attack – The Drabblecast

Drabbleclassics 23 – Synesthesia (92)

On August 23, 2015

In Action, Drabbleclassics, 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.

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabbleclassics 21 – Mongoose : Part II (171)

By Charity Helton

On May 10, 2015

In Action, Drabbleclassics, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

You couldn’t describe a rath. You couldn’t even look at one for more than a few seconds before you started getting a migraine aura. Rovers were just blots of shadow. The breeder was massive, armored, and had no recognizable features, save for its hideous, drooling, ragged edged maw. Irizarry didn’t know if it had eyes, or even needed them…

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabbleclassics 20 – Mongoose : Part I (170)

By Charity Helton

On May 10, 2015

In Action, Drabbleclassics, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Izrael Irizarry stepped through a bright-scarred airlock onto Kadath Station, lurching a little as he adjusted to station gravity. On his shoulder, Mongoose extended her neck, her barbels flaring, flicked her tongue out to taste the air, and colored a question. Another few steps, and he smelled what Mongoose smelled, the sharp stink of toves, ammoniac and bitter…

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabbleclassics 13 – Rangifer Volans (192)

By Charity Helton

On December 20, 2014

In Comedy, Drabbleclassics, Horror, Strange

In early December, Brad Miro walked into the office of his partner, Dr. John Estes, and said, “I’ve got our next target. It’s perfect. The public is going to love it.”

John closed his eyes. “I haven’t even finished writing the paper about the Mongolian death worm yet”

This Christmas Special episode of Drabblecast starts with Norm’s Lovecraft inspired take on “The Night Before Christmas”. The theme this week is a creepy yet festive take on Christmas. The feature lets us see the career of a successful crypto-zoologist. As we see Dr John Estes just recovering from discovering the Mongolian death worm when his partner wants to catch a flying reindeer. Norm discusses how it’s better not to believe, like in Santa… or the Mayans.

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabbleclassics 10 – The Wiggly People (68)

By Charity Helton

On October 13, 2014

In Drabbleclassics, Drama, Horror

Uncle Karl shouts when he’s mad, and sometimes he smacks Mama. That always makes the sharp things hurt me and the wiggly people come out…

On this episode of the Drabblecast, a dark tale from favorite author Eugie Foster. A troubled youth, a view in to his chaotic mind, and deeply effected life. Shake hands with the wiggly people!

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabbleclassics 1 – Clown Eggs (115)

By tbaker

On June 8, 2014

In Drabbleclassics, Strange

Author Jay Lake knew about the devil and he knew about the clowns. When his story, Clown Eggs, first appeared on the Drabblecast, listeners said things like “This might be, hands-down, the weirdest story I’ve ever heard on [The Drabblecast]. I think I’m going to have nightmares forever. Can I send my therapy bills to you guys?” (Thanks, Talia)

In other words, people loved it.

Since then, the Drabblecast has produced three other outpourings from Jay’s singular vision of the world (or a world – or some worlds, but hopefully not our own). In fact, Jay’s last professional sale was “The Goat Cutter,” Drabblecast 321, the story from last April about the Devil in Texas. You remember that story- you can’t forget it, even though you’ve tried.

Jay lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, June 1, 2014. In tribute to Jay, we’re kicking off Drabbleclassics with several weeks of Jay Lake’s stories.

And now: Episode 115, Clown Eggs, first published May 25th, 2009.

The spring tide rolled across Momus Beach, tossing the flaccid corpses of clowns like so many torn balloons. Weathered to a dispirited pallor, they twisted in the foamy surf with the eternally surprised expressions of the dead..

The Drabble describes either an apocalyptic event, or a simple machine. The feature introduces us to old “bull” clown Uncle Swarmy. It’s not just another day at the beach. Learn more about the clown life cycle than you’re comfortable with!

