The Audio File: Changes

It seems like it was only yesterday I was writing the first edition of what would become The Audio File and The Alt-Hist File over on The Alternate History Weekly Update. Both of my audio fiction review columns have brought a lot of change and opportunities to my life. So, I've decided to make change the theme of today's edition of The Audio File.

Buddha famously stated that the only thing that is certain in life is that change is constant. Avenue Q famously noted that, except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now. Embrace it or resist it, love it or hate it, change will find you sooner or later. Some of you might be wondering why I've included a picture of butterflies. I did this because the metamorphosis from caterpillar, to chrysalis to butterfly is one of the most quintessential examples of change found in nature.

The stories for this edition of The Audio File are brought to us courtesy of the good people of Escape Pod, Lightspeed Magazine, Cast of Wonders, Pseudopod, PodCastle, The Drabblecast, StarShipSofa, Clarkesworld Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and The Overcast.

I think that's enough intro for now. So, without further ado, it is story time...

Escape Pod

“Start the Clock” by Benjamin Rosenbaum 
Narrated by Chris Fisher
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

This story takes place in a world where one day, for no apparent reason, everyone on Earth stopped aging. By the time of the story a treatment has been developed to allow people to resume aging. This is known as “starting the clock.” The story follows a woman, who physically is nine years old, named Suze. She’s been more than happy to be eternally nine, but her friend Abbey wants to start the clock. It isn’t long before Suze finds her long-held beliefs being challenged.

This story has a special significance to me, because it was the first Escape Pod story I ever listened to. I’d been searching for this story ever since I read about it on TV Tropes, and I stumbled across Escape Pod. I was passingly familiar with the concept of stories being read on podcasts, so I decided to give it a listen. I enjoyed what I heard, so I decided to check out the other stories Escape Pod had to offer. And the rest, as they say, is history.

There’s some really great worldbuilding in this story. For example, people who were nine when everyone stopped aging have it the best. Their brains retain the flexibility of youth and they can easily pick up new skills. On the flip side, for those unfortunate enough to have been going through puberty…well, the results aren’t pretty. The thing that really sold me on this story, besides the great plot, was Chris’ excellent narration.

“Start the Clock” is one of first Escape Pod stories I ever listened to, and still remains one of my favorites. Of course I recommend it.

“Movement” by Nancy Fulda
Narrated by Marguerite Kenner 
Originally Published in Asimov’s

This story is set in Germany in the moderately near future. It follows an autistic girl name Hannah. She is an extraordinarily talented dancer, but her parents worry about her lack of verbal communication. They are considering using a non-invasive procedure to improve Hannah’s communication, but this will come at the cost of her dancing ability. Hannah herself is less than enthusiastic about the prospect. The story follows her on a walk across the city as she ponders many things.

Okay, not the best description, but it’s worth your time. I don’t know if I ever brought this up, but I am on the autism spectrum…sort of. I have PDD, Pervasive Developmental Disorder; it is similar to, but not exactly the same, as Asperger’s and contains aspects of other disorders such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Anxiety and OCD.

With all of that out of the way, I really think that Nancy did an excellent job of capturing the autistic mind. No two autistic people are alike, especially given how varied autism can be, but I related to many of the things Hannah thinks throughout the story. Throughout the story there’s the theme changes, especially as they relates to evolution. There is a lot of debate about why exactly autism came to be. Many autistics tend to be highly specialized in particular fields, so perhaps the lack of social skills is a bit of a trade off that could have potential benefits. Additionally, autistics often approach problems differently than neurotypical people. Admittedly, that’s still somewhat speculative, but I think there’s at least a bit of merit to the idea.

Then there’s the matter of the “cure.” When I first read this story, I was scratching my head wondering what it could be. After doing some digging, I conclude it would have most likely been some kind of electromagnetic stimulation. That is something that has been proposed for treating autism. I can certainly sympathize with Hannah’s desire to stay as she is. I don’t know if I’d want to change something so fundamental about myself.

