Fiction

OBSIDIAN Episode 28: "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO (repost) /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This is a fixed repost of OBSIDIAN episode 28. The video "froze" in the previous version of this episode, but has been fixed here. Please accept J.C.'s apologies for the inconvenience. Also, please see his note at the end of this post for another apology regarding another part of this vid.

Welcome to the seventh video episode of "Voices From the Darkness," where the stars and creators are 7th Son fans from across this globe. This is the second of a "triple play" of videos: tomorrow will see the release of the third -- and likely final -- "Voices From the Darkness" video episodes.

NOTE FROM J.C.: I had some serious issues with the video for this episode. In the process of troubleshooting, I swapped the order of two clips -- Geoff Schaadt's and Jeremiah McCoy's -- but neglected to change their order in the end credits. The credits list Jeremiah's clip as being "Scene Two" and Geoff's as "Scene Three." The video is inaccurate; those credits should be reversed. The correct credits are listed here in the shownotes.

Please accept my apologies, Jeremiah, Geoff and 7th Son viewers.

OBSIDIAN Episode 27: "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the sixth video episode of "Voices From the Darkness," where the stars and creators are 7th Son fans from across this globe. This is the first of a "triple play" of videos: tomorrow and the next day will see releases of additional episodes, as well.

OBSIDIAN Episode 26: "Voices From the Darkness" /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the sixth episode of Voices From the Darkness. All of the audio in this episode was contributed anonymously by 7th Son fans around the globe. If you recognize your contribution in this episode, please contact J.C. and he'll include your credit in the shownotes here.

Coming up on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: More fan-created content -- and Eusocial Networking by Scott Sigler....

OBSIDIAN: Episode 25 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Today sees the release of the hilarious short-short story The Odds by the legendary Wichita Rutherford! Wichita Rutherford is the world-renowned podcast celebrity. He is recognized as a true pioneer of the podcasting movement and continues to push the envelope with his cutting edge, innovative digital content. He's also ... precious.

When Wichita first came on the podcasting scene, it was obvious he was something special. An interviewer and Bluegrass historian with a knack for making famous people laugh, it didn't take long for the Bluegrass community to take notice, including superstars such as Alison Krauss, Dierks Bentley, John Paul Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Gillian Welch, Bela Fleck and Doc Watson. These are just some of the superstars who lined up to be interviewed on his podcast, "5 Minutes with Wichita." Demand became so insatiable that Wichita soon found himself the very first Podcaster with a deal at SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

XM is now Wichita's "satellite radio home" after his two-year run on SIRIUS. His new show, "The Grand Old Time Machine," has an unprecedented fan base.

Wichita is also one of the celebrity spokespersons for TreeMe.org, a fledgling non-profit whose goal is to have 25,000 trees planted the week of 4/20/09.

PROMOS:

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: Two "Voices from the Darkness" episodes -- one audio, one video -- and then the debut of Scott Sigler's two-part masterpiece, Eusocial Networking!

OBSIDIAN: Episode 24 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Feast your ears on the penultimate showcase short story in 7th Son: OBSIDIAN -- The Goodbye Party, by Christiana Ellis.

Christiana Ellis is an award-winning writer and podcaster living in Morrisville, North Carolina. She has been podcasting since September of 2005, when she launched her first show, "Christiana Talks About Stuff." Since then, podcasting has assimilated all of her free time, much like the Borg. In 2006, she produced a podcast audiobook version of her then-unpublished novel, Nina Kimberly the Merciless, a comic fantasy about the teenage daughter of a feared Barbarian conqueror. Nina Kimberly the Merciless was a finalist for the first ever Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Story: Long Form, and since completion of the podcast version, the novel has been selected for print publication by Dragon Moon Press, coming to bookstores in May, 2009.

Among her multiple other projects, Christiana also produced Space Casey, a ten-episode audiodrama miniseries about a con artist who steals the wrong spaceship. Casey's adventures earned Christiana multiple award nominations, and was the winner of the both the American Society for Science Fiction Audio's prestigious Mark Time Award, and the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama Short Form.

