Cast of Wonders

Ep 79: Loma’ai by Jessie Bishop Powell

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:00:36 +0000

Read by Tina Connolly Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Jessie Bishop Powell’s story, Loma’ai. Jessie Bishop Powell has been writing since age 10. Her favorite authors include Dianna Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, and Neil Gaiman. She holds a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Kentucky but considers it irrelevant to good writing. She blogs at jesterqueen.com. Her next young adult project is a book featuring a plucky thief named Flori. Snatches of that story can be found on her blog. I will warn that her blog contains adult language at times! Your narrator today is the inimitable Tina Connolly. Tina lives with her family in Portland, Oregon. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and her Nebula-nominated novel IRONSKIN is now out from Tor Books, with the sequel COPPERHEAD coming in Oct 2013. She narrates for Podcastle and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, runs the Parsec-winning flash fiction podcast Toasted Cake, and her website is tinaconnolly.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 78: The Giant Who Dreamed of Summer by Jess Hyslop

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:13:23 +0000

Read by M K Hobson Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Jess Hyslop’s story, The Giant Who Dreamed of Summer. You may remember Jess’ wonderful story To Be True, which was Episodes 11 and 12 of Cast of Wonders. Jess lives in Cambridge, UK, where she spends a good deal of time wandering between bookshops, cafes, and cinemas while pondering her next writing project. She studied English at the University of Cambridge, and was there awarded the Quiller-Couch prize for creative writing in 2010. Her winning story, ‘Augury’, has since been published by Shortfire Press. Her short fiction has also appeared in Daily Science Fiction and Bewildering Stories, and is forthcoming in Interzone and Mirror Dance. She tweets @JinxedJester. Your narrator today is the marvellous M K Hobson. M K is a writer extraordinaire whose work has appeared in many publications such as Realms of Fantasy, The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Interzone and Sybil’s Garage. Her debut novel The Native Star was published to critical acclaim in September 2010 by Ballantine Spectra. She can be heard frequently on fantasy podcast PodCastle, both as guest host and narrator. You can find out more about M [...]

Ep 77: The Long Cut by Tom Howard

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:01:06 +0000

Read by Norm Sherman Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Tom Howard’s story, The Long Cut. Tom is a short story writer from Little Rock, Arkansas. Of this story Tom says, “My four children are the inspiration for this story as I was frequently lost when they were little, and they would ask, ‘Dad, is this another one of your long cuts?’ It made perfect sense to them that if a short cut got you there faster, a ‘long cut’ would get you there much, much slower. Cheeky monkeys.” Your narrator today is the fabulous Norm Sherman. Norm is the host and editor of the weird and wonderful — and Parsec award winning — Drabblecast, which publishes “strange stories by strange authors for strange listeners, such as yourself.” In addition he is the editor and co-host of the long running science-fiction podcast Escape Pod. Both podcasts server excellent fare, some of it quite adult. His smooth tones may be heard in many places in the pod-o-sphere such as PodCastle, The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, The Fullcast Podcast and many other fine audio productions. You can find Norm in many places online such as Facebook. Read [...]

Ep 76: Dragonomics by Lance Schonberg

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:22:53 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Lance Schonberg’s story, Dragonomics. Learning from his children how to follow his dreams again, Lance has long since allowed his writing to tip over the border into obsession, and typically has too many writing projects in progress at any given moment. Some of his stories have even seen publication. In between trips to the word processor, Lance is currently conspiring to commit both a podcast and electronic publication. He can be found lurking on Twitter as WritingDad, on Facebook, and even on his own website at http://lanceschonberg.com/ (where you can also find several wonderful stories he’s serialized). Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 75: The Field Trip by Alex Shvartsman

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 07:00:59 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Alex Shvartsman’s story, The Field Trip. Alex is a writer and game designer whose short stories appeared or are forthcoming at Nature, IGMS, Galaxy’s Edge, and many other ‘zines and anthologies. His adventures so far have included traveling to over 30 countries, playing a card game for a living, and building a successful business. Alex resides in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and son. His recently published fiction is linked at www.alexshvartsman.com, and his recently published anthology of humorous F/SF, Unidentified Funny Objects, is at ufopub.com. And check out Alex’s Kickstarter for his second volume of UFO! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 74: Gods of Stone by Jeff Samson

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:00:47 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Jeff Samson’s story, Gods of Stone. Jeff makes a living as a copywriter with an ad agency in NYC. He brews Irish stout when he’s not writing science fiction and fantasy, and often drinks it when he is. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and no cats. His work has either appeared or is forthcoming in Nature Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Lore, Every Day Fiction, Brain Harvest, Jabberwocky and Perihelion. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 73: Mr. Nine and the Gentleman Ghost by Aidan Doyle

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:39:47 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Aidan Doyle’s story, Mr. Nine and the Gentleman Ghost, which was originally published on the Weird Tales web site. Aidan’s been with before; he wrote Episode 31, Inksucker. Aidan is an Australian writer and computer programmer who loves travelling and has visited more than 80 countries. His experiences include teaching English in Japan, interviewing ninjas in Bolivia and going ten-pin bowling in North Korea. His stories have been published in Lightspeed, Strange Horizons and Fantasy. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 72: The Dun Horse by Edward Ahern

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 22:49:56 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Edward Ahern’s story, The Dun Horse. Ed Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. He has his original wife, but advises that after 45 years they are both out of warranty. Ed dissipates his free time fly fishing, shooting and attending Japanese, German and French language groups. His proudest writing achievement is five new fairy tales, the protagonist of each of which has the name of one of his grandchildren. (Being published by Wicked East Press). Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 71: Now Cydonia by Rick Kennett

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:31:49 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Rick Kennett’s story, Now Cydonia. Rick works in the transport industry in Melbourne, Australia as possibly the longest serving motorcycle courier in the world, now pushing 33 years on the road. He’s been writing SF and ghost stories for about the same period with recent appearances in Aurealis (The Australian Sci-Fi and Fantasy Magazine), The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine and The Ghosts & Scholars Book of Shadows from Sarob Press. Now Cydonia originally appeared in Orb Speculative Fiction number 7, in 2007. Of this story Rick says, “Cydonia is that region of Mars where lurks The Face, The City, The Pyramid and other mysterious geological features… if geological features they are. “Now Cydonia” is one of my Cy De Gerch sequence of stories, most of them featuring Cy as a young lieutenant aboard the starship Utopia Plain, a deep space frigate of the Martian Star Corps. But to get to that position she had to go through some tough training first.” If you enjoy this Cy De Gerch story, you may like to hear two others that have run on The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine: Episode [...]

