On Hiatus
Folks:
Summary first. Escape Pod is going to miss its weekly releases for the remainder of November. We will resume in December, probably the first week.
Now the explanation.
I suppose I could just say that I’m writing this just prior to leaving for my grandmother’s funeral. She died a few weeks ago, and the memorial service is taking place in New Jersey this weekend. That would be sufficient excuse to miss a week by almost anyone’s reckoning. Add in a tough new day job, lingering physical illness, and unstable brain chemistry, and I could really play for some sympathy here. But it isn’t the complete picture.
The fact is that I need some time. I need to get regrounded, for my own health and also for the good of Escape Pod. Since May of 2005 we have not missed a week, and I’ve been very proud — perhaps hubristic — of having one of the longest uninterrupted runs in podcasting. We’ve achieved some amazing things almost by accident: we’ve become the number two SF market with about 25,000 listeners, we’ve brought attention to incredible stories by previously unknown authors, and we’ve grown into a real business with two additional podcasts. From a strategic point of view we’re doing all right. We’re not totally where I wanted to be by now, but fundamentally we’re succeeding.
But tactically, with Escape Pod in particular, I’ve been flying way too close to the ground. It’s been week-to-week and barely controlled chaos for a really long time now. My communication’s always been behind, but now it’s by months. The releases keep slipping, and sometimes I don’t know on Monday what the week’s story will be. It’s been costing me more sleep than usual. These are resolvable issues; I have a nice clear to-do list of obvious things that would make my job a lot easier. (“Better delegation” covers about half the list.) But I haven’t been stepping back to do any of them. Even when I have the time, it’s been hard to muster the energy.
Most of all, I’m afraid of losing my perspective. For a while now I’ve been pushing myself so hard on EP that it’s close to becoming more Not Fun than Fun. I’m in danger of forgetting why I’m doing it. And that is not something I can permit. If I lose my own passion for the stories, I know I won’t be the only one who suffers. That’s the point at which the podcast will start to suck.
So I’m doing a very, very difficult thing right now for the sake of long-term success: I’m letting myself fail for a few weeks. I’m taking a breather, relaxing a bit, and trying to forgive myself for doing it. I’m going to do right by my grandmother, and then I’m going to take a few days to just chill, and then I’m going to see what I need to do to get organized and get on top of the game again.
I know it’s risky to pin such things to a schedule. But I’m pretty confident in the range of this hiatus: it will not be less than two weeks, and it should not be more than four. The smart money’s on three weeks, putting us back on in the first week of December. We already have some great stuff pending. We have the next Union Dues story, and in my opinion it’s the best one yet. We have a fantastic alien world story from this year’s Cambpell Award winner, Mary Robinette Kowal. And Mur Lafferty is preparing what may be the most kickass science fiction Christmas story ever. I promise you we’ll be back soon, because dammit, I want to hear those things in audio.
Two logistical points:
First, PodCastle and Pseudopod aren’t affected. Rachel and Ann and Ben and Al are totally in the groove, and Escape Artists as a company is doing fine. This announcement only affects Escape Pod. So you’ve still got a short fiction fix, and if those aren’t enough, feel free to check out some others.
Second, I’m well aware that donors have a pretty good reason to be upset. You’re giving your money on an article of faith, after all — that we’ll use it to keep bringing you stories — and if we’re not bringing them to you, even temporarily, we’re not keeping that trust. We’ve recently had some very substantial donations, ones which I have yet to send proper thank-you messages for. (Those are coming too.) I’m hoping most of you will be cool with my reasoning here and bear with us. But if you’ve donated in the past few months and you object to this hiatus, e-mail me from your PayPal address and let me know, and I will refund your money to you, no questions asked. I would honestly rather keep your goodwill than your cash.
…So there you have it. That’s the honest explanation of what’s going on, as best I can state it. I’ll be spending the next few weeks gathering my wits, my priorities, and a team, probably in that order. And then you’ll have more stories. We’ll be back soon. In the meantime, thank you for any patience you’re willing to give.
And of course: Have Fun.
Steve,
Take all the time you need. Your loyal fan base will still be here. We would rather you find this fun, and be happy, than to let the quality slip because it became “work”.
Blessings and warm fuzzy thoughts to you and yours. We will be waiting for your return.
Guess it is time to check out some “vintage” EP.
Ditto the above. Joined your listening family this year,it’s a bit of worry how addicted I have become in a short time. You are a master at what you do. Spend time with your family, rest up, take more holidays – all well deserved. Gives me time to re-listen and catch up – thanks for that. Hope to hear you again before too long and that you have a big front lawn. (See above)
What courage it took, you are an amazing
man.Take all the time you need. It is you time now!!
