Author Topic: Pseudopod 167: Love Like Thunder (Read 29502 times)

Bdoomed · **on:** November 06, 2009, 04:30:52 AM

Pseudopod 167: Love Like Thunder

By Jim Bihyeh
Read by Cayenne Chris Conroy of Teknikal Diffikulties

After he pitched his nylon tent in a nearby juniper grove at the base of the hill, he slept until moonrise. Then, under the pale light, he unfolded his steel trench-shovel and walked uphill toward the cemetery, looking for love.

Three fresh granite tombstones glinted with new sand mounded before them; the last resting place for three of the Ganado students killed that week. Dondo noted them as he searched for older love. Deeper love.

He found it at a medium-sized granite tombstone next to a clump of rabbit brush. The name read: “Elinore Tsosie,” born April 19 1933, died November 18, 2004. 71 years old. Perfect.

Dondo squatted over his haunches beside the grave, holding his hands over the sandy earth like he was warming himself beside a campfire. He pinched sand from the base of the tombstone, tasted it, then spat to the north. Here was love. He dug.

Listen to this week's Pseudopod.

yicheng · **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2009, 08:44:29 PM

Loved this story. Loved the southwest setting. Reminds me a lot of "Skinwalker Deception". Very awesome reading by Cayenne Chris Conroy. I think he's got a more southwest tone to his voice than Ben Phillips had with the other Bihyeh story.

deflective · **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2009, 02:13:22 AM

fantastic ride, i love it when ea lets down its hair and has fun with some action.

Scattercat · **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2009, 04:53:58 AM

I actually found the action kind of boring. What I enjoyed was the metaphor-play with the concept of love; fascinating work, and subtly woven. I'm not usually big on Native American stuff in general, but I liked this. (Mind you, thunderbirds are one of the few exceptions to my "Meh on Native American" rule. There are some awesome stories about those things.)

One lingering question: why was the revolver a serious threat? Several previous lines seemed to indicate that Dondo only really feared serious supernatural power, such as the ch'indi or the use of his shed hair. Was it just that his magical tanks were running low enough that mundane threats were scary again?

MacArthurBug · **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2009, 12:18:44 PM

Strange wonderfully woven story. I forgot I had it on my feed until this morning when I really needed something to listen to. Great way to wake up too!

kibitzer · **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2009, 10:29:57 PM

Really nicely done. The explanations of the rules and strictures under which these gods operate was subtly inserted, as required, rather than slabs of boring explanation. Lovely. Very enjoyable story.

Unblinking · **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2009, 04:06:53 PM

Overall, I think I liked this story, but I felt like I was playing catch-up throughout trying to understand the rules. Granted, this is better than an explanatory lump at the beginning, but I was never quite sure what was possible. Also, I apparently don't know much about the thunderbird myths, because the explanation that he was a thunderbird didn't evoke any images or explanations for me.

Unblinking · **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2009, 04:28:24 PM

I should add: I really liked the reading. Both of the main characters sounded distinct and interesting. Very well done.

kurtgw · **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2009, 01:06:24 AM

I'm torn. I liked the story, the reader was spot on. Great piece of work.
That said, it seemed more like podcastle fare than pseudopod. Just didn't seem very much like horror.

kibitzer · **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2009, 07:20:33 AM

Quote from: kurtgw on November 10, 2009, 01:06:24 AM

That said, it seemed more like podcastle fare than pseudopod. Just didn't seem very much like horror.

Graverobbing, ghouls and ghosts not enough for you? lol

(jkng)

Sandikal · **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2009, 12:38:19 AM

Quote from: kibitzer on November 11, 2009, 07:20:33 AM

Quote from: kurtgw on November 10, 2009, 01:06:24 AM
That said, it seemed more like podcastle fare than pseudopod. Just didn't seem very much like horror.

Graverobbing, ghouls and ghosts not enough for you? lol

(jkng)

Don't forget 13 year-old girls shooting their classmates.

Bdoomed · **Reply #11 on:** November 12, 2009, 12:46:32 AM

Quote from: Sandikal on November 12, 2009, 12:38:19 AM

Quote from: kibitzer on November 11, 2009, 07:20:33 AM
Quote from: kurtgw on November 10, 2009, 01:06:24 AM
That said, it seemed more like podcastle fare than pseudopod. Just didn't seem very much like horror.

Graverobbing, ghouls and ghosts not enough for you? lol

(jkng)

Don't forget 13 year-old girls shooting their classmates.

and controlling your perceptions.

kibitzer · **Reply #12 on:** November 12, 2009, 07:27:17 AM

Quote from: Sandikal on November 12, 2009, 12:38:19 AM

Don't forget 13 year-old girls shooting their classmates.

