Author Topic: EP302: Flash Extravaganza (Read 16550 times)

eytanz · **on:** July 22, 2011, 05:33:13 PM

EP302: Flash Extravaganza

This episode features the winners of our 2010 Flash Contest!

London Iron by William R. Halliar (narrator Andrew Richardson)
Wheels of Blue Stilton by Nicholas J. Carter (narrator Christian Brady)
Light and Lies by Gideon Fostick (narrator- Mur Lafferty)
All Escape Pod Originals!
And we end with a grand “It’s Storytime” montage put together by Marshal Latham!

Listen to this week’s Escape Pod!

eytanz · **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2011, 05:35:58 PM

Like the winners of the PP and PC contests, it was great to hear these stories which I've loved so much back in the contest properly produced. And I thought all three readings were fantastic. Congratulations again to the winners and well done, production staff and narrators!

Lionman · **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2011, 05:42:26 PM

(Hey, no fair! Posting the first comment to your own post!) ;-)

I have to say that London Iron was my favorite! It nicely mixed a great narrator with London and a secret world of Steampunk. I'm not sure what was in there not to like. Good descriptions, as well as sufficient detail to explain our real-world events and give them a pleasantly fantastic spin on them. I wouldn't have been overly surprised if Alan Quartermane stepped out of the shadows, since it's just that flavor of story.

A job well done, indeed!

aesculapius · **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2011, 06:23:26 PM

All great stories, although I found London Iron and Light and Lies particularly good.

Thunderscreech · **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2011, 02:11:23 AM

Time for the next flash contest! Let's get this ball rolling!

Julio · **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2011, 02:34:52 PM

The montage was awesome.

Swamp · **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2011, 05:35:29 PM

Quote from: Julio on July 25, 2011, 02:34:52 PM

The montage was awesome.

I'm glad you liked it.

Talia · **Reply #7 on:** July 26, 2011, 03:50:54 AM

Hearing these stories again reminded me how much I adored them the first time.

Excellent job by all readers, in particular with Mr. Richardson for 'London Iron'; the British accent was the perfect accompaniment.

kibitzer · **Reply #8 on:** July 26, 2011, 08:21:10 AM

When first I read "London Iron" the name of the 'bot builder -- The Steamstress -- absolutely delighted me and stayed firmly lodged in my head. Wonderful name! Unfortunately in the reading, it was pronounced "Seamstress". It's certainly an easy mistake to make, but what a pity!

olivaw · **Reply #9 on:** July 26, 2011, 09:28:06 AM

I reckon there's a whole genre of 'seampunk' waiting to be born.

The heroes of the industrial revolution: Spinning Jenny, Flying Shuttle, Compton Mule.
Punched cards and Ada Lovelace.
Whalebone the currency of the elite.
Filllgree fractals and crochet catastrophes.
Thrill as dashing embroiderer-assassins creep through the machinations of the Jacquard Loom.
Unfold the secrets of khipu-encoded lace and tungsten-reinforced brocade.

Unblinking · **Reply #10 on:** July 26, 2011, 01:32:27 PM

Loved these stories in the contest, and here as well. Wheels of Blue Stilton and London Iron were among my favorites in the whole three-pod contest, so I'm still very delighted they made it through.

Wheels of Blue Stilton, very fun, whimsical, just the right amount of story with the whimsy.

London Iron, I like this steampunk take on the Ripper story, alternate explanations for the elusive killer.

Light and Lies was quite good too, reminded me a lot of The Invention of Lying, but with encephalapods.

Another flash contest, please?

Unblinking · **Reply #11 on:** July 26, 2011, 01:32:50 PM

Quote from: kibitzer on July 26, 2011, 08:21:10 AM

When first I read "London Iron" the name of the 'bot builder -- The Steamstress -- absolutely delighted me and stayed firmly lodged in my head. Wonderful name! Unfortunately in the reading, it was pronounced "Seamstress". It's certainly an easy mistake to make, but what a pity!

Oh, I didn't even remember that. The original IS a great name!

Devoted135 · **Reply #12 on:** July 26, 2011, 04:43:51 PM

Yay, I really enjoyed all three, plus the montage was great! Now why do I seem to be craving my famous baked brie...?

Quote from: Unblinking on July 26, 2011, 01:32:27 PM

Light and Lies was quite good too, reminded me a lot of The Invention of Lying, but with encephalapods.

I've never read The Invention of Lying, but it reminded me of Cruciger (EP262).

acpracht · **Reply #13 on:** July 26, 2011, 09:21:52 PM

Excellent stories, but I particularly enjoyed the Storytime mash-up. It reminded me that there are still a decent number of old episodes that I haven't had time to explore (and that I miss Mr. Eley). I got a little choked up again at the bit of "farewell speech" and that, yes, I do need to do that thing... today.

Did anyone else try to play the "guess what episode" game? It's amazingly difficult. I think I got perhaps three, tops.

