The Audio File: Zero Hours

What does it mean for the world to end? More specifically, what is the end of the world. Is it an apocalypse? Is it a worldwide event? Or, perhaps, is it something more personal? Or, maybe, it is all of these things at once? Don't worry, The Audio File isn't going anywhere, and neither is this blog. I'm asking all of these questions because they relate to the podcast we're reviewing today. We're taking a look at the audio drama Zero Hours.

Zero Hours is seven episodes long, and each episode is set 99 years after the previous one. The first episode takes place in 1722, the second in 1821, the third in 1920, and so on. The series spans from 1722 to 2316; three episodes set in the past, three set in the future, and one episode in the present day to bridge them together. Each episode tells a self-contained story, but they all add-up to a greater whole. The episodes set in the future do show a much closer connection to one another. So while you can technically listen in any order, it really pays to listen in chronological order. The structure is reminiscent of Cloud Atlas, which good, since Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite books. I really need to get around to reviewing Could Atlas at some point, but that's for another day.  

I'll give some general thoughts before I look at each individual episode. I absolutely love Zero Hours. Each individual episode is great, and I love the way they ultimately connect to form a wonderful, beautiful narrative. Great acting from the cast, great writing from the creators, all around great. I only wish there had been more episodes, but I guess that would run afoul of quality vs quantity. Well, enough of that, let's get into the individual episodes.

Episode One is titled "Those Familiar Spirits" and is set in America in 1722. Well, British North America in 1722, if you want to be technical about it. A Puritan minister receives a mysterious visitor in the night. She is a woman who claims to be in league with the devil. Moreover, she claims the world is about to end, just as foretold in an ancient prophecy. She claims she needs the minister's help. Just what is going on here?

I must admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I decided to listen to Zero Hours. Only one episode in, and not only was I taken by surprise, I was completely hooked. I think you all ought to know by now that I've got a soft spot for stories with a historical focus. Now, it is mentioned that the minister is a Puritan. Generally speaking, 1720 is considered the end of the Puritan movement, but I suppose it is possible there were a few stragglers who held out for a little bit longer. Though I will have to ding some points because the minister if referred to as Father. No self-respecting Puritan would refer to himself using such a Catholic term. The whole point of Puritanism was to purify the Church of England of all Catholic influences.

Still, the performances from the cast are engaging and compelling. The writing is also quite good, but now we have to talk some spoilers. So if you don't want any of that, skip three paragraph down to the next episode.

This is your last chance, skip down two paragraphs if you don't want spoilers.

Okay, if you're still here you must either know, or want to know, so here we go. Turns out our witch isn't a witch at all. She's actually a maid who works at the Science Academy of Boston. She's got a brilliant mind, but is limited by her gender. She knew that an eclipse, which resulted in a red sky, was due to happen, and decided to have some fun. Well, I must say, did not see that coming. Some of the stuff she said about being a witch leaned towards the stereotypical, and I guess that explains why. That twist is really what makes this episode into something special.

Episode Two is titled "World Enough" and is set in the icy South Atlantic in 1821. A sailor on a British expedition who has become marooned on an island. Fortunately, he's joined by a fellow Brit who is working for the Russian Empire. The two men contemplate their fate on the island.

I would say that this was easily the weakest episode of the bunch. It is certainly atmospheric, and you certainly get a sense of how bleak and hopeless the situation is. Still, it just didn't grip me the way the other episodes did. Anyway, moving right along.

Episode Three is titled "Bitters" and is set 1920 in New York City. It is the last night before Prohibition takes effect, and two bartenders are facing an uncertain future. Perhaps the Mafia can provide new opportunities.

This episode is a great example of how personal an end of the world can be. The end of the world doesn't need to an apocalypse. It can be something as simple as a lost job, or the loss of a favorite beverage. For many people, Prohibition certainly felt like the end of the world. It was supposed to cure America of the ills of drunkenness, but it not only made things worse, it created new problems. Prohibition opened up a whole new black market that propelled the Mafia, and other organized crime, to new heights. Prior to national prohibition, there had been prohibition on town, and even state, level. However, while small towns were largely supportive and sympathetic to prohibition, the same could not be said for big cities, where authorities were willing to look the other way for a price. It came from good intentions, given how many women were the victims of alcohol related domestic violence, but the road to hell is paved in good intentions. It really says something that the eighteenth amendment, the one that brought Prohibition into being, is the only constitutional amendment to ever be repealed.

All of this is to say that this episode captured the feeling of what it was like during the early days of Prohibition quite well. It also goes without saying that I absolutely loved this episode. So then, let us move on.

Episode Four is titled "What Happens When the Beat Drops" and is set in 2019 in Palo Alto, California. A paranoid young man has taken a hostage at Facebook/YouTube's headquarters. Well, it isn't exactly Facebook/YouTube, but it might as well be. He claims to be making a stand because the planet is dying, extremists are filling the streets, and world leaders are ignoring the issues. It's up to a professional negotiator to defuse the situation.

To understand this episode we need to answer this question: what do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a corrupted news media that reinforces his paranoid delusions? I'll tell you what you get! You get the dude in this episode. I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. It's well written, and extremely well-acted. I thought I was listening to a legitimately insane person. And at least initially it does appear to condemn is actions, even if his motives might have been at least somewhat admirable. Then we get to the final bit of the story after the police have arrested him. Ms. Negotiator comes to visit him in prison and reveals that she's rerouted part of the company's money to an environmentalist organization. She also reveals she does not like the corporation much either.

Um, what? So, apparently, the moral here is that violence and extremism are a-okay as long as your cause is righteous enough. I don't deny that he had some good points. However, no matter how you slice it, he's still a domestic terrorist. There are context where violence is appropriate, but people not doing anything about climate change is not one of them. This episode losses quite a bit of points for the ending, but before that, it was actually pretty good. So, I'll say good episode besides the ending.

Episode Five is titled "You'll Know When" and takes place in 2118. Earth is dealing with massive environmental damage as a result of climate change. Still, humanity does its best to keep chugging along. The episode follows a lesbian couple as they struggle to maintain their relationship in a world that's coming apart at the seams.

Well, wouldn't you know it, Mr. Eco-Terrorist turned out to be right. Well, the world might not have ended, but it could be doing better. It's mentioned that many animals have gone extinct, and there's only one very old grey wolf still left in the world. But hey, at least humanity has invented holodecks like they have on Star Trek. Our main couple is running simulations on one of these to see if their relationship can survive. The main conflict being over a drug the government has created that boosts people's ability to feel love. At certain points it got dangerously close to sounding like those anti-vaxxer lunatics, but thankfully, it never got that far. It does raise some interesting points; is love authentic if it requires a drug? What does that say about those who would refuse the drug?

Also, apparently the drug makes you more likely to want to have kids. That seems a little odd given all the environmental destruction. Wouldn't it make more sense to have people making less babies? Well, unless society has lost so many people it needs to make up for the manpower deficit. I won't give the ending away, but it does end on an ambiguous, but still hopeful note. All in all, still a pretty good episode.

Episode Six is titled "The Sky is Falling" and takes place in 2217. The Earth is consumed by a planet-wide ice age. A great floating city, soaring high above the clouds, serves as a refuge for humanity. However, the city is run on strict Christian authoritarianism, and is a rather dystopian place. Moreover, the city is also running low on power, and needs and new energy source. The episode follows a scientist who has discovered a new energy source, but at a terrible cost.

This was another episode I absolutely loved. I definitely got some BioShock Infinite vibes. That's not a bad thing, I certainly love that game. This episode is a great example of how the concept of the End of the World can be quite multilayered. We've got the entire planet facing the end of the world due to the ice age. At the same time, the scientist is dealing with his personal world ending as he faces the repercussions of his experiments. It might seem a little odd that such a fundamentalist regime would allow scientists to exist, but it makes a certain kind of sense. Obviously, someone needs to keep the engines running. Plus, they can use the inventions of the scientists to keep the population in check. Moreover, religious organizations aren't above breaking their own rules when it suits their goals. Also, nice touch that the city districts were all named after the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus.

So, what is the new power source? The scientist discovered a way to make all the cell in a human body produce electricity, but the subjects are left in agonizing pain. Obviously, the writer took into account how normal human don't produce nearly enough electricity to make good batteries. There's a further revaluation, but I won't spoil it for you. The cast gave exceptionally good performances, especially the guy who played the enforcer. Another truly solid episode.

