Synthetic Voices

*Top Picks from January 2014*

"Utriusque Cosmi" by Robert Charles Wilson

Clarkesworld Magazine's January Issue

~62 mins

-- Here is an epic story that reminds me a lot of Rapture of the Nerds (for which there is STILL no audiobook). It's the end of the world, and our female protagonist is swept up into a technological construct. She explores artificial intelligence, post-singularity time dilation, and some of the unfathomable types of existence that live beyond our conception of the universe. A beautiful story with a reasonably approachable character (not always so in this genre), and a grandeur that will leave you in awe.

"The Thing About Shapes to Come" by Adam-Troy Castro

Lightspeed Magazine's January Issue

~47 mins

-- Here is a bit of weird fiction if ever there was. A girl finds herself in the increasingly common position of carrying a child to term and discovering it is little more than a solid polygon. The feelings of the girl, and her parents, about the new child are interesting and we get a nice view of world events. I do feel that the story lacks a little in the action department, and it might drag if it wasn't such a bizarre tale. Fortunately the very end is quite a head-turner, completing the circle of the plot. I'd love to hear thoughts about this one in the comments...

"Ill Met In Ulthar" by T.A. Pratt (aka, Tim Pratt)

PodCastle Ep. 296

~55 mins

-- This short story, a side tale from Pratt's "Marla Mason" series of novels, follows a snarky, spell-slinging sorceress as she endeavors to free the mind of a delusional author. She must battle his monsters and try to reach him before his madness escapes a magical asylum. I enjoyed the dialogue and almost pulpy sensibilities in this one, but like some pulps, it never felt like Marla had much chance of losing the battle. In fact, I'm not entirely sure there was really any conflict throughout the story. Even so, if it's fluff, it's an enjoyable piece of fluff, so pick it up when you need an hour away from the world.

"Flash Bang Remember" by Caroline M. Yoachim and Tina Connolly

StarShipSofa Ep. 320

~42 mins (timecode 00:41:00)

-- The term "vat-grown clone" gets thrown around a lot in science fiction, but rarely does a story spend as much time on the psychology of those clones as this one does. Drilling down into the center of this trope, we find a young girl surrounded by the vat-grown. All of them are adults, but few are very much older than she is. They do have one major advantage over her: a flash-baked childhood. In fact they all have the same childhood. Now the pressure is on her to model a new childhood for the next generation and she's feeling the strain.

I really enjoyed a lot of elements in this story. The plot is surprising in most of its twists and turns, the characters are well-defined (unless they are intentionally two-dimensional), and the details of the place and culture are quite good. It's a well-rounded piece for lovers of deep-space adolescent drama.

"The Serial Killer's Astronaut Daughter" by Damien Angelica Walters

Strange Horizons' January Issue

~35 mins

-- Many perverse situations have been dreamed up by authors over the years, so that characters may be set into them and watched as they squirm. As already hinted by the spoiler-y title, our astronaut protagonist finds herself in a bit of an awkward situation when a death row inmate turns out to be her father. This story reminds me of "The Master Conjurer," which was a Top Pick back in October. In both, the hero finds his or herself in the center of a media typhoon that pounds relentlessly on their privacy and their sanity. Now in "The Master Conjurer," the unhappy magician is hounded continuously by the press. You would think our astronaut would have an easier time of it,

Check out our double episode as we try to get caught up on the end of 2013! *Announcements* There’s gonna be some changes around here. These last couple months have been really tough in terms of podcast production.  I’ve thought … Continue reading →

*Top Picks from October 2013*

"Flying On My Hatred of My Neighbor's Dog" by Shaenon Garrity

The Drabblecast Ep. 298

~27 mins

-- This is just the kind of genius I expect to see on The Drabblecast. You may have felt burning, seething rage at someone or something before, but are you a hater? That is, could you hate something so much that power companies could actually harness that hatred and power the globe? Our protagonist is one such hater and his misadventures are recounted in this hilarious story. I was personally giggling throughout most of it!

