Things are going to get a little weird in this
installment of The Alt-Hist File. Today we'll be talking about The Drabblecast. The Drabblecast brings
strange stories, by strange authors, to strange listeners such as you and me.
What that means is that The Drabblecast runs stories from a wide variety of
genres and tones; their mission statement is that they never want there to be
such a thing as a standard Drabblecast story. Of course, for our purposes we'll
be focusing on alternate history and related stories.
The Drabblecast launched in 2007 by Norm Sherman, Kendall Marchman and Luke Coddington. Since those early days the crew has grown to include Nicky Drayden, Bo Kaier, Nathaniel Lee. Charity Helton and Tom Baker. You might remember Norm and Nathaniel from the post about Escape Pod, as well as Nathaniel's stories from PodCastle and Pseudopod. Though not a member of the Escape Artists podcasts, the connections between the crews certainly give The Drabblecast that feel. I often think of it as a weird cousin to the Escape Artists podcasts.
The Drabblecast has all sorts of celebrations. There's the annual Nigerian Scam Spam contest, HP Lovecraft Month, Women and Aliens Month that celebrates women writers of science fiction, and much more. Besides the main story each episode features a 100 word Drabble and a 100 character Twabble. Earlier episodes didn't include the original text of the stories, but later episodes usually do.
I know I often make a point of encouraging donations to the featured podcasts, and that's always good, but there are perks when you donate to The Drabblecast. For a ten dollars a month subscription you get access to exclusive members only stories and for a one time donation of fifty dollars or more, Norm will write and produce a song for you about whatever you want. In fact, Norm has recently released a collection of these songs on iTunes in addition to an album of his original songs. If you like your music in physical form you can purchase it from the Drabblecast website.
The way that music is integrated into the stories, and the awesome episode cover art, are some of those touches that really makes The Drabblecast standout from the crowd. Anyway, enough with the intro, let's move onto the stories...
"Let Us Now Praise Awesome Dinosaurs" by Leonard Richardson
A Full Cast Production
Originally Published in Strange Horizons
This story takes place in a world where the dinosaurs evolved sentience and evacuated to Mars before the K-T asteroid struck Earth. Millions of years later the dinosaurs sent expeditions to Earth and discovered that humans had become the new dominate species. By the present many dinosaurs, such as our protagonists, come to Earth to participate in extreme sports competitions.
Now, from a scientific point of view, there's about a million different things that are implausible about this story. However, none of that takes away from how fun this story is. Dinosaurs and space exploration are two of my favorite topics, so naturally this story had me even before it started. Full cast productions usually have an advantage over single narrator productions and this story was no exception. All of the narrators did an excellent job.
It's got talking dinosaur dirt bikers from Mars. Need I say more?
"joanierules.bloggermax.com" by Nick Mamatas
Narrated by Naomi Mercer
Originally Published in Rabid Transit #2
Our story is told as a series of blog posts by a young woman named Joanie. She's been living a pretty normal live, but then she got a vision from God. You see, in this world England won the Hundred Years War, and God wants Joanie to liberate France in the name of the Mother Church.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, this is basically a modern day retelling of the life of Joan of Arc. Overall I found this story to be very enjoyable. We don't see much of this world beyond what's mentioned in Joanie's blog posts, but judging by that it doesn't seem to be too different from our own world. It would have been nice to see how history could have diverged, but since the author was retelling the story of Joan of Arc in the modern day, I can understand the desire to keep things familiar.
I though that telling the story as a series of blog post was a nice twist on the short story format. I also thought that Naomi did a great job conveying the snarky and conflicted tone of the story. There's a constant debate throughout the story of whether Joanie is crazy or really on a mission from God. However, given the number of seeming impossible happenings, and perfectly timed coincidences, I'm inclined to go with the latter.
A modern day take on Joan of Arc that I happily recommend.
"Night of the Cooters" by Howard Waldrop
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Omni Magazine
I know what some of you are thinking, and no, this isn't a dirty story. Of course, it isn't a particularly good story either. Our story takes place in a small town in 19th century Texas. News reports have mentioned strange crafts from Mars landing in England, but now those same craft have come to Texas. However, the Martians are going to have to get through Sheriff Lindley and his men first.
On the surface this should have been a fun story, but as someone who has actually read War of the Worlds, this story was incredibly irritating on a number of levels. The biggest flaw was the Sheriff Lindley and his men were able to beat back the Martians through enthusiasm and gung-ho manliness, and that's before the Martians got exposed to Earth germ. That completely flies in the face of the War of the Worlds, where the whole point is that the Martians are superior to Earth's technology and can't be brought down by such means.
Moreover, I found Lindley to be such an insufferable meathead that his characterization almost came across as a parody at points. Like how, after the Martians are defeated, he orders their war machines destroyed mostly to spite the local college professors; because apparently real men don't need higher education. Mr. Waldrop has succeeded in turning one of the greatest critiques of 19th century colonialism into a brainless pulp adventure. That's not to say all pulp is bad, escapism has its place, but War of the Worlds is most certainly not that place.
Two thumbs down. Don't waste your time with this one.
"The Last Great Clown Hunt" by Chris Furst
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Weird Tales #352
In this story we have a world in which tribes of clowns fill the role of the Native Americans. We follow our narrator from his first meeting with the clowns all the way to the Battle of the Little Bigtop. Okay, this one's kind of weird, but hey, it's The Drabblecast.
To be perfectly honest I'm not entirely sure how this story made me feel. I mean, it's got silly sound effects and clowns and all, but it also deals with the clowns fighting for survival and has Norm's serious sounding narration. My main issue is that I wasn't sure if I was suppose to take it as satire, take it seriously or something in between. Though, I suppose the third options was what the author intended.
