Author Topic: EP097: Cinderella Suicide  (Read 48016 times)

ClintMemo

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Reply #25 on: March 21, 2007, 07:17:06 PM
I took me three tries before I could listen to this one. I was pretty tired the first two times and my brain just wasn't up to dealing with the combination of the accent and jargon.  (which is entirely my fault. I have a real difficulty understanding some accents - even mild ones.)  I finally decided to give it one last go and I found that once I got a ways into it, I was completely engrossed! I figured out what most of the slang meant, at least in general terms. I'm going to have to go back and listen to it again.  Also, I think the story would not have worked without the accent.  Having an American read it would have sounded like the old Steve Allen bit where he reads to words to disco songs - farcically wrong!

<Steve Allen deadpan voice>
I love to love you baby.
I love to love you baby.
I love to love you baby.
<Steve Allen deadpan voice>

Life is a multiple choice test. Unfortunately, the answers are not provided.  You have to go and find them before picking the best one.


BSWeichsel

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Reply #26 on: March 22, 2007, 12:21:17 PM
I couldn't get into and thus really didn't like it that much. but even with a bad story Im still happy with the quality of escape pod.

but this doesn't really make a difference because it think this was just a simple cultural boundary that i didn't understand.

Since it began, who have you killed? You wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't killed somebody.


DKT

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Reply #27 on: March 22, 2007, 06:40:16 PM
The more I think about it, the more I believe this story wouldn't have worked so well for me if it was read by someone else, specifically an american.  Even if it was someone with a complete dead-on delivery like Ben Phillips (who's reading of Bag Man on Pseudopod still gives me chills) or Sigler or anyone else.  To me, the accent and the slang added a whole new layer to the story and I'm really glad MarBelle read it. 

I've also been thinking of the genre for the story.  I still think it's closest to steampunk, but it has pensioners, razorblades, and magnets thrown in for good measure.


contra

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Reply #28 on: March 22, 2007, 07:14:05 PM
Being from hte UK, obviously the accent didn't bother me.
One of the above users said the main thing that story first reminded me of, Clockwork Orange.  Not much... but at first... definatly a tingle of it.

I liked this story though; it was entertaining.  I like trying to work out how a world works, and for alt history stories, where the point of divergence was.  Trying to work out where their technology would have came from.
It took a while for me to work out the characters, especially with a team name like cinerella.

I really liked the ending.  Good story.  :D

---
Mike---Glasgow.  Scotland.-->


FNH

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Reply #29 on: March 22, 2007, 08:28:00 PM
The only reason I got to the end of this story was because I was cycling through snow, and would not have undone my coat for a man with a gun, let alone to skip a podcast.

I've come across these lingo-istic stories in the past and don't enjoy them.  I always feel that the author has gone too far in trying to provide the usual linguistic originality to his world.

I'm OK with people putting the occasional hy-phen or  a'pos in their text, but when they change MOST of the language they've gone too far.  It stops being an enjoyable listen, and instead becomes an on-the-fly translation task.

Thumbs down to this one.



BlairHippo

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Reply #30 on: March 22, 2007, 11:40:18 PM
When an English translation of the story becomes available, do you think Steve would be willing to run it?

All right, it did win me over by the end.  Things picked up nicely once their journey to the source was underway.  But the early-going was brutal; I'm not surprised a lot of listeners bailed.

Glad to hear it's on Strange Horizons; I'll have to give it a look there and try and figure out the first half at my own pace.



Mfitz

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Reply #31 on: March 23, 2007, 01:20:46 PM
I'm playing catch up on my podcasts and just listened to this yesterday while working out at the Y.  EscapePod is the only thing that makes thirty minutes on the elliptical walker tolerable.

This story was pretty amazing. 

I'm a big reader and usually perfer reading a piece over listening to one, but with this story the narration is what made it enjoyable. I hate to read dialect and would has tossed it aside after the first sentence or two if I came across the piece in print. MarBelle's accent and the made the story for me, I didn't find it or the slang hard or opaque at all after the first few lines, and loved the cadency and texture they gave the piece.



sayeth

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Reply #32 on: March 23, 2007, 05:23:50 PM
I think the story itself was probably good, and the choice of reader was appropriate. However, the story was way too difficult for a podcast. As Steve has mentioned before, audio stories need to be easy to follow, since most listeners won't rewind and can't follow along in print. Print stories can demand so much more from a audience, since a reader can slow down to puzzle out unknown terms.  I'll be reading this one online before I try listening to it again.

