From the Podosphere: July 2008

July’s Escape Pod starts off well with David Brin’s “Those Eyes,” in which a scientist, standing in for a late-night talk-radio host, speculates on the reasons why so many are obsessed with UFOs and the idea that aliens are already here. Also listening to the show is…an alien, who gives us a different perspective on the whole affair. The contrast between these two viewpoints offers a fascinating rationalization of why the evidence for aliens is so flimsy, yet the belief is so prevalent. It would explain a lot, if it were true. The two-handed narration is split between Stephen and Anna Eley. While Steve’s narration is excellent, Anna’s takes some getting used to, partly due to some overdone voice processing.

“The Something-Dreaming Game” by Elizabeth Bear is a not-for-kids story about kids engaging in a highly taboo adult activity that at first seems like some psychological disorder resulting from cutting-edge biotechnology, but turns out to be something more. The touchiness of the subject is introduced in a matter-of-fact manner that is nevertheless full of emotional concern—something that shines through Mur Lafferty’s narration. An unlikely subject, but gripping from beginning to end.

“Love and Death in the Time of Monsters” by Frank Wu (read by Stephen Eley) features giant monsters as a backdrop to personal loss, family relationships, and terminal cancer. A strange juxtaposition, as if two distinct stories have been spliced together. I’m not sure if doing this makes either of them complete, because the two elements don’t seem to be related. It could simply be a literary device—but to what end?

Surprisingly short for an Escape Pod story not classified as flash, “Family Values” by Sara Genge (read by Alasdair Stuart) concerns alien politicians, their political advancement, and their procreation. It’s an effective and concise portrayal of alien personal relationships (though these are nearly always portrayed, as they are here, as in some way human), even those fleeting relationships that may or may not develop into something deeper.

The final Escape Pod offering for July isn’t a story but a review—as is occasionally dropped into its feed—this time the film Wall-E, reviewed by Ryan Nichols.

July’s Pseudopod begins with Johnny Compton’s “Mrs Branson Calling.” Is an old woman really wandering around her apartment building in the nude, looking like death? Is our narrator hallucinating from too much drink? Is Mrs. Branson an embodiment of his own guilt? The surreal elements make this a weird story, though it’s well written, and Phil Rossi’s reading is excellent. The curious fate of Mrs. Branson is, however, troubling, though the significance of it escapes me.

In Michael Hartford’s “Among the Moabites” an infestation of miniature homunculi causes a change in a lonely man’s life. His relationship with his shamelessly fecund squatters affects how he himself relates to the world. Creepy and surreal, this story is expertly read by K. J. Johnson, leaving a feeling of inevitability in its wake. The man’s changing attitude to what he eventually describes as vermin mirrors his attitude to other people in his life. Explicit and disturbing.

“Photo Finish” by Adam La Rusic relates how a photojournalist gets the shot of a lifetime by offering a pack of cigarettes to a kidnapper. Unfortunately, the kidnapper later shoots his hostage dead. The photographer is subsequently plagued by visions of the kidnapped woman whom he maintains he was powerless to help. The circumstances of his photography, however, suggest otherwise. Cheyenne Wright’s brooding and oppressive reading gives this story of repressed guilt a dark edge.

“The Music of Eric Zann” is a classic H. P. Lovecraft story given a professional reading by B. J. Harrison. Devoid of dialog, this tale’s wordy style evokes an older epoch of storytelling, when mysterious happenings were but a clock’s chime away from sheer terror. A fitting choice for Pseudopod’s 100th episode, celebrating the horror genre’s connection with its roots.

PodCastle begins July with Hilary Moon Murphy’s “The Grand Cheat,” read by Rajan Khanna. This Indian-flavored story is about making deals with gods—or devils—and how these supernatural beings, though powerful, seem curiously shackled by the pedantic application of language. Well told, particularly in the case of the god who seems only marginally put out by being bested. These gods may be supernatural, but they are nevertheless subject to rules—and rules can be exploited.

In “The Yeti Behind You” by Jeremiah Tolbert, a couple are expecting a baby, but it’s not clear how happy they are about it. The man, whose story this is, appears to be haunted by a yeti, and is also aware of other animals similarly attached to the oblivious other people he daily meets. Eventually, his unnerving shadow does perform a useful service, and some self-realization takes place, but the surreality is too facile to be a convincing narrative. There’s a certain level of collusion that a reader (or listener) must agree to in order to enjoy a fantasy story, but the setup here isn’t solid enough to carry the idea. That said, the story is well written and well read by Elie Hirschman.

“Eating Hearts” by Yoon Ha Lee is short, being a PodCastle Miniature, and Ann Leckie’s breathless reading makes it even shorter. As a fantasy-reading novice I would have preferred a more measured narration, as the structure, plot, and any references—symbolic or otherwise—entirely passed me by.

Heartfelt and well written, Cat Rambo’s “Magnificent Pigs” tackles the delicate subject of childhood cancer. Matthew Wayne Selznick’s reading strikes just the right balance of gritty realism and resigned pathos, but the story is hardly fantasy, being wholly realistic with a short dream sequence. Despite its sombre theme, the story has satisfying moments of transcendence.

Elves and goblins, an enchanted sword, an inept young royal, and a fast-talking, savvy female protagonist must have made Christiana Ellis the obvious choice as narrator of Jim C. Hines’s “Goblin Lullaby,” which features far too many soiled diapers for comfort. The story is amusing and light, and a change from some of the heavy and deep stuff PodCastle has recently offered. By comparison, it’s also fairly inconsequential, but sometimes that’s all you want.

In PodCastle’s second Miniature this month, Stephen Eley reads Jeffrey Valka’s “Tooth Fairy.” A man explains to his daughter what the tooth fairy does with all the teeth collected. But is he telling the truth? Neat and quick.

PodCastle’s final story for July is “Illuminated Dragon” by Sarah Prineas. In a world of rationalists, where magic is banned, a man hides his gift for creating real fantasies from his drawings. Despite his care, he is discovered by the rationalist police, the Men of Truth. The conclusion of this story is not unexpected, but the atmosphere of oppression, and the longing for a bygone fantasy world of magic, is enhanced by Steve Anderson’s intense, claustrophobic narration.

In this month’s venture beyond the Escape Artists behemoth, I sampled two stories from Well Told Tales—though I admit it was one of Stephen Eley’s outros that alerted me to this “pulp-fiction podcast.”

“Modifications” by Kris Ashton is the tale of a man camping in Australia who discovers that during the night he has acquired amazing new powers, not all of which are desirable. J. B. Goodspeed gives just the right amount of indignation to his excellent reading.

In “Sentience Stigmata” by Fred Ollinger, a lab assistant has purloined a vial of secret formula and intends to use it on her daughter’s pet goat. Obvious parallels with Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon don’t detract from this sharply observed narrative, expertly read by Eleiece Krawiec.

Well Told Tales, like Escape Pod and its siblings, is a paying market.