EP744: The Evening, the Morning and the Night (Summer Flashback)

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Escape Pod 744: The Evening, the Morning and the Night (Summer Flashback)

Author: Octavia Butler
Narrator: Amanda Ching
Host: Alasdair Stuart
Audio Producers: Summer Brooks and Mat Weller

This story originally appeared in the May 1987 issue of Omni (available for free here), and was previously published on Escape Pod in February 2015

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Content Warning:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Contains one curse word, one brief reference to an interlude between consenting adults, and one brief but fairly graphic depiction of violence.

[EDITOR: We don’t have the rights to post the text of this story.]

Welcome to Escape Pod Summer School’s final month!

The plan with these episodes has been to stack all our flashbacks in one place, and to use them to explore big concepts in some detail.

I’m Alasdair, your host for these episodes. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the different ways science fiction explores space, we’ve looked at the concept of invasion, and this month, we’re taking a look at identity, and we’re starting with the amazing Octavia Butler.

One of the all-time greats, Butler’s work is redolent with this theme. This story in particular, a novelette, explores identity in a half-dozen different ways, and does so with Butler’s customary grace, compassion, and laser-focused vision.

Some logistics for you before we dive in: this episode was originally published Feb 2nd 2015, your narrator is Amanda Ching, your host for the original episode was Norm Sherman, your audio producer for the original episode was Mat Weller.

And without further ado, it’s story time!




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[Scuba Man]

So, here’s what I’ve pieced together...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

DGD was the result of a miracle anticancer drug that mutated one’s sex cells. Parent’s could have offspring who were +DGD. Such people WILL become violent and exhibit cannibalism or Mutilation. Before this fatal outcome, their genetic profile caused cognitive enhancements. The pheromone effect was a bizarre side effect. Queen bee indeed!

This story reminded me of some of my high school students who live with autism, are on-the-spectrum,  and/or ADHD... just without the murderous intent. ODC (cranked up to 11/10 & homicidal). 

[CryptoMe]

Second time listening to this through Escape Pod, and again I am amazed by how much I love this story, how well written it is, and how have I not read more from Octavia Butler!

Again, I did not get any autism or ADHD vibes, despite knowing individuals with these conditions (in some cases very intimately), and I have no idea where these come from for people.  I do get a very strong ostracism vibe, very pertinent to the race issues and anti-immigrant sentiments you see in some parts of the world, still.  I liked that it was handled as the complex issue that it is, in this story.