Hello all (edit - oops, I see that I've duplicated Fenrix's work)
Midas
Don't worry, it's not dickishness (how could I be miffed at anyone who quotes Count Floyd? "Tonight's movie is... "Georgie Girl".... hmmm... well, I haven't seen it kids but I bet it's SCAAAAARY") But let's look closely at this for a second
First, keep in mind that I work *very* far ahead, so the stories you were listening to post-rescue and up to now were almost all bought before we needed rescuing. Seriously. I have only 20 episodes left to fill for 2014 right now, and I just acquired some stories for Winter of 2015... yes, a year from now.
Two, that span of time had Darrell Schweitzer (winner of a World Fantasy Award and former editor of WEIRD TALES), Jack London, Robert W. Chambers and Robert Arthur Jr. (granted, the latter is probably best known to crime fiction fans but his output in the field of horror/supernatural stories is pronounced). Heck, the stretch just preceding the rescue situation (which had been bought at least 6 months before) had a larger amount of new writers!
Three, if it isn't apparent, I schedule stories by season where possible, so most of these recent stories just happened to have winter settings and that's just the way they fell. The only specifically programmatic things you can expect from a PSEUDOPOD schedule are big/famous names on the anniversaries (300, 325, 350, 400, etc.) and 4 FLASH ON THE BORDERLANDS, one in each season.
Bdoomed - well, actually, there is a good amount of story seeking going on. My basic formula is that we run half new/submitted stories and half classic/PD/modern big names. Technically, everyone gets the same pay rate but I imagine it wouldn't surprise anyone that sometimes (but only sometimes) the Modern authors request a little more (it's an agent thing, usually - and sometimes, they give us the story for nothing. We like those sometimes!). I just acquired 4 stories from some recent MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW HORROR STORIES, in fact. That half and half never works out exactly because, as Alex could concur, it takes a hell of a lot of time trying to contact older Modern authors and making a pitch.
And, you and Unblinking are right in your response to Joe. Joe - effects are fine as an experiment but before you put a lot of time into them, check with us first. Alternatively, just make sure we also get a version without effects.
To quell Midas' fears (and yet not blow any surprises for 400 - which is impossible anyway because nothing is firm yet) - the upcoming months will feature (barring problems) Modern/Current names like: Mark Samuels, Kim Newman, Reggie Oliver, Terry Dowling, Paul Finch, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Steve Vernon, Dale Bailey and Daniel Mills. That should whet your appetite!
(Count Floyd "I'm telling you, the movie was so good... it wasn't even funny...")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEjdt_n1l-4