Short Story Roundup
In February, I posted a list of some of the podcasts and short stories I’ve enjoyed recently. I’ve listened to a whole lot more in the interim and subscribed to even more feeds, so here are some additional recommendations. The ones in bold are my favourites, and the ones I most highly recommend.
Source: Podcastle
Podcasts of fantasy fiction. My favourite of the 3 Escape Artist podcasts.
- The Ghost of Christmas Possible, by Tim Pratt and Heather Shaw
- Limits, by Donna Glee Williams
- A Window, Clear as a Mirror, by Ferrett Steinmetz
- Their Changing Bodies, by Alaya Dawn Johnson
- Lavanya and Deepika, by Shveta Thakrar
- Destiny, with a Blackberry Sauce, by David J. Schwartz
- Urchins, While Swimming, by Catherynne M. Valente
- A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet, by Garth Nix
- In the Stacks, by Scott Lynch
- The Rugged Track, by Liz Argall
Source: Escape Pod
Escape Pod has recently been giving PodCastle a run for its money. They introduced a new person to handle their feedback segment, and he’s a great improvement over their old feedback presenter.
- Revenants, by Judith Tarr
- Surviving the eBookalypse, by Randy Henderson
- The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived, by Keffy R. M. Kehrli
- Devour, by Ferrett Steinmetz
- Overclocking, by James L. Sutter
- Counting Cracks, by George R. Galuschak
Source: Pseudopod
Pseudopod is still the Escape Artists podcast that gives me the greatest trouble. There are good stories, but I find a lot of them are overwrought or just not engaging.
- The Poor Girl Taken by Surprise, by Gemma Files
- The Stink of Animosity, by Rob E. Boley
- To My Wondering Eyes Did Appear, by Larry C. Kay
- A Study in Flesh and Mind, by Liz Argall
- The Burning Servant, by Steven Saus
Source: Daily Science Fiction
Daily Science Fiction – short stories in your inbox every weekday. Despite the title, they deal in all forms of speculative fiction, not just SF.
- Biomass, by Alexander Stanmyer
- Magic Enough, by Chuck Von Nordheim
- Angry Child, by Benjamin Rosenbaum
- The Steel Throne, by Eric James Stone
- The Age of Three Stars, by Kenneth Sehneyer
- The Pencil of Truth, by Shamus Maxwell
- In Her Arms of Dresden Pale, by Damien Walters Grintalis
- The Prisoners, by D.K. Latta
- Nilly, by Benjamin Rosenbaum
- Bus Ride to Mars, by Cat Rambo
- The Procedure, by L.E. Elder
- The Princess of the Perfume River, by Aliette de Bodard
- Genie Electric, by Andrew Kaye
- The Way, by Frank Dutkiewicz
- Insomnia, by A.G. Carpenter
- The Heartless Light of Stars, by Aliette de Bodard
- Memories of My Mother, by Ken Liu
- Godshift, by Nancy Fulda
- Frog/Prince, by Melissa Mead
- Offering Solace, by Jamie Lackey
- After, by C.L. Holland
- Nameless, by Mari Ness
Source: Toasted Cake
Toasted Cake is a new podcast by Tina Connolly. I first read her stories through DSF, but she’s also a gifted audio presenter. Her voice is pointed and distinctive. Toasted Cake specializes in flash fiction – a nice little bite of cake to whet your appetite.
- Health Tips for Traveller, by David W. Goldman
- The Ballad of Delphinium Blue, by Samantha Henderson
- Mount Rainier Considers its Mental Health, by Spencer Ellsworth
- Please Return My Son Who Is in Your Custody, by Helena Bell
- Again and Again and Again, by Rachel Swirsky
- Shatter Shatter by Sean Markey
Source: Cast of Wonders
Cast of Wonders is a newer podcast hosted by Graeme Dunlop, who also narrates audio fiction for some of the podcasts listed above. CoW is like Podcastle in that it does fantasy fiction, but it aims to be more all-ages friendly. How they define “all-ages” is unknown to me, because some of their stories involve sex, violence, and even drug-dealing.
- A Suitable Pet, by Abigail Hilton
- A Proof of Unicorns, by Elizabeth Creith
- Damnation, by Chris Stamp
- Alienation, by Katherine Sparrow (a 2-part episode)
- Same-Day Delivery, by Desmond Warzel
- Saved, by Arin Greenwood (a 2-part episode)