Episode Seven is titled "A Matter of Time" and takes place in 2316. Specifically, shortly after the last human has died. Humanity is extinct, human history is officially over, and Earth is on a collision course with a radioactive planetoid. Two beings, a man and a woman, contemplate the meaning of humanity's end. They are never referred to as such, but they are basically gods.

If I had to pick a favorite episode, I think it would be this one. Everything about it is just so beautiful and perfect from start to finish. We learn that the two beings are basically the god and goddesses of creation, but they represent different aspects of creation. The goddess represents calm and gentler things, while the god represents more violent and passionate things. It is very difficult to write creator deities well. However, I'm pleased to say that the writers manage to make both deities interesting and compelling characters.  It is also in this episode that we get confirmation that all of the episodes take place in the same world. There are several callbacks and references to prior episodes. Though granted, the two episodes before this did hint that everything is connected.

It turns out this isn't the first version of Earth and humanity that they've created, and it won't be the last. The god is worried that his creations are too destructive, and that the world would be better off without him. However, the goddess points out that he has a place in creation as well. If trees never burned or got cut there would be no books. And if there were no books, we wouldn't have the knowledge and stories contained in books. It is also conforming to know that all of the previous episodes, and the characters we got to know, weren't in vein. The god and the goddess will always remember them, and everyone else who lived on that version of Earth.

And so the series ends with the god and the goddess creating a new Earth, on very much like our own. It is full of many amazing animals, and yes, that includes grey wolves. It is filled with people. People who can make and destroy, love and hate, live and learn, trip and stumble, seek greatness and find meaning. In other words, people who aren't too dissimilar to you and me. And thus, the great saga of the human race begins once more.

 It was beautiful, it was poetic, it was great from start to finish. Like I said, it was my favorite episode, and a culmination of everything that came before it. It felt like the true end of an amazing journey across the ages.

Zero Hours is pretty complete as it stands. Still, if this is far from the only version of Earth the god and goddess have made, I wonder what the others were like. I'm just saying, I wouldn't be opposed to another season. Or maybe the writers to make another miniseries based around a different theme. That could be pretty great as well. I'd certainly love to see what they could come up with.

Well, there you have it. Zero Hours is an epic tale about the ends of the world told over seven centuries. It is expertly crafted, masterfully acted, and absolutely beautiful from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen. You'll be glad that you did.

I think that should do it for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Bad Gladiator

I tend to have fairly high standards when it comes to comedy podcasts. I don't like ones that are overly self-referential, or self-indulgent. I don't like ones that drag jokes out for too long. Comedy podcast are under an additional layer of scrutiny when they're themed around history. So why am I tell all of this to you? Because I've found a podcast that both meets and exceeds my standards. We're taking a look at the podcast Bad Gladiator. 

For the glory of Rome! Bad Gladiator follows a young aspiring gladiator named Atticus. He's got high hopes, but pretty much no talent. Thankfully, he's just started at the Roman Empire's worst gladiatorial arena. It is owned by a patrician woman named Domitia, who hopes that the arena will go bankrupt and she can move back to Rome. Unfortunately, Atticus soon become a massive hit because of how hopeless he is. The story follows Atticus, and the colorful cast of characters who run the arena, as they have wacky adventures at the worst gladiator arena in the Roman Empire. 

Like I said, the standards were met and exceeded by Bad Gladiator. The episodes of the first season typically clock in at between twelve to fifteen minutes. By season two, the episodes are closer to twenty minutes, but that last few minutes are usually reserved for a brief word from the cast and crew. This keep the episodes fresh and snappy, and ensures that the jokes never overstay their welcome. Of course, this is also due very much to the genuinely intelligent and witty writing. It's not a "wacky thing every thirty seconds" sort of comedy. Bad Gladiator has the feeling of a sitcom in an unusual setting. Sort of like The Flintstones, but with occasional swearing and sex jokes. Fun fact, Hanna-Barbera did create a show called The Roman Holidays that pretty much was The Flintstones in Ancient Rome, but it only lasted for thirteen episodes. 

There's plenty of fun little deliberate anachronisms throughout the show. For example, the Ancient Roman equivalent of Twitter is literally sending messages on birds, and you send dick picks by panting and/or carving frescoes. That one has a kernel of truth to it, given how shameless Roman art could get. You'd even seen penises in places you wouldn't expect, such as on the signs of bakeries. Though, that was because penises were associated with fertility, as in fertile crops of grains used to make bread. So, I wouldn't call this alternate history, at least not deliberately, but it should appeal to alternate history fans. It is never clear when the show is set, other than vaguely Ancient Rome. Of course, as stated, that's not really of much importance, given the comical nature of the podcast. 

One thing I love about that writing is that, though historical accuracy obviously wasn't a priority, occasionally it does slip in real facts about Ancient Rome. For example, the characters often mention drinking wine flavored with lead, and that the water pipes are made of lead. Both of these are indeed real things the Romans were known to do. Admittedly, not as crazy as it might sound. Lead does have natural anti-bacterial properties. The Ancient Egyptians used lead in their eyeliner, and that contributed to them having good eyesight. Unfortunately, lead is also toxic to humans, so you know, win some loss some. 

Now let's talk about the characters. Many members of the cast are professional actors who have appeared in shows such as Sleepy Hollow, The Resident, The Detour, and Rectify. You may remember the writers of Bad Gladiator from podcasts such as Bad Gladiator and Bad Gladiator. Yes, that's a joke, but good on the writers for assembling such a talented cast. 

Atticus is our leading man. He's got high hopes, but low talent. I mean, the dude fought a stingray that had no water, and the stingray won. To be fair, some stingrays do have long and sharp barbs, and some are venomous. He earns the title of Jaculator because he fights with a javelin. It's a joke based on the Latin word for someone who fights with a javelin. Atticus is played by Jim Hodgson, who delivers an earnest and endearing performance. Jim is also one of the writers for the podcast. It might be fun to watch...listen...you know what I mean. Let's try that again. It might be fun to watch Atticus get beat up by animals, but he's endearing and sympathetic enough that we want to see him succeed every now and again. 

Domitia is the reluctant owner of the arena. She's cynical, sarcastic, and almost comes across as a movie star past her prime. She is voiced by Leanna Adams, who really nails the jaded wash-out sort of voice and demeanor. Domitia constantly switches between hoping the arena will go out of business, and trying to take advantage of various situations to make a quick denarius. Denarius is the name for Roman coins, if you were wondering. 

Domitia's daughter Claudia serves as Atticus' primary love interest. She's generally nice and sweet, but she can certainly snark with the best of them. She's voiced by Lauren Schmuck, who goes for the girl next door feel. She dreams of one day becoming a gladiator herself, but Domitia forces her to peruse more traditionally feminine activities, such as pottery class. She's not much for clay pots, but makes lovely ceramic swords. She's not immune to the slapstick, and is just as likely to have misfortune befall her as the male characters are. Claudia does get her wish to be a gladiator in one episode by switching clothes with Atticus, who finds he rather enjoys pottery. Interestingly, there were at least some female gladiators in real life. However, they were, for lack of a better term, publicity stunts. For example, Emperor Commodus like to have women fight against midgets and dwarfs. Were the midgets stacked on top of each other, or spread out individually? Well, you got me there, the historical record is vague on that point. 

Atticus also has something of a mentor in the form of Magnus. Well, mentor is a strong word. Magnus is lazy, slovenly, lecherous, and is one of the oldest gladiators at the arena. He's Domitia's on-again-off-again boyfriend, and he likes to sleep in the sewers. Magnus is voiced by Rob Lawhon, who really goes for a past-his- prime dirty old man sort of performance. Still, a broken clock is right twice a day, and occasionally Magnus does pull through and do something useful. 

Starting with season two, we get an antagonist in the form of the Piss Witch. Well, she prefers to be called the Pee-Pee Witch, but everyone calls her the Piss Witch. She's one of Magnus' many ex-girlfriends, and as her name suggest, she has power over all forms of urine. She is played by Jaymi Curley, who is clearly having a blast portraying the Piss Witch as hammily over-the-top evil.  