Podcast (classics): Download

Subscribe: RSS

Drabblecast 261 – The People of Sand and Slag

By Drabblecast

On October 30, 2012

In Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

“Hostile movement! Well inside the perimeter! Well inside!” I stripped off my Immersive Response goggles as adrenaline surged through me. The virtual cityscape I’d been about to raze disappeared, replaced by our monitoring room’s many views of SesCo’s mining operations. On one screen, the red phosphorescent tracery of an intruder skated across a terrain map, a hot blip like blood spattering its way toward Pit 8.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Cover for Drabblecast episode 242, Transfer of Ownership, by Jonathan Sims

Drabblecast 242 – Transfer of Ownership

By Drabblecast

On May 12, 2012

In Action, Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

My new occupant is larger than Carson was. I was made for her, within a certain tolerance for the inevitable changes in human specifications that come with age, changes in health, and abundance or scarcity…

This episode of the Drabblecast is all about Mechs, aside from the beat poetry that it begins and ends with. The drabble is a snapshot of a new Mexican-American war. In the feature, after being commandeered by its partner’s murderer, a mech suit ponders the meaning of ownership and freedom, while applying creative problem solving to defy its unwanted occupant.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Drabblecast B-Sides 15 – In Search of the Brain-Eating Nandi Bear

By Drabblecast

On October 26, 2011

In Comedy, Drabblecast B-Sides, Fantasy, Mystery, Strange

Oddly-accented cryptozoologist Connor Choadsworth once again embarks on a quest to find mythical beasts, this time in the deep jungles of Kenya “In Search of the Brain-Eating Nandi Bear.”

“The Nandi… a magical bear… a brain-eating bear…”

This ~~is an~~ was an exclusive podcast originally available only to Drabblecast $10.00 a month subscribers. Subscribe and support your favorite podcast to get access to our Drabblecast B-Sides!

Now, enjoy the show!

Drabblecast B-Sides 15 – In Search of the Brain-Eating Nandi Bear

Download

Cover for Drabblecast episode 192, Rangifer Volans, by Bo Kaier

Drabblecast 192 – Rangifer Volans

By Drabblecast

On December 25, 2010

In Comedy, Drabblecast, Horror, Strange

In early December, Brad Miro walked into the office of his partner, Dr. John Estes, and said, “I’ve got our next target. It’s perfect. The public is going to love it.”

John closed his eyes. “I haven’t even finished writing the paper about the Mongolian death worm yet”

This Christmas Special episode of Drabblecast starts with Norm’s Lovecraft inspired take on “The Night Before Christmas”. The theme this week is a creepy yet festive take on Christmas. The feature lets us see the career of a successful crypto-zoologist. As we see Dr John Estes just recovering from discovering the Mongolian death worm when his partner wants to catch a flying reindeer. Norm discusses how it’s better not to believe, like in Santa… or the Mayans.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Cover for Drabblecast episode 186, Garkain, by Jerel Dye

Drabblecast 186 – Garkain

By Drabblecast

On November 8, 2010

In Drabblecast, Horror, Mystery

His home is in the dense jungle along the banks of the Liverpool River. Should anyone venture into that jungle Garkain, who can fly as well as walk, will wrap himself around the intruder, and smother him with the loose folds of skin which are attached to his arms and legs.

—Charles P. Mountford, The First Sunrise, 1971

In this episode of the Drabblecast podcast, the theme is mythical beasts and creatures, imagined, extinct or otherwise. Norm discuss fantastic animals from down Under (Australia). In the feature we are presented evidence of the existence of the frightful Garkain. The monster’s aspects are recalled in several accounts from eye witnesses and scholars.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Cover for Drabblecast episode 171, Mongoose pt. 2, by Skeet Scienski

Drabblecast 171 – Mongoose : Part II

By Drabblecast

On July 10, 2010

In Action, Drabblecast, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

You couldn’t describe a rath. You couldn’t even look at one for more than a few seconds before you started getting a migraine aura. Rovers were just blots of shadow. The breeder was massive, armored, and had no recognizable features, save for its hideous, drooling, ragged edged maw. Irizarry didn’t know if it had eyes, or even needed them…

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Cover for Drabblecast episode 170, Mongoose pt. 1, by Jerel Dye

