Drama – Page 6 – The Drabblecast

Drabblecast 134 – Bone Sigh

On October 16, 2009

This week The Drabblecast brings you “Bone Sigh,” by legendary author Tim Pratt!

But first we bring you the continuing adventures of cryptozoologist Connor Choadsworth: In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm: Part Three.

Tim Pratt has written multiple stories for the Drabblecast and this one is quite horrific.

Story Excerpt:

I put the tenderizer down on the white formica table and look at my bonsai scar. It is like a flower, a jellyfish, a pinwheel of raised flesh, yellow bruises, subcutaneous hemorrhaging…

Drabblecast 131 – Storm Comes A’ Callin’

By Drabblecast

On September 25, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy

The Drabblecast presents “Storm Comes A’ Callin'” by Jeremiah Tolbert.

We also introduce cryptozoologist Connor Choadsworth in his hunt across the Gobi Desert for the Mongolian Deathworm.

Jeremiah has had an impact in the Science Fiction world since 2001 and is currently the editor of Escape Pod.

Story Excerpt:

I heft the axe. Lighter now, and warm in my palms. My old bones creak, I lift it over my head. I stare at the groove in the ground, beaten into the land. Many a storm been broke here. Too many, maybe…

Drabble:

Our Drabble this week is “Hanging” by Doug McIntire. You can submit your Drabbles to us in our Drabblecast Forums.

Enjoy the show!

Drabblecast #131 – Storm Comes A’ Callin’

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Cover for Drabblecast Episode 130, Trifecta 9, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 130 – Trifecta IX

By Drabblecast

On September 16, 2009

In Comedy, Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi

Trifecta 9, dinosaurs, love, monsters, everything you need. Featuring works by Bruce Holland Rogers, Steve Calvert and Bruce Boston.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 129, Annabelle's Alphabet, by Bess Gutenstein

Drabblecast 129 – Annabelle’s Alphabet

By Drabblecast

On September 10, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy

Annabelle’s mother closed her eyes. “Get it sharp,” she said. “Very sharp, so it doesn’t hurt much. I’ll boil some water.”

Somewhere in the house, far from the green places she’d known, baby Annabelle lay on her stomach and cried…

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Drabblecast 124 – Ghosts and Simulations

By Drabblecast

On July 29, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

“You’re looking for people to mind the ghosts?” I asked, as I signed for the co-pay…

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 117, The Curse of the Alien's Wife, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 117 – Curse of the Alien’s Wife

By Drabblecast

On June 3, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

Now that his supernal caress has become the familiar sanctum of her nights, she fears that no mere human partner could ever satisfy her again…

This episode starts with Norm announcing the return of the Nigerian Scam Spam contest, now with a tight $100 prize! The Drabble concerns a Martian trying to deal with erratic human behavior. The Feature, preceded by a content warning from Norm (sexy times ahoy), concerns an alien and his human bride. The couple is vexed by the tribulation of their strange marriage, their poor finances, and privately, the bride suffers fears of public reprisal.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 111, Frequent Flyer Miles, by Josh Hugo

Drabblecast 111 – Frequent Flier Miles

By Drabblecast

On April 22, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy

He folds his barely eaten burrito away in its paper wrapper and regards me seriously with his warm, friendly eyes. “I have a *lot* of frequent flier miles. I’d be more than happy to share them.”
I understand that we’re not talking about the kind of miles the airlines give you. This has nothing to do with credit card rewards…

The ex-husband of the feature story’s titular frequent flier once told her that the key to not being found is to keep moving. It’s been years since her ex kidnapped their daughter, and our protagonist is determined to stay on the move, from one airport to the next. She meets a curious fellow searcher who refers to himself as the wandering Jew.

Also included is a Bbardle, Radioactive Runaways, written by Norm Sherman for Eric Peters’ birthday, a gift made possible by the donation of his wife Janette.

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Cover of Drabblecast episode 110, Trifecta 6, by Tom Morganti

Drabblecast 110 – Trifecta VII

By Drabblecast

On April 15, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The village of Kriegerwald on the shores of Lake Teufel high in the Swiss Alps couldonly be reached by foot or ski lift, which suited the villagers. Each villager possessed broadforeheads and flat noses with strange guttural accents even the people in the valley below barelyunderstood. They also had a singular tourist attraction, popular enough to fund villagemaintenance but not to flood them or stir a desire for greater accessibility.

This trifecta episode of the Drabblecast features three stories, each exploring humanity’s reaction to strange and threatening situations. In the first story, The Frozen People, Swiss villagers sustain their existence by selling views of their 7000 year old perfectly preserved frozen warrior. When lightening strikes, everyone’s life changes. In Sheltered, a fast approaching asteroid threatens to wipe out all of mankind. This sends many burrowing deep into the ground, while a few brave individuals stay above to revel in the cataclysm. Interactions between the groups take on an ironic twist. In Order to Conserve speaks to governments and people as they are threatened by the loss of the most precious of all natural resources. and it’s not oil or water.