This is a story that provides plenty of food for thought. I also enjoyed the themes of embracing change and being true to your own self, rather than giving in to the expectations of others. Speaking of things that I enjoy, I really enjoyed Marguerite’s narration.

Do I really have to tell you that I recommend this one?

“Trusted Messenger” by Kevin Wabanunsee
Narrated by Phillip Lanos
An Escape Pod Original

This story is set on an alien planet that was colonized by Native Americans. Earth organisms are incompatible with the planet’s biochemistry, but the colonists survive thanks to a symbiotic relationship with some starfish-esque organisms. The story follows a doctor named Thaddeus Begay. His latest trouble case is a woman named Suzanne Buenaventura. She refuses to subject herself and her son to the bonding process with the aliens. Without the aliens Suzanne and her son will starve. Thaddeus is about to face one of his greatest moral dilemmas.

You don’t often see Native Americans in science fiction. Granted, they collectively only make up about one percent of America’s population, so perhaps there’s a reason for that. Still, it was nice to see them all the same. One of the great testaments to the strength of the Native American people is that, for all that life has thrown at them, they have managed to survive. Sometimes that meant having to adapt and change with the times, yet they are still standing. I will say it did seem odd that the Native Americans had decided to strike out on a new planet. The Earth is considered sacred in many Native traditions, and they’ve certainly fought hard for what little scraps they still have. Though, admittedly, certain scenes suggest that their colonial venture might not have been an entirely voluntary endeavor.

You can see parallels in this story to people, like anti-vaxxers and Jehovah’s Witnesses, who resist medical treatment because of their beliefs. My personal option is that, if you want to make yourself a martyr for your cause, more power to you. However, you shouldn’t be allowed to make martyrs out of your kids. Of course, then there’s the matter of people of who have others, such as children, depending on them being alive. Thaddeus find himself pondering such issues. Even after he makes his big decision, he still questions if he’s made the right choice. If you want to find out what the choice was, you’ll have to listen to the story.

In terms of narration, I thought that Phillip did a great job. “Trusted Messenger” is a story of adaption and survival on an alien planet. I give it a recommendation.

"Your Body, By Default" by Alexis Hunter

Narrated by Alex Acks

Originally Published in Fireside Fiction

This story takes place in the not too distant future. Technology has advanced to the point where the minds of slain soldiers can be downloaded into backup bodies. Unfortunately, the bodies only come in male. Naturally, this is a problem for female soldiers, such as the protagonist of this story.

Now, that summary might not sound like much...but the story is even worse. Now, obviously our protagonist is in an undesirable situation, so she'll obviously be feeling some angst. Unfortunately, that's how she spends the entire story, and it gets very irritating very quickly. When your characters are nothing but sad, without even the briefest moments of even minor happiness, the audience gets bored like listening to a song with only one cord. Don't just have the characters wallow in misery, give some levity every now and again.

Moreover, all of the government officials come across as robotically heartless to be point of feeling like cartoon villains. Really, half the army is female, and they consider it too much of a burden to make female bodies? Bullshit, anyone with two brain cells to rub together would know that male soldiers and females soldiers require different bodies. This story feels like it's try to to be preachy, but it can never decide what exactly it's trying to preach. Well, it did until I listened to the afterword from the author.

Apparently, Alexis was outrage over the fact that it's The Current Year (TM) and yet not all video games let you choose the gender of the player character. Yeah, this is what we call first world problems. In light of this, the story makes slightly more sense, but is still incredibly stupid.

I think it goes without saying that I do not recommend this story at all.

"Mother Tongues" by S. Qiouyi Lu

Narrated by Rebecca Wei Hsieh

Originally Published in Asimov's

This story takes place in the not too distant future where instead of learning languages, for a price, you can have any language you want downloaded directly into your brain.  Different levels of proficiency sell at different prices, and those who sell their language lose their knowledge of it due to nature of the scanning process. All of this weighs heavy on our protagonist Jiawen Liu, a Chinese immigrant in America. She needs money for her daughter to get into a good college. Her English isn't quite good enough to sell, but her Mandarin will fetch quite the price if she chooses to sell. How far will she go to give her daughter a chance at a good life?

