The Audio File: Escape Pod 2

Guest post by Sam McDonald.

When I first started The Audio File I had no idea how popular it would become. I'm very happy to have gotten the chance to share so many great podcasts and stories with all of you, and I look forward to sharing even more in future posts. For this post we'll be revisiting Escape Pod. My first Escape Pod article was just the warm up act for the stories we'll be talking about today.

Before we begin I'd like to talk about some new Escape Pod facts. For example, all three of the Escape Artists podcasts have started Artemis Rising, a special month celebrating women writers of speculative fiction. As of this article Artemis Rising 2 is already in production. I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge Mat Weller, one of the producers and unsung behind the scenes heroes of the Escape Artists podcasts. And to any other staff I haven't named in my posts, I'd like to thank you as well. You're work and contributions are greatly appreciated.

Now that we've covered all of that, get ready, because once again it's story time...

"Night Bird Soaring" by T. L. Morganfield
Narrated by Mat Weller
Originally Published in Greatest Uncommon Denominator #3
2008 Sidewise Award Nominee

This story is set in an Aztec Empire that never fell, expanded to include the entirety of the Americas and developed space travel. It follows a boy named Totyoalli who is to play the role of Tezcatlipoca in a ritual when he turns twenty-nine. And by play the role I, of course, mean that he will be sacrificed. It's not exactly bad, he's best friends with the emperor, lives a life of luxury and even marries five wives. Still, his heart is set on joining the space program and visiting Quetzalcoatl's World, aka Venus. Can he find a way to live his dream and fulfill his destiny?

One of the things I loved about this story was the way it present a nuanced look at the Aztecs. Contrary to popular opinion they were far from bloodthirsty savages. They mandated the same education for all citizens, even women, had pretty great social mobility, were excellent astronomers, had a pretty good track with women's rights and so much more. As for the human sacrifice, remember, from their point of view it was necessary to keep the universe running. Point is they were way more than what they're commonly portrayed as in fiction and this story did a great job showcasing that.

I also liked the way the imminent sacrifice was treated almost like having a terminal illness. Totyoalli knows he's got to make the most of his time, but he also comes to terms with his fate. Now, many of you are probably wondering how the Aztecs of this story got such a big empire. Don't worry, that's all explained, but I can't give that away. I will say we get a couple supernatural hints towards the end of the story, but that's all you get until you read/listen to this story. I also enjoyed how all the planets were named after Aztec gods. It was a nice touch

Mat Weller isn't just great at behind the scenes work, he's also great at narration. All in all a great story with a nuanced take on the Aztecs. Earned its nomination and should definitely early your time as well.

"People of the Shell" by Brian Trent
Narrated by Jeff Ronner
An Escape Pod Original 

This story is set during the Bronze Age after a series of asteroid impacts blocked out the sun. The once mighty Persian Empire, lead by Cyrus the Great, has been reduced to a mere 200 individuals wandering across the frozen desert on great sandships. They were looking for a glimmer of civilization in Egypt, but instead find people living beneath the shell of a gigantic...something. These people have built a society based around the worship of the great beasts, but how long can it last?

And the winner of most original alternate history short story is...this story! Seriously, the atmosphere in this story is absolutely phenomenal. You really get to see just how dark, cold and utterly hopeless this world is. Some of you might be reminded of The Peshawar Lancers by this story, though apart from the asteroids, they're very different stories. I liked that this story featured both Persians and Greeks, but treated them both fairly. It's also nice to see alternate history set in ancient times.

On that note, as far as themes go I found that nobody was really 100 percent right in this story. The People of the Shell are mostly comprised of people who were on the bottom rung of society, and the asteroids have give them a chance to rise above their positions. At the same time, Cyrus is right that their way of life simply isn't sustainable in the long term, and eventually humanity will have to get back on its feet out of necessity. You've got people who resorted to cannibalism, but only as a last resort. Like I said, morality as grey as the setting.

As for the narration, I thought Jeff did a spot on job. Defiantly on of the more unique alternate history stories, and definitely worth your time.

"Impossible Dreams" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Matthew Wayne Selznick
Originally Published in Asimov's 
2007 Hugo Award Winner

This story follows a cinephile named Pete who discovers an amazing new movie store. The movies seem like they're out of another universe; I, Robot with screenplay by Harlan Ellison, Raiders of the Lost Ark staring Tom Selleck, The Magnificent Ambersons with its original ending and much more. Soon it becomes clear the store is traveling from another world. Pete finds himself falling in love with the store's clerk Allie. Each day the store appears for less and less time, and Pete has to convince Allie about the true nature of the store.

At the Escape Artists podcasts there is one man who is the undisputed king of short stories. That man, of course, is Tim Pratt. Seriously, he's been published more times on the Escape Artists podcasts than any other author, but not without reason. He's easily one of the most talented current writers of speculative fiction, and he's got the awards to prove it.

Anyway, back to the review. I learned a lot of movie trivia from this story, and it gave me a greater appreciation of movies in general. I liked how Pete was able to surmise information about Allie's world based on what movies the store had. For example, no Dr. Strangelove and a movie about the invasion of the Japanese home islands, staring John Wayne, potentially means no atomic bomb in that world. The overall feel of this story remind me of The Twilight Zone, and so it should appeal to fans of that show. The ending is really sweet, but of course, it is a Tim Pratt story.

A great story like this need a great narrator to go with it, and Matthew is that narrator. A story that more than earned its Hugo. I happily recommend it.

"Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky" by Ken Scholes 
Narrated by Alex Wilson
Originally Published in Clarkesworld Magazine

It's 1941 and Adolph Hitler has arrived in Paris to pursue his dream of becoming a painter. Along the way he befriends Earnest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin at Charles de Gaulle's bar. Hitler soon finds himself falling in love with a beautiful young Jewish girl from Poland. Things come to a head when the French government begins persecuting Jews. It's up to Hitler and his friends to rise above and stand up to this injustice.

Yeah, this one's probably going to be one of the more controversial stories. I'll begin by saying that people are products of their times, and this is obviously a different world, so it's not all the unreasonable that, give different circumstances, Hitler would have turned out different. For what it's worth, this story was reprinted in a top Israeli science fiction magazine and was met with positive reviews.

Okay, now that we got that out the way, let's talk about the story itself. We get some very tantalizing glimpses of the world beyond what the story shows. It appears Spain held onto their American colonies, only to lose them in an alternate Spanish-American War, France is still a monarchy ruled by Napoleon IV...and Hitler goes on to become a human rights activist and is hailed the Savior of the Jews. Yeah, between segments of story we get quotes that give us a glimpse into Hitler's future.

I thought Ken did a great job with the characterization all around, and the writing itself is really quite good. Really, this is a great story. This story was originally published in Clarkesworld Magazine, and I could have saved it for the post on that podcast. What it came down to, however, was who had the best narration. I had to give it to Escape Pod because Alex did such a great job.

Potentially controversial, but well worth you time. Give it a try.

"Checkmate" by Brian Trent
Narrated by Mat Weller
An Escape Pod Original 

This story is set in a world where wars are waged with living chess pieces and the world is divided into markers that nations compete for control over. The American Revolution was the last war fought with conventional armies. A British knight named Edward Oakshott has been challenged by a Russian rook for control of the London marker. Edward's been given a device that promises to grant immortality should he fall it battle, but how far is he willing to go in service to his country?

This is a steampunk story, but the living chess angle was a nice twist on the style. Personally, I would have liked to have seen what all the pieces are like. We see that knights and queens appear to be human, and rooks are mechanical monstrosities, but we never see any of the other pieces. For that matter, it would have been nice to know why Russia wanted the London marker. Maybe that's just how it goes in this world? The mythology lover in me enjoyed how all of the people in the secret London Underground were named after figures from Egyptian Mythology.

This is definitely one where the description is crazy, but I swear it's a good story. As far as narration, Mat once again did an excellent job. It's a new twist on the steampunk story. Give it a shot.

Site Fourteen by Laura Anne Gilman
Narrated by Mat Weller 
Originally Published in ReVISIONS

It's often said that we know more about the surface of the Moon than we do our own deep oceans, but what if that wasn't the case? In this story President John F. Kennedy challenged America not to take to the Moon, but to claim the oceans. By the present day America is the undisputed master of the oceans and has established many bases and settlements across the sea floor. The story follows a typical day at Site Fourteen when disaster strikes.

