http://escapepod.org The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine. Each week Escape Pod delivers science fiction short stories from today's best authors. Listen today, and hear the new sound of science fiction! Fri, 25 May 2012 21:12:36 +0000 en hourly 1 2005-2012 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0 editor@escapepod.org (Mur Lafferty) editor@escapepod.org (Mur Lafferty) science fiction 1440 http://escapepod.org/wp-content/images/pod-org-icon300.jpg http://escapepod.org 144 144 The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine. Each week Escape Pod delivers science fiction short stories from today's best authors. Listen today, and hear the new sound of science fiction! science fiction, sf, stories, audiobooks, storytelling, fiction, short fiction, short story Mur Lafferty Mur Lafferty editor@escapepod.org no no http://escapepod.org/2011/10/01/soundproof-12/ http://escapepod.org/2011/10/01/soundproof-12/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:37:50 +0000 Bill Peters http://escapepod.org/?p=2710 http://escapepod.org/2011/10/01/soundproof-12/feed/ 1 0:00:01 You can download the ePub version here. This is the October issue, so I guess I should be sounding all spooky in the editor’s note, but That Holiday Which Must Be Feared is a month away, so instead why don’t we talk about reinvention. I’m not that [...] You can download the ePub version here. This is the October issue, so I guess I should be sounding all spooky in the editor’s note, but That Holiday Which Must Be Feared is a month away, so instead why don’t we talk about reinvention. I’m not that great at waiting out long serialized stories, and honestly with longer book series where the author is know for long stretches between novels (Cough-George-RR-Martin-Cough) I usually stop one before the last one out so I can at least control when I’ll restart the story. So comics have never been an ideal form for me, except for when the storyline’s collected into a volume. Or, in the case of The Sandman, 10 volumes. But we’re a bit into DC’s reboot, and their reinvention means a bit more critical eye is being cast over their crop than would be if they hadn’t resorted to remaking themselves in the great American tradition. And while there are highs in the new crop, the lows have been getting most of the attention, because, well, while any reboot is going to lose you fans, it shouldn’t do this to young female fans: http://io9.com/5844355/ On a happier note, this is one-year anniversary of Escape Pod reinventing a bit of itself into a text product in addition to the audio coming into your ear canals every week. I think it’s been a success, but this is as good a point as any to stop and ask for feedback, so hit up feedback@escapepod.org with your suggestions for what we can do different/better in Soundproof. This Soundproof is bringing you Lavie Tidhar’s The Insurance Agent, Saladin Ahmed’s The Faithful Soldier, Prompted, and T. L. Morganfield’s Night Bird Soaring. So it’s a strong issue. Hope you enjoy it, —Bill P.S. SF Signal put together an awesome, awesome flowchart of NPR’s top 100 SF/F books. Go get lost in it here: http://www.box.net/shared/static/a6omcl2la0ivlxsn3o8m.jpg Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2011/08/03/soundproof-10/ http://escapepod.org/2011/08/03/soundproof-10/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:16:12 +0000 Bill Peters http://escapepod.org/?p=2497 http://escapepod.org/2011/08/03/soundproof-10/feed/ 0 0:00:01 Download the ePub version here. Hey folks— Short editor’s note this month to make sure this goes out reasonably on time to all you faithful listeners. Er, readers. Last month saw a bit of mopping-up action on the various nominees with Stone Wall [...] Download the ePub version here. Hey folks— Short editor’s note this month to make sure this goes out reasonably on time to all you faithful listeners. Er, readers. Last month saw a bit of mopping-up action on the various nominees with Stone Wall Truth, which got nominated in the novella category for the Nebula, and the space-piratical Leech Run. But most importantly, we hit Episode 300 of the podcast that Steve built with Tim Pratt’s We Go Back. Who Escape Pod goes pretty far back with. His stories are episodes 8, 31 (with Greg van Eekhout), 67, 105, 142, 190, 239, 251 and 276. He’s probably far and away the Escape Pod fan favorite, and Impossible Dreams is still the story I usually recommend as the entry point for new Escape Pod listeners. It’s been a little over a year since Mur took over and I snuck in through an open side Escape Pod airlock (for closed values of open). We’re still adrift in space, same as it ever was, floating along scanning for the next story, and eventually a planet to set down on. Like many fiction journeys, the path laid out at the beginning is not the path you end up going down, because that would be boring. Until the next, —Bill Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2010/10/04/news-changes-at-escape-pod-blog-reviews-text-and-rate-increase/ http://escapepod.org/2010/10/04/news-changes-at-escape-pod-blog-reviews-text-and-rate-increase/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:43:23 +0000 Mur Lafferty http://escapepod.org/?p=956 http://escapepod.org/2010/10/04/news-changes-at-escape-pod-blog-reviews-text-and-rate-increase/feed/ 17 http://escapepod.org/2009/11/19/ep225-a-hard-rain-at-the-fortean-cafe/ http://escapepod.org/2009/11/19/ep225-a-hard-rain-at-the-fortean-cafe/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:30:17 