LeVar Burton Reads

By LeVar Burton and Stitcher

Arts Performing Arts

What's LeVar Burton Reads about?

The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting and presented in 3D immersive audio. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Nnedi Okorafor, Kurt Vonnegut, Ken Liu and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...

Our immersive audio is best with headphones! If you'd prefer to listen without immersive audio, visit levarburtonpodcast.com/mono.

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LAST EPISODE

"D.P." by Kurt Vonnegut

02.28.2023

In a small German village, an orphaned boy lives at a home for "displaced persons," and puzzles over where he belongs. "D.P.” from the book WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE by Kurt Vonnegut. Copyright © 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, ...

LeVar Burton Reads episodes:

02.28.2023 "D.P." by Kurt Vonnegut In a small German village, an orphaned boy lives at a home for "displaced persons," and puzzles over where he belongs. "D.P.” from the book WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE by Kurt Vonnegut. Copyright © 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, ...
02.21.2023 "The Destination Star" by Gregory Marlow As a generation ship hurtles toward a distant star, one of its crew members receives a rare and precious opportunity. For more from Gregory Marlow, visit www.greganimates.com/writing.html. Content advisory: illness, death
02.14.2023 "Mister Dawn, How Can You Be So Cruel?" by Violet Allen An artist works as a dream concierge, creating augmented dream packages for clients. For more from Violet Allen, visit her on Twitter @blipstress. Content advisory: mind / body control
02.07.2023 "The Golden Hour" by Jeffrey Ford A time traveler is stranded in a small town. This story appears in SOMEONE IN TIME: TALES OF TIME-CROSSED ROMANCE, published by Solaris. Find more from Jeffrey Ford at well-builtcity.com. Content advisory: suicide
01.31.2023 "The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library" by Tobi Ogundiran A hapless salesman flees the librarian hell-bent on retrieving her lost library book. This story appears in Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, published by Tordotcom in hardcover and e-book, and by Recorded Books in audiobook format. For ...
01.24.2023 "Wok Hei St" by Guan Un A story of a stolen wok, magic, and manipulation. This story was originally published in Strange Horizons. You can find more of the author's work at guanun.com.
01.17.2023 Immersive Remix: "The Foster Portfolio" by Kurt Vonnegut A financial advisor meets his new client: a hardworking, unassuming man with a curious and potentially life-changing secret.
01.10.2023 Immersive Remix: "Silver Door Diner" by Bishop Garrison A waitress is jolted from her morning routine when she's visited by a mysterious child.
01.03.2023 Immersive Remix: "The Simplest Equation" by Nicky Drayden A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who's come to study from another planet. Find more of the author's work at www.nickydrayden.com.
12.27.2022 Immersive Remix: "The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar A young girl explores her own power, and finds kinship with a bird of prey.
12.20.2022 Immersive Remix: "The Last Cheng Beng Gift" by Jaymee Goh A family matriarch takes up residence in the Underworld.
12.13.2022 Immersive Remix: "The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst. "The Usual Santas" appears in Mick Herron's collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.
12.06.2022 "River's Giving" by Heather Shaw, Tim Pratt, and River Shaw A mystical phenomenon brightens the dreary days of winter — until one year, when it suddenly stops.
11.29.2022 "The King of Bread" by Luis Alberto Urrea A boy discovers his father's hidden kingdom. This story appears in the anthology Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, published by Algonquin Books. Find more from Luis Alberto Urrea at luisurrea.com.
11.22.2022 "Family Cooking" by Ana Maria Curtis A tale of complicated family relationships and magical cooking. This story was first published in Uncanny Magazine.
11.15.2022 "Down in the Dim Kingdoms" by Tobias Buckell An adventurer carried back spoils from a journey to the center of the earth. Now, his family joins him on a return trip, hoping to ensure their access to his fortune. This story appears in the anthology LOST WORLDS AND ...
11.08.2022 "#ClimbingNation" by Kim Fu When an Instagram-famous rock climber comes to an untimely death, his friends and admirers gather to memorialize him. This story appears in Kim Fu's collection LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, published by Tin House. Content advisory: Description of ...