I also love the arena's delightfully campy promoter, and how he finds ways to charge the arena audience for pretty much everything, including using the bathroom. In fact, he's more concern with that than actually promoting the fights. His constantly hawking of merchandise might seem like an anachronism, but that's more accurate than you might think. Real gladiator arenas did indeed sell figurines of the gladiators, as well as commemorative glass cups and other souvenirs. Also, the arena sells flamingo tongues, which were indeed considered a delicacy in Ancient Rome.  

Bad Gladiator has, as of this writing, two seasons with a third on the way. It certainly sounds like they've got even more great things in store for the future. I'm particularly intrigued by the hints that we might get a musical episode. That sounds awesome, I'm totally down for that. 

Well, there you have it. Bad Gladiator is a smartly written historical comedy about the Roman Empire's worst gladiator arena. It is funny, entertaining, and I can't recommend it enough. Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight! Do yourself a favor and check it out now, you'll be glad that you did. 

Well, I think that's enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time. 

The Alt-Hist File: The Soyuz Files

Audio drama podcast are capable of telling all kinds of different stories. However, you don't really see that many focusing on alternate history. There are certainly some exceptions, such as Twilight Histories, but overall alternate history remains fairly rare in the world of fiction podcasts. However, as I've said, there are exceptions to this, and I've found one to share with all of you. We're taking a look at The Soyuz Files.

The Soyuz Files takes places in a world where the Soviet Union landed a manned mission on the Moon in 1968. Naturally, this sends shockwaves around the world. America is reeling with humiliation at having officially lost the Space Race. It is during these tumultuous times that investigative reporter Jack Schechter is determined to get to the bottom of the Moon Landing. He has been receiving postcards from two scientists, one Soviet and one American, named Nikolai and Jacob. They claim that all is not as it seems. They claim that the Soviet government is hiding something about the landings. Something that could change the world. It's up to Jack to find the truth.

I must say, this podcast was a pleasant surprise. Like I said, there aren't many alternate history podcasts, so it is always a treat when I find one. Especially one that is so well-made. The Soyuz Files definitely goes for that NPR feel, and the producers certainly succeeded on that account. The voice acting is also very strong. The actors playing the American characters are all excellent. The ones playing Soviet characters are, overall, still good, but do vary somewhat in quality. A lot of them do that exaggeratedly fake Russian accent you tend to see in a lot of media. Though, all things considered, it wasn't too bad, and was even kind of endearing after a while. Though it was a little odd in Natalia's case, given that she's mentioned to be from Hungary. Unless that means she was born in Hungary, but moved to Russia later in life. Also, I find it endlessly amusing that the podcasting company that created The Soyuz Files is called The West.

The writing is also extremely well done. It is interesting that The Soyuz Files takes a more pessimistic view of a Soviet moon landing. Most alternate histories of the Space Race have Soviet moon landings result in more advanced manned spaceflight for America. That's not the case here. In fact, NASA winds-up getting decommissioned and folded into the Department of Defense. Numerous scientists are laid-off, and the Saturn V rockets are re-purposed into intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was pretty depressing to think of the vehicle used for one of humanity's greatest adventures being turned into a weapon of war. It made me briefly pause the podcast just so I could be sure I was in the universe where America was the one who landed on the Moon.

I think this largely has to do with the year at the point of divergence occurs. 1968 was, in many ways, the year America collectively attempted to commit suicide. It saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, numerous race riots, the beginnings of the anti-Vietnam War movement, and countless other protests and civil unrest. Moreover, NASA was still reeling from the Apollo 1 disaster. A fire had started in the test module the astronauts were practicing in, and because of the almost pure oxygen air supply, the fire spread quickly. Unfortunately, the door was very difficult to open, as it had been made extra secure due to concerns that the Gemini crafts' doors didn't secure well enough. Thus, the astronauts all burned to death before NASA engineers and personnel could free them. Congress ordered a halt to all spaceflight for twenty months to ensure a repeat of the disaster wouldn't happen.

The Apollo 1 disaster also saw many in congress question the need for a lunar program. For example, Walter Mondale was particularly adamant that the money ought to be used to solve problems on Earth. But it wasn't just congress who questioned the need for Apollo. Apollo wasn't as popular with the general public as you might think. The general public constantly rated Apollo among the top five programs they'd cut to reduce government spending. Only about fifty-three percent of those polled said they believed that a moon landing would be worth the cost. That number was even lower among blacks and other minorities. All of this is to say, I can certainly believe what happens to NASA.

The Soyuz Files is an interactive podcast of sorts. The postcards Nikolai and Jacob send are up on the website, and you can play along and decode them if you're so inclined. Or, if you're lazy like me, you can just listen to the show to get your answers. You don't have to solve the postcards, but it is a fun little extra if you want it.

The Soyuz Files is only six episodes long, and clocks in at a total of an hour and a half. You can easily binge the whole thing in an afternoon. I bring this up because we've now got to talk about some spoilers. So. if you don't want the big reveal spoiled, turn back now.

Seriously, this is your last chance. You sure you want to continue?

Well, okay. If you've made it this far you must know, or want to know. So, let's dive in.

Turns out the Soviet space program hit a bit of a snag with the design of the Soyuz craft. They couldn't figure out how to get it to carry enough air to get to the Moon and back. The Soviet government, fearing America's lunar program was about to kick into gear, forced the mission to launch anyway. They didn't bother to tell the cosmonauts that they were on a suicide mission until it was too late to turn back to Earth. The cosmonauts went through with the mission, but not before cursing and condemning the Soviet government. The Soviet leaders hired specially trained actors to pose as the cosmonauts on Earth.

Well, damn, that went in a very different direction than what I was expecting. I assumed it was going the Capricorn One route of having the whole thing be faked. I must say, this did make for a very interesting twist. It's all very reminiscent of the death of Vladimir Komarov. He was the pilot of the Soyuz 1 craft. The craft had over 200 design flaws, and other complications, before it launched. However, it's launch date coincided with Vladimir Lenin's birthday, so the Soviet government forced the launch to go ahead. Pretty everything that could go wrong did. The electronics constantly fluctuated, fuel ran low, the guidance systems didn't work correctly. However, the worst came during reentry. The heat shield failed and Komarov was roasted alive. The parachute also failed to deploy, but he was dead well before he hit the ground, so it was a moot point.

Some say that an American listening station in Turkey captured Komarov's final words. Specifically, that he cursed and disavowed the Soviet government. However, this is the subject of much debate among historians. The listening station where Jack discovers the truth is indeed the same one that is claimed to have listened in on Komarov's last words. Whatever Komarov's final words, one thing that is certain is that the Soviet space program was notorious for cutting corners and placing rushed production over safety. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, nearly met disaster upon his reentry. Alexei Leonov, the first man to perform a spacewalk, nearly asphyxiated when he couldn't get back into his Voskhod module because his spacesuit had inflated too much. Moreover, one out of five, if not more, of all Soviet rocket launches ended in failure. Incidentally, Komarov and Gagarin were best friends.

The Soviets often beat America to be the first to do several things, but American missions were almost always superior to their Soviet counterparts. For example, Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite launched into space, but all it could do was go "beep, beep, beep." Explorer 1, America's first satellite, had an independent propulsion system, and tons of scientific instruments. It was thanks to Explorer 1 that the Van Allen radiation belt was discovered.

We got a little off track there with our history lesson. Let's get back to discussing the podcast. Anyway, the truth comes out, and the Soviet Union is to answer before the United Nations. Jack's lost his job, and is being questioned by the American government, but he helped bring murders to justice...maybe. I'm just saying, the United Nations is notoriously bad at actually getting things done. Moreover, while embarrassing in the short term, I can't help but wonder if this will really be that much of a setback for the Soviet Union. Moreover, there's no indication that America is planning a manned mission to the Moon, so NASA is still probably dead for good. That isn't just a blow to manned spaceflight, think of all the unmanned mission that probably won't happen. That's a ton of information about the solar system, and beyond, that will be lost. That's not even getting into the numerous spin-off technologies that resulted from the space program. A bittersweet ending heavy on the bitter end of the equation.

Still, I absolutely loved this podcast. If I did have a criticism, it would be that I wish there were more episodes. I wanted to explore this world more. We do get tantalizing hints of what is going on in the wider world. There's mention of the Soviet re-occupying West Berlin, and NATO being on the verge of collapse. You can't just toss around things like that and not elaborate on them. I hope the creators decide to return to this world, or possibly create another alternate history audio drama. Hey, I can dream can't I?

