Author Topic: Pseudopod 112: Periods (Read 21964 times)

Bdoomed · **on:** October 17, 2008, 04:14:15 AM

Pseudopod 112: Periods

By Florence Ann Marlowe

Read by Damaris Mannering

“It’s going on three weeks, now.”

“Mmm-hmmm. And there’s no chance of you being pregnant?”

“Oh, no!” Nancy shook her head. “I haven’t even been with a guy in a long time.”

“Good.” Doctor Mason stood up, his eyes still glued to Nancy’s chart. He flashed her a quick smile. “One less thing to worry about.”

Nancy nodded. “So what could it be?”

The doctor seemed lost in thought. He pressed the butt end of his pen to his teeth. He then quickly shifted his seat, uncrossing and re-crossing his legs. Nancy suppressed an impatient sigh.

“I know exactly what it is,” he said finally.

Nancy was surprised. “Oh.”

Listen to this week's Pseudopod.

Zathras · **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2008, 05:25:49 AM

Yawn. Blatant. Obvious.

Maybe there is some personal horror if you lack a Y chromosome.

The outro was more insightful than the story.

Chivalrybean · **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2008, 01:29:25 PM

Bloody hell!

nicrat · **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2008, 09:53:52 PM

I really disliked this episode. I guessed the premise from a joke I've heard ("a vampire walked into a bar and ordered a kettle of hot water...") early on in the story. I tried to commiserate with the female protagonist by replacing a perpetually bleeding vagina with a perpetually bleeding penis, to my discomfort. I think the story of the continually growing pubic hair worked better as a mundane situation grown out of control, if you'll excuse the dumb pun.

Love the work anyway, you have no idea how hard it is to find podcasts that are as fun to listen to as pseudopod.

Kaa · **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2008, 02:11:02 AM

cede · **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2008, 04:31:18 PM

liked it, frightening(trying to live your life with an everlong period) and entertaining(vampires are always amusing).

jodymonster · **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2008, 10:03:17 PM

The vampire ending was a little obvious, but the body horror more than made up for it for me. It doesn't surprise me that some of the men felt kinda 'meh.' I spend much of the episode shifting uncomfortably in my car seat, even happier than normal that it wasn't my time. It reminded me of every scary ob/gyn appointment and of my first period, waking up 11 years old in a puddle of blood, absolutely shocked at how much there could could be (health teacher told me a few teaspoons... BS!) and terrified there was something wrong with me. I was sure (at the time) that I was bleeding to death. I felt like hell, and I had cramps so bad the pain made me throw up, which also helped along the 'dying' theory. Even after I realized it wouldn't kill me, I realized I had to do this twelve times a year for the next forty years or so.
That experience is why this story freaked me out. That, and the creepy doctor, but the fact that the doc was a vampire didn't freak me out nearly as much as the fact that he was a creepy, untrustworthy gynecologist. I think that's because a creepy doctor is much more realistic threat.

Bdoomed · **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:02:35 AM

ugh. i couldn't listen to the whole thing. Just couldn't.

600south · **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2008, 04:41:14 AM

I had reservations about this one from the moment I saw the title pop up in my menu, a few more when Alasdair sighed as he read the title, and even more after the first few seconds of story.

My main problem with it, though, wasn't that it was essentially a horror story about an exaggerated natural bodily function, or even that the ending was obvious after the first scene... it was the way that obvious ending was dragged out over the last five minutes or more of the story, leaving me waiting for a twist I knew deep down wasn't going to happen.

H. Bergeron · **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2008, 05:18:50 AM

Quote from: 600south on October 19, 2008, 04:41:14 AM

My main problem with it, though, wasn't that it was essentially a horror story about an exaggerated natural bodily function, or even that the ending was obvious after the first scene... it was the way that obvious ending was dragged out over the last five minutes or more of the story, leaving me waiting for a twist I knew deep down wasn't going to happen.

