The Audio File: 5 Year Anniversary Special

Guest post by Sam McDonald.

So here we are, the 5th anniversary of Alternate History Weekly Update. I've got a very special edition of The Audio File for you guys this time. We're going to revisit podcasts that I've featured in the past. For various reasons I didn't include in my previous Audio Files. Sometimes I simply forgot, sometimes the story hadn't come out yet but I'm making up for that now.

Normally I'd talk about the podcasts that are to be featured, but thought we could talk about The Audio File itself and a bit of my own history. I don't quite remember when I found this blog, but I knew I wanted to be part of it instantly. I made some flags, and I made maps covering episodes of The Twilight Histories. I'm not ashamed of any of that, but I always felt that I was stumbling around and not really finding my voice. So what could I do to stand out from the crowd?

I'd noticed that Matt said he wasn't that into audiobooks, so perhaps that would be something. I'd also noticed that a lot of the audio fiction podcasts I listen to tended to have somewhat shoddy search systems; so looking up a particular episode could be a bit of a pain. It would be nice if there were a certain list of sorts complete with reviews of the stories. With all of this in mind I knew what my path ahead would be. Now the only question was what would I name my creation?

I considered names such as Freebies or Cheapskates in reference to the free nature of the audio fiction, but no. Then I thought about The Audio File, a play-on of audiophile in reference to my love of audio fiction. Audio File also happens to be the name of the premiere audiobook magazine, but I didn't find that out until later. I quickly put together an inaugural article and waited to see how thing played out. It has been more successful than I could have ever imagined.

Those first two editions are perfectly fine in their own right, but it's obvious that I was working out some of the kinks. The third edition, where I covered Pseudopod, was really where I felt like I'd firmly found my footing. Now, you'll probably note that I tend to praise stories more than I condemn them. The reason for this is two-fold: I'd much rather share a story I liked than rant about one I disliked, and space is limited by the word count so I have to pick my story with care.

Stick around after the reviews for a special announcement. Well, I think that's enough about me for now. So without further ado, once again it's story time...

PodCastle

Her Windowed Eyes, Her Chambered Heart by Cat Rambo

Narrated by Dave Robinson

Originally Published on Patreon

This story is set in a steampunk 19th century America and follows two detectives named Artemis and Elsbeth. Artemis is a robot who is powered by the element phlogiston. Elsbeth has feelings for him, but Artemis doesn't love her back, or so he claims anyway. The two detectives are off to investigate the automated home of a crazed inventor.

There really ought to be more robot characters in steampunk. It's an area of underutilized potential, so I'm glad that Cat chose to make use of it in this story. You could definitely see what Artemis goes through, constantly worrying about being deactivated, as an analog to the treatment of minorities at the time. For those of you who don't know, phlogiston is a fictional element that was believed to exist back in the 19th century. It was believed to exist in combustible material and to be released during combustion.

I thought that Dave did a good job with the narration. I especially liked the metallic echo that was used for Artemis' dialogue. It's a weird western with a robot detective. Need I say more?

Mister Hadj's Sunset Ride by Saladin Ahmed

Narrated by Cheyenne Wright

Originally Published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies

This story is set in the Old West and follows a nameless narrator as he travels with a man named Mister Hadj. Hadj had lost his faith in many things before meeting the narrator but now he's on the path to redemption. Part of that redemption involves taking down a clan of fundamentalist Christian vampires.

For me, Saladin Ahmed is an example of being able to like a writer's work without having to like the writer themselves. While we have our areas of overlap, more often than not I find myself in opposition to his views and I find him to be a rather annoying person in general. Having said that, I can still appreciate his work on its own terms. I enjoyed this story's theme of seeking redemption in a cynical world. The unnamed narrator is implied to be half-Arab which, while not entirely out of the question, would still probably be a bit odd given the time period. Then again, immigrants from the Ottoman Empire were arriving in America during the 19th century, so maybe not.

As stated above this story was featured in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, who have produced their own podcast of this episode. It was also reprinted in their special Weird West issue. In terms of narration I thought that absolutely Cheyenne nailed it with his narration of the story.

I story of faith and redemption in the weird west, and one I happily recommend.

Hart and Boot by Tim Pratt

Narrated by Amy Elk

Originally Published in Polyphony 4

This story follows a pair of outlaws named Pearl Hart and John Boot. Pearl is a former heiress from Canada who wanted to experience the thrill of being an outlaw in the Wild West. John is a mysterious man with the ability to phase through solid objects. The duo quickly become the scourge of the west and experience quite the thrill, but how long can they keep it up?

