PodCastle
| PodCastle | |
|---|---|
| Presentation | |
| Genre | Fantasy fiction Short Stories |
| Updates | Weekly |
| Publication | |
| Original release | 1 April 2008 |
PodCastle is a weekly audio fantasy fiction podcast.[1] They release audio performances of fantasy short fiction, including all the subgenres of fantasy, including magical realism, urban fantasy, slipstream, high fantasy, and dark fantasy. As of 2018, Jen R. Albert and Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali share editing duties and the show is mainly hosted by assistant editor Setsu Uzume, with occasional guest hosts.
History
PodCastle was the third show conceived by Escape Artists, Inc. founder, Serah Eley, which also produces Escape Pod, Pseudopod and Cast of Wonders. PodCastle launched on 1 April 2008 with Rachel Swirsky as founding editor and Ann Leckie as assistant editor.[2] Swirsky left in 2010 to focus on her own writing, and went on to win the 2013 Nebula for her short story "If You Were A Dinosaur, My Love".[3][4][5] Ann Leckie's 2013 novel, Ancillary Justice, won multiple awards, including the 2014 Hugo Award for best novel.[6]
Editors Anna Schwind and Dave Thompson stepped down at the end of March 2015 and were slated to be replaced by Kitty NicIaian and Dawn Phynix, with Leckie continuing to serve as associate editor.[7][8] However, the new editors were unable to take the helm, and Rachael K. Jones and Graeme Dunlop began sharing editing and hosting duties instead.[9]
In 2018 the editorial reins were handed over to the current staff, an international cohort headed by co-editors Khaalidah Muhammad Ali and Jen R. Albert.[10]
Content
PodCastle has released hundreds of stories on a weekly basis with stories generally between 2,000 and 6,000 words long, written by authors such as Peter S. Beagle, Nancy Kress, Jeff VanderMeer, N.K. Jemisin, Kelly Link and Ken Liu. Although focused on short fiction, PodCastle has also run reviews and longer stories, both as hour-plus "Giant" episodes and as multi-part serials.
PodCastle is distributed under a Creative Commons license that allows non-commercial redistribution, requires attribution, and forbids derivatives. The fiction itself remains copyrighted by its respective authors. PodCastle contracts with authors for non-exclusive audio rights and pays semi-professional rates.[7] The site averages 79,900 monthly downloads of the podcast.[11] Podcasts such as Podcastle, Pseudopod, and EscapePod provide a means of accessing speculative fiction online.[12]
Reception
The podcast has been a finalist for the Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Story (Short Form) for "Restless in My Hand" by Tim Pratt[13] and again in 2015 for Best Speculative Fiction Story: Large Cast (Short Form) for “Super-Baby-Moms Group Saves the Day” by Tina Connolly.[14]
PodCastle won the 2017 Academy of Podcasters award for Fiction[15] and was a finalist for the 2018 World Fantasy Award in their category[16]
Short fiction audio podcast magazines like Escape Pod and its sister publications, Pseudopod and PodCastle, have caught the interest and imagination of fiction enthusiasts, and doing a wonderful job at reviving awareness in both new short fiction and classic works
— Eugie Foster, The UK SF Book News Network[17]
References
- ^ "PodCastle". CastRoller. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
- ^ "Monthly Archives: April 2008". Escape Artists, Inc. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
- ^ "Spotlight On: Rachel Swirsky, Writer". Locus. 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
- ^ "2013 Nebula Awards Winners". Locus. 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
- ^ http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2014-hugo-awards/
- ^ "2014 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Submission Guidelines". Escape Artists, Inc. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
- ^ "Pulling the Future Toward Me". Retrieved 2015-01-06.
- ^ "PodCastle Editorial Announcement And Submissions Update". Escape Artists, Inc. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ^ "About Us (Staff)". Escape Artists, Inc.
- ^ "2013 Magazine Summary". Locus. February 2014.
- ^ Dozois, Gardner (2011). The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Eighth Annual Collection. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-1-4299-8306-8. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
- ^ "Parsec Awards 2010 Finalists". Escape Artists, Inc. August 4, 2010. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
- ^ "2015 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists".
- ^ "2017 Academy of Podcasters". Podcast Movement LLC.
- ^ "2018 World Fantasy Award Nominations and Honorees". Baltimore Science Fiction Society (bsfs.org).
- ^ Eugie Foster. "The Fix - short fiction website launches today!". The UK SF Book News Network. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
