Author Topic: EP593: Planetbound  (Read 6741 times)

eytanz

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on: September 16, 2017, 02:35:53 PM
Escape Pod 593: Planetbound

AUTHOR: Nancy Fulda
NARRATORS: Divya Breed and Trendane Sparks
HOST: Mur Lafferty
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There’s a moment that comes, the first time you step on the rim of a planet, when you suddenly realize how breakable you are. When you finally understand that despite the bone density treatments, despite the braces cradling your back and legs, despite the half-dozen hands that support your first faltering steps down the hallway, you will never be more than a hair’s breadth from disaster. A false step, an unexpected nudge, even the tilt of your own head could send you toppling. It’s worse – much worse – than you expected, and for five panicked heartbeats you consider retreating. It’s not too late to grab a flight back to the orbitals, to float again in those serene, majestic habitats. But no. There is something to be learned here; something important. Something that cannot be understood except through the eyes of a floater. And so you grit your teeth and slide your foot awkwardly forward, into this strange new existence.

It is a perilous reality, chaotic and unintuitive. Cloth leaps in strange directions. Objects zip away if you release them. Even the sounds are different. It’s like someone has erased the laws of the universe and written the equations anew.

On the next step something goes wrong and you jolt sideways. Shouts. Hands beneath your shoulders. Your arm flails outward and knocks a vase from a table. It clatters to the ground and stays there, water clinging to the tiles like a living creature.


Listen to this week’s Escape Pod!
« Last Edit: September 29, 2017, 06:55:52 PM by eytanz »



DerangedMind

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Reply #1 on: September 18, 2017, 05:39:10 PM
This was an interesting take on how social media could develop in the future.  The idea of real time feedback of emotions was interesting - and I can see how that could be very addictive for 'bloggers' of the future.

I liked the story, although I'll admit to being a bit confused about the ending -- I'm not sure I understood *why* she didn't want to reconnect to the stream until after she had healed.



acpracht

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Reply #2 on: September 19, 2017, 01:13:30 AM
I liked the story, although I'll admit to being a bit confused about the ending -- I'm not sure I understood *why* she didn't want to reconnect to the stream until after she had healed.
I took it as being too overwhelming for her (or him or they, technically) until that point... counter-productive to recovery.

Think of it like trying to deal with Twitter after a life threatening injury... turned up to 11...

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DerangedMind

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Reply #3 on: September 20, 2017, 12:37:54 PM
I can buy that.  I was wondering if I had missed something, and the protagonist had been worrying about copy-cat attempts....



Scuba Man

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Reply #4 on: September 21, 2017, 06:06:15 PM
Umm, why was that doctor's assistant allowed anywhere near the protagonist? It was a jarring narrative that pulled me out of the story. Pity. Then, we find out...
Spoiler (click to show/hide)



« Last Edit: September 21, 2017, 06:35:03 PM by Scuba Man »

I'm a stand-up philosopher until 2024. Then, I move onto my next gig. I'm a gentleman forester and farmer. I also enjoy jumping into Lake Huron and panicking the fish.


irishlazz

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Reply #5 on: September 29, 2017, 01:23:36 PM
 Well first of all I have a small complaint, as once again I login to comment on the podcast I just listened to (594) and there's no thread started for it yet. For me, wanting to leave feedback is an immediate and emotional  response to the story. Sometimes after pondering it for hours, but definitely  the same day I listen.  Most of the time I have a pileup of 3-4 stories to listen to, so my chances are 50/50 that one moving me to comment will have a thread started. Gripe over.

 And since I'm here, I will go ahead and leave feedback on Planetbound. This was an intriguing story. I liked how it was told and the descriptions seemed believable. A weird and frightening future to consider. Maybe it's a generational thing, but I would have zero interest in being THAT connected.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." A.Einstein


eytanz

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Reply #6 on: September 29, 2017, 06:57:43 PM
Well first of all I have a small complaint, as once again I login to comment on the podcast I just listened to (594) and there's no thread started for it yet. For me, wanting to leave feedback is an immediate and emotional  response to the story. Sometimes after pondering it for hours, but definitely  the same day I listen.  Most of the time I have a pileup of 3-4 stories to listen to, so my chances are 50/50 that one moving me to comment will have a thread started. Gripe over.

My apologies, this is my fault for missing last week's thread. But as a general rule, if you want to complain about a missing thread, you're far more likely to get a timely response - and often, a thread created - if you PM me directly about it, or if you post about it in the "about EP" or "metachat" forums. I'm less likely to look through an episode thread for a new episode for this sort of thing.