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=516 http://escapepod.org/2009/11/19/ep225-a-hard-rain-at-the-fortean-cafe/feed/ 0 0:31:20 by Lavie Tidhar narrated by Sarah Tolbert This story originally appeared in Aeon #14. The diner stood off the highway outside a small town optimistically called Hope. Hope was being stuck in the middle of the Northwest and wishing you were someplace[...] by Lavie Tidhar narrated by Sarah Tolbert This story originally appeared in Aeon #14. The diner stood off the highway outside a small town optimistically called Hope. Hope was being stuck in the middle of the Northwest and wishing you were someplace, anyplace else. And Hope was also the name on the tag pinned to the dead woman in waitress uniforms that was currently lying against the wall inside the _Barbie-Q Roadhouse_. I had to stop myself from worrying at the connection: looking for patterns when sometimes there are none at all. I wasn’t worried about Hope (the waitress, not the town). I didn’t get called down here for a murder: shit, murder is an honest-to-God American pastime. Just look at the statistics. No, I got called in because of the Marilyn. The Marilyn was also dead. All in all, there were five dead people in the Barbie-Q: two waitresses; a balding man who – from his bag full of cheaply-printed catalogues – was some sort of a general salesman; the diner’s manageress; and Marilyn. They had been shot by a machine gun, probably an Uzi. Marilyn’s head left a red smear against the glass of the booth she sat in. She was there alone. What the hell was a Marilyn doing out here? Rated R for violence and language. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/11/05/ep223-the-uncanny-valley/ http://escapepod.org/2009/11/05/ep223-the-uncanny-valley/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:06:42 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=502 http://escapepod.org/2009/11/05/ep223-the-uncanny-valley/feed/ 0 0:55:55 by Nick Mamatas read by Kathryn Baker The trouble with knowing everything there is to know, Stephanie Dowling decided instantly, because that’s how clever she was, was that when there was something unknown out there, she had nobody to consult.[...] by Nick Mamatas read by Kathryn Baker The trouble with knowing everything there is to know, Stephanie Dowling decided instantly, because that’s how clever she was, was that when there was something unknown out there, she had nobody to consult. And there was something unknown out there, nibbling away at the edge of the economy, and screwing with the Cottrell-Cockshot tatonnements sufficiently that there’d be problems. Shortages of essentials: power cells and answer boxes. Ridiculous surpluses of nonsense like chrome and diamonds. She could tell because the bride was coughing between her lines and the donkey she rode on suddenly looked ill. It would be just like … wossname … that old thing. Capitalism. Till she fixed it anyway. Wossname? Rated R. Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/10/29/ep222-infestation/ http://escapepod.org/2009/10/29/ep222-infestation/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:30:37 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=499 http://escapepod.org/2009/10/29/ep222-infestation/feed/ 0 0:45:26 by Garth Nix read by Geoff Michelli They were the usual motley collection of freelance vampire hunters. Two men, wearing combinations of jungle camouflage and leather. Two women, one almost indistinguishable from the men though with a little more st[...] by Garth Nix read by Geoff Michelli They were the usual motley collection of freelance vampire hunters. Two men, wearing combinations of jungle camouflage and leather. Two women, one almost indistinguishable from the men though with a little more style in her leather armour accessories, and the other looking like she was about to assault the south face of a serious mountain. Only her mouth was visible, a small oval of flesh not covered by balaclava, mirror shades, climbing helmet and hood. They had the usual weapons: four or five short wooden stakes in belt loops; snap-holstered handguns of various calibers, all doubtless chambered with Wood-N-Death® low-velocity timber-tipped rounds; big silver-edged bowie or other hunting knife, worn on the hip or strapped to a boot; and crystal vials of holy water hung like small grenades on pocket loops. Protection, likewise, tick the usual boxes. Leather neck and wrist guards; leather and woven-wire reinforced chaps and shoulder pauldrons over the camo; leather gloves with metal knuckle plates; Army or climbing helmets. Recently appeared in By Blood We Live. Rated R for violence and very different vampires. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/10/15/ep220-come-all-ye-faithful/ http://escapepod.org/2009/10/15/ep220-come-all-ye-faithful/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:41 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=489 http://escapepod.org/2009/10/15/ep220-come-all-ye-faithful/feed/ 0 0:34:05 by Robert J. Sawyer Read by Mike Boris “Damned social engineers,” said Boothby, frowning his freckled face. He looked at me, as if expecting an objection to the profanity, and seemed disappointed that I didn’t rise to the bait. “As you said earlier,[...] by Robert J. Sawyer Read by Mike Boris “Damned social engineers,” said Boothby, frowning his freckled face. He looked at me, as if expecting an objection to the profanity, and seemed disappointed that I didn’t rise to the bait. “As you said earlier,” I replied calmly, “it doesn’t make any practical difference.” He