Drabblecast 300 – Bloodchild

[tbaker2500]

I have no inside information regarding this specific story, but it wouldn't surprise me that he couldn't secure text rights, or it cost too much. Otherwise, there are no plans to stop this!

[Cymraeg]

Loved this story. Great choice for the 300th episode. I especially liked the way we were slowly drawn into both the horror and the complexity of the characters. Really impressive in a short story.

[normsherman]

it was good stuff, but on some level I'd prefer more than acceptance of reality as the climax. I'd like to see change or some members of either species considering different ways to co-exist.

I feel like she presented impregnation and pregnancy both as things forced on the main character (in some sense, through heavy emotional manipulation if nothing else) and in the end, he just accepted that. I'd have a lot more fun with it if he found a way to fight, no matter how bad the situation - and if it were pure horror, he'd probably lose in a gruesome way.

Good points, and I can't help but agree with you because I would also love to have seen what would've happened in that horrific scenario.

But I think she chose a different route in this story and pushing the conclusion that you mentioned wouldn't have worked in this context. It's like a dysfunctional relationship you can't really get out of because you share a home lease and all the same best friends and also a role in their unique and horrific biologic function (?). And also, you still love them underneath it all, and you realize it-- even resent them for it because despite the dysfunction and outright horror, you can't get around the fact that you still want to be with them and can't see yourself existing without them. I think the dialogue about T'gatoi offering to go to Gan's sister at the end reveals some of these feelings.
Nobody is saying these these feelings aren't ridiculous (it recalls spousal abuse situations... 'I just fell down the stairs officer, really!') but humans have lost (or 'shared', depending on how you look at it) something important in this world, and the acceptance they choose doesn't make sense to people like us who have a loving spouse to go home to at night(or cat in my case).

Also missed all the crude and inappropriate Halloween puns at the beginning ---- don't get too sophisticated, Drabblecast! Remember your roots in really embarrassingly awful poop stories!

I had a diff host spot prepared that I scrapped, it just didn't feel right for a 300th episode that was opening for Octavia Butler. Next Halloween crypt-keeper norm will have twice the awful puns just to make up for it.

[strawman]

It's like a dysfunctional relationship you can't really get out of because you share a home lease and all the same best friends and also a role in their unique and horrific biologic function (?). And also, you still love them underneath it all, and you realize it-- even resent them for it because despite the dysfunction and outright horror, you can't get around the fact that you still want to be with them and can't see yourself existing without them. I think the dialogue about T'gatoi offering to go to Gan's sister at the end reveals some of these feelings.
Nobody is saying these these feelings aren't ridiculous (it recalls spousal abuse situations... 'I just fell down the stairs officer, really!') but humans have lost (or 'shared', depending on how you look at it) something important in this world, and the acceptance they choose doesn't make sense to people like us who have a loving spouse to go home to at night(or cat in my case it.

Words of painful experience from one who has learned about spouse abuse and dysfunction from a cat.

[tbaker2500]

Hey, cats can be real bastards sometimes! Who else gets you a dead mouse and calls it a gift?

[strawman]

Well, I only did it that once.
But it was because my wife loves our cat.

[Spindaddy]

Ditto. I also thought the main guy (His name was Gan, BTW), was a girl. And two of the female voices sounded a bit muddy to me.

I first suspected he might be male when Gan's brother (Qui) said, "They don't take women."

This is what happens when you don't use decent American names, like "Frank", "Mary", "Shlomo", etc., people!

Yeah, when the brother said "They don't take women." I was thinking... so why is this girl getting all upset? She's gets the crack eggs b/c shes the favorite girl. Then I was all.... Ohhhh, she's actually a boy and not a girl. Either way, it makes sense to me. While I understand the story has more of a punch with the main character as a male, I think the idea of harvesting humans is gut churningly nasty (but awesome!). It also made sense there were no male insects as in the 'normal world' the males of most insect species are just sperm containers and after sex snacks.