Throughout the year many immigrant groups have had to give up their customs, including language, in an effort to better assimilate into American life. For example, many German-Americans had to give up their German language due to anti-German sentiment during World War I. Sometimes, languages are lost simply because parents just don't have to time to pass it on, or because their kids aren't interested in learning. It can certainly be sad to see a language starting to die out, but sometimes that's just how it goes.

I have always struggled with learning languages with entire life. Sometimes I feel like I barely know how to speak English. As you can imagine, Spanish class was always a major uphill climb for me. Being able to just download a language sounds like a dream come true. Then again, progress often comes at a price. 

Not everything translates across language barriers; there's always something that gets lost in translation. I do wonder how Jiawen was able to think about certain concepts if she lacked the ability to articulate them in English. It was also a bit sad that Jiawen wound up losing her ability to talk to her Cantonese-speaking mother, because her Mandarin and Cantonese were so intertwined.

Also, though it was never mentioned outright, it appears that there was large influx of Chinese immigrants to America. It's mentioned that China has taken a open-door policy, and the part of California that Jiawen lives in has Mandarin billboards and ATMs that offer English and Mandarin. The story ends on a bit of a bittersweet note, but I like to think that, in time, Jiawen's daughter will be able to understand why she did what she did.

In terms of narration, Rebecca did an excellent job of translating this story into audio form. "Mother Tongues" is a story of love, sacrifice and change. I give this one a hearty recommendation.

"Even the Queen" by Connie Willis

Narrated by Veronica Giguere

Originally Published in Asimov's

1993 Hugo and Nebula Award Winner

This story takes places in the near future (for the time it was written). A drug called ammenerol has been produced that has made periods and menstruation things of the past for most women. There is a small fringe group, known as Cyclists, who swear off ammenerol in favor of, what they claim is, a more natural lifestyle. The story revolves around a family of women who are planning to stage an intervention when our main character's daughter considers joining the Cyclists.

I'd actually been hoping to listen to this story for a while, and I'm very happy that Escape Pod decided to run it. There are certain points you can tell this story was written during the 1990s, such as the descriptions of the geopolitical situations. However, it's also interesting to contrast the story's approach to feminism with modern feminism. For example, when Tracey, our main character, and her family are meeting with one of the leaders of the Cyclists they specifically request that she bring her male assistant to provide a male perspective. By contrast, modern feminism had become downright misandrist and packed with anti-male rhetoric.

The really sad part is, many modern feminist would probably side with the Cyclists' paranoid belief that ammenerol is some sort of unnatural patriarchal conspiracy. If you've even spent any appreciable amount of time of Tumblr or Twitter you'll been keenly acquainted with feminists who are...a bit too obsessed with the menstrual cycles, shall we say. As an aside, I'm of the opinion that natural is a word that is overused and poorly understood. I mean, technically speaking, crude oil and anthrax are natural. Point being, natural doesn't automatically mean good. Also worth nothing that many of the excessive elements of the modern feminism movement got their start in the 1990s. Certainly adds another layer to the story.

Now, some people might say that Tracey and her family should have accepted her daughter's choice, but I disagree. First, I think they wanted to make sure she had all the information before making such a major choice. Second, just because it was her choice doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid-ass choice.

Science fiction has always been about pondering the effects of technological advancements on society, and this story was no different. I guess if there's one thing you can really take away from this story its that, no matter what wondrous advancements we make, there will always be at least some people pinning after the so-called "good old days".

You know what actually is verifiably good? Veronica's narration of this story. "Even the Queen" takes a touchy subject and handled it with humor and good grace. I happily recommend it.