Tim Pratt has a reputation for knowing how to write female characters well, and this story is no exception. Pearl Hart is easily one of my favorite Tim Pratt characters. I just love how completely irreverent and carefree she is. I would have liked to know a bit more about John Boot though. I know that Tim deliberately left details about him vague, but I would have liked at least a token explanation about his origins and powers. Despite this I'd say that overall it's a fun little unconventional romance with a wild western flare.

Amy did an amazing job capturing Pearl's snarky personality with the narration. I think I've already covered my recommendation of this story.

The Litigatrix by Ken Liu

Narrated by Anaea Lay

Originally Published in GigaNotoSaurus

This story takes place in the 17th century and is set in the fictional kingdom of Dawul. Dawul is located between China and Korea and was founded during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. The story follows Sui-Wei Far, the daughter of a great litigatrix. She wishes to follow in her father's footsteps, but often faces discrimination because she is a woman. Sui-Wei is about to take on her biggest case yet. The home of a wealthy family has burned down and everyone thinks the servant girl did it. It's now up to Sui-Wei to prove otherwise.

Let me start off by saying there is some really great worldbuilding here. Dawul, because of its location, is a real melting pot of cultures. The most obvious cultural influences are of course Chinese and Korean, but you've also got Manchurians, Mongols, Japanese ronin and even some European traders thrown into the mix. I liked how, even though she was limited by the time and place she lived, Sui-Wei still managed to be a strong and competent female character. This story felt rather reminiscent of other Far Eastern detective stories such as the tales of Judge Dee and Judge Ooka. The ending was especially ingenious, but I wouldn't want to spoil that for you.

Anaea Lay's narration tends to be a bit hit and miss. Here, however, she does a really good job. Another Ken Liu story that knocks it out of the park, and one that I happily recommend.

Senator Bilbo by Andy Duncan

Narrated by Frank Key

A PodCastle Original

This story is set either in an alternate history or in the future of Tolkien's Middle Earth. The Shire has long since become industrialized, wizards are grumbling about having their university funding slashed, and orcs are an oppressed minority among other things. The story follows a hobbit senator named Bilbo, a decedent of Bilbo Baggins himself, as he goes about his day doing various political work related to The Shire.

Okay, I'm not entirely sure if this one's an alternate history, but I figured it was close enough. Certain works of fiction are considered sacred cows that one simply does not tip. Lord of the Rings is often counted among such works. To me, part of what made this story so enjoyable was how it parodied and satirized Tolkien without abandon. Well, that and I never was the biggest fan of Tolkien, so the sadistic part of me enjoyed seeing Middle Earth corrupted by crooked politicians.

I'll admit that maybe my disappointment with Tolkien is because of how everyone hypes Lord of the Rings. On the other hand, I kind of side with China Melville's analysis of Tolkien as somewhat conservative and reactionary. Underneath the mythical imagery and epic battles I've always felt an undercurrent of Tolkien pinning for a past that never really existed. I know you could debate this view, but if you keep that in mind you'll probably get more enjoyment out of the story.

Frank did a great job capturing the humor of this story with his narration. Die-hard Tolkien fans probably won't like this one, but if you keep an open mind you just might like it. I recommend it.

Pseudopod

The Western Front by Patrick Samphire

Narrated by Paul Jenkins

A Pseudopod Original

This story follows a group of soldiers as they make their way across France during World War I. They soon find themselves helping to guard a rose, but this isn't just any rose. It radiates warmth, light and hope. If the rose dies there's no telling how much worse their already hellish world could become.

Okay, the description leaves something to be desired, but I promise you that the story is well worth your time. World War I was a major turning point in world history. It was the first time industrialized warfare was used on a global scale, and we still feel its effects even to this day. Even without the supernatural elements I have no doubt that this would still have made for an effective and terrifying story.

For a story like this you need just the right sort of narrator or else it all falls apart. Fortunately, Paul is the right fit for this story. Not much more to add here, the story really speaks for itself.

Unheil by Kathryn Allen

Narrated by Elie Hirschman

Originally Published in Pantheon Magazine and collected in Typhon: A Monster Anthology

This story is set in 1909 in German Southwest Africa, what is now Namibia. It follows a man from British Rhodesia who has come to work for the German colonists. The work is hard, but he's sure it will be worth it in the end. Then, late one night, he is greeted by a woman caught between life and death. She tells him of the horrors she endured under the rule of the Germans.