"Event Horizon" by Sunny Moraine

Strange Horizons' October Issue

~42 mins

-- Good news, I'm happy to feature a new podcast on the show! Strange Horizons has been a longtime voice in the short fiction world and now they have a fiction and poetry podcast. I urge you to check out their full feed on iTunes. There seems to be a Podbean page for the podcast, but very little specifically on the Strange Horizons website, if you're looking for more details. Or, of course, you can always click through from the Synthetic Voices show notes.

Personally, I have a special place in my heart for stories that call to the spirit of Fall. The rustle of fallen leaves, the chill in the air, and hungry living houses. Oh is that just in this story? Yes, our protagonists, both of whom incidentally fall along the gay/queer spectrum, have found themselves in charge of feeding a house. Combine this with their difficulties in fending off the bullies at school, and you'll be able to see your way to a grisly conclusion. What separated this hungry house story from the pack was, for me, the look inside our female-bodied protagonist's head, seeing her contemplate not only her role in keeping the house fed, but also balancing that against her secret passion for our emotionally distant, male-bodied hero. Her lack of true fear toward the house keeps the story fresh and true to her young, if somewhat self-absorbed, voice.

"The Creature Recants" by Dale Bailey

Clarkesworld Magazine's October Issue

~42 mins

-- Here's another beautifully written story from Clarkesworld, where the grotesque Creature from the Black Lagoon looks for love and purpose in Hollywood. Surely he's not so different from us, aside from the diet of fish and the amphibious physiology. This Tinsel Town tale is told out of chronological order, but eventually provides the rationale for his final decision: whether to stay with humans and follow human dreams, or return to his swamp and a life of meaningless serenity.

"The Master Conjurer" by Charlie Jane Anders

Lightspeed Magazine's October Issue

~39 mins

-- Setting aside the plot of this story for a moment, I loved how the world was set up. Everyone has access to magic, just like in our world how everyone has access to technology. Is everyone good at using technology? The same concept applies to magic in our story, though; the negative effects of a powerful spell are a bit more dire than a fried hard drive. Enter our protagonist who somehow finds the key to performing spells without a magical downside. This launches him into a world of unwelcome celebrity and eventually sends him running from the media-crazy public. I loved the way he is forced to face his past and come to terms with both his public status and his private demons.

"Bits" by Naomi Kritzer

Clarkesworld Magazine's October Issue

~29 mins

-- The quirky world of sex toys gets a bit quirkier as aliens look for ways to connect with their human partners. A hapless sex toy manufacturer is forced to face her discomfort with the idea of inter-species romance and then must create a product that will suit everyone. This isn't some kind of tentacle-strewn nightmare, if that is what has popped into your head already,

*Top Picks from September 2013*

"Alone, Together" by Robert Kirkman

Nightmare Magazine's September Issue

~48 mins

-- So first off, I apologize, but it couldn't be helped. There are two whole stories on the Top Picks dedicated to zombies. This first one and the last one on the list. I spaced them out so you wouldn't be totally annoyed with me. I admit, it's a pretty hackneyed trope these days, but I found something redeeming in both of these stories.

This one is the more traditional of the two, following a group of survivors as they pick their way among humanity's ruins. In its post-apocalyptic way, it's a love story and one that will tangle you intimately into the twisted desires of the protagonist. At the end I hope you'll ask yourself if you're so different from him.

"The Drove of Maris-Charlottes" by David Turnbull

Cast of Wonders Ep. 94

~29 mins

-- I loved this story! This was one of those "instant Top Picks" for me. I don't want to spoil the beautiful exposition, so I'll set the hook and let you take the bait: imagine you're a young woman trying to uphold her father's name by driving a herd of potatoes across the dusty plains. This was one of the most mature stories I've seen yet on Cast of Wonders and yet I felt like it really spoke to a younger version of myself. The action and hardship were solid and the world building was novel and well-executed. Yee-haw!

