Apple Podcasts
Stitcher“Troll Bridge” by Terry Pratchett
An aging barbarian sets out to battle a bridge troll, mano a mano, and thus prove his mettle. “Troll Bridge” by Terry Pratchett, was first published in 1992. © Dunmanifestin Limited.
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“John Dillinger and the Blind Magician” by Allison M. Dickson
Public Enemy Number One, John Dillinger, looks to escape the feds with the help of a cunning wizard.
Content advisory: Gunfire
“Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell
A sentient house, haunted by its own loneliness, exercises its powers on a skeptic. This story was published by Diabolical Plots.
Content advisory: Brief discussion of death
“The Final Performance of the Amazing Ralphie” by Pat Cadigan
An AI-controlled avatar built to entertain patients in deep space performs innocuous magic tricks for patients… until one day, he adds something new to his act.
This story was originally published in AVATARS INC edited by Ann VanderMeer, and collected in THE YEAR’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, VOL. 2 edited by Jonathan Strahan.
PLUS! With FIYAH Literary Magazine and Tor.com, we announce the winners of the LeVar Burton Reads writing contest!
Content advisory: hospice setting, death
Immersive Remix: “The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex” by Tobias S. Buckell
Get a sneak peek of our immersive sound! A cab driver spends an ordinary day ferrying passengers around Manhattan — until an incident involving a wealthy alien tourist imperils his livelihood. Content advisory: alien death.
“The Placement Agency” by Tobias Buckell
What’s the weirdest temp job you can imagine? One outside time and space…
This story appears in Tobias Buckell’s collection SHOGGOTHS IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER STORIES, published by Fairwood Press.
Content advisory: some discussion of murder/death
“To Jump is to Fall” by Stephen Graham Jones
A spy narrates his thoughts as he jumps from an airplane and freefalls toward his government target.
If you enjoyed this story, check out Stephen Graham Jones’ novel, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, published by Saga Press.
Content advisory: death
“Drones to Ploughshares” by Sarah Gailey
A sentient government surveillance drone is ensnared, and must determine his captor’s motives. For more from Sarah Gailey, visit www.sarahgailey.com.
“The Usual Santas” by Mick Herron
A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst.
“The Usual Santas” appears in Mick Herron’s collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.