The Drabblecast Audio Fiction Podcast

Kicking off this year’s H.P. Lovecraft month with a classic from the man himself. It’s not your mind playing tricks it’s The Rats in the Walls! On July 16, 1923, I moved into Exham Priory after the last workman had finished his labours. Featuring original Episode art by Bo Kaier Twabble: The scraping sound drags me […]

Official Video Trailer for Drabblecast 412– 1977 by Carrie Vaughn. Read by Naomi Mercer, Norm Sherman, Mike Boris and Veronica Giguere. Do The Hustle!

This week, the Drabblecast presents a full cast production of “1977” by Carrie Vaughn. “Have another one,” the guy said, and Megan did because she was thirsty, though a martini was probably not what she should be drinking. She was too far gone to question. She downed the drink in three swallows while the guy […]

This week on the Drabblecast, something a little different! “Wholesale Solution” is a full cast radio play set in a dystopic science fiction universe where nothing is as it seems. Written and produced by Fred Greenhalgh and Jack Bowman, buckle in for a ride to Europa! Story Excerpt: We are inside a holding cell containing […]

On this week’s Drabblecast, Norm and NPR’s Chioke I’Anson bring you stories about the voices in your head, including “Go Between” by acclaimed writer China Mieville. “Go Between” tells the tale of a man who, for several years, has been receiving strange instructions to deliver seemingly random items from location to location. Agonizing over effect […]

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This week the Drabblecast brings you two new, previously unpublished stories by SF genre luminary Robert Reed. Reed published his first novel, The Leeshore in 1987. Since then he has received nominations for both the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award, as well as numerous other literary awards. In 2007, he won his first Hugo […]

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 […]

“Just Lookin’ for Chocolate.” Norm and author Kevin Anderson discuss the horror genre, the origins of Cryptkeeper Norm, and of course, the hit story “The Box-Born Wraith” featured as Drabblecast episode 87 back in 2008 and published as our second official Halloween Special. “We all die in the dark, Benny…” Another Drabblecast Director’s Cut bringing […]

Today The Drabblecast brings you an original story commissioned by Karen Heuler: “Beauty Tips for the Apocalypse.” Karen Heuler wrote her first novel when she was eleven, and she’s been worshiping books at the altar ever since. Story Excerpt: In times such as these, with the world shaken to its core, it is all too […]

This week The Drabblecast presents “Wet Fur” by Jeremiah Tolbert. From Jeremiah: “This story came to me wholly formed in a dream one day. I wrote it in a white hot tear, desperate to capture all the details and emotions that had seemed so immediate in the dream. It’s about how our pets live such […]

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 […]

Drabbleclassics: A fan-hosted Series that features fan-picked stories from the Drabblecast archives, remastered and brought to you by fans like our host this week, Bart Epstein. Enjoy! This week for Drabbleclassics Bart Epstein brings your Primary Pollinator, by Nicole Kimberling. When Dr. Lopez came for me, I was plunging the geo lab toilet. She carried […]

Next up in Women and Aliens month: a Drabblecast original commissioned from author Eboni J. Dunbar, “The Translator.” Eboni Dunbar resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner and specializes in queer and black speculative fiction. She is also a VONA Alum, an associate editor for PodCastle and a freelance reviewer. Story Excerpt: […]

We’re in the thick of Women and Aliens month, and we’re keeping it going with an original commissioned story— “The Moving Stars” by Premee Mohamed. Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and specfic auhor based out of Canada. Her short fiction has appeared in Analog, Pseudopod, Mythic Delirium, Automata Review, and other venues. Her debut […]

“A Musical on a Submarine” Norm and author Kristine Kathryn Rusch discuss her story from way back in 2008 for Drabblecast #53. This is the “Director’s Cut – Sing.” We also dive into a discussion about unsung women in Science Fiction, like Leigh Bracket and James Tipree Jr. Why use a pen name after all? […]

Women and Aliens Month continues with Part 2 of “We Who Stole The Dream” by James Tiptree Jr., aka Alice Bradley Sheldon. If you have not heard part one, you can find that here. Sadism, slavery, power and oppression… are we ever truly innocent? Or is there the potential of cruelty in all of us? […]

