I hope you weren't looking to get a good night's rest, because in this installment of The Alt-Hist File we're taking a look at Pseudopod. Every week Pseudopod brings listeners great stores from all across the horror genre. It's often said that Escape Pod kickstarted the short story podcasting revolution. However, Pseudopod is just as responsible, if not more so, for said revolution. Pseudopod proved that Escape Pod wasn't just a one-off fluke, and that there was a future for short story audio fiction podcasting.
But, even though Al has lost his ways as of late, we shouldn’t let that detract from his earlier monologues, which are quite good and very insightful. If even he should step down from his duties as host, he will undoubtedly leave quite the shadow in his wake. However, let us also take a moment to also thank Shawn Garrett, Alex Hofelich, and all of the other fine people who work behind the scenes to keep Pseudopod running week after week. The theme music for Pseudopod is proved by Anders Manga.
Now before we go any further, the staff of Pseudopod would like to emphasis that they are a horror podcast. That means that these stories are intended to frighten and disturb. If you're the kind of person who get's spooked easily, consider this your first and only warning. Also, this really isn't a podcast you want to play around kids.
Okay, with that out of the way, get ready. I've got eighteen stories for you...
"The Republic of the Southern Cross" by Valery Bryusov
Narrated by Eric Luke
Originally published in Zemnaya Os, but is now Public Domain
I saved one of the best for last. It's not an alternate history per se, but it does have the feel of one. It's a Russian science fiction/horror mash-up for the early 20th century. Without further delay, let's talk about this story.
This story chronicles the rise and fall of the Republic of the Southern Cross. The titular republic is located in Antarctica, and is initially presented as a worker's paradise. Then several citizens come down with Contradiction; a disease that causes people to do the opposite of what they intend. At first the citizens take it in stride and find it all somewhat comical...then doctors and nurses start slitting their patients throats and pharmacists start handing out poison. Before long society begins to unravel at the seams.
Like I said before, this isn't exactly alternate history, but it does have the feel of one. The Republic itself has a predominately Russian feel to it, but there are hints if other cultures as well. In many ways this story feels like listening to an excerpt from a history book written in an alternate timeline. Fortunately, the writing never gets too dry and Eric's narration really brings things to life.
The famous comic book writer/artist Jack Kirby once said that you can tell a lot about a people based on their fantasies. With this story you really get a sense of the hopes and fears of the Russian people from the time this story was written. There as sense of wanting to improve the lot of workers, but also a considerable fear for what might go wrong.
It's one of my favorite Pseudopod stories, and I can't recommend it enough.
Conclusion
Well, here we are at the end of the list once again. I hope you enjoy these stories, and if you did, might I suggest tossing a few buck at Pseudopod? They have many options for donation, as do all four of the Escape Artists Podcasts. It would really help them out a lot if you could do that, but if you can't, then consider sharing this or any of my other posts. Help get the word out about all the great free audio fiction there is to discover.
And now for a bit of shameless self-promotion. If you really love what I do you can follow me on Twitter where I'm @ArthurDrakoni, you can like The Audiophile's fan page on Facebook. Well, I think that's enough from me for now.
I will see all of you next time, when we talk about PodCastle.
Now before we go any further, the staff of Pseudopod would like to emphasis that they are a horror podcast. That means that these stories are intended to frighten and disturb. If you're the kind of person who get's spooked easily, consider this your first and only warning. Also, this really isn't a podcast you want to play around kids.
Okay, with that out of the way, get ready. I've got eighteen stories for you...
"The Murmurous Paleoscope" by Dixon
Chance
Narrated by Christina Ellis
Originally published in The Three-Lobed Burning Eye
We start our list off with a steampunk story set during the fossil hunts of the 19th century. Fossil hunter Hazel Cardanell has recently arrived in the Utah Territory and has made an amazing discovery. The new fossil has been named Anomalocaris and it looks absolutely terrifying. Hazel has also been having a series of strange dreams. It's almost as if some mysterious force is reaching out to her from beyond the grave, but it's only a fossil, isn't it?
I always have a soft spot for paleontology stories and this story is no exception. I also enjoyed that the story is presented as a series of letters like many of HP Lovecraft's stories. Anomalocaris was a perfect choice for this Lovecraftian story; go ahead and Google that and tell me it doesn't look like something straight out of Lovecraft's imagination.
Christina's narration did the perfect job of capturing that feeling of a person who's found themselves confronted with forces they can't even begin to comprehend. I also appreciated how the steampunk elements actually played a role in the story rather than simply acting a window dressing. However, I mustn't elaborate on that point or else I'll spoil the story.
It's got fossils, steampunk and Lovecraftian elements. What's not to love about this story.