Free Listens Audio Reviews: www.freelistens.blogspot.com


Ananzi

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Reply #33 on: March 23, 2007, 09:13:09 PM
 I enjoyed this story greatly,it's a beautifully written,powerful piece of speculative fiction.
 I can understand why some listeners think it's a difficult story to follow;its' subtleties are easy to miss with a casual listen,but I was intrigued enough by the story to read it and some of Ms.Henderson's other work.
I think I enjoy Escape Pod (and Science Fiction in general)  the most when the stories give me something to chew over rather than spoon feeding me.
 Thanks for this story!



wakela

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Reply #34 on: March 23, 2007, 11:55:44 PM
Is it a coincidence that Steve just finishes reading "Perdido Street Station" and then we get this Mievillesque story?

The comments have been as interesting as the story itself.  Steve mentioned that this was the strangest story EP has run.  I bet he knew he was taking a risk with this one.

In general cyberpunk annoys me.  Enjoyment of a cyberpunk story depends on the reader thinking the characters are cool.  I usually think they are just thieves and low lifes, like the panhandlers with dyed mohawks, leather jackets, and piercings.   Cinderella, Tin Type, and Superstar were transported for a reason. I have a feeling I have more in common with one of their victims than one of them.  But I can suspend my annoyance for a good story, like I can accept sound in space when I watch Star Wars.

The slang and the accent made the first half of this story barely comprehensible.  But the total immersion was stimulating, and MarBelle's reading doubled the effectiveness.  This was the best match of story and reader I've heard on EP. 

Their journey was too easy.  We are told that none have made it to The Source and lived to tell the tale.  But these guys seemed to walk right up to it.   If Tin Type hadn't gone up to the edge of the giant trap, and the girl with the skin full of razor blades hadn't gone into the giant MRI machine, or if they had brought along some sort of rope, they wouldn't have had any problems.   It's almost an idiot plot, a story that only works if all the characters are idiots.  And the ending depends on the astounding coincidence that the baby cthulhu hatches just as Superstar arrives.  I could have accepted this if some connection had been made like "Make sure you hurry and get there before it hatches." or "I sense the approach of life forms.  Now I can be born."

But most Star Trek plots are much dumber than this, and I keep watching.  The plot is an excuse to spend some time in this fascinating setting.  The world itself is the most interesting character, even more so through MarBelle's reading.   Several commenters have said that they would like to read more by Samantha Henderson.  I have a feeling they are less interested in the exploits of Tin Type, Cinderella, and Superstar, and more interested in what you get when you mix truly alien aliens and criminals 100 (?) years ago. 

I think stories like this are what Science Fiction and Escape Pod are for.  More of this please.

« Last Edit: March 24, 2007, 12:20:09 AM by wakela »



DKT

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Reply #35 on: March 24, 2007, 12:19:06 AM
Is it a coincidence that Steve just finishes reading "Perdido Street Station" and then we get this Mievillesque story?

Funny. I wondered this as well. 


SFEley

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Reply #36 on: March 24, 2007, 12:57:01 AM
Is it a coincidence that Steve just finishes reading "Perdido Street Station" and then we get this Mievillesque story?

Since I contracted for the story late last year, and for that matter this isn't even our first attempt at producing this piece, the answer's "yes."  It's a coincidence.   >8->


Quote
The comments have been as interesting as the story itself.  Steve mentioned that this was the strangest story EP has run.  I bet he knew he was taking a risk with this one.

That, too, would be a "yes."  But I don't regret taking risks. 

More than that I will not say at this time; I don't want to stifle feedback.  I'll respond on the podcast in due time.

ESCAPE POD - The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine


wakela

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Reply #37 on: March 24, 2007, 01:37:01 AM
Quote
Quote
Is it a coincidence that Steve just finishes reading "Perdido Street Station" and then we get this Mievillesque story?

Since I contracted for the story late last year, and for that matter this isn't even our first attempt at producing this piece, the answer's "yes."  It's a coincidence.   >8->
I thought something like this was the case, but I still wanted to say "Mievillesque."  Say it out loud.  It's fantastic.



dreamingmind

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Reply #38 on: March 24, 2007, 03:13:36 AM
But the total immersion was stimulating...
Oh yeah, I struggled. But from the first, I knew this was not a person-like-me-in-different-circumstances story and I was VERY curious about who, where and why. Thanks for the great story that I'll have to listen too again!

