written by David Steffen
Podcastle is the weekly fantasy podcast published by Escape Artists, edited by Jen Albert and Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali. As well as weekly full-length feature episodes, they also publish occasional standalone flash stories as bonus episodes, as well as triple flash stories for the occasional feature episode collection.
In February Podcastle once again participated in the Artemis Rising event across the Escape Artists podcasts, publishing fantasy stories written by women and nonbinary authors.
Podcastle published 55 stories by my count in 2018.
Because #4 on the list is a story I originally published, I made the list one story longer so that it wouldn’t push another story off.
Every short story that is eligible for Hugo nominations this year which were first published by Podcastle are marked with an asterisk (*).
The List
1.“The Last Exorcist” by Danny Lore
A magazine article about Naheem, the last great exorcist in the modern day where demon-possessed people are a legally protected class.
2. “The Fumblers Alley Risk Emporium” by Julian Mortimer Smith
You can get almost anything at the Risk Emporium, as long as you’re willing to pay. It is no place for the desperate.
3. “Never Yawn Under a Banyan Tree” by Nibedita Sen
…or a ghost may leap down your throat and make itself very inconvenient.
4. “The Aunties Return the Ocean” by Chris Kuriata
The magical and spiteful aunties who live among us steal most of the ocean and bargain with their neighbors to give it back.
5. “A Non-Hero’s Guide to the Road of Monsters” by A.T. Greenblatt
A non-hero treads the path where hero after hero has failed, finding new ways to face the challenges.
6. “Waters of Versailles” (Parts 1, 2, and 3) by Kelly Robson
A man tries to make a name for himself in high society in Versailles with the help of a nisky companion helping him bring plumbing to the palace.
Honorable Mentions
“Hosting the Solstice” by Tim Pratt*
“The Island of the Nine Whirlpools” by E. Nesbit
“A Fine Balance” by Charlotte Ashley
“The Threadbare Magician” (Part 1 and 2) by Cat Rambo
