Archives for January 2007
EP090: How Lonesome a Life Without Nerve Gas
Published on 25 Jan 2007 at 2:50 pm.
32 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated PG.
Read ‘EP090: How Lonesome a Life Without Nerve Gas’
-->By James Trimarco.
Read by Frank Key (of Hooting Yard and Hooting Yard on the Air).
First appeared in Afterburn SF.
After the first week of practice, I knew how to anticipate Mickey’s every move. I knew how to sense weariness in the jogging of his spine and would inject increased levels of oxygen into his airflow when I did. I knew that his heartbeat grew irregular when the platoon crossed a rope bridge high over the practice-room floor, and for that exercise I would work a calming agent into his stream. I liked to chant patriotic slogans in his ear as we practiced. “Oh the children of empire are marching,” I sang, “to crush the rebel threat.”
Although my programmers intended these songs to stimulate high levels of patriotism, Mickey didn’t like them. Perhaps that’s when the first droplets of doubt moistened the soil where the pendulous flowers of my confusion would one day bud. . . .
I’m sorry, your honor, if my poetry offends you. That’s when I first questioned his loyalty, I should have said.
Rated PG. Contains battle scenes, Imperial propaganda, overenthusiastic chemistry, and bad poetry.
Referenced Sites:
Befuddled by Cormorants by Frank Key
EP Flash Fiction Contest
EP Review: Pan’s Labyrinth
Published on 25 Jan 2007 at 11:33 am.
8 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated G, Reviews.
Read ‘EP Review: Pan’s Labyrinth’
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Reviewed by Steve Eley.
EP089: Bean There
Published on 18 Jan 2007 at 6:00 pm.
20 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated R.
By Jack Skillingstead.
Read by Jim Van Verth (of The Vintage Gamer).
First appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, April/May 2005.
“You call it crazy,” Aimee said. “I call it Evolution.”
With a capital E. The famous newsclip seen around the world. The aliens arrived neither as an invading force nor as beneficent galactic pals. By their own description they were ‘Harbingers.’
Famous network interviewer: “Harbingers of what?”
Alien: “Evolution.”
Rated R. Contains sexual imagery and themes, and lots of caffeine.
Today’s Sponsor:
EP Flash: Nightshift in the Automart
Published on 16 Jan 2007 at 11:42 pm.
14 Comments.
Filed under Flash, Podcasts, Rated R.
Read ‘EP Flash: Nightshift in the Automart’
-->By Andrew Gudgel.
Read by Jared Axelrod (of The Voice of Free Planet X).
The doors whooshed open and the Goddess Kali strode up to the counter. She stopped in front of him, grinning wickedly. Straight platinum-blonde hair spilled down over her shoulders and high bare breasts, contrasting with her inky black skin. Jeremy noticed a necklace of tiny, perfectly-formed ceramic skulls hung around her neck.
“Hi, Jeremy.”
“‘Lo, Suzy.”
The Goddess Kali’s eyes flashed red with anger. “Don’t call me that!” Behind her, a whole pantheon wandered the aisles, looking for late-night snacks.
Rated R. Contains partial nudity, some language, petty crime, and a few gods’ names taken in vain.
EP Review: Children of Men
Published on 14 Jan 2007 at 7:26 pm.
8 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated PG, Reviews.
Read ‘EP Review: Children of Men’
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Reviewed by “Eva,” Ramona Broussard, and Jonathon Sullivan.
EP088: Blood of Virgins
Published on 11 Jan 2007 at 1:22 pm.
23 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated R.
Read ‘EP088: Blood of Virgins’
-->By David Barr Kirtley.
Read by Stephen Eley.
Other dragons cavorted on the airy currents. Those dragons were cherry red or lime green or creamy brown. Their riders steered them up the beach, or inland toward the mall, or back to campus.
A slender girl on a pink dragon passed us going the opposite way, her blond hair billowing. Matt waved to her. He said over his shoulder, “I met that girl last night. Hold on, I want to say hi.” He yanked the reins and we banked sharply. My stomach lurched. We swept around in an arc and came up alongside the girl. Her dragon had the guileless beady eyes and scrunched up cheeks of a lap dog. Matt said, “Hi. Dora, right?”
“Deirdre,” she corrected. “And you’re … Matt?” He grinned, and she said, “I like your dragon.”
Rated R. Contains sexual themes, third-world exploitation, and awkward freshmen.
Referenced sites:
Foster on Film (Pre-screening giveaway)
EP Flash: Printcrime
Published on 9 Jan 2007 at 12:55 pm.
16 Comments.
Filed under Flash, Podcasts, Rated PG.
By Cory Doctorow.
Read by Karen Roman.
Da. What they did to him. When he was done, he looked like he’d been brawling with an entire rugby side. They brought him out the door and let the newsies get a good look at him as they tossed him in the car. All the while a spokesman told the world that my Da’s organized-crime bootlegging operation had been responsible for at least 20 million in contraband, and that my Da, the desperate villain, had resisted arrest.
Rated PG. Contains moderate violence and very slippery slopes.
300 Word Flash Contest!
Published on 6 Jan 2007 at 12:19 am.
25 Comments.
Filed under Site News.
Hi all,
I announced this in the intro to last week’s episode, but got distracted and didn’t put it into written form here. Until now.
With the aid of an anonymous donor, Escape Pod is presenting a contest for the best SF story of 300 words or less. There are no restrictions on theme, plot, or structure. The goal is simply to present a strong idea-based story in the minimum space possible. (more…)
EP087: Authorwerx
Published on 4 Jan 2007 at 4:41 pm.
14 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated R.
By Greg van Eekhout.
Read by Stephen Eley.
I launched into my next bit, which I’d rehearsed that morning on the tram. “What I liked about your stories is that you never knew where they were going. It’d start off as a World War II military adventure, but then it would wind up being about android worms from another dimension out to steal Earth’s dirt. It’s like other writers’ stories are bridges: There’s a beginning, there’s an end, and it’s a pretty straight shot through. It might be a long bridge, or curvy, maybe, so you can’t quite see the ending coming. But the trip basically makes sense. Your stories were different, though. You always blew up your bridges halfway across, and you’d have to swim for the banks, and you’d end up on some rock with weird lizards.”
On the verge of laughter, he looked at me. “You’re kidding, right?”
Rated R. Contains profanity and a disturbing resemblance to Philip K. Dick.
Referenced sites:
Eley’s writing progress
New forums (finally!)
EP Review: Eragon
Published on 1 Jan 2007 at 2:37 pm.
26 Comments.
Filed under Podcasts, Rated PG, Reviews.
Reviewed by Jonathon Sullivan.
