However, there is one host who still casts a large shadow over the PodCastle team. During his time as host and editor, Dave Thompson helped to define PodCastle. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that, for a while, he pretty much was PodCastle. His catch phrase "aaaaand welcome back" is still very much in use. Dave's impact is still felt in everything that PodCastle continues to do, and I think, will continue to be felt for years to come.
I want to also take a moment to thank the many hard working behind the scenes people who make PodCastle possible. So, with all of this having been said, sit back and relax because it's story time...
"The Calendar of Saints" by Kat Howard
Narrated by Amal El-Mothar
Originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies
This story has multiple departures from our history. First, Ignatius of Loyola founded a religious order known as the Sacred Blades. Whenever there is a dispute in Catholic doctrine the two debating sides will supply their own duelists, the aforementioned as Sacred Swords, and whoever wins is considered the one in the right (it is believed that God will guide the victor's hand). It also appears that Catholic history is considerably different than our world. There are several saints of science such as Galileo Galilei and Tycho Brahe. Also, God is referred to as a women and the Church is more gender egalitarian than in our world.
The story focuses on a Sacred Blade named Jeanne. Though she doesn't exactly believe in God, Jeanne does believe in the Truth and the rules of the Sacred Blades. Jeanne has been chosen to wield the sword of Ignatius himself, and she'll need it more than ever for a duel that could decide the future of the Catholic Church.
When I first saw the word saints I admittedly wasn't sure this was going to be the story for me. I'm happy, however, to report I couldn't have been more wrong. The glimpses we get of the alternate history of this Catholic Church are tantalizing, and ever so often we get little fact files on different saints to really help flesh out the world. As for the narration, Amal did an excellent job bringing the story to life and capturing all of the emotions present in the story.
The fact that this story could make someone like me, never the biggest fan of religion, care about its characters and hang on its every word shows Kat's skill as an author. A unique take on alternate religious history that I very much recommend.
"Biographical notes to A Discourse on the Nature of Causality with Air-Planes" by Benjamin Rosenbaum
Narrated by Graeme Dunlop
Originally published in All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories
Our story takes place in a world where India, China, Gabon, Japan and Malaysia are the dominate world powers, North America is balkanized and airships are the only means of air travel. Our protagonist, Benjamin Rosenbaum, has been commissioned by a wealthy Rajah to write an alternate history story set in a world where something other than airships is used for air travel. Benjamin, however, soon finds himself caught in an assignation plot against the Rajah and must rise to the occasion.
If ever there was a story that needed a sequel it was this. India as the dominate world power? Jesus considered an avatar of Vishnu? An Irish-Iroquois hybrid nation? There's so many details about this world that are just begging to be elaborated on and that I'm desperate to know more about. I liked how we get shown little hints at the impact India had on Western culture, like how people with otherwise Western names sometimes have Sri in front of their names. The Eastern cultural dominance is also apparent in the philosophical discussions throughout the story. If you're only experience is with Western Philosophy it can be a little confusing, but not too much so.
There's certain narrators who are always associated with certain stories to some people. For me, Graeme will always be Conan the Barbarian, but he still did a very good job narrating this story. Words fail to properly convey the sense of awe and wonder this story provided me with.
A swashbuckling alternate history that leaves you hungry for more.
"Wane" by Elizabeth Bear
Narrated by Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart
Originally published in Interzone #203
This story is set in the same world as Elizabeth Bear's New Amsterdam series. In this world, Native Americans were able to mostly repel European colonization thanks to the use of magic. By the 19th century the European settlements, huddled along the coastline, have yet to gain their independence; and obviously New York is still called New Amsterdam.
I've been interested in the New Amsterdam series for quite some time, and I was very eager to give this story a try. I can honestly say this story was...meh. That's not to say I thought this story was bad, but I didn't quite care for it either. As stated before, this story had a really interesting setting, and a surviving Aztec Empire is always a bonus. As for the story itself, well it didn't quite capture my attention.