I cannot add a single word to improve upon what has already been said regarding our condolences, our gratitude for what you’ve provided so far to all of us – and the fact that we all want you to take care of yourself so EP can continue. So the only thing I CAN add is to suggest that anyone who needs an EP fix do what I’m gonna do – listen to some old episodes for a few weeks. For cryin’ out loud, there are 183 of them to choose from and I know I’m going to enjoy some of them as much this time as I did the first time I heard them!
Safe travels, Steve!
Reading through these comments brought me to tears. Anyone can publish audio fiction, it takes something special to build a truly loving community. Do what you need to do Steve.
Please don’t let this lapse in episodes be viewed as failure. Let your time off be viewed as reward for an amazingly successful effort. Take care of yourself, take time to grieve for those lost and take solace in the comments posted here.
see how much we love you?
get better!
You’ve done a fantastic job, have a great “product” (inverted commas because it’s free!) and deserve a break.
Good luck!
Some quotes for you to ponder, Steve:
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison
The best way out is always through. – Robert Frost
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert F. Kennedy
And of course, my favorite:
Fall down nine times, get up ten.
You’re doing a great and amazing job and I utterly love EP. Take a well deserved break, okay?
Escape Pod is the best, and well worth the wait. Success and failure are at the mercy of our own definitions.
I’ve listened to Escape Pod for over a year and never miss an episode. I checked on i-tunes for this week’s story and it didn’t show up. I googled the escape pod web site – I had never been here before – and I read Steve’s note and all these responses. It’s amazing that about one in two hundred listeners have responded here, that’s got to be a remarkable statistic.
I’ve not made any effort to join in the discussion before, but I’ve enjoyed hearing the reviews from the previous weeks’ stories.
I’ve also enjoyed the personalization of Steve injecting Steve’s life into the intros and extros of these stories.
I agree with the sentiments above about being no biggy taking a break and taking care of one’s self.
Coming here and moving one step closer into Steve’s community moves me to make my first donation.
Steve – take care. You are a success.
Steve,
Thank you.
Take a break.
My condolences to you and your family.
I look forward to the next story, but if it were not to happen, you have given us an awful lot of good.
Regards
Bill.
Steve,
As a person who has battled depression and bipolar for years, I know exactly where you’re coming from, and I wanted to tell you that you are doing exactly the right thing. Take care of you. We’re not going anywhere.
Please take your time, get better, and return to us when you’re ready.
A lot of podcasts these days have a pretty loose schedule. Maybe that would work better for you.
Cheers
James
[...] Escape Pod [...]
Steve,
Life is meant to be fun and we do not expect you to work your way into the ground. Most of us have leave and holidays every year and you should be no exception. Get a break, get some rest, get some minions. We’ll still be here.
ARGH! No EP for a few weeks?! Life is ruined! LOL
Enjoy a holiday. Everyone else does.
And think about getting more guest narrators. You do it almost every single week. No wonder you’re worn out!
Steve, there must be times when you wonder whether or not it’s all worth the effort.
Just take it from me that it really is. Without Escape Pod, and all the other Escape Artists’ contributions, my hour-and-a-half drive to work every morning at 06:30 would be torture.
Not only that, but you’ve added so much colour and shape to the thoughts in my head that I’m a happier person just for havinng these wonderful and terrible ideas to mull over and think about during the working day.
So, quite frankly: My life is better for having you in it. And I thank you for that.
Kindest regards from David Steele, Yorkshire, England.
You know, Steve – you’ve done an amazing thing for a lot of new authors by getting this whole show up and off the ground and flying, and you’ve been an amazing resource for your listeners as well. I have been impressed by the continuous high quality of your shows, and thrilled to see the whole operation grow and diversify into your sibling podcasts at PodCastle and PseudoPod.
More amazing still (have I overused that particular superlative? I think not!) is how you manage to pull all of this off AND run a real job and a real life on the side. I know how incredibly difficult that is, and when push comes to shove, real life has to win. Part of why I listen to EscapePod is so that I can escape from mine for a little while – but I know those escapes can’t replace the real thing. I can dream of Artificial Intelligence and laser beams, but I have to listen to the podcast while in front of the microscope.
Heck, when I didn’t find a new EscapePod story in my automated feed this week, my first concern was not, “where is my story, darnit!”, but rather, “gee, I hope Mr. Eley is okay”. I think that you should take that to heart. Your audience is sympathetic and appreciative, and will be here when you get back. We know that you are an integral part of the show, and that it can’t happen unless you are doing okay.
So… get okay, Mr. Eley.
Reality has to come first.