I came into this thread expecting to post something like the first post - "yawn, boring, whatever" - but this post nails it a little better for me. I think what Jodymonster said is an excellent point -

Quote from: jodymonster on October 18, 2008, 10:03:17 PM

It doesn't surprise me that some of the men felt kinda 'meh.'
...
...the creepy doctor, but the fact that the doc was a vampire didn't freak me out nearly as much as the fact that he was a creepy, untrustworthy gynecologist. I think that's because a creepy doctor is much more realistic threat.

I can see that the body horror of this is much stronger for women (who, y'know, actually have to deal with the whole bleeding thing) than men (who, y'know, don't.) The body horror aspect would have to be played up more or worked in a slightly different descriptive manner to really get to me. As it was, it was a little gross, but not really HORRIFYING.

I think this story would have been FAR creepier if the gynecologist was just a messed-up human being with some bizarre fetish, rather than a vampire. The instant he got more interested when she talked about how heavy her flow was, my mind went "Vampire? Maybe some strange cultist?" and then eventually the BIG REVEAL was just plain ho-hum. I mean, vampire, yahoo, what a snooze.

tl;dr: Predictable. Not as scary as it may be for some, as I don't personally have to deal with bleeding monthly. Vampire ending was dull. Real, live human beings would have been, in this case, FAR scarier - especially since it then approaches a non-gender specific issue: untrustworthy physicians. Yawn.

600south · **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2008, 08:36:25 AM

what was the movie where Jeremy Irons played the creepy gynecologist?
oh, actually TWO creepy gynecologists -- Dead Ringers by Cronenberg.

i knew the doctor in this story reminded me of someone...

MacArthurBug · **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2008, 02:41:33 PM

ICK.
Do. Not. Want.

DKT · **Reply #12 on:** October 20, 2008, 03:30:31 PM

Not a knock against this story, but I want to know what's wrong with castle-dwelling vampires? I like castle-dwelling vampires

deflective · **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2008, 07:26:21 PM

vampires these days, no respect for tradition.

i have a tough time getting into any story where the protagonist is completely docile. maybe, if the story is centered around the character's indecision, it could be made to work but even Hamlet made some proactive moves. if you have a serious medical problem then get a second opinion. hell, just the initiative to buy some adult diapers and sleep on an airmattress would have been something.

the moral seems to be: act docile like a cow and you might become one.

gelee · **Reply #14 on:** October 21, 2008, 11:37:33 AM

Quote from: 600south on October 19, 2008, 04:41:14 AM

I had reservations about this one from the moment I saw the title pop up in my menu, a few more when Alasdair sighed as he read the title, and even more after the first few seconds of story.

My main problem with it, though, wasn't that it was essentially a horror story about an exaggerated natural bodily function, or even that the ending was obvious after the first scene... it was the way that obvious ending was dragged out over the last five minutes or more of the story, leaving me waiting for a twist I knew deep down wasn't going to happen.

Kind of sums it up for me. My sister suffered from very long, painful cycles when we were teenagers, so I have a lot of sympathy for the main character. I just got tired of hearing one over-the-top gross-out after another. Just sort of beat it to death. So, not my favorite PP.

petronivs · **Reply #15 on:** October 21, 2008, 12:10:21 PM

Never before have I said so much about so little.

In the end, Periods was beautiful, for what it was. What it was not, of course, was a story. No, not at all. This was a dream sequence. A very lovingly detailed nightmare dream sequence, but a dream sequence all the same. Perhaps if there had been some actual character development, this could have been a story, but, quite honestly, the rivers of hemorrhaging lifeblood pouring from Nancy's poor, sodden little crotch had more character development than she did. Heck, even the horribly caricatured Doctor Mason had more character development. Nancy was merely a limp, unresisting machine which existed solely to pump out gallons and gallons of sticky red yumminess all over our minds for the author's pleasure.