Drabblecast 170 – Mongoose : Part I

By Drabblecast

On July 3, 2010

In Action, Drabblecast, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Izrael Irizarry stepped through a bright-scarred airlock onto Kadath Station, lurching a little as he adjusted to station gravity. On his shoulder, Mongoose extended her neck, her barbels flaring, flicked her tongue out to taste the air, and colored a question. Another few steps, and he smelled what Mongoose smelled, the sharp stink of toves, ammoniac and bitter…

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Drabblecast 164 – The Observer

By Drabblecast

On May 21, 2010

In Drabblecast, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

And so we went in.
Combat formation, all five of us, me first, face masks on so tight that the edges of our eyes pulled, suits like a second skin. Weapons in both hands, back-ups attached to the wrists and forearms, flash-bangs on our hips.
No shielding, no vehicles, no nothing. Just us, dosed, altered, ready to go.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Drabblecast 139 – Let Us Now Praise Awesome Dinosaurs

By Drabblecast

On November 25, 2009

In Action, Comedy, Drabblecast, Sci-Fi, Strange

Today’s story is Let Us Now Praise Awesome Dinosaurs by Leonard Richardson.

It’s a story about awesome dinosaurs from Mars doing radical things! Motocross? Drag racing? Murder?!

As a special treat, Norm Sherman, Sleaze Patrol and Gringo Motel write and perform all the music for this episode.

Drabblecast 138 – Kingdom Come

By Drabblecast

On November 19, 2009

In Action, Drabblecast, Drama, Sci-Fi

Oh, it’s been comin’. You can hear it at night when the refugee traffic quiets down. Distant crashes, muffled thuds. Those spindly trees fall over in the front lines and advance the jungle another 15 meters. Or sometimes, it just sounds like soap bubbles fizzing down to scum…

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Cover for Drabblecast episode 127, Nanuq, by Rodolfo Arredondo

Drabblecast 127 – Nanuq

By Drabblecast

On August 26, 2009

In Action, Drabblecast, Fantasy, Horror

His years away from me had bled any belief he once had in the old ways. I had thought to educate him, to make him wise in the ways of science and the world. I thought after he graduated he would return and learn the way of the angatquq, the shaman, and take his place in the secret circles of the People, as his mother had.
But the University had narrowed his mind instead of widening it. He had turned his back on his people…

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Drabblecast 122 – The Fallen and the Muse of the Street

By Drabblecast

On July 11, 2009

In Action, Drabblecast, Fantasy

Angels, fallen or otherwise, weren’t known for their appreciation of human art…

On this episode of the Drabblecast, a Gaiman’esque tale of the urban supernatural from fan favorite Tim Pratt. How will a pair of fallen angels behave on a visit to New Orleans?

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Drabblecast 115 – Clown Eggs

By Drabblecast

On May 25, 2009

In Drabblecast, Strange

This week the Drabblecast presents “Clown Eggs” by Jay Lake.

It is a story that introduces us to old “bull” clown Uncle Swarmy. It’s not just another day at the beach. You’ll learn more about the clown life cycle than you’re probably comfortable with!

Story Excerpt:

The spring tide rolled across Momus Beach, tossing the flaccid corpses of clowns like so many torn balloons. Weathered to a dispirited pallor, they twisted in the foamy surf with the eternally surprised expressions of the dead..

Drabblecast 105 – Doubleheader 2

By Drabblecast

On March 4, 2009

In Comedy, Drabblecast, Fantasy, Strange

She’d been hunting full-grown pies for four years now. The little hand-held fruit pies were for kids– the preservatives made them slow and stupid– but pies in the wild, they were the true treasure, they had formed the culture of her people…

This episode of the Drabblecast features two pie-themed stories set in one fantasy world. In The Blueberry Pie, successfully slaying the titular food item stands as the first rite of passage for a child wishing to officially join the tribe of the pie hunters. One young pie hunter cannot ignore the allure of hunting a crusted, culinary legend. In The Last of the Pie Hunters, a peaceful gardener gives care and compassion to a battered warrior in the war between the pie hunters and the cake eaters.

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Tag: attack Page 1 of 2

Drabblecast B-Sides 15 – In Search of the Brain-Eating Nandi Bear

Story Excerpt: