Escape Artists

PseudoPod => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Bdoomed on June 06, 2021, 01:14:43 AM

Title: PseudoPod 760: Akiko’s Legacy
Post by: Bdoomed on June 06, 2021, 01:14:43 AM

PseudoPod 760: Akiko’s Legacy (https://pseudopod.org/2021/06/04/pseudopod-760-akikos-legacy/)

Author: Eugie Foster (https://pseudopod.org/people/eugie-foster/)
Narrator: Kara Grace (https://pseudopod.org/people/kara-grace/)
Host: Alasdair Stuart (https://pseudopod.org/people/alasdair-stuart/)
Audio Producer: Marty Perrett (https://pseudopod.org/people/marty-perrett/)

PseudoPod 760: Akiko’s Legacy is a PseudoPod original.

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“Mother, why are Grandma and Gramps ashamed of Father?”

Akiko smoothed back the unruly curls from her son’s face. Robert needed a haircut. The tips of his brown hair had begun to feather up around his ears. His father’s hair had done that. Martin had called it his “bozo-the-clown look” and had the offending locks lopped off as soon as possible.

“Why do you think they’re ashamed of him, darling?”

Robert tolerated her ministrations, although she saw a glimmer of impatience behind his eyes. “They don’t like talking about him,” he said. “Every time I ask about him, they change the subject or get sorta quiet and weird.”

“People sometimes don’t like to talk about the deceased.” Akiko forced herself to stop fussing with her son’s hair. “It makes them uncomfortable.”

“It’s more than that.”

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Listen to this week's PseudoPod. (https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/pseudopod/Pseudo760_AkikosLegacy.mp3)
Follow us on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtLeMuTcFDtF2C3MiF6GPfQ) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/7ahtswbjEhqKQifCwMX8o1?si=GMgBgLFHRsCzJ8xlvf9nOw)!

Title: Re: PseudoPod 760: Akiko’s Legacy
Post by: Scuba Man on June 18, 2021, 06:51:15 PM

In this episode, I find the road to hell is (awesomely) paved with good intentions. Initially, I thought this episode was more appropriate in the Escape Pod thread... and then...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I started detecting more and more unsettling ramifications of our protagonists' (including Robert) actions. The narrator also captured the innocent zeal, brilliant (and unethical) of 20-something-year old scientists can possess. The ethics board allowed these experiments on 3rd party (surrogates)... that makes sense. If the boards had known mom was HERSELF one of the surrogates, that would been met with monstrous condemnation. Akiko so badly wanted to prove her techniques correct, she was blinded by what fate her baby would live with. Yes, she loves Robert, even as she commits suicide. Now Robert will take up Akiko's legacy! Hey, that's the name of this story...nice!

   :o

Title: Re: PseudoPod 760: Akiko’s Legacy
Post by: Fenrix on June 20, 2021, 04:14:46 AM

Quote from: Scuba Man on June 18, 2021, 06:51:15 PM

In this episode, I find the road to hell is (awesomely) paved with good intentions. Initially, I thought this episode was more appropriate in the Escape Pod thread... and then...

There's a lot of nice overlap between genres, which is why we like to have Weird Science Horror showcases. Be advised we're pivoting to Fantasy (specifically the faery tale) next month.