Let's talk about the narrators. Marguerite did an excellent job voicing her characters, but as for Alasdair...I find myself questioning if he was the best choice for this story. When he's paired with the right story Alasdair can work absolute wonders. Here, however, he kind of dropped the ball. There were a lot of characters Alasdair needed to make sound distinct, but they all sounded so similar I had trouble keeping track of who was who.
This might not exactly be my cup of tea, but maybe you'll enjoy it. I'll say it's at least worth checking out.
"Nor the Moonlight" by Andrew Penn Romine
Narrated by Cheyenne Wright
Originally published in Broken Time Blues: Fantastic Tales of the Roaring 20s
Set in a dieselpunk 1920s Paris, this is the story of two lovers dealing with the effects of the First World War. Several former soldiers are seeking treatment for the wounds they received in the war. Many have found hope in the surgeries of Pablo Picasso. He claims that his surgeries will make the wounded whole once again, but his patents are often turned into bizarre and gruesome living sculptures.
Andrew captured the cynical and disjointed style of the great writers of the 20s, such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald, perfectly. Cheyenne did as excellent job of conveying that feeling as well. I liked how even though the story featured a gay romance at its center it wasn't treated any differently than a heterosexual romance. That's how you do diversity well; you treat your minority characters no different than your majority characters, and don't draw attention to their status as minorities. I know I said that this is a dieselpunk story, but the descriptions of Picasso's surgeries does add in a few biopunk elements as well. Speaking of which, if you pay attention you can probably pick out a few references to Picasso's paintings in his surgeries.
It's dark, cynical and haunting. Definitely worth checking out.
"The Osteomancer's Son" by Greg van Eekhout
Narrated by Ben Phillips
Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction
Some of you are probably familiar with Greg van Eekhout though his novel California Bones. This is the story which inspired that novel. Magic in this world, known as Osteomancy, involves drawing power from the bones of prehistoric and mythic creatures. This can be accomplished a number of ways, but is most effective when the bones are eaten. After this the Osteomancer takes on an aspect of the creature. Of course, if you eat a fellow Osteomancer's bones you get all of their accumulated powers.
Our protagonist Daniel is the son of a well known black market Osteomancer. California is an independent nation and is ruled in the iron fist of a dictator known as the Hierarch and he's taken Daniel's daughter hostage.
This story really spoke to the paleontology nerd in me, and I loved how the La Brea Tar Pits played such a central role to the story. I also liked how the powers generated by eating bones aren't always what you think they might be. For example, eating kraken spine apparently grants the power to summon lightning. It was a nice touch that the bones of Osteomancers are said to be brown, the color of bones in tar. Daniel's relationship with his father came across and complex and nuanced; overall very well written on Greg's part.
As far as narration goes I think Ben did a spot on job. This story does a good job of standing on its own merits, but I'm intrigued, and I'm definitely going to check out California Bones at some point.
I've been hooked by this story and you will too.
"On Bookstores, Burners and Origami" by Jason D. Wittman
Narrated by Brian Rollins
Originally published at SciFi.com
This story takes place in a world where the Civil War dragged on slightly longer than in our world, but still ended in a Union victory. A media mogul named Tobias Hornbee contributed lots of money to the rebuilding effort, and was able to use this to launch a presidential campaign. Most people focus more on his help rebuilding than on the fact that he holds a near monopoly on the nation's printing presses. President Hornbee has been trying to suppress most literature on the grounds that it doesn't conform to his ideas of optimism.
Several booksellers have been subversively selling banned books in defiance of Hornbee. Hitomi, our protagonist and an immigrant from Japan to Minneapolis, is involved in such an operation. Besides the President, the booksellers also face Burners, a movement to destroy all written works. Fortunately, Edgar Allen Poe has recently come out of hiding to help the bookseller cause.
This story has steampunk elements to it such as airships and pneumatic tubes, but on the whole I'd classify this as more of a Gaslamp Fantasy. Now as far as the narration goes, while I think that overall Brian did a very good job, I find myself questioning why a story with a female protagonist would have a male narrator. PodCastle has always had a wide selection of narrators so the choice struck me as a bit odd.
