Author Topic: EP106: The House Beyond Your Sky (Read 37966 times)

Roney · **Reply #25 on:** May 24, 2007, 09:56:50 PM

Wow! That was a total head-rush.

I'd like to try to help out the people who found it unsuited for audio or too wordy but I don't know what to say to put it in a different light. We're suffering a complete discontinuity of taste here -- I just can't see what's not to like.

My favourite EP story since, uh... well... [scans 105 story titles]

Best. Story. Ever.

Biscuit · **Reply #26 on:** May 28, 2007, 03:12:13 AM

I remember reading this story on Strange Horizons, and having trouble following it even then.

I believe myself to be an intelligent, articulate and well read person, but this one made me feel quite dumb.

I give every qudos to the writer, however, for creating such high art with words.

Loz · **Reply #27 on:** May 29, 2007, 11:24:24 AM

I really enjoyed that story, though I have to admit more so when I read it than when I heard it. When I heard it I got so caught up trying to visualise some of the more esoteric imagery used that I then missed the next part of the narrative!

netwiz · **Reply #28 on:** May 29, 2007, 09:59:01 PM

Fair enough to those people who liked the story, thought it was well written etc. It may well have been. For me, it was just one of those obscure type stories that I don't get. I didn't like it, and didn't even finish listening to it, although I tried.

Febo · **Reply #29 on:** May 30, 2007, 12:24:08 AM

I have to disagree with just about everyone, I thought this story was great for audio! I saw it more as a Theological/Cosmological piece from the beginning, so the "WTFness" got me thinking in all crazy directions, adding to my enjoyment!

I see this as a myth in the truest sense of the word, a story that requires multiple interpretations. I even described it to one of my friends as "kind of like what the bible would be like if it were written today."

Talia · **Reply #30 on:** May 30, 2007, 04:31:49 AM

Like others, I didn't "get" enough of the terminology to truly grasp all the imagery, but for me, it worked more than well enough on the strengths of what I DID understand. I can only imagine it is all the more interesting if you actually do follow the jargon, and I thought it was neat it still managed to get to me though I am not "in the know." Apparently I'm in the minority in that viewpoint, though...

I found that If I made up some mental imagery to go with all the technical stuff going on I could follow the story much better and that really helped me get into it too.

A difficult but rewarding piece.

clichekiller · **Reply #31 on:** May 30, 2007, 08:14:13 PM

I won't pretend that I understood every word used in this piece but I was able to use contextual clues to ascertain the gist if not their exact meanings of most. This is perhaps the best work EscapePod has produced. I think it worked very well with audio, but I didn't have the difficulty separating the POV shifts that some of you experienced; if I had, I would probably have been just as lost as they were. As it was I listened to this at work and had no trouble keeping track.

The language used was artful and beautiful, the author's use of analogies perfect. He was able to take abstract high order concepts and convey them in as straightforward a manner as ever I've seen.

I likened the keys to be the root password for the house and everything in it. It would give the pilgrim total control of the house and as such access to the bubble universe forming outside. If I recall correctly the bubble universe wasn't so much a simulation as it was another reality forming.

I also liked the way the entropic death of the universe was described. Thoughts being stretched out across light years, everything slowing down as the universe cools. Well done.

I think this is one of my longer posts, I'll end my rambling here, sorry for the length.

DKT · **Reply #32 on:** May 30, 2007, 09:13:18 PM

I'm glad I gave this one a second chance. I read along while listening a second time and was blown away. I really liked Start the Clock and now you can definitely color me a fan of Ben Rosenbaum's. What was the other story of his Escape Pod ran?

This is the second of the Hugo-Nominated stories that reminded me of Gaiman's Sandman. I think it's the parakeet's fault this time around

The scenes with Sophie and her father nearly brought tears to my eyes. Excellent story.

wakela · **Reply #33 on:** May 30, 2007, 11:59:28 PM

This story felt like running through a cathedral.

sirana · **Reply #34 on:** May 31, 2007, 12:25:33 PM

nope, not mine. much to complicated and meta for me...

Listener · **Reply #35 on:** May 31, 2007, 05:23:19 PM

Quote from: DKT on May 30, 2007, 09:13:18 PM

I'm glad I gave this one a second chance. I read along while listening a second time and was blown away. I really liked Start the Clock and now you can definitely color me a fan of Ben Rosenbaum's. What was the other story of his Escape Pod ran?

Start the Clock, I think.