"The Burning Servant" by Steven Saus
Narrated by Stephanie Morris
Originally published in Chain Story
We all heard of Sherman's burnings of Atlanta and Savannah, but is there more to the story? According to former slave Sarah Freeman there is. It seems that during the day of the Civil War the plantation owners of the Confederacy went to some desperate lengths to see the South triumph. One might even call their efforts downright Lovecraftian.
Okay, if you haven't figured it out by now, the plantation owners performed a ritual to summon a Lovecraftian monstrosity, but it got out of their control and burned a path of destruction across Georgia. A spoiler, yes, but not too much of one.
This story is in many way an inversion of a typical Lovecraft story. You've got so called civilized men connected with unearthly monstrosities, people of color as the innocent bystanders and the whole thing is told by a woman. Speaking of this story being told by a woman, I thought that Stephanie did an excellent job with the narration. I also appreciated that the depiction of life for slave in the American South wasn't sugar coated or watered down.
Overall and excellent story and a meditation on the various tropes and conventions of Lovecraft stories. Very much recommended.
"Tales of the White Street Society" by Grady Hendrixs
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
This story takes places in 19th century New York City as the White Street Society, a group of gentlemen adventures, are having a meeting. The evening's host, Augustus Morrison recounts his recent adventures in the slums of the Irish immigrants. It seems that the Irish were being plagued by a monster from their old nation. The question is, could more such creatures be on their way to America?
I'm going to slightly spoil what the monster is, but this important for our discussion. The monster is...a leprechaun. Yes, you read that correctly. I tried, but it just couldn't take that very seriously as a monster. However, that's not where the real horror in this story lies for me.
The part of this story that truly horrified me was the ghastly descriptions of daily life for the Irish immigrants. The descriptions of these people living to absolute squalor at the bottom rung of society, and with nobody caring about their plight, will be sure to haunt you for days. Tellingly, at the end of the story, when the characters talk of how evil leprechauns are, it easily sounds like they're talking about the Irish instead.
The story does a really good job of capturing the attitudes and prejudices of the 19th century. It certainly does come across as a satire/pastiche of Victorian Gothic novels, and that certainly helps.
Narrated by Christina Ellis
Originally published in The Three-Lobed Burning Eye
We start our list off with a steampunk story set during the fossil hunts of the 19th century. Fossil hunter Hazel Cardanell has recently arrived in the Utah Territory and has made an amazing discovery. The new fossil has been named Anomalocaris and it looks absolutely terrifying. Hazel has also been having a series of strange dreams. It's almost as if some mysterious force is reaching out to her from beyond the grave, but it's only a fossil, isn't it?
I always have a soft spot for paleontology stories and this story is no exception. I also enjoyed that the story is presented as a series of letters like many of HP Lovecraft's stories. Anomalocaris was a perfect choice for this Lovecraftian story; go ahead and Google that and tell me it doesn't look like something straight out of Lovecraft's imagination.
Christina's narration did the perfect job of capturing that feeling of a person who's found themselves confronted with forces they can't even begin to comprehend. I also appreciated how the steampunk elements actually played a role in the story rather than simply acting a window dressing. However, I mustn't elaborate on that point or else I'll spoil the story.
It's got fossils, steampunk and Lovecraftian elements. What's not to love about this story.
"The Burning Servant" by Steven Saus
Narrated by Stephanie Morris
Originally published in Chain Story
We all heard of Sherman's burnings of Atlanta and Savannah, but is there more to the story? According to former slave Sarah Freeman there is. It seems that during the day of the Civil War the plantation owners of the Confederacy went to some desperate lengths to see the South triumph. One might even call their efforts downright Lovecraftian.
Okay, if you haven't figured it out by now, the plantation owners performed a ritual to summon a Lovecraftian monstrosity, but it got out of their control and burned a path of destruction across Georgia. A spoiler, yes, but not too much of one.
This story is in many way an inversion of a typical Lovecraft story. You've got so called civilized men connected with unearthly monstrosities, people of color as the innocent bystanders and the whole thing is told by a woman. Speaking of this story being told by a woman, I thought that Stephanie did an excellent job with the narration. I also appreciated that the depiction of life for slave in the American South wasn't sugar coated or watered down.
Overall and excellent story and a meditation on the various tropes and conventions of Lovecraft stories. Very much recommended.
"Tales of the White Street Society" by Grady Hendrixs
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
This story takes places in 19th century New York City as the White Street Society, a group of gentlemen adventures, are having a meeting. The evening's host, Augustus Morrison recounts his recent adventures in the slums of the Irish immigrants. It seems that the Irish were being plagued by a monster from their old nation. The question is, could more such creatures be on their way to America?