As for the story itself, overall I found it very enjoyable, though I'm not sure I exactly buy Edgar Allen Poe being a Confederate sympathizer. I liked the way that Jason presented the booksellers and the Burners as ultimately having the same goal, but just very different methods of achieving it. For that matter, I liked how the Burners were depicted sympathetically and as misguided rather than truly evil. It was also nice to see a somewhat steampunk story with such a diverse cast as this had.
All in all an excellent Gaslamp Fantasy. I say give it a shot.
"Titanic!" by Lavie Tidhar
Narrated by Ian Stuart
Originally published in Apex Magazine
Dr. Jekyll is on the run from the authorities. They haven't discovered his dark secret yet, but it won't be long, so he's decided to journey to America aboard the Titanic. The ship, however, is going have a fateful run-in with a kaiju, the most famous kaiju of them all in fact.
Okay, in case you haven't figured it out, this story is basically Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meet Godzilla while on the Titanic. There really isn't much to say about this story except that it was a lot of fun. Ian did an excellent job narrating, and if you're a fan of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen this story should appeal to you. For that matter, this story will probably appeal to most people.
It goes without saying that I heartily recommend this one.
"Enginesong (A Rondeau)" by Nathaniel Lee
Narrated by Bob Eccles
Originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies
This story is set in the Old West where trains have gained sentience, grown legs and walked away. With so many town dependent on the trains for survival it isn't long before a posse is assembled to capture the trains. Yet our protagonist Bose begins to wonder, if a train can walk like a man, can a man haul like a train?
On the surface the story sounds like it has no right to work, but it absolutely does. I guess that just show's Nathaniel's skill as a writer, and yes, this is the same Nathaniel Lee who is assistant editor of Escape Pod. The central theme of this story is about change and making sacrifices for a great good. The story as a whole does an excellent job of presenting these themes, and the final lines are especially memorable and haunting. Bob Eccles' narration perfectly captured the emotional depth of this story.
For a Weird Western that packs an emotional punch, checkout this story.
"The Hooves and Hovel of Abdel Jameela" by Saladin Ahmed
Narrated by Rajan Khanna
Originally published in Clockwork Phoenix 2 and collected in Engraved on the Eye
Set during the Golden Age of Islam, or thereabout, this story follows a physicker who has received a call for aid by a hermit named Abdel Jameela. He has fallen in love and married a ghoul, which in this case refers to a human-goat hybrid creature of sorts. He wishes to move to the country of his wife's people, but to do that he must become part goat, and he'll need the professor's help.
This is another of those stories whose summary sounds crazy, but I swear that it works. One of the things I like about Saladin's writing is that he asks a lot of though questions about issues of faith and spirituality without pretending to know the answers. I liked that the professor was cool, rational minded and asked for evidence before agreeing to help Abdel. At the same time, I could sense the conflict the professor felt when confronted with Abdel's wife. Here is something that shouldn't exist, and that legends describe as evil, but appears not to be any worse than a typical human.
On that note, I liked how ghouls were presented as morally no worse than humans or any other race of creatures. I guess Abdul and his wife go to show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. As for Rajan's narration, well, I think you can guess by now that I thought he did a great job. I also thought that effects accompanying the wife's speaking added a perfect supernatural feeling.
If you're looking for a good spiritual noir then give this story a shot.
"Card Sharp" by Rajan Khanna
Narrated by Wilson Fowlie
Originally published in Way of the Wizard
I've got another Weird Western for you. This one follows a young man named Quentin who has been trained to be a Card Sharp. Card Sharps are people who draw magic from decks of playing cards, but each Card Sharp only gets one deck in their entire life, so they must choose their cards wisely. Quentin's going to need all the magical help he can get because he's on a mission to avenge his father's death.
This story had some great worldbuilding. I loved how the card's suits corresponds to different kinds of magic and their number corresponds to strength. The plot of a son getting revenge against the man who killed his father and married his mother gave this story a bit of Wild West Hamlet feel, and that's not a bad thing. Without giving too much away, though, I can assure you this story has a happier ending than Hamlet. It is always a joy to hear a story narrated by Wilson Fowlie, and he did a great job here as well.