tried to get me again: “Damn straight. Whether Jody and I just live together or are legally married shouldn’t matter one whit to anyone but us.” I wasn’t going to give him the pleasure of telling him it mattered to God; I just let him go on. “Anyway,” he said, spreading hands that were also freckled, “since we have to be married before the Company will give us a license to have a baby, Jody’s decided she wants the whole shebang: the cake, the fancy reception, the big service.” Rated PG. Podcasts, Uncategorized Robert J. Sawyer no no http://escapepod.org/2009/10/08/ep219-sleepy-joe/ http://escapepod.org/2009/10/08/ep219-sleepy-joe/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:30:59 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=487 http://escapepod.org/2009/10/08/ep219-sleepy-joe/feed/ 0 0:36:44 by Marc Laidlaw narrated by Ben Phillips originally appeared in The Infinite Matrix The plan must have come to Rog fully formed that first morning, as he stepped off the elevator into the lobby of Szilliken Sharpenwright and saw the old soldier ne[...] by Marc Laidlaw narrated by Ben Phillips originally appeared in The Infinite Matrix The plan must have come to Rog fully formed that first morning, as he stepped off the elevator into the lobby of Szilliken Sharpenwright and saw the old soldier newly stationed there in his omnichair between the potted silk ferns and the coffee tables. “Oh. My. God. I am in love.” Megan, her arms loaded with Rog-House props and paraphernalia she hadn’t had time to ditch yet, said, “You say that an awful lot for someone who styles himself completely asexual. Not to mention atheistic.” Rated R for adult situations, a smattering of violence, and overly friendly chairs. Podcasts, Uncategorized Marc Laidlaw no no http://escapepod.org/2009/10/01/ep218-ode-to-katan-amano/ http://escapepod.org/2009/10/01/ep218-ode-to-katan-amano/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:30:14 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=484 http://escapepod.org/2009/10/01/ep218-ode-to-katan-amano/feed/ 0 0:26:16 by Caitlin R. Kiernan narrated by Kim the Comic Book Goddess No one hears when I ease the heavy steel door shut behind me. All the ears in the darkened workshop, all those hundreds and hundreds of ears, but still no one hears a thing. And I stand th[...] by Caitlin R. Kiernan narrated by Kim the Comic Book Goddess No one hears when I ease the heavy steel door shut behind me. All the ears in the darkened workshop, all those hundreds and hundreds of ears, but still no one hears a thing. And I stand there for a while, as unmoving as they, not exactly frightened and not exactly uncertain if I should see this through — I think I stand there in reverence. I be-lieve that’s the word that people use for what I feel in that moment, standing there alone, alone with that assembled crowd. Rated X for violence and strong sexual situations.  As Steve says in the intro, this one isn’t for the kids. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/09/17/ep216-%ce%b2oyfriend/ http://escapepod.org/2009/09/17/ep216-%ce%b2oyfriend/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:08 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=474 http://escapepod.org/2009/09/17/ep216-%ce%b2oyfriend/feed/ 0 0:45:20 by Madeline Ashby read by Tina Connolly Violet snapped three photos of herself from various angles, sent them, and waited for her boyfriend’s response. He rang her up—a slow vibrating purr, unlike the staccato door-knocking of her mother[...] by Madeline Ashby read by Tina Connolly Violet snapped three photos of herself from various angles, sent them, and waited for her boyfriend’s response. He rang her up—a slow vibrating purr, unlike the staccato door-knocking of her mother’s ringvibe—and said: “Me likey. Now take it off.” Violet frowned. “You were _supposed_ to dig up the backstory on the dress.” “Well, you can’t blame me for getting a little distracted. Besides, isn’t it bad luck for me to see?” “That’s only for weddings, not prom.” Rated R for language, teen-adult situations, and virtual steadies. Also, Norm’s sexy talk. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/09/04/dragoncon-meetup/ http://escapepod.org/2009/09/04/dragoncon-meetup/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:01:47 +0000 SFEley http://escapepod.org/?p=464 http://escapepod.org/2009/09/04/dragoncon-meetup/feed/ 0 http://escapepod.org/2009/09/03/ep214/ http://escapepod.org/2009/09/03/ep214/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:30:32 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=457 http://escapepod.org/2009/09/03/ep214/feed/ 13 0:57:51 by Eugie Foster Narrated by Lawrence Santoro Each morning is a decision. Should I put on the brown mask or the blue? Should I be a tradesman or an assassin today? Whatever the queen demands, of course, I am. But so often she ignores me, and I am [...] by Eugie Foster Narrated by Lawrence Santoro Each morning is a decision. Should I put on the brown mask or the blue? Should I be a tradesman or an assassin today? Whatever the queen demands, of course, I am. But so often she ignores me, and I am left to figure out for myself who to be. Dozens upon dozens of faces to choose from. 1. Marigold is for murder. Rated R for sex, masks, and violence. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/08/20/ep212-skinhorse-goes-to-mars/ http://escapepod.org/2009/08/20/ep212-skinhorse-goes-to-mars/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:18:05 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=440 http://escapepod.org/2009/08/20/ep212-skinhorse-goes-to-mars/feed/ 13 0:00:01 by Jay Lake Read by Mike Boris When I met Skinhorse, my first thought was old. Which was weird. Nobody gets old these days. We all die young, some of us after living a long time, if we’re lucky. He was in Piet’s Number Seven, a bar-cu[...] by Jay Lake Read by Mike Boris When I met Skinhorse, my first thought was old. Which was weird. Nobody gets old these days. We all die young, some of us after living a long time, if we’re lucky. He was in Piet’s Number Seven, a bar-cum-caravanserai in an illegal orbit trailing far enough behind Vesta to be ignorable. Piet’s had been instantiated in an old volatiles bladder that had done the Jovian run a few too many times before falling into the surplus circuit. You could store entire cities in Piet’s cubage, which made for a somewhat attenuated bar experience. Plus the place had one of those gravity cans — yes, those gravity cans — which meant your drink stayed stuck down long as you were near a Higgs carpet. So there I was annoying myself with three perfectly disrespectable rock jocks, each of us out to fleece the others, when this cadaver starts to stand over me. We’re all forever young or forever dead, but this armstrong looked like he’d shaved about half a cent too deep across his whole body, then restored his dermis with spray-on thermal insulation. Rated R for strong language, strong violence, and world-spanning tumors. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/08/06/ep210-the-hastillan-weed/ http://escapepod.org/2009/08/06/ep210-the-hastillan-weed/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:05:11 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=432 http://escapepod.org/2009/08/06/ep210-the-hastillan-weed/feed/ 12 0:41:20 by Ian Creasey Narrated by MarBelle This story originally appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction (February 2006). “Since we have so many new faces,” I said to the half-dozen volunteers, “I’ll start with a tools talk. Sa[...] by Ian Creasey Narrated by MarBelle This story originally appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction (February 2006). “Since we have so many new faces,” I said to the half-dozen volunteers, “I’ll start with a tools talk. Safety points for the spade — the most important is that when you’re digging, you push with the ball of your foot.” I picked up a spade from the pile, and demonstrated by digging up a bluebell growing by the hedge. From the large bells all round the stem, I knew it was a Spanish bluebell, a garden escape that if left unchecked would hybridise with the natives. Too late now, though. You can tell the British bluebell because the flowers are smaller, deeper blue, and they’re usually on one side of the stem, so the plant droops under their weight as if bowing down before its foreign conqueror. There’s hardly a wood left in England where you’ll see only native bluebells. “Or you can use your heel on the spade.” I heaved the invader out of the earth and tossed it aside, knowing it would safely rot. “But you should never press down with the middle of your foot. The bones in the arch are delicate, and you can injure yourself.” Rated PG for plants with many uses. Podcasts, Uncategorized Ian Creasey no no http://escapepod.org/2009/07/30/ep209-on-the-eyeball-floor/ http://escapepod.org/2009/07/30/ep209-on-the-eyeball-floor/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:39 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=427 http://escapepod.org/2009/07/30/ep209-on-the-eyeball-floor/feed/ 13 0:37:38 by Tina Connolly read by Norm Sherman Closing song by Andrew Richardson We’ve got robotic arms to put the eyeballs in. Metal clamps to pulldown the eyelids. Tony, on Four, keeps the grease vats filled. Oil squirts nineteen times a minute to ke[...] by Tina Connolly read by Norm Sherman Closing song by Andrew Richardson We’ve got robotic arms to put the eyeballs in. Metal clamps to pulldown the eyelids. Tony, on Four, keeps the grease vats filled. Oil squirts nineteen times a minute to keep the eye sockets from squeaking. Tiny slick needles stitch on the lashes, while millions of different irises get stamped in magenta and yellow and cyan, so no two will ever be alike, just like us. All that, and they can’t engineer anything—or anyone—to take over my job. People in Organs go home coated with grease and vinegar; people in Bones have lost fingers to the machines, and still nobody wants the job where a hundred half-live cyborgs line up in rows, twitching when your back is turned. Waiting for someone to talk to them, feel for them. Transcend them to life. There are safety signs around the factory. “Scrub Up.” “Know Thyself.” “Don’t Blink.” That last is the best piece of advice, here on the eyeball floor. Rated PG for for angry awakening sentience and some swearing. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/07/23/ep208-an-almanac-for-the-alien-invaders/ http://escapepod.org/2009/07/23/ep208-an-almanac-for-the-alien-invaders/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:49:08 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=421 http://escapepod.org/2009/07/23/ep208-an-almanac-for-the-alien-invaders/feed/ 26 0:40:56 By Merrie Haskell Read by Sarah Tolbert Previously appeared in Asimov’s. In January, there will be an annular solar eclipse, with the path of annularity moving through the Indian Ocean and into Sumatra and Borneo. Two days later, aliens will [...] By Merrie Haskell Read by Sarah Tolbert Previously appeared in Asimov’s. In January, there will be an annular solar eclipse, with the path of annularity moving through the Indian Ocean and into Sumatra and Borneo. Two days later, aliens will invade Earth. No spaceships will loom large in blue skies, nor hover over our cities. At night, though, when we see blinking dots of light near the horizon, as small and pale as any star, we’ll think they’re planes or satellites of human origin. They won’t be. These are alien ships, come for conquest. That is all we can see. What we hear is just as faint and difficult to resolve: we hear rumors. Or rather, one persistent rumor: “the aliens want volunteers.” Naturally, I and my junior faculty friends need to drink quantities of beer to discuss this in detail. I expound that it’s a hoax. Rated PG-13 for adult concepts and alien recruiters. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/07/02/ep-200-all-you-zombies/ http://escapepod.org/2009/07/02/ep-200-all-you-zombies/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:32:51 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=407 http://escapepod.org/2009/07/02/ep-200-all-you-zombies/feed/ 32 0:00:01 By Robert A. Heinlein Read by Steve Eley I was polishing a brandy snifter when the Unmarried Mother came in. I noted the time—10:17 P. M. zone five, or eastern time, November 7th, 1970. Temporal agents always notice time and date; we must. The Unma[...] By Robert A. Heinlein Read by Steve Eley I was polishing a brandy snifter when the Unmarried Mother came in. I noted the time—10:17 P. M. zone five, or eastern time, November 7th, 1970. Temporal agents always notice time and date; we must. The Unmarried Mother was a man twenty–five years old, no taller than I am, childish features and a touchy temper. I didn’t like his looks—I never had—but he was a lad I was here to recruit, he was my boy. I gave him my best barkeep’s smile. Maybe I’m too critical. He wasn’t swish; his nickname came from what he always said when some nosy type asked him his line: “I’m an unmarried mother.” If he felt less than murderous he would add: “at four cents a word. I write confession stories.” If he felt nasty, he would wait for somebody to make something of it. He had a lethal style of infighting, like a female cop—reason I wanted him. Not the only one. He had a load on, and his face showed that he despised people more than usual. Silently I poured a double shot of Old Underwear and left the bottle. He drank it, poured another. Podcasts, Uncategorized Robert A. Heinlein no no http://escapepod.org/2009/06/25/ep-205-requiem-in-d-minor-for-prions-whale-and-burning-bush/ http://escapepod.org/2009/06/25/ep-205-requiem-in-d-minor-for-prions-whale-and-burning-bush/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:40:46 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=402 http://escapepod.org/2009/06/25/ep-205-requiem-in-d-minor-for-prions-whale-and-burning-bush/feed/ 6 0:26:25 By Ian McHugh Read by Frank Key of Hooting Yard First appeared in Hub #24. Kevin switched the audio over to the projector. The lecture hall was filled with outdoor noises. Wind hummed softly over the microphone, cattle lowed nearby, a truck acceler[...] By Ian McHugh Read by Frank Key of Hooting Yard First appeared in Hub #24. Kevin switched the audio over to the projector. The lecture hall was filled with outdoor noises. Wind hummed softly over the microphone, cattle lowed nearby, a truck accelerated in the distance. A roan steer staggered around a concreted yard, its mute distress accompanied by clattering hooves and the fleshy slap of its thigh striking the ground when it fell. A new sound was introduced – incongruous, but familiar to Kevin’s audience. Whale song. Gradually, the cow’s shaking stilled, until it could stand securely. Its muscles continued to tremble, but not enough to upset its equilibrium while it listened. Rated PG-13 for violence and mad cow disease. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/06/18/ep-204-the-fifth-zhi/ http://escapepod.org/2009/06/18/ep-204-the-fifth-zhi/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:59:45 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=396 http://escapepod.org/2009/06/18/ep-204-the-fifth-zhi/feed/ 26 0:36:33 By Mercurio D. Rivera Read by Steve Eley First appeared in Interzone Zhi 4′s scream pierces the Siberian night. My spiked metal boots crunch through the snow as I race towards him, with Zhi 6 running at my side. The nanochip in my brainstem[...] By Mercurio D. Rivera Read by Steve Eley First appeared in Interzone Zhi 4′s scream pierces the Siberian night. My spiked metal boots crunch through the snow as I race towards him, with Zhi 6 running at my side. The nanochip in my brainstem clicks on, and I reach out with my mind, but I can’t sense even a trace of Zhi 4. A few seconds earlier his form had been outlined by the dark turquoise glow of the force field. We stop twenty feet short of the field’s perimeter. Beyond it, the hazy silhouette of the colossal Stalk looms, its millions of cilia undulating. My bodysuit hums as it transmits data back to Xiang Xu Base, situated behind the Rusanov ice cap half a mile away. My pulse flutters in anticipation and I take a deep breath to try to rein in my excitement. I — like all Zhis — have been designed with an insatiable curiosity about the Stalk’s origins and vulnerabilities. Knowing I’ve been bred to feel this way doesn’t make me feel it any less. Where did the Stalk come from? Why is it here? How can it thrive in these temperatures? I see the same questions reflected in Zhi 6′s expression. Rated PG-13 for cloning and some adult themes. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/06/11/ep-203-the-legend-of-st-ignatz/ http://escapepod.org/2009/06/11/ep-203-the-legend-of-st-ignatz/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:50:43 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=388 http://escapepod.org/2009/06/11/ep-203-the-legend-of-st-ignatz/feed/ 17 0:43:39 By Samantha Henderson Read by Ray Sizemore (of X-Ray Visions). Intro by Norm Sherman of Drabblecast. Closing song, Jesus Clones First appeared in Ideomancer “You’re a disgrace to your calling and your species.” The Cardinal’[...] By Samantha Henderson Read by Ray Sizemore (of X-Ray Visions). Intro by Norm Sherman of Drabblecast. Closing song, Jesus Clones First appeared in Ideomancer “You’re a disgrace to your calling and your species.” The Cardinal’s words were at odds with the verging-on-seductive voice of the translator embedded in the Anturean’s Chlor-tank. From beneath lowered lashes Ignatz O’Reilly, D.D. Inter-Species, watched his superior’s mouth-tendrils vibrate, a gesture he knew denoted extreme lust or mounting rage. Lust was out of the question, he supposed. “Falling-down drunk at Mass. Passing out in Confession. And don’t think your little black-market dealings go unnoticed.” The Cardinal’s posterior spines flushed blue. Ignatz averted his eyes even further, studying the faint brown lines crisscrossing each other on a slate floor the color of dried blood. The mutant squid bastard really was mad this time. “If I might be permitted to explain, Your Eminence…” Ignatz’s tongue tasted like last night’s liquor. “I indulge for purely medicinal reasons…a slight asthmatic condition…any allegations that I would engage in illegal…” Rated R for religious themes, carousing, and transubstantiaton of a different sort. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/06/05/episode-202-will-you-be-an-astronaut/ http://escapepod.org/2009/06/05/episode-202-will-you-be-an-astronaut/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:23:39 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=370 http://escapepod.org/2009/06/05/episode-202-will-you-be-an-astronaut/feed/ 33 0:00:01 By Greg van Eekhout Read by Christiana Ellis First appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Astronauts are people who ride rockets into space.  They must train for a very long time before they go.  Astronauts must be brave and smar[...] By Greg van Eekhout Read by Christiana Ellis First appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Astronauts are people who ride rockets into space.  They must train for a very long time before they go.  Astronauts must be brave and smart. Will you be an astronaut? * * * The biggest rocket ever was the Saturn V.  On the launch pad it was taller than a 30-story building.  Today’s rockets are smaller and lighter.  Today’s rockets can be launched more than once.  They have wings and can come back to earth and land like airplanes. When a rocket launches, it’s like an earthquake. The ground is shaking! There is flame and smoke. It’s like an explosion! Antonio is strapped into his seat.  He is about to ride to a space station.  Because there is no air in space, Antonio must wear a space suit.  In the suit, Antonio can breathe and talk over radio.  He wears a helmet with a special faceplate that protects him from the sun.  The fingers of his gloves have tiny claws that help him work with small objects. What’s all that noise? It must be a rocket! Astronauts are traveling to space! 5-4-3-2-1!  Lift off! Rated PG-13. Deceptively G… Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/05/29/episode-201-harry-the-crow/ http://escapepod.org/2009/05/29/episode-201-harry-the-crow/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 04:05:28 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=369 http://escapepod.org/2009/05/29/episode-201-harry-the-crow/feed/ 19 0:51:37 Editors Note: As you may have noticed, episode 201 is appearing before Episode 200.  We’re still working out the kinks of an agreement with the mysterious agent forces mentioned in an earlier update, but we should have that episode for you soo[...] Editors Note: As you may have noticed, episode 201 is appearing before Episode 200.  We’re still working out the kinks of an agreement with the mysterious agent forces mentioned in an earlier update, but we should have that episode for you soon, and we think it’ll be worth the wait.  Rather than keep you waiting any longer, we’re bringing you 201 out of sequence. By John Kratman Read by Norm Sherman First appeared in Aeon Speculative Fiction. “A construct is no Crow!” Tommy shouted, the ridiculous war bonnet he’d worn to my father’s funeral slipping off his head. He pushed it back with an angry swipe of his hand, glaring at the gathered members of the tribe, daring them to laugh. “Harry can do everything a man can do,” I said. There were many people in the lodge that I recognized, but there were many more, ghosts of my past, who should have been there and were not. “He can hunt, write poetry, sing a song. He can think and he can feel. I taught him how to shoot and how to track, how to read and how to write. No matter that he sprang from my brain instead of my manhood. He is my son, the only one this old man will ever have. He is a Crow.” “What can a machine know of tradition and honor?” Tommy asked, his lined face veiled in the shadows cast by the fire. He drew a pipe from his pocket and packed it with angry jabs of his age-spotted hand. Rated R: contains violence, strong language, and counting coup. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/05/07/episode-198-n-words/ http://escapepod.org/2009/05/07/episode-198-n-words/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 21:18:09 +0000 JeremyT http://escapepod.org/?p=366 http://escapepod.org/2009/05/07/episode-198-n-words/feed/ 55 0:55:33 By Ted Kosmatka Read by Kim The Comic Book Goddess First appeared in Seeds of Change, 2008. They came from test tubes. They came pale as ghosts with eyes as blue-white as glacier ice. They came first out of Korea. I try to picture David’s face in[...] By Ted Kosmatka Read by Kim The Comic Book Goddess First appeared in Seeds of Change, 2008. They came from test tubes. They came pale as ghosts with eyes as blue-white as glacier ice. They came first out of Korea. I try to picture David’s face in my head, but I can’t. They’ve told me this is temporary—a kind of shock that happens sometimes when you’ve seen a person die that way. Although I try to picture David’s face, it’s only his pale eyes I can see. My sister squeezes my hand in the back of the limo. “It’s almost over,” she says. Up the road, against the long, wrought iron railing, the protestors grow excited as our procession approaches. They’re standing in the snow on both sides of the cemetery gates, men and women wearing hats and gloves and looks of righteous indignation, carrying signs I refuse to read. Rated PG-13. Contains racism and genetic engineering. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2009/04/20/escape-pod-flash-chump-change/ http://escapepod.org/2009/04/20/escape-pod-flash-chump-change/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:46:33 +0000 worldsoftomorrow http://escapepod.org/?p=354 http://escapepod.org/2009/04/20/escape-pod-flash-chump-change/feed/ 8 0:07:51 By Pete Butler Read by Jake Squid It’s going to be the Three of Clubs. I know this, as certainly as I know my own name. I’m less sure about some things than my fans would think. But sometimes, the swirling laws governing what _may_ ha[...] By Pete Butler Read by Jake Squid It’s going to be the Three of Clubs. I know this, as certainly as I know my own name. I’m less sure about some things than my fans would think. But sometimes, the swirling laws governing what _may_ happen coalesce into what _will_ happen with astonishing clarity. The sun will rise tomorrow, the Pirates will beat the Mets tonight, and as soon as I announce my “guess,” the Three of Clubs will appear on the monitor in front of me. “Jack of Spades,” I proclaim, full of conviction. The monitor flickers, and is suddenly filled by a pixilated version of the Three of Clubs. Rated PG for…welll, you already know why, don’t you? Flash, Podcasts, Uncategorized Pete Butler no no http://escapepod.org/2009/03/16/escape-pod-flash-it-was-death-by-a-bullet-but-i-was-killed-by-a-woman/ http://escapepod.org/2009/03/16/escape-pod-flash-it-was-death-by-a-bullet-but-i-was-killed-by-a-woman/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:01:46 +0000 Rachel http://escapepod.org/?p=333 http://escapepod.org/2009/03/16/escape-pod-flash-it-was-death-by-a-bullet-but-i-was-killed-by-a-woman/feed/ 11 0:04:37 By Michael Bekemeyer Read by Alasdair Stuart (of Pseudopod) I have a special skill. I am a part of a small group of people on this planet that can do special things with their minds. You have your mind readers, your empaths — and you have peop[...] By Michael Bekemeyer Read by Alasdair Stuart (of Pseudopod) I have a special skill. I am a part of a small group of people on this planet that can do special things with their minds. You have your mind readers, your empaths — and you have people like me who can control things through telekinesis. I have always been able to move things, just by thinking about it. It always came in helpful when playing golf. Rated R. Contains sex and violence. Flash, Podcasts, Uncategorized Michael Bekemeyer no no http://escapepod.org/2009/02/07/ep187-summer-in-paris-light-from-the-sky/ http://escapepod.org/2009/02/07/ep187-summer-in-paris-light-from-the-sky/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:05:06 +0000 SFEley http://escapepod.org/?p=338 http://escapepod.org/2009/02/07/ep187-summer-in-paris-light-from-the-sky/feed/ 89 0:50:00 By Ken Scholes. Read by Alex Wilson (of Telltale Weekly). Adolf Hitler came to Paris in June 1941 feeling the weight of his years in his legs and the taste of a dying dream in his mouth. He spent most of that first day walking up and down the Champ[...] By Ken Scholes. Read by Alex Wilson (of Telltale Weekly). Adolf Hitler came to Paris in June 1941 feeling the weight of his years in his legs and the taste of a dying dream in his mouth. He spent most of that first day walking up and down the Champs Elysées, working the stiffness out of his bones and muscles while he looked at the shops and the people. Some of the dull ache was from the wooden benches on the train from Hamburg; most of it was age. And beneath the discomfort of his body, his soul ached too. He’d never been here before, he thought as the Parisians slipped past in the noon-time sun. He snorted at the revelation. A fine painter you are, he told himself. Rated R. Contains sexual violence. Also may be offensive to some for historical reasons. Podcasts, Uncategorized Ken Scholes no no http://escapepod.org/2008/12/06/escape-pod-flash-fiction-contest-honorable-mention-silence/ http://escapepod.org/2008/12/06/escape-pod-flash-fiction-contest-honorable-mention-silence/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:00:28 +0000 Rachel http://escapepod.org/?p=329 http://escapepod.org/2008/12/06/escape-pod-flash-fiction-contest-honorable-mention-silence/feed/ 9 0:02:42 by Rachel Swirsky. Read by Ann Leckie.   