The Drabblecast launches its 8th Annual Women and Aliens Month with Part 1 of “We Who Stole the Dream” by James Tiptree Jr. This is a dark, dystopian tale about sadism and slavery, and the potential for cruelty in all of us. Published postmortem in the 1990 compilation “Her Smoke Rose Up Forever,” this story […]

“My Kids Think I’m Nuts” Norm and Drabblecast Audio Producer Adam Pracht talk about the Maker’s Movement, everything wrong with Gloucester, the finer points of audio production and of course the three stories in this classic Trifecta Special themed around “Things We Made.” Drabblecast Director’s Cut Specials are regular monthly features where we bring back […]

This week the Drabblecast presents a Trifecta Special: “We Don’t Talk Any More.” “One in Four Adults” by Catherine Schaff-Stump Cath Schaff-Stump writes fiction for children and adults, from humor to horror. She is the author of the Klaereon Scroll series, the most recent of which is The Pawn of Isis, coming in March, 2019. […]

This week The Drabblecast presents “The Day After the Day the Martians Came” by Frederik Pohl. Jokes can teach you a lot about the underlying anxieties of a culture. The old line “take me to your leader” was actually a jab at President Eisenhower’s leadership during the Cold War. This story is about jokes and […]

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 […]

This week the Drabblecast brings you three stories about shipwrecks, murder, and Nazis. It’s a Losses and Sacrifices Trifecta! “Seven Losses of Na Re” by Rose Lemberg This is a brooding look back on things taken, things lost, and things always remembered. Rose Lemberg is a queer, bigender immigrant from Eastern Europe and Israel. Their […]

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, […]

“…And Then What?” Norm and author Vincent Eaton revisit a parasite-oriented listener favorite with this “Director’s Cut Special: The Worm Within.” This classic episode originally aired way back in 2007. Norm and Vincent talk about effective storytelling, disturbing body horror, and then they delve into variations on the “Meet the Parents” movie theme. Yeah, things get […]

Merry Christmas strangers! The Drabblecast has something rather wicked fixed up for you this holiday season! We present to you a festive tale from fan-favorite Tim Pratt! It’s called “Dirty Santa.” It’s a story that takes us on a journey with one awkward, balding, twenty-something to a Christmas party where he meets a mysterious stranger […]

Today the Drabblecast brings you “Diamante and Strass” by Lucy A. Snyder. Lucy A. Snyder is a five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, appearing in publications such as Pseudopod, Strange Horizons, and Weird Tales. She lives in Columbus, Ohio and is faculty in Seton Hill University’s MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. Our story today has […]

“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 […]

The Drabblecast brings you “Single Parent” by Sarah Gailey. Sarah Gailey is a Hugo Award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction, and a regular contributor for Tor.com and Barnes & Noble. Single Parent follows one father’s journey to face the monsters in his son’s closet and some demons of his own. It was originally produced for […]

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, […]

Today, The Drabblecast brings you “Day of the Dog” by Aliya Whiteley. We’ve still got a few bones to pick with our dog-eat-dog micro theme. So if you enjoy last week’s tail, here’s another one to sniff you nose at (and, yes, a few more incollarable puns). Aliya Whiteley is a writer of dark tales […]

Today the Drabblecast brings you “I Will Remain” by David Steffen. It’s a show for all our weird listeners out there that are dog people…maybe literally. Yes, it’s a ruff day in paradise. (Oh yeah, we’re barking up the dog pun tree.) We think you’ll thank us when you hear what we’ve unleashed. The author […]

The Drabblecast presents “Night of the Living POTUS” by Adam-Troy Castro. Every President Elect has “the briefing.” You know the one. The President opens a binder and learns the awful truths of the world. They all have to learn the same lesson. This is the story of one President who learns the horrifying truth and […]

The Drabblecast completes its triumphant return with the conclusion of this two-part Halloween special: “Skullpocket: Part 2” by Nathan Ballingrud! In this riveting finale we learn the origins of the Orchid Girl, the mystery behind Skull Pocket Fair, and the horrible truth behind the Extinction Event. A freak show awaits you indeed! Story Excerpt: But […]