Having said that, I think, iffy tone aside, it was still a reasonably good and fun story. I laughed, I contemplated and I had fun. Like I said, Norm's narration and the Dances with Wolves-esque soundtrack really added to the experience. Maybe I was a little hard on the tone.
A little weird, but a lot of fun. I say give it a shot.
"Love in the Pneumatic Tube Era" by Jessica Grant
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Darwin's Bastards: Astounding Tales From Tomorrow
It's often said that Canada doesn't get nearly enough alternate history love. Fortunately, this story has you covered. It's set in Canada in a world were pneumatic tubes are the primary means of shipping and transportation. It follows two lovers as their romance grows even as the tubes make personal interaction less and less required. Then transportation becomes highly regulated, and the age of pneumatic tubes comes to an end. The two loves must brave the odds to reunite.
When I listened to this story I was very much reminded of E.M. Forster's classic short story "The Machine Stops". For those of you wondering, that's the same E.M. Forster who wrote A Passage to India and A Room with a View. In both stories it's easy to see the advances in technology as the logical conclusion to our culture that simultaneously connects and isolates us with its advancements.
Now, let's talk about narration. Kate Baker is the host and narrator of the Clarkesworld Magazine podcast, which has some great stories we will cover in a future edition of The Audio File. Kate's narration is always a little hit and miss for me, but here it works perfectly. Overall it was a really cute romance story of love finding a way.
A sweet little story with a slight Canadian touch. I say give it a try.
"Testimony Before an Emergency Cession of The Naval Cephalopod Command" by Seth Dickinson
Narrated by Norm Sherman
A Drabblecast Original
This story takes place in a world where, during the 1980s, the United States Navy developed a specially trained team of giant squids to combat Soviet submarines. By the present day, however, there's trouble. Nemo, the top squid of the program, is undergoing an existential crisis as he begins to realize that he isn't the only thinking creature in his world.
The story is told as something of a one-sided conversation between one of the members of the squid program and a senator. I always enjoy story in that sort of format as a means of changing up the short story form ever now and again. I also liked how the story made it clear just how alien a squid's mind is compared to a human's. Prior to his existential crisis, Nemo views the world as a series of levers to be manipulated in order to achieve various goals.
As usual, Norm did an excellent job narrating. He always seems at his best when he has these one sided conversation sort of stories. Also, random fun squid fact: squids have doughnut shaped brains because their digestive track passes right through their brains. And now you know.
A meditation on squids and our perception of reality. Very much recommended.
"The Ugly Chickens" by Howard Waldrop
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Universe 10
Yes, I am about to review another Howard Waldrop story, but this time it's a story I actually enjoyed. The story follows an ornithologist named Paul from University of Texas. I chance encounter with an old woman while riding a bus has sent him on his latest field study. He's out to see if the dodos might in fact have escaped extinction and he'll need all the leads he can find.
Every writer has at least one bad story and the whole of their work shouldn't be judged by that single story. I'm happy to say that this story fully restored my confidence in Mr. Waldrop. I liked how the story feel like the adventures of a real ornithologist doing research. This story also spoke to that hope that I think many of us have that maybe there's still some mysteries left to be explored; and that perhaps those creatures we think are extinct are still out there waiting to be rediscovered.
Now, let's talk about narration. I think you can guess that I thought Norm did a great job. If I did have a complaint it would be that one of the older characters referring to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression was a tad cringe worthy; still, I have known plenty of older Southerners who talk like that, so I'm willing to let that slide. Like I've said, it's a great story with a bittersweet ending.
For a great Howard Waldrop story, look no further.
"Babel Probe" by David D. Levine
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Darker Matter #1
When humans first explore space we used mechanical probes. Perhaps when we begin to explore time we will also use probes. In this story that exactly what happens. A probe equipped with artificial intelligence is sent back 6000 years into the past to see if there's any truth to the legend of the Tower of Babel. The probe discovers the people being oppressed by a being calling itself Ashurbanipal. The probe must decide if it will casually observe or if it will intervene.
First of all, hats off to David for portraying an artificial intelligence that was at once both familiar and alien in its way of thinking. I also thought the vocal distortion effects for Ashurbanipal's dialog was an excellently chilling touch. The concept of sending a probe, and telling the story from the probe's point of view, was to me a welcome twist on the format of the time travel story. As this is a story about seeking truth to the legend of the Tower of Babel, among other twists you might have strong feeling if you are of strong religious conviction. Just figured I'd give a fair warning.
Now, remember how in the intro I mentioned that if you donate fifty dollars or more Norm will write and produce a song for you? Well, after this story you get to hear one of those. Specifically, one titled "The Babylon Battle of the Bands", which was commissioned by a Biblical and Near Eastern archaeology society and I've got to say it is an excellent song.
A story about the search for the truth, and one I happily recommend.
"The Reenactment" by Ben Winters
Narrated by Dan Chambers
A Drabblecast Original
This story follows high school history teacher Robert Stanley; a man who thinks himself surrounded by idiots. Once a year he, along with a math teacher, reenact the dual between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. This year, however, the math teacher is getting married and can't make it. No matter, a replacement has been found. As the day grows closer Robert begins to wonder if he is a mere history teacher or something greater.
Okay, maybe this isn't alternate history per say, but it's still plenty of fun. I loved how sarcastic and unabashedly self-centered Robert was. If Severus Snape taught history I image he'd be much like this. It goes without saying that Dan's narration did a great job delivering that pompous snark. Though as someone whose high school experience was less than happy I can certainly see where Robert is coming from in his observations of his students.
