Escape Artists

Escape Pod => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Swamp on October 14, 2009, 03:04:42 PM

Title: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: Swamp on October 14, 2009, 03:04:42 PM
EP043: Little Worker  (http://escapepod.org/2006/03/02/ep043-little-worker/)

By Paul Di Filippo (http://www.pauldifilippo.com/).
Read by Jonathon Sullivan.

At home, Little Worker could do pretty much as she pleased, as long as she was there should Mister Michael need her. At the office–and in other public places–she had to be more circumspect and diligent. Little Worker was on duty her, in a way that was more intense than behind the electrified fence and active sensors of the estate. (Once, one of the men at the Training School had said: “Little Worker, you are the most diligent companion I’ve ever trained.” The men of the school had been nice, in their stern way. But no one was like Mister Michael.)

Today, however, Little Worker’s mind was not on her work.


Rated X. Contains sex, violence, domestic slavery, and furries you don’t want to mess with.

(http://escapepod.org/wp-images/podcast-mini4.gif)
Listen to this week’s Escape Pod! (http://cdn4.libsyn.com/escapepod/EP043_LittleWorker.mp3?nvb=20091013191028&nva=20091014192028&t=0fb65c41805bf747473ed)
Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: monkeystuff on October 15, 2009, 03:30:25 AM
Strange story.  I did enjoy the attitude of the little helper and the eventual ferocity wrapped up this story nicely.  I wonder if someday we will have genetically enhanced helpers and what they would be like.  And if we had genetically enhanced helpers would it be a commercial thing that any one can bring home or would it be taken over by military for obvious reasons? 
Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: Boggled Coriander on October 15, 2009, 04:08:04 AM
This story amused me a lot when I listened to it nearly two years ago.  I'm not sure why, but something about Little Worker saying "No, I do not want to have sex" made me smile and feel happy.
Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: Unblinking on January 20, 2010, 06:10:14 PM
Great story!  And Sully-Dog's narration skills were put to good use here, I liked the different voices he put to the characters.

No real complaints about this one, and lots of great moments.  My favorite moment of all was the two sex creatures in a destructive feedback loop and becoming completely inseperable as they screwed each other.  That had me laughing much!  My only (slight) quibble was the sudden revealing of Little Worker's wolverine genes at the end, sort of a deus ex machine.  But the rest of the story was entertaining enough that that really didn't bother me, and the ending after that was a nice twist where she expects the two of them to continue to exist together despite Little Worker causing his wife's death.
Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: Subgenre on January 25, 2010, 08:18:40 PM
Been going through the archives and I must say that I found the most disturbing part of this story, by far, to be a future where Canada rules the United States. Chimerical sex-toys have nothing on that.



Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: Malapropos de Rien on September 01, 2010, 02:18:08 PM
My only (slight) quibble was the sudden revealing of Little Worker's wolverine genes at the end, sort of a deus ex machine.
I disagree.  A deus ex machina has no warning or foreshadowing.  I found this ending to flow very naturally from the many hints that were dropped along the way.  We knew from the start that she has some kind of animal genes, with her glossy fur and keen sense of smell.  We're told that she's comprised of 12 species, with 10% being human.  We see at least 4 other creatures with unusual choices of animal genes mixed in, some of which have violent and territorial tendencies.  The first gynomorph makes a particular point of detailing her 5-species pedigree (her brain is based on a mink's brain, which is in the same family as the wolverine), which I believe was for the purpose of foreshadowing the ending.

Anyway, this was a wonderful story, with memorable lines and humour, and the reading was brilliant.  It's one that I plan to listen to again, for certain!
Title: Re: EP043: Little Worker
Post by: luka datas on December 16, 2012, 12:43:31 PM
felt sorry for the poor dumb little beast, the story and narration hooked me