Author Topic: Podcastle Miniature 43: In Order To Conserve  (Read 7140 times)

Heradel

  • Bill Peters, EP Assistant
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2938
  • Part-Time Psychopomp.
on: December 04, 2009, 06:14:51 AM
Podcastle Miniature 43: In Order To Conserve

by Cat Rambo

Read by Mur Lafferty

Originally Published in Eyes Like Sky and Coal and Moonlight

In order to conserve color, the governments first banned newspaper inserts, the ones where dresses and dishwashers and plastic toys and figurines of gnomes with wary smiles tumbled across glossy surfaces.  Readers faced columns of type interspersed with dour black and white line drawings, no slick sheets cascading on their laps as they unfolded the newsprint to gaze at the reports of latest developments in The Color Crisis. Others turned to the Internet, monochromatic monitors scrolled by blogs denouncing the Administration, the liberals, the conservatives, the capitalists, alien spiders, and a previously obscure cult known as the Advanced Altar of the Rainbow Serpent.

The change had been almost imperceptible at first.  Only artists, fashion designers and gardeners noticed the dimming of shades, the shadows of reds, blues, purples that blossomed from less verdant stems.  They brought the shift to the attention of white-coated scientists, who measured the changes in angstroms, then announced that laboratory results proved it true.  Somewhere, somehow, color, once thought an inexhaustible natural resource, was running out, and doing so quickly.

Rated PG: For Bleeding Colors
« Last Edit: January 03, 2010, 10:01:10 PM by Heradel »

I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


Heradel

  • Bill Peters, EP Assistant
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2938
  • Part-Time Psychopomp.
Reply #1 on: December 04, 2009, 06:21:13 AM
I would just like to note that some of us are quite fond of the Grey Lady.

Also, I'd like to stand up for photographers in this fictional world, who would probably notice fairly quickly if the colors went off on their photos.


I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


Loz

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 370
    • Blah Flowers
Reply #2 on: December 06, 2009, 12:58:39 PM
Can I be the first to make the obligatory "I think Ms. Rambo got the order of the shortages the wrong way round as Hollywood/TV companies/Yer Mam are already demonstrating an imagination shortage" remark? Thanks.

No, I enjoyed that a lot. At a pinch I might be able to make do without sound, but no colour or imagination? No thanks!



Heradel

  • Bill Peters, EP Assistant
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2938
  • Part-Time Psychopomp.
Reply #3 on: December 07, 2009, 07:39:44 PM
And I am reminded not to comment to soon on stories, as it apparently scares everyone away. I swear that I didn't mean to put on that much cologne, the mister turned into a firehose all on its own.

I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


Swamp

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2230
    • Journey Into... podcast
Reply #4 on: December 07, 2009, 09:05:57 PM
I like the story quite a bit.  Very well executed flash, giving us the glimpse into a world, setting the basis for why it is different, and then leaving us to our imaginations.  Life without color, sound, or imagination...hmmmm.  At first, I was thinking a world with black and white newspapaers, computer monitors, and movies is like going back in time, but then I thought about Everything being black and white...hmmm Then take out sound, and then imagination, now that's going too far.

A big laugh for the "mimes were still unpopular" line.  Also for "...in order to solve the problem, creative thinking would be necessay.  Death squads were immediately sent..."

Bravo, Ms. Rambo.

Edit:  I forgot to also say that the color part brought to mind the movie Pleasantville.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2009, 09:17:51 PM by Swamp »

Facehuggers don't have heads!

Come with me and Journey Into... another fun podcast


Loz

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 370
    • Blah Flowers
Reply #5 on: December 07, 2009, 10:25:39 PM
I swear that I didn't mean to put on that much cologne, the mister turned into a firehose all on its own.

Are you using the Sex Panther again?

I love lamp!



MacBean

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 23
Reply #6 on: December 08, 2009, 11:28:49 PM
I agree with Swamp on the LOL moments. Little bits of awesomeness in an already great story. And it sure didn't hurt that I could listen to Mur for the rest of my life and never tire of her voice. Definitely keeping this one around.

~Bean


Gamercow

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 654
Reply #7 on: December 09, 2009, 04:44:08 PM
I personally didn't like it.  Not sure why at this point, other than to say that it seemed a little too much like the "what if" rambling debates by some pothead friends of mine.  It seemed structured around getting a few jokes across, and other than that, fell flat, for me.  Maybe my imagination is broken, or I used it all up...

The cow says "Mooooooooo"


cdugger

  • Peltast
  • ***
  • Posts: 144
  • I read to be smart...er.
Reply #8 on: December 09, 2009, 04:58:29 PM
I really enjoyed this one. Most of the PC stuff I don't care for, but this one stands out.

More!

I read, therefore I am...happy.


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #9 on: December 10, 2009, 07:48:57 PM
Usually I don't like stories without characters, but this one I liked!  As Gamercow said, it's mostly just a "what if" rambling, but the ramble was intriguing enough to keep me listening, and the great lines like "mimes were still unpopular" made me very happy I kept listening that far.  :)

It was sort of like Pleasantville in reverse--not to say it was a ripoff, but it put a new spin on an old idea.

