Author Topic: Best Pseudopod Story of 2006  (Read 17885 times)

Holden

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on: February 06, 2007, 07:38:53 PM
There's already been a discussion started on the best Escapepod story last year. Let's start one for the best Pseudopod story. Here's a list of last year's stories:

001. Bag Man
002. Good Advice
003. Little Boy Leg Bone
004. Returning My Sister's Face
005. Sacred Skin
006. What Dead People Are Supposed to Do.
007. Drawing the Moon
008. Indications
009. Counting From Ten
010. Turista
011. Killing Jars
012. Skinwalker: Deception
013. Redmond's Private Screening
014. Virginia Woods
015. Regis St. George
016. Medicinal
017. Upon the Midnight Clear
018. Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me.

My favorite is Counting From Ten.



DKT

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Reply #1 on: February 08, 2007, 12:43:52 AM
Bag Man
What Dead People Are Supposed to Do
Counting From Ten
Virginia Woods (yeah, I'll probably be alone on this one, but I don't care)
Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Besides Me

Not sure which of these is my favorite, though.


BSWeichsel

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Reply #2 on: February 08, 2007, 11:23:03 AM
It's Either Bag Man or Counting form ten both of those were well writing and good audio quality but if it has to go for shear creep out factor it would have to go to.

Counting form Ten.

That story was nuts specially with the son I did not see that coming.

Since it began, who have you killed? You wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't killed somebody.


Thaurismunths

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Reply #3 on: February 08, 2007, 11:58:43 AM
1) Counting from 10 - Just a great horror story
2) Regis St. George - Lisa, Lisa, Lisa!
3) Little Boy Legbone - The reader really made this one for me.
Honorable Mention) Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me - Deep psychological horror

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fiveyearwinter

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Reply #4 on: February 08, 2007, 01:20:00 PM
001. Bag Man - well written, well read
005. Sacred Skin - I loved the reading of this, and the idea was extremely cool.
009. Counting From Ten - Gross as hell!
018. Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me.  - Probably my favorite - I love, love, love sci-fi horror.



Swamp

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Reply #5 on: February 08, 2007, 10:50:40 PM
I would say my ultimate favorite would be What Dead People Are Supposed to Do just because it made me laugh so hard.  The whole premise and outcome had me cracking up.

For the spooky factor though, I would have to say Little Boy Leg Bone.  This one gave me that uneasy, shivering feeling that I haven't felt in a long, long time.  Of course the reading by J.C. Hutchins made it all the more spooky.

When it comes to horror, I would rather be spooked out than grossed out.

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DKT

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Reply #6 on: February 08, 2007, 11:10:08 PM
I would say my ultimate favorite would be What Dead People Are Supposed to Do just because it made me laugh so hard.  The whole premise and outcome had me cracking up.

That is the one Pseudopod story I've listened to over and over and over again.  It gets funnier everytime. 


BSWeichsel

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Reply #7 on: February 09, 2007, 02:07:29 AM
What dead people are supposed to do is a good story but it just felt a little out of place on pusedopod.

Since it began, who have you killed? You wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't killed somebody.


Holden

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Reply #8 on: February 09, 2007, 03:43:04 AM
Well, it did have zombies, but I understand where you're coming from with What Dead People Are Supposed to Do. It wasn't exactly a horrifying story. Unless you have lots of credit card debt, in which case it is quite frightening. I imagine we will continue to get the occasional comedy on Pseudopod. Notice the recent "Them Eyes" story. I don't think that's a bad thing. Both of the stories were written and read well. As long as we also continue to get captivating horror stories such as Counting From Ten and the recent Civilized Monsters, then I have no complaint about the occasional zombie comedy. (Zombedy?)



fiveyearwinter

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Reply #9 on: February 09, 2007, 12:48:46 PM
Shaun of the Dead describes itself as a "rom-zom-com:" Romantic Zombie Comedy.



BSWeichsel

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Reply #10 on: February 09, 2007, 03:20:20 PM
Yeah I didn't mind haveing the story in there It's nice to have a change of pace every once and a while.

I have nothing worng with zomibe comedy as long as it's well wirtten and the audio is good.

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sirana

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Reply #11 on: February 13, 2007, 10:39:24 AM
001. Bag Man
002. Good Advice
006. What Dead People Are Supposed to Do.
008. Indications
009. Counting From Ten
015. Regis St. George

My favourite would be Regis St. George I think. Lisa Lisa Lisa



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Reply #12 on: February 16, 2007, 06:44:12 AM
Everytime I want to get that sheer spine tingle even if I have heard the story at least five or six times it would be without a doubt, Counting From Ten.  I love most of whats posted but that one just gets to me every time.

Other great favourites is Regis St. George ('Lisa Lisa Lisa!') and Bagman.

What Are Dead People Supposed To Do, (and Them Eyes, though thats not 2006) are Horror, but not really the eyes wide open unable to sleep clowns will eat me type horror which makes you the shambling zombie at work the next day because of it.  Good, but not 'scary' (though the thought that people will owe past death DOES scare me).  Counting From Ten did give me a bout of eyes open well into the early hours after I heard it... thats why its my Favourite.