I'm going to slightly spoil what the monster is, but this important for our discussion. The monster is...a leprechaun. Yes, you read that correctly. I tried, but it just couldn't take that very seriously as a monster. However, that's not where the real horror in this story lies for me.
The part of this story that truly horrified me was the ghastly descriptions of daily life for the Irish immigrants. The descriptions of these people living to absolute squalor at the bottom rung of society, and with nobody caring about their plight, will be sure to haunt you for days. Tellingly, at the end of the story, when the characters talk of how evil leprechauns are, it easily sounds like they're talking about the Irish instead.
The story does a really good job of capturing the attitudes and prejudices of the 19th century. It certainly does come across as a satire/pastiche of Victorian Gothic novels, and that certainly helps.
When it comes to narration, I’ll be frank. Alasdair Stuart is an utterly mediocre narrator on good day. When he’s having a bad day, he sounds practically robotic and monotone. His performance in this story was, all things considered, passable. I suppose it could have been worse, but at the same time, it could have been better. Would have been better to have gotten an American narrator, given that the story is set in America. And a narrator with more emotional and tonal range. But I concede that I have heard worse narrations.
A frightful satire of Victorian fiction well worth your time.
"Silver and Copper, Iron and Ash" by Nathaniel Lee
Narrated by Dominick Rabrun
Originally published in Coins of Chaos
This story is set in rural Colorado in the 1930s. Our protagonist James is struggling to made ends meet and provide enough to eat for his pregnant wife. While out hunting James discovers a mysterious Indian Head coin. He tries to get rid of the coin on the advice of a passing vagrant. The coin, however, keeps reappearing and each time it brings even stronger feeling of hunger.
If there's one central theme to this story it's hunger; be that for food, money or anything else. Even before the supernatural elements become more obvious you can almost see hunger as the main antagonist. The atmosphere to this story was absolutely perfect, and is a testament to Nathaniel's writing talent.
Dominick did an excellent job conveying that atmosphere and feelings of hunger in audio form. I also found the backdrop of the Great Depression to be more than fitting for a story centered around hunger and money.
It's a story sure to leave you hungry for more.
"Bophuthatswana" by Lavie Tidhar
Narrated by Elan Ressel
A Pseudopod Original
This next story is set in South Africa after years after the fall of Apartheid. Our protagonist would have been considered colored under the Apartheid. He's lost loved ones to various far-right extremist groups and he's out for revenge. Yet these are more than just racist extremists. The men he's after feed on the blood of the innocent and they have for centuries because they are vampires.
Okay, a couple things. First of all there's quite a few Afrikaans slang words throughout this story, but Pseudopod does provide a glossary of their meanings on their page for this story. Second, it's debatable as to whether the extremists are literally vampires or if that's simply a metaphor. Personally, I say both interpretations are equally valid, you just get slightly different stories.
I liked this story's depiction of post-Apartheid South Africa. You see people learning from the past and trying to move on, but at the same time there's still a lot of tension and resentment left over. It was also nice to see this aspect of South Africa as it is usually ignored in fiction. For example, there was a scene mentioning that South Africans of Asian ancestry didn't qualify as white under Apartheid, but also didn't qualify for compensation following its fall.
All in all a good, if dark, depiction of South Africa after Apartheid.
"Pran's Confession" by Joel Arnold
Narrated by Ben Phillips
A Pseudopod Original
We're taking a holiday in Cambodia for our next story. Samnang, a former prison guard, is revisiting a prison he worked at during the Pol Pot regime. He can stop thinking about one particular prisoner named Pran, who was defiant to the very end. Samnang also worries that the spirits of the dead might not be at rest after all these years.
I always knew things were grim under Pol Pot, especially during the Khmer Rouge, but until I listened to this story I'd never really envisioned just how bad things were. An all consuming ideology that would make North Korea blush, people with glasses sentenced to death, entire fields converted into mass graves and countless other horrors. I almost feel that the supernatural wasn't needed to add more horror to this story.
Ben did a great job conveying the stark hopelessness of this story. I feel there really isn't much more I can add. The story really speaks for itself.
For a glimpse into the nightmare of the Khmer Rouge, look no further.
"The Prophet's Daughters" by Michael J. DeLuca
Narrated by Tina Connolly
Originally published in Oniresmes.com
The story take place in the Ancient Greek colony of Sybaris and one character's quest to follow in their mother's footsteps by becoming soothsayer of Sybaris. Okay, not the most exciting of summaries, but this is a great story. The atmosphere of this story was absolutely top notch. I really felt like I was walking along side the religious processions and rituals. Speaking of which, loved the emphasis this story placed on the rituals and practices of Ancient Greek religion.
That being said, I did find it a bit annoying that the gods and goddesses were referred to by their Roman names given the story's Greek setting. As for the narration, I though Tina did an excellent job conveying the terror and mysticism present in the story.