I can't really give too much of the ending away without spoiling, but I will say that it is humorously ironic. I'm sure it'll get a chuckle out of you.
A humorous look at a history's teachers life. I say give it a try.
This story follows a man named Morris who has invented a time machine. He and his wife have an increasingly strained relationship, and he uses the time machine to go back to when they were younger and happier. Morris is sacrificing his present to relive the past, but is it a price he can truly afford to pay?
Sooner or later we all get to a point in our lives when things get rough and we long for simpler times. Then there are those decision that we regret and would give anything to be able to undo. Tim really taps into those feelings with this story. There's a lot of things in my own life that I wish I could go back and fix. Still, the story also carries a moral about the dangers of dwelling on the past at the expense of the present. As Morris discovers, he can't change the past, but he can create alternate timelines. It makes the story bittersweet; Morris couldn't fix his relationship in own timeline, but at least there's hope for his own for is alternate universe doppelgänger.
Sometimes it makes me feel better to think of how much better off I am than several alternate versions of me. Of course, that's usually followed by me thinking about all the alternate universes where I'm better off than in this one. In more positive thoughts, I thought that Norm and Monica's narration really did this story justice.
A bittersweet Tim Pratt time travel story that you won't want to miss.
"The Golden Age of Fire Escapes" (Part 1 and Part 2) by John Aegard
Narrated by Norm Sherman and Monika Vasey
Originally Published in Rabid Transit: Petting Zoo
This story, told in the style of an old time radio show and set in a dieselpunk 1930s/1940s, follows a mysterious masked fire marshal as he fights to keep his city safe from fires. To this end he's created an elaborate system of fire escapes spanning across the city like a great metal spider web. But, will his greatest invention prove to be his ultimate downfall?
This story felt like a giant dieselpunk love letter to the pulp heroes/proto-superheroes of the 30s and 40s. The narration being modeled off of radio shows from those eras certainly helped in that regard. We see the fire marshal at the height of his glory and then fade into obscurity even after all he's done for his city. Perhaps it can be seen as a allegory for the many heroes ones beloved in their day, but in the present are incredibly obscure. Still, the ending was very heartwarming in its own way.
I should mention that this is actually a double feature. Before "The Golden Age of Fire Escapes" you get to listen to "In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm", which follows an Unsolved Mysteries-esque team as they...well, search for the Mongolian Death Worm. It's told in multiple parts, but you don't have to have listened to any of the previous installments to get what's going on. It's absolutely hilarious and you get to hear Norm sing a song about Mongolian Death Worms.
Two stories for the price of one. Get them while they're hot.
"Hero: The Movie" (Part 1 and Part 2) by Bruce McAllister
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
What happens to the heroes of 1950s B-Movies when the camera stop rolling? That's what this story aims to find out. Our hero Rick has saved his hometown of McCulloughville, Nevada from a swarm of giant mutant locusts. Rick should be on top of the world, but he feels empty and hollow. Before long his star fades out, his girlfriend leaves him, the media turns against him and things are looking down. Then he gets a call from Florida to help deal with a crab infestation. Could this be the chance he's been looking for to redeem himself and bring purpose back into his life?
The first half of this story is an absolutely brutal deconstruction of B-Movies and their heroes. The second half, however, is a thorough reconstruction of the concepts. The story itself is presented in the form of a script of a movie, and besides the descriptions and dialog includes suggestions from the director. Another aspect worth mentioning is that, although the story is mostly set in the present day, McCulloughville seems to be forever stuck in the 50s. In fact, when Rick travels to it the description reads as if he's traveling back in time.
There's something going on, but the story never makes it clear what. The story can easy be seen as a coming of age tale for Rick and the ending is very touching. You probably think I'm going to say I liked the narration...and you'd be right.
A story about finding purpose after you've slayed your monster. I happily recommend it.
"The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin
A Full Cast Production
Originally Published in Astounding Science Fiction
This story technically isn't alternate history and many of you have probably heard of it. However, there's a story in Lightspeed Magazine, which we'll be covering next time, that is alternate history and based on this story. Therefore, I figured it be worth going over to prep for that story.
In the future, where humanity has begun to spread to the stars, a lightweight speeder ship is on a mission to deliver medical supplies. The pilot of the ship, however, discovers a seventeen year old girl has stowed away. Standard procedure is that all stowaways are to be tossed out the airlock. Can the pilot find the a way to balance the cold equations and save the girl?
Like I said this story, and it's ending, are extremely well known, as in Rosebud was Charles Foster Kane's beloved childhood sled well known. Therefore, it isn't exactly a spoiler to say the pilot can't find a morally sound way and the girl willingly throws herself out the airlock. Originally, the author wanted to save the girl through some technobabble, but editor John W. Campbell smartly pointed out the story would have more impact if the hero failed the save the pretty girl.
Now, to take such a well known story and make it feel fresh requires a special team of narrators. Fortunately, The Drabblecast knows how to pick their narrators. Of course, I guess it's also a credit to Mr. Godwin's writing talent that the story still packed it's punch after all of these years.
It's a classic for a reason. Go check it out.
Conclusion
Well, that does it for our tour of The Drabblecast. I hope you enjoyed. Remember, for ten dollars a month subscription you, yes you, get access to exclusive members only content, and fifty dollars or more gets you a song about whatever you please. And hey, this is just the alternate history stuff. There's plenty of more great free stories just waiting to be discovered.