Ep 70: A Song for the Season by Eliza Hirsch

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 04:59:45 +0000

Read by Kate Baker Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present A Song for the Season by Eliza Hirsch. Eliza is an amateur writer of both adult and YA horror, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. When not doing either of those, she’s spending time with her wonderful husband, wishing she had a kittycat, or doing that whole earning money thing at her day job. You can find out more about Eliza at exploringeliza.com. Your narrator is the fabulous Kate Baker. Kate is the the Podcast Director and Nonfiction Editor for Hugo award-winning Clarkesworld Magazine. You can find out more about Kate at katebaker.net where you’ll also find a list of her narrations. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 69: Cosmetic Procedures by Desmond Warzel

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 01:08:27 +0000

Read by Rish Outfield Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Cosmetic Procedures by Desmond Warzel. We’ve featured stories by Desmond before in Episode 15, Same Day Delivery and Episodes 34 & 35, The Most Precious of Treasures, and we’re very happy to welcome him back. You can find more from Desmond in the Jan/Feb issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Today’s story first appeared in the anthology It Came From Her Purse from Sam’s Dot Publishing. Your narrator is the excellent Mr Rish Outfield, who co-edits The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine, with Big Anklevich. You can find The Dunsteef over at dunesteef.com where you can hear quality audio productions of genre fiction, and listen to Rish and Big discuss, well, just about everything! With lots of geek references. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 68: Mercurial Skin by Raechel Henderson

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:00:28 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Mercurial Skin by Raechel Henderson. Raechel once worked in a bookstore that bears a striking resemblance to the one in the story, although the books never whispered to her. She has since traded selling used paperbacks for running her own publishing company, Eggplant Literary Productions. We asked Raechel if if she had anything to share about this story. She said, “I wrote the first draft back in 2002 or so. My critique group, the Semi-Omniscients, gave me invaluable feedback and helped me shape the story, and then it sat on my hard drive until last year when I decided to start submitting stories again.” Your narrator is our esteemed editor, Marguerite Kenner. Marguerite is a native Californian who has forsaken paradise to be with her one true love in Merrye Olde England. She currently wears so many hats that she needs two heads. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 67: Barsoom In June by Brian L. Hurrel

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:23:07 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop and Dave Thompson Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Barsoom in June by Brian L. Hurrel. Brian is an American who narrowly missed being born in Glasgow. A lifelong science fiction fan, he is especially fond of Golden Age stories from the forties and fifties. His fiction has appeared in the science journal Nature and magazines such as Daily Science Fiction and Bete Noir. His many previous occupations include high school English teacher, carpet installer, cab driver, and US Marine. He now develops software for the financial industry and lives in New Jersey with his wife and son. We asked Brian if he’d like to share anything about this story in particular. He says, “By the time I got around to reading Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter books, along with Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles and his wonderful short story The Long Rain, our knowledge of the solar system had long ago made it clear that Martian canals and Venusian jungles were completely out of the realm of possibility. This did not in any way reduce my enjoyment of these stories, of course. And there was always a small corner of my mind [...]

Ep 66: The Egg Game by S. R. Algernon

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:00:29 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Last week we announced a change here at Cast of Wonders… we have a new editor, Marguerite Kenner. Regular listeners will know Marguerite from her wonderful narrations and now, she brings her irresistible energy to picking great stories for you. Welcome, Marguerite! We begin the Cast of Wonders year with The Egg Game by S. R. Algernon. S. R. Algernon has been an avid reader of science fiction for many years. He studied fiction writing in North Carolina, U.S.A., and currently lives in Singapore — where making mischief with eggs in lifts would be strongly and justifiably frowned upon. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Cast of Wonders Metacast 1

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:55:41 +0000

Listen above or download here. Barry: Hi, this is Barry J. Northern with an important announcement for Cast of Wonders listeners. Don’t worry: we’re not going anywhere — in fact I have recently taken steps to ensure that we continue to bring you high quality YA stories every week by deciding to step down as editor and hand the reins over to someone I’m sure regular listeners will know: Marguerite Kenner. I have been very busy making mobile and internet games in the last few months, and will be continuing to focus on game development. The show deserves someone who has time to read and manage our story submissions for Graeme. Graeme will continue to host and produce, so the show will still be familiar, and I will still be contributing to the running of the show, doing the admin and that sort of thing, as well as continuing to produce art work for each episode, which I hope attracts people to the site and to the show. Marguerite’s first reader comments on our stories have always shown me that she understands our audience and has an eye for a great story. I’m excited to see the direction she takes [...]

Ep 65: The Great Game, Part 7 – The Mustard Wyrm by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:22:59 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present the final part — Chapter 7 — of our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is called The Mustard Wyrm. We’ve given James’ bio before in previous episodes so check them for details. Or, head on over to jamesvachowski.com/. This is the final episode for 2012! Thank you all for spending 2012 with us; we hope you’ll come back next year! We wish all a very happy holidays and a relaxing, festive and rejuvenating break. Cast of Wonders will return in 2013, probably in February. Watch the website for details. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 64: The Gloaming (Part 2) by M E Garber

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:42:39 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of The Gloaming by M E Garber. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 63 — please go back and listen to that first. Next episode is the final story in our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. Make sure you’re here for the finale! And next episode is also the final for 2012! We wish you all a very happy holidays and hope you have a relaxing, festive and rejuvenating break. Cast of Wonders will return in 2013. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 63: The Gloaming (Part 1) by M E Garber

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 05:10:04 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Empty Pockets by M E Garber. who grew up reading about hobbits, elves and dragons, so it’s no wonder that she enjoys writing strange things. She lives in Ohio (in the US) with her husband where, in addition to writing, she enjoys hiking, cooking, travel and chocolate. You can find her blog at: megarber.wordpress.com. You narrator is the wonderful Danielle Daly who is currently working on multiple audio book projects the ACX, the Audiobook Creation Exchange. Also, Christmas is coming up! Perhaps you’ve noticed? If you’d like a fun advent-themed video cast, take a look at the Princess Scientist Advent Calendar 2012! Every day, the Princess Scientist opens a door… look, I’m sure you get the picture and if you don’t, well, you will after you watch. Check it out at http://murverse.com/tag/advent/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 62: The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 04:44:51 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab from a book called Japanese Fairy Tales (published 1908) compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Born in 1871, she translated Japanese short stories and fairy tales. They are thought to be fairly loose translations of the originals but were popular and were reprinted several times after her death. She had an interesting life, being the daughter of a Japanese Baron and a European woman named Bathia Catherine Morrison. You can find out more about her — of course — at Wikipedia. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 61: The Great Game, Part 6 – When Stars Fall by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:12:53 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Chapter 6 of our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is: When Stars Fall. We’ve given James’ bio before in previous episodes so check them for details. Or, head on over to jamesvachowski.com/. Barry Northern can’t make it today so it’s me doing narration duty! I shall try to read it in the style of Barry, without tipping over into parody. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 60: The Swineherd by Hans Christian Andersen

