Author Topic: Pseudopod 017: Upon The Midnight Clear  (Read 3724 times)

Bdoomed

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on: November 09, 2009, 07:34:07 PM
Pseudopod 017: Upon The Midnight Clear

By Stephen Dedman
Read by J.R. Blackwell
Music provided by the HP Lovecraft Historical Society

She was mercifully quiet for a while, as though thinking of something to say. “Must be difficult, though, travelling on your own. Dangerous, even.”

I laughed, probably for the first time since the plane landed. I’d heard that too often before, too. “Dangerous? This place?” She looked and sounded sincere enough, though it was hard to be sure with that make-up and accent. “I teach jeet kune do and self-defence. The scariest thing I’ve seen since I got here was Phantom of the Opera. I admit, I didn’t actually plan to be making this trip alone, but my fiance dumped me in November, and I was stuck with the ticket. I’m enjoying it more than I expected. So, what have you got around here that’s dangerous? Serial killers? Or just drunks?”

She was silent for a moment. “Are you superstitious?”

I laughed. “I’m not even Californian.”

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“No.”



Listen to this week's Pseudopod.

I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds?  Six pounds? Seven pounds?


Unblinking

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Reply #1 on: November 10, 2009, 05:51:06 PM
I got a laugh out of the horror Christmas music--quite fun!

But the story I didn't much care for.
-Too much of a coincidence to find out about Redcap just before actually running into him.
-Once she enters the phone booth she seems to be entirely safe.  How is that possible?  Can't the little thing throw rocks and break the glass?
-I hated the "twist" ending here.  What was that supposed to add to the story?
-I just didn't care about the characters.




Millenium_King

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Reply #2 on: August 23, 2010, 08:22:12 PM
An interesting study in "how to do horror by the numbers."

1.  Hint at a horror (legends, rumors etc.).  Main character is, of course, skeptical.
2.  Horror appears.  Main character does not believe senses.
3.  Horror chases Main character.
4.  Main character escapes (death of secondary character(s) optional).
5.  No one believes Main Character's story.
6.  Just when everything seems safe, Horror makes one final appearance.

All that would be alright, but I did not think this story was fun enough to get away with its formulaic plot.

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