Actually I forgot to say, the image of those kids lying dead, shot to death with no sound and no witnesses, was quite chilling. What an incredible hook!

heyes · **Reply #13 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:38:42 PM

This story has been recommended out to many of my friends. First and foremost this was an excellent example of matching the story with the right voice! The story is haunting, in the sense that it continues to linger an provoke the dark wheels of my imagination. Thanks P-pod folks.

gelee · **Reply #14 on:** November 12, 2009, 10:16:19 PM

Outstanding. Ditto on all positive comments above, and great work by the reader as well.
As for horror, the hero of the story tongued out the eye sockets of a corpse in the first act. Blech.

bethelash · **Reply #15 on:** November 12, 2009, 11:33:06 PM

I really liked this story. So much that I want to buy the book Coyote Tales when it comes out, but I can't find anything about it online. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Ben Phillips · **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2009, 06:27:18 PM

Quote from: bethelash on November 12, 2009, 11:33:06 PM

I really liked this story. So much that I want to buy the book Coyote Tales when it comes out, but I can't find anything about it online. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I think you just have to stay tuned. As I understand it, it's still a work in progress from this up-and-coming author. Maybe he'll start a mailing list you can get on (I hear that's a wise thing for authors to do). But you can check out Bihyeh's previous Coyote Tale on Pseudopod if you haven't already, "Reservation Monsters".

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2009, 06:45:32 PM

Quote from: bethelash on November 12, 2009, 11:33:06 PM

I really liked this story. So much that I want to buy the book Coyote Tales when it comes out, but I can't find anything about it online. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Me too:) Wearing my Hub hat, we're hoping to sort out an interview with Jim once the book's released so you'll either about it through Pseudopod or Hub:)

bethelash · **Reply #18 on:** November 14, 2009, 02:51:15 AM

I see. Thanks guys, I will stay tuned.

Dave · **Reply #19 on:** November 16, 2009, 01:08:14 AM

I liked this one a lot. It was interesting to watch the villain turn out to be the hero... except that, as Alasdair points out, it's not about heroes or villains- it's just their nature, and nature doesn't really give a rip about us at all. And, thankfully, neither does supernature.

Reminds me of that episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? where the kids have the x-ray glasses and can see all the invisible people who live alongside us. It's all kind of a lark, right up until the invisible people *notice* that the kids can see them. That's when the fear sets in.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #20 on:** November 16, 2009, 11:41:28 PM

Hello, this is Jim Bihyeh, the author, dropping in to say I have finally listened to my story, “Love Like Thunder,” as produced by Pseudopod. And I must say it was worth the tortuous wait. I like to wait at least a week before listening to the story, to detach myself from the tale, before I hear someone create it wholly anew.

And Pseudopod has done just that.

I sing Cayenne Chris Conroy's praises. The man has taught me things about my characters that I'd either forgotten or had always wanted to know. His tone of subtle, forceful brutality was truly beautiful. I've written him to tell him so, and I hope some of you might do the same.

I was working on one of the Coyote Tales last night and kept hearing his voice as Coyote. I’ve never had that happen before – having another person’s voice work itself into my imagination – but it’s a powerful and enriching thing.

Ben Phillips has been an imaginative, open, but firm, creative force as editor of Pseudopod. He and his invaluable associate editor, Gary Lee, guided this story to the best tale it could become. I cannot thank them enough.

And a double-armed thanks goes to Alasdair for his flattering into and outro commentary. It really helped me understand what others could take from "Love Like Thunder." And what I've taken by writing it.

I’ve been reading your comments and I’m so grateful that you’ve enjoyed Dondo’s story, overall.

Some of you have even expressed further interest in the Coyote Tales, a collection of interweaving short stories set on the middle of the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona.

I've been working more and more at the Coyote Tales. I've got about seven written thus far, and I'm hoping to put out four or five more. Some are 3,000 word stories, some more than 10,000. There's a novella in the mix that's nearing its final draft form.

The novella, "The Speed of Lightning," takes place immediately after “Love Like Thunder” (let’s just say that final lightning strike from Dondo has some unforeseen consequences) and follows Coyote's attempts to recruit a champion high school cross-country runner to be his latest microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan.

I'm not quite sure what to do with them. Anybody have any ideas. I know a smidgen about writing stories. But as far as podcast / internet writing publishing goes, I know – sadly – absolute dick.

Once again, thanks so much for listening. And if you’ve liked what you heard with “Love Like Thunder,” you might also enjoy “Reservation Monsters,” narrated in good haunting fashion by Ben Phillips himself.

I’ll be watching the forum this week. If you have any questions about the story, the language, the inner workings of the Navajo lore, or if anything else piqued your interest about The Coyote Tales, let me know. I’ll be sure to respond.

Hagoonee’
Jim Bihyeh

David Steffen · **Reply #21 on:** November 17, 2009, 04:08:40 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 16, 2009, 11:41:28 PM

Hello, this is Jim Bihyeh, the author, dropping in to say I have finally listened to my story, “Love Like Thunder,” as produced by Pseudopod. And I must say it was worth the tortuous wait. I like to wait at least a week before listening to the story, to detach myself from the tale, before I hear someone create it wholly anew.

And Pseudopod has done just that.