"A Short Guide to the City" by Peter Straub

Nightmare Magazine's September Issue

~33 mins

-- Frankly I don't know what to make of this story. It's part art, part horror, part culture commentary, and almost completely devoid of any true narrative. That said, it kept me intrigued all the way through. Essentially it's a tour of the districts of a post-industrial city where these various districts have fallen each into their own forms of barbarism, as dictated by their inhabitants. There are hints and suggestions of more, but I'm hoping our Synthetic Voices discussion group can help me tease those out. If you'd like a little something different from the norm, check out this one.

"Ill-Met at Midnight" by David Tallerman

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Ep. 110

~36 mins

-- Here's a fun story about assassins. Real assassins probably aren't that fun, but these are the fantastic kind that belong to assassin guilds and have loads of honor. While the ending didn't floor me, I really enjoyed the personalities of the various characters. Perhaps the narration by Tales of the Left Hand's John Meagher added something not contained completely within the written word.

"Thirty Seconds From Now" by John Chu

Escape Pod Ep. 412

~27 mins

-- I love two things about this story. First, it opens a window on the life of a talented college student as he discovers love, pain, and what he really wants from life. By the end I think too you will be very invested in his final decision.

Second, I was happy to see that even though the protagonist is not of a heterosexual orientation, that fact does not obscure the passionate, introspective writing in the piece. Stories steeped in gay culture are fine, but it's also nice to see fiction about gay characters who aren't part of some alternative or indie counterculture. It's almost a trope as often as I see it in speculative fiction.

Oh and he can see into the future, for those wondering what tropes ARE in this one. It reminds me a bit of the movie Knowing - yes, the 2009 film with Nicolas Cage, I did see it, in the theater no less!

"Dry Bite" by Will McIntosh

Lightspeed Magazine's September Issue

~58 mins

-- Here's our second zombie story, but as you'll see, the author made quite an effort to deconstruct the worn-out zombie setup and take a turn at reinventing the zombie.

*Top Picks from August 2013*

"The Lovers" by Eleanor Arnason

Clarkesworld Magazine's August Issue

~1 hr

-- A lot of stories nowadays use fantastic worlds to explore gender, sexuality, and other topics that were largely hidden away by previous generations. Often these stories bug me because they feel like required reading in a women's studies class, not engaging fiction with a solid plot, characters, and, in this case, world-building. This story bucked that trend, however. In it, a female protagonist in an alien culture must navigate her duty to her family, her life goals, and the difficulties of consorting with MEN. I say this last because her society generally keeps men and women separated except during "breeding." Reading back on these last few lines, it does sound like a pretty dull women's studies text...but somehow this story is fantastic instead. The culture was perverse but believable and her experiences and decisions felt genuine. You may just have to take my word on this one until you read it for yourself.

"Face Value" by Sean Williams

Lightspeed Magazine's August Issue

~33 mins

-- It's been a while since we've had a nice detective story, so here ya go! In this futuristic tale, we follow a couple of cops as they investigate a death threat on an inventor. They live in a world where rapid fabrication and matter assembly/disassembly has affected the culture on almost every level. This inventor's creation threatens to unhinge that whole paradigm...or does it?

If you enjoy the story, there is at least one more of these detective stories in the same universe. "The Missing Metatarsals" was reprinted in Lightspeed Magazine back in May of this year. The "d-mat universe" is apparently the setting for Williams' larger "Twinmaker" series.

"The Call of the Pancake Factory" by Ken Liu

The Drabblecast Ep. 293

~35 mins

-- This story contains no dead parents and only a brief mention of Asia...so how could it be a Ken Liu story? Well, it is, and it's a fantastic one at that. There is a significant humorous vibe throughout, which is nice, because it offsets the Lovecraftian overtones splendidly. Essentially a crafty corporate spy on the run hides out on a strange tropical island. There he meets a cult worshiping a familiar elder god. The direction this one takes may catch you off guard and perhaps make you laugh. Whether farce or homage, I cannot tell, but I love seeing an author put their own spin on the Cthulhu mythos.

