Author Topic: Best PodCastles of 2009  (Read 8153 times)

DKT

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on: January 29, 2010, 10:26:43 PM
Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? Copied from Bdoomed and Swamp...

Below is a list of the main episodes that ran in 2009.  Nominate your favorite 5 and then we'll put up a poll.  Also feel free to express your reasons for why you liked those episodes.  Please remember The Rules and that it is all in the spirit of Fun.

PodCastle 38: In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages
PodCastle 39: Honest Man by Naomi Kritzer
PodCastle 40: (Giant 2) Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
PodCastle 41: Dragon Hunt by Sarah Prineas
PodCastle 42: De La Tierra by Emma Bull
PodCastle 43: Sweet, Savage Sorcerer by Esther Friesner
PodCastle 44: Immersed in Matter by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
PodCastle 45: The Annals of Eelin-Ok by Jeffrey Ford
PodCastle 46: Secret Life by Jeff VanderMeer
PodCastle 47: (Giant 3) Bright Waters by John Brown
PodCastle 48: "I’ll Gnaw Your Bones," the Manticore Said by Cat Rambo
PodCastle 49: Return of the Warrior by Laird Long
PodCastle 50: Komodo by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 51: The Cambist and Lord Iron by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 52: The Nalendar by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 53: Change of Life by K. Tempest Bradford
PodCastle 54: The Dreaming Wind by Jeffrey Ford
PodCastle 55: Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 56: Shard of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson
PodCastle 57: In Ashes by Helen Keeble
PodCastle 58: Nine-Fingered Maria by Hilary Moon Murphy
PodCastle 59: On the Banks of the River of Heaven by Richard Parks
PodCastle 60: The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change by Kij Johnson
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 62: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
PodCastle 63: Daughter of Botu by Eugie Foster
PodCastle 64: Castor On Troubled Waters by Rhys Hughes
PodCastle 65: Foam on the Water by Cat Rambo
PodCastle 66: One Paper Airplane Graffito Love Note by Will McIntosh
PodCastle 67: Kissing Frogs by Jaye Lawrence
PodCastle 68: A Heretic By Degrees by Marie Brennan
PodCastle 69: The Olverung by Stephen Woodworth
PodCastle 70: The Dybbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund
PodCastle 71: I’ll Give In by Meghan McCarron
PodCastle 72: The Exit Sign by Ursula Pflug
PodCastle 73: Rapunzel by Tanith Lee
PodCastle 74: The Firemen’s Fairy by Sandra McDonald
PodCastle Giant 5: The Curandero and the Swede: A Tale from the 1001 American Nights by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 75: The Man Who Carved Skulls by Richard Parks
PodCastle 76: The Small Door by Holly Phillips
PodCastle 77: Nine Sundays in a Row by Kris Dikeman
PodCastle 78: The Tinyman and Caroline by Sarah L. Edwards
PodCastle 79: Marsh Gods by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 80: Superhero Girl by Jessica J. Lee
PodCastle 81: On Bookstores, Burners, and Origami by Jason D. Wittman
PodCastle 82: The Twa Corbies by Marie Brennan
PodCastle 83: The Petrified Girl by Katherine Sparrow
PodCastle 84: Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt


DKT

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Reply #1 on: January 29, 2010, 10:31:57 PM
Oh, and special thanks to kibitzer, who is the one who put the list together and sent it to me.

Hrm. I also wonder if we should do a list of these just for miniatures. Anyone interested?


Talia

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Reply #2 on: January 29, 2010, 10:44:04 PM
In no particular order:

PodCastle 54: The Dreaming Wind by Jeffrey Ford
PodCastle 51: The Cambist and Lord Iron by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 62: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
PodCastle 60: The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change by Kij Johnson
PodCastle 69: The Olverung by Stephen Woodworth

And ones that really should be in that list but that would make it more than five:

PodCastle Giant 5: The Curandero and the Swede: A Tale from the 1001 American Nights by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 84: Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt



Heradel

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Reply #3 on: January 29, 2010, 11:00:40 PM
Not easy decisions. In chronological order:

PodCastle 40: (Giant 2) Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 68: A Heretic By Degrees by Marie Brennan
PodCastle 77: Nine Sundays in a Row by Kris Dikeman
PodCastle 82: The Twa Corbies by Marie Brennan

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Swamp

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Reply #4 on: January 29, 2010, 11:12:21 PM
Hrm. I also wonder if we should do a list of these just for miniatures. Anyone interested?