I think that should do it for now. As I previously stated we're paying a visit to Lightspeed Magazine next time. I'll see you then weirdos!
The Drabblecast launched in 2007 by Norm Sherman, Kendall Marchman and Luke Coddington. Since those early days the crew has grown to include Nicky Drayden, Bo Kaier, Nathaniel Lee. Charity Helton and Tom Baker. You might remember Norm and Nathaniel from the post about Escape Pod, as well as Nathaniel's stories from PodCastle and Pseudopod. Though not a member of the Escape Artists podcasts, the connections between the crews certainly give The Drabblecast that feel. I often think of it as a weird cousin to the Escape Artists podcasts.
The Drabblecast has all sorts of celebrations. There's the annual Nigerian Scam Spam contest, HP Lovecraft Month, Women and Aliens Month that celebrates women writers of science fiction, and much more. Besides the main story each episode features a 100 word Drabble and a 100 character Twabble. Earlier episodes didn't include the original text of the stories, but later episodes usually do.
I know I often make a point of encouraging donations to the featured podcasts, and that's always good, but there are perks when you donate to The Drabblecast. For a ten dollars a month subscription you get access to exclusive members only stories and for a one time donation of fifty dollars or more, Norm will write and produce a song for you about whatever you want. In fact, Norm has recently released a collection of these songs on iTunes in addition to an album of his original songs. If you like your music in physical form you can purchase it from the Drabblecast website.
The way that music is integrated into the stories, and the awesome episode cover art, are some of those touches that really makes The Drabblecast standout from the crowd. Anyway, enough with the intro, let's move onto the stories...
"Let Us Now Praise Awesome Dinosaurs" by Leonard Richardson
A Full Cast Production
Originally Published in Strange Horizons
This story takes place in a world where the dinosaurs evolved sentience and evacuated to Mars before the K-T asteroid struck Earth. Millions of years later the dinosaurs sent expeditions to Earth and discovered that humans had become the new dominate species. By the present many dinosaurs, such as our protagonists, come to Earth to participate in extreme sports competitions.
Now, from a scientific point of view, there's about a million different things that are implausible about this story. However, none of that takes away from how fun this story is. Dinosaurs and space exploration are two of my favorite topics, so naturally this story had me even before it started. Full cast productions usually have an advantage over single narrator productions and this story was no exception. All of the narrators did an excellent job.
It's got talking dinosaur dirt bikers from Mars. Need I say more?
"joanierules.bloggermax.com" by Nick Mamatas
Narrated by Naomi Mercer
Originally Published in Rabid Transit #2
Our story is told as a series of blog posts by a young woman named Joanie. She's been living a pretty normal live, but then she got a vision from God. You see, in this world England won the Hundred Years War, and God wants Joanie to liberate France in the name of the Mother Church.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, this is basically a modern day retelling of the life of Joan of Arc. Overall I found this story to be very enjoyable. We don't see much of this world beyond what's mentioned in Joanie's blog posts, but judging by that it doesn't seem to be too different from our own world. It would have been nice to see how history could have diverged, but since the author was retelling the story of Joan of Arc in the modern day, I can understand the desire to keep things familiar.
I though that telling the story as a series of blog post was a nice twist on the short story format. I also thought that Naomi did a great job conveying the snarky and conflicted tone of the story. There's a constant debate throughout the story of whether Joanie is crazy or really on a mission from God. However, given the number of seeming impossible happenings, and perfectly timed coincidences, I'm inclined to go with the latter.
A modern day take on Joan of Arc that I happily recommend.
"Night of the Cooters" by Howard Waldrop
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Omni Magazine
I know what some of you are thinking, and no, this isn't a dirty story. Of course, it isn't a particularly good story either. Our story takes place in a small town in 19th century Texas. News reports have mentioned strange crafts from Mars landing in England, but now those same craft have come to Texas. However, the Martians are going to have to get through Sheriff Lindley and his men first.
On the surface this should have been a fun story, but as someone who has actually read War of the Worlds, this story was incredibly irritating on a number of levels. The biggest flaw was the Sheriff Lindley and his men were able to beat back the Martians through enthusiasm and gung-ho manliness, and that's before the Martians got exposed to Earth germ. That completely flies in the face of the War of the Worlds, where the whole point is that the Martians are superior to Earth's technology and can't be brought down by such means.
Moreover, I found Lindley to be such an insufferable meathead that his characterization almost came across as a parody at points. Like how, after the Martians are defeated, he orders their war machines destroyed mostly to spite the local college professors; because apparently real men don't need higher education. Mr. Waldrop has succeeded in turning one of the greatest critiques of 19th century colonialism into a brainless pulp adventure. That's not to say all pulp is bad, escapism has its place, but War of the Worlds is most certainly not that place.
Two thumbs down. Don't waste your time with this one.
"The Last Great Clown Hunt" by Chris Furst
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Weird Tales #352
In this story we have a world in which tribes of clowns fill the role of the Native Americans. We follow our narrator from his first meeting with the clowns all the way to the Battle of the Little Bigtop. Okay, this one's kind of weird, but hey, it's The Drabblecast.
To be perfectly honest I'm not entirely sure how this story made me feel. I mean, it's got silly sound effects and clowns and all, but it also deals with the clowns fighting for survival and has Norm's serious sounding narration. My main issue is that I wasn't sure if I was suppose to take it as satire, take it seriously or something in between. Though, I suppose the third options was what the author intended.
Having said that, I think, iffy tone aside, it was still a reasonably good and fun story. I laughed, I contemplated and I had fun. Like I said, Norm's narration and the Dances with Wolves-esque soundtrack really added to the experience. Maybe I was a little hard on the tone.