It's short, Ancient Greek and incredibly descriptive. Very much worth your time.
"Acceptable Losses" by Simon Wood
Narrated by Ian Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
The story is set during World War II, and follows the British campaign against the Japanese. During an expedition the British discovered a strange gelatinous organism with the ability to predict the future and communicate telepathically. Unfortunately, the organism, since named Oracle, feeds exclusively on human flesh. Therefore, one out of ever five battles is an intentional failure to provide Oracle with food. The Captain in charge of Oracle is beginning to wonder how he'll be able to live with himself after the war is over.
It's often said that those who wage wars must be ready to pay the price of those wars. The heart of this story is really all about asking what is the price of war. At the same time, there aren't any clear answers. The price to keep Oracle alive is undoubtably horrible, but at the same time it saved more than a few lives with its predictions.
Ian does an good job conveying the human emotions of the captain as well as the otherworld, yet familiar, speaking style of Oracle. I also liked that this story featured British soldiers fighting the Japanese, a topic often ignored in most works of fiction involving World War II.
It's a Lovecraftian take on an often ignored topic. Very much recommended.
"The Three Chimes" by David Longshore
Narrated by Corson Bremer
A Pseudopod Original
This story follows Louis XVI in the days leading up to his execution. Louis spends his time thinking about a strange clock that seemed to bring doom wherever it went. The clock seemed to cause otherwise inanimate object to try to eat him and he worries about what it will cause next.
One of the things I love about this story is that way it took something Louis XVI loved and then turned it into a source of terror. In real life Louis XVI was absolutely obsessed with clocks, and in the story his beloved clocks have become the instigator of his doom. It seemed rather fitting that the clock caused things to try and eat Louis, give that in a way his death was due to having been fed to a guillotine.
Corson did a spot on job with his narration. I also liked how the story presented a very human and historically accurate depiction of Louis. I have, in the past, encountered works of fiction set during the French Revolution that depict Louis XVI as a corrupt tyrant. He might have been incompetent, and he inherited quite the mess from his predecessors, but he was hardly tyrannical in his rule.
A great historical horror centered around Louis XVI. I heartily recommend it.
"The Spirit of Nationalism" by Richard Marsden
Narrated by Mike Bennett
A Pseudopod Original
This story is set in 1812 during Napoleon's campaign against Russia. A young solider named Gregorie has become lost in the snow and feel abandoned by Napoleon. He's been found by a fellow soldier who demands that he push on. Together they set off through the wind and ice to find the great general once again.
This story is very much a Jack London style man vs. nature story; though supernatural elements do appear towards the end. The atmosphere for this story is great; you get a sense of just how bleak the Russian winter is. This is really a story that feels like something you might have read in school, but you can't remember when. As for the narration, well, I think you can guess by now that I thought Mike did a great job capturing this story's feeling.
A story of finding meaning in the face of great odds. Well worth your time
"Last Respects" by Dave Thompson
Narrated by Scott Sigler
A Pseudopod Original
This story is actually an alternate history, well, kind of sort of. It takes place in a world where not only do vampires exist, but they got into a war with humanity and won. Following the war humans have been reduced to little more than animals. Also, Jesus might have been a vampire in this world. The story itself follows an older vampire as he and his family mourn his wife's recent passing.
For those of you wondering, yes, this is the same Dave Thompson who is former editor and host of PodCastle. It takes a special breed of writer to craft a story that is simultaneously deeply touching and utterly horrifying. Fortunately, Dave is one of those authors. The story juxtaposes a deeply touching family drama about coping with the loss of a loved along side the utter horror of what's happened to humanity.
The way the story handled religion was both tasteful and respectful. The vampires' version of Christianity is presented as no different than human Christianity; albeit vampire communion is a tad more literal. Of the implication that Jesus was a vampire, I won't comment much; though as the story itself mentions, Jesus did encourage his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood in hopes of rising from their graves.
Scott's narration did a perfect job of balancing the emotion and horror of this story. This is the first story I've ever found from Dave, and I've got a feeling his writing has a very bright future ahead of it.
It's a story that will touch your heart and made you cringe with terror. I couldn't recommend it more.
"The Corpse Army of Khartoum" by Grady Hendrix
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
Yes, I've got another story of the White Street Society for you. This time Augustus Morrison is on adventure to Egypt and Sudan. In particular, he's investigating the city of Khartoum and the rumors that it's home to sorcerers who can raise the dead.
There's a lot of overlap between my thoughts on this story and the last White Street Society story, but I'll do my best to add something new. First of all, you do see a bit of a colonialist attitude throughout the story, but then it is a satire on Victorian literature. Overall I can say it's a great adventure story with a supernatural twist to it. Though I must admit that when Augustus encounters the corpse army and describes them as smelling like...spiced chicken, it slightly ruined the mood for me.