I'll admit this felt like less of a story and more of a showcase of an alternate world, but that's not a bad thing. I'm a big fan of stories that feature ocean exploration and colonization. The part where it's mentioned that the ocean program was receiving budget cuts was especially poignant give the ever increasing lack of support for institutions such as NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities and other programs to expand knowledge and exploration.

Now, let's talk narration. Mat does his usual good job, but at the part when things start to go wrong you can hear an emergency alarm beeping in the background for a while. This didn't bother me, but some people might find that annoying, so be aware of that should you listen to this story. All in all a great window into an alternate world. Well worth checking out.

"Unexpected Outcomes" by Tim Pratt
Narrated by Tom Rockwell
Originally Published in Interzone

9/11 was a day that changed everything for America and the world as a whole. In this story, it's even more so, because on the faithful day a strange man appears simultaneously across the world and announces...that the entire world is a computer simulation to test a hypothesis on the rise of Islamic terrorism. It has been declared that the simulation will continue to run, but without nonessentials such as weather, stars and reproduction. Still, not everyone is convinced that's the whole story. Our hero, a man named Tim, sets out to find answers.

I was in third grade when 9/11 happened, so this story had a certain resonance with me. I know this is going to sound horrible, but more due to the world turning out to be a simulation part. Hey, I didn't even know what happened till the very end of the day when my mom picked me up. I suppose my elementary school figured it was best to carry on as usual and not upset the students.

It was that same almost blasé/carry on feeling that I got from this story. The characters are dealing with a huge change to their lives, but for a while they just go on until it really sinks in. Even after they accept it they still keep looking for more answers. It's simply human nature to question everything after all. I also loved what the main character eventually found, but that's a surprise you'll have to discover for yourself.

As for the narration I thought that Tom did a great job. Certainly an unusual alternate history, but certainly worth a listen.

"Revolution Time" by Lavie Tidhar 
Narrated by Steve Eley
Originally Published in Flurb #2

This story centers around a group of communists in the future who are dissatisfied with their lives. Time travel has been invented and is used to bring people, mostly William Shakespeare, to the present for visits. The communists decide they'll use a time machine to bring Karl Marx to help start a revolution.

The description isn't much, but I promise it's a good story. People often talk about what would happen if very great historical figures could see the world today. Personally, I think they'd be too weirded out by the way everyone talks and dresses to make many comments on the way society is run. That was one thing I noticed about this story. Marx seemed to accept and adapt this is situation surprisingly fast. It was also unclear if the world was truly dystopian or if that's just how the communists viewed it.

Despite these iffy issues I found this story to be fun overall. Steve did his usual great job with the narration. A fun little story that I recommend.

"Reparations" by Merrie Haskell
Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal
Originally Published in Fortean Bureau 

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain controversial to this day. Many question if they were the right thing to do. This story focus on an organization of time travelers who try to make amends for these and other events by helping those effected by them.

Again, the summary sucks but the story did a really great job of capturing the absolute devastation that followed the atomic bombings. The descriptions were bone chillingly accurate. To be sure, the alternative of Operation Downfall wouldn't have been a picnic, but this story does provide food for thought on the moral implications of the bombings. Though I do admit I did find myself wounded about the potential paradoxes involved with the organization's work.

A story that packs this kind of emotional punch needs a certain kind of narrator to go with it. Fortunately, Mary is that narrator. A time travel story that'll keep you thinking long after it's over. Well worth a listen.

"Hawksbill Station" by Robert Silverberg
Narrated by Paul Tevis
Originally Published in Galaxy Magazine

This one is a classic time travel story, and some of you are probably familiar with it. However, I say we're going to go over it anyway. It follows a series of political prisoners who have been sent on a one-way trip to the pre-Cambrian era prison colony. Dispute the harsh and unforgiving environment they're making the best of things. One day a new man arrives, but is he all that he seems to be?

Like I said, a classic story, but for the most part I think it's aged fairly well. The only thing that really stuck out to me was, since plants had yet to colonize land during the pre-Cambrian, the amount of breathable oxygen should probably have been lower. I already knew all the twists and turns the story was going to take, but that didn't make it any less enjoy able. This story was originally published as "Anvil of Time", and was later expanded into a novel.

If you've got a craving for more Robert Silverberg, be sure to check out his alternate history novels and The Gate of Worlds. I can't really say much that hasn't been said already, but I can say that Paul did a good job with the narration. It's a classic for a reason. Come see why.

"St. Darwin's Spirituals" by D.K. Thompson
Narrated by Mur Lafferty 
Originally Published in Murky Depths

We'll end our list with a story from D.K. Thompson, better known as Dave Thompson, former editor and host of PodCastle. In this world Charles Darwin not only developed the theory of evolution, but also a set of goggles that allow the user to see the spirits of the dead. Following this invention, interacting with spirits has become a part of daily life and spiritualism has seen a sharp increase in devotees. The story follows a woman named Lucy as she investigates possible criminal activity involving spirits.

First of all, hats off for the unique point of divergence. The world building and atmosphere in this story were absolutely top notch. The choice of Darwin seemed a tad random, personally I'd have gone with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but that's just me. I also really loved the writing style in this story. I'm definitely interested in getting to see more of this world. Dave has hint that we'll be seeing more fiction from him in the near future and I for one see great things in store. I wish I could think of more to say.

I thought that Mur, as usual, handled the narration quite well. An alternate history story from one of Escape Artists own. I happily recommend it.

Conclusion 

Well we've made it to the end of the list once again. I'd like to that this opportunity to thank all off the readers who follow this column. I wouldn't be here without you. I'd also like to thank all the hard working people behind the podcasts I review. I wouldn't be here without you guys either.

At this point you are probably worried that The Audio File is going away. Don't worry, I'll be back again next month and for many more months to come. I just thought I'd do a little something special since I feel like we've reached a milestone of sorts. In fact, I've been busy writing some stories of my own, and if all goes well you might just see them appear in The Audio File in the near future. Even when the gap between installments gets greater, I've got plenty of comics, and even a few movies and anime, I can review for you guys. In short, I'm not going anywhere.

Here's to all the podcasts we've feature, all the podcasts will will feature, to great stories, great people and great listens. I will see you all next time.

* * *

Sam McDonald is a college student from Shreveport, LA.  When not involved with his studies he can be found blogging on Amazing Stories, making and posting maps across the web and working on short stories that he hopes to have published in magazines such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, and the Escape Artists Podcasts.

The Audio File: StarShipSofa

Guest post Sam McDonald.

In this edition of The Audio File we'll be talking about StarShipSofa. StarShipSofa is a science fiction podcast that is part of the District of Wonders podcast family which includes Tales to Terrify (horror), Crime City Central (crime and mystery), Protecting Project Pulp and Far-Fetched Fables (fantasy). In many ways I can best describe StarShipSofa as what would happen if Alternate History Weekly Update was a podcast. The podcast is primarily hosted by the ever jolly Tony C. Smith and includes many informative fact segments such as Look Back at Genre History with Amy H. Sturgis, Science News with JJ Campanella, Film Talk with Dennis M. Lane and much more.

They even have their own equivalent of The Audio File; though their's is called Cheapskates and is about free fiction in general, but it has many of the same principles as The Audio File. Anyway, all these great segments in edition to the feature stories does add to the shows length. Average show time usually goes for well over an hour; sometimes it's even over two hours. I know it might seem intimidating at first, but it is all well worth your time, I promise. For those who don't want to listen to the entire show, the starting point of each segment are listed on StarShipSofa's website.

Certain episodes from early in the podcast's run are referred to as Aural Delights, but it is very much part of StarShipSofa. Anyway, enough intro, onto the stories. Everyone has a story aboard StarShipSofa. Let's go find some...

"Raft of the Titanic" by James Morrow
Narrated by Peter Seaton-Clark
Originally Published in The Mammoth Book of Alternate History 

In our world many passenger aboard the Titanic died due to the lack of lifeboats. In this story, however, after the iceberg was struck a great raft was created to save all the passengers. Eventually the passengers go on to establish a near utopian society aboard the ever expanding raft. With such a perfect society will any of the passengers ever want to leave?

With stories based around events like the Titanic or the Hindenburg you usually have to resort to fantastical means when writing alternate history. In this case, however, we got a somewhat realistic alternate history of the Titanic. I say somewhat because things do go a bit idealistically aboard the raft. The biggest issue I can think of is that, besides rain, there didn't really seem to be any source of fresh drinking water on the raft. Nonetheless, overall I found this story quite enjoyable.