Don't get me wrong; Periods was awesome fun to listen to, and it had it's fair share of complete win. Not too far into the story, though, I was beset by the nagging question of why this woman hadn't gotten herself off to the emergency room posthaste once she started filling tampons like they were Kleenexes she was using to mop up a leaky faucet? Ok, her doctor told her not to. This would make her an incredibly weak-minded person, but I can live with it. Then she started gushing like Victoria Falls, and I had another question, "Why is this whiny bitch not dead yet?" Seriously, she's pumping out more blood than a broken water main does water, and you put her on an iron pill three times a day? She should've been in a hospital with a blood IV dripping into her, but she's at home filling her tampons with the sodden red mess. Oh, and popping a pill thrice a day to compensate.

Of course, once I realized that the story had no connection to reality, but was just a dream sequence, I laid back and enjoyed the show. It was a good show, of course. The imagery was yummy, and the panic was written in quite well. It almost made up for the cliche ending.

Zathras · **Reply #16 on:** October 21, 2008, 02:34:43 PM

Thank you, petronivs. Gonna listen again with that in mind.

jodymonster · **Reply #17 on:** October 21, 2008, 06:15:42 PM

Quote from: Ignoranus on October 20, 2008, 05:18:50 AM

I think this story would have been FAR creepier if the gynecologist was just a messed-up human being with some bizarre fetish, rather than a vampire.

Totally. That would have been been much, much scarier. Of course, for me, a crazy human with no special powers (other than insanity) is always scarier than any monster or mythological being. Even in vampires are real, serial killers are much more common.

thomasowenm · **Reply #18 on:** October 21, 2008, 09:52:10 PM

Quote from: petronivs on October 21, 2008, 12:10:21 PM

Perhaps if there had been some actual character development, this could have been a story, but, quite honestly, the rivers of hemorrhaging lifeblood pouring from Nancy's poor, sodden little crotch had more character development than she did.

Petronvis has a point the real protagonist of the story was surely Nacy's crotch and not poor helpless Nancy herself. Listening to the story I felt more sorrow for her crotch than for her. At least it developed throughout the story, Nancy started as a whiner and ended the same.

Quote from: petronivs on October 21, 2008, 12:10:21 PM

I was beset by the nagging question of why this woman hadn't gotten herself off to the emergency room posthaste once she started filling tampons like they were Kleenexes she was using to mop up a leaky faucet?

I guess her HMO didn't allow for second opinions or Urgent Care visits. She was one of the least intelligent heroines I've come accross in a while. I just can't imagine losing that much blood and still staying conscious.

All in all there was nothing of this story that I could latch on to and let me suspend my belief even for a little while.

Cerebrilith · **Reply #19 on:** October 21, 2008, 11:14:30 PM

I agree with petronivs's opinion about this being more of a dream sequence then a story.

From the title and Alasdair's bit about reading sentences too closely I was hoping for grammar horror...

Listener · **Reply #20 on:** October 22, 2008, 04:14:04 PM

The ending went on FAR too long. I agree that there was no real character development for Nancy.

I didn't like the story, but it wasn't badly told.

Liked the outro.

birdless · **Reply #21 on:** October 23, 2008, 02:31:48 AM

Quote from: Cerebrilith on October 21, 2008, 11:14:30 PM

I agree with petronivs's opinion about this being more of a dream sequence then a story.

From the title and Alasdair's bit about reading sentences too closely I was hoping for grammar horror...

Call me a prude, call me old-fashioned, call me queazy... I was desperately hoping it was puncuation-related. Like Bdoomed, i just couldn't listen to it all. I made it as far as her waking up hemorrhaging, and just couldn't take any more. I'll have to skip through to the outro.