You don't often hear about German colonialism in Africa, so in that regard this story was refreshing. The description of life for the natives under German rule is absolutely chilling. What really sold this story for me was bit after the story where Alasdair Stuart gives more context to the horrors of German colonialism. That's not to say that the story doesn't stand on its own merits, it just that it was a little something extra that gave context to the horrors. It's a chilling tale, and apart from the supernatural bits, it's all true.

Elie did a great job with the narration. Fittingly enough he's from Zimbabwe, which at the time of the story was known as Rhodesia. Another story of realistic chills, and one you won't want to miss.

Cast of Wonders

There Are No Marshmallows in Camelot by Christian McKay Heidicker

Narrated by Marguerite Kenner

A Cast of Wonders Original

This story follows a little girl named Leticia Andrews who discovers the great wizard Merlin is trapped in her play house. Merlin has been thrust forward in time following a battle with the evil sorceress Morgan La Fay. At first Leticia thinks that it'll be great and that she'll get to learn magic, but what will happen if Merlin doesn't get back to Camelot in time?

The historical accuracy of the King Arthur legends is highly debatable, to put it succinctly. At the very least it's agreed that Merlin probably was real; especially since he and Guinevere were from previously unrelated Welsh legends. Similarly, Lancelot was from an unrelated French ballad, so that cast doubt on him. Still, there might be just the tiniest grain of truth buried in there, and this story had time travel so I decided to roll with it.

It was a cute little story. I liked the notion that you can find magic in your every day life if you know the right places to look. The conversations between Merlin and Leticia were fun and I liked the way magic was described. I also enjoyed the bits that follows Leticia later in her life as she searches for sources of magic. It was a nice little touch that tied everything together.

As I've mentioned in the past, every year the crew of Cast of Wonders select stories that they thought were particularly outstanding for a special honor. This story was Alexis Goble's pick for 2015. It is always a joy to hear Marguerite Kenner narrate a story, and this was no exception.

A fun little story about time travel and marshmallows. I recommend it.

The Great Game series by James Vachowski

Narrated by Barry J. North and Graeme Dunlop

A Cast of Wonders Original

This story follows...well, we never really learn his name. We do learn that he used to serve in the British army during the early 20th century and went on many fantastical adventures for king and country. From finding flying carpets in Persia to discovering the lost city of Iram in Arabia. The stories are framed as him recounting his adventures to students doing research at a library.

This one's going to be a group review since there are seven stories in the series. Overall I'd say these stories were a bit hit and miss. A couple were reasonably good pastiches of Victorian adventure stories, a couple started off good before running out of steam, and a few were just kind of meh. I guess that's kind of my biggest issue with these stories. They had interesting concepts, but for the most part they failed to realize their potential. Don't get me wrong, there we a few gems here and there, but overall I didn't find this collection of stories particularly memorable.

The stories are almost all narrated by Barry, though Graeme did narrate one of them. They both made valiant efforts, but it wasn't enough to salvage the stories which didn't work. I didn't quite care for these stories, but I'll say they're at least worth checking out. Who know, maybe you'll like them.

StarShipSofa

Don Quixote by Carrie Vaughn

Narrated by Nicola Seaton-Clark

Originally Published in Armored

This story follows a pair of American reporters who are in Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War. They come across a pair of brothers who have invented a diesel powered robot tank in hopes of defeating Franco's forces. The invention is a marvel of engineering, but what are the consequences of such a device?

It's often said that the Spanish Civil War was the first shots fired in World War II. I've always found it to be an interesting subject and it was nice to see a story set in it. I liked that this story wasn't so much anti-technology as much as it was a caution about the potential misuses of technology. I mean, just imagine what might have happened if Nazi Germany got their hands on an army of robot tanks like the ones in the story.

Stories that have narrators that are the opposite gender of their characters are always a bit of a gamble. Here, however, it works out reasonably well. I'm sure you all remember Nicola Seaton-Clark from when I covered Far-Fetched Fables. It's another great story from Carrie Vaughn I'm sure you'll enjoy.

The Wreck of Mars Adventure by David D. Levine

Narrated by David D. Levine

Originally Published in Old Mars

This story takes places in a world where physics and astronomy function as they were believed to in the 18th century. The notorious pirate Captain Kidd has finally been captured, but he's been given a chance to escape execution. He has been charged with leading a mission of diplomacy and discovery to the planet Mars. Little does Kidd know that's he's in for the adventure of his life.

