The Alt-Hist File: Escape Pod: Part 2

There’s so many great alternate history, time travel and historical fantasy stories at Escape Pod, I had to split its edition of The Alt-Hist File in two. This is part two of The Alt-Hist File’s look at Escape Pod. If you’re looking part 1 click here. Okay, everyone here who wants to be here? Good! There’s not really much more for me to add, I covered most of that last time.

So then, without further ado, once again it’s story time…

"Night Bird Soaring" by T. L. Morganfield
Narrated by Mat Weller
Originally Published in Greatest Uncommon Denominator #3
2008 Sidewise Award Nominee

This story is set in an Aztec Empire that never fell, expanded to include the entirety of the Americas and developed space travel. It follows a boy named Totyoalli who is to play the role of Tezcatlipoca in a ritual when he turns twenty-nine. And by play the role I, of course, mean that he will be sacrificed. It's not exactly bad, he's best friends with the emperor, lives a life of luxury and even marries five wives. Still, his heart is set on joining the space program and visiting Quetzalcoatl's World, aka Venus. Can he find a way to live his dream and fulfill his destiny?

One of the things I loved about this story was the way it presents a nuanced look at the Aztecs. Contrary to popular opinion they were far from bloodthirsty savages. They mandated the same education for all citizens, even women, had pretty great social mobility, were excellent astronomers, had a pretty good track with women's rights and so much more. As for the human sacrifice, remember, from their point of view it was necessary to keep the universe running. Point is they were way more than what they're commonly portrayed as in fiction and this story did a great job showcasing that.

I also liked the way the imminent sacrifice was treated almost like having a terminal illness. Totyoalli knows he's got to make the most of his time, but he also comes to terms with his fate. Now, many of you are probably wondering how the Aztecs of this story got such a big empire. Don't worry, that's all explained, but I can't give that away. I will say we get a couple supernatural hints towards the end of the story, but that's all you get until you read/listen to this story. I also enjoyed how all the planets were named after Aztec gods. It was a nice touch

Mat Weller isn't just great at behind the scenes work, he's also great at narration. All in all a great story with a nuanced take on the Aztecs. Earned its nomination and should definitely early your time as well.

"People of the Shell" by Brian Trent
Narrated by Jeff Ronner
An Escape Pod Original 

This story is set during the Bronze Age after a series of asteroid impacts blocked out the sun. The once mighty Persian Empire, lead by Cyrus the Great, has been reduced to a mere 200 individuals wandering across the frozen desert on great sandships. They were looking for a glimmer of civilization in Egypt, but instead find people living beneath the shell of a gigantic...something. These people have built a society based around the worship of the great beasts, but how long can it last?

And the winner of most original alternate history short story is...this story! Seriously, the atmosphere in this story is absolutely phenomenal. You really get to see just how dark, cold and utterly hopeless this world is. Some of you might be reminded of The Peshawar Lancers by this story, though apart from the asteroids, they're very different stories. I liked that this story featured both Persians and Greeks, but treated them both fairly. It's also nice to see alternate history set in ancient times.

On that note, as far as themes go I found that nobody was really 100 percent right in this story. The People of the Shell are mostly comprised of people who were on the bottom rung of society, and the asteroids have give them a chance to rise above their positions. At the same time, Cyrus is right that their way of life simply isn't sustainable in the long term, and eventually humanity will have to get back on its feet out of necessity. You've got people who resorted to cannibalism, but only as a last resort. Like I said, morality as grey as the setting.

As for the narration, I thought Jeff did a spot-on job. Defiantly on of the more unique alternate history stories, and definitely worth your time.

"Impossible Dreams" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Matthew Wayne Selznick
Originally Published in Asimov's 
2007 Hugo Award Winner

This story follows a cinephile named Pete who discovers an amazing new movie store. The movies seem like they're out of another universe; I, Robot with screenplay by Harlan Ellison, Raiders of the Lost Ark staring Tom Selleck, The Magnificent Ambersons with its original ending and much more. Soon it becomes clear the store is traveling from another world. Pete finds himself falling in love with the store's clerk Allie. Each day the store appears for less and less time, and Pete has to convince Allie about the true nature of the store.

At the Escape Artists podcasts there is one man who is the undisputed king of short stories. That man, of course, is Tim Pratt. Seriously, he's been published more times on the Escape Artists podcasts than any other author, but not without reason. He's easily one of the most talented current writers of speculative fiction, and he's got the awards to prove it.

Anyway, back to the review. I learned a lot of movie trivia from this story, and it gave me a greater appreciation of movies in general. I liked how Pete was able to surmise information about Allie's world based on what movies the store had. For example, no Dr. Strangelove and a movie about the invasion of the Japanese home islands, staring John Wayne, potentially means no atomic bomb in that world. The overall feel of this story reminded me of The Twilight Zone, and so it should appeal to fans of that show. The ending is really sweet, but of course, it is a Tim Pratt story.

A great story like this need a great narrator to go with it, and Matthew is that narrator. A story that more than earned its Hugo. I happily recommend it.

"Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky" by Ken Scholes 
Narrated by Alex Wilson
Originally Published in Clarkesworld Magazine

It's 1941 and Adolph Hitler has arrived in Paris to pursue his dream of becoming a painter. Along the way, he befriends Earnest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin at Charles de Gaulle's bar. Hitler soon finds himself falling in love with a beautiful young Jewish girl from Poland. Things come to a head when the French government begins persecuting Jews. It's up to Hitler and his friends to rise above and stand up to this injustice.

Yeah, this one's probably going to be one of the more controversial stories. I'll begin by saying that people are products of their times, and this is obviously a different world, so it's not all the unreasonable that, give different circumstances, Hitler would have turned out different. For what it's worth, this story was reprinted in a top Israeli science fiction magazine and was met with positive reviews.

Okay, now that we got that out the way, let's talk about the story itself. We get some very tantalizing glimpses of the world beyond what the story shows. It appears Spain held onto their American colonies, only to lose them in an alternate Spanish-American War, France is still a monarchy ruled by Napoleon IV...and Hitler goes on to become a human rights activist and is hailed the Savior of the Jews. Yeah, between segments of story we get quotes that give us a glimpse into Hitler's future.

I thought Ken did a great job with the characterization all around, and the writing itself is really quite good. Really, this is a great story. This story was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, and I could have saved it for the post on that podcast. What it came down to, however, was who had the best narration. I had to give it to Escape Pod because Alex did such a great job.

Potentially controversial, but well worth you time. Give it a try.

"Checkmate" by Brian Trent
Narrated by Mat Weller
An Escape Pod Original 

This story is set in a world where wars are waged with living chess pieces and the world is divided into markers that nations compete for control over. The American Revolution was the last war fought with conventional armies. A British knight named Edward Oakshott has been challenged by a Russian rook for control of the London marker. Edward's been given a device that promises to grant immortality should he fall it battle, but how far is he willing to go in service to his country?

This is a steampunk story, but the living chess angle was a nice twist on the style. Personally, I would have liked to have seen what all the pieces are like. We see that knights and queens appear to be human, and rooks are mechanical monstrosities, but we never see any of the other pieces. For that matter, it would have been nice to know why Russia wanted the London marker. Maybe that's just how it goes in this world? The mythology lover in me enjoyed how all of the people in the secret London Underground were named after figures from Egyptian Mythology.

This is definitely one where the description is crazy, but I swear it's a good story. As far as narration, Mat once again did an excellent job. It's a new twist on the steampunk story. Give it a shot.

"Site Fourteen" by Laura Anne Gilman
Narrated by Mat Weller 
Originally Published in ReVISIONS

It's often said that we know more about the surface of the Moon than we do our own deep oceans, but what if that wasn't the case? In this story, President John F. Kennedy challenged America not to take to the Moon, but to claim the oceans. By the present day, America is the undisputed master of the oceans and has established many bases and settlements across the sea floor. The story follows a typical day at Site Fourteen when disaster strikes.

I'll admit this felt like less of a story and more of a showcase of an alternate world, but that's not a bad thing. I'm a big fan of stories that feature ocean exploration and colonization. The part where it's mentioned that the ocean program was receiving budget cuts was especially poignant give the ever-increasing lack of support for institutions such as NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities and other programs to expand knowledge and exploration.

Now, let's talk narration. Mat does his usual good job, but at the part when things start to go wrong you can hear an emergency alarm beeping in the background for a while. This didn't bother me, but some people might find that annoying, so be aware of that should you listen to this story. All in all a great window into an alternate world. Well worth checking out.

"Unexpected Outcomes" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Tom Rockwell
Originally Published in Interzone

9/11 was a day that changed everything for America and the world as a whole. In this story, it's even more so, because on the faithful day a strange man appears simultaneously across the world and announces...that the entire world is a computer simulation to test a hypothesis on the rise of Islamic terrorism. It has been declared that the simulation will continue to run, but without nonessentials such as weather, stars and reproduction. Still, not everyone is convinced that's the whole story. Our hero, a man named Tim, sets out to find answers.

I was in third grade when 9/11 happened, so this story had a certain resonance with me. I know this is going to sound horrible, but more due to the world turning out to be a simulation part. Hey, I didn't even know what happened till the very end of the day when my mom picked me up. I suppose my elementary school figured it was best to carry on as usual and not upset the students.

It was that same almost blasé/carry on feeling that I got from this story. The characters are dealing with a huge change to their lives, but for a while they just go on until it really sinks in. Even after they accept it they still keep looking for more answers. It's simply human nature to question everything after all. I also loved what the main character eventually found, but that's a surprise you'll have to discover for yourself.

As for the narration I thought that Tom did a great job. Certainly an unusual alternate history, but certainly worth a listen.

"Revolution Time" by Lavie Tidhar 
Narrated by Serah Eley
Originally Published in Flurb #2

This story centers around a group of communists in the future who are dissatisfied with their lives. Time travel has been invented and is used to bring people, mostly William Shakespeare, to the present for visits. The communists decide they'll use a time machine to bring Karl Marx to help start a revolution.