Another fine addition to the White Street Society series. i recommend it.
A frightful satire of Victorian fiction well worth your time.
"Silver and Copper, Iron and Ash" by Nathaniel Lee
Narrated by Dominick Rabrun
Originally published in Coins of Chaos
This story is set in rural Colorado in the 1930s. Our protagonist James is struggling to made ends meet and provide enough to eat for his pregnant wife. While out hunting James discovers a mysterious Indian Head coin. He tries to get rid of the coin on the advice of a passing vagrant. The coin, however, keeps reappearing and each time it brings even stronger feeling of hunger.
If there's one central theme to this story it's hunger; be that for food, money or anything else. Even before the supernatural elements become more obvious you can almost see hunger as the main antagonist. The atmosphere to this story was absolutely perfect, and is a testament to Nathaniel's writing talent.
Dominick did an excellent job conveying that atmosphere and feelings of hunger in audio form. I also found the backdrop of the Great Depression to be more than fitting for a story centered around hunger and money.
It's a story sure to leave you hungry for more.
"Bophuthatswana" by Lavie Tidhar
Narrated by Elan Ressel
A Pseudopod Original
This next story is set in South Africa after years after the fall of Apartheid. Our protagonist would have been considered colored under the Apartheid. He's lost loved ones to various far-right extremist groups and he's out for revenge. Yet these are more than just racist extremists. The men he's after feed on the blood of the innocent and they have for centuries because they are vampires.
Okay, a couple things. First of all there's quite a few Afrikaans slang words throughout this story, but Pseudopod does provide a glossary of their meanings on their page for this story. Second, it's debatable as to whether the extremists are literally vampires or if that's simply a metaphor. Personally, I say both interpretations are equally valid, you just get slightly different stories.
I liked this story's depiction of post-Apartheid South Africa. You see people learning from the past and trying to move on, but at the same time there's still a lot of tension and resentment left over. It was also nice to see this aspect of South Africa as it is usually ignored in fiction. For example, there was a scene mentioning that South Africans of Asian ancestry didn't qualify as white under Apartheid, but also didn't qualify for compensation following its fall.
All in all a good, if dark, depiction of South Africa after Apartheid.
"Pran's Confession" by Joel Arnold
Narrated by Ben Phillips
A Pseudopod Original
We're taking a holiday in Cambodia for our next story. Samnang, a former prison guard, is revisiting a prison he worked at during the Pol Pot regime. He can stop thinking about one particular prisoner named Pran, who was defiant to the very end. Samnang also worries that the spirits of the dead might not be at rest after all these years.
I always knew things were grim under Pol Pot, especially during the Khmer Rouge, but until I listened to this story I'd never really envisioned just how bad things were. An all consuming ideology that would make North Korea blush, people with glasses sentenced to death, entire fields converted into mass graves and countless other horrors. I almost feel that the supernatural wasn't needed to add more horror to this story.
Ben did a great job conveying the stark hopelessness of this story. I feel there really isn't much more I can add. The story really speaks for itself.
For a glimpse into the nightmare of the Khmer Rouge, look no further.
"The Prophet's Daughters" by Michael J. DeLuca
Narrated by Tina Connolly
Originally published in Oniresmes.com
The story take place in the Ancient Greek colony of Sybaris and one character's quest to follow in their mother's footsteps by becoming soothsayer of Sybaris. Okay, not the most exciting of summaries, but this is a great story. The atmosphere of this story was absolutely top notch. I really felt like I was walking along side the religious processions and rituals. Speaking of which, loved the emphasis this story placed on the rituals and practices of Ancient Greek religion.
That being said, I did find it a bit annoying that the gods and goddesses were referred to by their Roman names given the story's Greek setting. As for the narration, I though Tina did an excellent job conveying the terror and mysticism present in the story.
It's short, Ancient Greek and incredibly descriptive. Very much worth your time.
"Acceptable Losses" by Simon Wood
Narrated by Ian Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
The story is set during World War II, and follows the British campaign against the Japanese. During an expedition the British discovered a strange gelatinous organism with the ability to predict the future and communicate telepathically. Unfortunately, the organism, since named Oracle, feeds exclusively on human flesh. Therefore, one out of ever five battles is an intentional failure to provide Oracle with food. The Captain in charge of Oracle is beginning to wonder how he'll be able to live with himself after the war is over.
It's often said that those who wage wars must be ready to pay the price of those wars. The heart of this story is really all about asking what is the price of war. At the same time, there aren't any clear answers. The price to keep Oracle alive is undoubtably horrible, but at the same time it saved more than a few lives with its predictions.