"The Easily Forgotten" by Philip M. Roberts

Pseudopod Ep. 348

~28 mins

-- This is a harsh story so be warned. When people fall through the cracks, bad things can happen to them, especially violent things like those seen in this story. The speculative element in "The Easily Forgotten" is downplayed to the point where it might not have happened at all, but I liked the way the protagonist, a woman living under the protection of a rich halfway house operator, takes the weirdness in stride along with the rest of the madness in the house. I'll be eager to hear what people think of this one.

"Open 28 Hours" by Darin Ramsey

Cast of Wonders Ep. 91

~12 mins

-- On a lighter note, this YA story about a convenience store out in space should make you smile. A hapless cashier must make the best of his situation as a number of potentially hostile aliens crowd into his establishment. It's a quick one, so think of it as a palate cleanser between two tougher stories.

"Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast" by Eugie Foster

Tales to Terrify Ep. 86

~1 hr

-- This is a trippy story. I think that's the best word for it. Too much introduction would ruin the gradual exposition, but I'll say what I liked about it. I liked the conflict in the protagonist between its b...

*Top Picks from June 2013*

"The Penitent" by M. Bennardo

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Ep. 106

~30 mins

-- This story of a nameless prisoner will take you into a dark rabbit hole. Finding his cell door unlocked, the long-isolated prisoner finds the outside world incredibly different from what he expected. I found myself rooting for him, hoping his sanity would last the length of the story. While not all of your questions may be answered, I expect you'll find the ending as unsettling as I did. This one was a little out of character for the traditionally sword and sorcery-themed Beneath Ceaseless Skies, but I enjoyed it and hope this story heralds a more unpredictable menu of stories from the magazine.

"The Tale of the Golden Eagle" by David D. Levine

Escape Pod Ep. 402

~50 mins

-- This was a lovely story. I'd like to call it space fantasy with a bit of science fiction thrown in for authenticity; for example, interstellar ships piloted by cybernetic birds. The description of these ships is really beautifully done. On top of that, there is a bit of epic storytelling, a wonderful gambling scene, and an ending that I personally found quite satisfying.

"The Urashima Effect" by E. Lily Yu

Clarkesworld Magazine's June Issue

~30 mins

-- I've always enjoyed the conundrum of what to do while waiting around in a "sleep ship," that is a ship where the occupants are put to sleep for an extended period of travel. In this story, our sole passenger awakes ahead of landing (I believe in order to fully recover from sleep), and begins paging through pre-recorded messages from home. In those messages he discovers a shocking truth about the nature of his voyage. The "psychological action" of the story takes a little while to get going, but I think you'll discover that all of the pieces eventually weave together into a massive decision for our lonely sojourner.

"Turning Point" by Poul Anderson

The Drabblecast Ep. 284

~40 mins

-- Here, through the eyes of a few explorers, we meet an alien race on their home planet. They turn out to be quite adept at our language and it seems that the more our explorers learn about the clever, but simple race, the more unsettled they become. There are no secrets with these alien people, but there is a frightening realization, and subsequently a devious plan on the part of the humans. I'll leave you to judge the ethics of our protagonists' actions.

"Neighbourhood Watch" by Greg Egan

Pseudopod Ep. 340

~55 mins

-- As soon as I heard this story, I knew it would be a top pick this month. First of all, the narration by Ron Jon Newton was fantastic, beautifully capturing the essence of an instinct-driven villain. The writing, too, is spectacular, weaving in and out of various scenes easily. To sum up as much as I dare, the story follows a monster, who lives underground in a planned community. There is a deadly deal, an overconfident homeowners association diva, and an irascible little boy. This story has a LOT going for it already, and I guarantee there's more in store.

