Author Topic: Escape Pod-- Top Twenty of the Past Two-Hundred 500-699  (Read 13528 times)

Cyber Spirit

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Hi Escape Podders,

I am one of those people who likes lists and have spent countless joyous hours reading all sorts of random lists across the internet.  And when Escape Pod reached its 700th episode, I decided to create a list of my own-- a list of my favorite 20 stories from the past 200 episodes of Escape Pod (Episodes 500-699).  You see, although I flirt with a number of Sci Fi podcasts-- enjoying a good Lightspeed episode, dabbling into some Drabblecast, and catching the occasional Clarkesworld or Uncanny-- my favorite of the bunch has always been Escape Pod.  I began tuning in around episode 500 or so, and have been loyal listener from week to week.  When I discovered I had been listening for 200 episodes, I though I would mark the occasion of a list of my own personal highlights.  Thanks to the Escape Pod crew for all the great stories and look forward to more in the weeks to come! ^-^

One sidenote, while I enjoy the Flashback Fridays, I decided not to include them in this particular list...  Also, not a lot of spoliers here, but I marked them out just in case.  Therefore, without further ado...

20. Episode 632-633 Lucky Shot by Gerri Leen
http://escapepod.org/2018/06/14/escape-pod-632-lucky-shot-part-1/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

19. Episode 666 This Wine-Dark Feeling That Isn't The Blues by José Pablo Iriarte
http://escapepod.org/2019/02/07/escape-pod-666-this-wine-dark-feeling-that-isnt-the-blues/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

18. Episode 671 Octonet by Keyan Bowes
http://escapepod.org/2019/03/14/escape-pod-671-octonet-artemis-rising/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

17. 652-655 And Ten There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker
http://escapepod.org/2018/11/22/escape-pod-655-and-then-there-were-n-one-part-4/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

16. 575 Red Kelly Owns the Moon by Shaenon K. Garrity
http://escapepod.org/2017/05/11/ep575-red-kelly-owns-the-moon/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

15. 513 Adaption and Predation by Auston Habershaw
http://escapepod.org/2015/12/11/ep513-adaptation-and-predation/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

14. 511 The Lone and Level Sands by Marco Panessa
http://escapepod.org/2015/11/19/ep511-the-lone-and-level-sands/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

13. 510 Them Ships by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
http://escapepod.org/2015/11/12/ep510-them-ships/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

12. 512 The Semaphore Society by Kate Heartfield
http://escapepod.org/2015/12/02/ep512-the-semaphore-society/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

11. 500 The Man Who Lost the Sea by Theodore Sturgeon
http://escapepod.org/2015/09/04/ep500-the-man-who-lost-the-sea/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

10. 607 Red in Tooth and Cog by Cat Rambo
http://escapepod.org/2017/12/21/escape-pod-607-red-tooth-cog/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 9. 514 M.F.ing Retroparty Freestyle by Rich Larson
http://escapepod.org/2015/12/22/ep514-m-f-ing-retroparty-freestyle/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 8. 644-645 The Revolution Brought to You by Nike
http://escapepod.org/2018/09/06/escape-pod-644-the-revolution-brought-to-you-by-nike-part-1/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 7. 689 Spectrum of Acceptance Nyla Bright
http://escapepod.org/2019/07/18/escape-pod-689-spectrum-of-acceptance/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 6. 586 The First Annual Lunar Biathlon by Rachael K. Jones
http://escapepod.org/2017/07/27/ep586-the-1st-annual-lunar-biathlon/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 5. 624 Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad
http://escapepod.org/2018/04/19/escape-pod-624-fandom-for-robots/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 4. 559 Vegetablemen in Peanut Town by August Marion
http://escapepod.org/2017/01/20/ep559-vegetablemen-in-peanut-town/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 3. 576 Karma Among the Cloud Kings by Brian Trent
http://escapepod.org/2017/05/18/ep576-karma-among-the-cloud-kings/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 2. 589 Seb Dreams of Reincarnation by Aimee Ogden
http://escapepod.org/2017/08/17/ep589-seb-dreams-of-reincarnation/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 1. 525 Among the Living by John Markley
http://escapepod.org/2016/03/18/ep525-among-the-living/
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I am curious what others think of my list and wonder if others might have lists of their own. 