This story is a great example of oceanpunk. What is oceanpunk? Oceanpunk is a punk set primarily at sea or on a world primarily covered by water. Waterworld and One Piece are good examples of oceanpunk. In other matters, I enjoyed how the story was told as a series of letters. I also thought that Peter did a great job with the narration.

An alternate history of the Titanic with an oceanpunk twist. Very much recommended.

"Escape From New Austin" by Paul Di Filippo
Narrated by Amy H. Sturgis 
Originally Published in Jigsaw Nation

This story takes place in a world where America split into two nations around 2004. The blue districts became the nation of Agnostica and the red districts became the nation of Faithland. The story follows a girl named Amy from Agnostica controlled Austin. She's obsessed with country music and conservatism and she determined to follow her dreams of traveling to Faithland. Are the two nations, however, really all that different?

Okay, the plausibility of this story is definitely on the softer side. The point of this story, however, was less about being a believable alternate history and more about providing commentary on recent society. In that regard I think this story does pretty well. True to their names, Faithland is a lot more religious than Agnostica, but on the whole they're a lot more similar than they are different. Granted, my personal views on the matter are a bit different, checkout my blog for that, but I digress.

Anyway, I found this story much more enjoyable than that other Jigsaw Nation story I reviewed in the post on Escape Pod. As for the narration, Amy H. Sturgis isn't just great at writing fact articles, she's also an excellent narrator. For a great story from the Jigsaw Nation anthology, look no further.

"Jaguar House in Shadow" by Aliette de Bodard
Narrated by Morag Edwards
Originally Published in Asimov's 
2011 Hugo and Nebula Award Nominee 

This story is set in the Xuya universe. It's a world where China kept its treasure fleet, discovered and colonized the New World and the Aztec Empire survived. Within the Aztec Empire there used to be several different military orders named after animals, but now only the Jaguar Knights remain following a purge by the new emperor. A rebellion was started by a Jaguar Knight named Xochitl, but it was suppressed and she was imprisoned. Her friend Onalli, however, is determined to bust her out and find a new life in either Xuya or America.

The thing that really sold me on this story was the rich and detailed descriptions of life in the modern Aztec Empire. It's clear that Aliette did a lot of research and knows what she's talking about. As someone who writes stories set in an Aztec inspired fantasy world I really appreciated that. I also liked the ways Aztec culture had adapted to the modern world. For example, human sacrifice has been phased out, but blood letting is still part of the religion.

This was a really great introduction to the Xuya universe, and I can't wait to find more stories set in this world. Morag handled the narration quite well. It's a story about strange rumblings in a present day Aztec Empire. Very much worth your time.

"Something Real" by Rick Wilber
Narrated by Logan Waterman
Originally Published in Asimov's 
2012 Sidewise Award Winner

Moe Berg was a true renaissance man. He had multiple Ivy League degrees, knew many different languages, played baseball and was a spy during World War II. In this story he gets involved in a plot to stop Werner Heisenberg and Germany's attempt to develop develop an atomic bomb.

I'll admit that I didn't know too much about Moe Berg before listening to this story, but that didn't effect my ability to enjoy this story. Obviously, the Nazis were nowhere near capable of actually creating a viable atomic bomb, but it does make for a pretty good spy thriller plot. It's really a testament to Rick's writing talent that the story worked so well despite potential issues. Hey, it won the Sidewise Award so obviously it's pretty good.

Of course, a story like this needs a good narrator and Logan is that narrator. It won the Sidewise for a reason and I happily recommend it.

"The Time Travel Club" by Charlie Jane Anders
Narrated by Ibba Armancas
Originally Published in Asimov's 

This story follows a recovering addict named Lydia who has joined a time traveler's club. At first it was all just pretend and games, but then one of the members brings an time machine to the meeting. Lydia and the other members try to figure out what to do with this astonishing discovery and grow closer together.

Yeah, the summary doesn't really do it justice, but this is a really great story. The theme of a lost person finding friends through nerdy means struck a cord with me. I never really had many friends in high school or that many growing up, but then I went to college, met my now very good friends, got introduced to anime, went on many fun adventures...okay, that enough about my personal life. Point is I related with the characters in this story.

One of the things I liked was how the time machine was just that, as opposed to a space and time machine, and the characters were always having to take the Earth's rotation into account. There are some slight alternate history elements to this story, but that's a surprise I really shouldn't spoil. As I've said before, the writing and characterization are top notch in this story.

Ibba did an amazing job with the narration. A story about time travel, friendship and finding yourself. I couldn't recommend it more.

"Prophet of Flores" by Ted Kosmatka
Narrated by David Birkhead
Originally Published in Asimov's 

This is the short story that served as the basis for Ted Kosmatka's Prophet of Bones. It takes place in a world where creationism won out over Darwinian evolution and is the accepted scientific explanation for how the world came to be. The story follows a biologist named Paul Carlson; he's been performing experiments since he was young to test if evolution is true. He's been assigned to a paleontology dig on the Indonesian island of Flores that could change the world of science.

A recurring problem I find with Ted Kosmatka is that, though he comes up with some interesting ideas, he doesn't consider their full ramifications. So it is with this story. The explanation for why creationism is accepted in this world is that radiometric dating determined that the Earth is only 10,000 years old. However, despite that both science and the world as a whole look almost exactly like our world. Not only that, but the fossil record is exactly the same as in our world.

Evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology and if you get rid of that you potentially get all sorts of changes. Also, no science is an island onto itself and knocking out evolution would have effects across the scientific world. For that matter, you don't always throw something out the window in light of new evidence, rather you can refine it in light of new information. You'd also expect that their be higher levels of religiousness in such a world, but again, nothing that seems different from our world.

Now I have to be fair here, when it comes to writing characters and bringing that human element to the story Ted does an amazing job. There are also hints at the end of some kind of conspiracy. That being said, I simply can't get over the tremendous suspension of disbelief required by this story. For that matter, I'm surprised Ted felt the need to go the alternate history route, considering that we live in a world where nearly half of all Americans believe the Earth is 10,000 years old and created in seven literal days.

Obviously, I didn't enjoy it too much, but I can't quite bring myself to give it the stamp of disapproval. Should you chose to give it a try I advise to approach with a considerable degree of caution.

"Adrift on the Sea of Rains" (Part 1 and Part 2) by Ian Sales
Narrated by Logan Waterman
2012 Sidewise Award Nominee 

Yeah, this story has been reviewed before, but I still think the audio version is worth going over. You guys probably know the drill; Cold War goes hot and only twelve astronauts on the Moon survive and use a bit of secret Nazi tech to search for a new universe to live in.

Now, this story has a lot of technical jargon that might not necessarily translate so well in audio. So, how well does it work? Well, StarShipSofa wrote to Ian about these concerns and he wrote a version especially for them with the jargon simplified or explained in-story. I can personally attest that it works out quite well, and Logan once again does a great job with the narration.

I really can't say much that hasn't been said already, but I can give it a strong recommendation.

"Lord Dickens's Declaration" (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) by Lawrence Santoro 
Narrated by Lawrence Santoro 

This story has multiple points of divergence, but the primary one is that religion died out in prehistoric times. By the 1920s there's peace and happiness throughout the world. The arts are the movers and shakers of society, with science and technology existing purely to serve the arts. Speaking of technology, it's advanced to the point of including such things as supercomputers and time machines. The story follows a team of historians researching a significant event in the life of Lord Charles Dickens, but things quickly lead into a bigger conspiracy all the way back to the origin of humanity.

In terms of plausibility this story is on the softer side, with figures from Jesus to William of Occam appearing despite the changes. Had Lawrence tried to made things realistic, however, it would have resulted in a world so alien it would potentially alienate readers. It took me a bit to really get into that story, but after that I really enjoyed it. It was also helpful the each segment began by recapped the previous events.

One issue I had was how one of the characters was planning on changing the past on the grounds that this world was missing something without religion. If this world had some flaws I might have been willing to buy that, but frankly this seems to be that world John Lennon was singing about in "Imagine". If anything this world seemed to be better off without religion. Still, despite some iffy elements overall it was a great novella.

Lawrence isn't just a great author, he's also a great narrator. This novella was part of a fundraising effort when Spider Robinson's wife was diagnosed with cancer. It's always great when speculative fiction does stuff like that. Another story that I happily recommend.