"Dead Men Walking" by Paul J. McAuley

Clarkesworld Magazine's June Issue

~50 mins

-- Sleeper agents, secret assassins, and subterfuge abound in this far-future story. Many stories ask, "What would you do if you found out you were a sleeper agent?" Well, this one dispenses with that, instead asking, "What's it like to have always known you were a sleeper agent? And what will you do after your mission is complete?" It's a smart story, and while I found the non-linear organization a bit taxing, it was done with purpose and I found the ideas at work in the fictional world kept me interested through the ending.

This month's top picks are a little on the WEIRD side, so get your out your crazy hat and dive in!

*Top Picks from April 2013*

"The Queen And The Cambion" by Richard Bowes

Podcastle Ep. 257

46:58 mins/sec

-- This was a delightful story of Merlin and a queen of England. I have always enjoyed historical fiction, but I have recently discovered how much fun a fantastical twist can add to such fiction. In this story, we follow a Benjamin Button-esque relationship between the young queen and wizened Merlin. While Merlin's backwards aging is a well-known trope, this is the first time I've ever seen it used in quite this way.

"For Love’s Delirium Haunts the Fractured Mind" and "Tethered" by David Mercurio Rivera

StarShipSofa Eps. 286 and 287, respectively

~45 mins/sec and ~1 hr, respectively

-- These two stories kept me thinking about them long after they finished, always a good sign. "For Love’s Delirium Haunts the Fractured Mind" sets up the world in which both stories take place. We see an alien people that is not only foreign to our biology and our customs, but that grows even more bizarre as they come into contact with us. Not giving away the clever idea behind the aliens, suffice it to say the story invokes questions of class, morality, and self-delusion. "Tethered," a somewhat more relatable tale, focuses on the close relationship between one of the young female aliens and a human girl. Their story not only shares more about the aliens' physiology, but also lets us into their psychology, and how they might choose to interact with foreigners. Overall, these two stories kept me engaged throughout and ended with sufficient power.

"Making My Entrance Again With My Usual Flair" by Ken Scholes

Escape Pod Ep. 391

30:05 mins/sec

-- Need a bit of lighthearted fun in your podcast lineup? Well look no further than this roadtrip story, starring an underweight clown and a strange monkey in a box. This farce has a witty, yet deadpan humor that made me laugh out loud repeatedly. There is a bit of gratuitous sexual humor mixed in, but I believe the thoughtful listener will find it only enhances the story's bizarre sensibility.

"Deep Blood Kettle" by Hugh Howey

Lightspeed Magazine's April Issue

18:00 mins/sec

-- I have to admit that this story did not "stay with me" as do others I mention on here. In fact, "Deep Blood Kettle" revved up, did its thing, and then left me with a sense of futility and emptiness Then again, bucking the recent trend of "post-apocalypse" stories, this is an "apocalypse-only" story, plain and simple. I found the perspective of the narrator, a rifle-toting country boy, engaging, and I think it might be a nice story to listen to as you rock on your porch with a tall glass of lemonade (or maybe a flask of whiskey).

"The Exchange Officers" by Brad Torgersen

StarShipSofa Ep. 285

~40 mins

-- One genre of SF I've always had a hard time connecting with is military SF. This isn't to say that I don't like it, but I often find the grit and determination a little too forthcoming from the protagonists. Either that or they are portrayed as spineless weasels. This is why I was pleasantly surprised by "The Exchange Officers," as I greatly enjoyed both the military aspects and the characters involved. In this one, we meet two military officers used to flying remote aircraft such as UAV drones. In their new role, they are assigned to play human puppeteers to humanoid robots working up in space. When an unexpected attack occurs, the action picks up quickly and doesn't stop until nearly the end of the story.

"Melt With You" by Emily C. Skaftun

Clarkesworld Magazine's April Issue

25:28 mins/sec

-- Normally I think of Clarkesworld for their grandiose literary fiction, but this story could easily fit into the weird section of The Drabblecast. Maybe Clarkesworld's April silliness,