Archive for April, 2007

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EP103: The Watching People

By Paul Berger.
Read by Stephen Eley.
First appeared in Ideomancer, December 2004.

One must show the proper respect for knowledge, and learn by watching and
counting and copying. The Doctor does almost nothing but learn –
although he watches the wrong things — and some of us think he might be
a little sacred as well, which is one of the reasons he is still alive.
It might be unlucky to eat a sacred person.

But the main reason he is still among us is someday we will learn
something valuable from him, and then maybe the village will support the
lives of a few more of the People. We watch him carefully.

Rated PG. Contains mild language, some violence, and the Observer Effect gone very awry.

Referenced Sites:

Dr. Howard V. Hendrix’s “Webscab” essay

Jo Walton’s “International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day” essay

International Pixel-Stained Technopeasants Community

Pseudopod

Air Out My Shorts

 
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Apr 26, 2007 | 20 comments View Post
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EP102: The Angle of My Dreams

By Jay Lake.
Read by Stephen Eley.
First appeared in 3SF Magazine, October 2002.

That spring in math class, after we’d all kind of got back to normal about the Challenger blowing up, we were studying angles. Because I do good in class, Mrs. Doornie gave me a protractor to work with, and I used it to measure the angle of my dreams. That’s when I figured exactly how steep a hill needed to be for me to fly in real life.

Rated PG for corporal punishment and death of family members.

 
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Apr 19, 2007 | 15 comments View Post
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EP101: The 43 Antarean Dynasties

1998 Hugo Winner!
By Mike Resnick.
Read by Steven Burley and Gregg Taylor (of Decoder Ring Theatre).
Discuss on our forums.
First appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, December 1997.
All stories by Mike Resnick.
All stories read by Steven Burley and Gregg Taylor.

A man, a woman, and a child emerge from the Temple of the Honored Sun. The woman holds a camera to her eye, capturing the same image from a dozen unimaginative angles. The child, his lip sparsely covered with hair that is supposed to imply maturity, never sees beyond the game he is playing on his pocket computer. The man looks around to make sure no one is watching him, grinds out a smokeless cigar beneath his heel, and then increases his pace until he joins them.

They approach me, and I will myself to become one with my surroundings, to insinuate myself into the marble walls and stone walkways before they can speak to me.

I am invisible. You cannot see me. You will pass me by.

“Hey, fella — we’re looking for a guide,” says the man. “You interested?”

Rated PG. Contains mild documentary references to violence and sexual acts. It’s also not very upbeat.

Referenced Sites:
Joe Murphy Tribute Podcast
Joe Murphy Memorial Fund
Beatnik Turtle

 
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Apr 12, 2007 | 20 comments View Post
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EP100: Nightfall

By Isaac Asimov.
Read by Stephen Eley.
First appeared in Astounding Science Fiction, September 1941.

“Of the six suns, only Beta is left in the sky. Do you see it?”

The question was rather unnecessary. Beta was almost at zenith, its
ruddy light flooding the landscape to an unusual orange as the brilliant
rays of setting Gamma died. Beta was at aphelion. It was small; smaller than
Theremon had ever seen it before, and for the moment it was undisputed ruler
of Lagash’s sky.

Lagash’s own sun, Alpha, the one about which it revolved, was at the
antipodes, as were the two distant companion pairs. The red dwarf Beta — Alpha’s immediate companion — was alone, grimly alone.

Aton’s upturned face flushed redly in the sunlight. “In just under four
hours,” he said, “civilization, as we know it, comes to an end. It will do
so because, as you see, Beta is the only sun in the sky.” He smiled grimly.
“Print that! There’ll be no one to read it.”

Rated G. Contains some violence and apocalyptic themes.

 
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Apr 05, 2007 | 50 comments View Post
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EP Review: Echelon


A Novel by Josh Conviser .

Reviewed by Raymund Eich.

 
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Apr 03, 2007 | 3 comments View Post