EP007: The Trouble With Death Traps

[Russell Nash]

EP007: The Trouble With Death Traps

By Marjorie James.
Read by Stephen Eley.

A razor-sharp blade shot out of the wall and whipped in front of the teen’s face. Xnab hauled him back and spun him around.

“First thing you have to learn in this business: never kick anything. Got that?”

“Yes sir. Sorry sir.”

“Good.”

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“What’s the second thing?”

Rated PG. Contains no sexual content or strong language. Does contain whirling blades of death.



Listen to this week’s Escape Pod!

[Ocicat]

Congrats on the sequel!  Though with over four years between the original and the followup, I have to admit my memory is dulled somewhat on the details.  But the original story here is remembered for it's fantastic premise and a bunch of great laughs.

[Yargling]

Yay to see this incredibly funny story brought back to the front of peoples mind again.

[DKT]

What a great story. I hadn't heard it before

It was funny to hear Steve talking about how the mundane SF manifesto must be a joke

[oddpod]

my next D&D caricter is going to be a fatalaty engernear :-)

[Unblinking]

This is still a really cool idea with the idea of an ancient death engineer, and the Pratchett-like juxtaposition of modern cultures, occupations, and financial concepts applied to a previously unremarked occupation in an ancient world is quite fun.

But, I happened to listen to these in the wrong order, and I suspect I liked this one less because of it.  If this had been the first story I'd read about this guy and his occupation, then it would've been fresh and new, and then the 2nd one would've been fresh because of the introduction of the ghosts and whatnot as a fresh concept.  But in the reverse order, this one seemed like it didn't offer anything different enough from Ghost in the Death Trap.

But that's not really the author's or Escape Pod's fault, just my own for listening to them in the wrong order.