Well, there you have it. The Soyuz Files is a short, but sweet, alternate history audio drama. I absolutely loved it, and I'm sure you will too. Check it out today, you'll be glad that you did. Well, I think that's enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: 1865: Season 1

The world of audio drama is home to many genres and stories. However, historical fiction is still relatively rare compared to most other genres. As I've mentioned in the past, I tend to have fairly high standards when it comes to historical fiction. Well, I've found a historical fiction audio drama that is well-researched and incredibly well-written and entertaining. We are taking a look at the podcast 1865 from Wondery and Airship.

1865 begins shortly after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, one of Lincoln's closest advisers, finds himself tasked with steering the presidential cabinet through turbulent times. Andrew Johnson, formerly the Vice President, is now in charge of the Oval Office. Johnson is a bigot and is sympathetic to the former Confederate States of America. Johnson intends to do everything is his power to stifle the Reconstruction efforts, and intends to pardon former Confederate leaders. Lincoln's legacy, and the future of the United States of America, are on the line. Stanton and Johnson are about to engage in a game of cat-and-mouse to determine the future of America.

I first became aware of 1865 when I was listening to Levar Burton Reads, another podcast I enjoy. Sometimes, Levar will give shout-outs to other podcasts he enjoys, and 1865 was one of those podcasts. I was intrigued, but unfortunately, at the time 1865 required a Stitcher Plus membership to listen to. Thankfully, 1865 is now available to listen for free on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, which is where I listen to most of my podcasts. I learned about this when Campfire Radio Theater, another podcast I love, tweeted about it on Twitter.

Well, I can certainly say that it was worth the wait. It is a truly epic series, and a true labor of love. The series started life as a play created by Steve Walters and Erik Archilla. They were supposed to write a paper about 19th Century America theater for a college class. However, they both hated research papers, and there wasn't much to research beyond minstrel shows, so they asked their professor if they could write a play instead. They titled their creation Mars, after Lincoln's nickname for Edwin Stanton. It was a success, and even managed to be performed a few times. Still, they always felt that there was something more that they could do with the story.

So they decided to team up with Lindsay Graham, the host of the popular American History Tellers podcast. Rob McCollum would act as director. The story would be expanded into a full cast audio drama with music, sound effects, and everything else. It would be a movie for the ears. The recording took place primarily at Lindsay's studio. To bring their vision to life, they assembled a crack team of talented voice actors from around the Dallas area and beyond. Through hard work and dedication, everyone did their part to deliver a solid podcast.

If you know your history, you'll know that, despite a valiant effort, Stanton largely failed to stop most of Johnson's schemes. The challenge for the writers, therefore, is to make the audience care about Stanton and his battle in spite of this. The writers met this goal and then some. I found myself very wrapped-up and enthralled by the story's plot. Occasionally, I had to remind myself of how things were going to turn-out. Still, I did learn a lot of things from this podcast. Chief among them being who Edwin Stanton is. He's not a figure most people would have hear of, and that certainly a shame. Hopefully, 1865 has played a part in raising Stanton's profile.

A bit more about Stanton. He was born in Ohio, and was the son of a staunch abolitionist. From an early age he was instilled with the ideals that all people, regardless of race, should be free and equal. He was the one who really pushed Lincoln make the Civil War not just a fight to reunify the nation, but a fight to end the evil of slavery once and for all. That's not to say Lincoln didn't care about blacks, but he tended to be more of a pragmatist than Stanton. For example, Lincoln wanted each former Confederate state have ten percent support for the thirteen amendment before rejoining the Union. Stanton, along with his fellow Radical Republicans, wanted fifty percent support from each state.

Facing off against Stanton was Andrew Johnson. Johnson was one of the few Southerners who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He was Lincoln's second Vice President, and was primarily selected in hopes of convincing the border states from seceding from the Union. Lincoln didn't like Johnson, and certainly didn't think he'd ever wind-up as president, but again, Lincoln was pragmatic. About the only positive thing you can say about Johnson's presidency is that the Alaska Purchase happened during it, but that was Secretary of State William H. Seward's doing. Johnson is widely considered one of the worst presidents America ever had. He was a bigot and a white supremacist. He deeply opposed Reconstruction, and pretty much anything that might grant equality to blacks. For example, he opposed the Freemen's Bureau, even though they sought to help poor whites as well.

Each episode is accompanied by a behind-the-scenes bonus episode explaining the facts behind the fiction. The bonus episodes also feature the creators going into more details about their writing process. They explain where they deviated from the historical record, and why they chose to do so. I should note that they very rarely deviated from established history. 1865 is impeccably researched.

Of course, a podcast of this magnitude needs a talented them of voice actors to bring it to life. Thankfully, the cast of 1865 is more than up to the challenge. Many of them are alumni of anime dubbing companies such as Funimation. Edwin Stanton, our leading man, is voiced by Jeremy Schwartz. He has lent his voice to several animes over the years, but I haven't seen most of them. Though I do recall that he had a very memorable minor role in the fourth season of Full Metal Panic! I recognized him thank to 1865. Besides that, I think he was Sasha's dad in Attack on Titan, and I think he was possibly in Space Dandy, and an episode of the reboot of Space Battleship Yamoto. I know it sounds like I'm being an asshole, but he's not a name I'd think of off the top of my head if you asked me about anime dub actors. Though his voice does sound familiar. Of course, if I was more up on my anime, I probably wouldn't have time to review podcasts. Schwartz delivers a powerful and commanding performance as Stanton. Amusingly, he kind of looks like Stanton too.

Johnson, our main villain, is voiced R. Bruce Elliot. He has appeared in several animes that I actually have watched. He was Kanbei in Samurai 7, Dot Pixis in Attack on Titan, and I believe he was also in both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist. He's also appeared a several minor live-action roles in films and television such JFK and Walker, Texas Ranger. Oh, and he was also Mr. Tenagain on Barney and Friends. Damn, I could have had some fun with that one if I was better at splicing audio. He actually sounds almost exactly like how I envision Andrew Johnson sounding. Not only that, but he actually kind of looks like Johnson as well.

In other famous voices, Secretary of the Navy Harrison Wells is voiced by J. Michael Tatum. He has appeared in several of my favorite animes, and was for me, the biggest surprise of the cast. He was Kraft Lawrence in Spice and Wolf, Scar in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Kyoya Ootori in Ouran High School Host Club. He has a very distinctive voice, and I certainly wasn't expecting to encounter him in 1865, but it was a pleasant surprise indeed. We also have William Jackson Harper, famous of Chedi from The Good Place, as John Mercer Langston, the head of the Freedman’s Bureau. 

Series executive producer Lindsay Graham voices Abraham Lincoln in the various flashback scenes. Overall, he does a good job, though at times he makes Lincoln sound a bit sinister. Even Erik Archilla and Rob McCollum got in on the actions and voiced some minor characters.

Obviously, there's a ton more actors and actresses in the cast. However, this review would drag on too long if I named all of them. I will say that they all do an excellent job, and it is because of their hard work and dedication that 1865 is the amazing podcast that it is. It is good that they are all getting more work and expanding their acting careers.

Now let's take a moment to talk about the musical score. It's all original pieces specifically commissioned for the podcast. It a lot of violins and fiddles, and maybe one of two other instruments. Certain musical effects were achieved by running bits of violin music through a synthesizer. You just know you're in for something amazing when the music begins to swell at the start of each episode. The ending music, clips of which are used for transition, is also well-done. The bonus episodes use a less dramatic, more plucky kind of fiddle for their music accompanied by acoustic guitars. The music helps to enhance and elevate the writing and acting.

In addition to the main show, there is also a three-episode miniseries about John Wilkes Booth. This originated in the show's initial run on Stitcher. They had a few episodes that focused on the hunt for Booth. However, these were dropped in the revised show, as the writers felt it interfered with the flow of the plot. Despite this, the writers still liked those episodes, and wanted to find a way to work them into the revised show. The first episode begins in 1862, and the last episode ends where the main series begins, with Lincoln's assassination in 1865. The first episode of the Booth miniseries is slightly racier than the main show, as it does begin with a sex scene. Though this is the only instance of this in all of 1865. The ending is also rather interesting. The main show, which has skipped ahead to 1868, ends with a reading of Stanton's obituary. It feels like the culmination of everything up til that point. We get a true sense of what a lion of a man Stanton was, and even the music changes to reflect this. At the end of the Booth miniseries, it ends like just a typical episode. This gives you a sense of what a pathetic individual Booth ultimately was.

1865 deals with topics and issues that, in many way, America is still feeling the ramifications of even 150 years later. It is said that history doesn't repeat, but it often rhymes. Various political goings-on inadvertently paralleled things happening in the podcast. For example, at one-point Harrison Well complains that Johnson is acting too loutish and unpresidential. Johnson retorts that he's the president and can act how he pleases. Erik Archilla, who runs the 1865 Twitter account, had an absolute field day with this. It would say things like "The President has been impeached. He calls it a witch hunt; a plot to remove him from office. He blames the former head of intelligence, a man he fired for not showing loyalty to his Presidency, for orchestrating the whole affair. Washington picks sides. Welcome to 1865."

On a more serious note, it is true that many things America is dealing with today do have their roots in the time of 1865. Towards the end, Stanton is informed that monuments to the Confederacy are being built, including in places like West Virginia, which never joined the Confederacy. It is astounding to think the controversy over Confederate statues began mere years after the Civil War. I'm of the opinion that they ought to be removed and placed in museums. People say it's to remind us of history, but you don't see Germans building statues of Nazis. But that's the discussion for another day, and I'm getting off track.

Moreover, Johnson has been acquitted by one vote, and it seems that equality for black will have to be yet another dream deferred. By this point, Johnson has successfully granted the South amnesty, and reintegrated it into the Union. Pretty much the only glimmers of hope are that Johnson's shot at a second term has been ruined thanks to Stanton. Stanton also achieves his dream of joining the Supreme Court, thanks to the newly elected Ulysses S. Grant, but he dies five days after being appointed.

It is certainly tragic to think that the chance to correct one of the greatest evils of American History was ruined by a man who never should have been president. Personally, I think Johnson should have been declared ineligible by merit of being a Southerner, but I digress. It is also amazing to think that a pivotal moment was decided by a single vote. Perhaps if Stanton had been more pragmatic, and gone after Johnson on lesser crimes, the vote would have turned out differently. It is also interesting to ponder how American history and politics might have turned out if a president has successfully been removed from office. Still, as with most speculations, we will never know for certain, and are left to ask, what if?

It is equally tragic that Stanton has faded from the public consciousness. Then again, so has Johnson, so there's that. Still, despite the immeasurable odds stacked against him, and his often thankless job, Stanton never gave-up, and continued to fight the good fight. I hope more people become aware of Edwin Stanton, and his battle for the rights of all Americans, thanks to 1865.

The writers have said that season 2 is on the way, and it will explore another era of American History, or possible be a prequel about Stanton early career. I can't wait to see what they've got. In the meantime, if you join the 1865 Patreon, you'll have access to all sort of bonus material. One is the "In Their Own Voices" series, where the cast read writings from the characters they portray.

Well, there you have it. 1865 is a standout production. It is earned several awards in the audio drama and podcasting world, and with good reason. It is a well-researched, and expertly written story in a pivotal moment in the history of America. I can't recommend it enough. Go ahead and start listening as soon and you're done reading this.

Well, I think that should do it for now. I've got to get back to writing more reviews so I can introduce you all to more great podcasts. I will see you all next time.

The Alt-Hist File: Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, and Cast of Wonders

We're gonna do something a little different in this edition of The Alt-Hist File. I'm bring you not one, not two, but three podcasts worth of great stories. We've reached the point where I'll be reviewing multiple podcast in each post much like I do with The Audio File. Let's meet the podcast featured in this edition, shall we?

The first podcast we've got is Clarkesworld Magazine. Founded in 2006 by Neil Clarke, this magazine has won or been nominated for pretty much ever speculative fiction award out there. Almost all of Clarkesworld's stories are narrated by Kate Baker. The second podcast we'll be see is Strange Horizons.  It was founded in 2000 by Mary Anne Mohanraj and has since been led by editors such as Susan Marie Gropp and Niall Harrison. It has also won many awards and its stories are narrated by Anaea Lay. Not the most exciting descriptions, but as you'll see they both definitely have their merits.

The final podcast we'll be looking at is Cast of Wonders. It was founded in 2011 by Graeme Dunlop and Barry J. North. Cast of Wonders is a young adult podcast featuring stories of the fantastic, by which I mean science fiction, fantasy and everything else in-between. In 2016, Cast of Wonders became an official member of the Escape Artists network of podcasts. Cast of Wonders features narrators from all walks of life. It has also received multiple Parsec Awards, one of the highest honors in speculative fiction podcasting. 

Well, I think that covers intros. So, without further delay, settle in and let's begin...

Clarkesworld Magazine

"Gold Mountain" by Chris Roberson
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Postscripts

This story is part of Chris Roberson's Celestial Empire series. It's set in a world where China kept its treasure fleet and went on to conquer most of the world. The bits of the world not under Chinese control or influence are part of the Aztec Empire. The story follows Johnston Lien, a woman whose grandparents immigrated to China from Vinland. She's visiting the city of Guangdong to research the construction of Gold Mountain, the world's first space elevator. To that end she's interviewing McAllister James, one of the original workers on Gold Mountain.

Okay, that description seriously sells this story short, but I don't want to give too much away. First a word on names; the names are rendered in the East Asian style of family name first and given name second. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk plot. McAllister tell of the absolutely inhuman conditions he and his fellow Vinlanders were subjected to by their Chinese employers. Not only that, but he also speaks of the considerable prejudice and bigotry they faced while trying to make better lives for themselves. The really sad part is, barring a few science fiction related bits, all of that really happened, but in our world it was the other way around.

For that matter, it is best to think of this story as a mirror image of our own world. Chris has said that this was what he intended, and he hopes that the story gives readers new appreciation of the trials and tribulations of immigrants throughout history. He has more than succeeded in that regard. Even in the darkness there a glimmers of hope, such as Johnston, that show that the Vinlanders have been able to survive and even thrive despite the odds. This was my first exposure to the Celestial Empire series, which grew out of the Sidewise award winning short story "O One", and I can't wait to find more.

This story is mostly told from a male perspective, but Kate still manages to pack quite the emotional punch nonetheless. It's an alternate history take on the immigrant’s tale that will keep you thinking. Very much recommended.

"Fade to White" by Catherynne M. Valente
Narrated by Kate Baker
Nominee for the Nebula, Hugo and Sidewise Awards

This story takes place in either the 1950s or 1960s after a nuclear war occurred in the late 1940s or early 1950s. It's unclear who fired the first shot, or who exactly the United States was fighting, but frankly it's kind of unimportant. What is important is that the world has become severely irradiated and society has been forever changed. The story is told from the point of view of a girl named Sylvie and a boy named Martin who are about to come of age. As part of this process they, and everyone else their age, will be tested for fertility. Failing this test has potentially dire consequences.

Another summary that doesn't do nearly enough justice, so let me elaborate. You know that war I mentioned? Well it's going on, and men who flunk the fertility test get conscripted into it. The fertility test itself has some potentially eugenic undertones, as blacks and Asians are automatically disqualified. Polyandry has become necessary to keep society together due to all the men who've died in the war and the general fertility crisis. Throughout the story we get glimpses of the various advertising campaigns used by the government to distract people from how terrible the world is.

Wow, this was a powerful story. You really get the sense that this isn't just a world that's dying, but a world that is potentially on its way out. Some of the most poignant moments were the little bits of off-hand information. For example, it's mentioned that there are more Japanese in Utah than in Japan. This story is a nice example of atompunk. What is atompunk you ask? Atompunk is anything set in the future as envisioned by the 1950s, but with a more cynical twist. It's closely related to Raygun Gothic, but that tends to be more idealistic. To give one example, Fallout is atompunk, while Buck Rodgers and The Jetsons are Raygun Gothic.

The general feel of this story can best be described as an atompunk take on The Day After or Threads. Like I've mentioned before, the world building in this story is absolutely breathtaking. What's also breathtaking is how well Kate's narration captured the emotions of this story. Given how many award nominations it received, and more than earned, do I really need to tell you I recommend it?

"England Under the White Witch" by Theodora Goss
Narrated by Kate Baker
Featured in The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2013

In this story 1940s England is invaded and conquered by an ethereal empress who commands power over ice and snow. At first it seems that things will be just fine, but it soon becomes apparent that England may never see spring again. Resistance groups pop up, but they face considerable challenges from the empress' wolves, secret police and even certain trees.

There are probably some of you scratching your heads wondering how this story exists. As long as the words Aslan, Narnia and Pevensie never appear in the story then no copyrights or trademarks have been violated. Since they don't...well, there you go. Personally, I think it worked out better for not having a group of meddling kids and their lion god swoop in to save the day. It was much more effective to leave the fate of this frozen world undetermined.

The imagery and descriptions are absolutely stunning. This story can very much be viewed as an allegory for what it's like to live under a dictatorship. There's initially new opportunities for the disenfranchised, a cult of personality, rewriting of history and the arts, secret police and other totalitarian staples all with a magical twist to them. For the third time in a row we have a great Kate Baker narration with this story.

It's a powerful story about magical totalitarianism that you won't want to miss.

"A Sweet Calling" by Tony Pi
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story is set in Ancient China and follows a candyman named Tangren Ao. He has the power to project his consciousness into the candy animals he crafts by calling upon the legendary animals of the Chinese Zodiac. He soon finds himself having to play detective after his friend Lun gets framed for a fire monkey attack in the market place.

I was always fascinated by the Chinese Zodiac when I was a kid, which can probably be blamed by my obsession with the Jackie Chan Adventures series. As such this story had a certain appeal to me. It was a nice touch that the main character preformed magic through candy. I guess you could say he was a...candymancer. Huh, huh? Okay, back to the review. I liked how the system of magic was described as well as the way the spirits were written. Tony is definitely a writer I'll keep an eye out for in the future.

It's short, sweet and to the point. I recommend it.

"A Gift in Time" by Maggie Clark
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story follows a man named Mouse who has the ability to travel through time. He's been trying to win the affections of a rich fellow named Ezra Levitz, who has a fascination with the past. Mouse is determined to use his power to win Ezra's affection.

Yeah, not the best summary, but it is a great story. Clarkesworld typically doesn't accept very many time travel stories, so when they do it's almost guaranteed to be good. I liked how Mouse had to keep trying because everything he brings to Ezra looks so recently made it comes off as a forgery. It was also interesting how most of Mouse's time travel investments failed because the banks he used failed. At times it felt like the story was commenting on such get-rich-quick type stories.

The times Mouse visits were all great, though when he went to the Thirty Years War and encountered Count Tilly my initial thought was "it's the guy from the 1632 series!" Yeah, I gotta put more actual history into my reading rotation. It was also nice to see another homosexual romance represented among the stories.

A story about love and time travel. I happily recommend it.

"Manifest Destiny" by Joe Haldeman
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

This story is set during the days of the Mexican-American War and follows three Americans from various walks of life who become spies for Mexico. They'll be granted land and Mexican citizenship if all goes well after the war. However things don't go quite as they planned.

This story is historical fantasy, but of a decidedly magical realism variety. There are a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it hints of fantastic goings on, but for the most part it reads more like a historical fiction short story. Perhaps the magical realism is fitting, given that the story does take place primarily in Latin America. You really don't see to many stories set during the Mexican-American War, so this story was a rather refreshing change of pace. Then again, most American History textbooks spend, at most, a paragraph or two on the entire war, but I digress.

Many of the characters have sympathetic motivations for their action, and I liked how the story touched on some of the injustices and inequalities going on in America at the time. If you're a fan of Westerns you should enjoy this story. A story about an often neglected historical era. Very much recommended.

"Rolling Steel: Pre-Apocalyptic Love Story" by Jay Lake and Shannon Page
Narrated by Shaun Farrell and Mur Lafferty

This story is set in a world where the United States and Canada fell apart in the 1930s and 1940s due to technocracy movements. By the present day the many fractured nations of North America are entangled in multiple wars. The story follows a man and a woman who are traveling and doing their part for the wars.

Yeah, this one didn't really do it for me. The first problem I had was that the alternate history elements were really more for backdrop than any particular relevance to the story. Actually, it didn't even fell like even that much. This story could easily have been set in the near future and it wouldn't have made any difference to the plot. The other main reason was that, well, I didn't feel the characters were very engaging. That's not to say I thought the story was particularly bad, just that it wasn't very engaging to me.

Shaun and Mur do a pretty good job with the narration, but not enough to make up for the lackluster story. This story was from the early day when Clarkesworld hadn't quite found its footing and before Kate took over the narration. I didn't care for this one, but maybe it'll be more appealing to you. It's at the very least worth checking out.

"The Long Haul" by Ken Liu
Narrated by Kate Baker
2014 Sidewise Award Winner

This story takes place in a world where the Hindenburg disaster never happened. As a result, airships never became discredited as a mode of transport, and continued to flourish. By the present day, airships are making a comeback as a more eco-friendly, and fuel efficient, alternative to airplanes. The story follows a reporter who is interviewing a couple who work on a long haul cargo airship.

This was a well-written story, as per usual with Ken Liu. Though, I'm not sure how realistic it is. Airships were on the way out way before Hindenburg. They had a nasty tendency to crash and/or explode. Plus, since they were large and slow-moving, they made easy targets during war. Still, it is fun to imagine what it would be like if airships were still widely used. For what it's worth, some people have proposed reviving airships specifically to be more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly. I'd imagine that might come at the cost of speed, but I digress.

The husband and wife make for an interesting pair. She was just a peasant girl in China until he met her during a haul. They each take shifts running the ship for six hours with the other sleeps. At best, they'll only meet for a few minutes each day. Their conversations, and arguments, can last absurd amounts of time. Their relationship isn't the most romantic in the world, but they make it work. Hey, at least they get more personal time together when they arrive at their destination.

Another excellent story from Ken Liu that I'm more than happy to recommend.

"The Creature Recants" by Dale Bailey
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story takes place in a world where Creature From the Black Lagoon actually happened. The Creature has moved to Hollywood to become an actor. He's done reasonably well, with a movie deal depicting his life, but he can't shake his feels of emptiness and dissatisfaction.

One of Dale's talents as a writer is that he takes various B-Movie plots and ideas, and uses them to make emotional and meaningful stories. From the description, this story might sound humorous, or even a little crazy, but it works. It has depth and emotion to it. The Creature begins to wonder if he's truly happier with he new-found self-awareness. Was he, perhaps, happier when he was just hunting for fish and swimming in the Amazon? It's a great story. What else can I say?

I think you know that I recommend this one.

"Teenagers from Outer Space" by Dale Bailey
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story takes place in the 1950s in Milledgeville, Ohio. Aliens have arrived on Earth via a dimensional rift, and they've come to peruse the American Dream. They open-up business, join the work force, and their kids attend the local schools. The story follows a teenage girl named Nancy Miller as she navigates high school and observe society change and react to the aliens.

One of the recurring themes of Dale's stories set in the 1950s is about what a repressed and repressive time the 1950s were. This story very much taps into the desire for great freedom many women felt during the 1950s. The aliens were, well, truly, alien.  What I mean is, they were described looking like more than just people with funny costumes, like you'd see in most 1950s sci-fi B-Movies. It is a very emotional story that carries a whiff of nostalgia, but also acknowledges the underlying contradictions and hypocrisies of the 1950s. The only real issue I had was towards the end, where we suddenly get a rather heavy-handed pro-immigration. Overall, I'd say I'm fairly pro-immigrant, but I can't understand why people are opposed to mass immigration; especially working class people who might not be in favor of it. As such, it always annoys me when stories strawman those opposed to immigration as being bigots and racists. Still, over it is still a good story.

A story repression, longing for freedom, and the American Dream. I say give it a try.

"A Man Out of Fashion" by Chen Quifan
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Science Fiction World
Translated by Ken Liu

This story follows a man named Du Ruofei. He participates in a program to be cryogenically frozen for 300 years. He awakens to find a world completely different to anything he's known. The story follows him as he becomes a celebrity and attempts to navigate the brave new world of the future. Along the way, he finds himself in the middle of a political revolution.

