Some stories were written specifically for the podcast, and readers will surely hear the distinctive voices of the characters in their heads in tales such as T. Jemisin, in “Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death,” and Maurice Broaddus, in “City of Refuge,” both speculate on racially fraught futures, while Ken Liu, in “An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition,” poignantly reflects on the interconnectedness of human and alien species. Kameron Hurley’s “Citizens of Elsewhere” puts a sharp, modern spin on the time travel paradox tale in its account of the challenges faced by a corps of time-jumping midwives. Podcast fans will undoubtedly enjoy this book, as they experience stories written by their favorite “escape artists.” For the uninitiated in the Escape Pod universe, consider this anthology as an invitation to the new fiction revolution.The 15 pieces in this diverse, enjoyable anthology-all of which were featured in episodes of the Escape Pod podcast-showcase the wide variety of ideas the short science fiction story can accommodate. Jemsin’s heroine and pet dragon, as they battle the lazy, mediocre leaders of The Towers. Anyone who survived 2020 would find common ground with N.K. Greg Van Eekhout’s Spaceship October, Escape Pod episode 775, takes place on a generational spaceship where the privileged have all the advantages and the have-nots will do anything to survive.ĭiverse authors highlight the evolution of the sci-fi genre.

Sarah Gailey’s Tiger Lawyer Gets It Right is an alien planet court drama about the struggles of taking on big corporations but with an actual tiger as the defense attorney. Characters vary from time-traveling midwives to space-traveling theater geeks, to teddy bear spiders. Many stories take a serious tone, touching on social issues like classism and racism.

Highlighting the differences in oral versus written fiction, only one of the stories has been featured in the podcast.

Divya curated Escape Pod: fifteen stories from fifteen authors, award-winning writers who contributed their craft to the podcast. To celebrate its fifteenth year anniversary, the Hugo Award-nominated podcast Escape Pod published its first anthology of science fiction short stories.

Escape Pod by Mur Lafferty