Comments on: EP114: Cloud Dragon Skies

By: George

George — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:35:05 +0000

I love it when a writer can imbue a story with so much of herself, as is clear from the natural flow of the author's prose. Mellifluous is the word that springs to mind.

Top drawer delivery also! It was just what I think I would have imagined if I'd been reading this story in print.

By: Ruhlandpedia » Blog Archive » Songs and Shuttles

Ruhlandpedia » Blog Archive » Songs and Shuttles — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:05:35 +0000

[...] was catching up on Escapepod episodes that I hadn’t listened to yet (lots) and at the end of EP114 there was a song called “The Fall” you gotta listen to it. I want his CD but it might [...]

By: LIVE Talkcast #1 « KnitWitch’s Scifi/Fantasy Zone Show Notes

LIVE Talkcast #1 « KnitWitch’s Scifi/Fantasy Zone Show Notes — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 04:34:28 +0000

[...] Jemisin, author of the short story “Cloud Dragon Skies” which was recently featured on Escape Pod, episode #114. Her short story “L’Alchimista” was published in Scattered, Covered, Smothered – [...]

By: Elias Gan

Elias Gan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:29:03 +0000

We have all the elements:
* Noble savages and na√Øve scientists? Check.
* A strong, intelligent woman who will not be tamed by the men in her village? Check.
* Main character (a woman) who is wiser than the two conflicting elements (her father and the scientists) who are both men? Check.
* Love story of two people from two worlds? Check.
* We are stupidly killing planet Earth? Check.
* Savvy woman easily manipulating a na√Øve man with her sexuality? Check.

And were the “dragons” alive? I have no problem with them being some kind of supernatural manifestation or even new life form, but the scientists treated them like they were quantifiable phenomenon. If the scientists were like ‚ÄúWe have no idea what the f**k is going on‚Äù then I could buy that they were alive. But the hard SF treatment of them did not jibe with their supernatural behavior.

Now, I liked the combination of two elements of post-apocalyptic life: leave Earth or be reduced to primitive society. Here we have both. I think it would have been really interesting to have some dissention in both parties: a person on the ring wishing he/she had been born on Earth; and Earth people who were eager to live on the Ring. But we have seen these clich√©s before and it made it hard to get into the story.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:45:00 +0000

This story really grabbed me. I didn’t expect it to, but it did. Really beautiful. Like one of the previous posters, I was pleasantly surprised by the complex reaction of the “noble savage” protagonist to the ring-dweller and his culture.

By: Dave (aka Nev the Deranged)

Dave (aka Nev the Deranged) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 01:05:45 +0000

As others have remarked, Ms. Whitaker's reading was superb. This story, for me, went right along with The Giving Plague as another powerful tale about the inevitability of change and the futility of man's effort to divide himself from Nature. Man can never be "apart" from nature, because nature is everything that is- including, for better or ill, man and all his works. Cloud Dragon Skies approaches from a completely different angle, but shares that theme. It also shares a theme with Ishmael in Love, in that love makes people act against their better judgement, but it was less intrusive in this one, perhaps because it came in something of a rush at the end. The main character seemed pretty blase about the destruction of everything she knew, but her people had long cultivated an acceptance of life's vagaries, so that wasn't too hard to swallow. All in all, I enjoyed this one.

Please get Ms. Whitaker back to read more stories, she's fantastic, and her accents are marvelous!

By: Society and Stories « Subtle Activist

Society and Stories « Subtle Activist — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:04:19 +0000

[...] Escape Pod: Episode 119¬† [...]

By: “Cloud Dragon Skies” by N. K. Jemisin « bored beyond belief

“Cloud Dragon Skies” by N. K. Jemisin « bored beyond belief — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:01:29 +0000

[...] Pod (”The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine”), which includes readings of short stories. Escape Pod #114 included the short story Cloud Dragon Skies by N.K. [...]

By: Janni

Janni — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:17:25 +0000

This was one that seeped in slowly for me–I liked it while it was being read, but I liked it more as I kept thinking about it after the reading was through. Well done.

By: Baus

Baus — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:04:28 +0000

I wonder did the reader come up with the Slavic-esque and British-esque accents for the two scientist speaking parts on her own, or were there author notes to that effect? Well done!

Per usual, I appreciated Eley's reflections on sci-fi in the intro. It got me thinking how two prominent socio-political ideas/theories (Huntington's "Clash" and Fukuyama's "End") are both themes in the genre.

By: Waparius

Waparius — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 12:39:55 +0000

The first half of this story bothered me because I was thinking it would be another in a long chorus line singing

Lo! The Noble Primitives are more Noble Than the Evil Scientists!

but as it went on, it got ambiguous enough to be interesting. On the whole I liked this.

By: Irv

Irv — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:53:29 +0000

This was a great story for me. I agree with the concept that we need to adapt to the Earth and not just flatten an obstacles in our way. Sometimes the obstacles are the most beautiful things in our lives. Last but not least, The reading itself was great Ms. Whitaker's voice was perfect for this story.

Escape Pod continues to be my Favorite PodCast. Keep up the Great work.

By: Bazooka Joe

Bazooka Joe — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:08:51 +0000

I liked Cloud of Dragons well enough but it was M√°ia's reading that really grabbed me.

There have been other stories that have appeared on Escape Pod that I have found more compelling but it was M√°ia's pacing and delivery and portrayal of character's that really made Cloud of Dragons come alive for me. A great voice actor can't make a dismal story better but a great voice actor can take a good story and make it shine.

I'm looking forward to more tales on Escape Pod being read from Ms. Whitaker!