"Lure" by Harry Turtledove 
Narrated by Dennis M. Lane
Originally Published in Analog and collected in Departures

This story follows a time traveling hunter named Harvey Cutter. He's traveled to Miocene Italy to capture a species of primate for the San Diego Cenozoic Zoo. Unfortunately, he's been having a bit of trouble catching the primate, but I can't tell you any more without giving away the story.

It is well known that Harry Turtledove has a thing for puns and this story is no exception as you find out at the end. As a pun lover myself I quite enjoyed this story. I also enjoyed Dennis' narration of this story.

Now I'm going to talk about the episode this story appear in. For their 300th episode StarShipSofa had a Harry Turtledove special. They had asked him for only one story, but he offered them five; a very impressive feat. Now, they might no have had any power over what stories were offered, and Mr. Turtledove does write more than just alternate history. Still, none of the stories they received were alternate history and I can't help but think of all the great alternate history short stories we potentially missed out on.

Be that as it may, the stories we did receive, including this one, are all quite good in their own right. Let's take a look at some more.

"Not All Wolves" by Harry Turtledove 
Narrated by Ibba Armancas 
Originally Published in Werewolves and collected in Departures 

This story is set in Cologne in 1176 and follows a young werewolf named Dieter as he desperately tries to evade capture and execution. He's tried to get help everywhere, but to no avail. Fortunately, a kind hearted rabbi named Avram offers him refuge in the city's Jewish Quarter.

This is another story where the summary isn't much, but I promise this one is good. I always enjoy stories where the monsters are misunderstood rather than evil. It was interesting how the story made lycanthropy a metaphor for both puberty and the persecution of Jews. Dieter first started transforming we he turned thirteen and Avram mentions that Dieter isn't the only person to have been persecuted in Cologne. It was a really nice and heartwarming story.

There's not too much dialogue in this story, and Ibba did a good job narrating, but it still seemed a tad odd given that the story only has male characters in it. A story that is a little more hairy than Turtledove and one I happily recommend.

"Clash of Arms" by Harry Turtledove 
Narrated by Nick Camm
Originally Published in New Destinies IV and collected in Departures 

This story takes place in medieval Westphalia and follows an Englishmen named Stephen de Windesore. He attends a jousting tournament where he meets a merchant named Niccolo dello Bosco. The two men share a passion for heraldry and coats of arms. They quickly get involved in a coat of arms naming contest, and Stephen wonders if there is more to Niccolo than meets the eye.

Yeah, this is another story that's better than its summary. As a flag lover and flag maker, this story really spoke to me. I loved the exchange of banter between Stephen and Niccolo, and Nick's narration really helped bring it to life. You can always tell that Turtledove is in his element when he writes stories set in medieval times.

Another great historical fantasy story from Harry Turtledove.

"The Barbecue, The Movie, and Other Unfortunately Not So Relevant Material"
by Harry Turtledove 
Narrated by Mike Boris
Originally Published in Analog and collected in Departures 

We'll end with one last Harry Turtledove story. This one follows a technical writer from Los Angles named T.G. Khan. His father was a professor of Mongol History, so his full name is Temujin Genghis Khan. One day Khan receives a visit from a time traveling historian from thousands of years in the future named Lasoparop Rof. It seems Lasoparop was looking for that other Genghis Khan and is now at a loss for what to do. Khan decides to help as much as he can with a barbecue, a movie and a few wacky misadventures.

This is definitely the funniest of the four Harry Turtledove stories on this list. A lot of the humor comes from just how unfamiliar Lasoparop is with the late 20th century due to coming from 50,000-60,000 years in the future. He can't tell the difference between machines and animals, barely understands what fire is and yet apparently there are still Jews given that he recognized a menorah. Added humor comes from Khan's deadpan reaction to all of this. At the same time, this story made me wonder about how historians in the future will look back on the present day and what they'll make of it; as well as what misconceptions they might have.

Mike's great narration really added to the humorous experience. Easily one of the funniest Harry Turtledove stories and one I happily recommend.

Conclusion 

Well, we've reached the end of the list and I'm going to cut right to the chase. Tales to Terrify, StarShipSofa's sister podcast, is in trouble. It is in desperate need of funding and we've only got a few weeks to save it. As I've said in the past, part of the reason I started The Audio File was to get the word out and help podcasts in need. Well, this is a podcast in need and I'm not about to let a good podcast go under as long as I have something to say about it. Let's get  on it gang, any amount helps no matter how small.

On a slightly happier note, we've got a choice to make for the next installment of The Audio File. We can go back and visit stories we missed from past podcasts or we can move forward. If we move forward I'll be covering multiple podcast in the next post. We'll see Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons and either Apex Magazine or Cast of Wonders. Let me know what you'd like to do and that's where we'll go.

Remember, help a podcast out and donate some money, and I will see you next time.

* * *

Sam McDonald is a college student from Shreveport, LA.  When not involved with his studies he can be found blogging on Amazing Stories, making and posting maps across the web and working on short stories that he hopes to have published in magazines such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, and the Escape Artists Podcasts.

The Audio File: Lightspeed Magazine

Guest post by Sam McDonald.

Everyone buckle up, because in this edition of The Audio File we're going to lightspeed. Lightspeed Magazine that is. Lightspeed Magazine was founded in 2010 by John Joseph Adams, who continues to serve as the magazine's editor. The Lightspeed's podcast is created in association with Skyboat Road Company Inc, the largest independent audio producer on the West Coast, and is headed by the Audie and Grammy award winning narrators Stefan Rudnicki and Grabrielle de Cuir. Originally, Lightspeed only published science fiction short stories; however, in 2012 Lightspeed merged with its sister magazine Fantasy Magazine and now publishes fantasy short stories in equal quantity to science fiction.

In 2014, Lightspeed won the Hugo Award, and many of the stories published in it have won the Hugo, Nebula and Sturgeon awards. Lightspeed includes both the text and audio versions of their stories, but not all stories have an audio form. Interviews with the authors are also included with the text of the stories and I always enjoy getting the author's insight into the stories. Lightspeed has also run various special issues including Women Destroy Science Fiction, highlighting great women science fiction writers, and Queers Destroy Science Fiction, featuring LGBTQ science fiction writers. Lightspeed also has a sister magazine know as Nightmare Magazine, which publishes horror and dark fantasy short stories.

Besides John Joseph Adams, Lightspeed's podcast has been hosted by Jack Kincaid, Jim Freund and featured Mur Lafferty for Women Destroy Science Fiction. John has also created several themed anthologies, many of whose stories have been featured on Lightspeed. Also, be sure to checkout Lightspeed: Year One, a collection of stories from Lightspeed's first year which was nominated for the Hugo Award.

Well, that about does it for the intro. So, everyone fold your tray tables up, return your seats to the full upright position and without further ado let's make the jump to Lightspeed.

"The Old Equations" by Jake Kerr
A Full Cast Production

This story is set in the 22nd century, but it takes place in a world where Albert Einstein died during World War I before developing his Theory of Relativity. As a result, quantum theory became the foundation of modern physics. An astronaut named Jim is embarking on a ten year mission to another planet. The story is told as series of message transmission between Jim, his wife Kate and Mission Control. At first things seem to be going well, then the message times get increasingly out of sync. Scientists search for answers and begin to wonder if those old equations of Einstein's might have had something to them after all.

In case it wasn't obvious, this was that story I hinted at in my review of "The Cold Equations". I liked how the story was presented as a series of message logs, and everyone in the full cast production did an excellent job. Now, in terms of plausibility this story is a tad shaky. Admittedly, it is rather odd that it took so long for humanity to discover relativity, but then we'd have no story if they had. Jake said that he was directly inspired by "The Cold Equations" and he certainty did a great job of capturing the themes and emotions of that story.

A modern take on a classic of science fiction. Very much worth your time.

The Aetherian Revolution series by Carrie Vaughn
Narrated by Roxanne Hernandez and Gabrielle de Cuir

I'm going to do something different with this one. Instead of reviewing a single story I'm going to review several stories set in the same world. Specifically, a world where an alien spacecraft crash-landed in Surrey in 1869. The pilots died on impact, but British scientists were able to reverse-engineer much of the alien technology. Before long the tech leaked to other nations and the Victorian era was forever change. The series follows Harry, better known as Princess Maud, and Lieutenant James Marlowe as they defend the British Empire and try to discover the secrets of the Aetherians.