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:34:25 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Swineherd by Hans Christian Andersen. Born in 1805 — yes, that’s over two centuries ago — Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author noted for his children’s stories. You may know some of his most famous including “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Snow Queen,” “Thumbelina,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier.” His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages and have inspired motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films. (especially from Disney?) And because I’m of a “certain age” I keep hearing Danny Kaye in my head. “Hans Christian Andersen, Andersen that’s me.” Ahem. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 59: Once There Was A Hero… by Jenny Moore

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner and Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Once There Was A Hero… by Jenny Moore. Jenny grew up on a small ranch in Eastern Oregon and decided to be a writer when she was eight. Fifteen years later, her first story was published. Since then, her fantasy stories have appeared in many magazines and on many websites. Currently, she works as an aide at an elementary school. If you enjoy this story you’ll be glad to know that Jenny and is working on a novel about Nan and her hero father. Your narrator is the ever awesome Marguerite Kenner and… some strangely familiar guy. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss

Ep 58: The Great Game, Part 5 – The Dark Continent by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:00:22 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Chapter 5 of our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is: The Dark Continent. We’ve given James’ bio before in previous episodes so check them for details. Or, head on over to jamesvachowski.com/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 57: Empty Pockets (Part 2) by James Isaac

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:00:05 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Empty Pockets by James Isaac. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 56 — please go back and listen to that first. We gave James’ thoughts on this story last episode so check the shownotes for Episode 56 if you want to know more. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 56: Empty Pockets (Part 1) by James Isaac

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:51:09 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Empty Pockets by James Isaac. Of this story James says, “Stories of magic shops abound. I needed to write something about a magic shop or else it would be itching at my subconscious forever In my experience, mixed with the boredom and irritating customers, some of the happiest, funniest memories of my life were of slacking-off while working in these places. But I didn’t know that at the time. “Many of us have worked in a shop at some point, often as a first job. I worked in one of those shops where nobody came in to buy anything, yet somehow it stayed open. Mafia front? Eccentric millionaire owner? Doubtful. Probably it was due to extra dimensional magic. And that’s where ‘Empty Pockets’ comes in.” James has three stories (non-YA) placed in three different anthologies that should be out before the year’s end. “Anabiosis” appearing in The Big Bad – An Anthology of Evil, editors John G. Hartness & Emily Leverett, (publication and other details pending) “The Edge Between” appearing in Soul Reflections, Wicked East Press, 2012 (not yet appeared) e Publications, 2012 [...]

Ep55: Flash Collection II featuring Bethany Powell and David Steffen

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:00:54 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present two flash fiction stories. If you’re not familiar with flash fiction, it’s a story form of varying brevity and while there’s no widely accepted definition of length, it generally ranges from a few hundred words to 1,000 words. Our first story is Color Contacts by Bethany Powell. Bethany didn’t really know people wore contacts until one day in middle school, when one of her classmates ran out of homeroom because one of his flipped. The fascinating trickery of it has stuck with her. (Though he was just as cute in glasses the next day.) She also has a weak spot for manga with plot points about glasses or contacts. Bethany has mainly published fantasy genre poetry, which you can find at bethanypowell.com. She also keeps a semi-popular Tumblr on suit fashion, mainly featuring Asian celebrities, suitdistracted.tumblr.com. When not scribbling or reblogging photos, she waits tables in a tea room. Our second story is The Quest Unusual by David Steffen. David runs the webzine Diabolical Plots, which posts interviews, reviews, lists and other material related to the field of speculative fiction. At this point DP is the [...]

Ep 54: The Great Game, Part 4 – In The Bowels of the Sick Man by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:00:30 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Chapter 4 of our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is: In The Bowels of the Sick Man. We’ve given James’ bio before in Episodes 43 and 54 so check the shownotes for those Episodes for full details. Or, head on over to jamesvachowski.com/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 53: The Cruel Sister by James Breyfogle

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:45:20 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Cruel Sister by James Breyfogle. James writes fantasy and Science Fiction from his home in Pennsylvania. We his thoughts on the story in the outro, so stick around for a few minutes at the end. Your narrator is the fabulous Tina Connolly! Tina lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and young son, in a house that came with a dragon in the basement and blackberry vines in the attic. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and the anthology Unplugged: Year’s Best Online SF 2008. Her debut fantasy novel IRONSKIN is forthcoming from Tor in October 2012, with a sequel in 2013. She is a frequent reader for Podcastle, and is narrating a 2012 flash podcasting venture called Toasted Cake. In the summer she works as a face painter, which means a glitter-filled house is an occupational hazard. Her website is tinaconnolly.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 52: Retention by Jason Heitkamper

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:01:43 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Retention by Jason Heitkamper. Jason is a student writer attending St. Petersburg College where he participates in creative and film writing classes in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature. This is Jason’s first first publishing credit. We’re very pleased for him and hope you enjoy the story as much as we do! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 51: Off Button by Shannon M Wendt

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:23:16 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Off Button by Shannon M Wendt. Shannon has had recent writing credits in The Washington Pastime, Cygnus, and Nine, among others. When she isn’t working at one of her two day jobs, Shannon spends her time writing fiction and taking photographs. She lives in wind-blown, sun-blasted New Mexico with her husband and five rescued dogs. She dreams of verdant forests and rain. You can find out more about Shannon and her work at wendterland.com/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 50: The Great Game, Part 3 – The Empty Quarter by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:12:08 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Welcome to Episode number 50! It seems only a few short months ago we were starting out with Episode 1 and now here we are, half a century later! Today we present Chapter 3 of our ongoing series, The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is: The Empty Quarter. We’ve given James’ bio before in Episodes 43 and 50 so check the shownotes for those Episodes for full details. Or, head on over to jamesvachowski.com/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 49: Miranda and the Butterfly by Abigail Hilton