Ian does an good job conveying the human emotions of the captain as well as the otherworld, yet familiar, speaking style of Oracle. I also liked that this story featured British soldiers fighting the Japanese, a topic often ignored in most works of fiction involving World War II.
It's a Lovecraftian take on an often ignored topic. Very much recommended.
"The Three Chimes" by David Longshore
Narrated by Corson Bremer
A Pseudopod Original
This story follows Louis XVI in the days leading up to his execution. Louis spends his time thinking about a strange clock that seemed to bring doom wherever it went. The clock seemed to cause otherwise inanimate object to try to eat him and he worries about what it will cause next.
One of the things I love about this story is that way it took something Louis XVI loved and then turned it into a source of terror. In real life Louis XVI was absolutely obsessed with clocks, and in the story his beloved clocks have become the instigator of his doom. It seemed rather fitting that the clock caused things to try and eat Louis, give that in a way his death was due to having been fed to a guillotine.
Corson did a spot on job with his narration. I also liked how the story presented a very human and historically accurate depiction of Louis. I have, in the past, encountered works of fiction set during the French Revolution that depict Louis XVI as a corrupt tyrant. He might have been incompetent, and he inherited quite the mess from his predecessors, but he was hardly tyrannical in his rule.
A great historical horror centered around Louis XVI. I heartily recommend it.
"The Spirit of Nationalism" by Richard Marsden
Narrated by Mike Bennett
A Pseudopod Original
This story is set in 1812 during Napoleon's campaign against Russia. A young solider named Gregorie has become lost in the snow and feel abandoned by Napoleon. He's been found by a fellow soldier who demands that he push on. Together they set off through the wind and ice to find the great general once again.
This story is very much a Jack London style man vs. nature story; though supernatural elements do appear towards the end. The atmosphere for this story is great; you get a sense of just how bleak the Russian winter is. This is really a story that feels like something you might have read in school, but you can't remember when. As for the narration, well, I think you can guess by now that I thought Mike did a great job capturing this story's feeling.
A story of finding meaning in the face of great odds. Well worth your time
"Last Respects" by Dave Thompson
Narrated by Scott Sigler
A Pseudopod Original
This story is actually an alternate history, well, kind of sort of. It takes place in a world where not only do vampires exist, but they got into a war with humanity and won. Following the war humans have been reduced to little more than animals. Also, Jesus might have been a vampire in this world. The story itself follows an older vampire as he and his family mourn his wife's recent passing.
For those of you wondering, yes, this is the same Dave Thompson who is former editor and host of PodCastle. It takes a special breed of writer to craft a story that is simultaneously deeply touching and utterly horrifying. Fortunately, Dave is one of those authors. The story juxtaposes a deeply touching family drama about coping with the loss of a loved along side the utter horror of what's happened to humanity.
The way the story handled religion was both tasteful and respectful. The vampires' version of Christianity is presented as no different than human Christianity; albeit vampire communion is a tad more literal. Of the implication that Jesus was a vampire, I won't comment much; though as the story itself mentions, Jesus did encourage his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood in hopes of rising from their graves.
Scott's narration did a perfect job of balancing the emotion and horror of this story. This is the first story I've ever found from Dave, and I've got a feeling his writing has a very bright future ahead of it.
It's a story that will touch your heart and made you cringe with terror. I couldn't recommend it more.
"The Corpse Army of Khartoum" by Grady Hendrix
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Pseudopod Original
Yes, I've got another story of the White Street Society for you. This time Augustus Morrison is on adventure to Egypt and Sudan. In particular, he's investigating the city of Khartoum and the rumors that it's home to sorcerers who can raise the dead.
There's a lot of overlap between my thoughts on this story and the last White Street Society story, but I'll do my best to add something new. First of all, you do see a bit of a colonialist attitude throughout the story, but then it is a satire on Victorian literature. Overall I can say it's a great adventure story with a supernatural twist to it. Though I must admit that when Augustus encounters the corpse army and describes them as smelling like...spiced chicken, it slightly ruined the mood for me.
Another fine addition to the White Street Society series. i recommend it.
"The Land of Reeds" by Patrick Samphire
Narrated by Cheyenne Wright
Originally Published in Realms of Fantasy
This story is set in Ancient Egypt and takes place
shortly after Alexander the Great's conquest. It follows a man named Amenhotep
who has been murdered, but that's just the beginnings for his troubles. The
afterlife is nothing like he expected. The great god Ra is nowhere to be found;
there is only the glowing ball in the sky. There is no Osiris, no Halls of
Judgement, no Land of Reeds. The dead simply linger as ghosts upon the Earth.
Can Amenhotep avenge his death and find his way to the underworld?
