*Note – I listen to Escape Pod on YouTube because my household pays for YouTube Red in order to not have ads. My reviews do not consider advertisement breaks, if they exist.

960: “Elegy of Carbon” by Benjamin C. Kinney, narrated by Heather Thomas

I struggled with “Elegy of Carbon.” It’s a hard one to listen to while doing anything else (I was driving) in part because the protagonist’s name changes multiple times: the miner, Jewel, and Lattice are the same character. That said, I do think the particular kind of story being told here is important. It’s a more positive look at artificial intelligence and begs difficult questions about human nature, how we treat our “tools,” indentured servitude, resource exploitation, and purpose. It’s not an especially exciting story, but it’s a great one to reflect on for a little while after it’s done.

959: “This Little War of Ours” by Arden Baker, narrated by Scott Campbell, Graeme Dunlop, and Valerie Valdes

Oddly, this happens to be the only original publication in this cluster of episodes. The storytelling is a futuristic epistolary, exchanged communiques between ex-lovers who found themselves on opposite sides in a war that ruined more than just their relationship. It’s a little bit of bickering, a little bit of worldbuilding, and ends on a sweet, hopeful note. I liked it, although more plot and more depth would have made it better.

958: “Some of Them Closer” by Marissa Lingen, narrated by The Word Whore

If you’re looking for a character-driven story focused on personal growth and lacking a romantic subplot, this is the story for you. I like a little more action, myself, but I can see where this would scratch a particular itch, especially with the demand for fiction that focuses on friendship instead of romance. It’s well-written, just not my cup of tea.

956 & 957: “Vault” (parts 1 & 2) by D. A. Xiaolin Spires, narrated by Rebecca Wei Hsieh

“Vault” is a reprint and renarration, originally published in both print and audio form in Clarkesworld (you can access the original publication here).

The EscapePod version is very well narrated. Having listened to both versions, I recommend the EscapePod narration over the Clarkesworld one (that one is not bad, the EscapePod one is just better). I don’t love that this is published in two parts, although I wouldn’t really “ding” it for that. It can just be a little annoying to have to switch episodes, especially because I listen to most of these in the car.

I quite enjoyed the story and the worldbuilding here. The idea of parkour as a survival tool is fascinating, and Spires’ description of liquid water in a world with so little of it strikes at some deep anxiety in the back of my brain. Chenguang and Lukas are also very believable characters, except for one thing: I don’t know why Chenguang is so evasive at the beginning of the story. Maybe I just “missed” the reason, but even if a reason is given, it doesn’t establish anything the story needs. The beginning tension just seems artificial.