Author : Esther Alter Narrators : Hugo Jackson, Jess Lewis, Serah Eley and Joe Moran Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 994: Magical Girl Antifa War Machine is an Escape Pod original. NSFW. Includes violence, death, mental health issues, global disaster, explicit sex, consensual BDSM, war trauma, a brief mention […] Sourc…

Author : T. Kingfisher Narrator : Kevin M. Hayes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 993: That Thing With Bob and the Crop Circles is an Escape Pod original. That Thing With Bob and the Crop Circles by T. Kingfisher So last Tuesday, long about noon, I found myself down […] Source…

Author : Lyra Meurer Narrator : Rosie Sentman Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Nerves Into Circuits was originally published by Heartlines Spec on November 30, 2023 Includes mention of chronic pain and suicidal ideation. Nerves Into Circuits By Lyra Meurer Metal arms descend to press skin-soft conductor strips over my shoulders. […

Author : P. A. Cornell Narrator : Isabel J. Kim Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 991: After the Rain is an Escape Pod original. After the Rain by P. A. Cornell I love a heavy summer storm. I love it when the rain falls so suddenly there’s no avoiding […] SourceBy Escape Artists Foundation

Author : Serah Eley Narrator : Paul S. Jenkins Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Malcontent” was originally published in Escape Pod 50 (April 2006) The Malcontent by Serah Eley Finally Nicholas summoned his overseers and all other servants who were mobile to his chamber. “You are merely robots,” Nicholas said, […] Source…

Author : Jennifer Hudak Narrator : Kat Kourbeti Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 989: Holding Patterns is an Escape Pod original. Holding Patterns By Jennifer Hudak I dream about the trees sometimes. I think we all do, even though none of my generation were alive when the forest was […] Source…

Author : Chris Campbell Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht In the Palace of Science originally appeared in Asimov’s May/June 2024. In the Palace of Science (Part 2 of 2) By Chris Campbell (…Continued from Part 1) B-Side Track Five– The automaton was unfinished, but even in […] Source…

Author : Chris Campbell Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht In the Palace of Science originally appeared in Asimov’s May/June 2024. In the Palace of Science (Part 1 of 2) By Chris Campbell Track One– If you’ve found this recording, two things can be said for certain. The […] Source…

Author : Hiron Ennes Narrator : Tatiana Grey Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 986: Lyra, From Many Angles is an Escape Pod original. Lyra, From Many Angles by Hiron Ennes When they came, it was in a craft the size of a golf ball. Smooth and round and perfectly […] SourceBy Escape Artists Foundation

Author : Ryan Cole Narrator : Elie Hirschman Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 985: The Interdimensional Rift at the Lucky Sunrise Bingo Palace is an Escape Pod original. The Interdimensional Rift at the Lucky Sunrise Bingo Palace by Ryan Cole So I’m sitting there with Bubbee—the two of us […] Source…

Author : Jonathan Sullivan Narrator : Serah Eley Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Serah Eley Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Imperial originally appeared in Monolith 6 and on Escape Pod episode 1 on May 12, 2005. Rated R. Contains profanity, sexual content, politics, and sarcasm. Jonathan Sullivan: https://erincairns.com/ErinCairns/About/Pr…

Author : Holly Schofield Narrator : Kae Mills Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “The Robot Whisperer” first appeared in Fighting for the Future cyberpunk-solarpunk anthology in 2023 The Robot Whisperer by Holly Schofield Emilia heard the door bang as Kore entered her workshop. Dishes clattered on the side bench. “Be there […] Sourc…

Author : Lilly Harper Narrator : Kat Day Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 982: Twilight is an Escape Pod original. Includes themes of grief, loss, isolation, and mental health. Twilight By Lilly Harper Like the tide going out, the dream slipped between her toes and carried with it the […] Source…

Author : Dale Smith Narrator : Louise Ratcliffe Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Joy” was previously published in Interzone Digital (June 2023) Joy by Dale Smith Joy knelt on the promenade, shifting the rifle into her shoulder to get a steadier shot. She did her best to ignore the waves crashing […] Source…

Author : Erin Cairns Narrator : Devin Martin Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 980: Peace by Piece is an Escape Pod original. Erin Cairns https://erincairns.com/ErinCairns/About/Press+Kit Adam Pracht https://escapepod.org/people/adam-pracht/ Alasdair Stuart https://pseudopod.org/people/alasdair-stuart/ A Man Falls Into …

Author : Merc Fenn Wolfmoor Narrator : Joe Moran Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Steadyboi After the Apocalypse” first appeared in the collection Friends For Robots: Stories by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor (Robot Dinosaur Press, 2022) Steadyboi After the Apocalypse by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor You trudge through another wasteland town, sticking …

Author : Alasdair Stuart Narrator : Sarah Griffin Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 978: Oak Hill Lane is an Escape Pod original. Includes minor violence, homophobia, and swears. Oak Hill Lane By Alasdair Stuart The day the world ended, Scotch picked a fight. Not that there was much choice. […] Source…