The fear of death is one of humanity's most primal
fears. Young or old, rich or poor, death claims us all eventually. The fear of
death is believed to have been a major factor in the rise of religion. When you
get down to it, religions typically have two main purposes: to explain that
which cannot be explained, and to take away the sting of death. As long as
humanity continues to fear death, we'll probably continue to have religion in
some form or another.
Now, I bring all of this up because it ties into the
horror of this story. The horror here is the fear that what comes after death
isn't what you've been taught. It's a very existential kind of horror; the
thought that something so fundamental about your world view could be utterly
wrong.
I've been a fan of all things Ancient Egypt,
particularly with regards to mythology, for as long as I can remember. So it
goes without saying that this story had me at hello. I won't give away the
ending, but I did like that it ended on an optimistic note. I also really
enjoyed Cheyenne's narration.
It's an Ancient Egyptian existential horror story, and
more than worthy of your time.
"The Great American Nightmare" by Moaner T.
Lawrence
Narrated by John Bell
A Pseudopod Original
I've got another alternate history story for you guys.
In this story, a group of political strategist wake Cthulhu up just in time for
the 2016 American President Election. The Great Old One runs as a third party
candidate and wins in a landslide. Cthulhu is set to remake America in his
image, but to do that he'll have to face his greatest foe yet: his political
strategy comity!
In its own strange way, this story was actually kind
of heartwarming. As you may have guessed, this story came out shortly after the
2016 Election. It was...a very chaotic time. So here we have a story that take
that turbulent time and reminds us all to laugh and smile. I really enjoyed
Cthulhu's unique approach to solving the various problems facing America. For
example, Cthulhu handles the transgender bathroom problem by proposing that all
Americans be turned into genderless amphibian people. It's a very funny and
lighthearted sort of story, with just a dash of satire.
In terms of narration, I thought that John did an
excellent job. It's funny, lighthearted and heartwarming in a way that only
Pseudopod can deliver. I happily recommend it.
"The Christmas Spirits" by Grady Hendrix
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
Originally Published in Tales of the White Street
Society
Yes, this is another story from the White Street
Society. It's Christmas time, and Augustus Mortimer is back in action on the
streets of New York. There's big trouble in Little Germany. A series of strange
murders has occurred, and the people of Little Germany think it might have
something to do with the Krampus.
Yes, this story is much better than the description
makes it sound. You get plenty of thrills and chills just like you would with a
good Victorian gothic and/or adventure story. You also get quite a bit of
satire about those kinds of stories. I liked how this stories tied in with the
earlier White Street Stories. It is proposed that all of these strange
creatures might be coming to America because they arrive via the beliefs of the
immigrants who bring their stories with them. It's rather evocative of American
Gods, and that is good, because I'm very fond of American Gods
Personally, I can't think of a better way to spend a
Pseudopod Christmas than with the lads from the White Street Society. Sorry if
I struggle to find things to say. It is a good story, but it hits a lot of the
same notes as the earlier stories, so it's hard to find new things to say.
It's a Yuletide tale courtesy of the White Street
Society. Do I really need to say that I recommend this one?
"The Horror From the Mound" by Robert E.
Howard
Narrated by Anson Mount
Originally Published in Weird Tales
This story is set in the days of the Old West. It
follows a cowboy-turned-farmer named Steve Brill. He's growing increasingly
suspicious of his Mexican assistant Juan Lopez. Juan is obsessed with an old
Indian burial mound, but won't say why. Steve decides to investigate by reading
Juan's diaries. What he finds is more than be bargained for.
This story is much better than the description makes
it sound, I promise. I'm a big fan of Robert E. Howard, and I always get very
excited when I find a new story of his to listen to. This story certainly
didn't disappoint. So before we go any further, we need to talk about what was
in the mound. Minor spoiler, though not really, it's a vampire. I did like how
the vampire was linked to certain historical events, such as the expedition of
Coronado. The story had a slightly Lovecraftian feel to it. That's certainly
not too surprising, given what good friends Howard and Lovecraft were. I know
some people find them a bit cliche, but I do enjoy a good vampire story.
Speaking of things I enjoy, I also enjoyed Anson's
narration. One of the earliest example of the Weird West subgenre, and still
well worth a listen.
"Fade to Gold" by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
Narrated by Jen Zink
Originally Published in End of the Road
This story is set in Thailand during the
Burmese-Siamese War. Specifically, after the fall of Ayutthaya. It follows a
young women, who has disguised herself as a man, returning home from the war.
Along the way she meets another woman who turns out to be a Krasue. The two
strike up a bit of an odd friendship, and perhaps a bit of romance. The Krasue
needs to feast on human flesh in order to survive. Will she be able to find a
place in human society.