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Holden

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Reply #13 on: February 26, 2007, 09:24:37 PM
Only five stories have been mentioned by more than one person. Here they are:
Counting From Ten: 7
Bag Man: 5
What Dead People Are Supposed To Do: 3
Regis St. George: 3
Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me: 2

Another five were mentioned by only one person each. Here they are:
Good Advice
Little Boy Leg Bone
Sacred Skin
Indications
Virginia Woods

Eight stories have not been mentioned at all. Here they are:
Returning My Sister’s Face
Drawing the Moon
Turista
Killing Jars
Skinwalker: Deception
Redmond’s Private Screening
Medicinal
Upon the Midnight Clear

Counting From Ten appears to be favorite so far. I’m surprised that Returning My Sister’s Face hasn’t been brought up by anyone yet. It may not have been a terrifying tale, but I thought it was a fun listen. I felt like I was hearing a children’s fairy tale, but with a poison-disfigured, puss-dripping face. I also enjoyed Medicinal. I like that he gets away so easily and you get the idea that he does this a lot. Yes, it’s unrealistic, but that's part of the charm. That aspect of the story reminded me of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.

If we were voting only on the best job at reading, then I think Regis St. George would win hands down.



Alasdair5000

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Reply #14 on: February 26, 2007, 10:19:24 PM
I'd completely forgotten Killing Jars which is odd as I must have listened to it about eight times.  Incredibly nasty, difficult to listen to and in a twisted, horrid way, extremely funny.  One of my favourites of the year, along with, unsurprisingly, another vote for Regis St George.



TheMindFantastic

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Reply #15 on: February 26, 2007, 11:11:09 PM
Quote

Counting From Ten appears to be favorite so far. I’m surprised that Returning My Sister’s Face hasn’t been brought up by anyone yet. It may not have been a terrifying tale, but I thought it was a fun listen. I felt like I was hearing a children’s fairy tale, but with a poison-disfigured, puss-dripping face. I also enjoyed Medicinal. I like that he gets away so easily and you get the idea that he does this a lot. Yes, it’s unrealistic, but that's part of the charm. That aspect of the story reminded me of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.

If we were voting only on the best job at reading, then I think Regis St. George would win hands down.


I'm also concerned about the whole Returning My Sister's Face because it was a GREAT story, but then this is the whole reason I listen to PseudoPod, other than one or two stories I have NEVER been disappointed... and even during the ones that have been not really up to par its not because they were bad stories, but its like being a good fine art painter entering a contest finding out one is going up against Michangelo, Botticelli, Picasso, and Pollak.  When the quality is so high, you gotta be pretty damn good to be memorable.

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fiveyearwinter

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Reply #16 on: March 02, 2007, 05:54:22 PM
I actually really didn't care for Regis St. George at all. It wasn't terrible by any stretch, but it didn't hold my interest much.



lowky

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Reply #17 on: March 05, 2007, 11:56:18 PM
Well I will actually throw a vote in there for returning my sisters face.  I liked it, and given the trend in movies for some of the creepy Asian horror of the past couple years, I can picture it fitting in along those lines to some extent.  Also really enjoyed bag man, but then it's Sigler


Roney

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Reply #18 on: March 10, 2007, 02:06:47 AM
If we were voting only on the best job at reading, then I think Regis St. George would win hands down.

I have to disagree.  "Bag Man" was a great story, but it was the telling that really made it.  And if you don't agree then I'm going to whisk your brains.  ;)



Mur Lafferty

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Reply #19 on: March 10, 2007, 02:43:20 PM
Hm. I read Regis St. George while Ben read Bag Man.

Looks like there's going to be a smackdown.

Ben's bigger than I am, but I strike like a snake...  :D



DKT

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Reply #20 on: March 10, 2007, 10:18:07 PM
If we were voting only on the best job at reading, then I think Regis St. George would win hands down.

I have to disagree.  "Bag Man" was a great story, but it was the telling that really made it.  And if you don't agree then I'm going to whisk your brains.  ;)

Ditto this. I thought Bag Man was awesome. But there was something about the way Ben read it (and the way he reads most of the stories) that just rocks. He does the neo-noir thing quite well (I'm also thinking of What Dead People are Supposed to Do and Medicinal). 

Regis St. George was good, but the way Mur read "Lisa Lisa Lisa" was so perfect -- I'm almost certain I wouldn't have enjoyed reading that story as much as I enjoyed to listening to it.


Alasdair5000

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Reply #21 on: March 29, 2007, 03:51:06 PM
If we were voting only on the best job at reading, then I think Regis St. George would win hands down.

I have to disagree.  "Bag Man" was a great story, but it was the telling that really made it.  And if you don't agree then I'm going to whisk your brains.  ;)

Ditto this. I thought Bag Man was awesome. But there was something about the way Ben read it (and the way he reads most of the stories) that just rocks. He does the neo-noir thing quite well (I'm also thinking of What Dead People are Supposed to Do and Medicinal). 

Regis St. George was good, but the way Mur read "Lisa Lisa Lisa" was so perfect -- I'm almost certain I wouldn't have enjoyed reading that story as much as I enjoyed to listening to it.

   With you a hundred percent there.  Mur's delivery on 'Regis St George' nailed the humour behind the story for me, the idea that this demon was terrifying but, at the same time...a bit crap.  As a result, the horror and the eventual reveal both work really well.
   And Ben's reading on 'What Dead People Are Supposed To Do' is one of the reasons why it's a favourite:)  There's something incredibly sweet about the narrator in that story that Ben absolutely brings across.  I can't listen to '...SKY DIVING!' without cracking up even now.



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Reply #22 on: March 29, 2007, 05:07:37 PM
Or the stripper bit.  "And I'm pretty sure at least one of the dancers is a zombie, too."  God, that story makes me laugh. 


Alasdair5000

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Reply #23 on: March 30, 2007, 09:38:41 AM
Oh I liked that bit too:)  I'm going to have go listen to the story again now.