You may have heard of Carrie Vaughn through her Kitty Norville urban fantasy novels or her After The Golden Age superhero duology. Carrie, however, has also written quite a few short stories and she's quickly become one of my favorite writers. As for the Aetherian Revolution stories, I absolutely love them. They're action packed adventures of machinations and alien machines; from lost Viking tribes in Iceland to mechanical insects in Paris. At the same time they don't shy away from the more unpleasant aspects of the Victorian era such as classism and the restriction placed on women.

I'm not sure if the stories are exactly steampunk, given that the changes come from alien technology, but they certainly have that aesthetic to them. As for the narration, both Roxanne and Gabrielle do excellent jobs narrating their stories. I can only hope Carrie considers expanding the series into a novel.

It goes with saying that I recommend all of them.

"The Cristobal Effect" by Simon McCaffery
Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki 

James Dean, John Lennon and Princess Diana are just a few of the many people who died before their time. They would have had such great lives and would have left such an impact on the world if only they'd survived...or would they? Our protagonist possess a device that allows him to travel to different universes. He's decided use the device to save James Dean from dying in a car accident. It works, but things don't quite go as he envisioned them.

Before listening to this story I didn't know much about James Dean, but by then end I had a great appreciation of who he was. I also liked the way that travel between universes is described; it resembles time travel, but it isn't, and some universes change more easily than others. It not the most uplifting message, but living longer might not have meant more success for people like James Dean and I appreciate that this story didn't take the easy way out with that message.

Stefan did an excellent job with the narration. He really is one of the top narrators out there. Another story I very much recommend.

"The Cross-Time Accountants Fail To Kill Hitler Because Chuck Berry Does The Twist" by C.C. Finlay
Narrated by Mirron Willis

Yes, that's actually the name of this story. It follows two time travelers named Mabel and Harry. They come from a future ravaged by environmental damage and have been sent back to 1956 to set things on a better path. Oh, but this isn't the 1956 we know. In their world World War II has dragged on into the 1950s, the United States has allied with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union and the United States has become fairly authoritarian. Mabel also hopes to save Chuck Berry before he gets murdered by a klansman named Elvis Presley.

Yeah, this one's probably going to be a tad controversial, but just bear with me for a minute. I didn't really know about Chuck Berry before I listened to this story, but now I do and that's always a bonus...clearly my pop culture knowledge has a few gaps. Anyway, I enjoyed how the story implied that our world is the alternate universe created as a result of the accountants changing the past. I also thought that opening and closing the story with an instrumental version of Rollover Beethoven was a nice touch. As for the whole Elvis killing Chuck Berry part, remember, it's alternate history and nothing is set in stone. People are products of their worlds, and not always in a good way.

As for the narration I thought that Mirron did a great job. It's a story with more than a few twists and I happily recommend it.

"Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology" by Theodora Goss
Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki 

This story follows a group of anthropologists as they try to envision what a modern day nation of Cimmeria would be like. Before long, however, they find that their creation has come to life, and one researcher finds himself involved with the royal family and nation's political intrigues.

The premise of a group of people believing a nation into existence brought to my mind the Tibetan Buddhist concept of tulpa; basically, it works on the same principle, but with a single entity and only experienced monks can pull it off. Back to the story, I must say that the worldbuilding is spectacular. The culture of Cimmeria is one of the most unique alternate history cultures I've encountered in quite some time. For example, blue is considered a sacred color and as many women dye their hair blue, twins are considered one soul in two bodies, Cimmerians are Orthodox Christians, but believe that cats will guide them to the afterlife.

It's mentioned another team of anthropologists created a modern nation of Scythia, which only served to intrigue me more. I really felt like I was walking on the streets of a Cimmerian city. Also, I should mention that this Cimmeria has no relation to the Cimmeria of Conan the Barbarian; it's based in the Cimmerian people of Eastern Europe. Once again Stefan did an amazing job with the narration.

An imaginative alternate history that I couldn't recommend more.

"The Case of the Passionless Bees" by Rhonda Eikamp
Narrated by Johnathan L. Howard
Featured in Lightspeed's Women Destroy Science Fiction

In an alternate Victorian England where robots with artificial intelligence, known as amalgamated, fill servant roles there is a detective who is second to none. His name is Gearlock Holmes and he is an emancipated amalgamated. A murder has been committed in Gearlock's home, and the clue point towards one of the mechanical servants...or there's always Gearlock himself.

This story did a great job capturing the style and feel of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. It was also interesting how the story incorporated Victorian attitudes with regard to the new technology of artificial intelligence. Watson considers Gearlock a friend and colleague, but at the end he ultimately views Gearlock as just another machine. In fact, the way the amalgamated are treated can be seen as an allegory for Victorian class relations.

In terms of the narration Johnathan did excellent job. A steampunk twist on Sherlock Holmes that I happily recommend.

"Willful Weapon" by Fred Van Lente
Narrated by Sile Bermingham

This story takes place in an alternate 19th century in which magic and mythical creatures have returned to the world. Several mythical creatures are immigrating to the United States via Ellis Island. The story follows a fae from Ireland named Cellach mac Rath as he and his fellow immigrants make a new life in New York City. Along the way he gets involved in a series of events that could explain why magic has returned to the world.

In many ways this was very much a magical twist on the immigrant tale. We see Cellach and his friends struggling to find a place in a nation that seems to simultaneously welcome and reject them. I liked how we had so many different mythical creatures interacting together. Among other things we've got fae and fomorians from Ireland, gnomes and dwarves from Germany and so on. Would have been nice if dragons had played a bigger role, but that my personal bias. It also made me wonder what Angel Island in San Francisco must be like with all the mythical creature of East Asia.

Fortunately, Fred has written another story set in the same world and is working on a full length novel. Now, let's talk narration. Certain podcasts only have one narrator, and with those podcasts you get used to the narrator voicing stories from the opposite gender. Lightspeed, however, is not one of those podcasts and has always had a wide selection of narrators. For what it's worth I think Sile did a pretty good job, but it still seemed odd to have a female narrator for a story with a male main character, and so many male characters in general.

All things consider it's an immigrant tale with a magic twist, and I couldn't recommend it more.

"The Litigation Master and the Monkey King" by Ken Liu
Narrated by John Chu
2013 Nebula Award Nominee 

Set in Qing Dynasty China, this story follows a litigation master named Tian Haoli. He's renown for his intelligence and resourceful thinking and he frequently receives visits from the mythical monkey king, Sun Wukong. After taking on a new case Tian soon finds himself in a plot to preserve the truth of how the Qing rose to power; a truth the emperor would rather be forgotten.

Well, if you've been paying attention to my past review you ought to know how much I love Ken Liu stories, and this was no exception. I got to learn about Qing Dynasty legal tradition and seeing Sun Wukong is always a plus. I'd alway known that the Manchurian occupation of China had disastrous consequences for the nation, but I had no idea just how brutal it was until I listened to this story. I also enjoyed the theme of speaking up about that past rather than letting it be forgotten to serve the future.

John Chu did a great job once again with the narration. Another story that I happily recommend.

"A Princess of Spain" by Carrie Vaughn
Narrated by Karesa McElheny 

This story follows Catherine of Aragon as she is sent to England to marry Prince Arthur Tudor. Catherine learns to love Arthur, but she's always felt a connection with his younger brother Prince Henry. A courtier from the Low Countries, or so she claims, has taken an interest in Arthur, and Catharine and Henry suspect she could be supernatural in nature.

I admit my knowledge of Catherine of Aragon is a bit sketchy, besides that she was the wife Henry went on to divorce, but I think this story did a good job humanizing her. I really felt for Catharine as she tried to find her place in an unfamiliar land. I also liked how the story brought that same humanizing quality to Henry and the person he was before becoming king.

I know this is a fantasy story, and (minor spoil) the courtier turned out to be a succubus, but based on the dialog came across more like a time traveler or that there's something bigger we're not seeing. Not sure if Carrie intended that, but it was something that stuck out to me.

Karesa handled the narration quite well. Another Carrie Vaughn story I happily recommend.

"Second Hand" by Rajan Khanna
Narrated by Phil Gigante
Featured in Dead Man's Hand anthology 

This story is a sequel to Rajan Khanna's "Card Sharp", which I reviewed in the post about PodCastle. You don't have to have read/listened to "Card Sharp" to enjoy this story, but it does add something to the experience. This time the action is moved west of the Mississippi and into the Wyoming Territory. Quentin Ketterly is training his old master's son, Hiram Tetch, in the art of being a card sharp. They've come to Wyoming in hopes of tracking down a fellow card sharp and learn how to better utilize the magic within their playing cards.

