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Articles by Sofia Barker
PodCastle 785: ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Biographical Notes to 'A Discourse on the Nature of Causality, with Air-planes' by Benjamin Rosenbaum
It is true that I had not accepted Prem Ramasson’s offer of employment — indeed, that he had not seemed to find it necessary to actually ask. It is true also that I am a man of letters, neither spy nor bodyguard. It is furthermore true that I was unarmed, save for the ceremonial dagger at my belt, which had thus far seen employment only in the slicing of bread, cheese, and tomatoes.
PodCastle 784: La Vitesse
PodCastle 784: La Vitesse April 25, 2023 [ 6818 words ] Author : Kelly Robson Narrator : Kae Mills Host : Sofía Barker Audio Producer : Devin Martin Discuss on Forums Previously published by “The Book of Dragons” edited by Jonathan Strahan Content Warnings for children in peril and references to sexual assault Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:04 — 36.3MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS La Vitesse By Kelly Robson March 2,...
PodCastle 783: Of the Body
About the Narrator Cherae graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and [post-]colonial history. Her debut novel, The Unbroken, came out at Orbit last year, and her work has also appeared in FIYAH and Uncanny. Find more by C. L. Clark
PodCastle 782: The Girl Who Never Was
PodCastle 782: The Girl Who Never Was April 11, 2023 [ 3586 words ] Author : Harold R. Thompson Narrator : Wilson Fowlie Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Devin Martin Discuss on Forums PodCastle 782: The Girl Who Never Was is a PodCastle original. Content Warning for the death of a spouse. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:04 — 36.3MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS The Girl Who Never Was Harold R.
PodCastle 781: ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Interview with Rachel Swirsky
Show Notes Episode 781 is part of our 15th Anniversary special and includes an interview with Rachel Swirsky, the founding editor of Podcastle back in 2008. This is a transcription of the interview. Matt Dovey Rachel Swirsky. Welcome back to Podcastle! And thank you for joining us and being part of these celebrations. It means a huge amount to us to have everyone involved again. How are you? Rachel Swirsky Yeah. Thank you for asking. Very exciting.
PodCastle's 15th ANNIVERSARY - LISTENER'S RECOMMENDATIONS - PodCastle
PodCastle’s 15th ANNIVERSARY – LISTENER’S RECOMMENDATIONS April 9, 2023 [ 63 words ] Posted by As part of our 15th anniversary celebrations, we want to gather recommendations from you, our listeners, for favourite stories from our archive. We’ll read the recommendations out at the end of our shows through the end of 2023; you just need to complete this short form, anonymously if you prefer, and we’ll take it into consideration. Thank you for celebrating with us!
PodCastle 781: ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change
Show Notes Rated PG This episode is part of our 15th Anniversary special and includes an interview with Rachel Swirsky, the founding editor of Podcastle back in 2008. The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change by Kij Johnson (It’s a universal fantasy, isn’t it?—that the animals learn to speak, and at last we learn what they’re thinking, our cats and dogs and horses: a new era in cross-species understanding. But nothing ever works out quite as we imagine.
PodCastle 780: The Captive River
The Captive River By C.T. Muchemwa It was Siba’s eighteenth birthday, but instead of having a party to celebrate, she was standing by the Zambezi River in a thin, white, cotton slip, shivering despite the hot October sun. It was Commitment Day, the day she would be given to Nyami Nyami, the River God, to be his concubine. Nearby stood four Basilwizi singing a doleful song, their voices shrill in the still, stifling air. The women looked sinister in their long white robes and headscarves.
PodCastle 779: TALES FROM THE VAULTS - Black Feather
Show Notes Rated PG “Black Feather” originally aired as PodCastle 123 Black Feather Exactly one year before she saw the raven, Brenna began to dream of flying. Sometimes she was in a plane, sometimes she was in a bird, sometimes she was just herself–surrounded by sky, clouds, and too-thin-to-breathe air. In the dark, in the light, over cities and oceans and fields, she flew. Every night for a year. Then, on the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the dreams changed.
PodCastle 778: A Thousand Echoes in One Voice
A Thousand Echoes in One Voice by Deborah L. Davitt You’ve snuck through doors that should have been locked to get here. Here, the subway station is silent, the kind of silence that comes deep underground, isolated from the hum of the human hive overhead. No electric lights. No neon. No vibrations. No voices. Not even a breath of moving air. You’ve been in many such stations before; you’re ready, prepared. Heavy backpack of gear digging into your shoulders.
