Drabblecast 211 – At the End of the Hall

Kibitzer wrote:
Regarding Connor -- I was listening to this on the train this morning. I had a very hard time stifling my laughter so's my fellow passengers didn't think I was deranged.

I, personally, love it when i burst out listening to the drabblecast and am on public transit. my favourite one was the duck cloaca and dead duck rape from last year. I almost got asked to get off the bus.

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strawman wrote:
One thing I've got to say this story highlighted the problem of what people say to people who are sick or dying, how everything sounds like an empty platitude. And that makes me think how much empty platitudes make up such a high percentage of relationships, and how difficult it is to be honest and meaningful. That is one of the reasons I like admitting strange listenners into life's situations... to derail the shorthand and code words that translate to "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything original or compelling to offer here, but I'm too uncomfortable with you to say nothing."

This is very much what the Drabblecast is about.



I was very uncomfortable with this story, and even had to fast-forward some of it, simply because the situation was too pathetic. It was designed to pull on every single heartstring. And I don't like it when stories do that. My life has these problems, I don't gain by listening to a fictional account. But worst of all, there are many people with non-fictional lives which are too close to this account for comfort. And that's hard to swallow. So there is a lesson in this story, live life and make it count. But unlike this story, don't take the anger route. Find peace. Find love. Hug your family. If you don't have family, hug your friends. If you don't have friends, hug your pet. But not too hard, you might kill it.

The narration was simply fantastic.

And Good old Connor- Frigging hilarious. Too good Norm, too good.

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strawman wrote:
One thing I've got to say this story highlighted the problem of what people say to people who are sick or dying, how everything sounds like an empty platitude. And that makes me think how much empty platitudes make up such a high percentage of relationships, and how difficult it is to be honest and meaningful.

I once wrote a (not very good) story based largely around my profound discomfort with a phrase that gets tossed around far too loosely: "It was nice meeting you!" You hear it all too often when you finally meet some friend of a friend at a party, or your cousin's new girlfriend or somesuch. Even if you only so much as said "pass the cheese dip" at them, odds are they're going to say that to you and expect to hear it back.

Bloody hell, we barely spoke! I mean, I don't know the first thing about you and you spent all your time in the living room hanging out with Art's nephew and I was in the kitchen most of the time tending the bratwurst and having a beer with Mike. It wasn't nice meeting you: at best it was just indifferent. I mean, I'm probably not even going to remember your name in a few days.

Long story short, we've built deception into our interactions and when I think about it I find it galling.

Anyway, I liked the story though I thought it was a little long in getting to the payoff. The narration was absolutely perfect. I'd put it on par with Podcastle 154.

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Travelin Corpse Feet wrote:
"It was nice meeting you!" You hear it all too often when you finally meet some friend of a friend at a party, or your cousin's new girlfriend or somesuch. Even if you only so much as said "pass the cheese dip" at them, odds are they're going to say that to you and expect to hear it back.

Bloody hell, we barely spoke! I mean, I don't know the first thing about you and you spent all your time in the living room hanging out with Art's nephew and I was in the kitchen most of the time tending the bratwurst and having a beer with Mike. It wasn't nice meeting you: at best it was just indifferent. I mean, I'm probably not even going to remember your name in a few days.

Well, it's say it depends significantly on your own personal slant. Myself, even if I didn't get to know them at the party, it was a pleasure meeting them with the prospect of getting to know them better. Now, after I know them better I may not think it is a pleasure to know them .

So it may not be two people exchanging meaningless platitudes. It may be one person who honestly enjoyed meeting you (meeting does equal knowing) and another who was indifferent. Old, bitter, and indifferent.

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When I say "nice to meet you" it tends to be along the lines of what tbaker said, it's not so much that the brief contact was so immensely enjoyable, but that this is the potential opening for getting to know them better. Also, if it's a friend of a friend that I hear about all the time, it may be more along the lines of "It's nice to put a face to the name" because hearing about other people is much more interesting if I can picture them myself.

But, yeah, there are lots of insincerities built into expected conversation. I try to avoid them when I can. When someone asks me how I'm doing, I try to give them a brief but honest answer. If I'm having a truly shitty day I try not to say "Fine" even though that's the reflex. And I try not to ask how someone is doing unless I actually have the time and inclination to hear about how they are actually doing (though of course most people just say "fine" or "good".

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Unblinking wrote:
But, yeah, there are lots of insincerities built into expected conversation. I try to avoid them when I can. When someone asks me how I'm doing, I try to give them a brief but honest answer. If I'm having a truly shitty day I try not to say "Fine" even though that's the reflex. And I try not to ask how someone is doing unless I actually have the time and inclination to hear about how they are actually doing (though of course most people just say "fine" or "good".

Ditto. I find that "Hello!" works just fine in place of "Hello! How are you?"

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For the first 3/4 of this story I was flummoxed as to why it was on the Drabble cast, it seemed like a slightly dark garison keeler story, pleasant enough ramblings that didn't go anywhere.

Then, out of nowhere a giant robot shooting death rays out of it's eyes!

I did wonder if it was all a hallucination brought on by the morphine and oxygen deprivation in the last moments of her life. Then I thought- GIANT FREAKING WALL SMASHING ROBOT, and didn't care any more.

I can't remember if there is a Drabble award for best narration but if there is, it's a safe bet delianna forget will win it.

Great stuff.

F:S

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I didn't like this one, It may just be the story or the fact that I didn't like the voice actor, but it felt like the main character was an bitter old lady. My dad thought the same. I think this spoiled it for me, because when the robot came I didn't care.

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TheShubLub wrote:
I didn't like this one, It may just be the story or the fact that I didn't like the voice actor, but it felt like the main character was an bitter old lady. My dad thought the same. I think this spoiled it for me, because when the robot came I didn't care.

Yup. Bitter old lady kind of sums it up.

Welcome to the forums, TheShubLub!

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Wow, excellent narration. I'm not sure how difficult it was to get her to read the story, but it was certainly worth it. As something of a podcaster myself, there have been times when I've been unable to get the right person to read a part or a story, and I'll often do it myself . . . but I wonder if the end result would have been worth the sweat and frustrations of getting the RIGHT person to do it.

Now I ask myself how different this story would've FELT with Norm reading it.

Regardless, excellent production all around, on this one, folks. When you wrest the Best Fiction Podcast Parsec Award away from the judges again this year, it will be very deserved.

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Rish Outfield wrote:
As something of a podcaster myself,

When you first starting posting here i just assumed It was a rabid fan of Dunesteef podcast. Then i thought you were just a character out of a noir detective. Then i thought you were the bassist from Oingo Boingo but i knew that was John Alvia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Avila


I must say you are something of a Great podcaster.

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TheShubLub wrote:
I didn't like this one, It may just be the story or the fact that I didn't like the voice actor, but it felt like the main character was an bitter old lady. My dad thought the same. I think this spoiled it for me, because when the robot came I didn't care.

Me, too. I kept wondering why on earth I should care whether or not she'd just rot in the nursing home. What a d-bag.

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Narratress was fine by me, I have a soft spot for the helplessly crotchety - I see in them my undeniable future.

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StalinSays wrote:
Narratress was fine by me, I have a soft spot for the helplessly crotchety - I see in them my undeniable future.

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You can kiss my crotchety, boy. I will deny it, now and in the future.

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