As you know I enjoy "Card Sharp" and this story was even better. I liked how this story expanded the mythos of the card sharps. I also enjoyed seeing some of the ways the other card sharps made use of their cards and how they were able to bend the rules of the cards in their favor. The change of setting to the Wild West was another welcome addition.

Phil Gigante is another of those top quality professional narrators, and he did a great job here. An even better sequel to a great story. Very much recommended.

"None Owns the Air" by Ken Liu
Narrated by Paul Boehmer

This story is a prequel to Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty trilogy, the first book of which, The Grace of Kings, is out now. The story is set on the fictional archipelago of Dara. Our protagonist Kino is from Xana, the poorest and most looked down upon of the seven islands of Dara. Kino is determined to do something to prove not only his own worth, but also Xana's worth to all of Dara. Soon the answer becomes clear; he's going to invent a flying machine, but what will be the consequences of such an invention?

Okay, this story isn't alternate history or historical fantasy, so why did I include it? I included it because it is an excellent example of silkpunk. What is silkpunk? Silkpunk is a fairly new punk, so new it might have just been invented. It incorporates materials and technologies common to East Asia; so we're talking things like armored whales, battle kites, hot air balloons and airships made of silk and much more. Many of the machines are usually based on living creatures and the natural world, and it gives them an organic feel.

I don't know if Ken Liu invented silkpunk, but he's certainly helped raise awareness and might even do much to popularize it. As for the story itself, it wetted my appetite and I'm hungry for more. Ken intended the series to be a retelling of the founding of China's Han Dynasty. However, rather than being a fantasy China, Dara is a blend of many different cultures that combine to create a setting unlike anything I've encountered before. You see bits and pieces of various cultures, but none that are 100% recognizably based on preexisting civilizations. It was nice to see a fantasy story that broke from the standard European-esque setting.

I liked how the story asked a lot of tricky questions, especially with regards to science and religion, but didn't give any solid answers. I also thought that Paul did and excellent job with the narration.

It's a great silkpunk story that I couldn't recommend more.

"The Battle of York" by James Stoddard 
Narrated by Vikas Adam
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

During the mid 21st century a shift in the Earth magnetic poles caused all electrical technology to be destroyed. America collapsed, but hundreds of years later humanity has recovered and pieced together a history known as the Americana. It tells of the great General Washington, wielder of the battle-axe Valleyforge, as he seeks redemption following humiliation in battle against the Gauls and American Natives. Waynejon, also know as The Pilgrim, tells him that to achieve redemption he must travel to Mount Rushmore to attain the Words of Power as that he can defeat the wizard Cornwallis and his legions of frost giants. Along the way he is joined by Arm Strong, with hair like custard, the eagles E Perilous Unum and Apollo Leven, Eisenhower Iron Hewer and even the Star Weaver Betsy Ross. Together they must make America a land of freedom and second chances.

Okay, it's not exactly alternate history, but still plenty of fun. Obviously, the history the future humans established is laughably off the mark, but yet it still retained an essential Americaness. I liked how a lot of the names were purposefully misspelled, suggesting the writers were guessing based on oral accounts or than language had changed. It might seem a little crazy and off the rails at time, but I liked how the story embraced it's insane mishmash nature.

Of course, a story like this needs a good narrated to keep it entertaining and heartfelt, and Vikas did a spot on job in that regard. It's a fun and mythologized take on American History that I happily recommend.

"Get a Grip" by Paul Park
Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki
Originally Published in Omni Online

This story follows a fellow by the name of Paul Park. He's a lawyer living in New York City with a pretty good life. That is until his friend Boris beings to suggest that the world as Paul knows it is in fact a lie. At first Paul brushes it off, but then he begins to wonder if Boris might be onto something.

Okay, that's not much of a explanation, but there is a huge twist in this story and it's next to impossible to talk about this story without mentioning the twist. That being said, I will try my best. This story is technically alternate history, but that isn't apparent until the end so I can't give too many details. I can, however, say that I thought that the writing was excellent. I also thought that Stefan did a great job with the narration.

Even if I can't give away to much I can at least say it's a good story well worth your time.

Conclusion

Well we've reached the end of another great list of stories. However, I feel that there needs to be a few changes around here. Matt has been putting emphasis lately on letting the readers decide how things go on this blog and I think that The Audio File ought to do the same.

So, this is where we stand. There's a lot of really good podcasts out there, but for next time we have two options that are ready for launch. I had originally scheduled next month to feature StarShipSofa, and if you'd like that then that's what we'll do. However, I'd also scheduled us to return to Escape Pod and see all those stories we didn't get to see the last time. Either one would make an excellent choice, and don't worry, whatever you pick we will get to the other. It's just a matter of who comes first.

Perhaps I ought to let you know what each has to offer. If you choose StarShipSofa we will see a story set in the Xuya universe, an alternate fate for the passenger of Titanic, some Harry Turtledove stories, a story from Jigsaw Nation I actually liked and much more. Should you pick Escape Pod we'll see a world where the Aztecs have taken to the stars, a world where wars are mated with living chess pieces, a world where an astroid struck in the Bronze Age, a world where the oceans are being colonized and much more.

Like I said, it all up to you guys. Let your voices be heard here, on Facebook and Twitter. Whatever happen I promise it'll be great. See you next time.

* * *

Sam McDonald is a college student from Shreveport, LA.  When not involved with his studies he can be found making and posting maps across the web and working on short stories that he hopes to have published in magazines such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, and the Escape Artists Podcasts.

Weekly Update #195

Editor's Note

Hard to believe I am only 5 Weekly Updates away from #200. As I did for Weekly Update #100, I will record a special video message for all of our followers. Hopefully I will have some interesting news to share with you all.

In other news, I am going to retire the Videos for Alternate Historians segment. It has never been as successful as the other long running series of posts and I need to let it go. To be brutally honest, Videos for Alternate Historians has always been a cop out for when I didn't have the time or energy to write anything else. I am going to stop being lazy and really push myself to write more original content for the blog. I am still going to post YouTube videos I think you will enjoy on Facebook and Twitter and I may even share a "Video of the Week" here on Weekly Update, but I am no longer going to be dedicating a whole post to it.

And now the news...

Speeches that Never Were...

Did you guys read "5 Undelivered Speeches That Would Have Changed the Course of History" by Lucas Reilly on Mental Floss?

As the title states, the article lists five speeches that were never given due to historical events happening differently. Some of them are rather well known, such as Eisenhower's speech for a D-Day failure and Nixon's speech in the event of a Moon disaster, but there are few others on there that don't get a lot of attention, like Nixon's speech about not resigning and JFK's speech he would have given in Dallas if he was not assassinated.

What I like about this article is that it highlights how often politicians, general and other leaders have alternative speeches prepared so they can be ready for whatever happens next.

Do you know of any speeches that should have been added to the list?

The World That Wasn't Joins Facebook and Twitter

In case you missed it, the new alternate history podcast, The World That Wasn't is now on Facebook and Twitter. For those who don't know, TWTW is an alternate history talk show featuring our two hosts (Nicholas Davidge and Jamie Toal...got it right this time) and a guest historian. Their first episode focused on the Battle of Britain and you can read my review of it here.

Go check out my review and in the meantime, don't forget to follow TWTW on whatever social media platform you prefer. It is important to support all alternate historians out there. We are few in number, but we make up for it with our incredible passion for history and what ifs.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Review: The World That Wasn't podcast

You can probably tell I am a big fan of Jordan Harbour's Twilight Histories (it is a featured podcast after all). Nevertheless, I would like to see more alternate history podcasts since I feel there is a lot room for new and unique shows. There have been attempts in the past like Nicholas Pardini's What If History and the multiple incarnations of the AlternateHistory.com Podcast, but nothing that has lasted as long as Twilight Histories. Occasionally an SF or history podcast will have a lone alternate/counterfactual history episode, but never enough to satisfy the hunger of a hardcore alternate historian. So, of course, I was happy to discover the first episode of The World That Wasn't.