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:49:30 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Miranda and the Butterfly by Abigail Hilton. We’re very pleased to feature Abigail again; welcome back! You may remember that she started us off in Episode 1 with A Suitable Pet. Abigail is a nurse anesthetist and writer who lives in Florida. Her works are primarily set in the world of Panamindorah and are available as free audio downloads or as eBooks from Amazon, B&N and the like. You can listen to her trilogy, The Prophet of Panamindorah, for free at www.panamindorah.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 48: The Malthus Alternative by Jamie Mason

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:56:16 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Malthus Alternative by Jamie Mason. Jamie is a Canadian sci-fi/fantasy short-story author and novelist whose works are characterized by absurdist themes and an exaggeratedly fatalistic world view. His stories have been featured in On Spec, Abyss & Apex and the Canadian Science Fiction Review. His young adult sci-fi novel ECHO was published in June 2011 by Drollerie Press. We asked Jamie if there’s anything special he’d like us to know about the story. He said, “This one cuts close to home for me on a number of levels. In my tumultuously-changing life, two things have persisted: judo and writing. The practice of judo has been fundamental to me since age 12. Having grown up with some pretty poor role models, I took refuge in the dojo and gained many of the personal values I hold today from my senseis. At age 46, I’m still a mat rat, still training and determined to give something back to the sport that shaped my life. The Malthus Alternative is based on my experiences with fellow students – one in particular – with whom I have trained.” You can find out more about [...]

Ep 47: I Kill Monsters by Nathaniel Lee

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:04:26 +0000

Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present I Kill Monsters by Nathaniel Lee. You may remember Nathaniel from Episodes 3, 4 and 5, Tir Na Nog. Of this story he says, “I wrote I Kill Monsters in a single sitting, and then I thought about how lucky I was that I was able to fight off my own monsters in childhood, and how many other kids aren’t as successful.” Of himself he says, “Nathaniel lives in North Carolina with his wife, child, and obligatory cats. He puts words in order, and sometimes people give him money for them. His work, including a full bibliography, can be found at his daily writing blog, Mirrorshards where he publishes a 100-word story most days.” Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 46: The Great Game, Part 2 – The Great Game by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:00:26 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Chapter 2 of The Great Game by James Vachowski. This chapter is called The Great Game. No, really, that’s what it’s called — The Great Game, Chapter 2 of The Great Game. It’s Chapter 2 of 7 and we’ll be running all seven over the coming months, probably once a month. We hope you enjoy! Your narrator is Cast of Wonders’ Editor, Barry J Northern As for James, well… he is a “quality assurance technician” for airport Duty Free Shops, where he strives to ensure that your next tax-exempt purchase meets or exceeds your high standards. When not living out of a suitcase and hopping between glamorous international terminals, he writes fiction. You can find out more about James at jamesvachowski.com or on Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 45: Finding the Blue Door by L. Lambert Lawson

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 01:47:51 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Finding the Blue Door by L. Lambert Lawson. L. Lambert Lawson writes from his library in Southern California. From 2005-2007, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. He is the publisher of Kazka Press, an independent SFF press with a monthly flash fiction contest. He can be found online at www.llambertlawson.com or on Twitter @llambertlawson. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 44: Lizzy Viscera and the Quest for the Perfect Sandwich by Spencer Koelle

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:55:36 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Lizzy Viscera and the Quest for the Perfect Sandwich by Spencer Koelle. Spencer tells us, “This is the first story I wrote at Susquehanna University. I’d transferred into the college as a creative writing major, and when I found out I hadn’t been registered for any creative writing classes, I pledged to make up for that deficit by writing at least two new short stories that term.” The author I most admire is Garth Nix, and after reading ‘Sabriel’ I thought about the lack of positive role models for necromancers in contemporary fiction. I also wanted to overturn that Doom and Gloom image that so often goes with practitioners of the craft, along with the image that female necromancers have to be model-thin gothic beauties with skull bras.” You can find out more about Spencer at www.spencerkoelle.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 43: The Great Game, Part 1 – Khyber by James Vachowski

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Before today’s presentation, an announcement. Cast of Wonders will be taking a short break for the next few weeks but don’t worry, we’ll be back! Look for us again on Friday, July 19. Today we present Khyber by James Vachowski. James works as a “quality assurance technician” for airport Duty Free Shops, where he strives to ensure that your next tax-exempt purchase meets or exceeds your high standards. When not living out of a suitcase and hopping between glamorous international terminals, he writes fiction. You can find out more about James at jamesvachowski.com or on Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook. Khyber is part of a series of stories called The Great Game. There’s seven in the series and we’ll be running all seven on Cast of Wonders over the coming months, probably once a month. This is our first series; we hope you’ll look forward to it as much as we are! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 42: Campfire Story by Mark Brandon Allen

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:49:04 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Campfire Story by Mark Brandon Allen. Mark began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy purely for the amusement of his friends, children and grandchildren. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana where a vicious three pound Yorkshire terrier holds both he and his wife hostage. His work has been published in the pages of Demon Minds Anthology, Bull Spec, The Last Man Anthology, Sounds Of The Night, Indiana Science Fiction Anthology 2011 and Polluto amongst others. You can find out more about Mark at markbrandonallen.com. Mark also has a book out on the Lulu Books website — ifs IMAGINE FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION issue #1. Within the context of Fantasy and Science Fiction pulps, ifs IMAGINE FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION has much to recommend itself to the speculative fiction reader. The nineteen ifs within the book’s lineup make a meaty and satisfying read. For more about the book, go to lulu.com and search for “ifs IMAGINE” or ” Mark Brandon Allen”. Available as an ePub file or a paperback. Also available as a Kindle edition from Smashwords. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here [...]

