Drabblecast 275 – A Riddle In Nine Syllables

[StalinSays]

Feature: A Riddle In Nine Syllables by Carrie Vaughn



Wednesday, March 13th, 2013
After the attack, my team brought me straight to the med lab at base camp. They must have commed ahead, because as soon as the stretcher went through the door seals, Dr. Traynor was yelling orders…

Women and Aliens Month

Produced by by Brian Lincoln
Art by Jan Dennison
Read by Veronica Giguere, Doc Coleman, Julie Hoverson, Obsidian Abnormal

Twabble: “ My bloody stumps drag over the pentangle, in-out, in-out, ETERNAL shaking. "THIS is what it's all about!", He cackles.” by seani

[chemistryguy]

A very powerful story about motherhood. This one hit me hard.

The production was professionally done and polished to degree N. The best I've heard on DC to date.

[Polecat]

Did anybody else catch themselves thinking about "The Worm Within" and cackling maniacally?

respectfully

The Polecat

[BryanLincoln]

I had a ton of fun producing this story. I put up a "Making Of" in case anyone is interested in a few of the production details. http://www.fullcastpodcast.com/?p=670.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Welcome aboard, Bryan Lincoln!

I thought Norm said he farmed this episode out to "some cheap sweatshop, in Asia somewhere"? (That's a statement, not a fact.)

Guess I better move this episode up in my playlist...

[tbaker2500]

"A Riddle In Nine Syllables is of course the first line of a metaphor..."
Yes, of course, we all knew that. Thank you Norm for explaining it, never would have gotten it.

This was a well done story. Narration was perfect.

[tbaker2500]

Did anybody else catch themselves thinking about "The Worm Within" and cackling maniacally?

respectfully

The Polecat

Still the best DC episode ever.

[Vie]

I guess Bryan runs the best sweatshop ever! I had SO much fun reading this one.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

The first few are always fun. Then when we've hooked ya.... Bwahahaha!

Welcome aboard, Vie!

[strawman]

I must say I liked Veronica Giguere's voice. I suffer from substantial hearing loss, so I like to listen through iTunes rather than from the website download, since it gives me an equalizer, and the bass boost that most producers seem to favor works against me. But Veronica is nice because her pronunciation is almost supernaturally distinct (unslurred). [Just thought I'd like to mention that she would probably be particularly good at teaching English on Rosetta or Pimsleur, if she looked to branch out.]

I am a sucker for metaphor and meaning, so I love the Plath reference and the flavor it gives to the whole story.

The tension of having Traynor deciding to terminate the symbiant raises a bunch of other issues about motherhood, choice, and the symbiotic nature of pregnancy. Truly bizarre. But I have to wonder, if viruses or tumors could communicate with us, would we be more sympathetic towards them? I can easily see if a fetus could communicate thoughts to its mother, it would be almost impossible to undergo an abortion. But the sympathy in this tale seems to be based more on the cuteness of the voice in her head. If you imagine it with the creature's voice from "Second Conquest of Earth" it would turn the story into Rosemary's Baby.

[tbaker2500]

But the sympathy in this tale seems to be based more on the cuteness of the voice in her head. If you imagine it with the creature's voice from "Second Conquest of Earth" it would turn the story into Rosemary's Baby.

Good point!! That would significantly change things.

[El Barto]

Whoooooeeeee! That was another great episode and an awesome story, fantastically produced.