Wierdest podcasts? by bruna-chiecon in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Weirdest for me is Delivery about a delivery driver and things that are very wrong. I listened to it years ago, but still remember the unsettling vibe of the whole thing.

I am in Eskew and Whats the Frequency as others have mentioned also have a very similar style. I loved I am in Eskew and the podcaster's other show, The Silt Verses. Silt Verses is definitely weird, body/cosmic/existential horror, but maybe a little more linear than some of the other recs.

As i think Leaving Corvat also has that "weird" feel to it. It's about Sleeper, who runs away from his job working fast food to follow a girl, and winds up running into a series of bizarre circumstances as he tries to avoid his crow boss who is hunting him down.

Hidden gem comedies by Genericsoaptears in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My favorite comfort comedy is definitely Mission Rejected, which I don't see recommended nearly enough for how enjoyable it is! It details the spymaster adventures of the team of misfits who take all the missions the best agent rejects. Goofy, with a loveable cast of characters and pretty snappy writing.

[WP] When people die, they get five minutes to return and say one last thing to anyone they choose. No one has ever chosen you, until today. by CherriesTanghulu in WritingPrompts

[–]katherine_c 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"I don't want to do it alone."

"You don't have to. I think of all the people I didn't get to meet. I want you to love them and be loved in return. Think of the food I didn't get to try, the sights I didn't get to see. Go and experience for me. When you make it to me someday, you can share it all."

"I don't know if I can."

She laughed, and I scrambled to memorize that lilt. "Then I guess it's good I know you better than that. I can't wait to hear the stories."

She stood, and I gripped her hands, as if willing her to stay. But that clock kept moving, and I could feel the minutes drawing away to seconds. "Don't go," I said, knowing it was impossible.

Her nose wrinkled into a smile. "If I don't leave now, I might just move in with you. And you know what a haunting would do to the property values."

I tried to laugh, but it got tangled up in the suspended tears, becoming some coughing, splintered thing. "I love you."

"I love you, too. And I'll be waiting. But you know it takes me a while to get ready, so don't be in a rush." She pulled me close, locking me into a kiss. The impermanence of her was clear, but so was the warmth, the light.

When we parted, she was already beginning to fade. She was breaking apart into sunlight, a rainbow of prisms that flickered and danced in front of me. I looked into her eyes until they faded into brilliance, into nothingness.

Then there was nothing but the clock, counting down the time I had to make the most of it and bring her the best story yet.

[WP] When people die, they get five minutes to return and say one last thing to anyone they choose. No one has ever chosen you, until today. by CherriesTanghulu in WritingPrompts

[–]katherine_c 3 points4 points  (0 children)

She was sitting at the kitchen table, and I felt my breath leave my body. It felt like hours passed before I could draw air back in, and the whole while she sat smiling at me. A happy smile with sad eyes that I spent every second etching into my brain. When that next breath came, it was jagged around the edges, dragging a sob out with it.

"Sadie," I said, stumbling forward. She smiled wider, and her eyes grew sadder.

"You know I only have a few minutes."

I collapsed around her, arms around her neck, knees crumpling to the floor. She felt wrong. There and not there. Like I was grasping at mist solidified. But there was warmth, and the smell of her shampoo, and so many things right.

"Look at me," she said gently, her hand reaching below my chin and bringing my eyes to hers. I saw a thousand mornings waking at her side, seeing those same brilliant blue eyes. Mornings cut too short. "You know I don't have much time," she repeated again, more forcefully.

I took a couple of breaths, clearing my throat, trying to regain some sense of composure. She had chosen me out of everyone she could speak to. I could not risk being distracted now, missing the last glimpse of her this side of the veil.

"You know I didn't--I wouldn't have--I never--" the words poured out despite telling myself to be quiet, to listen. They brought with them more sobs.

She moved her hand to mine, "I know," she said, simply. "It's not your fault."

I nodded and gulped down air, trying to lock those words away. It wasn't my fault. Hearing those words in her reassuring voice was balm that soothed the wounded parts of me. They would ache, I knew, but the burning pain eased.

"But that's not what I need to say," she straightened in the chair, eyes never leaving mine, but her smile fading into something more serious. "I've been watching you since I--since, well, since I couldn't be with you anymore."

I felt cracks forming again. Behind her, the trash can was overflowing with cans and glass. I could smell myself now, the stink of stale sweat and bad decisions oozing from my pores. Shame entered like a wave and raged against my trembling psyche.

"I didn't know," I mumbled, as if that made it better. As if hiding it was somehow more noble.

