EP111: Mayfly

[DDog]

I love this story. It was the first (and so far only) one I delved into the archives to listen to (previous to the story I joined the podcast with) when I was craving Escape Pod and had already listened to that week's episode.

I would have liked to hear more about the Vienna group's research that May receives, but I both also like the teaser, and how not delving into it mimics May's life cycle. She doesn't have to read it this week; her daughter or granddaughter probably will.

It's also an interesting take on reincarnation. Is each successive generation 'the same person with changing bodies' since each generation retains the memories of the whole line, or not since they clearly recognize generational distinctions and not just "waking up in a new body."

How does having twins affect the clan memories? Will the twin not named May go off to found her own line in another city, or will they pal around for a few generations before splitting up?

Also a good nature vs nurture exploration. "nurture" in this case would have to consist of memories from previous generations, since the current May unless a twin will have few outside influences, but how does the influx of human DNA affect subsequent generations' personalities and instincts?

Are all Mays heterosexual? What if a generation happens to be a lesbian? Are there any trans Mays?

The story doesn't have to answer all of these questions--and if it tried, it would probably not be as good. But I'm fascinated by stories that are not only satisfying by themselves, but also leave me with questions and curiosities and avenues of exploration.

[Alasdair5000]

   This fascinated me.  I've gone round and round on what was the best word to describe it, but fascinating seems to be the best one.  The pragmatic, grounded approach to this unique idea of immortality was really well handled and a couple of the minor details carried some serious emotional punch, especially the debate on whether it was worth finishing Anna Karenina.
   On top of all that, it reminded me a lot of the best elements of White Wolf's World of Darkness roleplaying systems (Not the supremely wombley bits where you can play vampires older than the sun).  The idea of someone exceptional living next to you, the idea that the world is very different to what we think, we just can't see it is, there's that word again, fascinating.

Great stuff.  One of my favourites so far.

[Chodon]

My only problem with this story is the law of conservation of mass.  She would have to eat more than just a jar of peanut butter to have a kid.  She would need a couple of nine course meals.  The amount of food these creatures would have to consume during puberty would be HUGE!

[Unblinking]

I enjoyed this story.  A unique ideas will take a story a long way in my eyes and this idea was great.  It really makes me think about how I use my idle time during the day!  Every moment counts!

Actually, it did make me think of one other story, but not in a bad way.  In Writers of the Future XXV, there's a story by Jordan Lapp titled "After the Final Sunset, Again" with a protagonist that is a Phoenix.  Not the mythical bird creature, but a mostly-human entity with a daily cycle of rebirths.  At every sunset she burns into ash, and every sunrise is born again.  This story and that one take similar ideas and go in opposite directions.  In this story, pregnancy is the solution, in that story pregnancy is the problem.  I highly recommend that story.