"This was a game he never won, even when he was sober."
January 23, 2012 8:50 AM   Subscribe

PodCastle is a free weekly fantasy podcast with 192 full-length episodes and 67 mini-episodes. Featured authors have included Elizabeth Bear, Hal Duncan, and MeFi's own Willow Fagan. [projects]
posted by 256 (7 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
/me blinks in confusion that Podcastle hasn't been an FPP before.

I think Pseudopod is still my favorite of the three, but only just barely (and probably mostly because of Al.) Podcastle has a higher hit rate on average for me, but when PP hits, it knocks it out of the park. (Also, PP has bought stories from me and PC hasn't. >:-[ )

Eh, I couldn't have posted any of them to Metafilter anyway 'cause of that.
posted by Scattercat at 9:01 AM on January 23, 2012


Yes, I should perhaps of mentioned that PodCastle is a sistercast to the more well known Escape Pod.
posted by 256 at 9:12 AM on January 23, 2012


I see them as one continuum of great stories. Just thinking of the story "Edward Bear and the Very Long Walk" (escape pod) still makes me tear up.
posted by wenat at 10:04 AM on January 23, 2012


I don't have a stomach for a lot of horror and last I checked Pseudopod doesn't really have a system for content or trigger warnings, so I don't really listen to it, but I do follow Podcastle and Escape Pod pretty religiously. My favorite Podcastle episode is Kelly Link's Some Zombie Contingency Plans, read by Norm Sherman.

These podcasts have actually been enormously helpful for me-- I work at a bookstore and hardly have time (or, frequently, inclination) to read all the authors we have, but having short fiction drizzled into my eardrums every week gives me a bit more of a grasp on what authors write what kind of stuff for the sake of giving recommendations.

Also, in case any of you are wondering, I have this fantasy where one of these podcasts buys one (or more! all!) of Joey Comeau's short stories and Norm Sherman reads it. They would be so perfect together.
posted by NoraReed at 11:32 AM on January 23, 2012


I have this fantasy where one of these podcasts buys one (or more! all!) of Joey Comeau's short stories and Norm Sherman reads it. They would be so perfect together.
posted by NoraReed at 1:32 PM on January 23


I would love that.

Mefi's own Joanne Merriam had a story in Escape Pod once. They were tremendously responsive as editors, too. I really liked them and hearing somebody read my story was pretty damn cool. And they take reprints. I'm a fan.
posted by joannemerriam at 12:07 PM on January 23, 2012


Until I started listening to Podcastle avoided fantasy books wherever possible basically because of the size of every bloody fantasy novel I've ever looked at. The thought of getting stuck into a "cycle" of at least 7 1000+ page tomes just did not appeal.

Podcastle was a gentle re-introduction to the genre. It's not all swords and magic and knights and dragons. I've enjoyed stories about Jewish magical creatures, a house that crosses the USA in search of its old owner, magical robots, and, yes, a rip-snorter of a knights with swords story.

EscapePod is pretty good too—it's the one I started with—but I've found that Podcastle has been the more consistently enjoyable collection of stories.
posted by Foaf at 12:19 AM on January 24, 2012


the pods are evil, yes they really are. Weeks will go by where the only thing my SO and I will say to each other is "Shhh!" I'm listening to a great podcast!". I'm not sure if it's disastrous or a savior for our relationship.

And this is another example of one of those "Oh, I won't make a FPP of it, because somebody must have already done so" situations.
posted by happyroach at 1:14 PM on January 24, 2012


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