I hear you, regarding the torturous wait. My upcoming Pseudopod story was my first fiction sale, to boot, so I can't wait to see who narrates it and what they do with it, and what insightful comments Alasdair has in his intro and outro. I trust them to do an awesome job as always, but it's very nerve-wracking to see exactly how they do it.

gelee · **Reply #22 on:** November 17, 2009, 09:39:05 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 16, 2009, 11:41:28 PM

Ben Phillips has been an imaginative, open, but firm, creative force as editor of Pseudopod. He and his invaluable associate editor, Gary Lee, guided this story to the best tale it could become. I cannot thank them enough.

Just want to correct an attribution here. As much as I would love to claim the teensiest bit of credit for this great story, I must confess that the Associate Editor who worked with Jim Bihyeh to bring this show to us all was, in fact, Shawn Garrett No surprise, as Shawn is a far awesomer a.e. than I. Lucky for us all that Al and Ben rarely let Shawn leave the Pseudopod Towers boiler room. Shawn does a lot of work down there to help get out these great stories week in and week out.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #23 on:** November 17, 2009, 09:41:05 PM

Shawn Garrett... I'll remember that name now. I can't thank Shawn enough.

And I apologize for the attribution error.

Mea culpa. No disrespect intended.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #24 on:** November 17, 2009, 09:50:57 PM

Quote from: Dave on November 16, 2009, 01:08:14 AM

Reminds me of that episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? where the kids have the x-ray glasses and can see all the invisible people who live alongside us. It's all kind of a lark, right up until the invisible people *notice* that the kids can see them. That's when the fear sets in.

By the way, I think it's great that the story was likened to an episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" (a guilty childhood pleasure of mine). My hometown on the Rez was too far out in the boonies to get broadcast stations, and very few of us had cable. But my group of friends usually found a way to gather on Saturday nights to watch that show.

That was a solid production crew that told some very creative stories that would not have existed if not for that venue. That's how I've been seeing Pseudopod lately; it's been an excellent venue for the dark tale.

bethelash · **Reply #25 on:** November 18, 2009, 01:41:42 AM

"The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea..."
Jim what is this a quote from?

gelee · **Reply #26 on:** November 18, 2009, 02:02:52 AM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 17, 2009, 09:41:05 PM

Shawn Garrett... I'll remember that name now. I can't thank Shawn enough.

And I apologize for the attribution error.

Mea culpa. No disrespect intended.

Hey, no culpas needed. I know Shawn isn't worried about it. I just want to make sure I don't take someone elses credit

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #27 on:** November 18, 2009, 03:18:40 AM

Good to hear there's no culpa. I really do appreciate Shawn's hard work.

As for the quote, it's from "The Wolf Man," starring Lon Chaney, Jr. It's a great line that the gypsy speaks over him to change him from monster to man after he's caught in a bear-trap. It's always been a neat piece of poetry I've carried with me since I saw the movie when I was a kid.

nevermore_66 · **Reply #28 on:** November 18, 2009, 09:34:21 AM

Hey, Jim. Fantastic story.

Sort of American Gods but with more of a World of darkness sensibility...yet all it's own animal. I can't wait to read the other Coyote tales.

I was a fan of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK too

Your use of the refrain of "love" and going to the graveyard to find love and using love to heal himself, ect. was very affective. The use of the Native American lore was great and the details of it were revealed at a perfect pace.

wakela · **Reply #29 on:** November 18, 2009, 11:13:15 PM

Quote from: Dave on November 16, 2009, 01:08:14 AM

I liked this one a lot. It was interesting to watch the villain turn out to be the hero... except that, as Alasdair points out, it's not about heroes or villains- it's just their nature, and nature doesn't really give a rip about us at all. And, thankfully, neither does supernature.

Well said, and more concisely than I would have.

I proudly join the orgy of praise for this story and it's production. The voices were distinct without being cheesy, and I quickly forgot that they were read by the same person.

The story was a blast. The supernatural rules were unusual, interesting, subtlety and effectively explained, and didn't leave any silly holes. My preconceptions of who was good and who was evil were played with and then made irrelevant. There are not nearly enough stories set in Native American culture, much less stories without any cowboysnindians or Noble Savages. Gimme more.

Jim Bihyeh: I know less about Navajo mythology than you do about new media publishing. How much of the mythology in this story was your invention and how much was "authentic?" (I don't mean to imply that one of those is better than the other).

Fantasy or horror. Too many rotting corpses and tonguing eye sockets for fantasy, not scary enough for horror. I'm just thankful there is a medium for stories like this.

nevermore_66 · **Reply #30 on:** November 19, 2009, 12:08:31 AM

Yeah, it's been my experience that the stories I like best are the ones toe the lines of different genres.

And it's always seemed that Escape Artists has been a good home for that kind of thing.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #31 on:** November 19, 2009, 02:24:44 AM

Thanks for the comparison to American Gods. I read that novel during a Greyhound bus ride across the country when I was in college, and the concept really stuck with me.

It resurfaced again just the other night when I was drying the dishes and started thinking about the Ancient Greeks. They had these incredible myths and such inventive stories. And I wondered why they didn’t have horror stories.

