Fantasy – The Drabblecast

Come walk the road (or unsettling staircase leading down into the earth) less traveled this week on the Drabblecast, as we present author Rory Say’s story “The Bridge.” Enjoy! Episode Art by Bo Kaier The Bridge by Rory Say Before they were let loose on the beach, the boy […]

The Quantum Doctor is in! …on this week’s Drabblecast. We bring you “Fatal Conditions,” by Chris Campbell. Read by Onicia D Mueller. Want to find more of this episode’s author Chris Campbell’s work? Find them on Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/chriscampbell.bsky.social or on their website: https://www.clundycampbell.com Like many good stories, Chris Campbell’s (he/him) starts with a wrong turn, […]

We can, as well. Create. Respect. His. Might. This story originally appeared in Clarkesworld. Go here to learn more and vote for your favorite stories of 2023 and 2024: ⁠The Strangies⁠ ⁠Norm Sherman’s latest CD, “The Instruction Book” Thomas Ha is a Nebula, Ignyte, Locus, and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated writer of speculative short fiction. You […]

In a little pastel house, a seer and a psychopomp have questions. This week on Drabblecast– something’s fishy in a curious small town. We bring you a paranormal murder-mystery byCormack Baldwin & EV Smith. Enjoy! Cormack Baldwin (he/him) and EV Smith (he/she/they) are a daring duo of authors and editors. Together, they run Archive of […]

We made it everyone! On this, the 500th episode, a commissioned original from a Drabblecast favorite– Shaenon Garrity. Episode Art: Bo Kaier Your Local Repairers of Reality By Shaenon K. Garrity When Oreos came out in Red Bull flavor, Jojo decided it was time to take action. There were bigger problems in the world, obviously, […]

This week on the Drabblecast, we bring you a dark ancient tale from a distant lost land called “The Black Waters of Lethe,” by Oliver Buckram. Also, exciting news! Norm is launching a new Kickstarter for his 3rd album, “The Instruction Book.” And how! Follow the upcoming campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drabblecast/the-instruction-book The Black Waters of Lethe […]

Our story this week is spoiling for a good time. Enjoy a delicious exploration of the human condition, “Bad Meat” by Chip Houser! Chip Houser (he/him) has stories in Bourbon Penn, PodCastle, Daily Science Fiction, and various other markets. “Dark Morsels,” a chapbook of his very short fiction, is forthcoming from Red Bird Chapbooks. He’s […]

Our story this week is “Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish” by K. W. Colyard. Enjoy! Cover art by Steve Lillie Do you long to be a part of the mob? Did this week’s story give you mob-envy? Then do we have something akin to a mob, but less angry, and less muddy, and […]

Let us quell your unease with our favorite platitude, “When God closes a door, he opens a window, but when Tom Floss squints at the mob through his window, Roy boards up the door for him.” Our story this week is “He Who Ruined Everything” by L. N. Clarke. Cover art by Bo Kaier Do […]

The Drabblecast hits the lanes this week with original story, “Cosmic Bowling” by Mike James Davis. Cover art by Shane Bevin! Drabblecast Patreon Cosmic Bowlingby Mike James Davis I’m a frequent bowler, very frequent in fact, and nothing tickles me more than when my local lanes fire up an old throwback: Cosmic Bowl. The nostalgia […]

The Drabblecast wraps up 2023 with a Drabbleganza, followed by a story about tough decisions and leaving things behind– a Drabblecast original by Em Liu, called “Snow.” Happy New Year! Drabblecast Patreon Cover art by Bo Kaier Snow by Em Liu I step out into the deep snow. In my right hand is a flashlight, […]

Ever feel Déjà vu on the road supposedly less traveled? Truth and lies on this week’s Drabblecast, we bring you an original story from Bob McHugh called “Is This a Plate?” Enjoy! Produced by Adam Pracht Read by Dominick Rabrun Beyond this point, two paths lie One you live, one you die Ask one […]

Norm closes out the year and existence as we know it, due to the phenomena known as “The Continuation,” with the Drabblecast annual holiday Tim Pratt story, an original commission called “How Lovely Are Your Branches.” Enjoy! Somebody was murdering people, but the killer’s name wasn’t showing up on my naughty list. That got me […]

The Drabblecast kicks off H.P. Lovecraft Month with the grandfather of Weird Fiction’s cautionary dark fantasy, “The Doom That Came to Sarnath.” There is in the land of Mnar a vast still lake that is fed by no stream and out of which no stream flows. Ten thousand years ago there stood by its shore […]

The Drabblecast brings you three original stories this week (Modern Fairytales, if you will) from authors Alice Gauntley, Matthew Sanborn Smith, and Kevin D. Anderson. Enjoy! Our birthday was the first of March, and for two weeks beforehand it was all Caleb could talk about—cake, presents, and, most importantly, whom to invite. He would chatter […]

