Author Topic: Escape Pod losing me :(  (Read 5640 times)

DWG

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on: January 03, 2016, 09:59:26 PM
 Hi - been listening to Escape Pod since the Steve Eley days and been donating since the "crisis" of a few years back.
However I'm now not looking forward to episodes as I used to and today decided to cancel my subscription. I guess as with all things it is a natural evolution of the podcast as editors come and go, but unfortunately the stories are not clicking with me any more.
I think it is the lack of story in a lot of the writing being chosen - they seem more like exercises in descriptive writing to me?  I realize I'm making a sweeping generalisation here and there are still a lot of different styles on the Pod, but still I'm left disappointed more than I used to be.
Anyway - wish you all the best with, hopefully, a new set of listeners.
Cheers for all the good stories.
DWG



matweller

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Reply #1 on: January 04, 2016, 01:00:12 PM
All the best to you. Safe travels!



eytanz

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Reply #2 on: January 05, 2016, 01:41:13 PM
It's not possible to meet everyone's tastes, and that's certainly true of Science Fiction short stories. Hope you find what you enjoy elsewhere!



kibitzer

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Reply #3 on: January 06, 2016, 04:24:46 AM
Thanks for your donations over the years, they have been very much appreciated. Good luck in your travels in the pod-o-sphere! :)


Funkjunky

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Reply #4 on: February 04, 2016, 07:23:01 PM
Agreed, EP seems more about moralizing now than storytelling.

Anyone have recommendations of other sf short story podcasts?



BoojumsRCool

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Reply #5 on: February 04, 2016, 08:35:58 PM
Hello all, I thought that I would chime in here. I too have listened to Escape Pod since "back in the day" and at times have thought that the "sci fi" has come and gone from stories and sometimes feel frustrated. I listen to many other podcasts (a search through iTunes was enough for me to find them) in the same genre and have found that this realm that we read and listen is constantly changing and growing. The more I listen and read the more that I find. The one thing that keeps me listening and supporting is that Escape Artists in general always has high quality content. I love space and ships and aliens(and demons, wizards, trolls, monsters etc) but diversity is strength and great stories are awesome. I hope you listen again in the future because they do have some awesome "sci-fi" stuff in there.

Boojums ARE cool!


Anthony Creamer

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Reply #6 on: February 11, 2016, 12:11:24 AM
This about sums up my feelings. I really do miss the Ely days but as with all things I'm enjoying trying new things as well, I really enjoyed a few of the stories over the past few months.

You know every now and then clarkesworld has a story that really resonates with me as well.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2016, 12:17:10 AM by Poisonwaters »



Unblinking

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Reply #7 on: February 11, 2016, 04:42:36 PM
I hear ya.  Any publication will shift in focus over ten years and with change of editorial staff.  If you don't like the new direction it makes sense to spend your time elsewhere where you might feel more satisfied.

If it might be of any use to you, I have spent years writing lists of my favorite podcast stories in more than a dozen venues, which are mostly here:
http://www.diabolicalplots.com/category/the-best-of/

And in 2014 I wrote up a top 50 podcast episodes I had ever heard (at the time):
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/07/the-best-podcast-fiction-of-all-time-the-complete-list/


Be well, and I hope you enjoy whatever you decide to listen to.



matweller

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Reply #8 on: February 11, 2016, 06:05:31 PM
I hear ya.  Any publication will shift in focus over ten years and with change of editorial staff.
Some of it's the staff, but I really think the bulk of it is a shift in the whole genre. You can't have a decade of economic recession and not expect it to affect the mood of every facet of society. You can't have growing social and political consciousness from the ever-expanding role of the Internet in our lives and not expect writers to include that in their expression. You can't have a decade of more social change than any in 50-60 years and not expect that to seep into the expression of every medium. You can't have growing access to exponentially more writers and writings and literature resources and not expect to find more than pew-pew-golden-age-only-space sci-fi.

The world is growing. One does not have to choose to grow with it, but one can also not fault the world for one's choice to not grow with it. You draw your line and walk your path. We're glad if you can walk some of it with us. We wish you all the best when you move on.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2016, 06:07:35 PM by matweller »



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Reply #9 on: February 11, 2016, 09:03:06 PM
I hear ya.  Any publication will shift in focus over ten years and with change of editorial staff.
Some of it's the staff, but I really think the bulk of it is a shift in the whole genre. You can't have a decade of economic recession and not expect it to affect the mood of every facet of society. You can't have growing social and political consciousness from the ever-expanding role of the Internet in our lives and not expect writers to include that in their expression. You can't have a decade of more social change than any in 50-60 years and not expect that to seep into the expression of every medium. You can't have growing access to exponentially more writers and writings and literature resources and not expect to find more than pew-pew-golden-age-only-space sci-fi.

The world is growing. One does not have to choose to grow with it, but one can also not fault the world for one's choice to not grow with it. You draw your line and walk your path. We're glad if you can walk some of it with us. We wish you all the best when you move on.

Right, by "over ten years" I was referring in sideways fashion to a change in zeitgeist which can be rooted in a variety of things.



Not-a-Robot

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Reply #10 on: February 11, 2016, 09:52:43 PM
Hmm...

I grew up reading literary and my favorite books always stratal the line between literary and speculative.  I've always felt bad for authors in the middle because people that love genre don't give them a chance because their work is too literary, and people who read literary don't read their work because of the speculative element.  

I, for one, think that Escape Pod does a good job of finding stories that range from pulp to literary, coving all things in between.  And I am glad that some sci-fi is finally crossing into lit and vice vera.  If there is a story I don't like, I listen to it anyways.  Sometimes I am surprised when it comes to the end, sometimes not.  But hell, it's free, or cheap, so why not gice them a listen?
« Last Edit: February 11, 2016, 09:58:30 PM by Not-a-Robot »