Of note: this episode marks the debut of Twit-Fic/Twabbles.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 102, The Last Dog, by Matt Wasiela

Drabblecast 102 – The Last Dog

By Drabblecast

On February 11, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

He was panting now, his breath coming in a never-ending series of short spurts and gasps. His sides ached, his eyes watered, and every now and then he would trip over the rubble of the decayed and ruined buildings that lined the torturously fragmented street…

This episode opens with the announcement of the three drabbles and five features stories nominated for the Drabblecast People’s Choice Award. In the Drabble, the narrator muses on the nature of his fatalistic precognition. In the feature, The Last Dog, the titular ultimate canine and his master, the last man on Earth, form a strong bond helping one another to survive on a war-ravaged planet. When they encounter an alien assassin, they are forced to make hard choices.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 101, Bemused, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 101 – Bemused

By Drabblecast

On February 4, 2009

In Comedy, Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy

My Muse is the life of every party. He does keg-stands and plays beer-pong like he was born to the game…

This episode of the Drabblecast podcast opens with a DrabbleNews story about immortal jellyfish, jellyfish that under certain circumstances can reverse the aging process. In the Drabble, a stalker cheerfully greets, drugs, and kidnaps the object of her desire. The feature story, Bemused, is a hack-to-riches-to-hack tale about a mediocre, rejected writer who discovers his muse and a catapult to fame and fortune. The only problem: his muse is a real jerk.

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Drabblecast 99 – Sarah’s Window

By Drabblecast

On January 21, 2009

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy, Horror

The shadow lingered at Sarah’s window, balanced on air, certain to fly away the next step I took. Another moment and it would be gone. Another moments and I would call the police, report my daughter missing, and spend the rest of my life convincing myself I’d imagined it…

This episode of the Drabblecast opens an announcement introducing the Drabblecast Archive CDs, featuring episodes 1-79 in a 3 disc set. In the drabble, a sleep-addled God himself cannot (or will not) provide a reason for why the world ended. The feature story, Sarah’s Window, explores the familiar theme of children leaving our world for one of fantasy, with the twist of a distraught parent serving as protagonist. A single father tries to convince a trespassing, morally ambiguous shadow creature to return his apparently kidnapped daughter, Sarah, amid its assertions that it is innocent of wrongdoing since “not all lost things are stolen.” An otherworldly realm seduces with magical delights.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 96, L'Wek and Sarah, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 96 – L’wek and Sarah

By Drabblecast

On December 31, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama, Strange

Since the Emergence they’d all had to learn: humans, certainly, but mostly the Lemurians…

Norm opens the episode with the “Top 10 List” of the most badass animals of 2008, each mentioned in the listener and news forums (winner: the “colossal squid,” of course). This episode’s Drabble, by Shane Shennen (who also contributed a Drabble to Episode #93), explores the villainous joys of building a robot army. Norm segues into the moody feature story by Samantha Henderson. Samantha was featured recently with her fantasy “Starry Night” (Episode #89), which coincidentally also involves crystals. In this story, a young member of the underground Lemurian species ponders his relationship to a human race captivated by their unearthly gemstones. Feedback for “Gifting Bliss” (Episode #91) was highly positive.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 93, Blue, by Richard K. Green

Drabblecast 93 – Blue

By Drabblecast

On December 11, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

I had a dog, his name was Blue
Betchya five dollars he’s a good one too.
Come on Blue!
I’m a-comin’ too.

Glum weather in Baltimore inspires Norm to treat us all to a pair of melancholy stories. In Shane Shennen’s Drabble, “Ancient Apple Tree,” the passing of an old, faithful robot is mourned by nary an organic eye. Next, accomplished writer Mike Resnick (who appears in Drabblecast #67, “Malish,” and #102 “The Last Dog”) bases a sad tale of attrition and mourning on the traditional song “Old Blue.” Accompanied by Norm’s gentle rendition of the song, the story describes the mutual loyalty of a hermit and his canine companion in a harsh season. A grateful Norm confesses to his love of dogs after the song and story conclude. This is followed by feedback for Episodes #88 (“The Toys of Peace”) and #89 (“Starry Night”), which is generally positive.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 92, Synesthesia, by Tom Morganti

Drabblecast 92 – Synesthesia

By Drabblecast

On December 5, 2008

In Action, Drabblecast, Drama, Horror

They called it “Synesthesia.” It’s when the senses got mixed up and you started to hear colors or taste sounds…