Lightspeed Magazine

“Faces in Revolving Souls” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Narration N/A
Originally Published in Outsiders

This story follows a woman named Sylvia. She is part of a subculture, known as Chimera, that modify themselves to look more like animals. Sylvia has just had her first surgery and is at a convention for the Chimera. It should be the happiest day of her life. So why is she so uneasy?

I did a little something different with this one. As you probably know, magazines such as Lightspeed, Clarkesworld and Beneath Ceaseless Skies produce text-only stories alongside the podcast they produce. There are times where I find a text-only story so good I just have to share it with you guys. So it is with this story. Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way, let’s talk about the story itself.

You could see this story as a critique of the Furry movement, and many Furries have certainly expressed interest in the procedures this story describes. However, I think there’s more to it than that. This story is more of an allegory for transgenderism, and all the things that can potentially go wrong when transitioning. Without giving too much away, Sylvia’s surgery didn’t go quite how she wanted it to. There are also mentions of another Chimera who was altered to look like a wolf, but his now non-human mouth has trouble forming words.

There’s plenty that can go wrong when transitioning. Hormone Replacement Therapy can increase the odds of developing certain aliments, there can be surgical complications, and even if everything goes right you still might never be able to get the look you truly want. Point I’m trying to make is, it’s not easy being transgender. I really think this story captured those feelings of trans people wanting to be true to themselves, while also being worried about what might go wrong.

“Faces in Revolving Souls” might be text-only, but you won’t want to miss out on it. I happily recommend it.

“Recording Angel” by Ian McDonald
Narration N/A
Originally Published in Interzone

In this story alien probes have arrived on Earth. Instead of landing in-front of the White House or the United Nations, they’ve been seeding the Southern Hemisphere with seeds and spores. Places such as Ecuador, the Maldives and Papua New Guinea find themselves being transformed by ever encouraging alien plant life. The story follows a reporter named Gaby McAslan, who is on assignment in Kenya to report on the expanding alien jungle. Along the way she meets an old White African named Prenderleith, and they discuss the ways in which Kenya has been changed.

This is another text-only story, but it is well worth your time. You don’t often see White Africans in fiction, so it was nice to see Prenderleith in such a prominent role. You get that he’s the product of a bygone era, the last of the Great White Hunters. He has seen Kenya change before, and he provides an interesting perspective on the invasive alien plants changing Kenya. I also like the implication that the alien invasion might not have been malevolent. The plants are changing Earth organisms, but in ways that seem to bring them to their fullest potential.

“Recording Angel” is a story of change and adaption in a near future Kenya. I give it a recommendation.

"Greetings Humanity! Welcome to Your Choice of Species" by Adam-Troy Castro

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki

This story is told in the form of a list/message. An intergalactic commission has been reviewing whether or not humanity is worthy to join the greater galactic community. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, humanity has been deemed unworthy. However, rather than destroying humanity, the commission has decided to genetically reassign humans to one of the races, of each human's choosing, that makeup the intergalactic community. The list is pretty small, because most of the galactic community was so disgusted/repulsed by humanity, but it presents our options.

I've always had a soft spot for stories that are presented as lists. There's so many fun ways a story can go, depending on what the author includes on the list. Adam-Troy certainly did not disappoint with this story. We get species ranging from giant sentient earthworm aliens to sentient arguments. Another fun species is the one that looks like a butterfly and spends its days spreading pollen and singing praise to the divine. Did I mention that their voices sound like shrieking violins, and that their lifespan is only five minutes long? 

So, how did humanity get in this predicament? Why, because dolphins reported us for polluting the Earth. Yeah, not only are dolphins sentient, but there are at least eight sentient species on Earth. Despite this, some dolphins apparently spoke on humanity's behalf. I guess you could say that, despite our nets and tuna fleets, they thought at least some of us were sweet. On a related note, I wonder if mice are one of the other sentient species from Earth.