Trendane

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Reply #7 on: September 30, 2017, 06:06:55 AM
Maybe it's a generational thing, but I would have zero interest in being THAT connected.

I highly doubt that it is.  Or, it's a constantly recurring thing with each generation.  I can remember a time when all of my friends had computers and were chatting on BBS's and such. The idea of needing more than a simple telephone to contact someone...or a postage stamp, if the message was not too urgent...was odd to me.  Then all my friends had cellphones....and then smartphones. I have always been trailing behind, with regard to technology, but assimilation and adaptation (bordering on dependence) is far faster than I once thought.

Take, for example, the fact that you could not immediately post your thoughts on the story. A deep desire, an expectation even, to be able to instantly share your thoughts with those in your community.

Perhaps you have more interest in than you realize.



Scuba Man

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Reply #8 on: September 30, 2017, 08:08:49 PM
Well first of all I have a small complaint, as once again I login to comment on the podcast I just listened to (594) and there's no thread started for it yet. ...(snip)...zero interest in being THAT connected.
It happens on the forum. I just listened to Howling Dog (#562)... and want to react to it. Nope. Absent.

Re: connection. Pshhh... I just assume others are LISTENING IN. Heh, imagine having such crowdsourcing in my unconscious.... And then have some statistical engine crunch the numbers. Just give me an on/off switch.

I'm a stand-up philosopher until 2024. Then, I move onto my next gig. I'm a gentleman forester and farmer. I also enjoy jumping into Lake Huron and panicking the fish.


acpracht

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Reply #9 on: October 03, 2017, 04:00:28 AM
Maybe it's a generational thing, but I would have zero interest in being THAT connected.

Take, for example, the fact that you could not immediately post your thoughts on the story. A deep desire, an expectation even, to be able to instantly share your thoughts with those in your community.

Perhaps you have more interest in than you realize.

Oy! Shots fired! :P



Zelda

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Reply #10 on: October 09, 2017, 07:58:38 AM
I thought this story did an amazing job of describing a first time encounter with gravity. Creating a human character who has only a theoretical understanding of gravity and then showing us through her eyes how strange and difficult dealing with gravity is for her was a made this a tremendously imaginative story.



Piet

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Reply #11 on: November 30, 2017, 02:25:48 AM
The idea of livecasting one's experiences via neural implants as a sort of documentary and/or entertainment for others who have the necessary implants is reminiscent of a 2014 story titled Everybody loves Charles, by Bao Shu.

Terrorists have often taken advantage of the psychological impact of showing gruesome videos of violent acts such as shootings and beheadings. The effects would be even greater if such acts were livecast to an audience that is experiencing a neurological feed of the terror being experienced by the victim, and perhaps also a feed of the hate-filled aggressive thoughts and feelings of the perpetrator.

This story has beautiful descriptions of how a person who has lived their entire life living in free fall would perceive the experience of being on the surface of Earth, where the force of gravity relentlessly pulls everything toward the ground. The livecast of the terrorist act and subsequent changes in POV are skillfully handled. The story creatively explores ideas such as a collective Vastness into which one can neurologically connect, the notion that it is possible to have two-way flow of thoughts between livecaster and audience, and the possibility that the collective will of the Vastness can affect the actions of individuals.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2017, 02:30:03 AM by Piet »

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Katzentatzen

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Reply #12 on: December 01, 2017, 04:41:43 PM
I agree with the marvelous Mur, the 2nd person narration was extremely effective. Humans will always find reasons to hate each other for their differences, huh? Stories that claim society has “evolved” passed that are stories I take with a grain of salt.

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CryptoMe

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Reply #13 on: December 16, 2017, 06:01:16 AM
I too really enjoyed the story about a person, who grew up in constant free-fall, experiencing gravity for the first time. It's a great fish-out-of-water story that makes us take a closer look at the "water" the rest of us take for granted.

That said, I had a real problem with the assassination sub-plot. There was absolutely no hints or clues that the floaters were condescending to the earthers, either before or after the attempt. And it didn't seem like a case of unconscious bias by the privileged group, either. So, the assassination attempt just didn't seem to fit in for me. I did consider, right in the middle of the story, that the assassin could have been a wacko (like a school shooter) who does not represent the majority of the Earth population. But if that was the case, I would have appreciated a few more indicators of that.