A little weird, but a lot of fun. I say give it a shot.
"Love in the Pneumatic Tube Era" by Jessica Grant
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Darwin's Bastards: Astounding Tales From Tomorrow
It's often said that Canada doesn't get nearly enough alternate history love. Fortunately, this story has you covered. It's set in Canada in a world were pneumatic tubes are the primary means of shipping and transportation. It follows two lovers as their romance grows even as the tubes make personal interaction less and less required. Then transportation becomes highly regulated, and the age of pneumatic tubes comes to an end. The two loves must brave the odds to reunite.
When I listened to this story I was very much reminded of E.M. Forster's classic short story "The Machine Stops". For those of you wondering, that's the same E.M. Forster who wrote A Passage to India and A Room with a View. In both stories it's easy to see the advances in technology as the logical conclusion to our culture that simultaneously connects and isolates us with its advancements.
Now, let's talk about narration. Kate Baker is the host and narrator of the Clarkesworld Magazine podcast, which has some great stories we will cover in a future edition of The Audio File. Kate's narration is always a little hit and miss for me, but here it works perfectly. Overall it was a really cute romance story of love finding a way.
A sweet little story with a slight Canadian touch. I say give it a try.
"Testimony Before an Emergency Cession of The Naval Cephalopod Command" by Seth Dickinson
Narrated by Norm Sherman
A Drabblecast Original
This story takes place in a world where, during the 1980s, the United States Navy developed a specially trained team of giant squids to combat Soviet submarines. By the present day, however, there's trouble. Nemo, the top squid of the program, is undergoing an existential crisis as he begins to realize that he isn't the only thinking creature in his world.
The story is told as something of a one-sided conversation between one of the members of the squid program and a senator. I always enjoy story in that sort of format as a means of changing up the short story form ever now and again. I also liked how the story made it clear just how alien a squid's mind is compared to a human's. Prior to his existential crisis, Nemo views the world as a series of levers to be manipulated in order to achieve various goals.
As usual, Norm did an excellent job narrating. He always seems at his best when he has these one sided conversation sort of stories. Also, random fun squid fact: squids have doughnut shaped brains because their digestive track passes right through their brains. And now you know.
A meditation on squids and our perception of reality. Very much recommended.
"The Ugly Chickens" by Howard Waldrop
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Universe 10
Yes, I am about to review another Howard Waldrop story, but this time it's a story I actually enjoyed. The story follows an ornithologist named Paul from University of Texas. I chance encounter with an old woman while riding a bus has sent him on his latest field study. He's out to see if the dodos might in fact have escaped extinction and he'll need all the leads he can find.
Every writer has at least one bad story and the whole of their work shouldn't be judged by that single story. I'm happy to say that this story fully restored my confidence in Mr. Waldrop. I liked how the story feel like the adventures of a real ornithologist doing research. This story also spoke to that hope that I think many of us have that maybe there's still some mysteries left to be explored; and that perhaps those creatures we think are extinct are still out there waiting to be rediscovered.
Now, let's talk about narration. I think you can guess that I thought Norm did a great job. If I did have a complaint it would be that one of the older characters referring to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression was a tad cringe worthy; still, I have known plenty of older Southerners who talk like that, so I'm willing to let that slide. Like I've said, it's a great story with a bittersweet ending.
For a great Howard Waldrop story, look no further.
"Babel Probe" by David D. Levine
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Darker Matter #1
When humans first explore space we used mechanical probes. Perhaps when we begin to explore time we will also use probes. In this story that exactly what happens. A probe equipped with artificial intelligence is sent back 6000 years into the past to see if there's any truth to the legend of the Tower of Babel. The probe discovers the people being oppressed by a being calling itself Ashurbanipal. The probe must decide if it will casually observe or if it will intervene.
First of all, hats off to David for portraying an artificial intelligence that was at once both familiar and alien in its way of thinking. I also thought the vocal distortion effects for Ashurbanipal's dialog was an excellently chilling touch. The concept of sending a probe, and telling the story from the probe's point of view, was to me a welcome twist on the format of the time travel story. As this is a story about seeking truth to the legend of the Tower of Babel, among other twists you might have strong feeling if you are of strong religious conviction. Just figured I'd give a fair warning.
Now, remember how in the intro I mentioned that if you donate fifty dollars or more Norm will write and produce a song for you? Well, after this story you get to hear one of those. Specifically, one titled "The Babylon Battle of the Bands", which was commissioned by a Biblical and Near Eastern archaeology society and I've got to say it is an excellent song.
A story about the search for the truth, and one I happily recommend.
"The Reenactment" by Ben Winters
Narrated by Dan Chambers
A Drabblecast Original
This story follows high school history teacher Robert Stanley; a man who thinks himself surrounded by idiots. Once a year he, along with a math teacher, reenact the dual between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. This year, however, the math teacher is getting married and can't make it. No matter, a replacement has been found. As the day grows closer Robert begins to wonder if he is a mere history teacher or something greater.
Okay, maybe this isn't alternate history per say, but it's still plenty of fun. I loved how sarcastic and unabashedly self-centered Robert was. If Severus Snape taught history I image he'd be much like this. It goes without saying that Dan's narration did a great job delivering that pompous snark. Though as someone whose high school experience was less than happy I can certainly see where Robert is coming from in his observations of his students.
I can't really give too much of the ending away without spoiling, but I will say that it is humorously ironic. I'm sure it'll get a chuckle out of you.
A humorous look at a history's teachers life. I say give it a try.
