Sisters of Sci-Fi

A short story about a new life for a weapon of war long after they were abandoned on a foreign planet. This is a microfiction from a longer short story by L. Stephanie Tait.

Written and read by L. Stephanie Tait

Text of the story: Transformation

The last thing she'd remembered was destruction. But as her system rebooted, after so many centuries of inactivity, she looked down. And saw the flowers from the field into which she'd been surrendered had joined with her body. Moss flourished in the crevices where weapons used to be. Small creatures moved around her, unafraid. Her body was made new- a hybrid of metal and earth. Her purpose now her own. This was a new era. That she could write herself. A story with a happy ending. Or many.

All copyrights belong to L. Stephanie Tait. No permissions given for reprinting, reposting, recreating, rerecording, using as a prompt or for expanding into another story, or using for machine learning. Contact Sisters of Sci-Fi for permissions to use in all usages and scenarios.

Episode 2 of Earth Crew 2042, an episodic radio play by the Sisters of Sci-Fi podcast that is a light-hearted love letter to 1970s sci-fi.

The members of Earth Crew 2042 encounter a ship run by supercomputer 01000101 and it's impudent humanoid inhabitants. Are they friendly, or is there something else, something... nefarious afoot?

Written, Directed, Produced, and Edited by L. Stephanie Tait

Starring the voice talents of:

01000101- Julia Manis

A13x1s- Dawn Alden

Bob/Jane the Narrator- Kimberly Rockwell

Brian- Brian Carroll

Chandra- Lili Fox-Lim

Saliani- Renée Torchio MacDonald

Stephanie- L. Stephanie Tait

Treya- Michelle Grey

Music Credits:

Music licensed from Gavin Keese's original score to the film "Captain Valedor"

Additional music "Smooth Love 1976 (Piano) by Yagull Music and "The Space Between Us" by Boris Skalsky

Sound Credits:

Sound Effects from Storyblocks and by L. Stephanie Tait

Sound Design by L. Stephanie Tait

Sound mixing by L. Stephanie Tait

Image credits (everything was made by a human):

Poster image, Earth Crew 2042 logo, and animation by Brian Carroll

All copyrights for images, recordings, texts, animations, promotional material, and scripts associated with Earth Crew and Sisters of Sci-Fi belong to L. Stephanie Tait and the Sisters of Sci-Fi podcast.

Trigger and content warning for discussions of genocide, massacres, warfare, murder (including murder of family members) and use of chemical weapons. These are mentioned without graphic details.

A short speculative fiction audio story by L. Stephanie Tait.

Read by Kimberly Rockwell.

King Vusaad sits on his throne, in his empty kingdom, and muses on his feats, glories, and the importance of being king.

I started writing this story in 2011 when I heard about the imprisonment and torture of two young men who used graffiti to criticize the Syrian regime. It was this event that started the full scale rebellion against Al-Assad, and his eventual (and ongoing, though forgotten by the Western media) massacre of his own people.

With the deepening, vicious attempts to squash criticism of the West's rabid, unrelenting imperialism and involvement in genocides, it seemed like now was the time to release this story in an audio format.

People who will do anything to get into places of power will do whatever they can to maintain it once there. We see that unfolding in real time today with US, UK, German, French, and other Western countries' tax dollars being funneled into multiple genocides, all for profit. Special mention to the UAE's involvement in Sudan and DR Congo.

All this is happening while ignoring the cries of their own people. While people are buried under extreme weather and storms and loss due to climate change. Climate change being sped up by the amount of bombs being dropped on refugees in tents and hospitals.

This story is about them. All of them. From the beginning to now. Because they would not stop, even if they were the last person alive. They are all King Vusaad.

DISCLAIMER- all parts of this production are fiction, including the advertisements.

Untitled in Saturn's Rings is a narrative "radio-documentary" by L. Stephanie Tait

A week before the opening of the MoMA lifetime retrospect of alien artist Barbara Ksstrpr, she and her husband, Doran Ksstrpr agree to a rare interview about their lives and her artistic process. But during the interview, an event changes the course of their lives.

Written, Directed, Produced, and Edited by L. Stephanie Tait

Starring the voice talents of:

Alaister Trundle- Time Winters Alien- Neha Bawa Barbara Ksstrpr- L. Stephanie Tait Doran Ksstrpr- Brian Carroll Interviewer- Cameron Kaufman Ilana Crest- Lili Fox-Lim Sponsor ad announcer- Kimberly Rockwell

Music Credits:

Calm Echoes Still Heard by Sinsai Jasila

Velvet Waves by Humans Win

Find Chill LoFi by OKO

Cool Dad by Humans Win

Lets get to know each other Instrumental by Gushito

Ambient Fields by Boris Skalsky

Bathing in Light by Maps of Animals

Elevation of Mind by Eli Foster

Digital LoFi by Loops Lab

Sound Credits:

Sound Effects from Storyblocks and L. Stephanie Tait

Sound Design by L. Stephanie Tait

Sound mixing by L. Stephanie Tait and Brian Carroll

Image credits (everything was made by a human):

"Untitled in Saturn's Rings" acrylic paint, DMC floss by L. Stephanie Tait (yes, she really made it) Poster, Untitled in Saturn's Rings logo, and animation by Brian Carroll

All copyrights for images, recordings, texts, animations, promotional material, story, and scripts associated with Untitled in Saturn's Rings and Sisters of Sci-Fi belong to L. Stephanie Tait and the Sisters of Sci-Fi podcast.

Earth Crew 2042 is a new episodic radio play by the Sisters of Sci-Fi podcast that is a light-hearted love letter to 1970s sci-fi.