Regards,
Don



mollymillions

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Reply #39 on: March 24, 2007, 09:13:15 AM
In the year or so that I have been listening to Escape Pod this is the best story I have heard and probably the first example of cybersteampunk I have come across anywhere.  I am an Australian so my opinion may not be entirely unbiased. I found the story reasonably easy to follow but can understand how a non-Australian, or someone unfamiliar with the steampunk genre might struggle with it.
Regarding the podcast, I couldn’t help thinking that the story may have benefited from a reader with a British accent (I did notice that the reader had a slight accent, but I couldn’t place it). But these podcasts are about the story so the accent of the reader shouldn’t be important, should it? Unfortunately the pronunciation of some of the Aborigine names made them unrecognisable, specifically Uluru, although upon a second listening I did work out what the reader meant with this word. As a sideline, people should note that because of its cultural significance it’s nowadays deemed very politically incorrect to refer to Uluru by the name given to it by European settlers. The author is obviously aware of this as any white person form the Victorian era would certainly not have used, nor even been aware of, the traditional name of Uluru.
A great story and I would like to thank all concerned for bringing it to me.

P.S. Slithies are convicts.



SFEley

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Reply #40 on: March 24, 2007, 04:46:40 PM
Regarding the podcast, I couldn’t help thinking that the story may have benefited from a reader with a British accent (I did notice that the reader had a slight accent, but I couldn’t place it). But these podcasts are about the story so the accent of the reader shouldn’t be important, should it?

I find this comment fascinating.  Mar is British, and to my American ears his accent in this story was actually very thick.  Some of our English listeners can hopefully place it precisely; I'd be hesitant to guess.  (And I never got around to asking where he was from.)

I don't say this to correct you, but simply because I think it's really cool how different people around the world hear different things in the same voice.


Quote
Unfortunately the pronunciation of some of the Aborigine names made them unrecognisable, specifically Uluru, although upon a second listening I did work out what the reader meant with this word. As a sideline, people should note that because of its cultural significance it’s nowadays deemed very politically incorrect to refer to Uluru by the name given to it by European settlers. The author is obviously aware of this as any white person form the Victorian era would certainly not have used, nor even been aware of, the traditional name of Uluru.

Very interesting -- I didn't know that.  Thanks!

ESCAPE POD - The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine


Roney

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Reply #41 on: March 24, 2007, 11:51:18 PM
I find this comment fascinating.  Mar is British, and to my American ears his accent in this story was actually very thick.  Some of our English listeners can hopefully place it precisely; I'd be hesitant to guess.  (And I never got around to asking where he was from.)

Steve, since you're asking...

We call it Estuary English.  It's the debased from of the language that keeps spreading around the Thames Estuary.  Turns out is even has a wikipedia entry.

FWIW, it was perfect for this story.  It's what the criminals would have spoken during/after their deportation.

Loved the story, loved the reading.



mummifiedstalin

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Reply #42 on: March 27, 2007, 06:08:30 AM
I'm a bit confused about why this story had to be alternate history. I get the cyberpunk aspect what with the semi-transcendence of an awful, debased world at the end. But, apart from them being transplanted criminals, why was it important to be alternate Australia? So you could the outback into it? Maybe. But once the quest got going, there was really no more need for the alt-history setting.

That said, this is a world (alt-history or not) that needs more stories. And I only found the language/accents (however mismatched) to be evocative and enjoyable. Having to figure out what was things meant seemed a nice mirror to how the slithies would have had to figure out their own environment.

But I'll repeat the question someone posed earlier: why were implants so sought-after if it was clear that there are some kind of giant magnets around that rip them out of your body? It seems like a bit more thought was needed on that aspect.



costyn

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Reply #43 on: March 27, 2007, 06:41:39 AM
I found this story totalling engrossing. I listened to it twice; loved it both times. Yes, it was a bit hard to figure out the slang, but in the end it totally worked. Yeah Steve, you took a risk, but you sure made me happy with it. I think it's my favorite EscapePod episode so far!

Thanks Steve!



Thaurismunths

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Reply #44 on: March 27, 2007, 09:58:19 AM
But I'll repeat the question someone posed earlier: why were implants so sought-after if it was clear that there are some kind of giant magnets around that rip them out of your body? It seems like a bit more thought was needed on that aspect.

I think it's because they A: didn't have a choice of materials and B: They're in prison and the benefits (staying alive longer) out weighed the costs (possible pain/death). Super powers having a down side or weakness is a major theme of SF. Riddic's eyes come to mind.

How do you fight a bully that can un-make history?