"Garkain"
by Samantha Henderson
Narrated by Graeme Dunlop, Mike Boris and Delianna Forget
Originally Published in Fantasy Magazine
We're heading to The Land Down Under for our next story. It follows three different individuals across three different eras of Australian History. What they all have in common, however, is that they have all had an encounter with a mysterious creature known only as the Garkain.
Not the best description, but this story is worth your time. I've always had a soft-spot for stories set in Australia, and for stories about cryptids. I loved that this story was set over three different time periods, not only because it gave us glimpses into Australian History, but because it gave the Garkain the weight of history. This added weight of history gave the Garkain even more of an air of mystery and intrigue. In terms of narration, I thought that all three narrators did a great job.
A historical creature feature from the Land Down Under that you won't want to miss out on.
"Once a Month, on a Sunday" by Ian McHugh
Narrated by Emma Lee Yit
Originally Published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
This story's setting is a bit unclear. It appears to be either the 19th Century or the early 20th Century. Whatever the exact time period, it is a world where creatures from Australian folklore and legend are real and established fact of life for the people of Australia. The story follows a young girl and her family as they navigate the wilderness to attend their monthly church service.
Again, not the best description, but it is still a good story. I would have liked to have known a bit more about the world of the story. It seems a familiar, but it also seems just a bit off. For example, there is a mention of a Green Christ. I've heard of Jesus being referred to as White Christ by the Norse, in contrast to Red Thor, but never as Green Christ by anyone. Regardless, I still greatly enjoyed getting to see the different the different creatures from folklore, and the way they characters had adjusted their lives to keep them at peace.
I also enjoyed Emma's narration. Another Australian story you'll be sure to enjoy.
"Morris and the Machine" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Norm Sherman and Monica Vacey
Originally Published in Triangulations: The End of Time
Narrated by Graeme Dunlop, Mike Boris and Delianna Forget
Originally Published in Fantasy Magazine
We're heading to The Land Down Under for our next story. It follows three different individuals across three different eras of Australian History. What they all have in common, however, is that they have all had an encounter with a mysterious creature known only as the Garkain.
Not the best description, but this story is worth your time. I've always had a soft-spot for stories set in Australia, and for stories about cryptids. I loved that this story was set over three different time periods, not only because it gave us glimpses into Australian History, but because it gave the Garkain the weight of history. This added weight of history gave the Garkain even more of an air of mystery and intrigue. In terms of narration, I thought that all three narrators did a great job.
A historical creature feature from the Land Down Under that you won't want to miss out on.
"Once a Month, on a Sunday" by Ian McHugh
Narrated by Emma Lee Yit
Originally Published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
This story's setting is a bit unclear. It appears to be either the 19th Century or the early 20th Century. Whatever the exact time period, it is a world where creatures from Australian folklore and legend are real and established fact of life for the people of Australia. The story follows a young girl and her family as they navigate the wilderness to attend their monthly church service.
Again, not the best description, but it is still a good story. I would have liked to have known a bit more about the world of the story. It seems a familiar, but it also seems just a bit off. For example, there is a mention of a Green Christ. I've heard of Jesus being referred to as White Christ by the Norse, in contrast to Red Thor, but never as Green Christ by anyone. Regardless, I still greatly enjoyed getting to see the different the different creatures from folklore, and the way they characters had adjusted their lives to keep them at peace.
I also enjoyed Emma's narration. Another Australian story you'll be sure to enjoy.
"Morris and the Machine" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Norm Sherman and Monica Vacey
Originally Published in Triangulations: The End of Time
This story follows a man named Morris who has invented a time machine. He and his wife have an increasingly strained relationship, and he uses the time machine to go back to when they were younger and happier. Morris is sacrificing his present to relive the past, but is it a price he can truly afford to pay?
Sooner or later we all get to a point in our lives when things get rough and we long for simpler times. Then there are those decision that we regret and would give anything to be able to undo. Tim really taps into those feelings with this story. There's a lot of things in my own life that I wish I could go back and fix. Still, the story also carries a moral about the dangers of dwelling on the past at the expense of the present. As Morris discovers, he can't change the past, but he can create alternate timelines. It makes the story bittersweet; Morris couldn't fix his relationship in own timeline, but at least there's hope for his own for is alternate universe doppelgänger.
Sometimes it makes me feel better to think of how much better off I am than several alternate versions of me. Of course, that's usually followed by me thinking about all the alternate universes where I'm better off than in this one. In more positive thoughts, I thought that Norm and Monica's narration really did this story justice.
A bittersweet Tim Pratt time travel story that you won't want to miss.
"Night of the Living POTUS" by Adam
Troy-Castro
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published on Amazon.com
This story follows a newly elected president on his first night in the White House. He is young and idealistic. He thinks he's in for a night of restful sleep, but fate has other plans. He will have to do battle with the previous president of the United States who have come back to life as zombies. It is a solemn duty shared by all who become president.
There are times when you listen to the Drabblecast to hear story that make you think, feel, or transport you to other worlds. Then there are times you just want to listen to a story about a living president battling an army of zombie presidents. Though, given that the last president he faces is Donald Trump, this implies the story takes place in either 2021 or 2025. That does create the minor issue that a few of the presidents would still be alive, so how can they be zombies? Then again, this isn't a story that adheres too closely to silly things like logic and reason, so maybe I ought to just roll with it.
Norm took a silly premise and made it sound truly epic with his narration. A fun little story that I'm sure you will enjoy.