Even beyond the podosphere, Space Casey has received radio play on multiple radio stations all over the country. Presently, Christiana has some big projects in development, but in the meantime she has been contributing to other podcasts, including Mur Lafferty's "Stories of the Third Wave," 7th Son: Obsidian, and the collaborative storyline of the "Pieces Podcast." Last but not least, Christiana's "Shallow Thoughts" has been running continuously since April, providing a daily dose of serene surrealism, and earning the 2008 Podcast Peer Award for Best Short Podcast.

Find her online at ChristianaEllis.com.

PROMOS:

Coming up on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: More "Voices from the Darkness" episodes ... and Euscocial Networking, the two-part tale by Scott Sigler!

OBSIDIAN: Episode 23 "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the fifth "Voices From The Darkness" video episode -- a series of video stories created by 7th Son fans. This one, titled Obsidian: Blackout, was created by 7th Son fans based in Australia. How did these Aussies portray life in the U.S. during the two-week OBSIDIAN blackout? You'll have to watch, to admire their creativity.

Obsidian: Blackout
Starring Matt Brooks, Holly Barker & Nic Barker With support from Lachlan Brooks, Kathryn Brooks & Robert Mitchell

Excellent stuff, guys. Thanks so much for playing in my universe, from a half-world away.

OBSIDIAN Episode 22: "Voices From the Darkness" /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the fifth audio episode of "Voices From The Darkness," a set of stories set during 7th Son: OBSIDIAN blackout. Voices From The Darkness is a series that is entirely created by you, and people just like you: 7S fans from across the globe.

I've been amazed by these contributions, and the experiment in fiction that they represent. Ultimately, VFTD reveals, at least to me, that a creator of a fictional world can successfully open up his universe for not just other authors -- which is what OBSIDIAN's short stories do -- but to fans, and receive world-class, world-building, universe-enhancing entertainment from them. VFTD is remarkable in that it proves that the membrane between audience and author isn't just flexible, it's downright breakable, and that the roles can be reversed in a way that everybody benefits.

I'm delighted to be a spectator for the OBSIDIAN experience -- for these episodes specifically -- and I'm proud of what you have created here. And so, let's turn the lights off, and once again dive into the calls from the blackout. Behold, the world that you and your fellow fans have created: a world where, when the power fails, chaos reigns...

--J.C.

Note: I will post contributors' names and links in this entry next week, after return from Dragon*Con. Thanks for your patience!

OBSIDIAN: Epsiode 21 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This OBSIDIAN episode features a comedic skit from musician and podcaster George Hrab and writer and podcaster Soccergirl. These artists are dangerously smart and talented, and it's an honor to have them appear here in the OBSIDIAN podcast.

About George Hrab: Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and composer George Hrab has written and produced five independent CDs; published one book; performed for President Clinton; shared the stage with countless numbers of musicians and acts; and is the de facto President for Life of The Geologic Orchestra. He also does a mean solo acoustic show. Dude's got charisma.

George also produces a weekly podcast called "The Geologic Podcast," which has been nominated for a 2008 Parsec Award for Best "Infotainment" Cast.

About Soccergirl: One of the first podcasters ever, Soccergirl has written, starred in and produced nearly 300 episodes of her popular audio and video podcast, "Soccergirl, Incorporated," reaching an audience of up to 80,000 worldwide. The show features free thinking moxie, the pluck of the ages and satirical social commentary via an eclectic mix of experimental fiction (much of it science-y), original music (including freestyle rhymes), fake news, interviews, the lusty interpretation of cartoon classics and comedic improvisation. She's switchblade brilliant.

Learn more about George's work at GeologicRecords.net, and find Soccergirl's podcast and blog at SoccergirlIncorporated.com.

PROMO:

OBSIDIAN: Episode 20 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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The black ... is back. Today marks the debut of the second half of 7th Son: OBSIDIAN, and it's a frickin' doozy thanks to this week's powerhouse author. (If you're dying to know why OBSIDIAN was on hiatus, listen to the intro of the most recent UltraCreatives interview with author/podcaster Mur Lafferty.)