This story had a certain nostalgic element for me. I was very much reminded of the often forgotten Disney movie Treasure Planet. For those who haven't seen it, it's basically Treasure Island in a space opera setting. I have many fond memories of watching that movie when I was younger. The writing style itself was very evocative of the high seas adventure stories of the 18th and 19th centuries. You really get that sense of excitement about exploring new horizons in an age of discoveries.

Authors narrating their own stories has its pros and cons. They can often do the characters' voices closer to their original vision, but they must have proper narration skills to pull it off. David is quite the narrator in addition to being a good writer, so it all works out.

An adventure on the high seas of outer space that I happily recommend.

Lightspeed Magazine

Time Shards by Greg Benford

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki

Originally Published in Universe 9

This story follows to researchers at the Smithsonian Institute who are helping to create a vault-size time capsule that will be opened in 1000 years. They're also researching items from 1000 years in the past as part of a special exhibit to celebrate the BiMillennial. During this process they discover that, by running copper wiring against clay pots, they can hear voices from the past.

For those of you wondering, this is an alternate history, albeit a subtle one. The story seems to take place in 2000 or thereabout, and it's mentioned that the president is a woman, though I have no clue who that could be. The other obvious divergence is the discovery the researchers make by playing the clay pots like records. I found that particularly intriguing because it sounds like something that could happen in the real world. It was interesting getting to hear the Middle English messages in the pots. It didn't sound anything like Modern English, but at the same time I could catch little snippets that I understood or could guess the meaning of.

I guess you could almost consider this a time travel story with history as the time machine. As usual, Stefan does a great job with the narration. I give this story a hearty recommendation.

Selfie by Sandra McDonald

Narrated by Judy Young

This story follows a girl from the future named Susan. Her mother is a researcher at a colony on the Moon, and her father is a time traveling travel writer/tour agent. She's been on plenty of vacations to the past with her dad, but she yearns for the promise of outer space. To get out of the latest trip to the past she buys a robot copy of herself known as a Selfie. It seems like the perfect plan, but things don't work out as she expects.

Yeah, it's kind of hard to talk about this story without spoiling the whole thing, but I'll give it a shot. First off, I have no relation to Sandra. I found Selfie to be an interesting concept. You can give them any memories you choose, send them off to do whatever you want and when you're done their memories of the experience are downloaded into you. A time traveling tourism agency also sounds intriguing, though you'd think it would have to be highly regulated because of all the things that could potentially go wrong.

I thought Judy did a really good job with the narration. I can't really say much more, but I can say you ought to check this story out.

The Drabblecast

A Last Kiss For Lazarus Winters by D.K. Thompson

Narrated by MarBelle

A Drabblecast Original

This story is set in the world of Dave Thompson's St. Darwin's Spiritual series. It is a world where Charles Darwin developed goggles that allow the living to see the dead. The story follows Lazarus Winters, a black man living in London. He makes a living by extorting spirits for money and information. He's currently investigating the murder of his friend Neena. The investigation soon leads him to uncover a conspiracy of religious fanatics with a vendetta against the spirits.

As you may remember, I reviewed another St. Darwin story during my second article on Escape Pod. Of the two I think I prefer this one better. I liked how this story showed what it was like for people of color in Victorian Britain. We defiantly get to see the seedier side of this universe, and I think that was to this story's benefit. Also, there are no steam powered marvels or airships in this story, so if you don't like those you'll be good with this one.

Another things helping this story with MarBelle's narration and the excellent use of music and sound effects. All in all, another great entry to the St. Darwin's Spiritual universe.

Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain by Cat Rambo

Narrated by Norm Sherman

Originally Published in Near+Far

This story takes place in an alternate universe populated by sentient porcelain people. Their world is a hub of interdimensional travel and tourism. The story follows a porcelain woman named Tikka as she falls in love with a human from Earth.

This one's a bit unusual as far as alternate histories go, but I figured it was worth squeezing in. I found it somewhat confusing that the porcelain people were assigned social class arbitrarily. It almost reminded me of the classic EC Comics story "Judgement Day". Conversely, I was intrigued by the descriptions of other universes. For that matter, the porcelain people seem like they'd need to have been created by something else, but what made them? There's a universe inhabited by purple griffins and a universe with sentient rainbows, among other worlds. I can't really say much about the story's central romance without giving it all away. You'll have to find that out for yourself.

