The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine

This is the last output that will come from the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. It's the fabled final episode that we recorded in 2011 just in case we needed it. We never wanted to podfade, but in the end we did anyway. So, it's time to give the Dunesteef the ending that it deserves, and here it is, the last episode that Rish and Big will release under the name The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine.

Get ready for an emotional look back at...well, the first three years of the fourteen year run of the Dunesteef. Get ready for some lost content that hearkens back to the early days of the Dunesteef when Big and Rish were so eager and excited, before the dark times, before the empire.

Hopefully you enjoy this final look back at the Dunesteef, before we forge ahead with our new goals and futures. Here's to the good times we had, and to the good times we will continue to have from here on out. We're going to be young forever!

The day has finally come, folks. It's the final new episode of the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. We've been at this for fourteen years, but our production has flagged considerably as the years have gone by. Rather than let the Dunesteef fade away slowly, we thought it would be best to give the old girl a proper burial. So, here we are.

First, we bring you a story from Rish Outfield called, "Know When to Walk Away, Know When to Run." An emotionally unstable man goes to a casino with his best friend to soothe his pain from the anniversary of being left at the altar. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, because not everyone at the poker table is who they seem.

After the story is over, Rish and Big talk about a number of things, from the happy things that the podcast brought to their lives, to the future of what you can expect from the two of them. We're going to miss you all, but it doesn't have to be the end. Don't say goodbye, say good journey.

Special thanks to Julie Hoverson, Tena Kolokowski, and Bryan Lincoln for lending their voices to the story.

Rish and Big don't have a story for this one, but they always have a Christmas episode, so they got together and had a quick conversation about Christmas songs, and talked about their favorites.

It's Jason Sanford month everybody! So put on your ugly Jason Sanford Month sweaters; make yourself a mug of The Ships Like Clouds, Risen By Their Rain tea, and gather around the table for the roast Plague Birds. It's time to enjoy some more Jason Sanford!

Today, we have a vintage Dunesteef production of Jason's story, When Thorns Are The Tips Of Trees, originally produced for the StarShipSofa podcast back in 2009. Miles and his father care for the local memorial grove, but the job has become a more dangerous as gangs of deteriorating thorn die, almost zombie-like people driven mad by the phage that is rewriting their DNA, have begun attacking the groves all around the area. Can they survive, or will they become thorn die themselves?

Afterward, Rish and Big talk about how much of a formative moment this story was in the history of the podcast, and look back at the production process for putting it all together.

Jason Sanford recently published his first novel, and it has a title that might sound familiar to long time listeners of the Dunesteef. His new book is called "Plague Birds." That's right, the book is the further and expanded adventures of Crista and her AI symbiote that we first brought to you back in episode 92 and then continued their story in episodes 125 and 126 with Jason's sequel. Now you can buy the novel length story which further explores the detailed and fascinating world the characters occupied, expands the story of Crista, and uncovers an extremely personal conspiracy that threatens the lives of millions.

We got the amazing opportunity to sit down and talk with Jason about his novel, his process, and pitfalls of the industry. Listen to (or watch) the interview, and be sure to support Jason by buying the book. P.S. - Sorry about Big's microphone. He thought he was getting the sound from the nice mic you can see in the shot, but he was actually getting his sound from the built-in mic on his computer, recording all the echoes bouncing around that big study he is sitting in.

So, this is an episode that was recorded just about two years ago (the last week of February 2019) with Rish, Big, and Marshal Latham, in preparation for the release of AVENGERS: ENDGAME later that year. Rish really wanted to talk about the monumental achievement that was AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, and that, for a year, the world was stuck with the unhappy ending of all unhappy endings.

Of course, we talk about THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and also speculate a bit about where the fourth Avengers film might go. And then Rish lost the file.

But he found it again when it was far too late to be even remotely relevant, but if you've missed us and our conversations, here it is, in all its . . . glory?

It's another episode of the Anklecast. I'm going to do one every month, and, well...I barely made it in time, but here we are.

Today's story is "Party Girl." It's one that I wrote just last year as I was working my way towards 300,000 words.

After the story, I made a sort of vlog of my experiences in the Arctic Blast that froze Texas last week. It was an interesting month for sure, especially that week. If you're interested in that stuff, stick around after the story to hear all about it. To see the video elements, go to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDPrbMMyCaE

That's right, it's another Anklecast. Today, I bring you a story called "Active Shooter Training" and a second little drabble-esque story called "Date Night". I hope you enjoy them.

Franklin has a huge crush on Jillian, but up until now she hasn't returned his affection at all. Surprisingly, this Christmas Eve she changed her tune, and suddenly asking him back to her house for Christmas Eve dinner with her family. Turns out that the meal was not what Franklin was expecting...

Afterwards, Rish and Big talk about the story, Broken Mirror contests, and the joys and hassles of Christmas music.

Six Christmas stories on the Dunesteef just wasn't enough, so I decided that I would give y'all one more. It's a story I wrote earlier this year about James, a guy whose Christmas plans get ruined, so he volunteers to work someone's shift at his job to give them a chance at having a merry Christmas. He thinks he knows how his night will end, but someone has a different idea, and it's going to take a left turn before the night is through.