Best EscapePod of 2011 Nominations

[eytanz]

It's that time of the year - by which I mean, the very beginning of it - where not much has yet happened. In eleven months time, we'll all be talking about how eventful 2012 was, what with the US election, Mayan apocalypse, Belgian apocalypse, and the discovery of an ancient, clearly artificial, black monolith on Mars with a sign that says "out for lunch, back soon" hanging off it. But for now, all that lies in the future, and we are limited to looking back at 2011 and marvelling how the hell we survived.

One of the things that helped all of us here survive, of course, was EscapePod. And one of the best ways to commemorate last year's output is to pick our favourites. So, as with our sister podcasts, it is now time nominate the three tales you are personally most fond of, which will then go on to comete in a poll I will put up later. Feel free to go into detail about why these episodes worked for you!

Note, the list below includes only the 49 full episodes. I'll have a seperate poll for the 9 flash stories that EP ran this year.

EP274: Angry Rose’s Lament
EP275: Schrödinger’s Cat Lady
EP276: On a Blade of Grass
EP277: Rejiggering the Thingamajig
EP278: Written on the Wind
EP279: Conditional Love
EP280: Endosymbiont
EP281: The Notebook of my Favourite Skin-Trees
EP282: You’re Almost Here
EP283: Grandfather Paradox
EP284: On a Clear Day You Can See All the Way to Conspiracy
EP285: Jaiden’s Weaver
EP286: The ’76 Goldwater Dime
EP287: A Taste of Time
EP288: Future Perfect
EP290: Tom the Universe
EP291: Shannon’s Law
EP292: In the Water
EP293: A Small Matter, Really
EP294: The Night Train
EP295: Disarm
EP296: For Want of a Nail
EP297: Amaryllis
EP298: The Things
EP299: Plus or Minus
EP300: We go back
EP301: Stone Wall Truth
EP303: Leech Run
EP304: Union Dues – Sidekicks in Stockholm
EP305: Midnight Blue
EP306: Radio Nowhere
EP307: Soulmates
EP308: Kill Me
EP309: The Insurance Agent
EP311: The Faithful Soldier, Prompted
EP312: Night Bird Soaring
EP313: Playing Doctor
EP314: Movement
EP315: Clockwork Fagin
EP316: Site Fourteen
EP317: Boxed In
EP318: The Prize Beyond Gold
EP319: Driving X
EP320: Thanksgiving Day
EP321: Honor Killing
EP322: Chicken Noodle Gravity
EP323: Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever
EP324: Long Winter’s Nap
EP325: Bad Dogs Escape

[Listener]

Belgian apocalypse

...um... what?

Top 3:

EP321: Honor Killing
EP322: Chicken Noodle Gravity
EP323: Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever (and not just because I narrated it)

Honorable mentions:

EP275: Schrödinger’s Cat Lady
EP276: On a Blade of Grass
EP305: Midnight Blue
EP314: Movement

[Devoted135]

Looking back, it seems there were a lot of stories that I really liked and a lot of stories that I really didn't care for. I'm also having a really hard time deciding whether to rank serious or fun pieces more highly...

My top 3:
EP278: Written on the Wind
EP285: Jaiden’s Weaver
EP321: Honor Killing

Honorable mentions:
EP305: Midnight Blue
EP314: Movement
EP323: Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever

[eytanz]

Hmmm - not a lot of interest so far, compared to the other two podcasts. It'll be an odd poll if no more people nominate stuff.

Anyway, my own top three are as follows:

EP305: Midnight Blue
EP280: Endosymbiont
EP321: Honor Killing

[Fenrix]

Apparently all the EP I listened to from 2011 was flash (which will be polled separately), and everything else I listened to this past year was from the back catalog.

I am adding all of these to my queue so I can make enlightened votes.

[DKT]

Midnight Blue - I've loved McIntosh's stories in the past, but this is my favorite of his. If we did an all time EP list, this would be up in the Top 5 or Top 10.
Clockwork Fagin - the epitome of Doctorow stories - Overthrow the wicked masters, DIY, and have fun.
The Faithful Soldier, Prompted - Dealt with a lot of themes and subject matter that I really enjoyed.

Honorable Mention:
Endosymbiont
Movement - Great reading by Marguerite
The Night Train

[AmateurSimian]

Top 3:
EP315: Clockwork Fagin
EP323: Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever
EP303: Leech Run

Honorable Mentions
EP307: Soulmates
EP276: On a Blade of Grass
EP304: Union Dues – Sidekicks in Stockholm

[Swamp]

Top 3:
EP315: Clockwork Fagin
EP305: Midnight Blue
EP307: Soulmates

Honorable Mentions:
EP286: The ’76 Goldwater Dime
EP318: The Prize Beyond Gold
EP304: Union Dues – Sidekicks in Stockholm

[Umbrageofsnow]

It has taken me much longer than I thought to pick my top 3.  Looking back, I did whine a bit in the Podcastle nomination thread, but Escape Pod also had a relatively weaker year from my point of view.  Once again, not bad, and I absolutely loved quite a few stories, but maybe not as many as in previous years.  For my money, Pseudopod was far and away the strongest of the podcasts this year.  That said, here is what I loved.