11.01.2022 "I Was a Teenage Space Jockey" by Stephen Graham Jones While on a quest to beat the high score at his local arcade, a sixth grader has an unusual, life-altering experience. For more from Stephen Graham Jones, visit www.demontheory.net. Content advisory: Descriptions of violence, death
10.25.2022 We're Back for Season 11! LeVar Burton Reads is back November 1st with stories from Stephen Graham Jones, Kim Fu, Tobias Buckell and more, in our new immersive format!
10.25.2022 Immersive Remix: "Multo" by Samuel Marzioli A man remembers a supernatural force from his childhood.
10.18.2022 Immersive Remix: "Fantaisie Impromptu No. 4 in C#min, Op. 66” by Carlos Hernandez A reporter travels to Miami to investigate the fringes of science and faith. This story appears in THE ASSIMILATED CUBAN'S GUIDE TO QUANTUM SANTERIA.
10.11.2022 Immersive Remix: "Your Rover is Here" by LP Kindred A rideshare driver must spring into action when his passenger casts a dangerous and deadly spell. Content advisory: explicit language, violence, terrorism
10.04.2022 An Update! Plus Immersive Remix: "The Story We Used to Tell" by Shirley Jackson LeVar Burton Reads is coming back! Plus, an immersive remix of Shirley Jackson's story about a recently widowed woman who vanishes overnight. Content advisory: violence, death “The Story We Used to Tell” is from DARK TALES by Shirley Jackson, published ...
04.12.2022 Immersive Remix: "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu A new immersive remix of a season one classic. An immigrant mother tries to bond with her American-born son by creating a magical paper menagerie. This story appears in Ken Liu's collection THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES, available now ...
03.01.2022 "Afterlife" by Stephen King William Andrews, an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, dies on September 23, 2012, and finds himself confronted with his life after death. "Afterlife" appears in Stephen King's collection THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS. Content advisory: Descriptions of death, illness, sexual ...
02.22.2022 "The Last Truth" by AnaMaria Curtis This week: the first place winner of the LeVar Burton Reads writing contest, as co-presented by FIYAH Literary Magazine and Tor.com! A runaway and indentured thief, Eri must provide a new secret to open each new lock, at the cost ...
02.15.2022 "Troll Bridge" by Terry Pratchett An aging barbarian sets out to battle a bridge troll, mano a mano, and thus prove his mettle. “Troll Bridge” by Terry Pratchett, was first published in 1992. © Dunmanifestin Limited.
02.08.2022 "John Dillinger and the Blind Magician" by Allison M. Dickson Public Enemy Number One, John Dillinger, looks to escape the feds with the help of a cunning wizard. Content advisory: Gunfire
02.01.2022 "Open House on Haunted Hill" by John Wiswell A sentient house, haunted by its own loneliness, exercises its powers on a skeptic. This story was published by Diabolical Plots. Content advisory: Brief discussion of death
01.25.2022 "The Final Performance of the Amazing Ralphie" by Pat Cadigan An AI-controlled avatar built to entertain patients in deep space performs innocuous magic tricks for patients... until one day, he adds something new to his act. This story was originally published in AVATARS INC edited by Ann VanderMeer, and collected ...
01.18.2022 Immersive Remix: "The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex" by Tobias S. Buckell Get a sneak peek of our immersive sound! A cab driver spends an ordinary day ferrying passengers around Manhattan -- until an incident involving a wealthy alien tourist imperils his livelihood. Content advisory: alien death.
01.11.2022 "The Placement Agency" by Tobias Buckell What's the weirdest temp job you can imagine? One outside time and space... This story appears in Tobias Buckell's collection SHOGGOTHS IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER STORIES, published by Fairwood Press. Content advisory: some discussion of murder/death
01.04.2022 "To Jump is to Fall" by Stephen Graham Jones A spy narrates his thoughts as he jumps from an airplane and freefalls toward his government target. If you enjoyed this story, check out Stephen Graham Jones' novel, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, published by Saga Press. Content advisory: death
12.28.2021 "Drones to Ploughshares" by Sarah Gailey A sentient government surveillance drone is ensnared, and must determine his captor's motives. For more from Sarah Gailey, visit www.sarahgailey.com.