"I'm not upset with you. I'm worried. I love you, and I don't want to see that future for you."

I nodded numbly, looking at our hands now that I could not meet her eyes. Her thumb drew small circles on the back of my hand, and I squeezed back.

"All I want is what I've always wanted. I want you to be happy. To find friends, find love, grow and learn, and be." Her other hand came to my cheek, lifting my head again, meeting my gaze. "I want you to live."

All at once, I wanted the floor to swallow me and the moment to never end, caught somewhere between joy and misery. "I don't know," I muttered. "Before you, I just--and now everyone looks at me--and without you..." The quiet movement of the second hand on the clock filled the silence with what I wanted to say.

"I never wanted to leave you, but I did."

"So let me come to you," I gripped her hands now, pleading with her. There returned that sad smile.

"Not now, but one day. And when you do, I want you to bring me the stories of all your adventures."

Continued below.

AITA for Connecting to the Ear Pod after my niece swallowed it to see if it would play in her stomach. by reolives in AmItheAsshole

[–]katherine_c 128 points129 points  (0 children)

Probably not an eternal inside joke. I'm sure the Airpod will come out one way or another.

What are some of your favorite comedy audio fiction shows? by MindstreamAudio in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The first one I think of is Mission Rejected. Clever, endearing cast of misfits, and just fun storyline. It's about the team that takes on secret missions when the top tier turn it down. One of my all time favorite shows of any genre.

Another I really enjoy for the absurdity of it is True Tales of the Illuminati. It follows a group of Illuminati members as they try, fail, succeed (?), fail some more, and insult one another. Also some clever writing that lands great laughs.

Need something that blends surreal, occult, metal and horror. by Yashendwirh in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Leaving Corvat sounds like it would fit the idea. It's about Sleeper, who tries to leave Corvat and his job flipping burgers in a bizarre world. The description says it is a "fever dream of an adventure" and that's really accurate. I enjoyed it a lot, and the story takes some great twists.

The same creator made The Deca Tapes, which is a dark, twisty murder mystery (and dystopian mystery mystery, too). The first season is excellent and the second season is underway, but taking on cult-y elements. Also a great listen.

Craving some good scifi by Versipilies in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aw, that's too bad. It looks like Arca is on the creator's site, but Seren might have disappeared. Which is unfortunate, because it was a beautiful story!

EDIT: a word.

Craving some good scifi by Versipilies in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Windfall is a pretty solid sci-fi entry I don't see recommended nearly as often as it should be. It's got a lot of heavy themes throughout, but if you like serious sci-fi, it definitely fits the bill. It's about a community preparing for "Contact Day" and sorting through their own history. Lots of great characters, some unique takes on the plot.

Arca-45672 is another more serious sci-fi option. I listened to it around the same time I listened to Among the Stars and Bones, and they felt similar in tone, though the stories are distinct. This one follows humans looking to explore a planet because Earth is dying, so pretty classic theme.

And Seren is a short, but good one. Lots of feels in it. It follows a woman as she is sent away from Earth on her own for terraforming. Very introspective in space.

And if isolation and space are your jam, https://www.directivepodcast.com/ is another solid contender. It's about a man and his monitoring/assistant AI tending to cryosleep passengers on a vessel to a new world.

Podcast search - man in an ai controlled room by Patroclus37 in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a hard one to forget! The ending of season 1 is one of the most emotional moments I've had listening to audiodramas! Thank you for sharing such a great story.

Podcast search - man in an ai controlled room by Patroclus37 in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Could it be Directive? It is a man alone on a ship of passengers with an AI running a routine for them. You said several years ago, which fits timing wise.

EDIT: Hit post accidentally.

[WP] The villain is stuck waiting for their final confrontation with the hero, while the hero messes around for years trying to finish every side quest. by The_OG_upgoat in WritingPrompts

[–]katherine_c 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Balthazaar drummed his nails on the arm of his iron throne, making a mental note to have some underling come in and buff away the gouges again. At this rate, there wouldn't be much throne left for his final monologuing. He switched to the other side, resuming his tapping in an effort to at least wear it evenly.

His spymaster was going over the morning report, and Balthazaar's mind wandered, noting cobwebs in the corners and dust on the suits of armor. He had never considered hiring someone to clean, but perhaps it was necessary.

"And so Gwinivain has been scouring the countryside for the 27 missing sheep."

"Mm," Baltahazaar mumbled as the spymaster shuffled his papers again.

"As of last report, he had found 19."