My Nominees:
1: EP314: Movement
Easily my favorite story of the year.  This misunderstandings, the playing with language and how the protagonist thinks, and the most interesting description of the progress of human evolution.  I feel that the protagonist in doomed to getting new shoes whether she wants them or not; which is a tragedy for forward progress and an even greater tragedy for her.  But old people wish the world would behave the way it used to.
2: EP279: Conditional Love
Poor kid.  The worst (and therefore best) thing is that he remains a bit of a victim even when rescued.  And how many more kids will have worse fates, whether or not they are rescued from the abuse they've been engineered for?
3: EP311: The Faithful Soldier, Prompted
I can't only vote for stories about kids abused by their genetics!  In the name of God Who Needs No Credit Rating, I found this one a much more interesting retelling of the classic folklore.  Anyone who didn't get it, please note: He Lives Behind The Fountain!

Special Award for a story I loved, but I feel is disqualified, since I voted for it at Clarkesworld last year:
EP298: The Things

Honorable Mentions:
4: EP304: Union Dues – Sidekicks in Stockholm
Favorite Union Dues Ever
5: EP280: Endosymbiont
Continuing the abused-kids-in-hospitals theme
6: EP316: Site Fourteen
I'm the one who liked the ending.  NASA is just Site Fourteen IN SPACCCEEEE!!!!

[justenjoying]

I'm new to all 3 podcastes and even newer to the forum. But all of you guys have made my horendous commute bearable and that I thank you!
That said it took me only 2 months to listen to everyone one for the year in all 3 podcasts and I can confidently say, though Pseudopod is my favorite I don't know what I would do if Escape Pod wasn't a regular part of my life. So on to what you all have been waiting for.

My Nominees:
1.EP279: Conditional Love
2.EP314: Movement
3.EP281: The Notebook of my Favourite Skin-Trees

Honerable Mentions:
EP280: Endosymbiont
EP285: Jaiden’s Weaver
EP300: We go back
EP308: Kill Me
EP317: Boxed In

[indiecowgirl]

This was really hard to decide,

Top 3
EP315: Clockwork Fagin
EP278: Written on the Wind
EP305: Midnight Blue

Honorable Mentions
EP312: Night Bird Soaring
EP300: We go back
EP280: Endosymbiont
EP290: Tom the Universe
EP291: Shannon’s Law

Thanks for all the really good stories this year!

[4WheelDrive]

My votes for the top 3 are:

EP290: Tom the Universe (Far Out Man, and it's not even drug induced!)
EP315: Clockwork Fagin (Cory!)
EP286: The ’76 Goldwater Dime (I'm a closet numismatist, so I really get this one.)

Honorable Mention:
EP277: Rejiggering the Thingamajig (talking dinosaurs, you gotta love it!)

[Marguerite]

I didn't listen to nearly enough Escape Pod last year (an oversight I intend to correct this year), and both stories I want to nominate I also feel compelled to exempt myself from.  So, let me just say thanks to the others who have nominated both "Leech Run" and "Movement". :-)

[Scattercat]

1) EP295: Disarm
Thought-provoking and difficult.

2) EP294: The Night Train
I like cyberpunk.  I like identity stories.

3) EP288: Future Perfect
Read this in Ideomancer.  I liked the cyclical spiral into madness.

Honorable Mentions:
EP279: Conditional Love
EP305: Midnight Blue

I'd have put both of these in my main list if they hadn't both been nominated several times already.  Fun times, especially Midnight Blue.

[Blahblah1984]

1) EP307, soulmates - damn story almost made me cry.

2) EP 315, clockwork fagin - I tried not liking this one from the start, but it won me over.

3) EP 323, marking time on the far side of forever - I think the reader helped sell this story to me, but after it was all over, the story was really great!

[Listener]

3) EP 323, marking time on the far side of forever - I think the reader helped sell this story to me, but after it was all over, the story was really great!

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[matweller]

MY VOTES
EP305: Midnight Blue
EP280: Endosymbiont
EP323: Marking Time on the Far Side of Forever


MY OTHER FAVORITES / HONORABLE MENTIONS
EP306: Radio Nowhere
EP304: Union Dues – Sidekicks in Stockholm
EP314: Movement
EP278: Written on the Wind
EP307: Soulmates
EP287: A Taste of Time
EP286: The ’76 Goldwater Dime
EP285: Jaiden’s Weaver

[eytanz]

So, I was going to get the poll going by the beginning of the March, and then real life intervened. So, I'm going to set it up on Wednesday, March 7 instead. If you have any last minute nominations, now is the time!

[eytanz]

And now, a few days later than I intended to (again), the nominations are closed - the poll is in the process of being set up. Please go there and vote!