written by David Steffen

Cast of Wonders is, as ever, the young adult fantasy/SF podcast. This list covers all of their episodes from when my last list was published on October 15, 2012 to the end of 2013. They published 56 stories in that timeframe. They also published a serialized young adult fantasy novel called Phoenix Watching, about a summer camp for mythical creatures.

The List

1. The Cardinals of Ever June by Sylvia Anna Hivà ©n
The last story of the year tops my list. A boy and his sister lost in the cold find a gateway to a magical land of eternal summer. It’s hard to explain why I thought it was so well done without spoiling it, so just go read it.

2. Daphne’s Daughter by Jennifer Tiemann
From the POV of a draiad who finds herself interested in a human man. Very cool point of view, well executed throughout.

3. Nuclear Family by Alex Shvartsman
A well-done child’s point of view in a bleak post-apocalyptic setting.

4. The Eye of Reason by S.R. Algernon
Something like a science fair in a land where what would recognize as science has been abandoned in favor of magic.

5. The Monster and Mrs. Blake by Alethea Kontis
A child has to deal with the monster in his room, and his mother’s attempts to help.

6. Downsizing Pluto by Shane Halbach
With the demotion of Pluto from planethood, a modern myth meant to parallel the real life demotion.

 

Honorable Mentions

The Treasure Hunter by Alexandra Grunberg