Ep 41: The Living Earth by Jake Walters

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:12:42 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Living Earth by Jake Walters. Jake has been published in several journals. He has recently returned to the United States after working for three and a half years in Romania, a place where the Earth, along with its history and memories, sometimes really does seem to be alive. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 40: The Morandini Genie by Michael Haynes

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:14:58 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Morandini Genie by Michael Haynes. Michael lives in the United States with his wife and children. Besides his interest in fiction he enjoys movies, watching hockey games, and cooking. You can find out more about Michael on his blog at http://michaelhaynes.info/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 39: Living Clay by Lucy Oliver

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:13:50 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Living Clay by Lucy Oliver. Lucy has had short stories published in Take a Break, Fiction Feast, and Stories for Children magazines. She also has work in numerous anthologies and won the Stylist magazine Microfiction competition. Currently working on an historical novel, she lives with her husband and young children who provide inspiration for her work. You can read a short interview with Lucy — from just a few days ago — at LouTreleaven.wordpress.com. Your narrator is the ever-stupendous Marguerite Kenner. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 38: In The Cemetery of Frozen Ships (Part 2) by Suzanne van Rooyen

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:12:23 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of In The Cemetery of Frozen Ships by Suzanne van Rooyen. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 37 — please go back and listen to that first. We gave Suzanne’s bio last episode so check the shownotes for Episode 37 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Suzanne at http://suzannevanrooyen.com/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 37: In The Cemetery of Frozen Ships (Part 1) by Suzanne van Rooyen

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:08:11 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present In The Cemetery of Frozen Ships by Suzanne van Rooyen. Suzanne is a freelance writer and author from South Africa, currently living in Finland. She is the author of the cyberpunk novel Dragon’s Teeth, and has had several short stories published by Golden Visions Magazine, Earthbound Fiction and others. Her non-fiction articles on travel, music and other topics can be found scattered throughout the Internet. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers writings strange tales of the SpecFic persuasion and playing in the snow with her shiba inu. You can find out more about Suzanne at suzannevanrooyen.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 36: The Next Joe Jones by Russ Colson

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:57 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Next Joe Jones by Russ Colson. He lives with his wife, Mary, on a farmstead in northern Minnesota, far enough from city lights to see the Milky Way and the aurora borealis. He teaches planetary science, meteorology, and geology at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He writes a variety of speculative fiction and non-fiction pieces that have appeared in in Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Clarkesworld Magazine, NewMyths.com and others. You can find out more in a NewMyths.com interview done with Russ. The picture is by hotsoup25 on Flickr, who kindly gave us permission to use it. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 35: The Most Precious of Treasures (Part 2) by Desmond Warzel

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:09 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of The Most Precious of Treasures by Desmond Warzel. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 34 — please go back and listen to that first. We gave Desmond’s bio last episode so check the shownotes for Episode 34 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Desmond at http://dwarzel.livejournal.com/ We asked Desmond if there was anything he’d like to say about this story and he said; he’s in the process of writing a novel based on it. I would certainly welcome this as I want to know what happens to Sirris!! And Melorin and Cardia, of course! What about you? Come tell us your thoughts in the forums at castofwonders.org/forums. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 34: The Most Precious of Treasures (Part 1) by Desmond Warzel

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:06:13 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present The Most Precious Of Treasures by Desmond Warzel. You may remember Desmond from Episode 15‘s Same-Day Delivery. The Most Precious Of Treasures first appeared in issue #5 of Shelter Of Daylight. Desmond lives in northwestern Pennsylvania and has had stories published in Daily Science Fiction, the anthology Candle in the Attic Window from Innsmouth Free Press, and at Tor.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 33: A Clean Sweep Of It by Thomas Canfield

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:55:16 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present A Clean Sweep Of It by Thomas Canfield. Canfield’s phobias run to lawyers, politicians and oil company executives. He likes dogs and beer. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep32: Flash Collection I by Rose Blackthorn

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:35:07 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present a series of flash fiction stories by Rose Blackthorn. Rose lives in the high mountain desert of Eastern Utah with her boyfriend. She also has a two-year old Australian Shepherd nicknamed Boo, and a Yorkie puppy fittingly named Shadow. She spends her time writing, reading, photographing the surrounding wilderness, and doting on the aforementioned fur-kids. She is a member of the Horror Writer’s Association and has been published in several magazines both print and online. She contributed to the zombie anthology New Dawn Fades released in Nov 2011 and the Necon E-Books flash anthology released in Mar 2012. She suffers from an overactive imagination, but rather than complaining… she just goes with it. You can find out more about Rose at roseblackthorn.wordpress.com/ or on Facebook. Of these stories Rose says, “I’ve always been fascinated with fairies and sprites, and more than once have caught a flash from the corner of my eye that would later make me wonder what might be there but unseen. These stories are my way of closing my eyes, and imagining the many possibilities.” Read along Click here to read the text [...]

Ep31: Inksucker by Aidan Doyle

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:42:53 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Inksucker by Aidan Doyle. Aidan is an Australian writer and computer programmer who loves travelling and has visited more than 70 countries. His experiences include teaching English in Japan, interviewing ninjas in Bolivia and going ten-pin bowling in North Korea. The majority of Inksucker was written during a 51-hour ferry ride from Osaka to Shanghai; it was originally published in the Worlds Next Door anthology and was shortlisted for the prestigious Aurealis Award. Aidan is currently working on a zombie novel set in Japan. You can find out more about him at aidandoyle.net/. Your narrator is Danielle Daly, who last read for us in Episode 27, My Boogie Man. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep30: Karlsson by Anatoly Belilovsky

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:17 +0000

Read by Eric Wagoner. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today, we present Karlsson by Anatoly Belilovsky whom you may remember from Episode 24, Kulturkampf. He came from the Ukraine to the US in 1976, learned English from watching Star Trek reruns, and is now a paediatrician in Brooklyn, NY. Anatoly has been published in Nature Magazine, Andromeda Spaceways, Immersion Book of Steampunk, Ideomancer and Kasma (where this story was originally published). Of this story he says, “In the original Swedish book by Astrid Lindgren, Karlsson is a more selfish, more obnoxious version of Dr Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, a negative character. The translation into Russian was wildly successful; without changing the literal meaning of a single sentence, it changed Karlsson into a hero. The cartoon provided an iconic image for Karlsson, and added several of the greatest voice talents of the last century. Karlsson became symbolic of the so-called ‘internal emigres’ – members of various suppressed counterculture movements.” Your narrator is Eric Wagoner of The Grimm Lunch Break. A few times a week, over his lunch break, Eric records, edits, and publishes one of the original 250 fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and translated to [...]