As usual, Norm does an excellent job with the narration. A slightly unusual alternate history, but one that is well worth your time

Conclusion

Well, we've reached the end of the list once again. What can I say, it's been a great ride. At this point I'm kind of waiting for the pool of stories to refresh itself, so it might be a bit before the next edition of The Audio File. I can't say when, but one day it will return. But don't worry, this is not goodbye.

I've noticed that the Update is in need of an anime expert, and I think that is how it will move forward in my contributions. In fact, I'm working on a very special review to come in the next month or so. I'm keeping it under wraps, but I can give you a taste. You may know that I enjoyed the anime Code Geass, flawed though it is. Well, this anime that I will be reviewing, I liked it even more than Code Geass.

I hope that you have enjoy The Audio File. I hope that it has brought great stories, great podcasts and great peoples into your life. And hey, if you're still hungry for more I've got another version of The Audio File over on Amazing Stories. So if you've been looking for great non-alternate history audio fiction, let's just say I've got you covered. You'll probably be seeing a lot more from that Audio File in the near future. On a side note, props to Matt for bringing great content week after week. You keep a way better blog schedule than I do with my own blog.

Happy listening to you all, and happy fifth anniversary Alternate History Weekly Update. Thank you for listening, I will see you guys 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: Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons and Cast of Wonders

Guest post by Sam McDonald.

We're gonna do something a little different in this edition of The Audio File. I'm bring you not one, not two, but three podcasts worth of great stories. We've reached the point where I'll be reviewing multiple podcast in each post much like I do over at Amazing Stories. Let's meet the podcast featured in this edition, shall we?

The first podcast we've got is Clarkesworld Magazine. Founded in 2006 by Neil Clarke, this magazine has won or been nominated for pretty much ever speculative fiction award out there. Almost all of Clarkesworld's stories are narrated by Kate Baker. The second podcast we'll be see is Strange Horizons.  It was founded in 2000 by Mary Anne Mohanraj and has since been led by editors such as Susan Marie Gropp and Niall Harrison. It has also won many awards and its stories are narrated by Anaea Lay. Not the most exciting descriptions, but as you'll see they both definitely have their merits.

The final podcast we'll be looking at is Cast of Wonders. It was founded in 2011 by Graeme Dunlop and Barry J. North. Cast of Wonders is a young adult podcast featuring stories of the fantastic, by which I mean science fiction, fantasy and everything else in-between. I can best describe Cast of Wonders as "Escape Artists Jr." due to how closely its crew works with the producers and narrators of the three Escape Artists Podcasts. Cast of Wonders features narrators from all walks of life and is currently helmed by Marguerite Kenner. It has also received multiple Parsec Awards, one of the highest honors in speculative fiction podcasting. They always make a point of personally responding to all their submission, even the ones they reject, to help upcoming writers grow.

Well, I think that covers intros. So, without further delay, settle in and let's begin...

Clarkesworld Magazine

Gold Mountain by Chris Roberson
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in Postscripts

This story is part of Chris Roberson's Celestial Empire series. It's set in a world where China kept its treasure fleet and went on to conquer most of the world. The bits of the world not under Chinese control or influence are part of the Aztec Empire. The story follows Johnston Lien, a woman whose grandparents immigrated to China from Vinland. She's visiting the city of Guangdong to research the construction of Gold Mountain, the world's first space elevator. To that end she's interviewing McAllister James, one of the original workers on Gold Mountain.

Okay, that description seriously sells this story short, but I don't want to give too much away. First a word on names; the names are rendered in the East Asian style of family name first and given name second. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk plot. McAllister tell of the absolutely inhuman conditions he and his fellow Vinlanders were subjected to by their Chinese employers. Not only that, but he also speaks of the considerable prejudice and bigotry they faced while trying to make better lives for themselves. The really sad part is, barring a few science fiction related bits, all of that really happened, but in our world it was the other way around.

For that matter, it is best to think of this story as a mirror image of our own world. Chris has said that this was what he intended, and he hopes that the story gives readers new appreciation of the trials and tribulations of immigrants throughout history. He has more than succeeded in that regard. Even in the darkness there a glimmers of hope, such as Johnston, that show that the Vinlanders have been able to survive and even thrive despite the odds. This was my first exposure to the Celestial Empire series, which grew out of the Sidewise award winning short story "O One", and I can't wait to find more.