The description isn't much, but I promise it's a good story. People often talk about what would happen if very great historical figures could see the world today. Personally, I think they'd be too weirded out by the way everyone talks and dresses to make many comments on the way society is run. That was one thing I noticed about this story. Marx seemed to accept and adapt this is situation surprisingly fast. It was also unclear if the world was truly dystopian or if that's just how the communists viewed it.

Despite these iffy issues I found this story to be fun overall. Serah did his usual great job with the narration. A fun little story that I recommend.

"Reparations" by Merrie Haskell
Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal
Originally Published in Fortean Bureau 

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain controversial to this day. Many question if they were the right thing to do. This story focus on an organization of time travelers who try to make amends for these and other events by helping those effected by them.

Again, the summary sucks but the story did a really great job of capturing the absolute devastation that followed the atomic bombings. The descriptions were bone chillingly accurate. To be sure, the alternative of Operation Downfall wouldn't have been a picnic, but this story does provide food for thought on the moral implications of the bombings. Though I do admit I did find myself wounded about the potential paradoxes involved with the organization's work.

A story that packs this kind of emotional punch needs a certain kind of narrator to go with it. Fortunately, Mary is that narrator. A time travel story that'll keep you thinking long after it's over. Well worth a listen.

"Hawksbill Station" by Robert Silverberg
Narrated by Paul Tevis
Originally Published in Galaxy Magazine

This one is a classic time travel story, and some of you are probably familiar with it. However, I say we're going to go over it anyway. It follows a series of political prisoners who have been sent on a one-way trip to the pre-Cambrian era prison colony. Dispute the harsh and unforgiving environment they're making the best of things. One day a new man arrives, but is he all that he seems to be?

Like I said, a classic story, but for the most part I think it's aged fairly well. The only thing that really stuck out to me was, since plants had yet to colonize land during the pre-Cambrian, the amount of breathable oxygen should probably have been lower. I already knew all the twists and turns the story was going to take, but that didn't make it any less enjoy able. This story was originally published as "Anvil of Time", and was later expanded into a novel.

If you've got a craving for more Robert Silverberg, be sure to check out his alternate history novels and The Gate of Worlds. I can't really say much that hasn't been said already, but I can say that Paul did a good job with the narration. It's a classic for a reason. Come see why.

"Herd Mentality" by Jay Caselberg

Narrated by Serah Eley

Originally Published in ReVisions

This story takes place in a world where Albert Einstein was captured by the Nazis before he had a chance to immigrate to America. Shortly thereafter, he was cloned many times over. After World War II, the Einstein clones were brought to America. By the present day, the Einstein clones pretty much run everything in America. The story follows a man named Bill. He works for one of the many companies owned by an Einstein clone. All of the Einsteins are coming to town for a big meeting. Bill is determined to find out what they're up to.

Okay, let's just get this out the way. In terms of plausibility this story's a bit on the soft side. It would be a cold day in hell before the Nazis knowingly cloned a Jewish scientist. I'm also not sure the Nazi would have had the tech to clone people. Also, just because Einstein was good a physics doesn't mean his clones would necessarily able or interested in running all the things they do in this story. Though, admittedly, it's implied that the government may have raised them specifically for this purpose.

All of that having been said, I still found this to be quite an enjoyable story. The central premise actually parallels the real life Operation Paperclip; where German rocket scientists were brought to America after World War II. I liked Bill as a character, and how he showed what it would be like to be an average person in a world ruled by geniuses. There's also a really powerful scene where it's reveled that all of the Einstein clones have concentration camp tattoos on their arms. Keep in mind, they were all born in 1940. Even more chillingly, it was mentioned that the body of the original Einstein was never found.

It certainly makes me wonder how many potentially great scientists, artists and innovators were lost as a result of the Holocaust. This one is certainty provides food for thought. Serah did a great job with the narration, especially the way she does the Einsteins' voices.

A story about one of the world's greatest thinkers that is sure to get you thinking. I give it a thumbs up.

"St. Darwin's Spirituals" by D.K. Thompson
Narrated by Mur Lafferty 
Originally Published in Murky Depths

We'll end our list with a story from D.K. Thompson, better known as Dave Thompson, former editor and host of PodCastle. In this world, Charles Darwin not only developed the theory of evolution, but also a set of goggles that allow the user to see the spirits of the dead. Following this invention, interacting with spirits has become a part of daily life and spiritualism has seen a sharp increase in devotees. The story follows a woman named Lucy as she investigates possible criminal activity involving spirits.

First of all, hats off for the unique point of divergence. The world building and atmosphere in this story were absolutely top notch. The choice of Darwin seemed a tad random, personally I'd have gone with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but that's just me. I also really loved the writing style in this story. This story peaked my interests, and I’m glad that Dave went on to expand this world. If I’m being personally honest, this might not be my favorite entry to the St. Darwin’s world. Don’t get me wrong, it had good moments, but compared to later entries of the series…ah, but that’s a review for another time. If nothing else, this one got the ball rolling, and it’s still reasonably good.