We’re getting back to nature this week on the Drabblecast, with Michael Piel’s original story, “Watch Anya Blume.” Enjoy! Anya Blume showered, slept, and showered again. Yes, she thought, she was beginning to feel human. Exhausted, sure, but human. She popped five Advil and closed the medicine cabinet. There, at the bottom of the mirror […]

Warning: some explicit language. Join us this week for a little Camp Dystopia! The Drabblecast brings you a story about growing up the hard way by Sofia Samatar, called “How to Get Back to the Forest.” Enjoy! Episode Sponsor- “You Know It’s True” by J.R. Hamantaschen “You have to puke it up,” said Cee. […]

Weird things are afoot in the west this week on the Drabblecast! Enjoy an original, previously unpublished story about snails of the plains gone awry by Joshua Bush called “The Witchita Drive.” Yeehaw! They were down in a gully watering the cattle when Billy came thundering down the ridgeline on his sorrel mare, waving his […]

Sea creatures and sorority sisters on this week’s Drabblecast! We bring you an original tale by Stephanie Gray called, “The Secret of Theta Pi.” Enjoy! We travel back to Tandy’s Cove in a caravan of three, Cindy Q’s Miata leading, followed by the rented van, dirty white with the windows rolled up, and Beneeta G’s […]

Norm brings in the New Year with an original Drabblecast story by author Tim Pratt! This story is a sequel to last year’s Holiday Special story, “Comfort and Joy,” check that one out here! She was a blonde — the kind of blonde to make a bishop bite through his altar cloth. I used to […]

This week’s Drabblecast features a poignant story about patience, perspective, parenthood and the paranormal. We bring you “A Promise,” by Jennifer Hudak. Enjoy! I reach out nonexistent fingers to catch your arm, the hem of your shirt. You, there. Sitting on the edge of the bed, head bowed, dripping with sorrow. Your hair is thinning, […]

Drabblecast fan Jen Fischer hosts another Drabbleclassics episode this week, bringing you a touching H.P. Lovecraft mythos story called “Maybe the Stars,” by Samantha Henderson.

Alternate history on this week’s show– an original story by Edward J. Knight about the American Civil War that we perhaps only narrowly missed! 7 August 1865 My darling Emily, I do not know if this letter will reach you, but if it does, I hope it finds you well. General Lee has sent word […]

On this week’s Drabblecast, Norm and author Matthew Sanborn Smith bring you a dose of perspective during these crazy times where weirdness seems to be the norm. Remember those invisible things around us that support and hold us no matter what our struggles our, and remember to cherish each moment of every day. I wonder […]

Episode Sponsor- I’m From Nowhere by Lindsay Lerman Damita managed The Fracture’s visitor centre and gift shop, while Jem took the guided tours. There was also a cafe, which always had fresh coffee and an inventive selection of hot sandwiches, although Damita had never met anyone who worked in the kitchens. ‘They’re all very industrious, […]

Episode Sponsor- I’m From Nowhere, a novel by Lindsay Lerman. This week’s Drabblecast explores unrequited love and how relationships, like anything in life, are susceptible to change. We bring you a full cast production of David D. Levine’s space opera story “Love in the Balance,” read to you by Mike Boris, Lauren Synger, Veronica Giguere, Adam […]

Lovecraft Month continues as the Drabblecast brings you an original, commissioned piece of H.P. Lovecraft mythos fiction, “Dance, Siege, Swoop” by award-winning author Robert Reed. Be sure to keep a night light on, this one will chill you to the core! Story Excerpt: “My foot did not discover the prize, nor was I the first […]

The Drabblecast presents an original story: “The Dandelion Man” by Jack Nicholls. A tale of coming of age, a tale of survival; a fight to discover who is of the soil and who is of the air… Story Excerpt: Teo and Paulus stood at the shore of the pampas, where the grass grew twice as […]

This week we bring you “The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change” by Kij Johnson. This story depicts a world in the aftermath of “The Change,” a mysterious event whereby all domesticated mammals spontaneously gain near-human intelligence and the ability to speak. It was shortlisted for the 2007 […]

In this Drabbleclassics episode, fan and audio producer Fred Greenhalgh presents two classic Drabblecast stories by acclaimed author Mur Lafferty exploring the dichotomy of pie and cake. In “The Blueberry Pie” successfully slaying the titular food item stands as the first rite of passage for a child wishing to officially join the tribe of the pie […]

Closing out Women and Aliens month, The Drabblecast brings you another originally commissioned story: “Witches for Mars” by Eden Royce. It’s a surreal tale about considering greener pastures… Story Excerpt: No one expected the government to allow it. To acknowledge it even, but Maira was looking at the advertisement above a webpage she was […]

This week The Drabblecast presents “Fruit and Words” by Aimee Bender; a story about words and their meanings. Aimee Bender is an American novelist and short story writer, known for her surreal plots and characters. Bender’s works have been published in GQ, Harper’s, Opium Magazine, and several anthologies. She has also been heard on This […]

