Author Topic: PC436: Flash Fiction Extravaganza! Elements  (Read 3106 times)

Talia

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on: October 05, 2016, 02:22:31 AM
PodCastle 436: Flash Fiction Extravaganza! Elements

“Gaps of Joy, and a Knot for Love” by S. B. Divya.

Read by Nadia Niaz.

Prakash’s wife lay on a mattress as old as their marriage and as sunken as her cheeks. Devi’s hair was gray like the threadbare curtains, her body swollen and sweaty with betrayal, consuming itself in an immunological civil war. The doctor had shrugged in apology and prescribed pain medicine. “Nothing else we can do,” he’d said and left.

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“Green Girl” by Erica Ruppert.

Read by Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali.

Sharp spring came, and with it mud. Cold early rains turned the still-frosty soil to a rich black paste, something that clung to your boots and spoiled the rugs. Clea didn’t care that it did. After the deprivations of winter, a little mud was good for the soul. But she was surprised to find it all over the sheets.

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“Dragon Fancy” by Leigh Wallace.

Read by Kim Rogers.

There are dragons everywhere!

I’ve never been to a dragon fanciers show before. I get my badge and table assignment and push my contestant, in her covered baby carriage, down the center aisle. I try to see everything at once. Did you know pygmy squiggles, with their curly fringe, come in hot pink? Me neither! And I’ve never seen a wyrmicorn before. There’s one with a glowing horn! I love dragons. I love every kind of dragon.


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“The Seventh Year” by Alexandra Balasa.

Read by Graeme Dunlop.


I long to be free, I long to live large,

I make my coin raiding boat and barge,

Take what I want, do as I please,

I fear no Keeper of the Seas!

 So say the men who foolishly rove

Into the depths of Casiphea’s Cove

 – From ‘Seafarer’s Blight,’ a pirate’s song of unknown origin


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Rated PG-13, for some language.

Listen to this week’s PodCastle!
« Last Edit: October 25, 2016, 01:17:24 PM by Talia »



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Reply #1 on: October 11, 2016, 01:00:39 AM
3 of the 4 didn't connect with me but Dragon Fancy by Leigh Wallace made it worthwhile. I am not a dragon fancier or cat person but this was a truly and masterfully twisted thing. Great pairing with the narrator too, loved the reading. 



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Reply #2 on: October 14, 2016, 03:28:35 PM
Were these originals or reprints?  I think at least some were originals, right?



Fenrix

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Reply #3 on: October 14, 2016, 07:40:53 PM
Were these originals or reprints?  I think at least some were originals, right?

I think they said all were originals in the opening.

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


Devoted135

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Reply #4 on: October 19, 2016, 06:18:53 PM
Themed flash! Shiny :)

Gaps of Joy, and a Knot for Love This was heart-warming, and I really enjoyed the magical element. I would love to be able to give and receive love as needed.

Green Girl I found this one to be pretty disturbing. She didn't even consider what he would want.

Dragon Fancy Definitely my favorite of the bunch! Was chuckling at the first recorded dragon hoard barter.

The Seventh Year Evocative, and a bit pessimistic. Though, it's probably more realistic than pessimistic....



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Reply #5 on: November 29, 2016, 03:08:51 PM
Gaps of Joy, and a Knot for Love
I liked the premise here, that one can profit from making children happy is a cool magical system, and I appreciated the family element here.

Green Girl
Disturbing and evocative!

Dragon Fancy
This was my favorite of the bunch.  I liked all the details about the dragon show and the different kinds of hoards that dragons could keep.  The hoarding cats especially was funny, and I liked the element of the book-hoarder and cat-hoarder making a swap (I can see how those particular hoarders in particular could build a symbiotic relationship).

The Seventh Year
Is this related to the seven-year-itch?  :)  Good story, high stakes, good ending.



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Reply #6 on: November 29, 2016, 03:11:09 PM
Could the information about whether these are original or reprints be added into the posting on the Podcastle page?  It may have been in the episode, but that's kind of the minimal information I'd want to see as a reader.  If previously published, to give credit where credit is due, and if an original, to likewise claim credit where credit is due.  (Also makes award eligibility a LOT harder to determine if one has to go a-Googling for titles to determine if it's a reprint or not.