Second, and this is mostly to D.C., the resolution is that he is no longer really suffered. He has learned his lesson that he must be more responsible but also enjoy the life he has including the time he has with his children.

Anyways it was a cool story with a great lesson. See ya ‘Scapers! (Guest hosts should say that at the end of their outros)

Sincerely,
The Blaine Boy

We all are disconnected in some way from each other. Even the father talking to the hologram as if it was his daughter. That was a bit freaky.

Also find it funny that if we had this technology we would use it for something so banal as speeding.

Why not use it to relive being in love for the first time, being hugged by your child or just relaxing and being happy.

But no, it seem normal that we would use such impressive technology to brow beat people to slow down. Better to mandate the use of a stick than offering a carrot.

Like others have said in this section. This story is what SF is all about.

JB – thanks for sharing your comments it was well thought out and heart felt.

I don’t recommend the experience. I’ll have the photorealistic image of his body impacting the hood of my truck with me till I die. And I could fill a novel with all the “minutiae” I remember from that afternoon. That minutiae is important to our comprehension of the protagonist’s state of mind.

In the end, one survives such things by integrating them into the self. For some time after the accident, I shoved it aside in my mind and didn’t speak of it. But as I’ve grown older, the experience has become part of me, and it has come to instruct my living. God knows I’m a very careful driver now, but there are other ways, too. I’m respectful of children, and I recognize my reponsibility to them. I’m slower to criticize others’ “stupid” mistakes. I’m forgiving.

That’s what I think is going on with our protagonist, he’s working through the process of integrating this into his self. Sometimes the heroic choice you make is to accept what is your lot and go on living.

Am I projecting? Probably. I don’t care. I like the story.

I thought the story was well crafted because it introduced it’s elements in a surprising, compelling way.

The narrator suited the story and made it come alive.

Tony’s intro/outro were great and he created interest in his own podcast – well done Tony.

I listened to this one twice. A very successful podcast in my opinion.

This one is a little bit too strange for Escapepod, I would expect to hear it on Drabblecast…

Tony you were great!

Yes, it’s an imaginative use of technology to change behavior/punish transgressions, but where is the author’s judgment on it? While I felt sympathy for the plight of both fathers, I got no feeling whether Mr. Creasey believes the speeder deserved his fate or whether being forced to feel another person’s grief is an appropriate punishment, or what we Americans would call “cruel or unusual”.

It is heart without morals.

A very British story. Classic bit where the whole world in the story is “normal” except for one little bit, and how that changes things.

A little sci-fi in the middle of a boring, bland story…are you sure this wasn’t Cory Doctorow?

Escape Pod just made my Friday!

Although it’s certainly going to alienate many American listeners, this is a definite favourite for me.

I spent half the story terrified that Nathan would learn Christopher was a second, more effective state-induced hallucination. The hopeful ending was a pleasant surprise.

Speaking of surprises: Tony C. Smith as acting captain of Escape Pod? To paraphrase one of my favorite podcasters: “Thanks so much Tony; you’re a star.”