Escape Artists
Escape Pod => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Talia on February 13, 2018, 06:43:08 PM
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Escape Pod 614: Sparg (http://escapepod.org/2018/02/08/escape-pod-614-sparg/)
AUTHOR : Brian Trent (http://escapepod.org/people/brian-trent/)
NARRATOR : Alasdair Stuart (http://escapepod.org/people/alasdair-stuart/)
HOST: Tina Connolly (http://http://escapepod.org/people/tina-connolly/)
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Sparg had difficulty making pancakes, but he was trying.
In the empty apartment, he clutched the silver bowl with one tentacle to hold it steady. With another, he attempted the far trickier business of whipping the batter as he’d seen his owners do many, many times. The bowl was bigger than him. The counter was sticky with flour, egg, and ink.
From his cage, he had watched them conduct this peculiar ritual enough times to understand it was how they prepared their food. More elaborate than the brown fish-pellets they gave him. When his food dish was empty, they usually noticed as they shuffled in from the bedroom each morning. If they didn’t, Sparg would gently thump his tentacles against the bars until they came over to see what was the bother. Then strange sounds would issue from their red mouths:
“Sparg’s food dish is empty. Can you get the bag?”
(http://escapepod.org/wp-images/podcast-mini4.gif) Listen to this week’s Escape Pod! (http://traffic.libsyn.com/escapepod/Escape_Pod_614_Sparg.mp3)
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I may never forgive Escape Pod. This started out so cute. So funny. So...wait...it's...what? HE'S ALONE? No! He...he has to get out!
WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM!
Dammit. Once more, a story snuck up behind me and bonked me right in the feels and made it all hard to drive and stuff.
Kudos.
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I'd like to start the "Save Sparg" fundraising campaign. We can bring him home! This little one-cephalopod cargo cult definitely won my heart.
Mokalus of Borg
PS - I wasn't crying on the bus, I had something in my eye.
PPS - I'm trying very hard not to think what the story would have been like if set a few weeks later.
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PPS - I'm trying very hard not to think what the story would have been like if set a few weeks later.
You mean after they all come back and throw a party for Sparg for the lovely breakfast spread he set out for them?!
Why would you not want to think about that?
Coz that's the only possible way it could end up.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/FdU0HwrC6FkiY/giphy.gif)
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I would definitely adopt Sparg. Do you think he could expand his culinary repertoire to include bacon and egg sandwiches?
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You can see the train coming far off, you want it to not arrive, it runs you over.
Great story, not a bad narration either, a good pairing.
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T_T poor baby. I'm haunted by the fate of pets after natural disasters. The starving dog in "There Will Come Soft Rains", one of the main character's cat in King's "Cell", the pets left behind after Katrina. There's a storm on the east coast right now and I'm rehearsing in my head how to get my cat to safety if evacuation happens. I'm not leaving her behind.
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Why don't I bring backup eye makeup to work with me??? I just got to my desk and had to do some quick magic to recover my face. Mascara tears are not a good look for a Monday AM.
Well done, Brian Trent. Sparg suction-cupped his way into my heart and now I too want to go save him.
Stupid war.
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I liked the story, but I wasn't as impressed or overwhelmed with emotions the way that other forumites seem to have been. The reason is that, well, this story *was* There Will Come Soft Rains, except told from the point of view of an abandoned pet as opposed to a more general perspective. At least that is what I kept thinking the whole time I was listening, and so it didn't leave quite the impression on me.
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Noooo! Sparg! He's too good for this cruel world.
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Really loved this. The characterisation of Sparg was amazing.
I also really liked how so much is left out of this story. It's not on Earth because there's low gravity, but that's all you get for a setting. Did the owners evacuate days away or years away - unknown. Sparg is likely some sort of cephalopod, but that too is left unexplained. He's intelligent and he has a personality and for this story that's all you need to know.
Even the football. By the end of the story it's moved. Has he moved it to the table as penance for not liking it? Because he feels it might coax Deepvoice back because even him back would be a comfort at this point? All of these are tantalising options which make Sparg a more interesting little guy.
There's a lot here for the reader to fill in as desired. A really tight and well done story.
And yeah, I so want Sparg to be rescued.
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I liked the story, but I wasn't as impressed or overwhelmed with emotions the way that other forumites seem to have been. The reason is that, well, this story *was* There Will Come Soft Rains, except told from the point of view of an abandoned pet as opposed to a more general perspective. At least that is what I kept thinking the whole time I was listening, and so it didn't leave quite the impression on me.
As a counterpoint... if a story I wrote drew comparisons to "There Will Come Soft Rains" (even as a critique)... I am absolutely taking that and treasuring it in a little corner of my heart. ;)
-Adam
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Wonderful short story. I enjoyed picking up on the hints before plot ball was dropped. Well done!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Kaa said it best. I agree with the majority... felt deeply for Sparg. Our fuzzbutts would never get left behind if we had to leave in a hurry.