I
do enjoy stories that go off the beaten path and feature non-Western cultures.
That having been said, sometimes you do have hold the reader/listener's hand to
help them understand. For example, I was able to figure out the setting of the
story as soon as Ayutthaya's fall was mentioned. However, most readers probably
wouldn't have been able to figure that out on their own. Even without knowing
the background, you can still probably enjoy the story, but you'll definitely
be missing out on certain aspects.
Another minor issue I had was that this read more like
a fantasy story than a true horror story. True, it's set during a war and it
features a monster, but simply having those elements doesn't automatically make
something a horror story. Don't get me wrong, it is still a great story and I
quite enjoyed it, but to me, perhaps it would have been more at home over at
PodCastle. Again, it is still a good story about two women traveling through
war-torn Thailand.
In terms of narration, I though that Jen
did an excellent job. Perhaps a bit more fantasy than true horror, but still
well worth your time. I recommend it.
"The Western Front" by Patrick Samphire
Narrated by Paul Jenkins
A Pseudopod Original
This story follows a group of soldiers as they make their way across France during World War I. They soon find themselves helping to guard a rose, but this isn't just any rose. It radiates warmth, light and hope. If the rose dies there's no telling how much worse their already hellish world could become.
Okay, the description leaves something to be desired, but I promise you that the story is well worth your time. World War I was a major turning point in world history. It was the first time industrialized warfare was used on a global scale, and we still feel its effects even to this day. Even without the supernatural elements I have no doubt that this would still have made for an effective and terrifying story.
For a story like this you need just the right sort of narrator or else it all falls apart. Fortunately, Paul is the right fit for this story. Not much more to add here, the story really speaks for itself.
“Unheil” by Kathryn Allen
Narrated by Elie Hirschman
Originally Published in Pantheon Magazine and collected in Typhon: A Monster Anthology
This story is set in 1909 in German Southwest Africa, what is now Namibia. It follows a man from British Rhodesia who has come to work for the German colonists. The work is hard, but he's sure it will be worth it in the end. Then, late one night, he is greeted by a woman caught between life and death. She tells him of the horrors she endured under the rule of the Germans.
You don't often hear about German colonialism in Africa, so in that regard this story was refreshing. The description of life for the natives under German rule is absolutely chilling. What really sold this story for me was bit after the story where Alasdair Stuart gives more context to the horrors of German colonialism. That's not to say that the story doesn't stand on its own merits, it just that it was a little something extra that gave context to the horrors. It's a chilling tale, and apart from the supernatural bits, it's all true.
Elie did a great job with the narration. Fittingly enough he's from Zimbabwe, which at the time of the story was known as Rhodesia. Another story of realistic chills, and one you won't want to miss.
"The Republic of the Southern Cross" by Valery Bryusov
Narrated by Eric Luke
Originally published in Zemnaya Os, but is now Public Domain
I saved one of the best for last. It's not an alternate history per se, but it does have the feel of one. It's a Russian science fiction/horror mash-up for the early 20th century. Without further delay, let's talk about this story.
This story chronicles the rise and fall of the Republic of the Southern Cross. The titular republic is located in Antarctica, and is initially presented as a worker's paradise. Then several citizens come down with Contradiction; a disease that causes people to do the opposite of what they intend. At first the citizens take it in stride and find it all somewhat comical...then doctors and nurses start slitting their patients throats and pharmacists start handing out poison. Before long society begins to unravel at the seams.
Like I said before, this isn't exactly alternate history, but it does have the feel of one. The Republic itself has a predominately Russian feel to it, but there are hints if other cultures as well. In many ways this story feels like listening to an excerpt from a history book written in an alternate timeline. Fortunately, the writing never gets too dry and Eric's narration really brings things to life.
The famous comic book writer/artist Jack Kirby once said that you can tell a lot about a people based on their fantasies. With this story you really get a sense of the hopes and fears of the Russian people from the time this story was written. There as sense of wanting to improve the lot of workers, but also a considerable fear for what might go wrong.
It's one of my favorite Pseudopod stories, and I can't recommend it enough.
Conclusion
Well, here we are at the end of the list once again. I hope you enjoy these stories, and if you did, might I suggest tossing a few buck at Pseudopod? They have many options for donation, as do all four of the Escape Artists Podcasts. It would really help them out a lot if you could do that, but if you can't, then consider sharing this or any of my other posts. Help get the word out about all the great free audio fiction there is to discover.
And now for a bit of shameless self-promotion. If you really love what I do you can follow me on Twitter where I'm @ArthurDrakoni, you can like The Audiophile's fan page on Facebook. Well, I think that's enough from me for now.
I will see all of you next time, when we talk about PodCastle.
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