Author : Deborah L. Davitt Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Reflected in Mirrored Skies” was published by Compelling Science Fiction (Special Kickstarter Companion issue Nov. 6, 2018) Mentions of sexual assault Reflected in Mirrored Skies by Deborah L. Davitt Mariana stood in the security room, listening …

Author : Deborah L. Davitt Narrator : Ibba Armancas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Reflected in Mirrored Skies” was published by Compelling Science Fiction (Special Kickstarter Companion issue Nov. 6, 2018) Reflected in Mirrored Skies by Deborah L. Davitt Above them, stars; below, the endless roil of leaden clouds that engulfed…

Author : Bruce Holland Rogers Narrator : Evo Terra Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Serah Eley Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Don Ysidro first appeared in Polyphony 3, October 2003. Includes death rituals with possible disturbing imagery. Evo Terra’s “The End” The Fiction Podcast Preservation Project Don Ysidro (Excerpt) By Bruce Holland […

Author : A.P. Hawkins Narrator : Peter Adrian Behravesh Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 974: Once Abandoned is an Escape Pod original. Once Abandoned By A.P. Hawkins Sappel whistled as he walked to the construction site, the sound echoing off nearby buildings in a muffled way. It was early […] Source…

Author : Simone Heller Narrator : Hugo Jackson Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Forever the Forest” was first published in “Life Beyond Us: An Original Anthology of SF Stories and Science Essays” (April 2023) Forever the Forest by Simone Heller It is known that the Rootless are only ever leaving. Always […] Source…

Author : Craig Church Narrator : Rosie Sentman Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 972: The Bargain of Death and Saint Nicholas is an Escape Pod original. The Bargain of Death and Saint Nicholas by Craig Church “What’s your favorite tale?” I ask, voice quivering. My audience of thieves and […] Source…

Author : Greg van Eekhout Narrator : Serah Eley Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “In the Late December” appeared in Strange Horizons, December 2003. This story was also a Nebula Award Nominee! Contains some dark Santa-related imagery, and the heat death of the universe. In the Late December by Greg van […] Source…

Author : Cat Rambo Narrator : Tina Connolly Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Red in Tooth and Cog” originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2016, and was previously published in Escape Pod 607 Red in Tooth and Cog By Cat Rambo A phone can be so much. […] Source…

Author : Malon Edwards Narrators : Dominick Rabrun, Mandaly Louis-Charles, C.S.E. Cooney and Laurice White Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Code Switching originally appeared in If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes and Other Stories – September 12, 2023. Contains racism, war, and grade-A cursing. Code Switching (Part 4 of 4) By Malon …

Author : Malon Edwards Narrators : Dominick Rabrun and Mandaly Louis-Charles Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Code Switching originally appeared in If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes and Other Stories – September 12, 2023. Contains racism, war, and grade-A cursing. Code Switching (Part 3 of 4) By Malon Edwards (…Continued from Part …

Author : Malon Edwards Narrators : Dominick Rabrun, C.S.E. Cooney and Laurice White Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Code Switching originally appeared in If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes and Other Stories – September 12, 2023. Contains racism, war, and grade-A cursing. Code Switching (Part 2 of 4) By Malon Edwards (…Continued fro…

Author : Malon Edwards Narrator : Dominick Rabrun Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Code Switching originally appeared in If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes and Other Stories – September 12, 2023. Contains depictions of racism. Code Switching (Part 1 of 4) By Malon Edwards INTRO: ALL I’M EVER GON’ DO IS STAY BLACK […] Source…

Authors : Sarina Dorie and Addison Smith Narrators : Tina Connolly and Andrew K. Hoe Hosts : Alasdair Stuart and Kat Day Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 965: T-Rex Tex Mex / Mother Death Learns a Trick is an Escape Pod original. T-Rex Tex Mex by Sarina Dorie “Whoa! Hold on, partner!” the […] Source…

Author : Greg van Eekhout Narrator : Anna Eley Hosts : Mur Lafferty and Serah Eley Audio Producers : Adam Pracht and Serah Eley Show and Tell originally appeared in Strange Horizons June 10, 2002. Contains mild scenes of violence. Show and Tell By Greg van Eekhout Teacher is an old-fashioned bug with a blue carapace and eyes […] Source…

Author : Julia Rios Narrators : Abra Staffin-Wiebe and Tatiana Grey Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “To Catch a Flieff” was originally written as a bonus for backers of the Bridge to Elsewhere Kickstarter (an anthology of stories set on bridges of spaceships). Listen to Part 1: Escape Pod 962: To […] Source…

Author : Julia Rios Narrators : Abra Staffin-Wiebe and Tatiana Grey Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “To Catch a Flieff” was originally written as a bonus for backers of the Bridge to Elsewhere Kickstarter (an anthology of stories set on bridges of spaceships). To Catch a Flieff by Julia Rios Alessia […] Source…