PodCastle 777: TALES FROM THE VAULTS – Never Yawn Under a Banyan Tree - PodCastle
Show Notes Rated PG-13 “Never Yawn Under a Banyan Tree” originally aired as PodCastle 523 . Never Yawn Under a Banyan Tree By Nibedita Sen The moment I swallowed the pret, I knew I should have taken my grandmother’s advice. Never yawn under a banyan tree, she used to warn me. A ghost might jump down your throat. Well touché, grandma.
PodCastle 776: A Girl is Blood, Spirit, and Fire
PodCastle 776: A Girl is Blood, Spirit, and Fire February 28, 2023 [ 3877 words ] Author : Somto Ihezue Narrator : Pemi Aguda Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Devin Martin Discuss on Forums Previously published by Rain Dance: Afritondo Prize 2022 Anthology Strong Content Warning for assault, violence, and female genital mutilation Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:03 — 58.2MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS A Girl Is...
PodCastle 775: “The Morthouse”
The Morthouse by Maria Haskins In her forty-two years on God’s wide Earth, Gerda has read no books other than The Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism, but once, after Sunday service, she heard the sexton say that there are places where the dead traverse a river after death, paying a boatsman to ferry them across the water.
PodCastle 774: Yung Lich and the Dance of Death
PodCastle 774: Yung Lich and the Dance of Death February 14, 2023 [ 5447 words ] Author : Alex Fox Narrator : Eric Valdes Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Eric Valdes Discuss on Forums PodCastle 774: Yung Lich and the Dance of Death is a PodCastle original.
PodCastle 773: Housing Problem
PodCastle 773: Housing Problem February 7, 2023 [ 5741 words ] Authors : C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner Narrator : John Bell Host : Alex Hofelich Audio Producer : Eric Valdes Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:04 — 67.9MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS Housing Problem by C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner Jacqueline said it was a canary, but I contended that there were a couple of lovebirds in the covered cage.
PodCastle 773: Housing Problem
PodCastle 773: Housing Problem February 5, 2023 [ 5741 words ] Authors : C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner Narrator : John Bell Host : Alex Hofelich Audio Producer : Eric Valdes Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:04 — 67.9MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS Housing Problem by C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner Jacqueline said it was a canary, but I contended that there were a couple of lovebirds in the covered cage.
PodCastle 772: "Mama uat-ur"
Mama uat-ur By Z. K. Abraham Pressing her forearms against the first-floor window’s metal frame, Temesghen watched aegean-blue waves splash against the concrete walls, searching for another flash of the being’s presence in the sea below. The stars were partially shrouded by the clouds; the sky was a milky greenish swirl like rotting leaves and tree sap, while the taste of sour algae and salt hung in the air.
PodCastle 771: Wapnintu'tijig They Sang Until Dawn
Wapnintu’tijig: They Sang Until Dawn By Tiffany Morris In the time of fever, the marks of the animals changed. Waterbirds shone with new radiance: a bright blue iridescence clung to their feathers, glimmering, soaked with the sacred oil of daylight. Their language changed along with their plumage: the chirrup chirrup from their open beaks had transformed into a lilting sort of caw. A shiver jolted through Pi’tawgowi’sgw.
PodCastle 770: The Dragon Killer's Daughter
The Dragon Killer’s Daughter by MacKenzie R. Snead Gayamiza was no stranger to pilgrims, but these two were not welcome — an old man and his daughter, foreignness sewn into their clothes, engraved in the blades they carried. The city let them in, as it did all acolytes, but as if swallowing food it was not accustomed to and ’didn’t particularly like. It coughed and gagged, people on the streets looking the other way, mothers ushering their young indoors.
PodCastle 769: In The Woods Somewhere (or Stories Never Leave)
In The Woods Somewhere (or Stories Never Leave) by Victor Forna Gods Slap Those Who Summon Them. We shouldn’t have been there — but we were, hiding behind the kola-nut tree, peering into the silver night, parents worried over our empty beds back home, and that’s why we can tell you today, beside this fire, how the old god was summoned from underneath the earth. Pa Yamba, who had changed his name to Peter — To Ruben. Don’t interrupt me. But we’re both telling the story. Whatever.