In the year 2042, Earthlings have conquered their solar system. The United Earth government has selected two astronauts to travel deep into the unknowns of our galaxy to expand the realms of humanity. But after slingshotting around Jupiter, a strange vortex appeared, driving them at immeasurable speeds out of the Milky Way and towards our nearest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. Now awakened by their super computer A13X1s, they must navigate a new galaxy, while trying to find their way back home.

Written, Directed, Produced, and Edited by L. Stephanie Tait

Starring the voice talents of:

A13x1s- Dawn Alden

Brian- Brian Carroll

Chandra- Lili Fox-Lim

Commander Blerg- Nadia Vazquez

Empress- Hiromi Dames

Groffney- Gavin Keese

Grrthnk- Michelle Grey

Hhhhhth- Neha Bawa

Queen Ghalitraya- Tiffany Cole

Narrator- Kimberly Rockwell

Stephanie- L. Stephanie Tait

Music Credits:

"Music licensed from Gavin Keese's original score to the film Captain Valedor"

Additional music "Fight for the Crystals" and "Friends with Snakes" by Dallas Holloway

Sound Credits:

Sound Effects from Storyblocks

Sound Design by L. Stephanie Tait

Sound mixing by L. Stephanie Tait and Brian Carroll

Image credits (everything was made by a human):

Poster image, Earth Crew 2042 logo, and animation by Brian Carroll

All copyrights for images, recordings, texts, animations, promotional material, and scripts associated with Earth Crew and Sisters of Sci-Fi belong to L. Stephanie Tait and the Sisters of Sci-Fi podcast.

L.A. Young generously does a guest-takeover-episode of the podcast to talk about race and oppression in Science Fiction. With her extensive knowledge, she gives suggestions and examples of works by Black Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction authors that have used the genre to address the issues of racism and social justice within society. The biggest thank you to L.A. for doing this episode and sharing her insights into such an impressive reading list!

The complete list of books and stories she mentions in the show notes on the Sisters of Sci-Fi website: www.sistersofscifi.com/

The books and stories on race and oppression she mentions are: Kindred by Octavia Butler Beloved by Toni Morrison The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Fifth Season [Book One], The Obelisk Gate [Book Two], The Stone Sky [Book Three]) by N.K. Jemisin Black Friday by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Specifically her short story "Zimmer Land") Riot Baby by Tochi Onybuchi The Deep by River Soloman The Devil in America by Kai Ashante Wilson (a short story available here: https://www.tor.com/2014/04/02/the-devil-in-america-kai-ashante-wilson/ Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

You can follow L.A. here: Website: https://mistyaquavenatus.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AquaVenatus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquavenatus Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOH5jwux5Wk3r5K2_z-ezQ?view_as=subscriber Fantasy Faction reviews:

Sisters of Sci-Fi is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and through the RSS Feed.

Jeanne Cavelos and I talk about her journey from Astrophysicist to Sci-Fi editor, to writer, to creator of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.

Odyssey Writing Workshops Charitable Trust site (lots of free resources for writers): https://odysseyworkshop.org/

Jeanne's site: http://jeannecavelos.com/

Odyssey Blog: https://odysseyworkshop.wordpress.com/

Odyssey Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OdysseyWorkshop

Odyssey Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/OdysseyWorkshop

Odyssey Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/odysseyworkshop/

Odyssey Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/odysseyworkshop/

Odyssey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/OdysseyWorkshop

The next book we cover will be Love and Gravity, by Samantha Sotto, in a crossover episode with Melissa Haskins of the Paperback Romance Book Club Podcast.

It is more than likely available at your local library, and can also be purchased here:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/546466/love-and-gravity-by-samantha-sotto/

Sisters of Sci-Fi is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and through the RSS Feed.

This episode is filled with SPOILERS, since we give specifics throughout our discussion.

Theo Motzenbacker and I cannot say enough good things about Joyce Chng's book Rider, which is the first book in the Rider trilogy.

You can purchase copies of the series here:

https://awolfstale.wordpress.com/the-rider-trilogy-ya-sf/

The next book we cover will be Love and Gravity, by Samantha Sotto, in a crossover episode with Melissa Haskins of the Paperback Romance Book Club Podcast.

It is more than likely available at your local library, and can also be purchased here:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/546466/love-and-gravity-by-samantha-sotto/

Sisters of Sci-Fi is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and through the RSS Feed.

Dalal Hanna and Andrea Reid, of the organization Riparia, and I talk about their work to educate young women on the importance of freshwater ecology and fisheries, as well as the importance of educating young women through Riparia on how they can make a difference.

Instagram: @Dalal_el_Hanna and @AndreaJaneReid and @RipariaExpeditions

Twitter: @Dalal_el_Hanna and @andreajanereid

Websites: http://bennettlab.weebly.com/dalal.html and http://andreajanereid.com/

Riparia: www.riparia.ca

The next book review will be on Joyce Chng's Rider (Book 1 of the Rider trilogy), which can be purchased here:

The Rider Trilogy – YA SF

Sisters of Sci-Fi is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and through the RSS Feed.

This episode is filled with SPOILERS, since we give specifics throughout our discussion.

Melissa Selzer and I cover a LOT in this episode- not only do we talk about two of Mary Shelley's works (Frankenstein and Lodore), we also talk about the history of Gothic Literature, our personal experiences with reading Frankenstein when we were younger, who Mary Shelley was, and how different Frankenstein the novel is from the film versions of the story.

The next book review will be on Joyce Chng's Rider (Book 1 of the Rider trilogy), which can be purchased here:

https://awolfstale.wordpress.com/the-rider-trilogy-ya-sf/

Sisters of Sci-Fi is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and through the RSS Feed.