I thought that Mur, as usual, handled the narration quite well. An alternate history story from one of Escape Artists own. I happily recommend it.

Conclusion

Well, here we are at the end of the list. I hope you’ve had a great time and that you found some great stories to enjoy. Now that we’ve covered Escape Pod, for now anyway, we’re moving onto our next port of call. The first time around that was PodCastle, but I think we need to change things up a bit. Pseudopod was the second Escape Artists podcasts ever made, and I think it’s right that they should be our next destination. Don’t worry, we will be covering PodCastle, but we’ll be visiting Pseudopod first. Hey, it’s the least I could do. Pseudopod has been extremely enthusiastic in supporting The Alt-Hist File and The Audio File.

Well, I think that wraps it up for now. I’ll see you guys next time when we tackle Pseudopod

The Alt-Hist File: Escape Pod: Part 1

It all started on whim more than anything else. It started on a whim, but it became a wildly popular, and much beloved, recurring series. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was reviewing short story audio fiction for The Alternate History Weekly Update. Now, at long last, it has come home. And what more fitting place to call home than a blog called The Audiophile?

Okay, I'm starting to ramble here. As I previously announced, I'm reviving my old audio fiction review column The Audio File. I'm splitting it into two halves, one for alternate history and one for all other genres. With that in mind, I welcome you to the inaugural installment of The Alt-Hist File. The Audio File is being reserved for all the other great, and occasionally not so great, stories that I review. I like to use to use The Alt-Hist File to shine a spotlight on the individual podcasts that I feature. With that in mind, let's meet today's podcast.

Today we're talking about Escape Pod. Founded in 2005 by Serah (formerly Steve) Eley, as a way of showcasing some of the best talent in the field of science fiction. At the time, it wasn't known how long Escape Pod would last. Twelve years and over 500 episodes later, as of this writing, Escape Pod is stronger than ever and more successful than Eley could ever have imagined. Escape Pod's success helped prove the viability of online short story podcast magazines and led to the creation of two other Escape Artists podcasts: Pseudopod for horror and PodCastle for fantasy. In time, the Escape Artists family of podcasts adopted the young adult podcast Cast of Wonders, and started the Mothership Zeta E-zine. We'll talk more about the other members of the Escape Artist family in future posts.

Over the years, Escape Pod has featured numerous host including Mur Lafferty, Norm Sherman, Alasdair Stuart, Tina Connolly, Adam Pracht and Divya Breed. There's also numerous hardworking people toiling away behind the scenes. I don't have time to name you all, but know that you are appreciated, and we couldn't have the Escape Artists podcasts without you. They’ve featured narrators from all walks of life, both professional and amateur. The intro and outro music, provided by monster surf rock band Daikaiju, is another of those little personal touches I adore.

Originally, the text of the stories themselves wasn't included, but after a certain point that changed. As much of a fan as I am, even I can't tell you when exactly that was, but suffice it to say the more recent the story the more likely it is the text will be included on the website.  In any event, many Escape Pod stories were originally published elsewhere, but just as many, if not more, are totally original to Escape Pod. If they don't have the text they will usually link to it.

Now that we've shined a spotlight on Escape Pod, let's move to the stories. Remember, these stories are released on a Creative Commons, attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license; feel free to share them all you like, just don't change or sell them. Now, get ready, because it's story time...

"Joe Steele" by Harry Turtledove

Narrated by Serah Eley

Originally published in Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian

Those of you familiar with Harry Turtledove's work have probably heard of this one, but it's still worth going over.  The basic premise is the Joseph Stalin's parents immigrated to the United States during the 19th century, and Stalin grew up in Fresno, California.  Stalin eventually takes the more American name Joe Steele and is later elected president via some shady dealings.  This being Stalin, however, means that the next few decades aren't exactly sunshine and lollipops.

Now, the plausibility hounds in the audience are probably complaining that Stalin ought to have a different worldview if he was raised in America. To be sure that's probably true, but Steele still needed to act recognizably like Stalin or else we have no story. Stalin or not, the Depression was a rough time, and I can easily see the conditions giving rise to an extremist movement.  Especially if FDR were out of the picture, as he is in the short story.

As for the writing, it has a very 1940s newsreel quality to it, and Serah does a really good job of conveying that feeling. All in all this was a very fun story, and as a bonus you get to hear the song that inspired this story, "God & The FBI", in its entirety right after the episode.

"Good Hunting" by Ken Liu

Narrated by John Chu

Originally published in Strange Horizons

There are not nearly enough words to describe how much I love Ken Liu. Every story he makes is a masterfully crafted work of art.  He knows just how to tug on your heartstrings, make you connect with his characters, leave you wanting more and so many other things. Seriously, people are always talking about who's going to be the next big thing in speculative fiction; well behold the next big thing people.  Need proof?  This is a man who has won pretty much every major science fiction and fantasy award, and he's only been seriously writing since about 2009.