The Greek gods really were just as intense and flawed as the people who worshipped them, only infinitely more powerful. And whenever the gods "noticed" you, your life tended to turn to shit pretty soon after - if you weren't dismembered and beheaded by a mob of crazed naked women or drowned by a tidal wave, you might just get away with eternal starvation or being poisoned by a jealous lover.

Either way, it was all about a universe - a cruel, brutal, and oh-so-determined universe - picking you out until it picked you apart.

And so I wondered - as I slid the final saucer into the cabinet - why didn't the Greeks have any horror tales? And then I got my answer: they did.

Today, we call them "myths."

And thank goodness we teach them to our children.

I wonder if we're at fault for confining a tale to a "genre" in the first place. Wonder is wonder and fright makes right.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #32 on:** November 19, 2009, 02:32:56 AM

Cowboysnindians

That's a good one.

As for authenticity...

I feel I merely expanded on pattern that already exist in the Navajo mythos. There are certain rules that govern the Navajo world, and I don't dare violate them in my stories (for both philosophical and very real safety reasons).

There are no "thunderbirds" in the Navajo stories, but there are entities of Thunder (i.e. - "Blue Thunder" and "Black Thunder"). It's understood that most of the physical forms of the Holy People are open to interpretation and are constantly changing.

I merely tried to step into the character of one of these "Thunders." Dondo is a combination of many mythic elements surrounding the concept of thunder and lightning: it's a powerful and dangerous thing. Case in point: during a fifth grade sandpainting project in my elementary school Navajo culture class, my teacher warned all of us not to create any lightning bolts or storm patterns with the sand we were gluing to our squares of particle board.

But I had already etched a wide lightning bolt arching over a howling wolf - a pattern of my favorite "spirit wolf" t-shirt that I owned as a kid. Mrs. Begay grabbed my sandpainting like it was on fire and rubbed out the lightning pattern. I had to change my blue-sand wolf to a dog (there are many taboos about wolves, also) and all was restored to harmony... I think I still got a B on the sandpainting, though.

Bdoomed · **Reply #33 on:** November 19, 2009, 02:35:35 AM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 19, 2009, 02:24:44 AM

Thanks for the comparison to American Gods. I read that novel during a Greyhound bus ride across the country when I was in college, and the concept really stuck with me.

It resurfaced again just the other night when I was drying the dishes and started thinking about the Ancient Greeks. They had these incredible myths and such inventive stories. And I wondered why they didn’t have horror stories.

The Greek gods really were just as intense and flawed as the people who worshipped them, only infinitely more powerful. And whenever the gods "noticed" you, your life tended to turn to shit pretty soon after - if you weren't dismembered and beheaded by a mob of crazed naked women or drowned by a tidal wave, you might just get away with eternal starvation or being poisoned by a jealous lover.

Either way, it was all about a universe - a cruel, brutal, and oh-so-determined universe - picking you out until it picked you apart.

And so I wondered - as I slid the final saucer into the cabinet - why didn't the Greeks have any horror tales? And then I got my answer: they did.

Today, we call them "myths."

And thank goodness we teach them to our children.

I wonder if we're at fault for confining a tale to a "genre" in the first place. Wonder is wonder and fright makes right.

wait... I thought you were Jim Bihyeh not Alasdair Stewart

Bdoomed · **Reply #34 on:** November 19, 2009, 02:41:35 AM

anyways, as for the story, you did a great job of using the mythos without needing the reader to know them. I have not the first inkling of knowledge of Navajo myth, but that did not in any way hinder my enjoyment of the story. The boundaries of the magic were unknown to me, but they were outlined as they were needed, and nothing seemed too far-fetched. I would say I'd like to see it as a movie or something, but it would probably end up like those half-assed scifi movies that focus more on bad CGI than on good acting.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #35 on:** November 19, 2009, 10:49:03 AM

Quote from: Bdoomed on November 19, 2009, 02:41:35 AM

I have not the first inkling of knowledge of Navajo myth, but that did not in any way hinder my enjoyment of the story. The boundaries of the magic were unknown to me, but they were outlined as they were needed, and nothing seemed too far-fetched.

Great point about some of those Scifi Channel (oh, sorry... ScyFy?) movies that were more about falsely-lit CGI puppetry and less about real characters.

And thanks for the kudos about the mythos in the story. I need to tip my hat on that trick. If you're ever interested to see an AMAZING writer handle storytelling and cultural explanation nearly seamlessly, pick up James Welch. His historical novel, "Fools Crow," the story of a warrior from the Blackfoot tribe in Montana having to negotiate around the arrival of the "napikwans" (Anglo people), is an excellent example of how to work foreign ideas into a familiar story that people from both cultures can enjoy.