TWTW follows a format similar to Pardini's What if History in that it is essentially just two guys (Nicholas Davidge and Jamie Toal...I found out how the spell Jamie's name after being contacted by the TWTW guys on Twitter) as they discuss various what if questions. What is unique is that they also have a guest historian and include sounds effects, music and even short skits, so the level of professionalism is up there with Harbour's Twilight Histories, yet it is different in that it is not a second person narrative, but an alternate history discussion.

I probably shouldn't spend all my time comparing TWTW to other podcasts, because that is hardly fair. Instead lets talk about the first and, so far, only episode where our hosts talk about what if Germany won the Battle of Britain. Not a bad start, although they do inevitably talk about a successful Operation Sealion, which is (for those who don't know) the inspiration for the term "alien space bats". To our hosts' credit they did have Sonja Ostrow of Vanderbilt University on to reign them in when they go too fantastical and they also discussed other potential scenarios such as a failed Operation Sealion, the evacuation at Dunkirk failing and Britain making a negotiated peace with Germany. I also liked how they tried to stay on the overall topic and not go on too many tangents into other periods of history.

There is not much else to say after that. I think I can say without any trepidation that I will certainly subscribe to TWTW and look forward to next month's episode.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

The Audio File: PodCastle

Guest post by Sam McDonald.

So it seems my last article about free audio alternate history proved rather popular and now I'm back for more. I promised to cover PodCastle, sister podcast to Escape Pod, and I'm going to make good on my promise in this installment of The Audio File. PodCastle is the youngest of the three Escape Artists podcast. It's amazingly talented staff dedicate themselves to bringing you the best audio fantasy week after week. Said staff included (but is not limited to) Dave Thompson, Anna Schwind, Anne Leckie, MK Jemisin, LaShawn Wanak, and Rachael Swirsky. Their hauntingly beautiful theme music at the beginning and ending of each podcast is courtesy of Shiva in Exile.

Unlike Escape Pod, the original text of the stories isn't on PodCastle's website, but it is usually linked to. I've got quite the haul of stories this time, and in my research I even found a few I missed in my article on Escape Pod.  Don't worry, I'm sure they'll appear in a future article, but for now, settle in because it's story time...

The Calendar of Saints by Kat Howard
Narrated by Amal El-Mothar
Originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies

This story has multiple departures from our history.  First, Ignatius of Loyola founded a religious order known as the Sacred Blades. Whenever there is a dispute in Catholic doctrine the two debating sides will supply their own duelists, the aforementioned as Sacred Swords, and whoever wins is considered the one in the right (it is believed that God will guide the victor's hand). It also appears that Catholic history is considerably different than our world. There are several saints of science such as Galileo Galilei and Tycho Brahe. Also, God is referred to as a women and the Church is more gender egalitarian than in our world.

The story focuses on a Sacred Blade named Jeanne. Though she doesn't exactly believe in God, Jeanne does believe in the Truth and the rules of the Sacred Blades. Jeanne has been chosen to wield the sword of Ignatius himself, and she'll need it more than ever for a duel that could decide the future of the Catholic Church.

When I first saw the word saints I admittedly wasn't sure this was going to be the story for me. I'm happy, however, to report I couldn't have been more wrong. The glimpses we get of the alternate history of this Catholic Church are tantalizing, and ever so often we get little fact files on different saints to really help flesh out the world. As for the narration, Amal did an excellent job bringing the story to life and capturing all of the emotions present in the story.

The fact that this story could make someone like me, never the biggest fan of religion, care about its characters and hang on its every word shows Kat's skill as an author. A unique take on alternate religious history that I very much recommend.

Biographical notes to "A Discourse on the Nature of Causality with Air-Planes" by Benjamin Rosenbaum
Narrated by Graeme Dunlop
Originally published in All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories

Our story takes place in a world where India, China, Gabon, Japan and Malaysia are the dominate world powers, North America is balkanized and airships are the only means of air travel.  Our protagonist, Benjamin Rosenbaum, has been commissioned by a wealthy Rajah to write an alternate history story set in a world where something other than airships is used for air travel.  Benjamin, however, soon finds himself caught in an assignation plot against the Rajah and must rise to the occasion.

If ever there was a story that needed a sequel it was this. India as the dominate world power?  Jesus considered an avatar of Vishnu?  An Irish-Iroquois hybrid nation?  There's so many details about this world that are just begging to be elaborated on and that I'm desperate to know more about. I liked how we get shown little hints at the impact India had on Western culture, like how people with otherwise Western names sometimes have Sri in front of their names. The Eastern cultural dominance is also apparent in the philosophical discussions throughout the story.  If you're only experience is with Western Philosophy it can be a little confusing, but not too much so.

There's certain narrators who are always associated with certain stories to some people. For me, Graeme will always be Conan the Barbarian, but he still did a very good job narrating this story. Words fail to properly convey the sense of awe and wonder this story provided me with.

A swashbuckling alternate history that leaves you hungry for more.

Wane by Elizabeth Bear
Narrated by Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart
Originally published in Interzone #203

This story is set in the same world as Elizabeth Bear's New Amsterdam series.  In this world Native Americans were able to mostly repel European colonization thanks to the use of magic.  By the 19th century the European settlements, huddled along the coastline, have yet to gain their independence; and obviously New York is still called New Amsterdam.

I've been interested in the New Amsterdam series for quite some time, and I was very eager to give this story a try. I can honestly say this story was...meh. That's not to say I thought this story was bad, but I didn't quite care for it either. As stated before, this story had a really interesting setting, and a surviving Aztec Empire is always a bonus. As for the story itself, well it didn't quite capture my attention.

Let's talk about the narrators. Marguerite did an excellent job voicing her characters, but as for Alasdair...I find myself questioning if he was the best choice for this story. When he's paired with the right story Alasdair can work absolute wonders. Here, however, he kind of dropped the ball. There were a lot of characters Alasdair needed to make sound distinct, but they all sounded so similar I had trouble keeping track of who was who.

This might not exactly be my cup of tea, but maybe you'll enjoy it. I'll say it's at least worth checking out.

Nor the Moonlight by Andrew Penn Romine
Narrated by Cheyenne Wright
Originally published in Broken Time Blues: Fantastic Tales of the Roaring 20s

Set in a dieselpunk 1920s Paris, this is the story of two lovers dealing with the effects of the First World War.  Several former soldiers are seeking treatment for the wounds they received in the war. Many have found hope in the surgeries of Pablo Picasso. He claims that his surgeries will make the wounded whole once again, but his patents are often turned into bizarre and gruesome living sculptures.

Andrew captured the cynical and disjointed style of the great writers of the 20s, such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald, perfectly. Cheyenne did as excellent job of conveying that feeling as well. I liked how even though the story featured a gay romance at its center it wasn't treated any differently than a heterosexual romance. I know I said that this is a dieselpunk story, but the descriptions of Picasso's surgeries does add in a few biopunk elements as well. Speaking of which, if you pay attention you can probably pick out a few references to Picasso's paintings in his surgeries.

It's dark, cynical and haunting. Definitely worth checking out.

The Osteomancer's Son by Greg van Eekhout
Narrated by Ben Phillips
Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction

Some of you are probably familiar with Greg van Eekhout though his novel California Bones.  This is the story which inspired that novel.  Magic in this world, known as Osteomancy, involves drawing power from the bones of prehistoric and mythic creatures. This can be accomplished a number of ways, but is most effective when the bones are eaten. After this the Osteomancer takes on an aspect of the creature. Of course, if you eat a fellow Osteomancer's bones you get all of their accumulated powers.

Our protagonist Daniel is the son of a well known black market Osteomancer. California is an independent nation and is ruled in the iron fist of a dictator known as the Hierarch and he's taken Daniel's daughter hostage.

This story really spoke to the paleontology nerd in me, and I loved how the La Brea Tar Pits played such a central role to the story.  I also liked how the powers generated by eating bones aren't always what you think they might be. For example, eating kraken spine apparently grants the power to summon lightning. It was a nice touch that the bones of Osteomancers are said to be brown, the color of bones in tar. Daniel's relationship with his father came across and complex and nuanced; overall very well written on Greg's part.

As far as narration goes I think Ben did a spot on job. This story does a good job of standing on its own merits, but I'm intrigued, and I'm definitely going to check out California Bones at some point.

I've been hooked by this story and you will too.