Okay, enough gushing, onto the story. "Good Hunting" takes place during and in the years following the Opium Wars, but a steampunk version of the war.  There's also magic in this alternate China featuring everything from hopping ghosts, spirits and huli jing (Chinese fox spirits that take the form of beautiful women).  Our story follows a young ghost hunter and a huli jing as they watch the world around them change with the coming of British colonization.  Besides the usual troubles that come with colonization there's an added issue; the British have built a railway right on top of a qi vein, and this is having extremely negative consequences on the supernatural world.

One of the things I love about Ken's work is that no matter what story he writes I always learn something new. In this case I got to learn what huli jing are, and as a lover of mythology and folklore that was a big plus. I also appreciated how Ken didn't pull any punches with his depiction of colonialism and the darker side of steampunk. You could easily see the blocked qi vein, and the impact it has on the supernatural community, as a metaphor for the impact that colonizers often have on native cultures. Throughout the story there's a feeling of sadness for the passing of old traditions as new ways are forced upon China.

However, the story ultimately ends on an optimistic note. Without giving too much away I can best summarize the ending like this: sometimes forces beyond our control change our lives in major ways, and that means old traditions will die, but we can adapt and keep those old ways alive in a new form. A bit of advice about the narration; John Chu can seem a little...off, when you first hear his voice. Give your ears a minute or so to get use to his narration voice and you'll find he's the perfect man to convey Ken's story.

It starts as a whimsical Chinese fairy tale and ends as a gritty steampunk.  I couldn't recommend it more.

"Soft Currency" by Seth Gordon

Narrated by Melissa Bugaj

An Escape Pod Original

This story takes place in an alternate 1970s America in which men and women use separate money. Men use dollars and coins while women use coupons and stamps (they come in the same denominations as dollars and coins).  For the sake of time, the cliff notes version is that this was started after World War II to help returning GIs regain their old jobs; if you want the full history you'll have to listen to/read the short story.  Certain businesses only take dollars while other only take coupons; the system is partially justified by claiming that men and women buy different things. Unfortunately, the exchange rate is not 1:1 and often favors the dollar more than the coupon.  As such many illegal currency exchanges have popped up over the years. Our protagonist Cassie, a clerk at a coupon only grocery store, find herself drawn into such an operation.

Part of the reason I've been reposting my old reviews is because, with the passage of time, my views on certain stories have changed. Some stories seem even better and more resonant. For other stories, such as this one, well...time has not been so kind. Now, having gained some perspective, I can no longer recommend this story.

I'll be blunt, this story is a painfully obvious allegory for the myth of the Gender Wage Gap. For those who don't know, that's the claim that women only make $0.75 for every dollar men make. Problem is, that's actually the average earnings of men and women. It's doesn't take into account hours worked, different jobs or different positions. Moreover, since 1963 it has been illegal, in the United States, to pay men and women different wages for the same work.

In light of this, the story falls flat on its face. That's one of the problems I have with fiction that actively tries to convey a social/political message. Not only do a lot of them focus too much on preaching, at the expense of story telling, but often times they inadvertently spread misinformation. That's not to say message fic can't be done well, but make sure you have your facts straight.

A failed attempt at social commentary. Don't waste your time with this one.

"Southpaw" by Bruce McAllister

Narrated by Brian Liberman

Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction

The myth that Fidel Castro was given the chance to play baseball for the New York Giants has long been discredited. Suppose, however, that not only was he given the chance, but that he'd said yes. In this story that's exactly what happens. Castro plays for the New York Giants and has a wonderful girlfriend named Nancy. Life seems good, but Cuba is on his mind so much lately, especially once he begins having visions of a strange world where he, not Batista, is the leader of Cuba.

For those of you concerned about the plausibly of this story, the author himself admits that he's fully aware Castro never got a chance to play baseball for America. Nevertheless, he thought it would make an interesting story. Admittedly I'm not much of a sports person, but I feel like this story is written well enough to be enjoyed even if sports isn't your thing. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I thought the narrator did an excellent job. What can I say?  Escape Pod knows how to pick narrators.

Without giving away too much I can say that there was a bit of this story that reminded me of The Man in the High Castle and I enjoyed that. I also appreciated how Castro was depicted as a very human character.  He knows just how lucky he is to have risen through the ranks of society, and he's keenly aware of how much suffering his fellow Cuban are going through. At the same time, there's no clear answer for fixing this problem.

For a look at a different side of Fidel Castro I'd recommend giving this story a try.

"The Eckener Alternative" by James L. Cambias

Narrated by Mur Lafferty

Originally published in All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories

This story's a little different than the ones we've talked about. It's not initially set in an alternate history, but follows someone's attempt to make one. Our protagonist, John Cavalli, is a student at a university for training time travelers. He's also a lover of airships and is determined to save them from dying out. After a few failed attempts to change history his path becomes clear. He's going to prevent World War II from ever happening, but is that really such a good idea?

Admittedly this story was more action than dialogue, but since it features a male protagonist I initially wasn't sure if Mur was going to be the right fit for this story. All things considered, I think Mur handled the narration of this story excellently. The story itself made some pretty good observations such as why airships, cool as they are, were ultimately replaced by airplanes.