I don't know what I'd pick if I had to chose. There is a race of beings who resemble humans and are, for all intents and purposes, a pantheon of gods. However, they'll only be taking a limited number of humans, so my odds would be pretty slim. Being a dolphin might be fun, but I'm kind of scared of deep water. Also, the oceans are highly acidic, almost completely devoid of fish and full of plastic. All of that, and the dolphins have made it pretty clear that they won't treat any of the former humans very well. The option for those who don't pick anything is pretty nightmarish as well.

However, what's not nightmarish is Stefan's narration. He did an excellent job as usual. This one's a fun little story that you won't want to miss out on.

"Fifty Shades of Grays" by Steven Barnes

Narrated by Vikas Adams

Featured in Lightspeed's People of Color Destroy Science Fiction

This story follows an advertising expert named Carver Kofax. He and his partner Rhonda Washington are experts at making people seem attractive to those who would normally be repulsed by them. They're about to taking on their biggest project yet: making amoeba aliens appealing to humans as part of first contact. Their campaign becomes a smashing success, but is that really the best thing for humanity?

Okay, there's one aspect of this story we need to get out of that way: it involves humans having sex with the amoeba aliens. It's actually a bit deeper than just that. The humans windup liking sex with the aliens so much that they lose interest in having sex with humans, which has all kind of consequences for human society. Some of you might not be able to look past the humans and aliens having sex aspects of this story, but I urge you to give this story a chance. It is actually a very layered story with several themes. For example, you can potentially see this story as a metaphor for colonialism.

I really enjoyed the style of writing itself with this story. It had a very down-to-earth and direct quality to it. I also enjoyed Vikas' spot-on narration of this story. Vikas treated this story with the upmost of seriousness, as it well deserved.

"Fifty Shades of Grays" might have a strange premise, but it is well worth your time. Very much recommended.

"Each to Each" by Seanan McGuire

Narrated by Janis Ian

Featured in Lightspeed's Women Destroy Science Fiction

This story is set in the relatively near future. The American military has created a special program that surgically and genetically alters female soldiers  to engage in subaquatic warfare. The story follows a pod of these female soldiers.

Okay, not the best synopsis, but I promise you that this story is worth your time. I've always been of the opinion that there need to be more ocean-based science fiction stories. As such, I was very happy that this story was set in the ocean. At first glance the ways the soldiers have been altered seemed kind of cool, but then the story goes into just how horrific the procedures were. For example, one of the mods with module off of jellyfish, and the women who go through that have to get most of their bones removed. Some of the women have been so severely altered they can't speak; they can only communicate in clicks and whistles. The women are also thin and lack any blubber, despite how useful that would be in the cold waters of the deep ocean.

So the female soldiers have basically become guinea pigs for the military, and have been throughly dehumanized. Yet despite it all the women have managed to survive. They have become something not entirely human, and perhaps not entirely singular either. Also, for those wondering, the title is a reference to the famous TS Eliot poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

In terms of narration I thought that Janis did an excellent job. I give "Each to Each" a firm recommendation.

Cast of Wonders

“Mercurial Skin” by Raechel Henderson
Narrated by Marguerite Kenner 
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story is set in a world where, after a certain age, everyone transforms into something else. Some become vampires, others become werewolves and a few become things such as books. The story follows a girl named Jodi. She still hasn’t figured out what she wants to be. She’s in a love with a vampire boy, but he’s dating someone else, and she’s not sure she’d want to be a vampire. Jodi does have a love for books, and they seem to whisper to her. Could that be something?

This story isn’t that long, so I won’t spend much time on it. It was an interesting concept, and I do wonder about what I might choose to be in such a world. Though I do wonder why some people choose to become inanimate objects. Seems like it wouldn’t be a very good life. I don’t know what I’d pick, but at the very least, it would be something that could move around and talk. In terms of narration, I though Marguerite did a good job.

“Mercurial Skin” is a fantastical take on finding where you truly belong. I say give it a try.