Ep29: Eggs Under Moon by Elizabeth Barette

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:19:07 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern, Rish Outfield, Mae Zarris-Heaney. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today we present Eggs Under Moon by Elizabeth Barette. Elizabeth lives in Illinois with her partner, Doug. An avid wordsmith, she works as a writer and editor, doing poetry, articles, essays, reviews, interviews, short stories, and more. Her main fields include speculative fiction, gender studies, environmental/social issues, and alternative spirituality. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric with a Women’s Studies minor from the English Department at the University of Illinois. She has published hundreds of poems, dozens of articles, and dozens of short stories. Her writing has appeared in periodicals such as Apex, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Horror Writers Association Newsletter, the Llewellyn annuals, The Lorelei Signal, Mytholog, Nature’s Song, Noneuclidean Café and many, many more. You can see just how many places she’s been published at http://penultimateproductions.weebly.com/. Of Eggs Under Moon she says “This poem came out of the March 1, 2011 Poetry Fishbowl, a live poetry activity that I hold monthly in The Wordsmith’s Forge. It was inspired by a prompt from Mary-Grace Ellington.” We have three recitations of the poem and so three narrators: Cast of Wonders editor Barry J Northern, [...]

Ep28: Jack In The Box by R B Harkess

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:00:28 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today, we present Jack In The Box by R B Harkess. Born in Bristol, he now lives just outside London. He studied a mad mixture of subjects at the Open University which had nothing to do with his career in I.T. Having only “started writing seriously again” in 2009, he likes to look at ways of getting his stories out in as many media as he can besides the conventional ‘dead tree’ method. Of this story he says, “I wrote Jack in the Box without even realising it was young adult. A little while later I was trying to plot out a SF story, and couldn’t get it to work. A friend mentioned Jack in the Box in the same breath with Young Adult, and the next thing I know I’m writing Aphrodite’s Dawn – and that ended up as my first ever novel, a science fiction story published earlier this year by Proxima. Now I love writing YA. I have another book just about finished, and a third in production. There is something clean about YA, more focused on the moment, more focused on the characters. I hope [...]

Ep27: My Boogie Man by Harley May

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:54:00 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today, we present My Boogie Man by Harley May. You can find our more about Harley at harleymay.com/about/ where she says, “[I am a] writer and reader of many things. I blog about everything: writing, books, movies, music, my husband, three children, and other random things that make me laugh. My parents are from Alabama, but I grew up in South Korea. Essentially, I am a foreigner with an American passport. I love my life. I am a regular contributor for An Army of Ermas. I have a few things up at Fictionaut.” Of My Boogie Man, Harley told us it came from realizing that sometimes what makes us feel loved or brings us a sense of happiness might not always be the best things for us. Making a welcome return to Cast of Wonders is your narrator, Danielle Daly. Dani is a forecast analyst who works for a pharmaceutical company on Long Island NY, happily married to the love of her life. Their children are hypoallergenic Siberian cats that think they’re puppies. (I wonder how’d they’d get along with my dog, Jake?) Dani loves to read, garden, listen [...]

Ep26: Fearing The Invasion by Eric Del Carlo (Part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:58:52 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Fearing The Invasion by Eric Del Carlo. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 25 — please go back and listen to that one first. We gave Eric’s bio last episode so check the shownotes for Episode 25 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Eric at http://www.ericdelcarlo.com/. We asked Eric if there was anything he’d like to say about this story. He said that that if it’s received well, he’d certainly consider expanding it into a novel. Something to think about! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep25: Fearing The Invasion by Eric Del Carlo (Part 1)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:29:37 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Fearing The Invasion by Eric Del Carlo. Eric, who lives in California, has been writing since his early twenties. He knew the late Robert Aspirin well and collaborated with him on two novels. His work has appeared in Asimov’s, Sybil’s Garage, Necrotic Tissue and Everyday Fiction, amongst many, many others. You can find several of his books on Amazon and you can find out more about Eric himself at ericdelcarlo.com/. Your narrator is Marguerite Kenner, the crime-fightin’, rock-climbin’, cymbal-bangin’ “Girl Friday Extraordinaire”! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep24: Kulturkampf by Anatoly Belilovsky

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:31:25 +0000

Read by Hans Fenstermacher. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Today, we’ve something a little out of the ordinary for you: Kulturkampf, a story of music, warfare and battling composers. It was first published in the Immersion Book of Steampunk from Immersion Press, UK, in 2011. The author is Anatoly Belilovsky who was born in what is now Ukraine in time to watch the tanks roll into Czechoslovakia in 1968. He came to the US in 1976, learned English from watching Star Trek reruns, and is now a paediatrician in Brooklyn, NY, in an area where English is the 4th most commonly spoken language. He finds it fascinating that most of his SF sales so far have been to British and Commonwealth publications such as Nature Magazine, Andromeda Spaceways, Immersion Book of Steampunk, Ideomancer and Kasma. He believes this may be due to the influence on his work of great classic British writers of the past century, such as John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Eric Idle. Your narrator is Hans Fenstermacher who was born in front of the Iron Curtain in Munich, Germany. He grew up in the crosshairs of the Cold War in Berlin. With that kind of [...]

Ep23: Ruby Hearts by Jodi MacArthur

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:04 +0000

Read by Barry J Northern. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Happy 2012! How’s your year going? Kept up with your New Year’s resolutions — or didn’t you make any? I rarely do, myself, but one of mine was to keep Cast of Wonders bringing you great stories. And we’re off to a great start with today’s presentation, Ruby Hearts by Jodi MacArthur. Jodi MacArthur loved to troll the forests with her brother for salamanders, fossils, and buried treasure. Mostly, they just got wet and jumped out of trees. This story was written for Thor and Xavier. Jodi’s fiction has won several contests and recently was nominated for a Derringer’s and a Spinetingler’s award. Discover more at www.jodimacarthur.blogspot.com. Your narrator today is the Cast of Wonders Editor, Barry J Northern. So far he’s played a very behind-the-scenes role but we’re hoping to coax him further into the spotlight with more narrations! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep22: Rust by Brian Griggs

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:00:23 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download here. Show Notes Welcome to the final episode for 2011! Cast of Wonders is taking a break over the Festive Season but don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2012!! Watch the website for details. Today we present Rust by Brian Griggs. He’s taught junior high for ten years, five as an English teacher and five as a teacher-librarian. Of this story, he says, “I had a great chemistry teacher when I was in high school that greatly influenced my writing of ‘Rust’.” You can find out more about Brian at briangriggs.com. While we’re taking a break, you might like some podcasty goodness until we return! I highly recommend “The Brothers Grimm Lunch” hosted by Eric Wagoner. A few times a week, over his lunch break, Eric records, edits, and publishes one of the original 250 fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and translated to English by Dr. Jack Zipes. They’re usually quite short. These are classic fairy tales but be warned — this is the Brothers Grimm we’re talking about so they don’t always end happily. These are not your Disney fairy tales but they are entertaining. You can find “The [...]