The fiction and your fans will still be here waiting when you get back.
Post 120. I hope that means something to you.
Finally a chance to catch up on all the old stories!
(Nightfall was awesome)
Get it together Steve. For real.
Steve,
Hope you find the Fund and the Balance you are looking for!
Steve,
I listen to EscapePod at night as I drift off to sleep. You are a beautiful bedtime storyteller and I will be forever grateful for the bliss your podcast has given me. Please take as much time as you need to care for yourself.
This is no failure, dear one. In part, this is all of the vacations that you never allowed yourself finally catching up to you. I hope that when you return you are able to include periods of R&R into your regularly scheduled podcasting activities. Your horde of listeners won’t mind if you take some time away from tending us to nurture yourself now and then.
Take care.
July 14, 2005
You create your own stage,
the audience is waiting.
You’re a good narrator (esp when you DON’T try to do women’s voices) and you pick a lot of good stories, “Beans and Marbles” was very entertaining. I hope you feel better soon.
Steve, you’ve done an excellent job with escape pod, we’ll still be here when you’re back.
Steve, i’ve been listening for quite a while now and i got behind when i left Ontario (up in Canada) for Fort McMurray, Alberta (also Canada, but much colder). Anyway, when driving home one night i hear on the radio (CBC radio 1) the announcer talk about science fiction radio shows of the past and how they don’t really exist anymore. i think i said out loud “yeah they do, it’s called ESCAPE POD”. no sooner than the words leave my lips the announcer goes on to say that there is an outlet for science fiction in audio format in the form of the podcast and that the best one is ESCAPE POD.
so, during your hiatus, know that you have made it all the way up to the Great White North on the FM band and i’ll be listening and trying to “have fun”.
Steve, I hope you get what you need from your break – please take as long as you need. All the best you sweet sweet man.
Steve, get some rest. You won’t lose any loyal listeners during your break.
Take a vacation.
Everyone takes vacation.
I expect you to do the same, without having to provide an excuse.
Best of luck sorting it all out.
(And… the show is great. Escape Pod and Podcastle; best fiction sources in Podcasting.)
Steve,
We all understand! You are doing a great job! Take your time!
-EP fan
Everybody needs time off. Passion is important, and no one would want you to lose your love of science fiction. Take a break, breathe in, breathe out, and when your lungs ache for story time, come back to us. We’ll be here.
Steve,
If you need time to get your act together take it. I’m sure that all the Escape Pods fans would prefer you to take a longer break now, even through December, if you can come back stronger and better in the new year. I love Escape Pod and appreciate all the work you have done to bring it to us. Before Escape Pod I have never really understood nor liked short fiction, now I understand how amazing it is.
So, take a big breath and dont forget to “have fun”
WOW…almost afraid to add anything here for fear of sounding silly. Apart from the great stories I think I stay (a year now) to find out how you (Steve) are doing. I can’t recall a podcaster pulling me into their life as much as you have. I am sure that’s part of why we are all still here, stories…yes but personality…definitely. I will be waiting to hear more. By the way I live in the vacation spot you need…Negril, Jamaica….FUN…we know the meaning of fun… Take care and “cool runnings”.
Steve,
I fully support you in taking a break. You are overdue a break and it is okay to take one!!! I hope you give yourself full permission to do this and not consider it a failure because I don’t. You are a strong person to admit this is what you need. Thank you for your hard and wonderful work bringing the greatest short SF out there!!! Oh, and to borrow I line I have heard a time or two: “HAVE FUN!”
Some people strive their whole life and still don’t leave much of a mark on the world. You are not one of those people. Never under estimate how good EscapePod is or how much we the listeners enjoy the stories (and the quality of the reading).
The breaks you take are your business and you will not be judged for it. I just appreciate the hard work that goes in every week to bring me a story. It’s like being a kid again and hanging out for the next comic book.
So much has already been said that is worth saying! I’ll agree with pretty much everything, and comment on these comments:
Will@35, I also moved to a non-English-speaking country with no bookstores in the village, not even Spanish-langauge stories (unless the Watchtower counts…). Lacking the intimacy of being read to is sometimes overwhelming. It is a reconection with humanity, in a deeply human manner; coupled with Steve’s thoughts, it’s like being sent fresh muffins from home, and opening the box to find that they are still hot from the oven.
Earthspot @ 76 – on gratitude: I’ve found that gratitude is not really an appropriate return for offering the kind of generosity and assistace that is needed during mental illness; survival is. Give without expecting; understand that it’s not perversity that causes people to attach resentment to those who helped them, but shame at our own helplessness. Expectations of gratitude, from others or from ourselves, perpetuate that shame. Forgive, and enjoy the survival.
