This week we offer two flash stories with themes on inspiration.

“Missing” by Sean Silva

“Chasing Inspiration” by Will A. Sanborn

Read by Kiefer Skunk

Music cues by Infinity Squared

Download or listen to the episode here.

This pair of stories was written for the Midwest FurFest convention conbook. Their theme of “10 Years of MFF” inspired ideas of anniversaries and reunions.

“Ten Years” by Will A. Sanborn
Read by Chris Hvidsten of the Outcast podcast novel

“The Reunion” by Will A. Sanborn
Read by Howler

Music cues by Infinity Squared

“The Reunion” also appeared in Different Worlds, Different Skins the fiction anthology of human/anthro interactions.

Download or listen to the episode here

Different Worlds, Different Skins   December 20th, 2009

different_skins_cover_webDifferent Worlds, Different Skins
Humanity’s Encounters with Other Races

Print Book, $17.95, available from Amazon and Lulu.
PDF Download, $5.95, available from Lulu.

What if humanity shared Earth with other sentient species? What would first contact with an alien race be like? What wonders or horrors could be wrought by our experiments to create new life-forms, both biologic and mechanical?

This anthology is rated general interest. There are a few stories which cover concepts of romantic love and sex, violence and death, however nothing explicit is shown “on screen.” The ratings of the stories range from G to PG-13.

This anthology examines these ideas, showing humanity’s interaction with the Other, in the form of anthropomorphic animals. The stories cover diverse genres, from science fiction and fantasy, to historical fiction and contemporary fables, exploring themes of race and culture and the endless possibilities of the human condition.

Featuring Stories by Michael Bard, Austen Crowder, Bernard Doove, Seth Drake, William Eakins, Lanny Fields, Phil Geusz, Jason Gillespie, Chris Goodwin, Searska Grey Raven, Renee Carter Hall, Stefan Kaiser, James R. Lane, Alan Loewen, Paul Lucas, Eric Luhman, Brian Miller, Ken Pick, J. Scott Rogers, Will A. Sanborn, Kris Schnee, Sean Silva, Tim Susman and Wookie.

Cover artwork by Sara “Caribou” Palmer.

Escape Pod – βoyfriend   October 23rd, 2009

Escape Pod’s story βoyfriend is another story featuring artificial lifeforms as characters, this time in the form of virtual dating partner apps for your smart phones. It’s an interesting concept that’s wonderfully drawn and fleshed out with some good character drama. This should strike chords with anyone who remembers being a teenager and/or being one of the quirky ones.

PodCastle – Kissing Frogs   October 18th, 2009

One of the recent stories on PodCastle brings a new twist on a classic fairy tale. Kissing Frogs updates Grimm’s story, not only with a modern setting, but new themes of both romance and self image.