This story is mostly told from a male perspective, but Kate still manages to pack quite the emotional punch nonetheless. It's an alternate history take on the immigrant’s tale that will keep you thinking. Very much recommended.

Fade to White by Catherynne M. Valente
Narrated by Kate Baker
Nominee for the Nebula, Hugo and Sidewise Awards

This story takes place in either the 1950s or 1960s after a nuclear war occurred in the late 1940s or early 1950s. It's unclear who fired the first shot, or who exactly the United States was fighting, but frankly it's kind of unimportant. What is important is that the world has become severely irradiated and society has been forever changed. The story is told from the point of view of a girl named Sylvie and a boy named Martin who are about to come of age. As part of this process they, and everyone else their age, will be tested for fertility. Failing this test has potentially dire consequences.

Another summary that doesn't do nearly enough justice, so let me elaborate. You know that war I mentioned? Well it's going on, and men who flunk the fertility test get conscripted into it. The fertility test itself has some potentially eugenic undertones, as blacks and Asians are automatically disqualified. Polyandry has become necessary to keep society together due to all the men who've died in the war and the general fertility crisis. Throughout the story we get glimpses of the various advertising campaigns used by the government to distract people from how terrible the world is.

Wow, this was a powerful story. You really get the sense that this isn't just a world that's dying, but a world that is potentially on its way out. Some of the most poignant moments were the little bits of off-hand information. For example, it's mentioned that there are more Japanese in Utah than in Japan. This story is a nice example of atompunk. What is atompunk you ask? Atompunk is anything set in the future as envisioned by the 1950s, but with a more cynical twist. It's closely related to Raygun Gothic, but that tends to be more idealistic. To give one example, Fallout is atompunk, while Buck Rodgers and The Jetsons are Raygun Gothic.

The general feel of this story can best be described as an atompunk take on The Day After or Threads. Like I've mentioned before, the world building in this story is absolutely breathtaking. What's also breathtaking is how well Kate's narration captured the emotions of this story. Given how many award nominations it received, and more than earned, do I really need to tell you I recommend it?

England Under the White Witch by Theodora Goss
Narrated by Kate Baker
Featured in The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2013

In this story 1940s England is invaded and conquered by an ethereal empress who commands power over ice and snow. At first it seems that things will be just fine, but it soon becomes apparent that England may never see spring again. Resistance groups pop up, but they face considerable challenges from the empress' wolves, secret police and even certain trees.

There are probably some of you scratching your heads wondering how this story exists. As long as the words Aslan, Narnia and Pevensie never appear in the story then no copyrights or trademarks have been violated. Since they don't...well, there you go. Personally, I think it worked out better for not having a group of meddling kids and their lion god swoop in to save the day. It was much more effective to leave the fate of this frozen world undetermined.

The imagery and descriptions are absolutely stunning. This story can very much be viewed as an allegory for what it's like to live under a dictatorship. There's initially new opportunities for the disenfranchised, a cult of personality, rewriting of history and the arts, secret police and other totalitarian staples all with a magical twist to them. For the third time in a row we have a great Kate Baker narration with this story.  

It's a powerful story about magical totalitarianism that you won't want to miss.

A Sweet Calling by Tony Pi
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story is set in Ancient China and follows a candyman named Tangren Ao. He has the power to project his consciousness into the candy animals he crafts by calling upon the legendary animals of the Chinese Zodiac. He soon finds himself having to play detective after his friend Lun gets framed for a fire monkey attack in the market place.

I was always fascinated by the Chinese Zodiac when I was a kid, which can probably be blamed by my obsession with the Jackie Chan Adventures series. As such this story had a certain appeal to me. It was a nice touch that the main character preformed magic through candy. I guess you could say he was a...candymancer. Huh, huh? Okay, back to the review. I liked how the system of magic was described as well as the way the spirits were written. Tony is definitely a writer I'll keep an eye out for in the future.

It's short, sweet and to the point. I recommend it.

A Gift in Time by Maggie Clark
Narrated by Kate Baker

This story follows a man named Mouse who has the ability to travel through time. He's been trying to win the affections of a rich fellow named Ezra Levitz, who has a fascination with the past. Mouse is determined to use his power to win Ezra's affection.