Meet Matt Wallace. He's as tall as a tree and as dangerous as Killdozer -- because Everyone Knows a Machine Cannot Kill. Except the Machine. Ferociously talented, Matt is a Parsec Award-winning author -- whose short story Delve is nominated for a 2008 Parsec for short story -- and is best known in the podcasting community for The Failed Cities Monologues and countless contributions to the exceptional short story podcast, Variant Frequencies.

Matt is also a screenwriter, and is currently working on several short- and long-form fiction projects. His short story anthology The Next Fix, published by APEX Publications, is currently available for purchase. Try Amazon.com. It will make your head explode.

This week, Matt Wallace brings us Receiver. In addition to being a perfect representation of his gritty, kick-you-in-the-balls, tear-out-your-jugular prose, Receiver is also the first full-length short story that Matt Wallace has read in podcasting. The audio was produced by Rick Stringer, creator of the Variant Frequencies podcast. Learn more about Matt's work at Matt-Wallace.net, and find Variant Frequencies at VariantFrequencies.com.

PROMOS:

BONUS: "Gestalt" short story by J.C. Hutchins /  by J.C. Hutchins

As reported in my recent UltraCreatives interview with author and podcaster Mur Lafferty, Mur recently reactivated the Playing for Keeps "Stories of the Third Wave" fan podcast to promote the novel's Author Sanctioned™ release date of August 25 at Amazon.com. This anthology of fan-created content is astounding in scope; Mur told UltraCreatives listeners that she'd received so many stories for "...Third Wave," she's resorting to a daily release schedule just to keep up. How cool is that?

Even cooler (at least for me) is that Mur invited me aboard to write a short story set in her Playing for Keeps universe. I was flattered by her offer and concocted Gestalt, my contribution to the project. It was also a blast to get back in front of the mic and reading my own fiction again.

Longtime listeners of the 7th Son podcast know that 7S was originally conceived as a superhero story ... but since I was (and to a degree, still am) convinced that believable superhero tales are extremely hard to tell in prose fiction, I abandoned that concept for a more realistic narrative. As I wrote Gestalt, I set to prove myself wrong -- and I think I did just that. Your reaction as a reader may prove differently, but I'm very proud of this little story, and I hope I did Mur Lafferty's universe justice with it.

If you've never heard the Playing for Keeps podiobook or the "Stories of the Third Wave" podcast, but like what you hear here, be sure to visit PlayingForKeepsNovel.com to subscribe to both projects.

And please help support Mur Lafferty's work as she rushes the Amazon charts on August 25. Here's a link to the book's product page at Amazon.com -- but please be a part of the community effort and wait to purchase Playing for Keeps on the 25th.

Stay super.

--J.C.

OBSIDIAN: Episode 19 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This week's OBSIDIAN short-short story is presented by the amazing characters from The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd. If you've never listened to The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd before, you're in for a real treat. This episode is the perfect introduction to the funniest, best-produced, most-charming -- and most-creative -- podcast on the planet.

The web's longest running family friendly podcast, The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd is often called "A Prairie Home Companion for kids."  Imagine Rocky & Bullwinkle, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Time Bandits mixed in a blender with a dash of education and you've got The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd!

Each episode is zany fun for kids from 4 to 90, so check it out at DoctorFloyd.com -- and be sure to send Dr. Floyd and the gang an appreciative email for their OBSIDIAN story! (And don't forget to visit ImaginationRanger.com to learn how you can get your Dr. Floyd Decoder Ring!)

A note to Dr. Floyd fans -- and you know who you are -- keep in mind that this episode takes place before the events in Episode #613. For everyone else, enjoy this fun stand-alone episode!

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: We return to "Voices From the Darkness" territory with more fan-created audio and video!

BONUS: "Dear Mr. Donner" VIDEO /  by J.C. Hutchins

On Sunday, July 13, 2008, author Matthew Wayne Selznick celebrated the release of the Swarm Press edition of Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era with an eight-hour "webathon" on live, streaming video. On that day, the collected audience of more than 1,000 purchased so many copies of Brave Men Run, the book reached number #53 on the Amazon.com bestseller chart, #3 on the action-adventure chart, and #10 on the genre fiction chart. The book was also the #1 "mover and shaker" that day.

