Hello friends! It’s our second (probably) annual Nebula Awards Short Story episode. We have an amazing slate of stories to discuss this week from a woman with iron shoes and a bear husband to the terrors of a hospital waiting room filled with flesh-eating bugs. Read these great stories and then listen to us chat about them!
We have a super special announcement too! We have launched a Patreon – now you can support the show, get some sweet Young Podawans swag and of course our undying appreciation!
Segment 1: What Are We Geeking Out About? (3:30)
Every week in the opening segment we discuss what we’re currently geeking out about! This week Kristin is geeking out about Anne with an E (with bonus reactions from the Anne of Green Gables fandom and faithful) and Brian is geeking out about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (with bonus super long – perhaps our longest ever – tangent about the Defenders trailer).
Segment 2: What Are We Drinking About This Week? (18:27)
Another regular segment where we discuss – you guessed it – what we’re drinking. Kristin’s drinking Homebrew Wild Rice Brown Ale and Brian’s drinking Peak Organic Summer Session Ale.
Segment 3: Nebula Shorts Discussion (21:32)
- A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong
- Very evocative prose, without being too purple.
- Sister creating and destroying different timelines over and over again to save her sister.
- Reminded us of Madoka.
- About being able to let go – not obsess/grieve about things we can’t change.
- Trans sister / subtle treatment of world’s cruelty, not being accepted.
- Ending a little abrupt.
- Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies by Brooke Bolander
- A very angry but very satisfying story.
- Unique bullet point formating and first person narrative.
- Taking back the story for the victim, instead of the crime being the narrative of their life.
- Timely in this age of harassment and erasure of victims stories.
- This is Not A Wardrobe Door by A. Merc Rustad
- Maybe sort of a Portal Fantasy?
- Maybe sort of a happy story?
- The ending was a little bittersweet and a little puzzling too?
- Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station│Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0 by Caroline M. Yoachim
- Choose Your Own Adventure but not really.
- The “Cat Pictures Please” of this year’s slate – funny but still a little disturbing.
- Futility of getting health care – all paths lead to Z!
- Brian shares a similar, less horrifying health care experience.
- Things With Beards by Sam J. Miller
- MacReady? That’s gotta be a Thing reference.
- This is like a sequel-ish to The Thing?
- The monster of The Thing allegory for AIDS.
- Sabbath Wine by Barbara Krasnoff
- Kristin accidentally got spoiled on this one, but enjoyed it anyway.
- Brian thought the lead up was a little long, but the ending reveal was well done.
- Nice blend of real world/Prohibition era characters with fantasy.
- Interesting cast of side characters too.
- Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar
- Lovely and often bittersweet endings to Amal’s stories.
- Story about women saving each other/themselves.
- Self-constructed prisons – each of them thinking the other was crazy for making their choice, but not seeing they had done the same thing.
- Giving up the things we think we need in order to gain the things that will save us.
- Really loved this story was about friendship.
Segment 4: Outro, Contact Info & Outtakes! (63:48)
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