I was thinking the about that for EP flash as well, but figured I'd wait and see how the main stories went.  If you do a Best of Miniatures List, you should dedicate it to StePH.  ;)

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Swamp

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Reply #5 on: January 29, 2010, 11:33:21 PM
I thought this was going to be hard until I remembered that I had made a top 10 list for all of PC a month or so ago when Unblinking compiled his list.  I just had to strip out the non-2009 stories.  Here is the top 5:

The Cambist and Lord Iron by Daniel Abraham
The Nalendar by Anne Leckie
Daughter of Botu by Eugie Foster
The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
The Twa Corbies by Marie Brennan

Honorable Mention:

Honest Man by Naomi Kritzer
Castor On Troubled Waters by Rhys Hughes
The Olverung by Stephen Woodworth
Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt
« Last Edit: January 30, 2010, 12:01:29 AM by Swamp »

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eytanz

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Reply #6 on: January 30, 2010, 12:18:21 AM
Here are my five:

The fiddler of bayou teche
Marsh gods
The nalendar
The cambist and lord iron
Castor on troubled waters



danooli

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Reply #7 on: January 30, 2010, 12:38:46 AM
Top 5:
PodCastle 47: (Giant 3) Bright Waters by John Brown
PodCastle 52: The Nalendar by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 55: Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 56: Shard of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson
PodCastle Giant 5: The Curandero and the Swede: A Tale from the 1001 American Nights by Daniel Abraham  (Despite the horrific recording, this story was fantastic!)

Runners Up:
PodCastle 38: In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages
PodCastle 51: The Cambist and Lord Iron by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 62: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
PodCastle 77: Nine Sundays in a Row by Kris Dikeman 

I can't choose just 5.   :o

(1/30/10: editing to rank the top 5 and the runners up, in chronological order.)
« Last Edit: January 30, 2010, 02:14:04 PM by danooli »



kibitzer

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Reply #8 on: January 30, 2010, 01:31:07 AM
I found this way harder than I expected. But my top 5, from 1 to 5 --

PodCastle 56: Shard of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Completely took me into the world it portrayed. There were some odd shifts, such as the move to Japan, but it carried me straight through without even noticing them.

PodCastle 63: Daughter of Botu by Eugie Foster
A sweet but very tragic story, wonderfully read by Diane Severson. Again, had me totally engrossed.

PodCastle 66: One Paper Airplane Graffito Love Note by Will McIntosh
Sad, sweet, evocative. It had a very strange premise which somehow seemed quite appropriate. Great stuff.

PodCastle 45: The Annals of Eelin-Ok by Jeffrey Ford
I only heard this one recently, I'd somehow missed it before. At first I wondered what the hell the guy was whittering on about with the different types of fairies and particularly the sand-castle fairies, but once I understood the central conceit it was like a lightbulb over my head (DING!) and I loved every bit of it. Great idea, well executed.

PodCastle 60: The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change by Kij Johnson
I was going to put The Twa Corbies at number 5 but I can't help it, I'm a sucker for dogs and these dogs were just great. The whole idea of what would happen to dogs if they started to talk was both entertaining and sobering.

And in no special order I also enjoyed:
PodCastle 82: The Twa Corbies by Marie Brennan
PodCastle 38: In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages
PodCastle 52: The Nalendar by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 68: A Heretic By Degrees by Marie Brennan
PodCastle 74: The Firemen’s Fairy by Sandra McDonald
PodCastle 84: Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt
« Last Edit: January 30, 2010, 01:33:09 AM by kibitzer »



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Reply #9 on: January 30, 2010, 02:32:54 AM
You know, it's funny.  When I looked at the Pseudopod list I found I'd forgotten what most of the titles were about (although, once my memory was jogged, I usually remembered the story pretty well) but looking at the Podcastle list, most of these titles remind me of the story immediately.  Maybe Podcastle titles tend to be more descriptive, or maybe it's just an unconscious preference for fantasy over horror asserting itself.

