Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 56: Empty Pockets (Part 1)

Cast of Wonders 56: Empty Pockets (Part 1) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:27 — 14.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Part 1 of Empty Pockets by James Isaac. James has three stories (non-YA) placed in three different anthologies that should be out before the year’s end:

Anabiosis, editors John G. Hartness & Emily Leverett, The Big Bad – An Anthology of Evil (publication and other details pending)

The Edge Between, Soul Reflections, Wicked East Press, 2012 (not yet appeared) e Publications, 2012

Waste Not Want Not, Tales for the Toilet, Crowded Quarantine Publications, 2012

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Empty Pockets, Part 1

by James Isaac

MCG doesn’t notice the young man, clutching a wad of freshly printed CVs, walk past and enter Pound Palace next door. Oblivious to the pattering of rain on the blank shop-awning above, she nods her head to the noises emitting from the over-sized, Monster Soundzzz, studio-quality headphones clutching her ears and scalp. A panoply of charms spreads randomly on the stall display-table in front of her; vacuum packed rabbits feet, horseshoes, an array of styled sevens and twelves. Leaning back on a wooden stool, with her fat-laced trainers up on the table, she maintains a precarious equilibrium. Her stall’s alleged purpose is to entice customers into the shop directly behind. But the last thing MCG expects is to be disturbed by customers. No-one ever enters from the front door.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 51: Off Button

Cast of Wonders 51: Off Button is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:50 — 8.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Off Button by Shannon M Wendt. Shannon has had recent writing credits in The Washington Pastime, Cygnus, and Nine, among others. When she isn’t working at one of her two day jobs, Shannon spends her time writing fiction and taking photographs. She lives in wind-blown, sun-blasted New Mexico with her husband and five rescued dogs. She dreams of verdant forests and rain. You can find out more about Shannon and her work her website.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Off Button

by Shannon M Wendt

Serious, fourteen-year-old Becky Brown, with her over-large glasses and unruly brown hair, is considered the best babysitter in town and has a reputation of being able to tame even the most difficult brat. She is so popular and in-demand that parents bring their kids to Becky’s place instead of the other way around. On any given night, she has anywhere from three to a maximum of fifteen children in her care.

Becky is such a prolific sitter that she keeps an accounting ledger of her booming, little business. She can tell at a glance who her best clients are and who owes her money (although she rarely agrees to babysit “on account”). She makes between $600 and $1,200 per week, and has even been known to give her parents a loan from time to time (with interest, of course).
(Continue Reading…)

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 47: I Kill Monsters

“I Kill Monsters” originally appeared in Daily Science Fiction.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:52 — 25.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present I Kill Monsters by Nathaniel Lee. You may remember Nathaniel from Episodes 3, 4 and 5, Tir Na Nog. Nathaniel lives in North Carolina with his wife, child, and obligatory cats. He puts words in order, and sometimes people give him money for them. His work, including a full bibliography, can be found at his daily writing blog, Mirrorshards where he publishes a 100-word story most days.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

I Kill Monsters

by Nathaniel Lee

Robbie killed monsters. He used a baseball bat, because they didn’t give better weapons to ten-year-olds. It worked well enough. He’d cleaned out his room first, the slithering whispering things under the bed and the Chatterer in the closet. Then the attic, full of Flappers and Flutterers, and one that was more like a fog or a mist than anything solid. He’d poked holes in it with the bat, then swirled the bat around until the drifting fog-thing shrieked and funneled up through a crack in the ceiling like a tornado in reverse.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 42: Campfire Story

Cast of Wonders 42: Campfire Story is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:48 — 8.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Campfire Story by Mark Brandon Allen. Mark began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy purely for the amusement of his friends, children and grandchildren. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana where a vicious three pound Yorkshire terrier holds both he and his wife hostage. His work has been published in the pages of Demon Minds Anthology, Bull Spec, The Last Man Anthology, Sounds Of The Night, Indiana Science Fiction Anthology 2011 and Polluto amongst others. You can find out more about Mark at http://markbrandonallen.com/.

Mark also has a book out on the Lulu Books website — ifs IMAGINE FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION issue #1. Within the context of Fantasy and Science Fiction pulps, ifs IMAGINE FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION has much to recommend itself to the speculative fiction reader. The nineteen ifs within the book’s lineup make a meaty and satisfying read. For more about the book, go to lulu.com and search for “ifs IMAGINE” or “Mark Brandon Allen”. Available as an ePub file or a paperback. Also available as a Kindle edition from Smashwords.

A purchase would help this writer stave off abject poverty.

Due to our website crash in April 2014, we are in the process of reconstructing our back catalog. Please enjoy listening to the episode – we’ll have the show notes up as soon as we can!

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 40: The Morandini Genie

Cast of Wonders 40: The Morandini Genie is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:29 — 8.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present The Morandini Genie by Michael Haynes. Michael lives in the United States with his wife and children. Besides his interest in fiction he enjoys movies, watching hockey games, and cooking. You can find out more about Michael on his blog.