The dysfunctional relationship I also enjoyed. (Wait, can I say those words? Why does it feel good to say them? Does that mean I'm healing?) Rather than a relationship between lovers, I saw this as a sort of master-slave (Asshole boss) sort of relationship. "Bill, I need you takes these boxes to accounting. Oh, and remember to drop by for dinner tonight. The wife made a lovely pot roast. Afterwords she's going to lay her eggs in you, so make sure you eat up!" I've seen people at the office talk about interns and their 'new people' like they were subhuman show ponies. It's disturbing really.

[normsherman]

Interesting that so many of you thought the MC was a female. Would have thought that being read by a male (me!) would have snuffed out any doubt.

[tbaker2500]

You play women so naturally, Norm.

[Varda]

Ever since "Jelly Park", I've learned it's best not to assume gender when Norm's narrating.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

You play women so naturally, Norm.

Hate the game, man, not the narate-ah.

[Spindaddy]

Interesting that so many of you thought the MC was a female. Would have thought that being read by a male (me!) would have snuffed out any doubt.

I'm not saying I think of you as a woman Norm--cause hey, that's kind of creepy. I'm just saying that my suspension of disbelief is such that I could believe you were a woman.

The entire time I was listening to it, it bugged me a bit. "Why is Norm reading a chick's part? This is weird, but I kind of dig it. Wait, does that make me weird? Is that why he calls me a weirdo at the end of each Podcast? No, no, he's talking to the others... we're fine. I mean I. Me! I mean ME! I'm fine!

Wait, what the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, the story. I liked it.

[strawman]

He read a woman's part in Jelly Park, too. Unfortunately, due to limitations of the media, we don't get to see the outfit and makeup that goes with it.

[tbaker2500]

[Richmazzer]

congrats to my favorite podcast on their 300th episode! And just in time for Haloween. Great full cast story to celebrate.

[El Barto]

Mmmmm, mmmm, good! That was such a great episode and I also loved reading everyone's deep thoughts in the forum here.

I was interested to see that anyone was confused about the gender of the character Norm was reading because it was a "full cast" reading and those always seem to have same-gender readers for each role.

As for the story itself, I was really expecting the alien to smack the gun out of his hands with her whip tail and then impregnate/rape him and cage him. But that may be because I'm watching a bunch of Walking Dead episodes lately.

[sandrilde]

I had a diff host spot prepared that I scrapped, it just didn't feel right for a 300th episode that was opening for Octavia Butler. Next Halloween crypt-keeper norm will have twice the awful puns just to make up for it.

Already excited for this

[PB&Jellyphish320]

You guys have saved my life! I've been listing to the Drabblecast for about six months now trying to play catch up. At work my soul-sucking manager and her minions listen to the same pop music on repeat over the work radio all day long. The whole time I worked with them I was imagining all the ways I could destroy this place and never look back.

Usually I closed the store alone. So I began sneaking in my mp3 player, and antique Zune, and listening to these strange stories for an hour or so before I allowed to leave. The Drabblecast helped me to realize that knocking the heads off my pretentious customers might release the den of spiders fillings out their flesh; that telling off my manager might cause the serpentine beast that animates her to come out and eat me alive. And that blowing up the store itself would only cause the shadows of evil that infest it to follow me to my next job and breed more paranoia and hatred there.

Then I got to this story - to this particular author. It stuck with me. I know now that I'm not alone in my day-mares. And that perhaps I should put these dark thoughts to better use.

Thanks guys. Thanks just for . . . existing.

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Thanks guys. Thanks just for . . . existing.

Or do we?

Glad the Drabblecast was able to move you. (The Drabblecast, keeping citizens alive and productive for the Great Old One(s) since 2014!)

Welcome aboard, PB&Jellyphish320!

[tbaker2500]

It's nice to find a brood of fellow weirdos, innit?
Welcome, tasty one.