Ep21: Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Guy Stewart (Part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:13:20 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Guy Stewart. If you missed Part 1, it’s Episode 20 — the last one back! We gave Guy’s bio last episode so check the shownotes for Episode 20 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Guy at www.sfwa.org/members/gstewart.. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep20: Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Guy Stewart (Part 1)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:17:18 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Guy Stewart. Guy is a writer and science teacher who’s been writing since he was 13. His main focus is science fiction and writing for children. His passion is to someday create science fiction books that would do for today’s young people what Robert A. Heinlein did for him. His work has appeared in ANALOG and CRICKET, a Hadley Rille anthology called AETHER AGE: HELIOS; the emagazine STUPEFYING STORIES; science experiments in TURTLE and HOPSCOTCH FOR GIRLS, historical and contemporary fiction, and the curriculum for two PBS science programs, to name just a few. You can find out more about him at sfwa.org/members/gstewart. Of this story he says, “My first hard SF novel grew out of my fascination with the North American carnivorous plant called a ‘pitcher plant’ and wondering what would have happened if it had evolved intelligence. That story is INVADER’S GUILT and it’s still looking for a home, but I realized that among the young adults in the novel, there were stories about OTHER young adults — Human and WheetAh — that could be [...]

Ep19: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan (Part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:00:31 +0000

Read by Alasdair Stuart and Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan. If you didn’t catch Part 1, please go back and listen to Episode 18. We gave Willow’s bio last episode so check the notes for Episode 18 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Willow at willowfagan.livejournal.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep18: Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan (Part 1)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:08:50 +0000

Read by Alasdair Stuart and Marguerite Kenner. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Cockatrice Girl Meets Statue Boy by Willow Fagan. Willow lives in Portland, Oregon. They’re genderqueer, which for them means that they feel more like a pirate princess than like a man or a woman. Their fiction has appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Behind the Wainscot, and The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2011. To read more about their writing and adventures, go to willowfagan.livejournal.com. Your narrators are Mr Alasdair Stuart and Ms Marguerite Kenner who should, by now, be familiar names to listeners of this podcast! Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep17: Saved by Arin Greenwood (Part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:04:16 +0000

Read by Alasdair Stuart. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Saved by Arin Greenwood, read by Alisdair Stuart. If you didn’t catch Part 1, please go back and listen to Episode 16. We gave Arin’s bio last episode but, at that time, I implied Arin is a boy. And here, I again display my fabulous research skills! Arin is a girl! My very humble apologies to Arin for getting it wrong. So it’s worth saying again, with the correct gender: Arin Greenwood is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Washington, studying chemical engineering with a focus in nanotechnology. Apart from writing and reading, she is a dedicated musician, and a member of the Husky Marching Band at the UW. She attended the prestigious Alpha Young Writer’s Workshop in Pittsburgh for two consecutive summers, which features lectures taught by professional fantasy and science fiction authors, and the opportunity to meet writers of all ages. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep16: Saved by Arin Greenwood (Part 1)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:59:50 +0000

Read by Alasdair Stuart. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Saved by Arin Greenwood. Arin is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Washington, studying chemical engineering with a focus in nanotechnology. Apart from writing and reading, she is a dedicated musician, and a member of the Husky Marching Band at the UW. She attended the prestigious Alpha Young Writer’s Workshop in Pittsburgh for two consecutive summers, which features lectures taught by professional fantasy and science fiction authors, and the opportunity to meet writers of all ages. The first draft of Saved was written at Alpha, and there have been many revisions since then. Arin says the inspiration for the story came from the song “Savin’ Me” by Nickelback; it is about controlling one’s own fate, and recognizing when life must be left to chance. If you go searching for Arin on the ‘net, you’ll find an Arin Greenwood on Tumblr who is not this Arin Greenwood! (And coincidentally, the “other” Arin is also a writer.) Your narrator is the ever-impressive Alasdair Stuart, the writer and journalist from a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea. Read along Click here [...]

Ep15: Same-Day Delivery by Desmond Warzel

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:54:22 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Same-Day Delivery by Desmond Warzel. The story first appeared in issue #11 of On the Premises. Desmond lives in northwestern Pennsylvania, and his most recent short story publications have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, the anthology Candle in the Attic Window from Innsmouth Free Press, and at Tor.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep14: Bad Kitty by Jason Dextradeur

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:00:59 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner and Alasdair Stuart. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Bad Kitty by Jason Dextraduer. He lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. If, like me, you know little about the US, Virginia Beach is the largest city in the state of Virginia; Virginia is on the West Coast. He works as a courier to pay the bills, and writes to keep the stories in his head from driving him crazy. Should he happen to have free time, he likes to spend it with friends, or outdoors letting the wind blow through him, or with a good story. Some of his other stories have appeared in The Hogglepot Online Fantasy Journal, The Absent Willow Review, and 5923 Quarterly. Your narrators this week are the “Girl Friday Extraordinaire” Marguerite Kenner, who is becoming a welcome regular ’round these here parts, and The Dark King of podcasting, Alasdair Stuart. Alasdair is a writer and journalist from a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea protected, the legends say, by a wizard who rolled wheels of fire down the central hill to dissuade invaders. Also it rained a lot, and he’s pretty sure that helped [...]

Ep13: The Name-Day by Saki

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:01:30 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today I wanted to present The Loot of Bombasharna by Lord Dunsany. However, I didn’t check the copyrights well enough. Lord Dunsany’s works are only in the Public Domain in the US, and certainly not in the UK and Australia. My apologies. However, another very well-known writer was Hector Hugh Munro who used the pen-name “Saki”. Today we present his story The Name-Day. Saki’s works frequently satirised Edwardian society and culture and often had a mischievous twist, sometimes leaning toward the bizarre. An example of the mischievous is Down Pens, a story about the trials of responding to gift-givers with notes of gratitude, for politeness’ sake. You can find out more about Saki at the ultimate arbiter of absolute truth, Wikipedia. Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep12: To Be True by Jess Hyslop (Part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:03:32 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of To Be True by Jess Hyslop. If you didn’t catch Part 1, please go back and listen to Episode 11. We gave Jess’s bio last episode so check the notes for Episode 11 if you want to know more. Or, you can find out more about Jess at http://lightningtreelive.wordpress.com/, and read more of her sci-fi and fantasy stories at www.elfwood.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep11: To Be True by Jess Hyslop