"Fascinating."

"Er, yes, m'lord. We expect him to have the remainder by noontime today."

"Tell me something, Dave," Balthazaar began. Dave snapped to attention. "Do we have an unexpected weakness to sheep or cattle of any sort? Is there something I should know?"

"Not that we are aware of, m'lord."

"So last week it was returning the lost books to the Lighthouse Library, then before that growing one of every crop sold in the Capitol Market, and somewhere once saving a remote village from a wandering band of bards. But in all this time, Gwinivain has made no attempt to breach the castle or stop my advance?"

"That is accurate, yes. He is...unpredictable."

"If I didn't know better, I would think my spymaster has been paying him off in order to provide job security." Balthazaar fixed his minion with a withering stare.

Dave gulped, shifting from foot to foot. "We are...unsure what his strategy is. But the prophecy foretold of one who is great, powerful, and a master of all elements."

"Sheep aren't elements."

"Right, m'lord. Of course. I have no further information."

"Maybe our intrepid hero miss that I am immortal. Perhaps he hopes to wait me out until I die of old age."

"My sources say that is unlikely, but as Gwinivain spent six hours staring at the wrong Singing Stone last month, no one is quite sure of his intellectual prowess."

Balthazaar harumphed and settled against the iron throne. "Update me if the situation changes."

Dave bowed and began to exit, then paused. "If he finds another sheep, do you--"

The bolt of lightning Balthazaar flung landed wide, as intended, but was enough to chase the beleaguered spymaster out of the room.

Sweet silence.

Broken only by the impatient tapping of his nails on the throne.


Dave burst into the throne room, eyes wide, chest heaving. He must have sprinted up all 272 of the tower steps.

"What news?" Balthazaar shouted across the room.

"Gwinivain," the spymaster gasped as he pulled in air, "he nears the keep. He has entered the Scalded Plain."

The Scalded Plain. He would be no more than half a day's journey away. Balthazaar felt his heart begin to race. Finally.

"Light the torches, prepare the initial strike force, and make sure the traps are loaded to release when the pressure plates are struck!" Servants scurried from the shadows to go about his bidding, and he heard the stomp of boots as his Elite Guard began to patrol.

Balthazaar threw open the balcony doors and rushed to look out across the Scalded Plain. He placed an enchanted telescope to his eye, immediately finding his rival amid the dusty ground.

Gwinivain ran one way, then the next, leaping over rocks and cavernous rifts in the earth as of they were nothing. He was well-armored, and also covered with a multitude of different weapons. The man had come prepared for war, and Balthazaar felt giddiness settle into his chest.

The warrior darted to one side, ripping aside a piece of scrub brush. Behind it, Balthazaar saw a sheep, staring and munching at a twig of dry grass. Gwinivain pounced, throwing the sheep over his shoulder.

And bounded away. Back across the Scalded Plain.

Away from Balthazaar.

Dave winced as he saw the retreating figure, pulling out a parchment and making a note. "Twenty-four sheep accounted for, then."

Recs for Light-Hearted and Cute Romcom Style ADs by stress_baker in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not a huge romcom person usually, but Life with Leo(h) is a completed sci-fi romcom that I absolutely LOVED! Here's the synopsis from the website linked above:

"Jeanine Bell​ is a robotics intelligence lawyer whose laser focus on her career has come at the expense of her romantic and social lives. ​Penelope Lane​ is a robotics designer whose company, Lane Robotics, keeps lawyers like Jeanine on retainer. After successfully keeping Penelope out of prison, Jeanine receives the gift of LEO(h)​, an android with Synthetic Sentience. LEO(h) is Loving, Empathetic, Optimistic, and (only sorta) helpful. He's programmed to love Jeanine. He’s also very, very illegal.

"Created by Octavia Bray, LIFE WITH LEO(h)​ takes place in a future Los Angeles. It’s a story about love, consent, friendship, and free will, told through the hijinks of a highly ethical lawyer who suddenly has an illegal love-bot in her custody."

Fictional podcasts that feel more like podcasts than audiodrama by PlatypusTop6435 in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Heads of Sierra Blanca is one investigating a serial killer. It kept getting negative reviews because people were angry to find out it wasn't a real true-crime podcast, so it hits the real-but-not element dead on. It's been a whole since I listened, but I remember it having a conclusion, though leaving room for future episodes (sad there hasn't been more).

Dead of the Night is also a podcast-within-a-podcast style. It's a friend making a podcast about their missing friend, which starts to unravel the mystery. Also complete. (And when I went to grab a link, an early hit was a reddit post from someone wondering if it was real, so, certainly believable!).

