From the Podosphere: Escape Pod (#52, 55, 75, 100, & 105)

Steve Eley’s Escape Pod is an excellent way to experience the pleasures of audio SF. The quality of the stories is usually top notch, and the readings, with few exceptions, are also very professional.

Have you ever seen the Harlan Ellison film version of I, Robot, or Orson Welles’s complete version of The Magnificent Amersons? Thought not. Because they don’t exist. Except in Tim Pratt’s wonderful story, “Impossible Dreams,” they do. The story features a film buff who stumbles upon a video and DVD shop with films that never existed or were believed lost. Only trouble is, neither his credit card or cash work in this shop—and when he finally manages to borrow some films, they’re in a format not recognised by his DVD player. What’s more, the shop has a tendency to disappear each evening. You couldn’t have a better introduction to the pleasures of podcast science fiction than Tim’s Hugo nominee story, read by Matthew Wayne Selznick (whose superhero novel, Brave Men Run, you should also seek out). There are plenty of podcast stories and novels out there, typically read by the authors themselves, though sometimes they are read by actors or other voice talents invited by the editors.

Sometimes the voicework isn’t quite right—some of the readers, Steve included, are less convincing with their mock-Shakespearian version of English accents, but on the other hand very listenable when they are using their voices more naturally. Steve has on occasion, though, used English voice talents where needed. And some of the talents are outstanding—just listen to Martha Holloway read “Nano Comes to Clifford Falls” and convince me you wouldn’t be happy to hear her read the telephone directory to you. Matthew Wayne Selznick and Scott Sigler are also seasoned readers, very different in style, but Steve usually manages to pick the right voice for the right story.

Oustanding stories? Mike Resnick’s “Down Memory Lane,” about a man whose wife is suffering dementia and in his despair he tries to enter her world with her, brought a tear to my eye. As a matter of fact, listen to any of the Resnick stories and you won’t be disappointed.

Heather Shaw’s “Single White Farmhouse,” a weird tale about a family living in a sentient house which forms an online relationship with another house—and walks across the country for a date…funny and weird. And it has an extremely witty ending.

The other nice thing about Escape Pod is that Steve runs classic science fiction. But compared to contemporary offerings, some of these tales don’t stand the test of time. Steve celebrated his 100th podcast with a reading of Isaac Asimov’s “Nightfall.” I know this is a science fiction favourite and has been lauded as one of the best SF stories of all time, but frankly, I found it extremely dull. I realise my view may have fans reaching for their phasers, but I did wonder if the story isn’t just held in such esteem out of pure nostalgia rather than for its intrinsic worth. If I’d felt more convinced by a geniune fear of darkness experienced by the people in the story, and the reasons behind it, it might have worked for me. As it was, the story was about a lot of people standing around chatting…on and on and on. Still, it might just be me.

“Nightfall” notwithstanding (and hey, some of you out there will probably adore it), I highly recommend Escape Pod for its eclectic mix of stories. It’s introduced me to a few authors whose work in print I will now seek out—Pratt, Resnick, and many more.