And thanks for the Alasdair comparison. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Al's a good one to imitate.

eytanz · **Reply #36 on:** November 19, 2009, 08:55:10 PM

I really, really enjoyed this one. I was a bit confused by the ending - I'm not entirely sure what went down between the old man and the girl that made her shoot her classmates - but overall, a great tale with surprising amount of depth for its length.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #37 on:** November 20, 2009, 03:48:32 PM

Quote from: eytanz on November 19, 2009, 08:55:10 PM

I really, really enjoyed this one. I was a bit confused by the ending - I'm not entirely sure what went down between the old man and the girl that made her shoot her classmates - but overall, a great tale with surprising amount of depth for its length.

I'm glad you enjoyed "Love Like Thunder," and you raise an excellent point about the relationship between the old man and Lynette.

It's a relationship that is explored in the other Coyote Tales. There's more

bumdhar · **Reply #38 on:** November 23, 2009, 06:08:35 PM

I live in Minnesota. I downloaded this podcast before I went to visit relations in Page Arizona, which borders on Navajo Nation. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to listen to this podcast while out there, but it was great to listen to it upon retuning. I think it is the best podcast I’ve heard so far in terms of reading and writing. And what happy coincidence just having returned from the scene of the action! I look forward to devouring more works by Mr.Bihyeh. I loved it.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #39 on:** November 23, 2009, 06:55:53 PM

Quote from: bumdhar on November 23, 2009, 06:08:35 PM

I live in Minnesota. I downloaded this podcast before I went to visit relations in Page Arizona, which borders on Navajo Nation. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to listen to this podcast while out there, but it was great to listen to it upon retuning. I think it is the best podcast I’ve heard so far in terms of reading and writing. And what happy coincidence just having returned from the scene of the action! I look forward to devouring more works by Mr.Bihyeh. I loved it.

Ah, I'm glad to hear you had a great set-up for the story. Maybe it's better that you heard the work once you returned (some nice reflection that way, eh?). The rocky country of Glen and Marble Canyon are desolately beautiful, and if you ever get down to Bitter Springs, Arizona, you can see some fascinating views and arroyos.

It is indeed a small world. I graduated from Page High School after my family moved off the Reservation. And I still have close family who live just outside of Page.

And if you enjoyed this podcast, check out my other story, Pseudopod Episode 159: "Reservation Monsters," read by the excellent Ben Phillips. It features the same Coyote figure and is set in the town of Ganado, Arizona.

I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the story!

bumdhar · **Reply #40 on:** November 23, 2009, 08:06:58 PM

Jim, thanks for replying, it is indeed a small world. Next time I'm there (hopefully soon) we'll check out Bitter Springs. And I'll be downloading episode 159 tonight...

melopoiea · **Reply #41 on:** November 25, 2009, 05:12:40 PM

More by Jim Bihyeh! More stories like this! Not only the turnabout (for some reason I always think of Coyote as a hero) but the complexity of the characters really engaged me.

Even the grossout moments weren't a problem for me, but I'm starting to think I'm sort of blase and not a good baseline on that.

Also, when Jim Bihyeh puts out that collection, can you guys mention it? I want to buy a copy. Thanks!

eytanz · **Reply #42 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:01:53 AM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 23, 2009, 06:55:53 PM

And if you enjoyed this podcast, check out my other story, Pseudopod Episode 159: "Reservation Monsters," read by the excellent Ben Phillips. It features the same Coyote figure and is set in the town of Ganado, Arizona.

You know, until I read this comment I never realized the two stories happened in the same world - there's a big change in tone between the two (Reservation Monsters being told from the POV of someone much lower in the food chain than the protagonist here).

So, from the two stories - Coyote seems to approach young, maladjusted kids who are rejected by their peers, and it ends in murder. What he's aiming to achieve - is the violence a goal or is it just a by-product - is not clear to me...

heyes · **Reply #43 on:** November 28, 2009, 12:28:14 PM

Awesome awesome awesome! I have mailed this story out to many friends. A really good example of telling, I dunno, hard-boiled myth? Okay maybe that's not a great term, but the story was both well written and well read. Mr. Bihyeh I will definitely be going back to your earlier entry (159) for a re-listen. Keep up the good work.

[edited]

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #44 on:** November 28, 2009, 02:51:09 PM

Quote from: heyes on November 28, 2009, 12:28:14 PM

Awesome awesome awesome! I have mailed this story out to many friends. I really good touch at telling, I dunno, hard-boiled myth? Okay maybe that's not a great term, but the story was both well written and well read. Mr. Bihyeh I will definitely be going back to your earlier entry (159) for a re-listen. Keep up the good work.

It's great to be worthy of a triumvirate of awesome! Finally!

I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the story. And I like the new subgenre you've created: "Hard-boiled myth." It's an intriguing term...

And I appreciate telling your friends about the story. There's nothing better than sharing a good story with strangers who then become less strange... especially when you find they're just as strange as you

.

As for the comment about Coyote's methods: yes, he does tend to recruite young talent and use his cunning to bend their raw - yet naive - energy to his will (that seems to be the way of the world, though, isn't it? The older prey on the ideals of the young). And yes, he does have a catastophic plan and a rather mischevious scheme (i.e. he did have a purpose in acquiring four thunderbird feathers). I can't wait to share that story, when the time comes...

heyes · **Reply #45 on:** November 28, 2009, 04:23:50 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 28, 2009, 02:51:09 PM

Quote from: heyes on November 28, 2009, 12:28:14 PM
Awesome awesome awesome! I have mailed this story out to many friends. A really good example of telling, I dunno, hard-boiled myth? Okay maybe that's not a great term, but the story was both well written and well read. Mr. Bihyeh I will definitely be going back to your earlier entry (159) for a re-listen. Keep up the good work.

(boy I should have my caffeine before posting in the forums)

It's great to be worthy of a triumvirate of awesome! Finally!

I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the story. And I like the new subgenre you've created: "Hard-boiled myth." It's an intriguing term...

And I appreciate telling your friends about the story. There's nothing better than sharing a good story with strangers who then become less strange... especially when you find they're just as strange as you .

As for the comment about Coyote's methods: yes, he does tend to recruite young talent and use his cunning to bend their raw - yet naive - energy to his will (that seems to be the way of the world, though, isn't it? The older prey on the ideals of the young). And yes, he does have a catastophic plan and a rather mischevious scheme (i.e. he did have a purpose in acquiring four thunderbird feathers). I can't wait to share that story, when the time comes...

eytanz · **Reply #46 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:56:53 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on November 28, 2009, 02:51:09 PM

As for the comment about Coyote's methods: yes, he does tend to recruite young talent and use his cunning to bend their raw - yet naive - energy to his will (that seems to be the way of the world, though, isn't it? The older prey on the ideals of the young). And yes, he does have a catastophic plan and a rather mischevious scheme (i.e. he did have a purpose in acquiring four thunderbird feathers). I can't wait to share that story, when the time comes...

But he failed to get the feathers in this story, if I remember correctly. I hope I do...

I guess I'll have to re-read this story when the full story sequence comes out - I hope you'll drop us all a note here about that when it happens

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #47 on:** November 30, 2009, 11:01:23 PM

Quote from: eytanz on November 28, 2009, 05:56:53 PM

But he failed to get the feathers in this story, if I remember correctly. I hope I do...

I guess I'll have to re-read this story when the full story sequence comes out - I hope you'll drop us all a note here about that when it happens

You were dead-on: Coyote doesn't get the feathers in this story. But he finds another way. In any prairie dog town, there's always more than one hole to enter by...

Thanks for your attentiont to detail!

cdugger · **Reply #48 on:** December 01, 2009, 01:01:34 AM

Well, I had a Pseudopod day at work today, and was sorely disappointed.

Until I listened to Love Like Thunder.

Great story. Great reading. Period.

I did remember Reservation Monsters as I listened, but wasn't aware it was the same author. Should have, though.

Jim, keep 'em coming!

You asked for ideas? I'll PM you one.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #49 on:** December 02, 2009, 04:09:02 PM

Quote from: cdugger on December 01, 2009, 01:01:34 AM

Well, I had a Pseudopod day at work today, and was sorely disappointed.

Until I listened to Love Like Thunder.

Great story. Great reading. Period.

I really can't thank you enough for the compliment. It really means a lot that you took time during your day to tune into the wonderful and terrible world of Ganado, Arizona...

El Sabor Asiático · **Reply #50 on:** December 08, 2009, 10:21:21 PM

Great story. I wasn't really into it initially, but once the picture of what was happening became clear, I was hooked. I thought the author conveyed very effectively the weirdness of these non-human characters who are apparently of ancient (pre-human?) origins. I was reminded a little of Neil Gaiman, and how he writes so often about societies that exist parallel to but separate from human societies.

I don't (in general, not just Pseudopod) often see stories in the horror genre that are told from the perspective of a non-Western culture. Even when they're stories about some alien race or whatnot, the voice is so obviously grounded in Western themes, values, and patterns of thought that they may as well be set in Cleveland. This, to me, was a fine example of a voice that is not just from another culture but doesn't really even try to "translate" itself to a Western reader. That gave the story an eerie, otherworldly feel, even though the basic plot elements weren't unfamiliar.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #51 on:** December 16, 2009, 03:38:14 PM

Quote from: Pants McCracky on December 08, 2009, 10:21:21 PM

Great story. I wasn't really into it initially, but once the picture of what was happening became clear, I was hooked. I thought the author conveyed very effectively the weirdness of these non-human characters who are apparently of ancient (pre-human?) origins. I was reminded a little of Neil Gaiman, and how he writes so often about societies that exist parallel to but separate from human societies.

I don't (in general, not just Pseudopod) often see stories in the horror genre that are told from the perspective of a non-Western culture. Even when they're stories about some alien race or whatnot, the voice is so obviously grounded in Western themes, values, and patterns of thought that they may as well be set in Cleveland. This, to me, was a fine example of a voice that is not just from another culture but doesn't really even try to "translate" itself to a Western reader. That gave the story an eerie, otherworldly feel, even though the basic plot elements weren't unfamiliar.