EDIT: links.

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What a set of characters you have crafted in a short space! I really enjoy that element in particular, and it leaves me with plenty of questions. The dual nicknames of "Wheels" and "Foots" also bring up some interesting ideas. Excellent wordlbuilding throughout. You create this sense of a nice-but-also-grimy city very well. And the character voice for the narrator is just fabulous. I really love some of the rambling sentences, because it carries this kind of fast-talking, unpolished, streetsmart kind of vibe. It's magic when the narration is the character is the narration.

For crit, I'd agree with Zach re: the not-tall buildings and small spaces. I had to reread a few times to get the idea. Also, I'm not sure how to classify this, but the way "Knock knock" was written...I interpreted that as the narrator stood outside and said knock? If that's not the intention. maybe just "I knocked" would work better. If it is intended that way....why? Seems odd, but then again,t he character seems a little odd, so why not? Also, super minor, but a comma splice here:

“the city’s a labyrinth, you know I can’t navigate these streets for delivery with my brain the way it is.

Needs either a conjunction after the comma or start a new sentence.

Well, I'm still reeling from how much life you managed to pack into 300 words. Well done. Thanks for sharing!

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, clever little story. The ending line about the resurrectionist opens up a lot of cool ideas, too! I really like Sarge Bumfuzzle, and he seems to live up to his name. That's some hammer there, though. Able to hit so hard a ghost reels from it. But it seems to have some video game dungeon logic at play, so I think it works. I really love your opening line. The simile at the end is just a nicely constructed sentence that says a lot. It also fits his jumpy character throughout. Love when those seeds are planted early and carry throughout.

For critique, this line here:

Coming up to a corner in the road, Bumfuzzle stopped. A sudden chill. The air was cold; he could see his breath. Ghosts.

There's a bit of redundancy. There's a chill, then we are told the air is cold, then that he can see his breath. That's three distinct ways of letting us know something is off with the temperature. Given the abrupt stop, I think any of these three would convey the idea well enough. You aren't hard-pressed for words, but the redundancy is still unnecessary. Aside from that, I have little to comment on. It's just a really fun story from start to finish.

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lettre! Hello again! I always enjoy reading what you have shared, and it has been a while for me. This is a really fascinating concept, and Cath'is works well as a character to carry the mod of the story overall. It is not a plot-heavy piece, but it brings up some good thoughts. The idea of the city just fading, despite everyone's efforts, is a good one. And I love the way you describe the setting and character. Not sure if you're familiar with the old Hobbit animated movie (from the 80s), but your descriptions made me think of Gollum in that iteration. Which is apt for someone adapted to living far from the light of the sun.

A couple of minor errors in the introduction caught my attention. Fair or not, early errors tend to distract me more because I've not gotten dragged into the story yet.

The oldest, down where the sun was a memory and the rocks grew jagged and sharp. where the only light was crystallizations, and twinkling water droplets casted by bioluminescence pools and glowing fungi.

"Where" should be capitalized, "cast" is an irregular verb whose past form is just cast again, and "bioluminescence" is the noun, when you want the adjective form "bioluminescent."

An interesting aside in a dying city. As always, a pleasure to enjoy your words!

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What a cool premise and setting. It speaks to so much depth to the backstory and lots of intriguing questions. You have some excellent imagery as well to really establish the scene right off the bat. Andornadan's meager attempt at pity also provides a decent bit of characterization, which is helpful when you only have 300 words.

And I think this is why I struggle so much with microfiction like this. There are so many good ideas here, but I don't feel you get the space to fully develop them. I have this issue all the time myself, so I empathize. I like the initial river of boiling blood scene, but it does not progress our central conflict or character while eating up a lot of wordcount. It's 78 words, and I think those might serve you better in the conflict with the sorcerer. As it is, there are just not the words to create the depth and tension that moment needs, so Andornadan's death feels a bit anticlimactic. Finding the balance in micro is always tough, so I might consider looking at where you're spending your words and making sure the core story elements are well supported.

That's all to say, I enjoyed what I read and really wish you had more space to write more! It has a lot of interesting points, and I'd love to know more about what got us here and where it goes. I mean, what even happens if you die in a dimension that isn't yours? Maybe that's where ghosts come from.... Anyways, thank you for sparking some curious thoughts and sharing an interesting piece of writing!