Anyways, thanks again and all the best everyone!



Marlboro

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Reply #1 on: October 29, 2019, 09:28:04 PM
I like lists. I'm sort of new to the show, and the number of episodes is intimidating. Posts like this help.



Fenrix

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Reply #2 on: October 30, 2019, 12:51:03 AM

I like lists. I'm sort of new to the show, and the number of episodes is intimidating. Posts like this help.


For additional lists, there is also a list like this for each show: http://escapepod.org/new-listener/

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


Marlboro

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Reply #3 on: October 30, 2019, 10:10:13 PM
Cool. Thanks!



Marlboro

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Reply #4 on: November 01, 2019, 10:05:39 PM
Ok, I've listened to a few of the episodes on Cyber Spirit's list. I've also went back and read some of them too. Some good choices.

 "The Man Who Lost the Sea" is one of the best sci-fi short stories I have ever read, and the reading here is excellent.

 " The Lone and Level Sands" is also very good. I enjoyed reading it a bit more than listening. Nothing wrong with the reading, but I think it would have sounded better with an older sounding reader. Somebody who could make a convincing King Lear. What, you guys don't have septuagenarian Shakespearean actors laying around the studio? ;-)

 "Among the Living" was entertaining. Coincidentally, Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid was on tv yesterday so I was able to hear a little Slim Pickens just before listening to this episode. His death scene is the best part of that movie, imo. Beautifully done. I did have to chuckle when the protagonist in Among the Living asked Fizzy what his plan was because for a split second I thought he was going to say "Number 6.".  Blazing Saddles fans will know what I'm talking about.


 I also enjoyed "Red in Tooth and Cog." I'm going to listen to it again tonight, I think.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2019, 10:08:45 PM by Marlboro »



Cyber Spirit

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Reply #5 on: November 03, 2019, 08:33:38 PM
I am really glad you liked some of the stories on the list Marlboro!    :D

It was fun to come up with them.  I did like the reading in "Lone and Level Sands", but I agree that it would also have been awesome with a old Shakespearean actor-type for this one.

I also like the New Listener list Fenrix shared.  "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang is probably one of the best sci fi short stories I ever read/listened to.  "Sinner, Baker...", "A Stretch of Highway...", and "Impossible Dreams" were also some favorites.

A few others that I thought were amazing from earlier episodes included some classics such as Will McIntosh's "Friction", Asimov's "Nightfall" (great reading by Eley!), Octavia Butler's "The Evening and the Morning and the Night", Clifford Simak's "New Folks Home", and the great audio story of "On a Clear Day, You Can See All the Way to Conspiracy" by Desmond Warzel.  Another great story that was part of 500-699 was "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer, but I already heard this one on Clarkesworld a few times before, so I forgot to include it.

One of these days, I want to go through all the episodes, but you know, too little time... too much great fiction-- all in all, not the worst problem in the world though.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2019, 08:39:32 PM by Cyber Spirit »



Marlboro

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Reply #6 on: November 03, 2019, 10:25:26 PM
Have you listened to EP054: Tk’tk’tk by any chance? I like it quite a bit.  EP155: Tideline is also excellent.



Cyber Spirit

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Reply #7 on: November 06, 2019, 04:23:46 PM
I had a chance to listen to those and they were fantastic.  I especially liked T'k T'k T'k.  I loved the feeling of immersion in the alien culture on top of the strong story.

Also, another really good one that I forgot about but definitely would have been in my top 20 was episode 683 Flash Crash by Louis Evans.  That story was awesome.