“When the Planets Left” by J.J. Litke

Narrated by Katherine Inskip
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story relates the events of a time when, for no apparent reason, the planets of the Solar System began to disappear one by one. Will humanity find a way to stop the planets from disappearing?

I know the description is even briefer than usual, but this is a flash fiction story. There are certain stories that seem sweet and innocent on the surface, but are actually fairly creepy and/or terrifying if you really think about them. Case in point, this story. By the end of the story, all of the planets except Earth are gone, but it’s allegedly okay because the Moon still loves us and has stuck around. Problem is, without the stepping stones Mars and the other planets provide, humanity’s expansion into space is going to be severely stunted. That’s going to be very unfortunate if something happens to Earth, and humanity is forced to find a new home.

Also, we never find out why exactly the planets went away, or where they went to. I can’t help but feel that this could have been a potentially interesting cosmic horror story. Katherine did okay with the narration but I’m not sure it was enough to redeem this story.

I can’t say I really liked this one, but maybe you might enjoy it. Give it a listen, if only to form your own thoughts.

Pseudopod

“The Candy Store” by Christopher DiLeo
Narrated by Brian Rollins
A Pseudopod Original

This story, which takes place in San Francisco, follows a boy named Larry. He’s on his merry way to his favorite place in the world: The Candy Palace. It’s a candy shop that has all the best candies. Larry often fantasizes about going on magical adventures in a candy kingdom. However, Larry is also going through puberty and has begun fantasizing about girls with large breasts. He’s been warned to stay away from the teenagers who lurk in the shadows of the street lamps, but he finds himself strangely drawn to them.

This story has some serious mood whiplash and juxtaposition. It starts sweet and whimsical, such as Larry doodling about fighting candy jackals, before moving into more mature themes such as Larry discovering masturbation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s effective, but it can catch you off-guard if you aren’t expecting it. There’s definitely a theme of lost innocence, and the changes that come with growing from childhood to adolescence. It’s a little ambiguous about what happens to Larry by the story’s end. Whatever happened, and I can’t tell you much without spoiling, he’s definitely been changed forever.

In terms of narration, I thought that Brian was pitch perfect. “The Candy Store” is a tale of lost innocence and the changes the come with growing up. I happily recommend it.

PodCastle

“Home is a House That Loves You” by Rachael K. Jones
Narrated by Kate Baker
A PodCastle Original
Featured in PodCastle‘s Artemis Rising 3

This story…okay, the setting is a little ambiguous. It appears to be similar to our world, but certain details suggest otherwise. In any event, it takes place in a city named Aurora, whose citizens have the ability to transform into buildings. For many years things have been peaceful, but then the city of Apsides declares war on Aurora. The story is told from the point of view of a woman living before and during the war. She had always dreamed of becoming a skyscraper, like her aunt, but the war changes her plans.

The description isn't much but…oh, you know the drill by now! There have been plenty of times I’ve seen buildings, or wings of buildings, dedicated in the name/memory of someone. I often wonder who these people were and what stories they could tell. I felt this way especially when I recently saw a building at the elementary school I went to that had been dedicated to my old principal. I wonder who many people would know, or even care, about all he did for the school over the years. I say all of this because this story really made me think about all of these things. If walls could talk indeed.

As with “Mercurial Skin” I do wonder why the people of Aurora choose to become buildings. It seems like it would be horrible to turn into an inanimate object, but the people of Aurora seemed to do so almost instinctually. For that matter, why do people from Aurora have the power to transform? Though, I suppose it is a minor detail. This is a very powerful story. In particular, there’s the scene of people turning into roads and walls, to help citizens of Aurora escape after the war begins. They gave up their shot at becoming the buildings of their dreams to help their fellow citizens.

Kate Baker’s narrations are always a bit hit and miss, but it works out here. “Home is a House That Loves You” is a story of love, war and people turning into buildings. I recommend it.