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published on Amazon.com
This story follows a newly elected president on his first night in the White House. He is young and idealistic. He thinks he's in for a night of restful sleep, but fate has other plans. He will have to do battle with the previous president of the United States who have come back to life as zombies. It is a solemn duty shared by all who become president.
There are times when you listen to the Drabblecast to hear story that make you think, feel, or transport you to other worlds. Then there are times you just want to listen to a story about a living president battling an army of zombie presidents. Though, given that the last president he faces is Donald Trump, this implies the story takes place in either 2021 or 2025. That does create the minor issue that a few of the presidents would still be alive, so how can they be zombies? Then again, this isn't a story that adheres too closely to silly things like logic and reason, so maybe I ought to just roll with it.
Norm took a silly premise and made it sound truly epic with his narration. A fun little story that I'm sure you will enjoy.
"Happy Old Year" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Matt Hayes
A Drabblecast Original
This story follows a man named Dave who has taken more
than his fair share of knocks in life. The future seems bleak and hopeless, and
he’d like nothing better than to go back and redo his past. A chance visit from
a beautiful, mischievous magical woman named Elsie gives him just that. Dave
has traded his future so that he can relive the past, but is that really such a
good idea?
Every year the Drabblecast asks Tim Pratt to write
them a Christmas story, but this one was a special New Years Eve story. I’ve
encountered Elsie in a few other stories Tim has written, and she probably my
favorite out of all of his characters. I love how she’s unrepentantly evil and
runs around with a devil-may-care attitude. In many ways she reminds me of Ryuk
form DeathNote, given that they both introduce magical items to mortals out of
boredom, with equally disastrous results for the protagonists. I guess the moral of this story is that, no matter how bad the present is, you shouldn't give up hope for the future. If you do, the results can be pretty disastrous.
Matt really nailed it with the narration of this
story. It is a story that is well-worth your time.
"Letter from Lynchburg" by Edward J. Knight
Narrated by Mike Boris
A Drabblecast Original
This story begins in 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War. The Confederacy is on the ropes, and in desperate need of something to turn the war around. To this end, they perform an occult ritual to open a portal to the realm of Jotunheim. They hoped to enlist the aid of the giants of Norse Mythology. Unfortunately, the Jotuns had no interest in helping the South. Rather, they want to use this as an opportunity to claim Midgard for their own. The Union and the Confederacy are going to have to put aside their differences to save America from an invasion of mythological proportions.
Your eyes aren't deceiving you. This is an unambiguously alternate history story from The Drabblecast. And it is just as amazing as you'd expect. Also, bonus points for being an American Civil War alternate history that isn't the usual Confederacy Victory scenario. American Civil War meets Norse Mythology, what's not to love?
Well, I did have a few minor critiques. First of all, Jotuns weren't giants. In Norse Mythology, there are two main tribes of gods: the Aesir and the Vanir. The Aesir were war gods, while the Vanir were fertility gods. The Jotuns were, essentially, a third tribe of gods. This confusion comes from a mistranslation of the word Jotun. However, this is a fairly omnipresent trope on works based on Norse Mythology, so I'll let it slide. Plus, it made for a fun story.
Another issue was the way the Confederates are portrayed. Specifically, Robert E. Lee is depicted as a competent and talented general. This is another common, but annoying trope. Lee was, in fact, an incompetent nincompoop. Lee got better grades at West Point, but Ulysses S. Grant was a better military commander. At the Battle of Vicksburg, Lee's entire unit got slaughtered, and he barely escaped. Grant, by contrast, made it through the battle without losing a single man. Lee only looked good compared to George McClellan. Lee got his ass kicked after Grant took over command for the Union.
Also, it is mentioned that Andrew Johnson is president of The Union. Did Lincoln get assassinated like in our world, or did the giants eat him? But these are just minor critiques. Overall, I did very much enjoy this story. Mike did an excellent job with the narration.
The American Civil War meets Norse Mythology. Listen to it today and be glad that you did.
"1977" by Carrie Vaughn
Narrated by Carly Lyn
A Drabblecast Original
This story begins in...well, 1977 of course. Megan is a woman who has immersed herself in the world of disco, night life, and clubbing. It's a funky groovy good time. Still, she longs for something more, and she doesn't really have any long-term plans. Then, the next thing she knows, she finds herself teleported onto a spaceship in the future. She's been brought forward in time by a guy name Oz, who is a bit of a disco fan. Looks like Megan's future just got a lot more interesting.
This is a Carrie Vaughn story, so it's pretty much guaranteed to be good. As an unironic lover of disco music, this story really spoke to me. This story makes me wonder what future generations will make of the music of today, and even that of the recent past. Music History classes has begun to teach about jazz. Perhaps, in the future, they will expand to include genres such as folk, country, rock, rap, and yes, even disco. Hey, it was an important moment in modern music history. I really liked how this story ends, but that's something I'll let you discover for yourself. Carly did an excellent job with the narration. I also loved how "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees played at the end of the episode.
A funky episode about disco and time travel. Of course I recommend it.
"A Last Kiss For Lazarus Winters" by D.K. Thompson
Narrated by MarBelle
A Drabblecast Original
This story is set in the world of Dave Thompson's St. Darwin's Spiritual series. It is a world where Charles Darwin developed goggles that allow the living to see the dead. The story follows Lazarus Winters, a black man living in London. He makes a living by extorting spirits for money and information. He's currently investigating the murder of his friend Neena. The investigation soon leads him to uncover a conspiracy of religious fanatics with a vendetta against the spirits.
