Escape Artists
PseudoPod => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Bdoomed on April 29, 2018, 05:35:52 AM
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PseudoPod 592: Free Balloons for All Good Children (http://pseudopod.org/2018/04/27/pseudopod-592-free-balloons-for-all-good-children/)
by Dirck de Lint (http://pseudopod.org/people/dirck-de-lint/)
Narrated by Rish Outfield (http://pseudopod.org/people/rish-outfield/)
Show Notes
“This story came about because the balloon described in it drifted past my window at work.
Because a balloon floating five feet off the ground on a grey day in early October is so unlikely, my first thought was naturally that it was something horrible up to no good at all. It went away… eventually, after hanging around near a bus stop for far longer than seemed quite right. I don’t know what it was actually up to, but I’d like to thank the mystery balloon for the inspiration it provided.
The story was also an attempt to exorcise a vapour I developed about seven years ago– what if I become incapacitated while I’m the only parent on hand for my tender tot? I’m sorry to report that the exorcism has not really worked.”
Tom gave the stroller a little nudge to turn Danny out of the sun. Danny responded by wriggling around under the straps to put himself as much in the sun as possible. Tom smiled at this, and found that he couldn’t really blame his son. The day was a little chilly for so late in May, and if he was enjoying the warmth of the sun it stood to reason that Danny would, too. He was very close to just putting the stroller back the way it had been. There was some uncertainty in his heart, though, about how far Danny could be trusted to look out for his own safety even now that he was above a year old. When, he wondered, did they stop staring right at the sun if given a chance?
Listen to this week's PseudoPod. (http://media.libsyn.com/media/pseudopod/Pseudo592_FreeBalloonsForAllGoodChildren.mp3)
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Creepy! Loved the elegant simplicity of it all.
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At the end of this episode Alasdair promises to attach a link in the show notes for a very brief video called desserts. I can't find it and I really want to see it can anyone show me the link? Please
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Sorry, links should be going up on the page soon, but anyway, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23r_OdQrxxw
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This story strikes me as a deeply Junji Ito type of horror, particularly the kind featured in his anthologies- it's never explained exactly what the balloons are, or where they came from, or even why they're there (though plenty can be inferred). The implications with that last scene are, as a certain scientist Salarian might say, unpleasant. What a creepy little bow to top it all off with.
It's one of my favorite types of horror, and made me shudder even before the story came to an end. Bravo.
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Christ on a cracker! It wasn't even that scary, yet I couldn't finish it. I didn't know what to think (carnivorous balloons?).
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The ending just before all chaos descends is smart, so all the unspeakable blood and gore happens in our minds instead!
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Loved this story!!
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Wonderful. Creepy, disturbing & wonderful. Delightfully horrid & unexpected ending.
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I wish I had a recording of my facial expressions while l was listening to this story. It was so terrifying and so engaging.