Anyway, my top 5, chronological order:

PodCastle 51: The Cambist and Lord Iron by Daniel Abraham
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 64: Castor On Troubled Waters by Rhys Hughes
PodCastle 69: The Olverung by Stephen Woodworth
PodCastle 70: The Dybbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund

Runners-up (boy, cutting this list down to 5 was hard):

PodCastle 40: (Giant 2) Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
PodCastle 50: Komodo by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 52: The Nalendar by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 58: Nine-Fingered Maria by Hilary Moon Murphy
PodCastle 63: Daughter of Botu by Eugie Foster

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Gia

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Reply #10 on: January 30, 2010, 05:55:48 AM
All right.
I'm going to go with:
#45 The Annals of Eelin-ok
#54 The Dreaming Wind
#64 Castor on Troubled Waters
#70 The Dybbuk in the Bottle
#79 Marsh Gods

Seeing as several others have a list of stories that they liked, but didn't make their top five, I would like to add that I also enjoyed:
#47 Bright Waters
#49 Return of the Warrior
#76 The Small Door
#78 The Tinyman and Caroline
#84 Restless in my Hand
« Last Edit: January 30, 2010, 05:58:11 AM by Gia »



Alasdair5000

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Reply #11 on: January 30, 2010, 01:52:59 PM
In no particular order:

PodCastle 38: In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages
PodCastle 48: "I’ll Gnaw Your Bones," the Manticore Said by Cat Rambo
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 74: The Firemen’s Fairy by Sandra McDonald
PodCastle Giant 5: The Curandero and the Swede: A Tale from the 1001 American Nights by Daniel Abraham



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Reply #12 on: January 30, 2010, 06:26:17 PM
I base my favorites on what stories i like enough to keep on iTunes so i can re-listen to them in the future, in 2009 they were :

PodCastle 45: The Annals of Eelin-Ok by Jeffrey Ford
PodCastle 55: Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt

I would say that Bottom Feeding was my favorite, really good story



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Reply #13 on: February 01, 2010, 10:07:02 PM
1) PodCastle 46: Secret Life by Jeff VanderMeer
This story made me smile and cheer.  I loved the off-kilter ecology and the tiny fragment-stories that built to a larger whole.  

2) PodCastle 60: The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change by Kij Johnson
(Somehow didn't keep my statements here.  Edited to repair, but then realized that basically this story is super-awesome anyway and doesn't really need more talking about it, though maybe talking about the issues it raises might not go amiss.)

3) PodCastle 55: Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt
I love ambiguous endings.  This one carried itself to juuuust the right pitch before ending.  The darkness is subtle, but palpable.

4) PodCastle 76: The Small Door by Holly Phillips
See Rf. "ambiguous endings, love for."  I particularly enjoyed the very real-sounding dialogue of this story.  The characters felt right, and you could see the story arc heading up up and out toward the edge of the ballpark.  Whether it made it over the wall is left as an exercise for the reader, and frankly, I could use more exercise.

5) PodCastle 84: Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt
Yeah, he's on here twice.  AND because of this one I went out and got a copy of "Rangergirl," and enjoyed the hell out of it.  It's nice to have a new favorite author; it's been like five years since anyone really got added to the shelf.

Honorable Mention
PodCastle 48: "I’ll Gnaw Your Bones," the Manticore Said by Cat Rambo

Mostly winner for "Awesome title," to which I have confessed a considerable weakness in my other lists.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2010, 08:30:00 PM by Scattercat »



Listener

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Reply #14 on: February 02, 2010, 07:11:56 PM
PodCastle 45: The Annals of Eelin-Ok by Jeffrey Ford
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 62: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
PodCastle 80: Superhero Girl by Jessica J. Lee
PodCastle 84: Restless In My Hand by Tim Pratt

Just missed the list:
PodCastle 74: The Firemen’s Fairy by Sandra McDonald

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Reply #15 on: February 03, 2010, 03:15:54 AM
I save very few episodes for listening to again.  Though I found it easy to nominate five EP episodes, I only saved two in 2009.  For Podcastle, I saved six.  So I have six nominations:

PodCastle 52: The Nalendar by Ann Leckie
PodCastle 61: (Giant 4) Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters by Tim Pratt
PodCastle 62: The Fiddler of Bayou Teche by Delia Sherman
PodCastle 63: Daughter of Botu by Eugie Foster
PodCastle 70: The Dybbuk in the Bottle by Russell William Asplund
PodCastle 82: The Twa Corbies by Marie Brennan



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Reply #16 on: February 08, 2010, 08:15:05 PM
Ok, as it's been almost a week since the last post I'm taking the top five from each post, and will create the poll soon.

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