Drabblecast 162 - Birdwatcher

[Kevin Anderson]

Drabble- Wall of Gloves
by Matt Moore

Birdwatcher
by Garth Upshaw

I was poisoning crows the day the aliens arrived. They’re smarter than you might think – crows, not aliens – and they don’t go for any of the easy stuff anymore...



Art by Elan Trinidad

[dreamrock]

I'm totally convinced the $10/month donate option was added for my personal use.

I'll try to comment on the actual story content later. Freeforums is being a flaming pile of poo at the moment so I'd rather not risk the frustration.

[ROU Killing Time]

Does Portland thrown-down the strange, or what? Way to go, homeboy.

I enjoyed Birdwatcher very much. In some ways I was reminded of Iain Banks debut novel "The Wasp Factory" in the way the narrative followed the main character. Unlike that novel, this story had strange and enigmatic aliens too. Echoing the "living in the past" theme from Morris and the Machine, it was refreshing that the protagonist chose to live in the present rather than doping out on his alien egg to follow his true vocation of poisoning crows. Well written and creepy, this one gets a thumbs-up from ROU (and not just cause it's yet another Portland author...)

[lhoward]

The story was shiny as always, but I'm here to talk about that awesome whale-milking shanty at the end. I grew up on Cape Cod, and have always have a certain nostalgia for whalers. And nipples, who doesn't love those? Is there someplace I can get an mp3 of that track?

[ROU Killing Time]

The story was shiny as always, but I'm here to talk about that awesome whale-milking shanty at the end. I grew up on Cape Cod, and have always have a certain nostalgia for whalers. And nipples, who doesn't love those? Is there someplace I can get an mp3 of that track?

It's available for download at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/normsherman for a very modest amount. And if you like nipples, well then Mr.lhoward sir, you should download the other track from the Norm Sherman album, "Everybody's Got Nipples."

btw, it's beautiful on the Cape today. Think I may go milk me a whale.

[normsherman]

The story was shiny as always, but I'm here to talk about that awesome whale-milking shanty at the end. I grew up on Cape Cod, and have always have a certain nostalgia for whalers. And nipples, who doesn't love those? Is there someplace I can get an mp3 of that track?

It's available for download at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/normsherman for a very modest amount.

Even more modest now! Posting that link reminded me I wanted to bump the price down on that puppy. Thanks ROU!

[Talia]

I must confess the main story kinda baffled me a little bit. May require a re-listen, I'm not sure. The Drabble really made me think, and I realize I may have to reconsider the interior design at my place. Maybe the Wall of Spleens was not such a great idea.

And nipples, who doesn't love those?

I was beaten up by nipples when I was a child, I've hated them ever since.

[myke_deschain]

Between the ep. art and the eerie foreboding music I had assumed the story would be a horror romp and after hearing "i was poisoning crows the day the aliens arrived.." i mimed a 'Yes!' motion and decided that this would be exactly what I needed to cheer me up at work... Though some how this one sorta lost momentum for me and fell flat at the end.. not sure why.. I was kinda busy at work and not really giving it all my attention, so it was probably my fault... might give it another go sometime...

In some ways I was reminded of Iain Banks debut novel "The Wasp Factory"

Honestly that's all I could think of...

[ROU Killing Time]

In some ways I was reminded of Iain Banks debut novel "The Wasp Factory"

Honestly that's all I could think of...

What a deeply disturbing book that is. I really wish Banks wrote short fiction, but he just doesn't seem to work in that realm at all. If he ever does though, a Banks story on Drabblecast would be too freaking awesome...

Maybe someday.

[strawman]

I can't make the connection between poisoning crows and the aliens. and there were spots where it felt a tad overdone: naturally, with drama you don't "get"= Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. I was left wondering: if everyone got an egg, and you were the only one who chose to stay, does that mean you were the source of the world's unhappiness? Imagine being at a party. Everyone but you disappears, leaving you to clean up someone else's house. No thanks. Good thing I've got an egg.

Is there a subliminal message in the Mirrorshards?

[strawman]

I can't make the connection between poisoning crows and the aliens. and there were spots where it felt a tad overdone: naturally, with drama you don't "get"= Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. I was left wondering: if everyone got an egg, and you were the only one who chose to stay, does that mean you were the source of the world's unhappiness? Imagine being at a party. Everyone but you disappears, leaving you to clean up someone else's house. No thanks. Good thing I've got an egg.

Is there a subliminal message in the Mirrorshards?

[Phenopath]

I was feeling ambivalent about this story until the end where our hero refused to fall into the alien's trap. Superb, does mankind's survival depend upon disaffected youth?

On reflection I think that there are plenty of people who would not choose the egg, but who would choose life. Although I agree that airline pilots would take the egg option, since they appear to me to be massively egotistical.

Nice drabble, btw.

[Nixelplix]

Is there a subliminal message in the Mirrorshards?

I thought it was a great episode! The poisoned mirrorshards were the kid's version of the egg!

[MattMooreWrites]

I must confess the main story kinda baffled me a little bit. May require a re-listen, I'm not sure. The Drabble really made me think, and I realize I may have to reconsider the interior design at my place. Maybe the Wall of Spleens was not such a great idea.

And nipples, who doesn't love those?

I was beaten up by nipples when I was a child, I've hated them ever since.

Damn, Talia, you stole the idea for the follow-up drabble I was working on. - MM

[MattMooreWrites]

Nice drabble, btw.

Thanks! - MM

[tbaker2500]

This was a good story. It had all the elements of a story I would greatly dislike, but it won me over instead. The use of shiny eggs to kill off humans was beautiful. Probably the easiest conquest of Earth yet.

[moonowl]

Good episode. I love how the cruel crow-killing sicko who is using the shiny trap thing himself is the one to not fall into the same trap the aliens are using.

[Roarke's Juror]

In some ways I was reminded of Iain Banks debut novel "The Wasp Factory"

Honestly that's all I could think of...

What a deeply disturbing book that is. I really wish Banks wrote short fiction, but he just doesn't seem to work in that realm at all. If he ever does though, a Banks story on Drabblecast would be too freaking awesome...

Maybe someday.

I think that "The State of the Art" is a selection of Sci-Fi shorts by Iain Banks. It's published under his sci-fi moniker Iain M. Banks.

Apologies for thread creep...

[ROU Killing Time]

I think that "The State of the Art" is a selection of Sci-Fi shorts by Iain Banks. It's published under his sci-fi moniker Iain M. Banks.

Apologies for thread creep...

Yes, the very few shorts he's done, but that's at least 18 years old. Also most of it is a novella.

I did read that one of the stories from that collection "A Gift from the Culture" is going to be made into a movie. Odd choice. I'd have gone with "Use of Weapons" or "The Player of Games."

No one asked me though.

(I'll apologize for adding to the thread creep too, now...)

[tbaker2500]

What a creepy thread...