The third Drabblecast trifecta. Featuring facial hair and fantasy fair!
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Category: Drabblecast Page 25 of 28
Today the Drabblecast brings you
“Sing” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
It’s a story about aliens, music, and strange frequencies!
Story Excerpt:
Child, you sing all the time- when you’re walking, when you’re eating, even when you’re laughing. You people make the most beautiful music in the entire galaxy…
Enjoy!
Drabblecast #53 – Sing
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I know what they teach you in school, Bobby, but don’t let anyone tell you that the human race isn’t the greatest, most glorious of all earth’s creatures…
Norm presents his one-minute review of the monster movie, “Cloverfield.” The Drabble speculates on the Bleak Reaper’s off-duty recreation activities. The feature story, originally published in the print magazine “Futures,” is a “facts-of-life” monologue from a father to his son on an Earth crushed under the legless boot-heel of a strangely dehumanizing alien occupation. Concluding that no matter what heights humanity reaches, in the end we’re all worm fodder. Feedback for Episode #42, “40 Quarters,” was sparse and mixed, although the listeners certainly did emendate our vocabularies. Norm concludes with reminders that the “People’s Choice” award voting and the first annual Nigerian Scam Spam contest are both still wide open.
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“What have you got there, Dell?”
Lars twisted his hand painfully to get a look at the ring.
“Where did you find that?…”
Norm introduces all and sundry to his latest favorite, real-life monster animal: the four-inch “Giant Water Bug,” which sucks out its prey’s innards. It can fly and also play dead in order to sucker unwitting prey. The author of the feature story has been published in “Art and Prose,” among other places. A desperate sex slave’s world changes with an unexpected gift and a magical means of escape. Feedback for Episode #41, “Set Another Place at the Table, I’m Bringing My Pimple,” was mixed, and often rather disgusting, like the story itself. Norm reminds the listeners that voting for “People’s Choice” and the contest for “Nigerian Scam Spam” remain open.
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Leonard returned to his home circle garrulous about his Russian strike experiences, but oppressively reticent about certain dark mysteries, which he alluded to under the resounding title of Siberian Magic…
Norm details numerous urban legends about revolting items found in fast food as an introduction to this week’s Drabble, a terrifying story about moldy fast food, circular breathing, and ghosts. The feature story showcases the work of 19th-Century author “Saki,” the pen name for Hector Hugh Monroe, heard earlier in Episode #19, “Sredni Vashtar.” Saki describes an encounter with Siberian magic, which Norm acts out using a dazzling variety of male and female caricature voices. An unreliable travelogue inspires skeptical table turning and an elaborate drawing-room prank. Feedback for Episode #40, “Marbles,” shows the depth of discussion among the listener forums. Finally, Norm announces the year’s “People’s Choice” Drabblecast poll, soliciting votes for the listeners’ favorites. He reminds us that the First Annual Nigerian Scam Spam contest is still accepting entries.
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Once you start to see them, they seem to be everywhere…
The Drabble News report, of a 5-year scientific study which showed staring at women’s breasts prolonged the lifespan of males, inspires a now-infamous skit. Norm details the riot among medical test subjects when the non-boobie control group was chosen. The feature story continues with theme of close observation of the Creator’s handiwork. The author, whose work has appeared in “Alien Skin” among other places, presents a disturbing tale of a crusty old misanthrope discovering a crude shortcut from an Impressionistic God, harkening back to the world’s creation. Is humanity ready for that knowledge? Feedback for Episode #39, “The Bee-Keepers,” was accidentally erased by Norm, but the forum comments were very positive, and stimulated a great discussion about parasites. Finally, the Drabblecast New Year’s Resolution is a raise in the submission pay rates.
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I’ve almost finished checking those measurements. That tooth—it looks homo sapien. This could be huge…
Norm presents, in his inimitable style, a one-minute review of his long-awaited movie indulgence, “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.” The week’s Drabble concerns an auto thief reaching the top of his game through — what else — nefarious means. The feature story’s author, Anden Sharp, gifted the Drabbleverse with Episode #32, “The Warden’s Last Day.” In the feature story, tragedy strikes the marriage of an archaeologist and her time traveler husband. Feedback for Episode #38, the Drabblecast’s first “Trifecta,” debated how well suited the story concepts were for their broadcast length, and was generally positive.
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Drabblecast #43 presents “Jelly Park“ by Aliya Whiteley.
In consideration of the holidays, Norm begins to see a common theme to this Drabblecast season: celebrating relationships.
Take, for example, the relationship between the holidays and a pile of extremely rare rhinoceros dung. Four piles, actually. All collected by conservationists and auctioned on E-bay to raise money for preservation of the species.
Norm speculates on the market timing of such a gift… A thousand dollars and you could have your very own rhino scat to accompany that Elf on your shelf. Which leads us to reflect upon the meaning of the holidays for all manner of people, animals, and legendary monsters.
But we digress.
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“Your work does sound most commendable, but I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. Volunteer work, no matter how worthy, doesn’t pay taxes. There’s no such thing as a free lunch…”
Building on last episode’s interest in a Nigerian scam spame e-mail, Norm announces the first annual “Nigerian Scam Spam E-mail Contest,” arising from listener Strawman’s suggestion. We move on to the feature story, whose author Tom Williams appeared before on episode #30, “2084.” This week, Mr. Williams writes about a cynical Social Security officer who tires of the hard-luck cases he hears on a daily basis, deciding “there ain’t nobody but workers and slackers.” A special individual arrives to remind our protagonist of the truth of the social contract.
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