Another Weird Western I reckon you'll like.
"Maxwell's Demon" by Ken Liu
Narrated by Aki Gibbons
Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
You didn't really think I wasn't going to find a Ken Liu story for this list did you? This story follows Takako Yamashiro, a woman sentenced to the Japanese interment camps during World War II. Fortunately, she's been given the chance to get out of the camps and work as a spy to infiltrate a secret Japanese military program. Said program turns out to be an attempt to use the spirits of the dead to create perpetual energy machines, and it's up to Takako, a spirit medium, to to spot that from happening.
Wars are rarely completely black and white, and World War II was no exception. While not anywhere near as bad as the Nazi concentration camps, the Internment Camps were certainly not one of the better moments in American history. Ken did an excellent job depicting the attitudes and mentality of the era, and the sense of injustice felt by Japanese-Americans. Aki did a perfect job of delivering the emotional punch this story packs.
As with most Ken Liu stories I got to learn something new. In this case I learned about the traditional cultures of Okinawa as well as the Maxwell's Demon thought experiment. Without giving too much away I can say that the ending is tragic, but also with a bit of hope as well. Wouldn't have expected any less from a Ken Liu story.
Do I really need to say how much I recommend this story?
"After October" by Ben Burgis
Narrated by Eric Luke
Originally published in GigaNotoSaurus
This story follows the Soviet Union from the beginning of the October Revolution to the height of the Stalin regime. It also tells the coming of age story of a young revolutionary named Fyodka. He's been trained in the magic of Old Russia since he was young, but he has abandoned that in favor of joining the revolution. Fyodka's uncle Grigor has been trying to research a way to magically defeat death. The question is, which of them will truly bring revolution to the world?
Like I said before, this is the coming of age story not just for Fyodka, but for Russia as a whole. We see them go from wide-eyed optimism at the begin of the revolution to deep cynicism and despair under Stalin. I'd like to add that if you're looking for an epic Zombies vs. Soviets showdown then I'm sorry to say you'll probably be disappointed. Having said that, this story is nonetheless an excellent depiction of the early years if the Soviet Union.
This story really give me a new perspective of the harshness of the Stalin regime. That's not to say I necessarily think Leon Trotsky would have been better, but the story really conveyed the sense of shattered dreams felt by the Soviets. Here were a people who threw off the chains of oppression and dreamed of bringing liberation to other nations; yet now these same people soon witnessed their nation crumbling at the seems.
For a new look at Soviet history I recommend this story.
"The Gorgon" by Clark Ashton Smith
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Weird Tales
This story is set in Victorian London and follows and man who is going to see a friend who is an art collector. The art collector has a collection of statues depicting people from all eras of time; everything from Ancient Greece to the present. The statues have an uncannily lifelike quality to them, and he art collectors claims to have discovered doorways that lead to the past. So then what's the true origin of the statues?
Just in case it wasn't immediately obvious, the art collector used the doorways to go back to Ancient Greece, stole Medusa's severed head, and used it to turn his unwitting victims into stone statues. Overall, this story has a very Gothic/Lovecraftian. Some might argue that it would be more at home over on Pseudopod, but I think it fits more than well for PodCastle. It's a very good story if you're looking for something to get you in the Halloween mood; which is fitting, as this was produced as a Halloween episode. It has time travel and Greek Mythology, so I knew I was going to love it right from the start.
As per usual, Norm did an excellent job with the narration. A story of gorgons and time travel that's great for Halloween, or any time of the year. You won't want to miss out on this one.
"The Dauphin’s Metaphysics" by Eric Schwitzgebel
Narrated by Tatiana Grey
Originally Published in Unlikely Story
This story is set in a world where Imperial China not only never fell, but also managed to successfully modernize and become a world power. The story follows a academic named Fu Hao. She has spent her life raising through the ranks of the imperial academy, and now she has her big break. The young dauphin has charged the imperial scholars for finding a way transfer his mind into a new body. Fu Hao thinks she can do it, but what will be the consequences of a truly immortal ruler?