There this scene in the cafeteria I found particularly amusing. The students are all talking about what they'd go back in time and change. You get the standard answer: stop Cortez, save Lincoln, but then there's the guy wanted to give machine guns to the Confederates. It appears Harry Turtledove will still be read even after we invent time travel.

This one was short, sweet and to the point. I recommend it.

"The '76 Goldwater Dime" by John Medaille

Narrated by Norm Sherman

Originally published in Residential Aliens

Okay, this one might not exactly be alternate history per say, but it's still pretty fun. Our protagonist is a numismatist trying to convince someone that he has come into possession of coins from alternate universes. Instead of the usual presidents, these coins depict figures such as Barry Goldwater, Benedict Arnold and Eugene V. Debs.

Norm absolutely nailed it with his performance of the crazed coin collector; if you think this is good you should see him in his native habitat over at the Drabblecast.  I also like how the story is presented in the form of a conversion, but we never hear the other person, just the narrator's reactions and remarks. It was fun imagining the kinds of world's these coins might have come from.

All in all a very fun little story. Definitely worth checking out.

"Why I left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers" by Lawrence Watt-Evens

Narrated by Jonathon Hawkins

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Short Story

In this story, our protagonist gets a job at a hamburger joint in West Virginia, but this isn't just any hamburger joint. Harry's All-Night Hamburgers serves as a hub for travelers from different alternate universes; it seems West Virginia is always out of the way and unassuming no matter what the universe. Our protagonist soon faces a choice; continue life as it is, or travel to new and exotic universes, but risk never seeing this one again.

You're probably expecting me to say I liked the narrator at this point. Well...you'd be absolute correct.  As for the story itself, I enjoyed getting to see glimpse of the different worlds and letting my imagination fill in the blanks. I was mildly amused at how one of the character came from a world that sounded rather similar to the plot of Bioshock: Infinite, but keep in mind this story was written well before Bioshock: Infinite came out. I also enjoyed the advice the protagonist received on how to resolve his dilemma. I'm struggling to find the right words, but seriously this is an excellent story.

Defiantly earned its Hugo, and should probably earn your time as well.

"Homecoming at the Borderlands Cafe" by Carole McDonnell

Narrated by Serah Eley

Originally published in Jigsaw Nation

Well, they can't all be winners. There had to be at least some rotten apples in this bushel. Hey, at least this proves I can actually not like something and have a negative opinion. First some background, Jigsaw Nation is a collection of short stories with the central premise that around 2004, Red and Blue States (or in some case, Red and Blue districts) became two separate nations.  All the stories have their own take on the how this happened and what the results were. Most of them are rather interesting and though provoking, but this one...I was seriously considering leaving it out altogether.

Okay, I'll try my best to be as neutral possible. So the basic set up is that Red States are known as the Confederacy and Blue States are called Columbia.  I know what the author was trying to do here, but Columbia as a name has already been taken. Anyway, our protagonist is a Confederate cafe owner talking with some recent immigrants from Columbia. The couple is mixed race, but the Confederacy is a heavily segregated society, but the narrator assures us it’s all separate but equal. I really hope that was in character and not the author, herself a black woman, doing the talking.

So why would a mixed race couple knowingly move to such a racist society? You see, Columbia still allows Christianity, but has banned the Bible for being homophobic. The authorities were also going to take the couple's child away if they educated it with the Bible. No seriously, that's what the story says. Look, if the premise is that things split in 2004 you're not going to get anything like that without diving into strawman territory. It's a strait up example of the Golden Means Fallacy/Balance Fallacy. Atheists (and I say this as one myself) don't want to take away your Bibles, your kids or ban religion. What we want is to be treated equally and we want everyone else to be treated equally as well. We might not agree with what you say, but we'll fight to the death for your right to say it.

Don’t waste your time with this stinker. Pick one of the other stories I've featured.

"Punk Voyager" by Shaenon Garrity

Narrated by Nathaniel Lee

An Escape Pod Original

This story is set during the 1980s and follows a group of punks. The punks are bummed about the fact that the records on the Voyager Probes only contain classical music. To combat this, they decide create their own probe loaded with punk music. A few years later, some amoeba aliens arrive and...punch Ronald Reagan in the crotch, turn out to be huge punk enthusiasts and...yeah, this one's kind of crazy.

Personally, I found this story enjoyable. It didn't take itself too seriously and overall it was a pretty fun ride. That said, I can understand that this story's sense of humor might not be for everyone. When I listened to this story, I was reminded of those screwball comedies Hollywood constantly churns out. However, if this story was turned into a movie, I like to think it would be a bit better than most of those films.

In terms of narrations, I thought that Nathaniel did an excellent job. A fun story with hardly a single serious moment. I recommend it.