Drabbleclassics is a fan-hosted monthly series that features fan-picked stories from the Drabblecast archives. Our fan-host this month is listener Zimmerman Bledsoe, who presents author Tim Pratt‘s take on New Year’s resolutions with his original Drabblecast Commissioned story, “Happy Old Year,” featured as Drabblecast episode 308 and read by Matt Hayes. This story features “Elsie,” […]

This week on the Drabblecast we present “The Slaying of the Dragon” by Dino Buzzati. Enjoy this rare piece of translated fiction by Italian novelist and short story writer Dino Buzzati, about what might happen today if we discovered a dragon. Dino Buzzati was a painter, playwright, poet, novelist, short story writer, opera librettist, mountaineer, […]

“It’s about getting on the bus…” Norm and author Aliya Whiteley talk double decker busses, double decker tacos, embracing weirdness for what it is and reinventing yourself. They also get into the in’s and out’s of the first ever Drabblecast People’s Choice Award Winner for “Best Story” back in 2007, for this “Director’s Cut: Jelly […]

Drabbleclassics is a fan-hosted monthly series that features fan-picked stories from the Drabblecast archives. Our Drabbleclassics host this time around is Jen Fisher, who presents author Aliya Whiteley’s take on mindless marketing, the grunge rock anti-establishment, and the struggles of a young couple trying to fight a bizarre takeover, in her story “Go Beep.” Oh, […]

Three days left in the Drabblecast Reborn Kickstarter! You’ve still got time to get in there and get some awesome Drabblecast rewards. In this Relaunch Prelaunch episode, you’ll hear excerpts from Drabblecast resident Cryptozoologist Connor Choadsworth’s past adventures, and also about how you can help fund his next adventure by helping us reach our 45K Kickstarter […]

The Drabblecast continues Lovecraft Month with “The Innsmouth of the South,” an originally commissioned story by Rachael K. Jones. Imitation and authenticity are as much a part of the H.P. Lovecraft mythos as any of the Old Ones in today’s open source fiction universe. If one theme pierces all of Lovecraft’s work it is that […]

The canary yellow shirt read “Camp Fit,” but it didn’t quite fit the bulbous, pre-adolescent boy cringing in the cabin’s corner. Rows of bunks lined both sides of the room. Standing over the boy, Worgly raised his shaggy brown arms and roared with his terrible roar. “You’re going to eat me!” And the monster gnashed […]

This episode of the Drabblecast brings you “A Last Kiss for Lazarus Winters,” another story in D.K. Thompson’s Saint Darwin’s Spirituals series. D.K. Thompson was the host and co-editor of PodCastle, a fantasy fiction podcast, for five years, and has narrated audiobooks by Tim Pratt, Greg van Eekhout, and James Maxey, among others. Story Excerpt: […]

When it comes to ghosts, my grandmother has one solution: brew a pot of coffee. Like today, in Sadie Lancaster’s kitchen. Sadie clutches her hands beneath her chin and stares at our percolator, her eyes huge. The thing gurgles and hisses as if it resents being pressed into service. My own reflection in its side […]

The Drabblecast presents: “The Little Mermaid of Innsmouth” by Caroline M. Yoachim. This is a new take on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fish tale, replete with all the Lovecraftian lore you should expect from The Drabblecast! Story Excerpt: Tomiko knelt at the table, across from her father, carefully holding her back rigid and […]

Aoife always told me that you could go anywhere, as long as you had the right map. So when it happened, my first thought, when I let myself into her apartment after not hearing from her for three days, was this weird feeling of pride. She’d done it. She was gone. All of […]

Clutch has killed somebody recently. This goes without saying. For as long as Clutch can remember, he has always killed somebody “recently.” If not within the last few hours, then certainly within the last few days. He may have gone as long as a couple of weeks without, from time to time, when circumstances conspired […]

“Then Duck left Mr. Tomkin’s farm and went to swim in Glacier Lake, just like he’d always wanted.” Mommy looked up from the last page, but Clara wasn’t sleeping. “And then what did Duck do?” Clara asked. “That’s all there is.” “Duck died?” Mommy had explained about dying on the way home from visiting Grandpa. […]

I didn’t kill God; we should clear that up right away. I just captured him and put him in a little box. It sounds harder than it actually was. Hannah helped me make it. Her dark, sad eyes so serious and focused behind the wire-rimmed glasses she always wore, her slender fingers tracing the passages […]

10. _Influenza siderius_ begins as a general malaise. That is always the first symptom. Perhaps you wish to doze on the sofa, but your husband suggests a little fresh air instead. You do feel better after the walk, but by the next morning the listlessness has returned tenfold. Your husband complains when you order takeout […]

Before Heidi came along, Michael did everything he could to keep the damn faeries out of his apartment. Every night he washed and dried his dishes, never left one dripping in the drying rack. Always fished the food particles from the drain, took the trash out, sealed his cereal in glass jars. […]

The fiery orange sun hung high over the Bangkok skyline to the south. Professor Tina Montri rearranged her skirt and adjusted the alligator skin briefcase on her lap which held the presentation and research notes from her talk at the university. A breeze stirred on the back of her neck, warm and relaxing. She could […]