For centuries, humanity has sought a way to cheat death and live forever. On of the earliest attempts at this was commissioned by China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, who thought that mercury held the answer he sought. As you can well imagine, it didn't quite work as he planned. I wonder if this was an inspiration for Eric when he wrote this story. I will say that the Dauphin came across as considerably nicer than Shihuangdi. So, just what would a truly immortal ruler be like? On the one hand, they would be able to live to see their long-term projects to fruition. On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if all the power would go to the ruler’s head at some point. Seems like society would potentially stagnate, with no new blood coming to power, and implementing new ideas. If nothing else, this story provides fertile food for thought.
One thing I found interesting is that the Chinese royals all had very French sounding titles. Does that mean France still has a monarchy in this word, and perhaps has a bigger role on the world stage? Could be a nod to how Japan appropriated several German terms when reforming its government during the Meiji Era. Fun fact, Eric has admitted that almost all of the characters are named after important figures in Chinese History.
In terms of narration, I thought that Tatiana did a great job. A great story that is sure to have you thinking for days. I recommend it.
"Thirteen Bullets" by Laurence Raphael Brothers
Narrated by Austin Malone
A PodCastle Original
This story is set during the days of the Wild West. It follows the No-Good Kid. He was on his way from Albuquerque, New Mexico for a meet up at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. However, the stagecoach driver he hired has taken him on a detour to the estate of a wealthy baron. Ah, but not just any baron, for this is the estate of Baron Samedi, the voodoo loa of death. The Kid will need all of his wits if he's going to survive his stay at Baron Samedi's estate.
There a lot of untapped potential within Voodoo Mythology, and I am happy to see that this story was able to utilize that rich material. There are several references to Voodoo Mythology throughout the story. For example, when the No-Good Kid first arrives at the estate, he is offered a rum that has several spicy peppers in it. In Voodoo Mythology, this is Baron Samedi's drink of choice. It is quite an enjoyable story, but I don't have much more to add on this one.
I will, however, say that Laurence did an excellent job with the narration. A Wild West/Voodoo mashup that you won't want to miss. I say give it a try.
"Gone Daddy Gone" by Josh Rountree
Narrated by Dave Thompson
Originally Published in Lone Star Stories
Dig. This story follows a surfer daddy-o named Moon Doggie. On a perfect day in 1950-something, while out surfing, he met his wife Priscilla. Prissy is one of the thunderbirds in charge making sure new days keep coming. He stole her feather jacket, so she had to be his wife, but she would have come along anyway. Then, one day, she goes missing. Prissy says that it's time for the 1950s to come to an end, but Doggie wants to keep his perfect day. So, Doggie sets out on a road trip to find Priscilla, and meets some seriously cool cats along the way.
Okay, I won't do the whole review in 1950s surfer lingo. In many ways, this story feels like a meditation on the nature of nostalgia and change. When we recall the past, we often tend to count the hits and ignore the misses. Similarly, the future can be scary and uncertain, but it also brings new opportunities and possibilities. That's not just me being philosophical; studies have shown that's there's never been a point in human history where it was better to be alive than the present. Those same studies also indicate that the future is projected to keep getting better. I think that, when you take it as a whole, the modern world's gets more right than it gets wrong.
I liked the way the thunderbirds were combined with the legend of the selkies. The road trip aspect, along with the meditative quality, kind of gave the story an American Gods vibe. Some people might like this story to be expanded into a novel, but personally, I think that's it's perfect just the way it is.
Do I even have to say that Dave did a stellar job with the narration? I really think you cats are gonna dig this story, daddy-o.
"Makeisha In Time" by Rachael K. Jones
Narrated by K. Tempest Bradford
Originally Published in Crossed Genres #20
This story follows a woman named Makeisha who can travel through time and space, though not always at will. She has lived hundreds of lifetimes, ruled dozens of kingdoms and gone on numerous adventures. Despite it all, she finds that history and historians have failed to record her exploits, and this makes her very unhappy.