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Reply #45 on: March 27, 2007, 12:29:31 PM
But I'll repeat the question someone posed earlier: why were implants so sought-after if it was clear that there are some kind of giant magnets around that rip them out of your body? It seems like a bit more thought was needed on that aspect.

I think it's because they A: didn't have a choice of materials and B: They're in prison and the benefits (staying alive longer) out weighed the costs (possible pain/death). Super powers having a down side or weakness is a major theme of SF. Riddic's eyes come to mind.

I'm going back to relisten to this one. I think I missed a lot. Everyone who has relistened to it seems to think it was fantastic.

Before I do that though I'm going to take a stab at answering this question. I think the strong magnetic field was part of the defenses around their goal. Many of the defenses were unknown, because nobody ever made it back out. I'm going to guess that under normal circumstances these implants are actually a good thing. If this magnetic field was a known threat, I believe a different charactor would have been sent.



Thaurismunths

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Reply #46 on: March 27, 2007, 12:49:59 PM
But I'll repeat the question someone posed earlier: why were implants so sought-after if it was clear that there are some kind of giant magnets around that rip them out of your body? It seems like a bit more thought was needed on that aspect.

I think it's because they A: didn't have a choice of materials and B: They're in prison and the benefits (staying alive longer) out weighed the costs (possible pain/death). Super powers having a down side or weakness is a major theme of SF. Riddic's eyes come to mind.

I'm going back to relisten to this one. I think I missed a lot. Everyone who has relistened to it seems to think it was fantastic.

Before I do that though I'm going to take a stab at answering this question. I think the strong magnetic field was part of the defenses around their goal. Many of the defenses were unknown, because nobody ever made it back out. I'm going to guess that under normal circumstances these implants are actually a good thing. If this magnetic field was a known threat, I believe a different charactor would have been sent.

I heartily suggest listening to it another time, at least.

The magnetic fields were a known threat, he mentioned before that some people got wings and tried to fly away, but the variable magnetism would eventually pulse and crash them in to the ground/ocean. This crew might have been sent in spite of it or because of it. Superstar only had a 360 Scope (which got removed) and the anti-flap ear piece, Tintype only had the ear piece. Suicide was the only person with a problem, and even she was fine 'till the boys fell in the pit. None of them had hard mods done to their skulls or bones.
It was also mentioned that some people did reach the source, and came back, but they were stark raving mad when they did. Presumably because they didn't have the special ear plugs to keep the voice out of their heads.

I've wondered about the hatching time of the bug. The voice kept saying, over and over, that it was cold. Perhaps its hatching wasn't so much a coincidence, as it was triggered by the heat from the blast?

How do you fight a bully that can un-make history?


VBurn

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Reply #47 on: March 27, 2007, 01:00:00 PM
I re-listened to this story yesterday and for any who has not yet done so, it is really worth a re-listen.  As I stated earlier, I read the text along with the first listen, which help a bunch, but may have made me miss how well this story truly works in audio (insofar as I stated as much in my first post, which I now wish to formally retract).  When I listened to it the second time, it was like I was sitting next to Superstar listening to him tell me a story of his life.  One of the best listening experience I have had on EP.  Great match up of voice talent for this story.  He slipped in the odd Aussie punk type slang like someone who lived there for years.

Kudos to Steve for not only be a great editor, but also a brilliant producer.  The more I experience Podcasting, the more respect I have for any who would be brave enough to attempt it.



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Reply #48 on: March 28, 2007, 01:42:28 AM
I too was baffled during the first few minutes of this story, but resisting the urge to hit the SKIP button, I realized that all good things are hard. I swam with the flow of the story, gradually picking up the context as the story made more and more sense. By mid-story I was completely captured and enjoyed it right to the not-quite-a-surprise-and-a-bit-frightening ending. Good work, Steve - more SteamPunk please!



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Reply #49 on: March 28, 2007, 01:40:55 PM
I just couldn't get into this story.  I tried, I really did.  I listened while grocery shopping and I found myself more interested in prices and ingredients. 

I turned it off and waited until I got home. 

I started over and found my mind wandering thinking about baseball practice.  Ok, I put it away for a couple of weeks in case I was just a little burned out by audio fiction. 

I finally listened to it yesterday and once again, I couldn't concentrate on the story.  I dunno, it could be a great story. I can't even tell you what it's about.  I've listened to most of it 3 times now, and I haven't the foggiest idea what was going on.  It had nothing to do with the accent or the lingo.  shrugs Some stories just don't catch you I guess.

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