Ellspacer · **Reply #22 on:** October 23, 2008, 07:20:03 AM

First post, so be gentle with me...
I was disappointed with the comments on this story, in that I approached it from a different angle. Yes, the outcome was pretty predictable, but I thought that this was a secondary vehicle. The thing which got me was the very gripping description of increasing panic into helpless acquiescence, being cleverly written. Or was it just me? It takes from several sources, as stated in earlier posts, but they're not hackneyed.
I felt that the mood-amplified period-related tetchiness leading to desperation to a distraught state and acceptance was an allusion to the grief process, where the sequence of heightened emotions are not dissimilar.
I'm going to say it.......it's bubbling up.....yep......there was womb for improvement! (forgive me).
Too engrossing (emphasis on gross) to be a meh, in my view.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #23 on:** October 23, 2008, 08:04:03 AM

Hi Ellspacer:)

That's a fascinating take on the story and one that works for me. And you work in an absolute zinger of a pun as well! Good stuff:)

MacArthurBug · **Reply #24 on:** October 23, 2008, 01:22:28 PM

Quote from: Ellspacer on October 23, 2008, 07:20:03 AM

there was womb for improvement! (forgive me).

Bwahahahaha! And ooooh bad. I heart bad puns, so thank you Ellspacer

Zathras · **Reply #25 on:** October 23, 2008, 07:24:48 PM

Quote from: Ellspacer on October 23, 2008, 07:20:03 AM

I'm going to say it.......it's bubbling up.....yep......there was womb for improvement! (forgive me).

That is probably the best thing to come out of this story!

Cerebrilith · **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2008, 03:01:51 AM

Quote from: Zathras on October 23, 2008, 07:24:48 PM

Quote from: Ellspacer on October 23, 2008, 07:20:03 AM
I'm going to say it.......it's bubbling up.....yep......there was womb for improvement! (forgive me).

That is probably the best thing to come out of this story!

I second that opinion. That awful pun is the best part of this story.

DadOfTwins · **Reply #27 on:** October 25, 2008, 03:09:10 AM

I found the story entertaining but not extremely well thought out. The main character was not likeable with her only character development being the ability to whine more and more. I would of felt for her but her inability to realize going to the hospital was in order really kind of blew the story.

That being said, I learned more about periods (even if we are talking extreme periods) than I have learned with two decades of being married.

Zathras · **Reply #28 on:** October 25, 2008, 03:38:05 AM

Ok, gonna try to defend another plot hole.

Is it possible that the vampires used their powers to keep her from going to another doctor?

ACK!!! That brings up another issue, why send her home at all?

Ellspacer · **Reply #29 on:** October 25, 2008, 02:54:51 PM

I was curious about that bit too. I assumed it's because they didn't wan't to be involved in the purification process. It's one of those oddities of human nature that, much as we hate smug authority figures, we force ourselves to trust them because "they know what they're doing".
A lot of the discomfort (setting aside the views on the artistic merit) about this story seems to be around the source of the blood, which most of us would not wish on our worst vampiric enemy. Made me squirm and good horror does that to me. Yes, there are problems aplenty among literary and structural purists, but you have to admire the idea and the descriptors. No?

Drakoniis · **Reply #30 on:** October 26, 2008, 04:44:11 AM

So I listened to this story, then forgot about it and went to the grocery store. When I got home, I had myself a big bowl of tomato-pepper soup... and then I remembered.

600south · **Reply #31 on:** October 26, 2008, 01:17:32 PM

Quote from: Ellspacer on October 25, 2008, 02:54:51 PM

Made me squirm and good horror does that to me. Yes, there are problems aplenty among literary and structural purists, but you have to admire the idea and the descriptors. No?

yes... and no. Yes, good horror makes me squirm too and this story did. but there are plenty of things I can do to make myself squirm. like pick up a big hairy spider; search "faceplant" on Youtube; check out Rotten.com; or simply buy a cow's tongue at my local butcher. but I come here for horror fiction, which needs to work as a well-constructed story to satisfy me.

Dwango · **Reply #32 on:** October 29, 2008, 03:50:56 PM

I think Nancy has learned a valuable lesson in today's story, something she should use next time if Buffy ever comes by. Remember kids, get a second opinion when you are not confident about your OBGYN, or any doctor. I think vampires can learn an important lesson too. Always check you victim for HIV. Its really important if you want to remain a healthy undead person.

