Permutation City Blog

Really enjoyed listening to this on Escape Pod. It's a science fiction story set after genetic engineering has changed society. People can now be specialised to perform specific function, such as the Arties mentioned in the title. Most striking is the story's slang, you have to dive in at the deep end and just work out what they're talking about.

A sister podcast to Escape Pod presenting a fantasy story each week. It took me a while to get into this. My standards have been raised pretty high and it took some time for the programme to find its feet. I've found good stories are thinner on the ground here but I can recommend The Grand Cheat.

Each week Escape Pod presents a science fiction story read by the presenter or a guest reader. In the 170 episodes since it began it's grown and changed. It's something I look forward to each week. The stories are varied but some have been absolutely excellent. I'd particularly recommend: Impossible Dreams, Barnaby in Exile, and In the Late December but that's just small selection of the good stuff. I enjoy Steve Ely's presentation giving an insight into the world of science fiction, podcasting, or real life. I'm less happy that the show now has a sponser each week which can feel intrusive or repetative. However you shouldn't let that put you off, it's still definitely worth it.

I've not been a podcast listener before but with a friend's recommendation I thought I'd give it a go. Some of the stories have been great, Penguin springs to mind. I also enjoy the presenter's chats before and after the story. This might get me reading short stories again and listening to other podcasts. Give it a go.