12.21.2021 "The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst. "The Usual Santas" appears in Mick Herron's collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.
12.14.2021 "Different People" by Timothy Mudie A man begins a relationship with a woman who has fled from a disintegrating parallel universe. For more from the author, check out his website www.timothymudie.com or find him on Twitter @timothy_mudie. Content advisory: Discussion of death
12.07.2021 "The Wishing Pool" by Tananarive Due When Joy revisits her family's old cabin, she's reminded of childhood memories of a pond in the woods and its mysterious powers. For more from Tananarive, check out her works at tananarivedue.com and look for her new novel THE REFORMATORY ...
11.30.2021 Season 10 Announcement and a Q&A! LeVar Burton Reads is back December 7th, featuring work from Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones and Sarah Gailey, a winter holiday story, the winning entry of the LBR Writing Contest and much more! Plus LeVar answers some of your questions ...
10.26.2021 Revisited (Halloween Edition!): "Singing on a Star" by Ellen Klages A kindergartner travels through a portal to a fantastic and eerie new world. This story appears in Ellen's collection WICKED WONDERS. Find more of Ellen's writing for adults and middle grade readers at ellenklages.com. Content advisory: disappearance of a child ...
10.19.2021 Revisited: "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience TM" by Rebecca Roanhorse A tour guide leads virtual reality “experiences” for tourists who want to know what it’s like to be Native American. Think Black Mirror meets Westworld. For more great writing by Rebecca, check out her acclaimed debut novel TRAIL OF LIGHTNING, ...
10.12.2021 Revisited: "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu An immigrant mother tries to bond with her American-born son by creating a magical paper menagerie. This story appears in Ken Liu's collection THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES, available now from Saga Press. Ken Liu's forthcoming novel, THE VEILED ...
09.07.2021 "On the Lonely Shore" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia A young woman is hired to look after an ailing man who's been ostracized by his family and sent to live in an old house by the sea. Find more from Silvia Moreno-Garcia at silviamoreno-garcia.com.
08.31.2021 "Tía Abuela's Face, Ten Ways" by Lisa M. Bradley An anthropologist copes with the passing of her beloved tía abuela, experimenting with her own method of honoring her. This story was first published in SPECULATIVE FICTION FOR DREAMERS. Content advisory: Death, surgery
08.24.2021 "Shock of Birth" by Cadwell Turnbull A man questions his current existence -- and the life he remembers from before. Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction, and reprinted in Lightspeed. Content advisory: mention of mental illness Only a few more days to enter the LeVar Burton ...
08.17.2021 "Words We Say Instead" by Brit E. B. Hvide A veteran pilot revisits memories, and searches for remnants of her old experimental smartship. Content advisory: War Submissions are now open for the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
08.10.2021 "The Years of My Birth" by Louise Erdrich A woman recounts the story of her birth as a surprise twin and adoption by a Native American couple, and questions the strange presence she has felt with her since childhood. Louise Erdrich's novel THE SENTENCE will be published by ...
08.03.2021 "You Perfect, Broken Thing" by C.L. Clark An athlete trains to win a prize that would ensure her survival. Content advisory: Discussion of degenerative illness, death Submissions are now open for the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
07.27.2021 "The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara A young boy feuds with a muralist who has taken over a beloved hangout in his neighborhood. Don't forget! The LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest opens for submissions on August 1st. Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
07.20.2021 "The Angel of Khan El-Khalili" by P. Djèlí Clark A girl visits a bazaar in Cairo, seeking a favor from a mysterious angelic being. This story first appeared in the anthology Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt. For more from the author, visit pdjeliclark.com. Content advisory: Fire, hospitalization
07.13.2021 "Milagroso" by Isabel Yap Marty brings his family to his hometown of Lucban for the annual festival to witness a miracle: lab-grown, synthetic food made real. This story appears in Isabel Yap's collection NEVER HAVE I EVER, published by Small Beer Press.

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