PodCastle is the world’s first audio fantasy magazine. Weekly, we broadcast the best in fantasy short stories, running the gammut from heart-pounding sword and sorcery, to strange surrealist tales, to gritty urban fantasy, to the psychological depth of magical realism. Our podcast features authors including N.K. Jemisin, Peter S. Beagle, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Jim C. Hines, and Cat Rambo, among others. Terry Pratchett once wrote, “Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can.” Tune in to PodCastle each Tuesday for our weekly tale, and spend the length of a morning commute giving your imagination a work out.
https://podcastle.org/
PodCastle 433: Telling Stories
by Sandra M. Odell
read by Julie C. Day
Sam knew there would be trouble the night the saguaro came to call. “Evening,” she said, and stepped aside for her unexpected guest.
The cactus scrunched down as far as it could and skittered through the door on its roots, bringing with it the breath of rocks, sage brush, and the cold Sonoran desert night. It stopped in the middle of the cabin’s sparsely furnished main room and straightened until its spines brushed the roof. “I hope I didn’t come at a bad time.”
Click here to continue reading.
A PodCastle original!
Rated PG-13.
Sandra M. Odell lives in Washington state with her husband, two sons, and a grumpy orange cat. She is an avid reader, compulsive writer, and rabid chocoholic. She is currently working on her second novel or world domination. Whichever comes first. You can find her online at http://writerodell.com/ and on Twitter @WriterOdell.
Julie C. Day’s fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in over two dozen venues, including Interzone, Podcastle, and Kaleidotrope. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast program and a Masters of Science in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts. In addition to Podcastle, she narrates other people’s fiction at StarshipSofa and FarFetched Fables and also acts as host and narrator of the Small Beer Press podcast. You can find Julie on Twitter @thisjulieday or through her website: www.stillwingingit.com.