I thank you for the compliments, sir, and I hope you understand the immeasureable blushing that goes on whenever this story and anything by Neil Gaiman is mentioned in the same sentence.

It's a very interesting point you bring up about the Western culture perspective. I believe that writers should follow that golden rule and write what they know - even Stephen King gets a little odd-bally when he ventures outside of New England (Dark Tower excepted, of course). That is what I tried to do with this story: to write about a place I know pretty well and to try to dig for something truly horrifying inside that soil. I'm glad you think I've gotten close to some of what might be there.

If you liked this story, my story, "Reservation Monsters" is also set in the world of Ganado, Arizona. Hopefully, it's worth as much of a listen.

*And you have a SWELL and SUAVE design style on your blog.*

TrapperDan · **Reply #52 on:** February 02, 2010, 07:30:12 PM

I listen to pseudopod in bursts when i am at work. The other night i had about 8 hours of down time where it was just me working away, so i happened to listen to Reservation Monsters and Love Like Thunder in the same night.

I want more of this world. I want more amazing Native American legends, and well crafted characters. Very well done, and a glimpse at this culture really shows how old it is. Keep up the good work.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #53 on:** February 17, 2010, 04:46:36 PM

I'm glad you were able to enjoy both stories in the same sitting! You're right: this really is an older world. And I think it's so interesting to see this older world attempting to keep pace with the modern one. Those characters are driven on at that same pace.

And fear not: there is a currently a Coyote Tales podcast in the works.

Millenium_King · **Reply #54 on:** June 02, 2010, 11:37:21 PM

Just like to say that I just listened to this one - fantastic. I thought the magic was well done and the story moved along excellently. The double-threat of coyote and the "zombie" was a nice touch.

My only gripe is that I was not terribly impressed by the action sequences - they seemed a little lacking. Apologies for not being able to be more specific, I suppose I would need to see it in prose for that.

Furthermore, I had listened to "The Dreaming Way" prior to this one and found this one a much, much better ride.

Jim (if you ever chance by again): did anything in print ever materialize? My wife would love this, but I doubt she has the time to listen to it. If you ever produce an anthology, I'd like to get it for her as a gift.

(edit)

Jim - I also wanted to ask if you have written any of these stories set in the past? Either during colonial or pre-colonial times?

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #55 on:** June 09, 2010, 01:09:54 PM

Quote from: Millenium_King on June 02, 2010, 11:37:21 PM

Just like to say that I just listened to this one - fantastic. I thought the magic was well done and the story moved along excellently. The double-threat of coyote and the "zombie" was a nice touch.

My only gripe is that I was not terribly impressed by the action sequences - they seemed a little lacking. Apologies for not being able to be more specific, I suppose I would need to see it in prose for that.

Furthermore, I had listened to "The Dreaming Way" prior to this one and found this one a much, much better ride.

Jim (if you ever chance by again): did anything in print ever materialize? My wife would love this, but I doubt she has the time to listen to it. If you ever produce an anthology, I'd like to get it for her as a gift.

(edit)

Jim - I also wanted to ask if you have written any of these stories set in the past? Either during colonial or pre-colonial times?

To answer your question about the print market, I haven't submitted them yet. I'm finishing two more tales, and then they'll be ready to podcast and print. I just finished one titled "Dusk's Roots Run Deep" last night, and I can't wait to write the next one. (Things have been slow on the Tales. I've been finalizing work on a book titled "Navajos Wear Nikes" that will be coming out in spring 2011 * it's a memoir about modern life on the Rez* and I also just finished a YA novel titled "The Hero Twins: Weapons of the Storm." I'm shopping that one around to agents right now...)

And I do have a plan to write one of them in pre-colonial times. I wanted to set it during the Long Walk. But I might have to wait for another collection. I have a story of pre-Colonial times in the memoir (an old witch story my stepdad told me about his grandfather facing a skinwalker while coming back from a ceremony near Hard Rock, Arizona).

But if you're interested in pre-Colonial fiction, I cannot recommend James Welch's "Fools Crow" - a novel set in the 1870s on the Blackfoot homelands of western Montana. It is a masterpiece. It's one of my favorite books of all time. Read and be amazed at its authenticity.

Thanks for posting and I'll look forward to any other questions you have about The Coyote Tales!

All the best,
Jim Bihyeh

Millenium_King · **Reply #56 on:** June 10, 2010, 06:43:12 AM

Hello Jim -

I will definately go get "Fool's Crow" right away. I have a desire to set something around Native American lands (ever read "The Mound" by Zaelia Bishop? - yeah right, it was actually ghost written by H.P. Lovecraft).

I am kind of chilled that you mentioned skin-walkers: My friend called me the other day (he's a long-haul truck driver) and he swears up and down the street that a skin-walker ran alongside his cab and kept pace with him whilst he was driving along a lonely highway in Utah one night.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #57 on:** June 10, 2010, 01:55:07 PM

Quote from: Millenium_King on June 10, 2010, 06:43:12 AM

Hello Jim -

I will definately go get "Fool's Crow" right away. I have a desire to set something around Native American lands (ever read "The Mound" by Zaelia Bishop? - yeah right, it was actually ghost written by H.P. Lovecraft).