And now, we’ve a tale to tell…

Due to our website crash in April 2014, we are in the process of reconstructing our back catalog. Please enjoy listening to the episode – we’ll have the show notes up as soon as we can!

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 36: The Next Joe Jones

Cast of Wonders 36: The Next Joe Jones is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:01 — 8.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present The Next Joe Jones by Russ Colson. He lives with his wife, Mary, on a farmstead in northern Minnesota, far enough from city lights to see the Milky Way and the aurora borealis. He teaches planetary science, meteorology, and geology at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He writes a variety of speculative fiction and non-fiction pieces that have appeared in in Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Clarkesworld Magazine, NewMyths.com and others. You can find out more in a NewMyths.com interview done with Russ.

The picture is by hotsoup25 on Flickr, who kindly gave us permission to use it.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 31: Inksucker

“Inksucker” was originally published in the Worlds Next Door anthology and was shortlisted for the prestigious Aurealis Award.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:01 — 12.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Inksucker by Aidan Doyle. Aidan is an Australian writer and computer programmer who loves travelling and has visited more than 70 countries. His experiences include teaching English in Japan, interviewing ninjas in Bolivia and going ten-pin bowling in North Korea. The majority of Inksucker was written during a 51-hour ferry ride from Osaka to Shanghai; it was originally published in the Worlds Next Door anthology and was shortlisted for the prestigious Aurealis Award. Aidan is currently working on a zombie novel set in Japan. You can find out more about him online.

Your narrator is Danielle Daly, who last read for us in Episode 27, My Boogie Man.

Due to our website crash in April 2014, we are in the process of reconstructing our back catalog. Please enjoy listening to the episode – we’ll have the show notes up as soon as we can!

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Inksucker

by Aidan Doyle

If you’re a monster, stop reading this right now!

I’ve hidden lots of traps in these words. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My name is Zoe and I’m 14 years old. I know how dangerous words can be. My family owns the best bookshop in all of Melbourne. There are thousands and thousands of books and the shelves stretch as far as you can see. The further you walk from the shop’s entrance, the older the books get. If you keep walking in a straight line for more than a few hours you can find books thousands of years old.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 30: Karlsson

Cast of Wonders 30: Karlsson is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:49 — 13.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Anatoly told us, “In the original Swedish book by Astrid Lindgren, Karlsson is a more selfish, more obnoxious version of Dr Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, a negative character. The translation into Russian was wildly successful; without changing the literal meaning of a single sentence, it changed Karlsson into a hero. The cartoon provided an iconic image for Karlsson, and added several of the greatest voice talents of the last century. Karlsson became symbolic of the so-called ‘internal emigres’ – members of various suppressed counterculture movements.”

Here is a link to Part 1 of the original Karlsson cartoon. And here is one to the sequel that introduces Frekken Bock.

Karlsson

by Anatoly Belilovsky

“Where is Charlie?” I asked.

Lynne didn’t look up from her laptop. “Watching his stupid cartoons, I think,” she said.

“I’m going to work,” I said. “Night shift.”

“Bye,” she said.

She used to say, ‘Be careful.’
(Continue Reading…)

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 19: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy (Part 2)

Cast of Wonders 19: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy (Part 2) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:34 — 10.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Part 2 of Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 18: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy (Part 1)

Cast of Wonders 18: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy (Part 1) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:48 — 14.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Part 1 of Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan. Willow lives in Portland, Oregon. They’re genderqueer, which for them means that they feel more like a pirate princess than like a man or a woman. Their fiction has appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Behind the Wainscot, and The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2011. To read more about their writing and adventures, go to their blog.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 17: Saved (Part 2)

Cast of Wonders 17: Saved (Part 2) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:40 — 14.4MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Part 2 of Saved by Arin Greenwood, read by Alasdair Stuart.

We gave Arin’s bio last episode but, at that time, I implied Arin is a boy. And here, I again display my fabulous research skills! Arin is a girl! My very humble apologies to Arin for getting it wrong. So it’s worth saying again, with the correct gender:

Arin Greenwood is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Washington, studying chemical engineering with a focus in nanotechnology. Apart from writing and reading, she is a dedicated musician, and a member of the Husky Marching Band at the UW. She attended the prestigious Alpha Young Writer’s Workshop in Pittsburgh for two consecutive summers, which features lectures taught by professional fantasy and science fiction authors, and the opportunity to meet writers of all ages.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.

Genres: ,

Cast of Wonders 16: Saved (Part 1)

Cast of Wonders 16: Saved (Part 1) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:08 — 16.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | RSS

Show Notes

Today we present Part 1 of Saved by Arin Greenwood. Arin is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Washington, studying chemical engineering with a focus in nanotechnology. Apart from writing and reading, he is a dedicated musician, and a member of the Husky Marching Band at the UW. He attended the prestigious Alpha Young Writer’s Workshop in Pittsburgh for two consecutive summers, which features lectures taught by professional fantasy and science fiction authors, and the opportunity to meet writers of all ages.

Your narrator today is the ever-impressive Alasdair Stuart, the writer and journalist from a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea.

Theme music is “Appeal To Heavens” by Alexye Nov, available at MusicAlley.com.