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:08:33 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of To Be True by Jess Hyslop. Jess lives in London has recently been ejected from the cosy realm of academia into the perils of ‘the real world’, where she is trying to survive the life of an aspiring writer. She studied English at the University of Cambridge and three years later, emerged with her passion for sci-fi and fantasy still fully intact. Extraordinary! In 2010 she was awarded the University’s Quiller-Couch prize for creative writing, for “Augury,” a short story set during the Nazi occupation of Guernsey in WWII. You will soon be able to purchase “Augury” from Shortfire Press, at www.shortfirepress.com. You can find out more about Jess at http://lightningtreelive.wordpress.com/, and read more of her sci-fi and fantasy stories at www.elfwood.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep10: Mrs. Jai by Wendy Bradley

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:49:13 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner, Danielle Daly and Graeme Dunlop. Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “Mrs. Jai” by Wendy Bradley. Wendy was the TV critic for Interzone magazine for a time. She edited and published Farthing magazine, described by Ursula le Guin as “cooler than Asimov’s.” She went to the Clarion West writers’ workshop in 2003. She has been a hotel receptionist, bookseller, drama teacher, secretary and Civil Servant. Wendy lives in Yorkshire and works in London. She can be found on Twitter as wendybradley where apparently she is “influential about football, business and drugs”. And she’s not sure what drugs they mean! Your narrators this week include Marguerite Kenner, who narrated The Unicorn Tree in Episode 2, and Danielle Daly who narrated A Proof of Unicorns in Episode 6. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 9: Alienation (Part 2) by Katherine Sparrow

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:36:30 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of Alienation by Katherine Sparrow. If you didn’t catch Part 1, please go back and listen to Episode 8. We gave Katherine’s bio last episode so check the notes for Episode 8 if you want to know more. Or, hop on over to Katherine’s wonderful website at http://katherinesparrow.net/ Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep 8: Alienation by Katherine Sparrow

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 01:38:40 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 1 of Alienation by Katherine Sparrow. Katherine lives with her partner in Santa Cruz which she says “is a bit too sunny and mellow for her over-caffeinated Seattle soul.” She’s a graduate of the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop, where she learned many excellent things. She has been selling short stories here and there and is currently writing a book about teenagers and the monsters who love them. Katherine especially likes writing books, because that’s where you get to do big things. Her work has been published in Escape Pod, PodCastle, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and many others. You can find out much more about Katherine on her website at http://katherinesparrow.net/ . Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep7: Damnation by Chris Stamp

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:00:56 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “Damnation” by Chris Stamp. Chris is an interesting guy, he’s had some pretty cool jobs. Right now his company Oakleaf Web Design offers a full range of web design services but he’s also been a game designer and worked for British Aerospace Military Aircraft Division on cockpit design. You can find out more about his exploits, including Mountain Biking and Writing Science Fiction at http://www.chrisstamp.co.uk/. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep6: A Proof of Unicorns by Elizabeth Creith

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 01:00:58 +0000

Read by Danielle Daly Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “A Proof of Unicorns” by Elizabeth Creith. She is an award-winning writer living and working in rural Northern Ontario with her husband, dog and cat. She’s been published since around 1990 and her work has appeared in many places including Murky Depths, Misfit Magazine, Enchanted Conversation and Brain Harvest. For more information swing by her site, Elizabeth Creith’s Scriptorium, at http://ecreith.wordpress.com/. Your narrator is Danielle Daly. Danielle — Dani for short — is a 30-something woman from Long Island, NY, living with a patient husband and two cats, who works for the man during the day and escapes from reality at night. She has no blog, and she hasn’t written a novel, but she loves reading what other people write. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep5: Tír na nÓg by Nathaniel Lee (part 3)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:00:09 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 3 of “Tir Na Nog” by Nathaniel Lee. If you didn’t catch Parts 1 & 2, please go back and listen to Episodes 3 & 4. Nathaniel’s bio is in the show notes for Episode 3 — check there if you’d like to know more about him, and do stop by at mirrorshards.org for a hundred-word story nearly every day. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep4: Tír na nÓg by Nathaniel Lee (part 2)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:00:27 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present Part 2 of “Tír na nÓg” by Nathaniel Lee. If you didn’t catch Part 1, please go back and listen to Episode 3. We gave Nathaniel’s bio last episode so check the notes for Episode 3 if you want to know more but it’s worth repeating that he publishes a hundred-word story every day at mirrorshards.org. The narration? Well, it’s me again. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep3: Tír na nÓg by Nathaniel Lee (Part 1)

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:56:12 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “Tír na nÓg” by Nathaniel Lee. Nathaniel is 29 years old and lives in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and obligatory cats. His fiction has appeared in Podcastle, Pseudopod, Abyss & Apex, and Daily Science Fiction. He publishes a one-hundred-word story every day at mirrorshards.org. It’s narrated by… well I assume you’ll recognise the voice. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep2: The Unicorn Tree by Alethea Kontis

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:59:25 +0000

Read by Marguerite Kenner Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “The Unicorn Tree” by Alethea Kontis. Alethea is an author and editor who lives in Ashburn, Virginia. She is the author of AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First — described as “an alphabet book with attitude” — and also other books and short stories. You can find out more about Alethea and her work — for example, the fact that she’s half French and half Greek — at http://aletheakontis.com/. It’s narrated by Margeurite Kenner. By day, Margeurite is an executive admin. for a large intellectual property law firm. By night, she’s an avenging hero with superpowers such as rock climbing, aikido, music (she is a classical percussionist), gaming, sewing costumes, and reading anything and everything. You can find out what’s on her mind at http://projectvalkyrie.wordpress.com. Read along Click here to read the text of the story Discuss Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep1 : A Suitable Pet by Abigail Hilton

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:20:27 +0000

Read by Summer Brooks Listen above or download the MP3 Show Notes Today we present “A Suitable Pet Click here to discuss in the forums

Ep0: Introducing Cast of Wonders

admin@castofwonders.org (Barry J. Northern) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:21:38 +0000

Read by Graeme Dunlop Listen to the promo or download the MP3 A sneak preview of the Cast of Wonders theme music, and a chance to hear the voice of your host, Graeme Dunlop. Cast of Wonders. The Fantasy and Sci-fi audio magazine for young adults. Come, stay with us for a while. We’ve many tales to tell. Tales of laughter, of sadness, of joy, and tales … of wonder. Visit us at castofwonders.org. Click here to discuss in the forums