PodCastle 768: The Consequences of Microwaving Styrofoam
About the Author Leah lives in northern Virginia with her husband and their five pets: two cats, a dog, and two sugar gliders—all of whom are exactly as cute as they sound. She spends her non-writing time drawing, playing video games, and learning to make delicious new foods. Her short fiction also appears in Writers of the Future Volume 36, Apocalyptic (Zombies Need Brains), and Cossmass Infinities. You can find her @LeahNing on Twitter and on her website, leahning.com. Find more by Leah Ning
PodCastle 767: TALES FROM THE VAULTS - The Ant King
Show Notes Rated PG This episode is a part of our Tales from the Vaults series, in which a member of PodCastle’s staff chooses a backlist episode to highlight and discuss. This week’s episode was chosen by audio producer Eric Valdes. “The Ant King” originally aired as PodCastle 005. The Ant King: A California Fairy Tale by Benjamin Rosenbaum Sheila split open and the air was filled with gumballs. Yellow gumballs. This was awful for Stan, just awful.
Lockdown Around the Christmas Tree
Lockdown Around the Christmas Tree by Heather Shaw & Tim Pratt What a colossal crapstorm of a year, the third year of infinite garbage in a row, ever since the lockdowns started. The walls came down around Mischa in March 2020, and here they were, still standing, tall and impenetrable, for Christmas 2022. Then the man in red showed up, and made his offer, and everything changed . . .
PodCastle 765: The Science and Artistry of Snake Oil Salesmanship – Part 2 - PodCastle
Show Notes Rated PG-13 The soundtrack featured in this story was composed by our audio engineer Eric Valdes [Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part novelette. Visit our previous post to read Part 1.] The Science and Artistry of Snake Oil Salesmanship by Timothy Mudie PART TWO Portico. Threshold of the frontier. Jewel of the prairie. A town of graded roads and running water.
PodCastle 764: The Science and Artistry of Snake Oil Salesmanship – Part 1 - PodCastle
Show Notes Rated PG-13 The soundtrack featured in this story was composed by our audio engineer Eric Valdes The Science and Artistry of Snake Oil Salesmanship by Timothy Mudie Aloysius P. McNutt arrives in town one-and-a-half days after the snake, as per usual. Earlier would be too suspicious, and later risks that the settlers will have attacked the snake themselves, which simply won’t do. Aloysius needs to sell the snake oil to them, which he can’t lay claim to unless he slays the snake himself.
PodCastle 763: INDIGENOUS MAGIC - Dying Rivers and Broken Hearts
Dying Rivers and Broken Hearts by Gabriella Buba Manila, Philippines, 1936 Maria-Lucia had failed. In her hand, a freshly struck agimat burned. The copper amulet pressed with the image of the Virgin Mary was hot with the power the coven had gathered from the full moon. Golden light streamed between her clenched fingers. All eyes were on her, as her first meeting as leader of the Mallari witches after the death of her husband came to a close. The full moon sank into the black waters of Manila bay.
PodCastle 762: INDIGENOUS MAGIC - The Witching Hour
The Witching Hour By Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki I stood balanced at the top of the oldest palm tree, the one that grew at the south end of the village. I was in my element — pitch-black night. This was my dawn. The murmurs of glowing spirits mixed with the chitter of living insects. The hoot of an owl reminded me there was work to be done, battles to be fought — silent, undeclared, but raging all the same. And old Mama Ishaka was on the other side of them.
PodCastle 761: INDIGENOUS MAGIC - The Bone Pickers
The Bone Pickers by Kelsey Hutton My last day picking buffalo bones, stooping and flinging and splintering tibia among the tall grass, was the day I lost the smell of freshly tanned leather. The buffalo gave us so many gifts, but the finished hides were my favourite. Rich and musky-smelling, hair scraped off, with only the hide left — I remember one side was always slightly glossier than the other. Soft, supple, broken in.
PodCastle 760: INDIGENOUS MAGIC - The Tree Whisperer
About the Narrator Somto lives in Lagos with his sister, their dog; River, and their cats; Ify and Salem. He is a big movie geek, a runner, and a wildlife enthusiast. A fan of white-soled shoes and heavy rainfall, he also fantasizes about becoming a high supreme witch. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in Tordotcom, Omenana Magazine, and others. Follow him on Twitter @somto_ihezue where he tweets about his bi-monthly quarter-life crisis, among things. Find more by Somto Ihezue
PodCastle 759: INDIGENOUS MAGIC - Anu and the Vetala
About the Author Sri is a graduate student hailing from near Toronto, Ontario, who is (metaphorically) wandering the world, searching for purpose. She is deeply fond of reading and writing speculative fiction, especially fantasy, and has work published in Cast of Wonders; she hopes to publish more soon. Outside of writing, she is learning how to play the guitar and piano, practicing the violin, daydreaming, and trying to motivate herself to finish any of the numerous projects she has going.