DKT · **Reply #36 on:** May 31, 2007, 05:44:37 PM

Quote from: Listener on May 31, 2007, 05:23:19 PM

Quote from: DKT on May 30, 2007, 09:13:18 PM
I'm glad I gave this one a second chance. I read along while listening a second time and was blown away. I really liked Start the Clock and now you can definitely color me a fan of Ben Rosenbaum's. What was the other story of his Escape Pod ran?

Start the Clock, I think.

Right, I knew about that one. That was the first story of his that I heard. I just thought Steve had said somewhere that EP had run three of his stories. Maybe he said bought though, and the 3rd one has not been run yet?

Sith Lord 13 · **Reply #37 on:** June 01, 2007, 01:16:22 AM

This has to be one of the most engrossing books I've ever read. I didn't catch every word but I loved the imagery especially when Jeffery came out with the Groupers. That is made to be put on the big screen. I think this would be better in text but I still loved it. It raises very interesting questions on the nature of life which IMHO have answers which can only come close to an answer in Sci-Fi which alows for such freedom of imagery.
Thats my 2 cents

SL13

SFEley · **Reply #38 on:** June 01, 2007, 01:26:46 AM

Quote from: DKT on May 30, 2007, 09:13:18 PM

I'm glad I gave this one a second chance. I read along while listening a second time and was blown away. I really liked Start the Clock and now you can definitely color me a fan of Ben Rosenbaum's. What was the other story of his Escape Pod ran?

The first one was "The Death Trap of Dr. Nefario,", way back in October '05. It was much lighter and funnier than either of the two more recent ones.

BlairHippo · **Reply #39 on:** June 07, 2007, 08:04:02 PM

Wow. Sprawling, epic, and hugely imaginative; this one really blew me away.

I'm also struck by how ambitious the thing was. That was a delicate balancing act, telling the story in metaphors we can relate to while never letting us completely forget that the story is indeed just a metaphor and giving us the occasional glimpse of what's "really" happening. Nicely done.

Is it too much to call this one brilliant?

... nope. Don't think so.

It was brilliant.

Damn there are some good nominees this year.

DKT · **Reply #40 on:** June 07, 2007, 08:19:39 PM

Quote from: SFEley on June 01, 2007, 01:26:46 AM

Quote from: DKT on May 30, 2007, 09:13:18 PM
I'm glad I gave this one a second chance. I read along while listening a second time and was blown away. I really liked Start the Clock and now you can definitely color me a fan of Ben Rosenbaum's. What was the other story of his Escape Pod ran?

The first one was "The Death Trap of Dr. Nefario,", way back in October '05. It was much lighter and funnier than either of the two more recent ones.

Very cool. I'll give that one a listen soon!

Michael · **Reply #41 on:** June 16, 2007, 10:11:09 PM

Truly, perhaps I was not listening hard enough, but it was not an enjoyable story for me--the convolutions were too much and I just lost it. $:-\$

bamugo · **Reply #42 on:** June 19, 2007, 01:34:47 PM

It didn't hold my attention either. I think this might have been better suited to text, which would have allowed me to re-read bits and grok the whole thing much better.

Planish · **Reply #43 on:** July 07, 2007, 12:25:26 AM

Quote from: Michael on June 16, 2007, 10:11:09 PM

Truly, perhaps I was not listening hard enough, but it was not an enjoyable story for me--the convolutions were too much and I just lost it. $:-\$

I kept rewinding, and it didn't help me.

What I did get of it, it seemed to me that the characters' actions were somewhat arbitrary. As with a good mystery, where the reader should be privy to all of the clues that the hero discovers, what a character is capable of should also at least be hinted at. These characters simply kept conjuring deus ex machinas. It was like watching a wizard duel when you have no idea of the nature and limits of the magic.

chornbe · **Reply #44 on:** July 24, 2007, 02:41:17 AM

I listened to the very, very end, just waiting for it to say something - anything - that I cared about.

Unblinking · **Reply #45 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:23:09 PM

Wow, this story was dense! I'm certain I didn't understand about 50% of it, but I think I got the gist as it was going on. Much like Cinderella Suicide it all worked better if I didn't try to concentrate too much on the meaning of any particular sentence but just sat back and let the story as a whole wash over me. A creator who is not THE creator was well portrayed, as well as the concept of the new developing reality and all of the compartmentalized universes, the personality fragments, the bird, all very interesting, even though I'm not sure I groked it all.