I am kind of chilled that you mentioned skin-walkers: My friend called me the other day (he's a long-haul truck driver) and he swears up and down the street that a skin-walker ran alongside his cab and kept pace with him whilst he was driving along a lonely highway in Utah one night.

Great to hear you're going to pick up "Fools Crow"! Anything by Welch is great, but "Fools Crow" is his best.

Your friend's story about the skinwalker gives me some chills, too. That's a common skinwalker motif (running alongside the truck). They can do that. Though, it's weird to hear about skinwalkers up in Utah.

What highway in Utah? I lived my last three years of high school in Kane County in Southern Utah, in a community about 45 miles south of Kanab. Maybe I've driven the road...

Millenium_King · **Reply #58 on:** June 11, 2010, 08:58:27 PM

Sorry, took me a while to answer. My friend said it was on a highway near the famous "Skinwalker Ranch." He wasn't actually on it though, he was closer to the nearby Ute reservation.

Unblinking · **Reply #59 on:** June 15, 2010, 01:41:38 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on June 09, 2010, 01:09:54 PM

But if you're interested in pre-Colonial fiction, I cannot recommend James Welch's "Fools Crow" - a novel set in the 1870s on the Blackfoot homelands of western Montana. It is a masterpiece. It's one of my favorite books of all time. Read and be amazed at its authenticity.

I think you might mean "I cannot recommend James Welch's "Folls Crow" ENOUGH. Otherwise that paragraph is a little contradctory with itself.

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #60 on:** June 15, 2010, 06:52:21 PM

Quote from: Unblinking on June 15, 2010, 01:41:38 PM

Quote from: Jim Bihyeh on June 09, 2010, 01:09:54 PM
But if you're interested in pre-Colonial fiction, I cannot recommend James Welch's "Fools Crow" - a novel set in the 1870s on the Blackfoot homelands of western Montana. It is a masterpiece. It's one of my favorite books of all time. Read and be amazed at its authenticity.

I think you might mean "I cannot recommend James Welch's "Folls Crow" ENOUGH. Otherwise that paragraph is a little contradctory with itself.

Ah, nice catch on my rushed diction! Great save!

ENOUGH!

Jim Bihyeh · **Reply #61 on:** October 16, 2012, 01:18:04 AM

Hello All,

Here's a little Halloween "treat" for you folks who have enjoyed "Coyote Tales" in the past.

I'm glad to say that “Coyote Tales” is FINALLY available in its entirety from Blackston Audio. In a downloadable format. And narrated by the awesome Cayenne Chris Conroy. You can find it on Amazon.com, Audible.com, Downpour.com, Audiobooks.com, and Waterstones.com.

I hope all is well as the season turns into autumn. And I hope your Halloween is night of superstition and fraught with terror. I’ll look forward to hearing from you here if you have any questions.

Take care,
Jim Kristofic

P.S. – I have included a list and brief summaries of the tales below, if you are interested to check it out and review it.

Reservation Monsters
-   A young boy with a monster living under his bed learns from Coyote that most monsters are far worse than the ones that go bump in the night.

The Dreaming Way
-   After Coyote reveals her hidden powers, a teenage girl must decide whether she will use them to save or destroy her community.

Love Like Thunder
-   A tragic schoolyard shooting invites a strange creature who sets up camp next to the local cemetery, where he goes to visit the dead so that he may live a few days longer.

The Speed of Lightning
-   In this novella, Shaun Sallabye, a famous high school runner, gets a shot of talent from Coyote that will push him to his limits, if it doesn’t break him first.

The Shooting Way
-   Jesse Benally is coming home to the Reservation. He doesn’t believe in witchcraft. But when his Aunt Bonita is afflicted with a strange sickness, he must meet with the local medicine man, who teaches Jesse that native witches don’t care what he believes in and what he doesn’t.

Black Body
-   Fernando Gishi waits for his father to get out of prison and rejoin his family. But after he finds the body of a dead girl in the desert, he must rely on his friends as a dark force reaches out to make a deal. And it’ll be a deal that he can’t refuse.

Changing Woman
-   Nellie Begay, a former combat nurse, is missing her daughter. When a supernatural force might know where she is, Nellie must find the strength to heal herself and talk to Changing Woman.

The Darkest Roots Run Deep
-   Ronnie Long, a maintenance worker barely making ends meet, will have to look to his girlfriend and their unborn child in order to forgive the biggest mistake of his life. Before it kills him.

Remember By Your Scars
-   Jane Lewis is a white nurse who fled the East coast and the scars of abusive relationships. And when her latest ends, a new man walks into her life and reopens all the scars she’s tried to hide.

The Bathroom People
-   LeCaine Keeyahani hates working fast-food but he hates the idea of leaving the Reservation even more. When his dying grandfather asks for LeCaine to help him end his life with dignity, only The Bathroom People hold the answer to LeCaine’s future.