Escape Artists

I'm happy to point out the launch yesterday of Pod Castle, the fantasy short story podcast spin off from the science fiction podcast Escape Pod. Their first story is "Come Lady Death" by Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn. If you're rolling your eyes at the thought of listening to stories of chainmail bikinis and dragons, let me point out that fantasy, broadly defined, is any story dealing with magic or the supernatural. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Conan the Barbarian stories are all fantasy, but so are One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Tempest, and Indiana Jones. Judging by the breadth of fantasy stories that Escape Pod has already published, I'm sure that Pod Castle will feature many types of fantasy.

In related news, Steve Eley, the host of Escape Pod, recently announced that after being let go from his day job he will be spending his primary efforts on Escape Pod and the other Escape Artists podcasts: Pod Castle and PsuedoPod, the horror story podcast. Steve gives away all three for free and only asks for donations in return. There is some advertising on the websites and podcasts, but they're pretty minor and non-annoying. So, if you're able, please give a donation to Escape Artists and show your support for one of the greatest sources for free audio. If you're unfamiliar with Escape Pod, I'll be reviewing one of my favorite stories of theirs later this week.