Whatever the midwife told you, it’s not true. I cannot walk through walls. I cannot conjure a chicken and make it dance or start a fire with my fingers. I cannot shape familiars from fog or examine [...] by Rachel Swirsky. Read by Ann Leckie.   Whatever the midwife told you, it’s not true. I cannot walk through walls. I cannot conjure a chicken and make it dance or start a fire with my fingers. I cannot shape familiars from fog or examine entrails to see if a man will die. I cannot resurrect your son. Rated PG. Flash, Podcasts, Uncategorized Rachel Swirsky no no http://escapepod.org/2008/10/25/ep181-resistance/ http://escapepod.org/2008/10/25/ep181-resistance/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:00:44 +0000 SFEley http://escapepod.org/?p=317 http://escapepod.org/2008/10/25/ep181-resistance/feed/ 51 0:47:46 By Tobias S. Buckell. Read by Stephen Eley. First appeared in Seeds of Change, ed. John Joseph Adams Audible.com Metatropolis Promotion! Download the first story from Metatropolis free at: http://audible.com/metapod The man opened the pack all the w[...] By Tobias S. Buckell. Read by Stephen Eley. First appeared in Seeds of Change, ed. John Joseph Adams Audible.com Metatropolis Promotion! Download the first story from Metatropolis free at: http://audible.com/metapod The man opened the pack all the way to reveal a small arsenal of guns, grenades, explosives, and — oddly — knives. Very large knives. He looked up at Stanuel. “I am the attack. I’ve been asked to shut Pan down.” “But you’re not a programmer…” “I can do all things through explosives, who destroy for me.” The man began moving the contents of the pack inside the pockets and straps of the trenchcoat, clipped more to his belt and thigh, as well as to holsters under each arm, and then added pieces to his ankles. He was now a walking arsenal. But only half the pack had been emptied. The mysterious mercenary tossed it at Stanuel. “Besides, you’re going to help.” Rated PG. Contains violence and political revolution. Podcasts, Uncategorized Mur Lafferty no no http://escapepod.org/2008/07/11/ep166-the-something-dreaming-game/ http://escapepod.org/2008/07/11/ep166-the-something-dreaming-game/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:10:12 +0000 SFEley http://escapepod.org/?p=292 http://escapepod.org/2008/07/11/ep166-the-something-dreaming-game/feed/ 39 0:39:03 By Elizabeth Bear. Read by Mur Lafferty (of The Takeover and The Murverse). First appeared in Fast Forward 1, ed. Lou Anders. Audible.com Promotion! Get your free audiobook at: http://audible.com/escapepodsff First, there’s the pressure. A special k[...] By Elizabeth Bear. Read by Mur Lafferty (of The Takeover and The Murverse). First appeared in Fast Forward 1, ed. Lou Anders. Audible.com Promotion! Get your free audiobook at: http://audible.com/escapepodsff First, there’s the pressure. A special kind of pressure, high under Tara’s chin, that makes her feel heavy and light all at once. She kneels by the chair and leans across the edge, because if she faints, the chair will roll away and she won’t choke. She’s always careful. After the pressure she gets dizzy, and her vision gets kind of… narrow, dark around the edges. It’s hard to breathe, and it feels like there’s something stuck in her throat. Prickles run up and down her back, down her arms where the pain used to be, and a warm fluid kind of feeling sloshes around inside her. She slides down, as things get dark, and then she starts to dream. But not like night time dreams. These are special. Rated R. Contains children engaging in extremely dangerous practices. Parental guidance STRONGLY recommended. Referenced Sites: Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era Podcasts, Uncategorized Elizabeth Bear no no http://escapepod.org/2008/06/12/ep162-god-juice/ http://escapepod.org/2008/06/12/ep162-god-juice/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:35 +0000 SFEley http://escapepod.org/?p=288 http://escapepod.org/2008/06/12/ep162-god-juice/feed/ 23 1:01:28 By M.K. Hobson. Read by Christiana Ellis (of Christiana’s Shallow Thoughts). First appeared in Polyphony 6, ed. Deborah Layne and Jay Lake. Audible.com Promotion! Receive your free audiobook at: http://audible.com/escapepodsff “I wish to[...] By M.K. Hobson. Read by Christiana Ellis (of Christiana’s Shallow Thoughts). First appeared in Polyphony 6, ed. Deborah Layne and Jay Lake. Audible.com Promotion! Receive your free audiobook at: http://audible.com/escapepodsff “I wish to give you the opportunity to purchase a very valuable artifact from the great age of Ja’ardi civilization,” he said. “We stole it from a rival tribe, who revered it as possessing divine powers. I am prepared to offer it to you at a very reasonable price.” I rolled my eyes. If I had a nickel for every time someone tried to sell me an artifact with divine powers … Zhee must have seen the eyeroll, for he hastened to add: “It is reputed to bestow upon its owner the ability to create flowing rivers of God Juice.” I tilted my head slightly to see if some sense might roll downhill from his words. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” I said, sucking on the wedge of flesh-colored fruit, “But isn’t God Juice the stuff that caused your civilization to collapse?” Zhee shifted, scratching the back of his head. “Well … yes.” Rated R. Contains strong language and sexual tomfoolery. Podcasts, Uncategorized M.K. Hobson no no