Oh Pseudopod, it's so very, very good to have you back. My Friday drives home haven't been the same without you. And WHAT a comeback! Alasdair seems to have conquered his microphone demons and I really liked the musical selections during the bumps.
And speaking of Alasdair, happy birthday to our well-loved host!
"A Natural" had Cheyenne Wright reading. "Voice of liquid funk" indeed. And congrats to Cheyenne on Girl Genius taking home it's second Hugo this year. The story itself? Eh, I could take it or leave it. Interesting, but unsurprising.
"Shadows' Bride" was an interesting piece. I'm not familiar with any of the author's other work, but I like the disembodied feeling to the story and it's utter lack of context. What made it better was the fantastic echo effect on Ben's reading, and the sound production. Is this a first? I'm relatively new to Pseudopod (first episode was "Bone Mother", #128) but I can't remember there being another episode with effects like this.
And then there's "Is This A Horror Story?". WOW. Just, WOW. But Scattercat said it best:
"Is This a Horror Story" was heartfelt and a titch gruesome and probably my favorite of the three, though if we're going to talk about skin-crawling flash fiction about pedophiles, "Exit Exam, Section III: Survival Skills, Question #7" is one of the most goddamned horrifying things I've ever read or heard.
Couldn't agree with you more. This one was right in the same ballpark for me as well, although it's almost better for the reader's near-deadpan voice and flat, even delivery. There's nothing at all to distract you from the meaning of his words - you've got nowhere to hide as you listen.