Thaurismunths · **Reply #33 on:** October 29, 2008, 10:08:40 PM

For the reasons already listed by other posters, I really couldn't get in to this one. Body horror has never really been my bag. Also, and I say this with all due respect to women, eew!

Loz · **Reply #34 on:** October 30, 2008, 10:21:20 PM

Yeah, so the drawbacks for me were much the same as for everyone else,

1) The vampire-thing was obvious going in,
2) My sympathy for the woman wained when, 48 hours in, and things are now even more serious, she's not heading for the ER,
3) She can lose several bodies worth of blood with no more ill-effects than not feeling particularly fresh 'down there'.

It might have redeemed itself by going for the over-the-top, grand guignol finish but instead went for the sub-Cronenberg, less body horror, more body slight-discomfort.

FamilyGuy · **Reply #35 on:** October 31, 2008, 04:58:41 AM

This story was more of a semicolon than a period for me.

eytanz · **Reply #36 on:** November 01, 2008, 08:21:18 PM

So, I don't think anyone commented on the "480 grams - that's almost 4 liters" thing.

I guess Vampires aren't very good with math, or with metric measures.

deflective · **Reply #37 on:** November 01, 2008, 09:20:41 PM

i think you put your finger on the root of the myth that if you scatter grain across the threshold vampires wont be able to enter until they count each individual grain.

along that vein, what's happened to the quainter parts of the vampire myth? nowadays it's all sunshine and holy water and sexy silver. i'd like to see an extended wire-work sequence end when a black leather clad vampire looks down, sighs, and hunches over to start counting. that'd be awesome.

DKT · **Reply #38 on:** November 03, 2008, 05:14:53 PM

Hrm. No wirework or sleek black leather, but there was a really funny episode of the X-Files where a pizza delivery boy is a vampire and shows up at Mulder's hotel room, pizza in hand, ready to suck his blood. Mulder recognizes scatters something (loose change? I can't remember...) to throw him off.

It was a really funny episode.

Sgarre1 · **Reply #39 on:** November 09, 2008, 06:16:03 AM

Theodore Sturgeon's SOME OF YOUR BLOOD crossed with that Australian vampire film THIRST from 1979 with the ending from that TALES FROM THE CRYPT story, "Midnight Mess" from 1953.

Not very original but not bad. Needed to be shorter by half. Although I'm sorry to say that even subtle attempts to suggest vampires (pales hands, pointed teeth) just scream out in a story front-loaded with a lot of talk about blood. It might actually be creepier if they were just amoral blood fetishists.

Good descriptions, though, and effective dialogue.

Thanks For Listening

“Blood was flowing – in Bluebeard’s house, in the abattoirs, in the circuses where God had set his seal to whiten the windows. Blood and Milk flowed together.”

Arthur Rimbaud, “After The Deluge”

goatkeeper · **Reply #40 on:** November 21, 2008, 06:24:38 PM

GROSSSS! That made me throw up in my mouth a little.

Coyote · **Reply #41 on:** November 22, 2008, 08:57:33 PM

Occasionally I will listen to Pseudopod while playing a computer game (this one happened to be Oblivion). I was phazing in and out of the story, and about halfway through I just had to turn the thing off. When I listened to it later, undistracted, I had been hoping that I missed something. Looks like I didn't.

*Throws up in mouth a little*

mudguts · **Reply #42 on:** November 24, 2008, 07:08:02 PM

The story definitely broke new ground though and being that I am a middle-aged guy, I did stay glued to the entire story while walking my dog (which is normally when I listen).

I wouldn't say that I enjoyed the story as it didn't have enough 'action' for me and also a bit of a predictable ending. It dragged a little bit in the middle when the main character was describing in agonizing detail what was happening.