As a way of giving back to his fans on that amazing day, Selznick invited seven podcast fiction authors to contribute short stories set in his "Sovereign Era" superhero universe. Selznick performed live readings of these stories. This was an Internet, new media, and publishing first.

J.C. Hutchins was a contributor to this project. This story is the first piece of fiction Hutchins has released beyond his 7th Son trilogy. This video is Selznick's reading, captured from the event’s live video feed.

For more information about Brave Men Run and Selznick's work, visit BraveMenRun.com. Enjoy!

OBSIDIAN: Episode 18 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This week's short story showcase episode features the exciting conclusion of Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff's tale, Nemesis. This powerhouse of a novelette is packed with wordsmithing hot sauce: sex, violence, double-crosses and an ending that'll rock your socks. Please do yourself the favor of checking out Mark's other fiction -- the Shadow Falls audio drama series, Number One With A Bullet, Transistor Rodeo and much more -- by visiting his website, MarkYoshimotoNemcoff.com.

And please send him an appreciative email for his OBSIDIAN story and stellar performance.

J.C. is mum during this episode's outro, but the intro is bursting with "talky-talk" pimpage of J.C.'s recent appearances in the podosophere:

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: The cast of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd experience the blackout. You'll giggle like a kid at this one!

PROMOS:

OBSIDIAN: Episode 17 "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO /  by J.C. Hutchins

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It's the fourth -- and longest to date -- "Voices From the Darkness" video episode, feautring 20 minutes of content created by fans just like you. We take a slightly different look at the OBSIDIAN blackout in this episode, as we explore the (darkly) humorous side of things, and then wrap up the video with an epic machinima short film. This week's content is both whimsical and ultra-creative, and J.C. Hutchins is proud to showcase it here.

Contributions by:

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: The conclusion to Nemesis, Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff's two-part short story!

OBSIDIAN Episode 16: "Voices From the Darkness" /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the fourth audio episode of "Voices from the Darkness," a series of OBSIDIAN episodes that feature stories from 7th Son fans from around the world. These tales are the first of their kind anywhere in podcasting: J.C. Hutchins invited fans to imagine themselves as residents of the 7th Son universe -- and to share their stories of survival and horror for inclusion in this anthology.

This week sees the release of Love Thy Neighbor, written by J.C.'s Myxer.com co-worker and friend Jeffrey Sass. Jeff has written and produced for both film and television, with projects ranging from nationally-syndicated childrens' programming to classic Troma films such as Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD. Jeff has also collaborated with William Shatner for a PC game based on Shatner's TekWar novel series.

If you enjoyed this tale, send Jeff Sass and email at jwsass@gmail.com. You can also learn more about him at Sassholes.Blogspot.com and SocialNetworkingRehab.Blogspot.com.

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: The fourth episode in the "Voices From the Darkness" video series!

OBSIDIAN Episode 15 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This week's must-listen OBSIDIAN short-short is by Dan Klass. This is a masterpiece of audio fiction, and J.C. considers it one of the crown jewels in the OBSIDIAN anthology.

Dan Klass is the host and creator of "The Bitterest Pill," an award-winning podcast in which he talks about his life on the outskirts of the entertainment industry while raising his kids under the flight path at LAX.  The show has been described by The New York Times as "intelligent," "endearing," and "sublime," and has been featured on NPR, NBC 4, Fox News and in USAToday.com and The Christian Science Monitor.  He is also the co-author of Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting.

Please subscribe to The Bitterest Pill -- and send Dan Klass a well-deserved appreciative email -- by visiting TheBitterestPill.com.