PodCastle 758: TALES FROM THE VAULTS - The Half Dark Promise
About the Narrator Mandaly Louis-Charles has been running the Haitian Creole Blog for five years now and is an advocate for the Creole language. The blog promotes the Haitian Creole language to foreigners and natives. The blog’s Twitter page @creolelingo publishes daily Haitian Creole words and terms for native and foreigners.
PodCastle 757: TALES FROM THE VAULTS - Harlequin Moon
PodCastle 757: TALES FROM THE VAULTS – Harlequin Moon PodCastle 757: TALES FROM THE VAULTS – Harlequin Moon is a PodCastle original. Show Notes Rated PG This episode is a part of our Tales from the Vaults series, in which a member of PodCastle’s staff chooses a backlist episode to highlight and discuss. This week’s episode was chosen by associate editor Hamilton Perez. “Harlequin Moon” originally aired as PodCastle 393. Harlequin Moon by Jennifer Hykes The man called Dirt was a master of riddles.
PodCastle 756: O Cul-de-Sac!
About the Narrator Nicola Seaton-Clark has worked professionally as an actress for over twenty years in TV, film and radio. She started her career as a jazz singer and later a singer in a rock band. Her voice-over experience includes TV and radio advertising, singing jingles, film dubbing and synchronization, training videos, corporate films, animation, and Interactive Voice Response for telephone menus.
PodCastle 755: Aurum & Indigo
Aurum & Indigo By LP Kindred Aurum sits on a wooden stool, hunched over the oakwood bar, stained darker by shellac and low lights. In spite of them, he stares into his book while a second lies closed atop the bar. His feet dangle, kicking softly. Eyes rake over words but their meaning never reaches his mind. The barman doesn’t offer a mug of ale as often as the skulking leches whose eyes scrub his body in hopes of finding interest in his eyes.
PodCastle 754: TALES FROM THE VAULTS – The One They Took Before - PodCastle
Show Notes Rated PG This episode is a part of our Tales from the Vaults series, in which a member of PodCastle’s staff chooses a backlist episode to highlight and discuss. This week’s episode was chosen by associate editor Tarver Nova. “The One They Took Before” originally aired as PodCastle 388. The One They Took Before by Kelly Sandoval Rift opened in my backyard. About six feet tall and one foot wide. Appears to open onto a world of endless twilight and impossible beauty.
PodCastle 753: TALES FROM THE VAULTS – Piety, Prayer, Peacekeeper, Apocalypse - PodCastle
Show Notes Rated PG-13 This episode is a part of our Tales from the Vaults series, in which a member of PodCastle’s staff chooses a backlist episode to highlight and discuss. This week’s episode was chosen by associate editor Andrew K. Hoe. “Piety, Prayer, Peacekeeper, Apocalypse” originally aired as PodCastle 449. Piety, Prayer, Peacekeeper, Apocalypse by Rati Mehrotra Soru Khara had been hunting her death for many years before she arrived at the crumbling old port of Tyron.
PodCastle 752: The Music on the Hill
Show Notes Rated PG-13 “Traveler’s Guide to the City of Intrigue” advert voiced, scored, and produced by Eric Valdes.
PodCastle 750: We Are All of Us
We Are All of Us by Deborah L. Davitt They wore white armor, sleek and chitinous — not the white of chalk, but the white of bone peeking through the skin of a mummy. The white of a grub writhing in black river soil. They dwelled in the deep desert, where few of the Folk dared to tread, in cities carved from the bones of the earth. No one knew much about them, yet everyone knew everything that they needed to know. That they crawled into rock-cut tombs to devour the dead.
PodCastle 749: Sungrass Girl
PodCastle 749: Sungrass Girl August 23, 2022 [ 5398 words ] Author : Uchechukwu Nwaka Narrator : Shingai Njeri Kagunda Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Eric Valdes Discuss on Forums Previously Published by Cossmass Infinities Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:19 — 65.5MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS Show Notes Rated PG-13 The music for the promotion intro is “Sneaky Snitch” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under...
PodCastle 748: Colors of the Immortal Palette - Part 3
Show Notes Rated R “The Traveler’s Guide to the Goblin Fells is an expansion book for the 5th edition of the world’s most litigious roleplaying game, about halflings riding giant pugs fighting against goblins piloting arcanotech mechs for control of valuable farmland at the onset of a brutal winter. The harvest is lean and there’s not enough to go around, someone’s going to go hungry this winter, but it doesn’t have to be you.