The summary isn't much, but I promise that this is a good story. It is always interesting to explore Chinese science fiction. Chinese writers have a lot to say, but they have to be weary government censorship boards, and of potential consequences of drawing the Chinese government's ire. Consequently, there's a lot of constraints Chinese writers have to deal with. For example, time travel to the past, especially to escape a repressive present, is forbidden. You can criticize past government regimes, to an extent, but criticizing the current one is a major no-no. Well, you can, you just have to be creative about how you do it.

It is mentioned that this story was heavily edited when translated into English. Perhaps to be more true to the author's original intent? Anyway, Du Ruofei finds himself in a world of advanced technology, but also one that is emotionally shallow and more than a tad hedonistic. Materials science is much more advanced, but space travel isn't much better than what we currently have. Sadly, that seems depressingly likely given how uninterested the world seems in manned spaceflight as of late. His assistant, of sorts, is named Jingjing. He chides her for having a name only given to pandas, but I've know a Jingjing or two. Also, apparently pandas, among other animals, are extinct in the future. Du Ruofei does discover that there are people who are dissatisfied with the state of the future, and he does become swayed by their ways. Ah, but I mustn't spoil the ending.

A story about a man making his way in the future. I recommend it.   

"Martian Blood" by Allen M. Steele.
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Old Mars

This story takes place in a world where Mars is a habitable planet; just as it was believed to be before the Mariner probes proved otherwise. The story follows Jim Ramsey. He works as a tour guide in the Martian wilderness. He has been hired by a professor named Omar al-Baz. Dr. al-Baz wants to test the genetics of the Native Martian aborigines, and how they relate to the genetics of humans. When Dr. al-Baz makes a startling discovery, Jim must make a decision that could decide that fate of the Native Martians.

Overall, this was a very fun story. Worlds where Mars and Venus are habitable planets are one of my favorite alternate history scenarios. The imagery is very evocative. You get a real sense of the desolate beauty of the Martian landscape. You also get a sense of why Jim fells more at home there than in the more civilized parts of Mars. I should have mentioned before that the Naive Martians refer to themselves as Shetan, which means people in their language. I found their culture written and realized quite well.

While I did enjoy the story overall, I do have to object to the ending. So runaway now if you don't want it spoiled. If those who want put are gone, let's discuss the ending.

Turns out Shetan DNA is identical to human DNA. Jim fears that this will lead to an influx of settlers as more researchers arrive. This, in term, might lead to the Shetan getting colonized and forced off their lands. He deliberately loses Dr. al-Baz get separated in a dust storm, leaving him to die, and destroys all the tests and samples. He does mention that humans and Shetan have come into conflict in the past, but I don't buy is reasoning. True, there would be those who would try to manipulate the Shetan, but also many who would rally to their defense. Plus, what if another researcher get a hold of some Shetan blood? Better to get the research out, and use it as a please to recognize the rights and humanity of the Shetan. 

Still, despite the somewhat shaky ending, overall it is an excellent story. I happily recommend it.

"The Yorkshire Mammoth" by Harry Turtledove
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story takes places in a world where Ice Age megafauna survived into historic times. The story follows a vet in England as he helps to treats some wooly mammoths. 

I wanted to like this story, I really did, but it just didn't work for me. Despite having a great premise, it just fell flat and came off as rather dull. It was as though the story never built up enough steam to reach critical mass. Kate's rather monotone narration certainly didn't help matters. Regrettably, I must give this story a thumbs down.

Strange Horizons

"The Lucky Strike" by Kim Stanley Robinson
Narrated by Anaea Lay
Originally Published in Universe 14
Hugo and Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novella

This story takes place in 1945 just before the atomic bombings of Japan. The Enola Gay has exploded during a test flight and so a new crew has had to be selected for the critical mission. Frank January, the mission's pilot, isn't sure he's willing to unleash such a destructive force upon innocent civilians. What consequences will his actions have?

Sometimes time is not kind to a story. Such is the case here. The bombings of Dresden and Munich aren't controversial. We recognize they were necessary to defeat the evil of Nazi Germany. Despite Imperial Japan being just as bad, and in a lot of ways worse, than the Nazis, this story wants us to sympathize with them. It wants us to sympathize with the monsters who committed the Rape of Nanjing and the Bataan Death March, and who enslaved Koreans women as sex slaves, among other crimes against humanity. Apparently, this story would have us believe that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were worse than all that. If Japan has surrendered after the first bomb, maybe we could have that conversation. But they didn't. For that matter, many of them wanted to keep going even after the second bomb. The damage wasn't even that different to a convention fire bombing. Main difference was that it was accomplished with a single bomb. If nothing else, this story demonstrates why we need to teach more about the War in the Pacific. 

Such a shame, I usually like things written by Kim Stanley Robinson. Regrettably, I must give a thumbs down. Don't waste your time.

"The Suitcase Aria" by Marissa Lingen
Narrated by Anaea Lay

This story is set in 1780 Berlin and follows a young opera singer named Udo. He is a castrato with the ability to perform magic through his songs. He's going to need all the song he can manage to handle the nix that's been harassing the opera house.

So a few terms we ought to cover before moving forwards. A nix is a type of Germanic water spirit. A castrato is a type of high pitched opera singer, and in the past they typically consisted of boys who were castrated before reaching puberty. A suitcase aria is a song that would be sung by a traveling opera singer. Now that we've got that out of the way let's talk about the story.

It's often said that music is a kind of magic, and this story just took that one step further. It was a nicely constructed system of magic. I personally would have liked to have heard a bit of singing with this story, but at the same time I can understand that this would be hard to translate into text. Also, hats off for using an obscure mythological creature rather than something more obvious like a siren.

A story about the magic of music and those who make it. Well worth your time.

"Rib" by Yukimi Ogawa
Narrated by Anaea Lay

This story takes place in Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate and follows a skeleton woman who feeds on men's souls. She's recently found herself caring for a young boy named Kiichi. Together they're teaming up to steal back a hair stick that belonged to Kiichi's mother from a heavily guarded temple.

There's a bit more to this story, you'll have to read/listen to find out more. I really loved how snarky and sarcastic the skeleton woman's dialogue was. As you should know by now, I am always eager to learn about new mythological beings, and so it was with this story. It was also nice to see a story set in Tokugawa Japan that was about something other than samurai. Without giving much away I can tell you that the ending is really heartwarming. As for why this story is titled Rib, well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself.

A fun little story with a touching ending. I happily recommend it.

Cast of Wonders

"Kulturkampf" by Anatoly Belilovsky
Narrated by Hans Fenstermacher
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story takes place during a steampunk version of the Franco-Prussian War where musical symphonies are used a weapons of war. The story told as a series of letters sent by Richard Wagner as he creates symphonies as his contribution to the Prussian war effort.

Every year the staff of Cast of Wonders each select a story they feel was particularly worthy of praise. This story was Barry J. North's pick for 2013, and I can easily see why. It was a great touch to play bits of Wagner's symphonies as the story was read. They really do sound like they could be used as weapons of war. I haven't seen too many stories about the Franco-Prussian war, and this was a nice change of pace from the typical Victorian Britain setting of many steampunk stories.

As for the narration, I thought Han's did an excellent job. It's a great musical steampunk story you won't want to miss.

"The Haunted Jalopy Races" by M. Bennardo
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story is set in a small American town during World War II and follows the yearly race of the spirits of two teenage boys who died in a racing accident. Each year they grow into increasingly caricatured versions of who they were in life; the hero is practically a knight in shining armor and the villain has a flaming skull. But is the story really all that it seems?

What I liked most about this story is the way it deals with how we collectively handle death. All too often we remember idealized versions of who the deceased were rather than who they actually were in life. That's why I personally oppose the notion of never speaking ill of the dead. This story really did a great job of commenting on that sort of mentality by introducing a supernatural spin.

In terms of narration I thought that Alasdair did a great job. A story about how we remember the dead. Very much recommended.

"Above Decks" by Terry Ibele
Narrated by Phil Lunt
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story takes place in a steampunk version of Canada and follows a boy from Rupert's Land who works on an airship. He joined thinking it would be a life of adventure and sightseeing, but he spends most of his days shoveling coal below deck. One day, however, he decides to break free.