J.C. also unleashes gobs of timely news in his "talky-talk" intro and outro, including:

  • Parts One and Two of J.C.'s fun interview with Joe on the OnThePodcast podcast, featuring some delicious tidbits about J.C.'s next book, Personal Effects: Dark Art
  • An opportunity to lend a helping hand to 7th Son superfan Gemini and her family by making a donation at the Time Well Wasted blog
  • A mini-geekout update about Personal Effects: Dark Art, and its state of production
  • The 7th Son T-shirt store at Geeklabel.com is closing on Aug. 15. If you want to snag a shirt or two (at less than $15 a pop), get crackin'
  • The world premiere of a brand-new Celldweller song -- this one is the ultra-intense, incredible "Birthright (Birthwrong Remix by Blue Stahli)". The full song is available here in this episode; download the song for free at FixtOnline.com/FreeDownloads.html

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: A very special "Voices From the Darkness" episode!

OBSIDIAN Episode 14 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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This week's OBSIDIAN short story episode begins with a much-chagrined J.C. pleading for your help to make nice-nice with the Podcasting Karma Gods. Why? Well, he totally blew a promise to fellow podcaster Guy David to promote Guy's ultra-cool OBSIDIAN-inspired "Night Guy" podcast episode. So please -- after you listen to this episode of OBSIDIAN -- check out Guy David's blackout version of The Night Guy.

On to this week's short story, titled Nemesis, written and narrated by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff. This is the first part of an epic suspense-filled novellette; its conclusion will debut next week. If you like what you hear, be sure to email Mark and tell him so. You can find Mark's contact information at MarkYoshimotoNemcoff.com.

In J.C.'s intro "talky talk," he (doesn't) pimp:

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: An incredible and poignant contribution from "The Bitterest Pill" creator Dan Klass, more "Voices from the Darkness" episodes, and -- if J.C. can get his shit together -- an OBSIDIAN Clone Line episode.

PROMOS:

Feedback about OBSIDIAN is welcome and appreciated! Send J.C. an email, leave a comment below, or call the Clone Line at 206-984-2566 (CLONE).

OBSIDIAN: Episode 13 "Voices From the Darkness" /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the third audio episode of "Voices From the Darkness." This week features nearly one dozen contributions from 7th Son fans across the globe. As you'll hear in this episode, America has become an even darker -- and more dangerous -- place as the OBSIDIAN blackout rolls on.

If you're a contributor to this episode and want credit for your work, send J.C. an email using the link below.

FANS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:

Feedback about OBSIDIAN is welcome and appreciated! Send J.C. an email, leave a comment below, or call the Clone Line at 206-984-2566 (CLONE).

OBSIDIAN: Episode 12 "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO /  by J.C. Hutchins

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Welcome to the third video "Voices From the Darkness" episode, featuring five "scenes" totaling more than 15 minutes of groundbreaking never-before-seen content. All contributions seen in this vidcast were created by 7th Son fans from across the globe.

Behold the 7th Son universe during the blackout, as witnessed by its victims ... and captured for all the world to see.

Contributions by:

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: this week's "Voices From the Darkness" audio episode, quite possibly a Clone Line episode, and then the first part of novelist and screenwriter Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff's short story.

Direct link: "7th Son: Runner" Installment #1 /  by J.C. Hutchins

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7th Son: Runner is my new serialized "cellphone-centric" text story, designed to be read on mobile phones. While you can learn all about the project here and here -- and get the skinny on how to receive SMS "text blast" announcements when new mobile installments are released -- I'll make episode announcements here on the blog, after they've been in the wild for a while. 7th Son: Runner chronicles the life of Dr. James DeFalco, a supporting (but long-lost) character from 7th Son, Book One: Descent. As you'll learn in this first text installment, the man has many a secret ... and while he doesn't know it, it's only a matter of time before he's hunted for those secrets. It's a story told in several parts; new installments drop every other week.

Next week will see the debut of the second episode in this serialized tale.

Visit those links above to get in on the action and receive immediate notifications when new 7th Son: Runner episodes are released. Blog announcements such as this one will come long after the most-recent episode has debuted, so if you want to be a part of the unfolding drama and action -- and learn how 7th Son: Runner affects the 7th Son universe more than you could ever have imagined -- sign up for the free "text blast" announcements (links above, natch), and read the episodes as they go live.

Here's the link to 7th Son: Runner's first installment. Link goes to a simple .txt file, which you can read on-screen, print, or save to your computer. Enjoy ... and be sure to sign up for the "text blast" list!

--J.C.