"The Color of a Brontosaurus" by Paul E. Martens

Narrated by Serah Eley

Originally Published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine

This story follows a paleontologist named Stu. He and his team have made a seemingly impossible discovery: a perfectly preserved human femur in the same rock stratum as an allosaurus fossil! This can only mean one thing: time travel is going to be invented. Stu has always dreamed of seeing his beloved dinosaurs in the flesh. It's a cause for celebration, yet his wife seems oddly blasé. Almost as though she's hiding something.

When I listened to this story, I was reminded of something Richard Dawkins once said. Paraphrased, he said that if we were to find a rabbit skeleton in the pre-Cambrian it would cause us to serious question the theory of evolution. Now, personally, if that were to happen, I'd probably be a bit like Stu. That is, I'd view it as concrete proof that time travel will be invented someday.

At one point or another, every paleontology fan has dreamed of traveling through time to see dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. I know that I've experienced that desire on more than a few occasions. This story really spoke to that feeling. I was able to spot the twists about halfway through the story, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.

As for the narration, I thought that Serah did a great job. A fun little story about time travel wanderlust. I couldn't recommend it more.

"Frankie and the Spook" by Mike Resnick

Narrated by Serah Eley

Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

This story follows a computer genius, and wannabe writer, named Marvin. He was created a program/hologram that perfectly simulates the mind of Sir Francis Bacon. In doing so he learns that Bacon, not Shakespeare, was the one who wrote all of the plays. Hilarity ensues as the two, much to the Bacon simulacrum's dismay, embark on a series of literary collaborations.

Okay, so let's address the elephant in the room here. For those who don't know, there's a series of conspiracy theories that Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays. Popular candidates include Christopher Marlo and the Earl of Oxford. First of all, plays were often a collaborative effort. Second, many of Shakespeare's plays drew inspiration from preexisting poems and stories. Finally, there's simply too much evidence that Shakespeare was, in fact, the author of his plays. Though, obviously, it would take too much time to list them all here.

Now, with all of that in mind, I don't think that this story was meant to entertain the authorship conspiracy theory. It has a very laid back feel and doesn't take itself seriously. In fact, I don't think there was a single serious line of text in the whole story. As a comedic farce, it more than succeeds. It's one of those stories were the smart guys has to work, against his will, with a complete bumbling idiot. Also, there is a scene where the two collaborate to write an alternate history novel.

Once again, Serah knock it out of the park with the narration. A fun, if slightly controversial story. I recommend it.

"A Gun for Dinosaur" by L. Sprague de Camp

Narrated by Ayoub Khote

Originally Published in Galaxy Science Fiction

This story follows a pair of time travel tour guides as they prepare to take some guests on a dinosaur safari. While they wait for things to be set up they relate the story of a previous, and rather disastrous, dinosaur safari they conducted.

Don't get me wrong, overall this is a fairly fun story. It's a fun story, but it definitely shows its age. Many of the dinosaurs are depicted as slow, lumbering giants. These days, we know that dinosaurs were probably fairly active. There's also mention of some dinosaurs having second brains to help them move their large bodies. I can remember hearing this hypothesis when I was growing up in the 1990s, but it's since been disproved. One of the hazards the characters encounter is giant leeches that feed on the dinos. Again, most likely leeches of this size didn't actually exist.

I know it seems kind of negative, but I'm a paleontology nerd. These things stick out to me. If you can ignore the dated science, it's still actually a reasonably enjoyable story. For what it's worth, I thought that Ayoub handled the narration well.

It's reasonably enjoyable, even if the science is rather dated. I say give it a shot.

"Prophet of Dogs" by Bethany Edwards

Narrated by George Hrab

An Escape Pod Original

This story follows an average guy who works for community arts magazine. He always takes his cigarette breaks at a small park next to his office. He's been noticing a girl preaching doom and gloom. On a whim, he decides to talk to her. It turns out that she's a time traveler from the future, and she's here to witness an alien invasion that is about to happen.

There a central moral dilemma at the heart of this story: if you know something bad is about to happen, but you can only save one person, would you? Perhaps a better question, as the story itself concedes is, would that person even want to be saved?

One point I thought was particularly well done is when the protagonist and the time traveler discuss future events. Apparently, 9/11 is considered merely a footnote by future historians. There plenty of events that hold significance to us because we have an emotional connection to them. For future, generations, however, they'll just be a topic they learn about in history class. More cynically, there's always the possibility that something worse will happen at some point or another.

In terms of narration, I thought that Greg did a good job. A story that's sure to have you thinking for quite some time. It's also one I recommend.

"Parallel Moons" by Mario Milosevic

Narrated by Bill Bowman

Originally Published in Space and Time Magazine

This story is a three-for-one special. In the first story, a group of alien spaceships have encircled the Moon and are towing it away. In the second story, a group of nerds are petitioning to have the Moon reclassified as a planet. In the final story, a reporter is conducting an interview with a reclusive millionaire who is funding a project to blot out the Moon's reflective light.

Strictly speaking, I'm not sure that these stories count as alternate history. However, they do depict three different timelines and three very different fates for the Moon. That is good enough for my purposes. Also, thought they are three separate stories, they are tied together by the theme of the Moon being taken away from us somehow.