Now, I know that doesn't sound like much, but it's...even worse than it sounds. Often times, whenever people discus historical revisionism, they tend to focus exclusively on the far-right. In my experience, the far-left if just as guilt of such things. For example, you've got people on the far-right who like to claim that there were no black people in pre-modern Europe, and this is not correct. However, the far-left likes to claim that pre-modern was a melting pot of diversity and multiculturalism, and this is also not correct. As with most things, the truth is in the center. In major port cities, like Constantinople, you would see people from many different place; however, if you lived in a more rural area, you're going to see much more homogeneity of peoples.
It has also been my experience that whenever someone, of any political persuasion, claims they want history taught more objectively, they really mean they want history taught so that it reflects their biases and prejudices. In many ways, this story is what would happen if the "We Wuz Kangz" meme got turned into a short story.
This story wears its political agenda on its sleeve, much to its detriment. Such a shame, it had potential to be a really fun and interesting story. What is particularly frustrating is that I know for a fact that Rachael is capable of doing far better. She has written some of my absolute favorite short stories, and you will get to meet them sooner or later over on The Audio File. As the old saying goes, nothing is sadder than wasted potential. Also, word of advice, never cite the blog MedievalPOC as a serious source. That blog is filled to the brim with blatant lies and deliberate misinformation. No profession historian worth their salt takes it seriously.
A regrettable example of politics smothering a potentially interesting story, with a side of historical revisionism. Don't waste your time with this terrible story.
"Narrative of a Beast's Life" by Cat Rambo
Narrated by Paul Jenkins
Originally Published in Realms of Fantasy
This story takes place in a fantasy world not too dissimilar to our world during the 18th century. It chronicles the life of a centaur who has been captured and sold into bondage to work on a plantation. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but this story is well worth your time.
This story isn't historical fantasy or alternate history per se, but it is close enough for my purposes. Some of you might question why this story was even written if it parallels our own history so closely. I, however, think that it serves a purpose. This story brings the slave narrative to readers who normally would not read historical accounts or historical fiction relating to such events. By giving it to them in a more familiar form, such as fantasy, the story makes itself easer to digest for potential reluctant readers. If nothing else, it is still a reasonably entertaining story.
In terms of narration, I thought that Paul did an excellent job. A fantasy twist on the slave narrative. I recommend it.
"The Ghost Years" by Nghi Vo
Narrated by Tatiana Gomberg
A PodCastle Original
This story takes place in a dieselpunk Vietnam, possibly in the 1930s or 1940s, it's never made quite clear. The story follows a woman named Cho Doan. Vietnam has been engaged in a defensive war against China, but she tries her best to take it in stride. Then a general arrives at her family's home to inform them at her brother has died. There's just one problem: Cho Doan doesn't have a brother. Everyone insists that this mysterious brother has always existed, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. Is Cho Doan losing her mind, or is there something more sinister at work here?
This is one of those stories that you'll probably be thinking about for a bit. There's certainly evidence that the mysterious false memories are part of a Chinese plot to use psychic warfare against the Vietnamese, but then there's a few scenes at the end that suggest otherwise. Perhaps the two positions aren't as exclusive as they seem. I'll leave it for all of you to decide for yourselves. Uncertainty and ambiguity are big themes in this story, but I'd have liked to have known a bit more about the setting of this story, such as when specifically it is set.
As for the narration, I thought that Tatiana did a good job. This story is sure to keep you thinking for days to come. I say give it a try.
"It's a Wonderful Carol" by Tim Pratt and Heather Shaw
Narrated by Dagny Paul
A PodCastle Original
This story follows a composer named Colleen who has been hitting a spell of bad luck. She has dreams of creating great and moving symphonies, but all of that is outshone by her Christmas ditty Jolly Bells. It seems that Colleen is doomed to only be remembered as the writer of Jolly Bells. Then she receives a visit from her Muse. The Muse offer to show Colleen what life would be like if she had never written Jolly Bells, but first he is going to show her the impact her music has had on the lives of others. Throughout it all Colleen has a question to answer: which life would she prefer?
