Drabblecast 110 - Trifecta VII

[Kevin Anderson]

Drabblecast 110- Trifecta VII

The Frozen People
by Danny Adams
Read by Norm Sherman

Sheltered
by Ralph Gamelli
Read by Ray Sizemore

In Order to Conserve
by Cat Rambo
Read by Frank Key



Music: Rachmaninov Piano Concerto I
Debussy Piano Prelude II and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn

Fantasy Magazine | Paper Golem Press | The Hooting Yard | Penguicon

[strawman]

Let's hear it for Rachmaninov and Debussy!

(slow clap)

[Frank Key]

Gratifying though Norm's praiseworthy words were, I should point out that the title of the Hooting Yard post "The Pastures Red With Uneaten Sheep's Placentas" is a quotation from Watt by Samuel Beckett. Of course, that will become swiftly apparent to any visitors to the Yard - something I recommend almost as energetically as I recommend reading Watt.

Frank Key
http://www.hootingyard.org

[StalinSays]

You'd think 3 for 1 deals hint at devalued goods, but never is this further from the case than with DC Trifectas. Norm and the guys always bring it, as voice talent scouts, editors, readers, humorists, and producers. Our most recent triple threat installment, VII, is a shining example of this elevated standard. The Drabblecast does not function like the Friday the 13th series; it's only getting better. Who needs to jump the shark when you can double back and punch it in the face?

'In Order to Conserve' is the stand out from where I sit. As much for Cat Rambo's very poetic approach as the reading. 'Sheltered' was a neat little fable. 'Frozen' people has a lot of charm, and fits perfectly in to Drabble's tapestry.

[AynSavoy]

I second Bo's vote for "In Order to Conserve" as the best of the bunch.

While I recall enjoying the whole episode, for the life of me I can't seem to remember anything--anything at all--about the other two stories. This is sort of embarrassing, and I think more a testament to the week I've had than to the stories themselves. I think this calls for a repeat listen.

Trifectas are always excellent!

Edit Jogged my memory. All were enjoyable, though obviously "In Order to Conserve" stuck with me the most. I really enjoyed the narration for "Shelter."

[Phenopath]

I think, perhaps, that I enjoyed 'Sheltered' most of all. The premise appeals to my sense of the absurd. And the moment at which the fate of the resolute few who remained on the surface was decided... Ha, vindicated.

[Kevin Anderson]

Great trifect.

Sheltered was the stand out story for me. It had a very cool Dr. Seuss vibe to it. The kind of story I’d love to read to my kids.

[cammoblammo]

Yep, good stories. I found the ending of Shelter somewhat ambiguous. The initial reaction is to assume it was the above ground community that perished---but was it?

In Order to Conserve was the highlight of the three. I love an absurd premise in my stories, and you couldn't have got a better person to read it than the master of short form absurdity himself.

The Frozen People was a winner as well. The reaction of the frozen warrior when he awoke was priceless.

I don't always enjoy the trifectas that much, but I really got into this. Good job.

[RG]

Neither community perished. Once the asteroid was gone, so was the danger. Both sides went on to live long lives, one group above ground, the other in their safe bunker where nothing could touch them.

I guess the ending is still a little ambiguous, though. You don't really know if the above ground people are banging on the door to try and get the bunker people to come to their senses and come outside, or if the people outside suddenly want to get inside themselves.

When I originally wrote it, I had the people above suddenly realize the bunker dwellers were right, and they started pounding on the door to be let in. It seemed to be the funnier way to go, but I ended up changing it. It just didn't seem believable, in a silly satire, for them to change their minds so quickly. The way it ends now, with them pounding on the door and yelling, it implies that they're frustrated with the other group's stubbornness and are trying to get them out, not to get inside themselves.

I didn't realize it right away, but Sheltered and The Frozen People are kind of similar in one way. They both have a group of people who want to get away from the world. One group escapes into a bunker, the other into a lake where they get to sleep for a year.

Question for Norm: Is it okay to use Ray Sizemore's narration (which I loved, by the way) for a little iMovie project? I'm thinking of mixing some drawings in with the narration and make a little movie I can post on YouTube. Kevin was right. The story has a kind of child's fable quality to it, and my drawings will definitely be child-like.

[raysizemore3]

Question for Norm: Is it okay to use Ray Sizemore's narration (which I loved, by the way) for a little iMovie project?

Though I'm sure the final say-so goes to Norm, I certainly don't mind, so long as you send me the link to the video.

--Ray

[normsherman]

Go for it

[RG]

Thanks, guys. Ray, I would have tried to get your email and ask you about it, assuming I got the okay from Norm first. Now I guess I don't have to.

It's pretty much done. I'm definitely no artist, but it was fun trying to time the dialogue with the editing. Possibly it was a complete waste of time. I'll post it at YouTube tomorrow and put the link here.

[ROU Killing Time]

The extreme intrangicence of the stances help by both factions and the logical but ludicrous arguments that resulted (particularly coming from "the sheltered") had the feel of an entry in "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" to me.

Bravo, I found it most amusing.

[RG]

Never mind.

[Richmazzer]

Loved all 3 stories, especially thought the music was done particularly tasteful this week. The impressionistic Debussy fit perfect with a story about colors and the loss thereof. All 3 stories were about societies/groups of people reacting to a big external event in absurd ways. Thought it was a great trifecta, didn't really have a favorite. Oh, and Frank Key, Ray Sizemore (and Norm, as usual) did fantastic narrations.

[Dr. Sax]

Good stuff,

I can't remember the first one...it didn't really make an impression on me. The second one was good, but I felt like I'd heard it done before. It still held my interest though because it was well done. The third one though...very good. Although Debussy's Le Mer (The Sea) has a much richer and more colorful soundscape that could have been played with to bring out part of the story better. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn worked, but that piece was too happy for this story. I wanted to hear more contrast in the soundscape.

[Unblinking]

I loved "In Order to Conserve". It came off as horrible to me as mediums for creativity slowly leached away. Maybe this happened early in the 20th century to some degree and that's why the black and white films? Or maybe they were already conservation minded and us inconsiderate bastards in later decades have just accelerated the loss of color with all of our movies and video games...