Author : Larry Hodges Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 961: Mathball is an Escape Pod original. Mathball By Larry Hodges You are a baseball fan, sitting in the centerfield seats eating an overpriced hot dog. You are wearing a baseball cap, but not a batting […] Source…

Author : Benjamin C. Kinney Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story originally appeared in the anthology “The Internet Is Where The Robots Live Now” (Paper Dog Press, November 2018). Elegy of Carbon by Benjamin C. Kinney The miner birthed itself among rubble and vacuum, as it […] Source…

Author : Arden Baker Narrators : Scott Campbell, Graeme Dunlop and Valerie Valdes Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 959: This Little War of Ours is an Escape Pod original. Brief mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation, and an apocalypse setting. This Little War of Ours By Arden Baker […] Source…

Author : Marissa Lingen Narrator : The Word Whore Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Originally appeared in Analog (2011), and in Escape Pod 366 (Oct 2012) Some of Them Closer by Marissa Lingen Coming back to Earth was not the immediate shock they expected it to be for me. It was […] Source…

Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 2 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires (…Continued from Part 1) “Lukas?” Chenguang’s voice echoes in this expanse of dark. A vortex of light opens to […] Source…

Author : D.A. Xiaolin Spires Narrator : Rebecca Wei Hsieh Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Vault originally appeared in Clarkesworld, Issue 141 in June 2018. Vault (Part 1 of 2) By D.A. Xiaolin Spires Chenguang hikes up her sleeves before vaulting over the pile of fuzzy moss and greets Lukas with a nod. […] Source…

Author : Sylvie Althoff Narrator : Serah Eley Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 955: Endymion is an Escape Pod original. Contains transphobic slur, adult language, and brief but graphic violence Endymion by Sylvie Althoff It’s green here—green and wet. The twittering of birds in the treetops pauses as one […] Source…

Author : Samantha Henderson Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Chandra’s Game” originally appeared in Lone Star Stories (2009), and in Escape Pod 373. Chandra’s Game by Samantha Henderson Joey Straphos, Papa Joe, told me once that Chandra’s Game is a bitch of a city, fickle but generous […] Source…

Author : Malka Older Narrator : Valerie Valdes Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns originally appeared in XPrize Current Futures anthology, 2019. Sturdy Ladders and Lanterns By Malka Older As a freelance marine behavioral researcher most of Natalia’s jobs went something like this: She swam around in some …

Author : Erin Brown Narrator : Cherrae L. Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun” appeared in Fantasy Magazine Issue 87 (January 2023) Skyscrapers That Twist to the Sun by Erin Brown Shaundra took the small, empty cardboard box and swiveled on her work stool to […] Source…

Author : Kristen Koopman Narrators : Ant Bacon, Valerie Valdes and Adam Pracht Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 951: The Scientist Does Not Look Back is an Escape Pod original. Death, grief and loss. The Scientist Does Not Look Back By Kristen Koopman Feb. 17, 3:40 AM. Audio notebook for […] Source…

Author : James Patrick Kelly Narrators : A Kovacs, John Cmar and Pamela Quevillon Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Appropriate for older teens and up due to erotic imagery and war criminal comeuppance Bad Dogs Escape By James Patrick Kelly /SFX/ CLOCK TICKING, FADE TO /SFX/ DOGS BARKING IN DISTANCE SAM: […] Source…

Author : Brian Hugenbruch Narrator : Kyle Akers Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 949: A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls is an Escape Pod original. A Foundational Model for Talking to Girls By Brian Hugenbruch “Hey Marty,” Mom asks, “got a moment?” I cringe whenever Mom’s voice has […] Source…

Author : Rachel Meresman Narrator : Isaac Harwood Host : Alasdair Stuart Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 948: Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality is an Escape Pod original. Thank You for Doing Business with the Xyb’lor Principality by Rachel Meresman Jaxon was not a connoisseur of art, but he […] Source…

Author : Rob Gillham Narrator : Alasdair Stuart Host : Tina Connolly Audio Producer : Adam Pracht Escape Pod 947: Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist is an Escape Pod original. Rupert Weard and the Case of the Adamant Annihilist By Rob Gillham Rupert Weard leapt into the drawing room, escaping a […] Source…

Author : Eugie Foster Narrator : Mur Lafferty Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks This story was first published in Escape Pod 388 (March 21, 2013) Contains harsh language and graphic gory violence Trixie and the Pandas of Dread by Eugie Foster Trixie got out of her cherry-red godmobile and waved away […] Source…

Author : Stetson Bostic Narrator : Samuel Poots Host : Valerie Valdes Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 945: Walking with Thorny is an Escape Pod original. Walking with Thorny by Stetson Bostic Hitchhikers clung to Tasi’s pants as he neared the edge of the forest. He brushed them off while walking and looked […] Source…