The story to me rated a solid 6.5/10 but I guess I'm comparing it to other Pseudopod stories. If it was a short in a Stephen King collection, It would rate higher. And it is something that he would write in my opinion.

umamei · **Reply #43 on:** December 23, 2008, 01:47:09 PM

As usual, since I'm catching up on stories still, I'm a little late to this thread.

I didn't listen to the whole story. Once I realized that the doctor was a vampire, there was nothing more that I wanted to hear. Gynecology is horrific enough as it is for reasons worthy of a longer rant elsewhere. And her first clue that she should see another doctor, even before thinking "hey maybe this guy is a vampire" should have been his decision that she's got endometriosis before running tests. This is a symptom caused by a wide variety of issues (and is regrettably common), and unless she grew up under a rock, she should at least be aware that tests are in order. Yes, the dude's a vampire, but still... his medical incompetence should have been a clue to her that she should go.

Unblinking · **Reply #44 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:05:50 PM

I didn't finish this one. And not for the reason that you might think: "ew, menstruation!" While I can't say I particularly cherished the body horror here, it was at least an original idea, and I was willing to give it a try.

But the first ten minutes of the story were both unrealistic and with an unbelievably annoying protagonist:

1. She's been losing liters of blood a day for 3 weeks, and hasn't gone to the ER? Even if she's used to having a heavy flow she should've been concerned long before this.

2. I don't believe that anybody could lose that amount of blood for that amount of time without feeling any ill effects. Frankly, I find it hard to believe she's still alive. At the very least she would severely dehydrated and anemic. She doesn't mention any symptoms of either. Perhaps she's been guzzling water and eating lots of red meat to counteract this, but if she had been, it should've been mentioned.

3. Yes, the gynecologist was incompetent, and yes he was creepy, but her biggest problem with him in the first scene seemed to be that he was a man. Now, I can understand why a woman would want a female gynecologist, it makes perfect sense. But why would you schedule an appointment with a male gyno and then complain about his maleness? If she didn't want to go to a male doctor, she should've found a female doctor instead.

4. Besides #3, when he mentioned iron pills she got unbelievably whiny. "I have to take another pill, how much is that going to cost me?" She is losing liters of blood every day, OF COURSE she needs iron! That's not the doctor's fault, that's just a medical fact that would be obvious to most people--if you're losing large amounts of iron, you need to ingest large amounts of iron.

Bdoomed · **Reply #45 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:57:38 PM

^lol.

umamei · **Reply #46 on:** October 30, 2009, 07:21:48 PM

I agree with you, but I want to offer some minor counterpoints regardless (I'm in a "devil's advocate" mood today, I guess).

Re: #1. I assumed "liters" was some sort of exaggeration, but I don't remember the story clearly enough to be certain how clear this was (or wasn't) made in the story. I've had heavy flow before, and it sure FEELS like liters.

#2. Totally agree--there'd be side-effects. She's whiny, so I'd imagine she'd whine about it, but you can never be sure. I rarely whine about my menstruation-related side effects, except to a very select audience who are in a position to help (or be helped by hearing about my experiences). There are occasional exceptions, and the hormones make me temporarily crazy and occasionally incapable of restraining myself (like today). Just sayin'...

#3. Female gynecologists are hard to book appointments with in an emergency, or even for regular visits, unless you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. She may have waited as long as she did to go to the doctor because she was dreading the hassle of finding one who would take her. It's hard to even get an appointment for my annual exam without either lying to the doctor (not a good thing), or going to a cheapo clinic where they spend most of the appointment trying to educate me about the wonders of hormonal birth control (there's a mundane horror story behind that snide comment, but I'll save it for later).

#4. You're absolutely right. Anemia sucks.

Quote from: Unblinking on October 30, 2009, 05:05:50 PM

I didn't finish this one. And not for the reason that you might think: "ew, menstruation!" While I can't say I particularly cherished the body horror here, it was at least an original idea, and I was willing to give it a try.

But the first ten minutes of the story were both unrealistic and with an unbelievably annoying protagonist:

1. She's been losing liters of blood a day for 3 weeks, and hasn't gone to the ER? Even if she's used to having a heavy flow she should've been concerned long before this.

2. I don't believe that anybody could lose that amount of blood for that amount of time without feeling any ill effects. Frankly, I find it hard to believe she's still alive. At the very least she would severely dehydrated and anemic. She doesn't mention any symptoms of either. Perhaps she's been guzzling water and eating lots of red meat to counteract this, but if she had been, it should've been mentioned.

3. Yes, the gynecologist was incompetent, and yes he was creepy, but her biggest problem with him in the first scene seemed to be that he was a man. Now, I can understand why a woman would want a female gynecologist, it makes perfect sense. But why would you schedule an appointment with a male gyno and then complain about his maleness? If she didn't want to go to a male doctor, she should've found a female doctor instead.

4. Besides #3, when he mentioned iron pills she got unbelievably whiny. "I have to take another pill, how much is that going to cost me?" She is losing liters of blood every day, OF COURSE she needs iron! That's not the doctor's fault, that's just a medical fact that would be obvious to most people--if you're losing large amounts of iron, you need to ingest large amounts of iron.

Unblinking · **Reply #47 on:** October 30, 2009, 07:28:18 PM

Quote from: umamei on October 30, 2009, 07:21:48 PM

#3. Female gynecologists are hard to book appointments with in an emergency, or even for regular visits, unless you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. She may have waited as long as she did to go to the doctor because she was dreading the hassle of finding one who would take her. It's hard to even get an appointment for my annual exam without either lying to the doctor (not a good thing), or going to a cheapo clinic where they spend most of the appointment trying to educate me about the wonders of hormonal birth control (there's a mundane horror story behind that snide comment, but I'll save it for later).

Thanks for the counterpoint. I didn't know that (not too surprising since I don't require a gynecologist), and those are good explanations. If that's what the author had in mind, the story would've benefited by putting that in the story itself. And maybe that explanation was there and I just simply missed it.

umamei · **Reply #48 on:** October 30, 2009, 07:31:46 PM

Yeah, I know what you mean. I couldn't finish the story either. LOL

Quote from: Unblinking on October 30, 2009, 07:28:18 PM

Quote from: umamei on October 30, 2009, 07:21:48 PM
#3. Female gynecologists are hard to book appointments with in an emergency, or even for regular visits, unless you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. She may have waited as long as she did to go to the doctor because she was dreading the hassle of finding one who would take her. It's hard to even get an appointment for my annual exam without either lying to the doctor (not a good thing), or going to a cheapo clinic where they spend most of the appointment trying to educate me about the wonders of hormonal birth control (there's a mundane horror story behind that snide comment, but I'll save it for later).

Thanks for the counterpoint. I didn't know that (not too surprising since I don't require a gynecologist), and those are good explanations. If that's what the author had in mind, the story would've benefited by putting that in the story itself. And maybe that explanation was there and I just simply missed it.

Millenium_King · **Reply #49 on:** June 29, 2010, 11:39:15 PM

I thought the beginning was a little slow.

The middle was strong, creepy, great imagery, real body horror.

Hated the ending. I felt the buildup coming and, when she woke up with a bunch of tubes in her, I was rivetted: I suppose I was expecting her to be a part of some sort of really, really gross and horrific medical experiment or something. When the doctor turned out to be some lame Anne Rice vampire, I felt really let down. I had expected a supernatural component to her period (since it seemed like she would have bled out long before the end) and I had been thinking the pills were some part of that. Good concept - dull ending.

EDIT: forgot to mention that the passive and - let's face it - totally naive protagonist bugged me too.

Author Topic: Pseudopod 112: Periods (Read 21964 times)

Zathras

Zathras

Zathras

Zathras

goatkeeper