Classics 20 & 21 (EP 170 & 171) - Mongoose

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Classics 20, Episode 170 – Mongoose, part 1

Update (Sunday, May 10th, 2015): Drabbleclassics 20 - Mongoose : Part I
Feature: Mongoose, part 1 by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear
Drabble: The Monkeys by Chris Monroe
Genres: Action Drabbleclassics Fantasy Sci-Fi
Original Episode: 170



Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
Izrael Irizarry stepped through a bright-scarred airlock onto Kadath Station, lurching a little as he adjusted to station gravity. On his shoulder, Mongoose extended her neck, her barbels flaring, flicked her tongue out to taste the air, and colored a question. Another few steps, and he smelled what Mongoose smelled, the sharp stink of toves, ammoniac and bitter...

Read by: Abby Crayden as Station Master, Lauren Synger as Colonel Sanderson
Episode Art: Jerel Dye
Additional credits:

• The Dribblecast
• Shadow Unit

Originally published in Lovecraft Unbound, October 2009.

Twabble: “ The aliens solemnly spake unto me: "Take us to your leader.

Nah, just kidding, we're totally going to blow your shit up!" ” by PureChance

---

Classics 21, Episode 171 – Mongoose, part 2

Update (Sunday, May 10th, 2015): Drabbleclassics 21 - Mongoose : Part II
Feature: Mongoose, part 2 by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear
No drabble for this episode.
Genres: Action Drabbleclassics Fantasy Sci-Fi
Original Episode: 171



Saturday, July 10th, 2010
You couldn't describe a rath. You couldn't even look at one for more than a few seconds before you started getting a migraine aura. Rovers were just blots of shadow. The breeder was massive, armored, and had no recognizable features, save for its hideous, drooling, ragged edged maw. Irizarry didn't know if it had eyes, or even needed them...

Read by: Abby Crayden as Station Master, Lauren Synger as Colonel Sanderson
Episode Art: Skeet Scienski
Additional credits: The Burning Zeppelin Experience
Originally published in Lovecraft Unbound, October 2009.

Twabble: “ Some folks say the ghosts of the Skeptics Society still haunt these back roads; eternally debunking the supernatural. ” by Nowicki1283

[Talia]

Awesome story - everything I could hope for from a great pair of authors like these. I particularly enjoy the innocuous nicknames for something that is so clearly creepy. Can't wait to hear the second half of the story.

Oh, and super-rad cover art.

[Phenopath]

What Talia said. I can't wait for the conclusion.

[Travelin Corpse Feet]

Awesome story - everything I could hope for from a great pair of authors like these. I particularly enjoy the innocuous nicknames for something that is so clearly creepy. Can't wait to hear the second half of the story.

Oh, and super-rad cover art.

Hey, we agree on something!

I like Jabberwocky, and there's a ton of potential to go dark with Lewis Carroll's nonsense. Looking forward to the next installment of this one.

[mrsmica]

I can't believe you're making me wait a week for part 2!

[mrsmica]

...or that my voice is on this episode, for that matter!

[Hugh Jabode]

I'm usually 2 or 3 episodes behind, and now I finally catch up just in time to be left hanging ... SHIT!

[tbaker2500]

I'm waiting for #2 to know if they pulled off the story or not. It shows promise!
My only negative is that they used too many made-up words. It's hard to follow short fiction when you have to pick up a new lexicon through inference. That being said, by the time I listen to pt. 2, I'm sure I will have picked up the new lexicon.

[moonowl]

<---wants a mongoose for my birthday.

(At least until we get to the part when it goes on a bloody rampage and kills the whole crew..)

[Etaan]

I can't believe you're making me wait a week for part 2!

My measure of the quality of any serialized entertainment is my level of disappointment at the prospect of the episode ending. When I watch tv shows or read books, I recognize the great ones as much by the severity of my "dammit, I have to wait until the next one?!!" reaction as anything else. And I definitely got a little bit sad when I saw the time ticking down on Part 1. Hopefully next week delivers the goods.

Also, this just might be my favorite album art to date.

[Polecat]

The Monkeys did cause me to giggle maniacally - my compliments Mr Munsi and Mrs Mica.
I now find myself in a veritable state of suspense - the Carrollian absurdity and dark, dark atmosphere of "Mongoose" is both skin-crawling and grin-making; only a few details bother me - if Mongoose is adapted to vacuum, why can she taste the air? that seems a little incongruous.
My main quibble, however, is why anyone is bothering to fight the infestation at all - don´t they realize, that the whole business is Devine Retribution for their mistreatment of the Christians?

Respectfully

The Polecat

[alhilton]

Wow. That was delicious! Loved the critters in this one; can't wait for the rest!

[Talia]

Fantastic conclusion. Thanks for bringing us this tale, really good stuff. Excellent production as usual also.

I was psyched to learn these two authors have collaborated on books as well - I've completely loved their solo stuff. Now I'm itching to dash to the bookstore.

The twitfic this week was particularly amusing. Well done.

[jennybean]

I enjoyed this one, but I have to say that throughout the whole thing I was waiting for the Jabberwock to show up. Something bigger, meaner, and worse than the bandersnatch.
But otherwise, great story.

[strawman]

Yes, I had a hunch that twitfic was going to score a read. Exceptional.
The story was very satisfying, except.
It had a truncated feel to it. That works well with Scattercat's Drabbles, but is weird in this full-course 2 part extravaganza. "By becoming friends with them" puts the ending in the middle of a conversation between the two main characters, mid-scene. The action is resolved, but the Coda leaves me hungry for a final chord or two.

[bumdhar]

Ok so I’m going to hunt down “Lovecraft Unbound,” and toss a ten spot into the hat. This was a great tale!

[Wolfshade]

Yay for a full cast! Fun story.

[dreamrock]

Very beautiful vision of a dark future. The possibility of humanity's response to the Big Dark being for some to befriend elements of the Big Dark really resonates with me. I love the combination of Lewis Carroll and H.P. Lovecraft's work. Now I'm rather tempted to re-read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland even though I'm more than neck deep in books I haven't finished reading.

I would have liked to see more on the christians and why they're so singled out. Also, like Strawman, I'd love to see a coda. Especially a coda questioning just how loyal to good our friend Mongoose really is.

[moonowl]

*considers knitting a Mongoose plushie*

[deflective]

awesome production. you exceeded the high expectations drabblecast creates for itself.

but still... explosive bullet sounds for an energy weapon‽ there was even shell casing sounds during the line that mentions her battery is running low. you're just tech-geek sniping, aren't you?