I enjoyed the structure of this story. It reminded me of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, a book that I am very fond of. The way that the three stories, though seemly separate, were connected by a common theme, plenty reminded me of the novel. Each of the stories themselves were well done. The first story gives a sense of how small humanity is in relationship to the universe. We don't know who the aliens are, or why they want the Moon, and humanity is powerless to stop them.

The second story actually has parallels to debates that are going on in the astronomical community. There actually is some debate about whether the Moon should be considered a planet because of its size. Though, within the story, the nerds are motivated by their desire to preserve artifacts from the Apollo missions. This put them in sharp contrast with the subject of the final story, millionaire Richard Mollene. He claims to be covering the Moon in ash because it reminds him of his deceased wife. However, given how smug, self-center and egotistical he comes off as, I'm inclined to think he did it just because he could.

                                                                                                              

You get three complete stories, and none of them feel out of place. To the contrary, they all complement each other quite nicely. This story requires a narrator who can juggle three different, yet connected, stories. Thankfully, Bill is the narrator this story needs.

Three stories for the price of one, all of them excellent. You won't want to miss this one.

"The Snow Woman's Daughter" by Eugie Foster

Narrated by Cunning Minx

Originally Published in Cricket Magazine

This story is set in Ancient Japan. It follows a young girl whose mother is a yuki-onna. Her mother has come to visit and invite the girl to live with her in the mountains as an immortal. It's a tempting offer, but the girl feels connected to the village she's grown up in. In particular, she rather fancies her neighbor boy Roku. What shall she choose?

I do love retellings of folktales and mythology. For those who don't know, yuki-onna are mythical creature from Japanese mythology. They are beautiful women with powers of snow and ice. They appear during snow storms and, depending on which legend you read, either guide travelers to safety or lure them to their death and suck out their heat. There's not too much to really say, it's short, sweet and satisfying.

Now, this story actually has a bit of a special place in the history of the Escape Artists podcasts. Not too long after this story was released, PodCastle premiered. One of those critical moments in the history of the Escape Artists captured in amber for all time. Getting back to the story, I thought that Cunning Minx really capture the emotional heart of the story.

It's short, perhaps a bit familiar, but ultimately quite satisfying. I say give it a try.

"The Battaile of the Mudde" by Anthony Tardiff

Narrated by J.J. Campanella

An Escape Pod Original

This story follows two teenage boys named Vincent and Dave. Vincent is a social awkward genius inventor, while Dave is his best friend who tries his best to keep Vincent out of trouble. Vincent is trying to impress a girl he likes named Melissa. She's taking part in a school play set in medieval times, so Vincent has built a time machine to get a dress for Melissa. Unfortunately, due to a miscalculation, his machine transports a medieval girl named Katherine along with the dress. Soon a zany misadventure ensues as the boys try to keep Melissa out of the loop, while trying to get the dress from Katherine.

We've got another story that is pure and unabashed fun. One particular funny part is when Vincent makes a translator for Katherine, since she speaks Middle English. However, since one of the sources he uses is a dictionary of slang, the resulting translations are usually rather humorous. I enjoyed Dave's snarky asides and commentary on everything. It really is an all around good time, and J.J. did an excellent job with the narration.

If I did have one criticism, it would be the host segment. I really could have done without Adam Pracht's political soapboxing. Now look, I understand that everyone at Escape Artists had strong feelings about the election. However, I also expect a certain degree of professionalism. We listeners come to Escape Pod to experience some of the best science fiction week after week. Treat this as you would any other job, and check your personal issues at the door. Besides, in these chaotic times, don't we all need a little escapism every now and again?

Now, on a related note, I understand that the Escape Artists have been increasing their push for diversity lately. That's is all very well and good, there's all sorts of great stories out their, penned by people from all walks of life. However, I would hope that you welcome authors who think differently than you, in addition to authors who look different than you. I guess what I'm trying to say is, promoting diversity of skin tone and sexuality mean nothing without promoting diversity of thought as well.

I didn't mean the above as a response to anything in particular. I just wanted to add a bit of food for thought, and I'm sorry if I came across as harsher than I meant to be. I have seen all of the Escape Artists podcasts do amazing things, and want to continue to see them be the best that they can be. I've seen you fly, and I know you can soar. Now then, allow me to wrap up this review.

A fun story about time traveling shenanigans, just be sure to skip the outro.

Conclusion

I don't want to end on too sour of a note. Sometimes, when I finish these lists, I like to take a moment to reflect on all the great stories that I’ve featured. I invite you to take a moment of reflection as well. This is just the start of the amazing journey through free audio fiction I’m going to take you guys on. I hope you enjoyed these sampling and give them a try. And hey, these as just the alternate history related stories, there's hundreds of other amazing stories just waiting to be listened to as well. Remember, if you like what you hear don't be shy about dropping a donation, Escape Pod is funded by its fans. 

There's so many great stories at Escape Pod, I've had to split this edition of the Alt-His File. Stay tuned for part 2 of our look at Escape Pod. Well, that enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time.