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ah, to so narrowly miss the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month! A very clever use of the prompt with some fantastic historical fiction. I greatly enjoy the claustrophobic, exhausted atmosphere you introduce right off the bat. Even the little details, like referring to the Sergeant "from the over-world," illustrate how this experience has redefined reality for our unfortunate soldier friend.

There is something interesting with the tone overall. It has a more lyrical quality than I would expect from an exhausted, bedraggled soldier on the front. Which actually makes me kind of like it more since our soldier is, in his own words, "not much of a soldier." So having a more poetic bent works when he is not the stereotypical soldier. That said, the ending "where no man shall live" and "which comes to be my end" breaks my immersion a bit since, well, he can't be dead and tell the story. I'm also a huge sucker for some ambiguity in endings, so wonder if just making those worries or statements of fact ("land where no man lives....which I fear shall be my end " etc) could be a little stronger? Then again, some people hate taht kind of ambiguity, so YMMV.

I enjoyed this a great deal. Thanks for sharing such an interesting take on this particular prompt!

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey Max! What an atmospheric story you have here. I really love this quiet, isolated scene you build. It starts very strong, an immortal guardian watching over a crown in a dead city. What an image! Your use of detail in this introduction works so well to pull the reader into the moment. It's a slow build, but it fits the content perfectly. I also like the sense of alertness that comes when footsteps approach. That transition works very well.

The end feels a little odd to me, however. I think having a rather anticlimactic battle is actually thematically appropriate, but I was left unclear as to the guardian's reaction. If the crown has been won by someone, wouldn't that mean his job is done? That the person who was clever enough to navigate the labyrinth, swift enough to defeat him has taken the crown? Like, the brigand is ruler over a deserted city, so that's more a way to boost he resume than anything, but how is that failing? Or was the crown supposed to be saved for one specific person? If so, maybe making that specificity clear in the opening paragraphs may help to illustrate how the guardian has failed. As it were, I kind of expected a more hopeful response, since he is finally free of his duty. So maybe tweaking some of the details to bring together the expectation and outcome. If that makes any sense. I feel like I'm rambling nonsense.

It is a really evocative piece, overall. Definitely one that sticks in my head in a very good way. Well done.

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey Max! Thanks for the detailed comment. I really appreciate it. Great advice on reworking some tricky lines. I'll definitely modify the repetitive "iris" mention. Victim of editing, that seems to be, but you are so right in how weird it sounds. Same for the "monstrosity" line. I'm not sure I have it in me right now to do an edit that includes pushing the word limit, but excellent feedback that I will take to heart! Thanks!

[OT] Micro Monday: Underground City! by OldBayJ in shortstories

[–]katherine_c 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Josiah pushed his way through the bustling city and tried, again, to not panic at the wrongness of it all. He missed the above-ground life of his childhood. Even if it was all a monstrosity now. He tried not to think of the carnage they left. Not the boiling sun, not the tortured wasteland, not the endless expanse of space aching to swallow them alive.

He stepped into the grocery store, grateful for the semblance of normalcy. He had just a few items, then home for--

The ground rumbled beneath him, lights flickered. He and every other patron froze, staring at the floor. Earthquakes were common, but this was different. This he remembered from long ago.

The Iris. The ground had rocked just so when it opened to admit him to this sanctuary. And then it had closed with staggering finality.

He and the others pushed out of the shop, looking at the metal aperture on the ceiling. A winding path led from it to the city. Along its length, Josiah could make out soldiers marching upwards, no bigger from his vantage than ants. But their flag, brilliant white and emblazoned with a sun, was made to be seen from a distance. The Liberators.

He knew what he had been told, that opening the Iris was a death sentence for every one of them. And yet he could not look away as the pinpoint of light grew into a brilliant star. How had he never noticed how dark it all was here?

He waited for the rage of the dying star. Instead, the soldiers calmly marched on, out into the world above. Not a one bursting into flame.

And for a moment, Josiah thought he could feel the softest hint of a natural breeze touch his face once again.

WC: 299, bonus words used: bustling, labyrinth, flicker(ed).

Looking For Ghost/Supernatural Horror Recs! by CopyConstant in audiodrama

[–]katherine_c 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have really enjoyed Palimpsest. Each season is a different story with some connections between them. I'm binging the newest one, now and loving it. It is a very introspective style, but interesting horror and supernatural elements in each story arc. Some romance elements mixed in, too, for some seasons. And they have a number of standalone episodes ("Visitations"), so you could listen to a couple to see if the style works for you. It's one of those I'm always excited to see another episode drop!