The Drabblecast 

"Delicate Parts" by Ao-Hui Lin
Narrated by Norm Sherman
A Drabblecast Original 

This story is follows a boy named Earnest. When he was young he got confused about the term "chocking the chicken" and as a result his cock turned into a cock. By that I mean that...his penis is a chicken. The story follows Earnest and his cock throughout puberty and into adulthood.

There are a select number of story topics almost guaranteed to make at least some people uncomfortable: politics, religion, sex and the Great Pumpkin. Okay, maybe not so much that last one, but you get the point. Stories about genitals are a bit of a touchy subject. I'll be honest this story is pretty out there even by Drabblecast standards. That having been said, by the end the story is actually kind of sweet and touching in its own weird way...but a lot of people are going to find the subject matter a major turn-off.

As per usual, Norm does an excellent job with the narration. Despite the bizarre premise I actually give "Delicate Parts" a recommendation.  

StarShipSofa

“What We Ourselves Are Not” by Leah Cypess
Narrated by Elie Hirschman
Originally Published in Asimov’s

This story takes place in the not too distant future. A chip has been developed that allows recorded memories to be implanted into people’s minds. Various ethnic minorities use the chips as a means of passing on their culture to their children, but it’s not without controversy. The story follows a Jewish boy named Zack. He’s debating whether or not to get chipped. This is causing some friction with his Korean-American girlfriend Amy. She wants to break up with Zack, fearing their relationship will dilute her Korean heritage. Can Zack and Amy find a way to see eye to eye with each other?

Well, this is certainly a timely story. Especially in light of the debate about so-called “cultural appropriation.” I always found such concepts to be completely idiotic, since they pretty much describe the entire history of culture. There’s a theory in political science known as the Horseshoe Theory. In a nutshell, it suggests that the extreme right and the extreme left have more in common with each other than with the moderate branches of their ideology. That definitely was on my mind as I listened to this story. Almost all the arguments Amy makes are, almost word-for-word, the arguments that white supremacists tend to make about why racial mixing should be banned.

Then there’s the whole idea of the chips. They’re billed as a way to preserve culture and bring people together, but they really seem to just drive people further apart. You could see them as an allegory for the dangers of not letting go of the past, and identity politics in general. It’s as though the people who made the chips tried so hard to be progressive that they looped back around and became regressive. On that note, it was nice that this story was willing to criticize the far left. You see plenty of stories that criticize that far-right, but not nearly enough who call out the far-left. So it was certainly nice to see a change of pace.

One thing I found interesting is that you can get any chip you want, no matter if your a member of that group or not. I won’t tell you what Zack decides, but it was actually really brilliant. He really took the words of Mohandas Gandhi to heart: be the change you want to see in the world. Cultures aren’t meant to be static, they change and adapt with the times, and that is perfectly okay.

A story this great needs an equally great narrator. Thankfully, Elie more than delivers. “What We Ourselves Are Not” is a timely story that you won’t want to miss out on. Do I really need to tell you that I recommend this one?

Clarkesworld Magazine

"Staying Behind" by Ken Liu
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story takes place in a world where the Singularity has come to pass. Most humans have uploaded their minds into computers to live forever in the digital world. A few, however, have chosen to forgo brain uploading in favor of remaining in the physical world. The story follows a man living in one such community in Connecticut. He is confident that he and his people can maintain their way of life, but his daughter Lucy is increasingly drawn towards the digital world.

Whenever I've seen visions of a bright and shining science fiction future, I often wonder what would happen to the Amish. How well could they maintain their way of life in such a world? I bring this up because, in many ways, this story can be seen as an allegory for communities who struggle to maintain their traditional way of life in the face of modernization. The main character and his community are doing their best, but they have no infrastructure, nor means of manufacture or repair. As the main character's wife points out, they don't have anything to offer their children other than a hard life of salvaging the remains physical civilization.