On Bookstores, Burners and Origami by Jason D. Wittman
Narrated by Brian Rollins
Originally published at SciFi.com

This story takes place in a world where the Civil War dragged on slightly longer than in our world, but still ended in a Union victory. A media mogul named Tobias Hornbee contributed lots of money to the rebuilding effort, and was able to use this to launch a presidential campaign.  Most people focus more on his help rebuilding than on the fact that he holds a near monopoly on the nation's printing presses. President Hornbee has been trying to suppress most literature on the grounds that it doesn't conform to his ideas of optimism.

Several booksellers have been subversively selling banned books in defiance of Hornbee. Hitomi, our protagonist and an immigrant from Japan to Minneapolis, is involved in such an operation. Besides the President, the booksellers also face Burners, a movement to destroy all written works. Fortunately, Edgar Allen Poe has recently come out of hiding to help the bookseller cause.

This story has steampunk elements to it such as airships and pneumatic tubes, but on the whole I'd classify this as more of a Gaslamp Fantasy. Now as far as the narration goes, while I think that overall Brian did a very good job, I find myself questioning why a story with a female protagonist would have a male narrator. PodCastle has always had a wide selection of narrators so the choice struck me as a bit odd.

As for the story itself, overall I found it very enjoyable, though I'm not sure I exactly buy Edgar Allen Poe being a Confederate sympathizer. I liked the way that Jason presented the booksellers and the Burners as ultimately having the same goal, but just very different methods of achieving it.  For that matter, I liked how the Burners were depicted sympathetically and as misguided rather than truly evil. It was also nice to see a somewhat steampunk story with such a diverse cast as this had.

All in all an excellent Gaslamp Fantasy. I say give it a shot.

Titanic! by Lavie Tidhar
Narrated by Ian Stuart
Originally published in Apex Magazine

Dr. Jekyll is on the run from the authorities.  They haven't discovered his dark secret yet, but it won't be long, so he's decided to journey to America aboard the Titanic. The ship, however, is going have a fateful run-in with a kaiju, the most famous kaiju of them all in fact.

Okay, in case you haven't figured it out, this story is basically Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meet Godzilla while on the Titanic.  There really isn't much to say about this story except that it was a lot of fun. Ian did an excellent job narrating, and if you're a fan of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen this story should appeal to you. For that matter, this story will probably appeal to most people.

It goes without saying that I heartily recommend this one.

Enginesong (A Rondeau) by Nathaniel Lee
Narrated by Bob Eccles
Originally published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies

The is the point where we transition away from alternate history and move towards Historical Fantasy. Case in point, this story is set in the Old West where trains have gained sentience, grown legs and walked away. With so many town dependent on the trains for survival it isn't long before a posse is assembled to capture the trains. Yet our protagonist Bose begins to wonder, if a train can walk like a man, can a man haul like a train?

On the surface the story sounds like it has no right to work, but it absolutely does. I guess that just show's Nathaniel's skill as a writer, and yes, this is the same Nathaniel Lee who is assistant editor of Escape Pod. The central theme of this story is about change and making sacrifices for a great good. The story as a whole does an excellent job of presenting these themes, and the final lines are especially memorable and haunting. Bob Eccles' narration perfectly captured the emotional depth of this story.

For a Weird Western that packs an emotional punch, checkout this story.

The Hooves and Hovel of Abdel Jameela by Saladin Ahmed
Narrated by Rajan Khanna
Originally published in Clockwork Phoenix 2

Set during the Golden Age of Islam, or thereabout, this story follows a physicker who has received a call for aid by a hermit named Abdel Jameela. He has fallen in love and married a ghoul, which in this case refers to a human-goat hybrid creature of sorts. He wishes to move to the country of his wife's people, but to do that he must become part goat, and he'll need the professor's help.

This is another of those stories whose summary sounds crazy, but I swear that it works. One of the things I like about Saladin's writing is that he asks a lot of though questions about issues of faith and spirituality without pretending to know the answers. I liked that the professor was cool, rational minded and asked for evidence before agreeing to help Abdel. At the same time, I could sense the conflict the professor felt when confronted with Abdel's wife. Here is something that shouldn't exist, and that legends describe as evil, but appears not to be any worse than a typical human.

On that note, I liked how ghouls were presented as morally no worse than humans or any other race of creatures. I guess Abdul and his wife go to show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. As for Rajan's narration, well, I think you can guess by now that I thought he did a great job. I also thought that effects accompanying the wife's speaking added a perfect supernatural feeling.

If you're looking for a good spiritual noir then give this story a shot.

Card Sharp by Rajan Khanna
Narrated by Wilson Fowlie
Originally published in Way of the Wizard

I've got another Weird Western for you. This one follows a young man named Quentin who has been trained to be a Card Sharp. Card Sharps are people who draw magic from decks of playing cards, but each Card Sharp only gets one deck in their entire life, so they must choose their cards wisely. Quentin's going to need all the magical help he can get because he's on a mission to avenge his father's death.

This story had some great worldbuilding. I loved how the card's suits corresponds to different kinds of magic and their number corresponds to strength. The plot of a son getting revenge against the man who killed his father and married his mother gave this story a bit of Wild West Hamlet feel, and that's not a bad thing. Without giving too much away, though, I can assure you this story has a happier ending than Hamlet. It is always a joy to hear a story narrated by Wilson Fowlie, and he did a great job here as well.

Another Weird Western I reckon you'll like.

Maxwell's Demon by Ken Liu
Narrated by Aki Gibbons
Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

You didn't really think I wasn't going to find a Ken Liu story for this list did you?  This story follows Takako Yamashiro, a woman sentenced to the Japanese interment camps during World War II. Fortunately, she's been given the chance to get out of the camps and work as a spy to infiltrate a secret Japanese military program. Said program turns out to be an attempt to use the spirits of the dead to create perpetual energy machines, and it's up to Takako, a spirit medium, to to spot that from happening.

Wars are rarely completely black and white, and World War II was no exception.  While not anywhere near as bad as the Nazi concentration camps, the Internment Camps were certainly not one of the better moments in American history. Ken did an excellent job depicting the attitudes and mentality of the era, and the sense of injustice felt by Japanese-Americans. Aki did a perfect job of delivering the emotional punch this story packs.

As with most Ken Liu stories I got to learn something new.  In this case I learned about the traditional cultures of Okinawa as well as the Maxwell's Demon thought experiment.  Without giving too much away I can say that the ending is tragic, but also with a bit of hope as well. Wouldn't have expected any less from a Ken Liu story.

Do I really need to say how much I recommend this story?

After October by Ben Burgis
Narrated by Eric Luke
Originally published in GigaNotoSaurus

We end our list with a story leans more on the historical than the fantasy, but is still an excellent story, so I chose to include it.  Our story follows the Soviet Union from the beginning of the October Revolution to the height of the Stalin regime. It also tells the coming of age story of a young revolutionary named Fyodka. He's been trained in the magic of Old Russia since he was young, but he has abandoned that in favor of joining the revolution. Fyodka's uncle Grigor has been trying to research a way to magically defeat death. The question is, which of them will truly bring revolution to the world?

Like I said before, this is the coming of age story not just for Fyodka, but for Russia as a whole.  We see them go from wide-eyed optimism at the begin of the revolution to deep cynicism and despair under Stalin. I'd like to add that if you're looking for an epic Zombies vs. Soviets showdown then I'm sorry to say you'll probably be disappointed.  Having said that, this story is nonetheless an excellent depiction of the early years if the Soviet Union.

This story really give me a new perspective of the harshness of the Stalin regime. That's not to say I necessarily think Leon Trotsky would have been better, but the story really conveyed the sense of shattered dreams felt by the Soviets. Here were a people who threw off the chains of oppression and dreamed of bringing liberation to other nations; yet now these same people soon witnessed their nation crumbling at the seems.

For a new look at Soviet history I recommend this story.

Conclusion

So we've reached the end of the list and I hope I've peaked your curiosity. This is usually the point where I'd remind you that if you like what you listened/read to not be shy about dropping a donation to PodCastle. You should still do that, but I'd also like to call attention to one of the authors mentioned on this list. Saladin Ahmed is, as I've mentioned, an amazingly talented writer. He's also going to through some major financial hardship due to struggling with depression and flood damage over the last few years. He's recently released a collection of short stories, and every one of them is available totally for free on PodCastle.  Any amount you can donate will be a major help, both for Saladin and PodCastle.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this list.  Happy listening and I'll see you next time.

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Sam McDonald is a college student from Shreveport, LA.  When not involved with his studies he can be found making and posting maps across the web and working on short stories that he hopes to have published in magazines such as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, and the Escape Artists Podcasts.