Wilson Fowlie · **Reply #14 on:** July 27, 2011, 06:41:23 PM

Quote from: acpracht on July 26, 2011, 09:21:52 PM

Did anyone else try to play the "guess what episode" game? It's amazingly difficult. I think I got perhaps three, tops.

Yeah, me too. It did help that they were in order.

Congratulations again to the winners!

Also, I liked Norm's explanation for why they aren't late.

slag · **Reply #15 on:** July 27, 2011, 11:22:31 PM

I attempted to guess all the episodes I've heard, but got frustrated and quit, especially right there at the end.
I listen to these most of the time at work, and I haven't listened to all of them yet. I miss episodes here
and there.
Is it just me or has Mur given the "It's Storytime" line more times than that? I didn't think the religion heaven one
was the last one she did right?

Swamp · **Reply #16 on:** July 28, 2011, 04:26:41 AM

Quote from: slag on July 27, 2011, 11:22:31 PM

Is it just me or has Mur given the "It's Storytime" line more times than that? I didn't think the religion heaven one
was the last one she did right?

The montage goes up to episode 262, I think. I had made it last year sometime and at the time it was up to date.

Faraway Ray · **Reply #17 on:** July 28, 2011, 01:26:08 PM

Boy, that Carter guy sure is something! He deserves a high five and a six-pack of Old Brown Dog! Alternately, would accept a high six and a five pack of some other beer. I'm not about to argue with a deformed guy if he just wants one bottle.

Nonsense aside, I enjoyed this. Was kinda bummed when I came back from vacation to find that London Iron overtook WoBS but I gotta say that it really lent itself well to narration. Kind of felt like Wobs meandered to its finish. This isn't a critique on the narration of it, which was great. Just looking back and thinking.

Light and Lies was definitely the most complete and fully formed of all three.

Unblinking · **Reply #18 on:** July 28, 2011, 01:43:27 PM

Quote from: Devoted135 on July 26, 2011, 04:43:51 PM

I've never read The Invention of Lying, but it reminded me of Cruciger (EP262).

I'm not sure it's a written story, I've only seen the previews for the movie, which came out a few years ago. I never went to see it, and the reason is that it bugged me that the setting of the movie was apparently meant to be our exact world but one in which no one had ever figured out how to lie. Much of our history was influenced by lies, so if you removed that from the equation, then you would not end up with a modern ordinary-looking New York City to have a setting in.

Regarding "Light and Lies", at least I didn't have that complaint. I didn't have the "but history would be different" quibble that I had with The Invention of Lying, since it does not resemble a setting/society that I know.

InfiniteMonkey · **Reply #19 on:** July 28, 2011, 04:07:44 PM

Quote from: Unblinking on July 28, 2011, 01:43:27 PM

Quote from: Devoted135 on July 26, 2011, 04:43:51 PM
I've never read The Invention of Lying, but it reminded me of Cruciger (EP262).

I'm not sure it's a written story, I've only seen the previews for the movie, which came out a few years ago. I never went to see it, and the reason is that it bugged me that the setting of the movie was apparently meant to be our exact world but one in which no one had ever figured out how to lie. Much of our history was influenced by lies, so if you removed that from the equation, then you would not end up with a modern ordinary-looking New York City to have a setting in.

It's not from a story, it was an original story by the director. It's very funny in places, and it's quite atheistic (if that sort of thing bothers you), and yes, if you think too hard about its backstory it would fall apart, but I found it enjoyable all the same.

CryptoMe · **Reply #20 on:** July 29, 2011, 05:26:44 AM

It was interesting to hear these so long after the contest. It was like discovering them all over again.
I still didn't like London Iron.
I still liked Wheels of Blue Stilton.
Light and Lies, however, blossomed for me in a way it hadn't during the contest.

And the "Story time" montage was great!

Salul · **Reply #21 on:** August 05, 2011, 03:46:44 AM

Good stories, all three. I also thoroughly enjoyed 'London Iron'.

I listened to this as I was walking down one of my favourite tree-lined avenues today.
And damn if I didn't realise with a start that do I miss Steve Eley something fierce.

Talia · **Reply #22 on:** August 05, 2011, 03:48:51 AM

Quote from: Salul on August 05, 2011, 03:46:44 AM

Good stories, all three. I also thoroughly enjoyed 'London Iron'.

I listened to this as I was walking down one of my favourite tree-lined avenues today.
And damn if I didn't realise with a start that do I miss Steve Eley something fierce.

Do check out this week's Escape Pod, currently available on the site and/or off the feed.

Salul · **Reply #23 on:** August 05, 2011, 04:15:28 AM

Will most certainly do! Thanks for this unexpected treat!

H. Bergeron · **Reply #24 on:** August 17, 2011, 07:18:07 AM

Was the author of "Wheels of Blue Stilton" from Vermont? Because I am, and hearing it mentioned in an EP story made me smile. Obviously, I enjoyed the stories, too.