The main character claims that they're preserving innovation and change, but are they really just chasing after an idealized past? Similarly, have the digital humans really forsaken physical existence, or have they rightfully moved on to the next stage of human evolution? I should note here that this story is a prequel to an earlier story that Liu wrote called "Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer". You don't have to have read that story to enjoy "Staying Behind" one; I didn't read it beforehand. I will say that "Herds of Reindeer" shows things from the perspective of the digital humans, and explains how their existence functions. So reading both provides a bit of insight, and can be complimentary, but not a prerequisite. Honestly, it feels like I discover something new every time I revisit this story. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Levar Burton has done an excellent reading of this story on his podcast Levar Burton Reads. If I'm being honest, he did an even better job than Kate Baker at narrating the story. He's a talented narrator, and it does help when the narrator and protagonist share the same gender.  

What can I say? It's a Ken Liu story, so you know that it's going to pack and emotional punch, and is sure to keep you thinking for days to come. Now, this story is particularly special for me, because it is the first Clarkesworld story that I ever listened to. Even after all of this time, "Staying Behind" still remains one of my favorites. 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

“The Night Bazaar For Women Becoming Reptiles” by Rachael K. Jones
Narrated by Setsu Uzume

This story is set in a fantasy world oasis city. It follows a woman named Hester who sells reptile eggs, but not just any reptile eggs. These eggs have been collected from the riverside under a new moon. This gives the eggs magical properties, and women who eat them can transform into reptiles. Anyone wanting to make it across the desert can only do so as a reptile. The story follows Hester’s life in the oasis city as she seeks an escape of her own.

It’s always nice to see a story that mixes it up with the setting, rather than another generic pseudo-Medieval European setting. The setting had an Arabian Nights flavor, but wasn’t strictly Middle Eastern. In order to talk about my thoughts on the transforming women, we need to discuss something that happens towards the end of the story. A male character eats an egg and transforms into a snake. You could see that as meaning he was transgender, but that’s not the interpretation I got. To me, the eggs represent the desire for escape. Obviously, women in this society would feel that more strongly than men, but there would probably be at least a few men who would want to escape across the desert. I also think the eggs transformed people not necessarily when they wanted it, but when they needed it.

Now, let’s talk about the narration. I find that Setsu tends to either be really good, or completely drops the ball. In this case, Setsu did exceptionally well. “The Night Bazaar For Women Becoming Reptiles” is about the desire for escape and change. I say give it a try.

The Overcast

“Graveyard Shift” by Holly Schofield 
Narrated by J.S. Arquin 
Originally Published in Tesseracts 17

This story is set in Edmonton, Alberta in the near future. It follows a second-generation Chinese-Canadian named Ryan Leong. Throughout his life his grandfather encouraged him to pursue a career in education. He’s just earned his degree but, unfortunately, teachers are beginning to be phased out in favor of digital learning programs. Ryan finds himself unemployed and at the end of his rope. He’s decided to pay a visit to his grandfather’s grave. Will his grandfather be able to provide guidance from beyond the grave?

Plenty of jobs have been impacted by automation, but the education sector has mostly avoided this fate…for now. I would certainly hope it never does, I’m not the biggest fan of online courses, but you never know. Holly captured the experience of a second-generation immigrant really well. Ryan finds himself caught between the traditions of his parents and grandparents, and the promise and opportunities of living in a Western nation. I thought it was really touching how Ryan was able to find peace by remembering the values his grandfather instilled in him. Almost as though his grandfather was still watching out for him, even after death.

If there’s one central theme to this story, and really it could be applied to most of the stories on this list, it’s that when life throws you a curveball you learn to adapt and change. I think that this is a good note to end on. As per usual, J.S. Arquin does a wonderful job with the narration.

“Graveyard Shift” is a heartwarming story about find your way in a changing world. Of course I recommend it.

Conclusion

Well, I certainly hope these stories have made for a nice change of pace in your life. I really don't have much more to add. I've been pretty busy working and revising on that script for The Twilight Histories, but hopefully I'll have gotten that ironed out and will be able to post here a bit more in the near future. I hope that all of you have been doing well wherever you happen to be in time and space. I will see you all next time.