As you may remember, I reviewed another St. Darwin story during my second article on Escape Pod. Of the two I think I prefer this one better. I liked how this story showed what it was like for racial minorities in Victorian Britain. We defiantly get to see the seedier side of this universe, and I think that was to this story's benefit. Also, there are no steam powered marvels or airships in this story, so if you don't like those you'll be good with this one.
Another things helping this story with MarBelle's narration and the excellent use of music and sound effects. All in all, another great entry to the St. Darwin's Spiritual universe.
"Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain" by Cat Rambo
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in Near+Far
This story takes place in an alternate universe populated by sentient porcelain people. Their world is a hub of interdimensional travel and tourism. The story follows a porcelain woman named Tikka as she falls in love with a human from Earth.
This one's a bit unusual as far as alternate histories go, but I figured it was worth squeezing in. I found it somewhat confusing that the porcelain people were assigned social class arbitrarily. It almost reminded me of the classic EC Comics story "Judgement Day". Conversely, I was intrigued by the descriptions of other universes. For that matter, the porcelain people seem like they'd need to have been created by something else, but what made them? There's a universe inhabited by purple griffins and a universe with sentient rainbows, among other worlds. I can't really say much about the story's central romance without giving it all away. You'll have to find that out for yourself.
As usual, Norm does an excellent job with the narration. A slightly unusual alternate history, but one that is well worth your time
"The Golden Age of Fire Escapes" (Part 1 and Part 2) by John Aegard
Narrated by Norm Sherman and Monika Vasey
Originally Published in Rabid Transit: Petting Zoo
This story, told in the style of an old time radio show and set in a dieselpunk 1930s/1940s, follows a mysterious masked fire marshal as he fights to keep his city safe from fires. To this end he's created an elaborate system of fire escapes spanning across the city like a great metal spider web. But, will his greatest invention prove to be his ultimate downfall?
This story felt like a giant dieselpunk love letter to the pulp heroes/proto-superheroes of the 30s and 40s. The narration being modeled off of radio shows from those eras certainly helped in that regard. We see the fire marshal at the height of his glory and then fade into obscurity even after all he's done for his city. Perhaps it can be seen as a allegory for the many heroes ones beloved in their day, but in the present are incredibly obscure. Still, the ending was very heartwarming in its own way.
I should mention that this is actually a double feature. Before "The Golden Age of Fire Escapes" you get to listen to "In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm", which follows an Unsolved Mysteries-esque team as they...well, search for the Mongolian Death Worm. It's told in multiple parts, but you don't have to have listened to any of the previous installments to get what's going on. It's absolutely hilarious and you get to hear Norm sing a song about Mongolian Death Worms.
Two stories for the price of one. Get them while they're hot.
"Hero: The Movie" (Part 1 and Part 2) by Bruce McAllister
Narrated by Norm Sherman
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
What happens to the heroes of 1950s B-Movies when the camera stop rolling? That's what this story aims to find out. Our hero Rick has saved his hometown of McCulloughville, Nevada from a swarm of giant mutant locusts. Rick should be on top of the world, but he feels empty and hollow. Before long his star fades out, his girlfriend leaves him, the media turns against him and things are looking down. Then he gets a call from Florida to help deal with a crab infestation. Could this be the chance he's been looking for to redeem himself and bring purpose back into his life?
The first half of this story is an absolutely brutal deconstruction of B-Movies and their heroes. The second half, however, is a thorough reconstruction of the concepts. The story itself is presented in the form of a script of a movie, and besides the descriptions and dialog includes suggestions from the director. Another aspect worth mentioning is that, although the story is mostly set in the present day, McCulloughville seems to be forever stuck in the 50s. In fact, when Rick travels to it the description reads as if he's traveling back in time.
There's something going on, but the story never makes it clear what. The story can easy be seen as a coming of age tale for Rick and the ending is very touching. You probably think I'm going to say I liked the narration...and you'd be right.
A story about finding purpose after you've slayed your monster. I happily recommend it.
"The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin
A Full Cast Production
Originally Published in Astounding Science Fiction
This story technically isn't alternate history and many of you have probably heard of it. However, there's a story in Lightspeed Magazine, which we'll be covering next time, that is alternate history and based on this story. Therefore, I figured it be worth going over to prep for that story.
In the future, where humanity has begun to spread to the stars, a lightweight speeder ship is on a mission to deliver medical supplies. The pilot of the ship, however, discovers a seventeen year old girl has stowed away. Standard procedure is that all stowaways are to be tossed out the airlock. Can the pilot find the a way to balance the cold equations and save the girl?
Like I said this story, and it's ending, are extremely well known, as in Rosebud was Charles Foster Kane's beloved childhood sled well known. Therefore, it isn't exactly a spoiler to say the pilot can't find a morally sound way and the girl willingly throws herself out the airlock. Originally, the author wanted to save the girl through some technobabble, but editor John W. Campbell smartly pointed out the story would have more impact if the hero failed the save the pretty girl.
Now, to take such a well known story and make it feel fresh requires a special team of narrators. Fortunately, The Drabblecast knows how to pick their narrators. Of course, I guess it's also a credit to Mr. Godwin's writing talent that the story still packed it's punch after all of these years.
It's a classic for a reason. Go check it out.
Conclusion
Well, that does it for our tour of The Drabblecast. I hope you enjoyed. Remember, for ten dollars a month subscription you, yes you, get access to exclusive members only content, and fifty dollars or more gets you a song about whatever you please. And hey, this is just the alternate history stuff. There's plenty of more great free stories just waiting to be discovered.
I think that should do it for now. As I previously stated we're paying a visit to Lightspeed Magazine next time. I'll see you then weirdos!
That's a very useful list with thoughtful reviews, thanks!
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