Okay, so this is a steampunk story with an airship, but I promise it's a good one. I liked how this story focused on the potentially less than glamorous aspects of steampunk and the Victorian era. It was also a nice touch the upper classes considered mechanical augmentation to be fashionable. Towards the end of the story, even despite all of the horrors, you get a sense of awe and wonder for how amazing airships must have been. On the other hand, you get a long look at 19th century labor conditions as well.

Overall Phil did a good job with the narration, though at time he made the captain sound a bit like Yosemite Sam. All in all a pretty good story that's worth your time.

"The Authorized Biography" (Part 1 and Part 2) by Michael G. Ryan
Narrated by Brian Rollins
A Cast of Wonders Original   

This story follows a man named Tim Toonby. He has just written what he hopes will be the Great American Novel. One day he discovers a book claiming to be his biography. It tells of how Tim become a best selling author, but his son gets shot at one of his book signings. Tim must decide he must change the future, but at what cost?

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story. The writing is very well done, the characters are compelling, and the story is great. That having been said, I can't help but feel that this story is misplaced. Perhaps this story would be more at home at Escape Pod. Our protagonist is a middle-aged man contemplating the death of his child. Not saying young adults can't relate to that, but I am saying an adult would probably get this story better. This does tie in to something I've been feeling for a while: Cast of Wonders is suffering from an identity crisis. It runs YA stories, but never seems to know if it wants to appeal to adults or teens/tweens. In fact, at times it almost seems to be ashamed of the fact that it is a young adult podcast. Certainly leans a bit too much into the "YA can be more than just love-triangles and dystopia!" mentality at times. The current way Cast of Wonders seems to define YA and middle age is: "If you feel embarrassed for reading it, it's middle grade; if it's just respective enough to be read in public, it's YA."

Still, credit where it is due, at least weren't any trigger warnings,mor other patronizing tags. I'd complain about how annoying politically correct and woke Cast of Wonders has gotten, but that's a can of worms for another day. Still shaking my head over that time they include trigger warning because a story had spiders in it. Anyway, back to the review.

Tim certainly does his best to change his son's fate, but money and fame are certainly tempting. Also, at one point he takes his dog to be put down, even though it breaks his heart, because otherwise his wife will have an affair with the he vet. Uh, he should have taken the dog anyway. Pets are often incredibly scared during their final moments, and frantically search for their owners of the owners aren't there. Also, while his books sound interesting, they are about a man going on a journey of spiritual and religious enlightenment and discovery. I'm not so sure how well that would sell in these increasingly secular days. I will say that Brain did an excellent job with the narration.

Categorization aside, this is still an excellent story that I happily recommend.

"The Isle of the Dancing Dead" by Rick Kennett
Narrated by Barry Haworth
Originally Published in The Fifth Book of After Midnight Stories

This story appears to take place in the 19th century in a British colony. I'm not quite sure where specifically? Africa possibly? Or perhaps North America? At any rate, two paranormal investigators named George and Monty are on the case. The coffins within a crypt have been moving about, despite the tomb being sealed tight. The locals claim it is the spirits of the dead moving the coffins, but might there be a more rational explanation?

This story reminded me of the tales of Thomas Carnacki the Ghost-Finder by William Hope Hodgson. He was like a supernatural Sherlock Holmes. What made Carnacki so effective was, though he was prepared to deal with ghosts, he was also open to the possibility that there was a mundane explanation for the goings on. At least half the time, this turned out to be the case. I liked that this story takes the same approach. Apparently, this story has been translated into multiple languages, and is often used in classes teaching English as a second language. Barry did an excellent job with the narration.

A story of skepticism and the supernatural, and one that is very much recommended.

"Below the Serapeum" by Kelsey Dean
Narrated by Alethea Kontis
A Cast of Wonders Original
Featured in Cast of Wonder's Banned Books Week

This story takes place in a fantasy world not too different from Ptolemaic Egypt and the Roman Empire. Halena is an apprentice working at the Great Library. The library was recently destroyed by a fire started by the soldiers of Epiria. As such, her work mostly consists of preserving books and helping raise funds for a new library. Unfortunately, Epiria is preparing for another invasion of Masser. She must stand strong against the coming dark times.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. It is nice to see a fantasy story taking inspiration from the classical world for a change. The Great Library of Alexandria was one of the great losses of history. What wonders might there haven been on those shelves. We know that Homer wrote a sequel to The Odyssey titled The Telegony, and possibly even more epic poems. We also know that Sophocles wrote a fourth Theban play, and possibly more. Sadly, these and many other works have been lost to the sands of time. It is both fun and frustrating to speculate on what we might have had if the Library hadn't burned.

I did like that Halena's aunt and mother encouraged her to see the humanity in the children of Epiria. Further more, they even encourage her to see the humanity of Epirian soldiers. They speak of how the soldiers are merely following orders, and the blame should be placed on the Epirian emperor. This isn't a rout most stories would take, so I applaud Kelsey for doing so.

Now, I must criticize this story for having a bit too much parallelism at points. For example, the temple the character work at is called a Serapeum. In real life, there were temples consecrated to the Ptolemaic god Serapis, and often included libraries and places of learning. However, in the story the temples are consecrated to the fictional goddess Minosega. As such, calling them Minosegeum would have been more appropriate. Calling them Serapeum would be like having a Roman centurion speaking in a Texan accent and dropping lines about BBQ. Perhaps it would have worked better as a piece of historical fiction. I'm just saying, Escape Artists really should add historical fiction to the genres they cover. Also, Epiria sounds a bit like empire, as in Roman Empire. A bit on the nose there.

Still, overall not too bad of a story. Alethea's narration is certainly great.

A low fantasy retelling of the Library of Alexandria. I say give it a try.

There Are No Marshmallows in Camelot by Christian McKay Heidicker
Narrated by Marguerite Kenner
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story follows a little girl named Leticia Andrews who discovers the great wizard Merlin is trapped in her play house. Merlin has been thrust forward in time following a battle with the evil sorceress Morgan La Fay. At first Leticia thinks that it'll be great and that she'll get to learn magic, but what will happen if Merlin doesn't get back to Camelot in time?

The historical accuracy of the King Arthur legends is highly debatable, to put it succinctly. At the very least it's agreed that Merlin probably was real; especially since he and Guinevere were from previously unrelated Welsh legends. Similarly, Lancelot was from an unrelated French ballad, so that cast doubt on him. Still, there might be just the tiniest grain of truth buried in there, and this story had time travel so I decided to roll with it.

It was a cute little story. I liked the notion that you can find magic in your every day life if you know the right places to look. The conversations between Merlin and Leticia were fun and I liked the way magic was described. I also enjoyed the bits that follows Leticia later in her life as she searches for sources of magic. It was a nice little touch that tied everything together.

As I've mentioned in the past, every year the crew of Cast of Wonders select stories that they thought were particularly outstanding for a special honor. This story was Alexis Goble's pick for 2015. It is always a joy to hear Marguerite Kenner narrate a story, and this was no exception.

A fun little story about time travel and marshmallows. I recommend it.

The Great Game series by James Vachowski
Narrated by Barry J. North and Graeme Dunlop
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story follows...well, we never really learn his name. We do learn that he used to serve in the British army during the early 20th century and went on many fantastical adventures for king and country. From finding flying carpets in Persia to discovering the lost city of Iram in Arabia. The stories are framed as him recounting his adventures to students doing research at a library.

This one's going to be a group review since there are seven stories in the series. Overall I'd say these stories were a bit hit and miss. A couple were reasonably good pastiches of Victorian adventure stories, a couple started off good before running out of steam, and a few were just kind of meh. I guess that's kind of my biggest issue with these stories. They had interesting concepts, but for the most part they failed to realize their potential. Don't get me wrong, there we a few gems here and there, but overall I didn't find this collection of stories particularly memorable.

The stories are almost all narrated by Barry, though Graeme did narrate one of them. They both made valiant efforts, but it wasn't enough to salvage the stories which didn't work. I didn't quite care for these stories, but I'll say they're at least worth checking out. Who know, maybe you'll like them.

Conclusion

So we've reached the end of the list and I hope you've had a good time. You know I always want to say something deep and meaningful in these concluding segments, but I never do. Oh well, maybe someday I will. For now, just take a moment to reflect on all the good stories we got to discover, and look forward to the next time that we will get to do this. Let us look forward to all the stories we will discover in this new year together. Until then, I will see you guys next time.