Yeah, so if you haven't figured it out, this story is pretty much It's a Wonderful Life. As I often say, it's not the plots you use, but how you use them that makes or breaks a story. With this story, however, I'm not so sure the journey was worth it. The story was just so cliched and predictable I could see the ending coming from a mile away, and I could predict most of the twists and turns. It's such a shame, I usually love Tim and Heather's Christmas stories. Of course, that just makes my frustration with this story worse, because I know for a fact that they're capable of doing better. I wanted to like this story, I really did, but it just didn't manage to hook my interest.
Dagny did okay with the narration, but it just wasn't enough to salvage the story. A tragically predicable story from two otherwise very talented authors. Don't bother with this one.
"The Ghost of Christmas Possible" by Tim Pratt and Heather Shaw
Narrated by Ian Stuart
A PodCastle Original
This story is set in Victorian London, to begin with. Ebenezer Scourge has been having some trouble with ghosts, so he has hired a ghost finder named Hodgson. Hodgson will lure the ghosts out by pretending to be Scourge. The plan works like a charm, but what are the consequences of Hodgson's meddling with the affairs of Scourges' spirits?
Yes, this one is better than the summary makes it sound. A Christmas Carol is one of those stories that has been told hundreds of times, hundreds of different ways, but this story managed to add something new. Hodgson is obviously a nod to William Hope Hodgson, author of Carnacki the Ghost Finder. For those who don't know, the adventures of Thomas Carnacki were a bit like those of Sherlock Holmes, but with a supernatural twist. What made him so effective was that Carnacki was open to mundane explanations as well as the supernatural.
So, just who is this Ghost of Christmas Possible? Well, that's something you'll find out if you give this story a listen. As for the narration, I thought that Ian did an excellent job.
A fun twist on a classic Christmas tale. I say give it a try.
"State Change" by Ken Liu
Narrated by Heather Welliver
Originally Published in Polyphony 4 and full text can be read at Lightspeed Magazine
This story takes place in an alternate world where everyone's soul manifest as a different physical object. The story follows a woman named Rina. Her soul manifested as an ice cube, and she's always had to live life with the upmost of care to avoid an early demise. She always just kind of skated by and avoided risk, but now she feels as though the time has come to change, and take more risks for her own good.
Yes, not the most exciting summary, but this is a Ken Liu story, so of course it is well sort your time. This story has a pretty strong Golden Compass vibe to it, and Ken has admitted that the His Dark Materials series was a big influence on this story. Throughout the story we get little snippets about the lives of various historical figures, and we get to find out what their souls were like. For example, Cicero's soul was a pebble, which he kept in his mouth while practicing speeches. Also, T.S. Elliot's soul was a canister of coffee, so he literally measured his life in scoops of coffee.
It's stated that people who's souls get destroyed die, but then what happens after death? Do those people experience cessation of existence? What happens to people who die of old age? Is there even an afterlife at all?
You can see this story as a metaphor for a variety of things. It can be seen as symbolic of being born with a disability, or of learning to overcome anxiety, or any number of other things. Ken certainly leaves it open to interpretation, and perhaps the stories is all the better for that applicability. As per usual, it really has that heart and soul we've come to expect from Ken Liu's stories. In terms of narration, I thought that Heather did a really great job.
Another great Ken Liu story that knocks it out of the ballpark. Do I even have to say that I recommend this one?
Conclusion
Aaaaaand welcome back. We've made it to the end of the list once again. I know it's been a while since I got one of these out, and I want to thank you all for being so patient with me. I've been dealing with some personal issues, and with college and all of that. I'm cautiously optimistic that this year will really start to look up for me in my personal life.
On that note, I'm very happy to announce that I have teamed up with Jordan Harbour of The Twilight Histories Podcast to write a guest episode of Twilight Histories. I've been a big fan of Jordan's work for quite some time, and this is both and honor and a dream come true for me. We're both working hard to get the episode to all of you as soon as possible. It's going to be a really great show, and I'm super excited to get to hear my story brought to life, and to share it with all of you.
Well, I think that wraps it up for now. I hope you've been enjoy The Alt-Hist File, and I will see you all next time.
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