divya Host : Izzy Wasserstein Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums Escape Pod 671: Octonet (Artemis Rising) is an Escape Pod original. Contains grade-A cursing and swearing. Octonet<br /> By Keyan Bowes<br /> <br /> Sometimes at night when my mind is calm, I think I hear the octopuses. Around the world, the great network of molluscan philosophers.<br /> <br /> I had many reasons for moving to the Pacific Northwest - weather, closeness to potential clients and my big brother Rav, distance from a very ex ex. Slimy cephalopods definitely didn’t make the list.<br /> <br /> But then Rav needed someone to fix their new IT system. And that’s how I met the octopuses. Keyan Bowes (author), S. B. Divya (narrator) full false 48:49 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/07/escape-pod-670-the-scent-of-lions-artemis-rising/ Thu, 07 Mar 2019 22:00:19 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=7961 https://escapepod.org/2019/03/07/escape-pod-670-the-scent-of-lions-artemis-rising/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/03/07/escape-pod-670-the-scent-of-lions-artemis-rising/feed/ 0 Author : Tara Campbell Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : S. Kay Nash Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums This story was originally published June 2016 in the Procyon Science Fiction Anthology 2016. The Scent of Lions by Tara Campbell “Congratulations, Mrs. Costa,” chirped the young Life Center nurse. “You’re […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/03/07/escape-pod-670-the-scent-of-lions-artemis-rising/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Tara Campbell Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : S. Kay Nash Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums This story was originally published June 2016 in the Procyon Science Fiction Anthology 2016. Author : Tara Campbell Narrator : Sandra Espinoza Host : S. Kay Nash Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Artist : Yuumei Discuss on Forums This story was originally published June 2016 in the Procyon Science Fiction Anthology 2016. The Scent of Lions by Tara Campbell “Congratulations, Mrs. Costa,” chirped the young Life Center nurse. “You’re […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 37:17 https://escapepod.org/2019/02/28/escape-pod-669-craphound-flashback-friday/ Thu, 28 Feb 2019 22:00:39 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=7930 https://escapepod.org/2019/02/28/escape-pod-669-craphound-flashback-friday/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/02/28/escape-pod-669-craphound-flashback-friday/feed/ 0 Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Jesse Thorn Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Craphound was originally published in Science Fiction Age, March 1998, and on Escape Pod January 19, 2006. Mild cursing. Craphound By Cory Doctorow (Excerpt) Craphound beat me out the door, as usual. His exoskeleton is […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/02/28/escape-pod-669-craphound-flashback-friday/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Jesse Thorn Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Craphound was originally published in Science Fiction Age, March 1998, and on Escape Pod January 19, 2006. Mild cursing. Author : Cory Doctorow Narrator : Jesse Thorn Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Discuss on Forums Craphound was originally published in Science Fiction Age, March 1998, and on Escape Pod January 19, 2006. Mild cursing. Craphound By Cory Doctorow (Excerpt) Craphound beat me out the door, as usual. His exoskeleton is […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 47:47 https://escapepod.org/2019/02/21/escape-pod-668-the-harmonic-resonance-of-ejiro-anaborhi/ Thu, 21 Feb 2019 22:00:21 +0000 https://escapepod.org/?p=7924 https://escapepod.org/2019/02/21/escape-pod-668-the-harmonic-resonance-of-ejiro-anaborhi/#respond https://escapepod.org/2019/02/21/escape-pod-668-the-harmonic-resonance-of-ejiro-anaborhi/feed/ 0 Author : Wole Talabi Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums The Harmonic Resonance of Ejiro Anaborhi was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF), March 2018 The Harmonic Resonance of Ejiro Anaborhi by Wole Talabi The spindly, sleek ship hurtled forward […] <p><a href="https://escapepod.org/2019/02/21/escape-pod-668-the-harmonic-resonance-of-ejiro-anaborhi/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p> Author : Wole Talabi Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums The Harmonic Resonance of Ejiro Anaborhi was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF), Author : Wole Talabi Narrator : Maxine Moore Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Discuss on Forums The Harmonic Resonance of Ejiro Anaborhi was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF), March 2018 The Harmonic Resonance of Ejiro Anaborhi by Wole Talabi The spindly, sleek ship hurtled forward […] Escape Artists Foundation full false 50:50