PodCastle 747: Colors of the Immortal Palette - Part 2
Show Notes Rated R “The Traveler’s Guide to the Goblin Fells is an expansion book for the 5th edition of the world’s most litigious roleplaying game, about halflings riding giant pugs fighting against goblins piloting arcanotech mechs for control of valuable farmland at the onset of a brutal winter. The harvest is lean and there’s not enough to go around, someone’s going to go hungry this winter, but it doesn’t have to be you.
PodCastle 746: Colors of the Immortal Palette - Part 1
Show Notes Rated R The music for the promotion intro is “Sneaky Snitch” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hey everyone, Alasdair here – hope you’re doing okay. The summer months are upon us, which means two things – hat weather for yours truly, and the part of our year when costs are high and support tends to dip. We know things are tight everywhere at the moment, and that includes us.
PodCastle 745: A Beautiful Memory
PodCastle 745: A Beautiful Memory July 26, 2022 [ 4175 words ] Author : Shannon Peavey Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Eric Valdes Discuss on Forums Previously published by Apex Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:53 — 47.0MB) Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Stitcher | RSS A Beautiful Memory by Shannon Peavey On Thursday, a windsor-knotted businessman paid Anna three times her normal asking price for a quartet of...
PodCastle 744: Double Feature! I Will You Back to Time and Space; The Ocean-Eyed Boy
Show Notes Rated PG-13. The music for the promotion intro is “Sneaky Snitch” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hey everyone, Alasdair here – hope you’re doing okay. The summer months are upon us, which means two things – hat weather for yours truly, and the part of our year when costs are high and support tends to dip. We know things are tight everywhere at the moment, and that includes us.
PodCastle 743: Ribbons
Ribbons by Natalia Theodoridou Monday’s lover tugs at Jan’s ribbon with his teeth. Jan doesn’t yell at the lover to stop. The guy just received bad news from the front — a friend lost to a bomb, perhaps, a sibling blown to bits; Jan doesn’t ask. He tells the lover, instead, to be careful: We don’t want my head rolling off now, do we? We’ve all heard of them, after all, the stories of women taking it off and their heads falling to the ground. Monday’s lover nods and keeps his teeth to himself.
PodCastle 742: The Morning House
The Morning House By Kate Heartfield “This B&B is frankly unacceptable,” Dad says. “I want to go home.” Sylvia freezes, runs through all the things she shouldn’t say. You are home, Dad. No, don’t argue. Never argue. Rule number one. Don’t dismiss. Get into his world, because he can’t get into yours. Don’t you remember? You bought this house before I was born. You and Mom. Don’t mention Mom, for God’s sake. Maybe today he doesn’t know she’s dead.
PodCastle 741: Between The Island and the Deep Blue Sea
Between The Island and the Deep Blue Sea By Jaxon Tempest No one knew how the island floated, but everyone knew it shouldn’t. Four thousand square miles of concrete bones and metal veins, a million people circulating daily, and yet it sat in the middle of the Atlantic like a feather on a still pond. Even those with the most rudimentary understanding of physics would cry bullshit. Everyone had their theories, of course.
PodCastle 738: The Bones Beneath
The Bones Beneath by Vanessa Fogg Four years ago, the bones began pushing up from the earth. Fay is now seventeen, and she feels the bones’ movements more strongly each year. It’s the end of winter, but not yet the beginning of spring. Snowmelt has turned the fields to mud, and the grass is dead and brown. The trees still bare, the air still chill. Mist in the morning, or her own breath white as frost. She wakes in the darkness, dresses, and combs her hair.
PodCastle 737: The Eight Hundred Legs of the Rio-Niterói Bridge
The Eight Hundred Legs of the Rio-Niterói Bridge by Renan Bernardo Have you seen pictures of the unfinished Presidente Costa e Silva Bridge, with its columns telling stories of falls and drownings like tombstones for the never found and the cemented alive? I saw many in 1972, soon after Papai vanished during the bridge’s construction, mostly by peering over my mother’s shoulders while she flipped through documents and pictures, sobbing and wondering if some ferryman could’ve rescued Papai.
PodCastle 734: An Incomplete Account of the Case of the Bird-Talker of Yaros
About the Narrator bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, storm chaser, and Saturday Songwriter. Author of over 20 books and 40 short stories, Alethea is the recipient of the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant, the Scribe Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, and two-time winner of the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award. She has been twice nominated for both the Andre Norton Nebula and the Dragon Award.
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