Yeah, not the best summary, but it is a great story. Clarkesworld typically doesn't accept very many time travel stories, so when they do it's almost guaranteed to be good. I liked how Mouse had to keep trying because everything he brings to Ezra looks so recently made it comes off as a forgery. It was also interesting how most of Mouse's time travel investments failed because the banks he used failed. At times it felt like the story was commenting on such get-rich-quick type stories.

The times Mouse visits were all great, though when he went to the Thirty Years War and encountered Count Tilly my initial thought was "it's the guy from the 1632 series!" Yeah, I gotta put more actual history into my reading rotation. It was also nice to see another homosexual romance represented among the stories.

A story about love and time travel. I happily recommend it.

Manifest Destiny by Joe Haldeman
Narrated by Kate Baker
Originally Published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

This story is set during the days of the Mexican-American War and follows three Americans from various walks of life who become spies for Mexico. They'll be granted land and Mexican citizenship if all goes well after the war. However things don't go quite as they planned.

This story is historical fantasy, but of a decidedly magical realism variety. There are a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it hints of fantastic goings on, but for the most part it reads more like a historical fiction short story. Perhaps the magical realism is fitting, given that the story does take place primarily in Latin America. You really don't see to many stories set during the Mexican-American War, so this story was a rather refreshing change of pace. Then again, most American History textbooks spend, at most, a paragraph or two on the entire war, but I digress.

Many of the characters have sympathetic motivations for their action, and I liked how the story touched on some of the injustices and inequalities going on in America at the time. If you're a fan of Westerns you should enjoy this story. A story about an often neglected historical era. Very much recommended.

Rolling Steel: Pre-Apocalyptic Love Story by Jay Lake and Shannon Page
Narrated by Shaun Farrell and Mur Lafferty

This story is set in a world where the United States and Canada fell apart in the 1930s and 1940s due to technocracy movements. By the present day the many fractured nations of North America are entangled in multiple wars. The story follows a man and a woman who are traveling and doing their part for the wars.

Yeah, this one didn't really do it for me. The first problem I had was that the alternate history elements were really more for backdrop than any particular relevance to the story. Actually, it didn't even fell like even that much. This story could easily have been set in the near future and it wouldn't have made any difference to the plot. The other main reason was that, well, I didn't feel the characters were very engaging. That's not to say I thought the story was particularly bad, just that it wasn't very engaging to me.

Shaun and Mur do a pretty good job with the narration, but not enough to make up for the lackluster story. This story was from the early day when Clarkesworld hadn't quite found its footing and before Kate took over the narration. I didn't care for this one, but maybe it'll be more appealing to you. It's at the very least worth checking out.

The Long Haul by Ken Liu
Narrated by Kate Baker
2014 Sidewise Award Winner

Matt has tagged this story as one he wants to review, and I'm not going to take that from him. I will, however, make a few brief comments. I have to admit I was a bit surprised when I saw this story on the list of Sidewise Award nominees. Not because I doubted the story had potential, but because it didn't strike me as an alternate history story, but rather a near future story. Looking back over it, however, there are a few minor divergences from our history that allowed for airships to survive, but they're so subtle you can easily miss them if you aren't looking for them.

As with most Ken Liu stories I loved this one quite a bit. It really goes without saying that I give it a strong recommendation.

Strange Horizons

The Lucky Strike by Kim Stanley Robinson
Narrated by Anaea Lay
Originally Published in Universe 14
Hugo and Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novella

This story takes place in 1945 just before the atomic bombings of Japan. The Enola Gay has exploded during a test flight and so a new crew has had to be selected for the critical mission. Frank January, the mission's pilot, isn't sure he's willing to unleash such a destructive force upon innocent civilians. What consequences will his actions have?

Minor spoiler, in case it wasn't obvious, January intentionally misses and the story covers the fallout from his actions. Stories dealing with the atomic bombings of Japan are always a bit of a balancing act, and Kim does a good job handling the potentially touchy subject matter. The writing in this story is absolutely top notch. This is certainly a story that will keep you thinking for a long time. I can't give too much more away without spoiling this story for you, but I can say that it certainly earned its Hugo and Nebula nominations.

A great alternate history from Kim Stanley Robinson. Very much recommended.

The Suitcase Aria by Marissa Lingen
Narrated by Anaea Lay

This story is set in 1780 Berlin and follows a young opera singer named Udo. He is a castrato with the ability to perform magic through his songs. He's going to need all the song he can manage to handle the nix that's been harassing the opera house.