Norm begins this with a warning concerning graphic violence and gore. We return to one of the Drabblecast’s favorite topics, the Zombie Apocalypse. The theme receives a fresh airing, which is just as well, as it was starting to smell. Sal Lemerond, veteran of the horror webzine “Necrotic Tissue,” posits the connection between drug addicts and zombies, in a 100-word drabble. Norm chimes in with a tasty public service announcement about the nutritional value of your brain on drugs. In the feature story, J. Alan Pierce whose work has appeared in Kaleidotrope, as well as twice on the Drabblecast (#18 “The One that Got Away” and #31 “Beekeepers”) – takes us through a zombie plague via the eyes of an early victim. The condition first manifests as Synthesesia, the scientific name for the ability to taste colors, smell sounds, and other bizarre sensory hallucinations. The story culminates in a family dispute and a choice betrayal.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 89, Starry Night, by Philippa Jones

Drabblecast 89 – Starry Night

By Drabblecast

On November 12, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

“They were frozen in place, and their bodies blazed. The angel was before them, and they were silent, burning with no heat…”

The episode opens with a Drabble by John Medaille, a veteran of Podcastle, the Dunesteef, and the “Three-Lobed Burning Eye.” It discusses the depredations and terror experienced by survivors of a post-apocalyptic elevator failure. Next, continuing the theme of apocalyptic landscapes, Samantha Henderson also a veteran of numerous podcasts as well as “Realms of Fantasy” contributes her story, “Starry Night.” Evoking Van Gough’s famous painting, her story describes the consequences of a celestial event that illuminated, and then blinded, the renaissance village of Monte Verde. Surreal tragedy follows. After the story, reader feedback from the Double-Header, “Hush and Hark” and “Meta Science Fiction,” describes how disturbing and or amusing the audience found the stories. Listeners rated Trifecta 5 as middle-of-the-road.

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Drabblecast 88 – The Toys of Peace

By Drabblecast

On November 5, 2008

In Comedy, Drabblecast, Drama

Harvey retreated to the library and spent some thirty or fourty minutes in wondering whether it would be possible to compile a history, for us in elementary schools, in which there should be no prominent mentions of battles, massacres, murderous intrigues, and violent deaths…

Norm thanks listeners who voted in the recent election, before punishing non-voters by busting out an unexpected freestyle rap explaining the American Electoral College system, entitled “Electoral Homies.” Keeping with the civic governance theme comes a feature story from 19th-Century author “Saki,” the pen name for Hector Hugh Monroe. In it, the National Council for Peace attempts unsuccessfully to limit and channel the aggressive instincts of playful young boys. Lastly, Norm reviews the overwhelming reader feedback response to Episode #84, “Floating Over Time.”

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 86, Half Sneeze Johnny, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 86 – Half-Sneeze Johnny

By Drabblecast

On October 22, 2008

In Action, Comedy, Drabblecast, Drama

If he ain’t comfortable, he can’t sneeze proper to save his life…

During the Drabble News, Norm introduces us to the cutest little tongue-biting-then-tongue-impersonating parasite that one could ever hope to meet. The Drabblecast then ticks off another row on its scorecard for “Bodily Functions Bingo” by delivering fiction about the act of sneezing. In the Drabble segment, Peter Wood tells the story of an unfortunate sufferer who finds that even death is no surcease from the problem of allergies. During the feature story, “Half-sneeze Johnny” which originally appeared in “Kaleidotrope” print magazine, the gentle sound of a half-sneeze, which sounds like chickadees being crushed to death, serves as an unlikely truth detector for a pair of mobsters. The author also contributed the story for Drabblecast #54, “Unholy Fruit.” Feedback from Episode #81, “Snuffles,” and #82, “Overgrown Clump of Narcissists,” rounds out the episode.

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Drabblecast 83 – Floating Over Time

By Drabblecast

On October 1, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

She was a machine, fabulously complex and durable and imaginative. She was also alive…

This well regarded episode of the Drabblecast shares the poetic story of two complex individuals welcoming, dreading, and ultimately learning from the finality of their own end.

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 82, An Overgrown Clump of Narcissists, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 82 – An Overgrown Clump of Narcissists

By Drabblecast

On September 24, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama

“As you can see, this clump of daffodils is far too overgrown,” said the frail, blue-haired host.” The blooms in the center are starting to suffer as the younger bulbs challenge them for sunlight and nutrients…”

The episode begins with more from the world of the Mega-Beach Death-Match. The Drabble describes warring among fairies. The feature is a grim tale of holiday angst, shame, and the potential for forgiveness (and unforgivable acts). Feedback is for episode 79’s “Low Carb Cheesecake.”

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Cover for Drabblecast episode 80, Standing in Line, by Rick Green

Drabblecast 80 – Standing in Line

By Drabblecast

On September 10, 2008

In Drabblecast, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

I sense a diference the instant I step out of the water. In the unnatural stillness there is an arid taste in the air that assaults the back of my throat…

Norm Sherman brings us an episode about endings, and why they don’t always have to be bad. The Drabble is about a “beautiful” end. The feature is a touching tale of family’s facing their impending end with strength and solidarity. Feedback is for “Apologies All Around,” episode 76.

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Category: Drama Page 6 of 7

Story Excerpt:

Story Excerpt:

Drabble:

Drabblecast #131 – Storm Comes A’ Callin’