Bravo!



MacArthurBug

  • Giddy
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 648
  • I can resist anything except temptation
    • undercaffinated
Reply #10 on: December 13, 2009, 12:37:12 AM
My opinion of KAt Rambo is iffy, but for one of her stories this one is quite solid. The ending, though sad is well moved forward. The sadness, of a society simply giving up is wonderful for her sort of pieces, instead of her usual Smash grab (and rape) Ms. Rambo manages to gently ease us into depression. nice.

Oh, great and mighty Alasdair, Orator Maleficent, He of the Silvered Tongue, guide this humble fangirl past jumping up and down and squeeing upon hearing the greatness of Thy voice.
Oh mighty Mur the Magnificent. I am not worthy.


Swamp

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2230
    • Journey Into... podcast
Reply #11 on: December 13, 2009, 04:55:47 PM
I don't think liking every story from an author is a requirement to have a good or bad opinion of them.  I really enjoyed this story, as well as "Magnificant Pigs".  There was another one by on Psuedopod: "Caesar's Ghost" I think (too lazy to look it up).  I just take things story by story.

Facehuggers don't have heads!

Come with me and Journey Into... another fun podcast


DKT

  • Friendly Neighborhood
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 4980
  • PodCastle is my Co-Pilot
    • Psalms & Hymns & Spiritual Noir
Reply #12 on: December 13, 2009, 09:45:01 PM
That was actually a Eugie Foster story, but I think Cat Rambo narrated it :)


kibitzer

  • Purveyor of Unsolicited Opinions
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2228
  • Kibitzer: A meddler who offers unwanted advice
Reply #13 on: December 14, 2009, 07:44:21 AM
PodCastle is gradually convincing me that maybe there's something in this flash format after all. I still don't get flash fiction less than about 8 minutes -- seems more like a writing exercise to me -- but some of the stuff you've run is good. This one was good, enjoyed it muchly. It could've gone a bit longer actually...


Gallagher

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Reply #14 on: December 15, 2009, 02:47:53 AM
I don't know if I liked this one or not. I will simply say that I felt a genuine gradual loss of connection from the society in the story as if that was intended to the point where I just felt they were fading out of existence one piece at a time; In this regard it was well done.

"Be Normal and the Crowd Will Accept You.
 Be Deranged and They Will Make You Their Leader."
 (Titus)


Jagash

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 25
    • Genesis of Legend Publishing
Reply #15 on: December 15, 2009, 12:35:28 PM
I personally would have had the senses fade one by one (including taste, touch and scent) and leave imagination alone. 

Then try to describe to the children what colour, flavour, scent, texture or sound were like.  They couldn't imagine it, they would have no foundation or reference point to understand the senses.

Sleep is for the weak due to sleep deprivation.


stePH

  • Actually has enough cowbell.
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 3906
  • Cool story, bro!
    • Thetatr0n on SoundCloud
Reply #16 on: December 15, 2009, 03:29:22 PM
I personally would have had the senses fade one by one (including taste, touch and scent) and leave imagination alone. 

Then try to describe to the children what colour, flavour, scent, texture or sound were like.  They couldn't imagine it, they would have no foundation or reference point to understand the senses.

Children?  What children?  If all sense of touch were to disappear, how could you think sex would be on the table any more?

...oh, I suppose one could extract sperm in a clinic, but what's the point?

"Nerdcore is like playing Halo while getting a blow-job from Hello Kitty."
-- some guy interviewed in Nerdcore Rising


Heradel

  • Bill Peters, EP Assistant
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2938
  • Part-Time Psychopomp.
Reply #17 on: December 15, 2009, 03:35:17 PM
I personally would have had the senses fade one by one (including taste, touch and scent) and leave imagination alone. 

Then try to describe to the children what colour, flavour, scent, texture or sound were like.  They couldn't imagine it, they would have no foundation or reference point to understand the senses.

Children?  What children?  If all sense of touch were to disappear, how could you think sex would be on the table any more?

...oh, I suppose one could extract sperm in a clinic, but what's the point?

There's still a nine-month lag time between the last incident of sex and birth. Children just don't disappear overnight, plus having pleasureless sex is called for in a fair number of religious texts.

I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


kibitzer

  • Purveyor of Unsolicited Opinions
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2228
  • Kibitzer: A meddler who offers unwanted advice
Reply #18 on: December 16, 2009, 12:13:05 AM
Children?  What children?  If all sense of touch were to disappear, how could you think sex would be on the table any more?

I wouldn't think it would matter where -- table, bed, floor it'd all be the same.

(BOOM TISH!)


Poppydragon

  • Peltast
  • ***
  • Posts: 128
Reply #19 on: December 16, 2009, 05:25:19 PM
Liked this the first time round on the Drabblecast and still like it now, it's a nicely handled idea and for all its a flash piece paints a broad picture.

Man - despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments - owes his existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.