Benjamin @ 89 – I can’t say enough good things about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It saved my kid’s life, and the mindfulness it’s based on saved mine.
Steve, you are loved. Not only in some intellectual, arm’s length, awkward geek kind of way; though, probably that, too. You have gathered about you a community. Your spirit cannot help but show through your work. You are bravely honest, care about quality, respect your listeners, and you value freedom… of course, so does the audience you’ve attracted. Courage is not about never being weak or scared; it is about being frightened, and doing it anyway.
So go on then, survive–more than that, thrive. Whatever it takes to rediscover your joy, do that.
Wow. Look at the love.
Will@35, I also moved to a non-English-speaking country with no bookstores in the village, not even Spanish-langauge stories (unless the Watchtower counts…). Lacking the intimacy of being read to is sometimes overwhelming. It is a reconection with humanity, in a deeply human manner; coupled with Steve’s thoughts, it’s like being sent fresh muffins from home, and opening the box to find that they are still hot from the oven.
Earthspot @ 76 – on gratitude: I’ve found that gratitude is not really an appropriate return for offering the kind of generosity and assistace that is needed during mental illness; survival is. Give without expecting; understand that it’s not perversity that causes people to attach resentment to those who helped them, but shame at our own helplessness. Expectations of gratitude, from others or from ourselves, perpetuate that shame. Forgive, and enjoy the survival.
Benjamin @ 89 – I can’t say enough good things about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It saved my kid’s life, and the mindfulness it’s based on saved mine.
Steve, you are loved. Not only in some intellectual, arm’s length, awkward geek kind of way; though, probably that, too. You have gathered about you a community. Your spirit cannot help but show through your work. You are bravely honest, care about quality, respect your listeners, and you value freedom… of course, so does the audience you’ve attracted. Courage is not about never being weak or scared; it is about being frightened, and doing it anyway.
So go on then, survive–more than that, thrive. Whatever it takes to rediscover your joy, do that.
Just a quick addition of my 2 cents – I too greatly enjoy Escape Pod (and PP and PC) and will be patiently awaiting its return. Thank you!
Steve – Take a break. Family & Health first! I came to Escape Pod around show #7, and it’s been a real pleasure to listen to over the years. You’ve done a fantastic job. But now you need a break. Have a great holiday.
Breathe.
Learn to have fun with this again.
Because you make it possible for people like me to have fun listening to it.
My condolences on the loss of your Grandmother.
Take your time to do what you need. Time off for a good re-think is not failing, its managing. The best podcasts I listen to go on regularly scheduled breaks.
And remember, whne you can, have fun!
Steve – Take as long as you need, We will be waiting …
Take Care.
Mr. Eley,
I have never contributed to the site before, but have been reading it and listening to the podcasts for a long time. I also have a podcast. I have put out 12 episodes in one year and have struggled to do so, I cannot imagine doing a weekly podcast. Escape pod is amazing. Please take as much time as you need. What I am trying to say has been much more eloquently said by others above. Have fun.
My sympathy to you and your family on the passing of your grandmother.
I have been listening since about episode 7 or so, not the VERY beginning, but pretty close and there have been times when I have been too busy to even listen to every single episode every week, so, I really admire you for keeping on top of it all – life, family, work, etc for this long. You deserve the rest and I pray for you, your health, your family while you are in the period of your life and trying to get things sorted out. I admire you Steve Eley for putting together three podcasts since 2005.
Have Fun!
Steve,
You are so important. One of my favorite people in this extremely important Grand Faloon.
Take care of yourself so we can have you back when you are ready.
If you need a get-away, I live 20 miles from Aspen and I have a nice big guest bedroom and guest bath…
hey, I’ve got such a backlog of stories to catch up with, it’s no problem. Enjoy your break. And thanks for such a treasure trove
Steve,
Do what you have to do to take care of yourself. We’ll all still be here when you get back.
A point of empathy. It sounds like you and I have dealt with some of the same issues. Depression and all that comes with it . . . In my case, I was depressed for nearly my entire life, and only realized it when I reached my 30s.
Getting better took some of the finest medications modern chemistry can offer. The amazing thing? It worked. I don’t feel any less me, but the world itself is now tinged with a much lighter shade of gray.
I’m not going bright white light. That’s just not who I am. But the person I am is enjoying the gray world a hell of a lot more.
Like so many people here, I’m happy to offer myself as a resource, share my experiences, and give what help I can.
Steve,
I am in full support of you and this podcast. I would rather see you take some time than disappear from the podiverse. Be well and keep watching the skies!
Peace, brother,
Mike