So a few terms we ought to cover before moving forwards. A nix is a type of Germanic water spirit. A castrato is a type of high pitched opera singer, and in the past they typically consisted of boys who were castrated before reaching puberty. A suitcase aria is a song that would be sung by a traveling opera singer. Now that we've got that out of the way let's talk about the story.

It's often said that music is a kind of magic, and this story just took that one step further. It was a nicely constructed system of magic. I personally would have liked to have heard a bit of singing with this story, but at the same time I can understand that this would be hard to translate into text. Also, hats off for using an obscure mythological creature rather than something more obvious like a siren.

A story about the magic of music and those who make it. Well worth your time.

Rib by Yukimi Ogawa
Narrated by Anaea Lay

This story takes place in Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate and follows a skeleton woman who feeds on men's souls. She's recently found herself caring for a young boy named Kiichi. Together they're teaming up to steal back a hair stick that belonged to Kiichi's mother from a heavily guarded temple.

There's a bit more to this story, you'll have to read/listen to find out more. I really loved how snarky and sarcastic the skeleton woman's dialogue was. As you should know by now, I am always eager to learn about new mythological beings, and so it was with this story. It was also nice to see a story set in Tokugawa Japan that was about something other than samurai. Without giving much away I can tell you that the ending is really heartwarming. As for why this story is titled Rib, well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself.

A fun little story with a touching ending. I happily recommend it.

Cast of Wonders

Kulturkampf by Anatoly Belilovsky
Narrated by Hans Fenstermacher
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story takes place during a steampunk version of the Franco-Prussian War where musical symphonies are used a weapons of war. The story told as a series of letters sent by Richard Wagner as he creates symphonies as his contribution to the Prussian war effort.

Every year the staff of Cast of Wonders each select a story they feel was particularly worthy of praise. This story was Barry J. North's pick for 2013, and I can easily see why. It was a great touch to play bits of Wagner's symphonies as the story was read. They really do sound like they could be used as weapons of war. I haven't seen too many stories about the Franco-Prussian war, and this was a nice change of pace from the typical Victorian Britain setting of many steampunk stories.

As for the narration, I thought Han's did an excellent job. It's a great musical steampunk story you won't want to miss.

The Haunted Jalopy Races by M. Bennardo
Narrated by Alasdair Stuart
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story is set in a small American town during World War II and follows the yearly race of the spirits of two teenage boys who died in a racing accident. Each year they grow into increasingly caricatured versions of who they were in life; the hero is practically a knight in shining armor and the villain has a flaming skull. But is the story really all that it seems?

What I liked most about this story is the way it deals with how we collectively handle death. All too often we remember idealized versions of who the deceased were rather than who they actually were in life. That's why I personally oppose the notion of never speaking ill of the dead. This story really did a great job of commenting on that sort of mentality by introducing a supernatural spin.

In terms of narration I thought that Alasdair did a great job. A story about how we remember the dead. Very much recommended.

Above Decks by Terry Ibele
Narrated by Phil Lunt
A Cast of Wonders Original

This story takes place in a steampunk version of Canada and follows a boy from Rupert's Land who works on an airship. He joined thinking it would be a life of adventure and sightseeing, but he spends most of his days shoveling coal below deck. One day, however, he decides to break free.

Okay, so this is a steampunk story with an airship, but I promise it's a good one. I liked how this story focused on the potentially less than glamorous aspects of steampunk and the Victorian era. It was also a nice touch the upper classes considered mechanical augmentation to be fashionable. Towards the end of the story, even despite all of the horrors, you get a sense of awe and wonder for how amazing airships must have been. On the other hand, you get a long look at 19th century labor conditions as well.

Overall Phil did a good job with the narration, though at time he made the captain sound a bit like Yosemite Sam. All in all a pretty good story that's worth your time.

Conclusion

So we've reached the end of the list and I hope you've had a good time. Before we go I've got a few announcements to make about podcasts. The first big announcement is that, starting next year, Cast of Wonders will be joining Escape Artists as their fourth podcast. This will make them the first pro-paying magazine for YA fiction. It is truly great to see the Escape Artists family adopt such a deserving podcast into their ranks.

The second big announcement, have you been enjoying the podcasts I've featured? Do you love them so much you wish you could own physical copies or maybe even a t-shirt or two? If you answer yes you should check out poddisc.com where you can purchase CDs containing episodes from Escape Pod, Pseudopod, PodCastle and The Drabblecast as well as t-shirt of the shows.

Well, I'll see you next time gang. Until then, stay strange.

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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.