The Drabblecast is finally reborn with this special two-part Halloween story: “Skullpocket” by Nathan Ballingrud! It’s been a long year and a half(ish), folks. Death just isn’t what it used to be. Frankly it’s boring. Everyone screaming and crying at each other, the incessant heat, obsessive social media addicts—it gets old, ya know? Can’t we […]

The Drabblecast Reborn! Yeah, it’s happening! There’s just 48 hours left to be a part of it, folks. That’s right, our Drabblecast Reborn Kickstarter Campaign comes to a close this Wednesday, October 17th @ 7 pm EST/4 pm PST. In our recap, Norm wraps up the final Drabblecast Relaunch Prelaunch episode with gratitude, news, and […]

Cryptozoologist Connor Choadsworth deep into the Florida Everglades in search of the elusive and decidedly misplaced “Burmese Floridian Python…” Pallid, oddly-accented Choadsworth and his slack-jawed, knuckle-dragging camera man Jeff embark on an exhaustive trek deep into f&$%ing Florida! Seriously, what kind of creatures actually live in f&$%ing Florida? Meet the Burmese Floridian Python: A snake […]

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 […]

Drabblecast Fan Zimmerman goes over his first Drabblecast love, remembering his trip through the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska, in this Drabblecast Relaunch Prelaunch fan pick. The smallness we feel in big places; the conversations we have with ourselves. The real lesson of life is to laugh. “Because life, no matter how dark, when read as […]

A special throwback episode. With One week left in the Drabblecast Reborn Kickstarter, Norm presents one of his favorite surreal stories from deep in the archive by Hootingyard writer and Resonance FM radio personality Frank Key, and gives us a teaser about Frank’s commissioned story for Drabblecast Kickstarter Supporters The bullet-riddled corpses of our dead […]

The Drabblecast Reborn Kickstarter campaign continues! Today, Fan Picks: Followed, by Will McIntosh as chosen and introduced by Drabblecast fan Boo Yeah. Hear her thoughts on an unsettling story about living with the consequences of our actions… This story originally aired in 2011. Story Excerpt: She came wandering down the sidewalk like any other corpse, […]

As the Drabblecast Reborn Kickstarter campaign continues, we bring you another Fan Pick: The Belonging Kind. Drabblecast fan Kyle Sellers introduces this eerie story about how hard fitting in can be sometimes… It might have been in Club Justine, or Jimbo’s, or Sad Jack’s, or the Rafters; Coretti could never be sure where he’d first […]

A very special throwback story from our editor/founder/host and general bon vivant Norm Sherman. Listen to 11 year old Norm take us to the edge of the unknown with a story he wrote for 7th grade English class back in the day. And speaking of mishearing those words as “Backing Today,” check out the Drabblecast […]

An Editor Lagerklatsch! Just what the hell is a Lagerklatsch? Well if you’ve been to a convention or two you might be familiar with the phrase “coffee klatsch.” You can probably do the linguistics from there, replacing coffee with something…hoppier. Made up German words are fun! In fact, that’s a special charm of the German […]

The leadup to our Relaunch Kickstarter campaign continues with this Fan Pick: The Last Dog. This was a favorite of one of our newest team members, Jen Fisher, d(r)abbler of all things and master of none. We’ll be doing more of these with opportunities for fans to record their own introductions to their favorite stories […]

As a lead up to our Relaunch, The Drabblecast brings you a compilation of our Top 5 Drabbles and Twabbles. That’s 100-word stories and 100-character stories, for those new to the show. They might also known as “flash fiction.” This compilation comes from you, our listeners and fans. Wanna tell us your favorite? Have some […]

The Drabblecast presents “The Parasite Parade,” an audio version of an original children’s book written by Norm Sherman. The illustrations are by Caroline Parkinson. It’s a children’s book about—you guessed it—parasites! Why, you ask? Seriously, kids these days just seem too normal. With their green energy and their social awareness. Children need disturbing realities too […]

This week, The Drabblecast brings you a compilation of our “Drabble News” segments, including songs and skits from the past 10 years. We’ve mined through the years to dig up some our favorite subjects, including fan favorites expressed to us through social media. Subjects might include: Monster Jellyfish Utah Fast Food Rap Zombie Ants RPS: […]