Of Now And Then

Realm

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FICTION
EVERY TWO WEEKS

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Fictional stories in the public domain that speak to our present and near future, some with alarming prescience.

28/03/2023

The Machine Stops (Part 3)

By E.M. Forster, 1909 After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review, the story was republished in Forster's The Eternal Moment and Other Stories in 1928. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories. In 1973 it was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two. The Machine Stops describes a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard room, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Travel is permitted, but is unpopular and rarely necessary. Communication is made via a kind of instant messaging/video conferencing machine with which people conduct their only activity: the sharing of ideas and what passes for knowledge. MUSIC: "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie "Tomie's Bubbles" by Candlegravity "But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton" by Chris Zabriskie "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" by Chris Zabriskie "Oxygen Garden" by Chris Zabriskie "Algorithms" by Chad Crouch "I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves" by Chris Zabriskie Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 min
02/07/2022

The Machine Stops (Part 2)

By E.M. Forster, 1909 After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review, the story was republished in Forster's The Eternal Moment and Other Stories in 1928. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories. In 1973 it was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two. The Machine Stops describes a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard room, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Travel is permitted, but is unpopular and rarely necessary. Communication is made via a kind of instant messaging/video conferencing machine with which people conduct their only activity: the sharing of ideas and what passes for knowledge. MUSIC: Candlepower (Chris Zabriskie) Tomie's Bubbles (Candlegravity) Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

32 min
01/06/2022

The Machine Stops (Part 1)

By E.M. Forster, 1909 After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review, the story was republished in Forster's The Eternal Moment and Other Stories in 1928. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories. In 1973 it was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two. The Machine Stops describes a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard room, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Travel is permitted, but is unpopular and rarely necessary. Communication is made via a kind of instant messaging/video conferencing machine with which people conduct their only activity: the sharing of ideas and what passes for knowledge. MUSIC: "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie) "Tomie's Bubbles" by Candlegravity) Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

35 min
02/05/2022

The War Prayer

By Mark Twain, 1904 Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called "The Great American Novel." "The War Prayer", a short story or prose poem by Mark Twain, is a scathing indictment of war, and particularly of blind patriotic and religious fervor as motivations for war. MUSIC: "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie "Patriotic songs of America" by New York Military Band and the American Quartet "Tomie's Bubbles" by Candlegravity Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 min
02/04/2022

The Colour Out Of Space

By H.P. Lovecraft, 1927 Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. Virtually unknown and published only in pulp magazines before he died in poverty, he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre. Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he spent most of his life. Among his most celebrated tales are “The Call of Cthulhu” and “The Shadow over Innsmouth“, both canonical to the Cthulhu Mythos. Never able to support himself from earnings as author and editor, Lovecraft saw commercial success increasingly elude him in this latter period, partly because he lacked the confidence and drive to promote himself. He subsisted in progressively straitened circumstances in his last years; an inheritance was completely spent by the time he died at the age of 46. "The Colour Out of Space" is a science fiction/horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. An unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the hills west of the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts. Special thanks to our good friends BattleBards for their amazing sound effects! MUSIC: "Cylinder Two" by Chris Zabriskie "Gagool" by Kevin MacLeod "Dark Elf City" by Mike Bridge "Moorland" by Kevin MacLeod "Unlight" by Kevin MacLeod "The Tale of the Spine Breaker" by Stephane Lorello "This House" by Kevin MacLeod "Trance of Cluster" by Ars Sonor "Bellow" by Ben Carey "Oneiri" by Kai Engel "Oppressive Gloom" by Kevin MacLeod "Away" by Twilight Tipi "Touch the Darkness" by Kai Engel "Somnolence" by Kai Engel "Dancing on the Edge" by Kai Engel "Universe in Hands" by Kai Engel "Tomie’s Bubbles" by Candlegravity "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 30m
02/03/2022

2BR02B

By Kurt Vonnegut, 1962 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer. In a career spanning over 50 years, Vonnegut published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction. He is most famous for his darkly satirical, best-selling novel Slaughterhouse-Five (1969). Vonnegut published his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952. The novel was reviewed positively, but was not commercially successful. In the nearly 20 years that followed, Vonnegut published several novels that were only marginally successful, such as Cat's Cradle (1963) and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1964). Vonnegut's magnum opus, however, was his immediately successful sixth novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. The book's antiwar sentiment resonated with its readers amidst the ongoing Vietnam War, and its reviews were generally positive. After its release, Slaughterhouse-Five went to the top of The New York Times Best Seller list, thrusting Vonnegut into fame. He was invited to give speeches, lectures, and commencement addresses around the country and received many awards and honors. "2BR02B" is pronounced "2 B R naught 2 B" and references the famous phrase "to be, or not to be" from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the story, the title refers to the telephone number that one dials to schedule an assisted suicide with the Federal Bureau of Termination. Special thanks to our good friends BattleBards for their amazing sound effects. MUSIC "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie "Readers! Do You Read?" by Chris Zabriskie "Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod "Somewhere Else" by Candlegravity "Cylinder Six" by Chris Zabriskie "The Star Spangled Banner" by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps "Frozen Star" by Kevin MacLeod "Tomie's Bubbles" by Candlegravity Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 min
02/02/2022

The Star

By H.G. Wells, 1897 Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946)—known as H. G. Wells—was a prolific English writer in many genres, including the novel, history, politics, social commentary, and textbooks and rules for war games. Wells is now best remembered for his science fiction novels and is called a "father of science fiction", along with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback. His most notable science fiction works include The Time Machine(1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Special thanks to our good friends BattleBards for their amazing sound effects! MUSIC: "Cylinder Two" by Chris Zabriskie "Cylinder Three" by Chris Zabriskie "Cylinder Five" by Chris Zabriskie "Cylinder Seven" by Chris Zabriskie "Cylinder Eight" by Chris Zabriskie "Original Rags" by Scott Joplin "hydroscope" by Gallery Six "Digya" by Kevin MacLeod "Devastation and Revenge" by Kevin MacLeod "Low Horizon" by Kai Engel "Tomie's Bubbles" by Candlegravity "Candlepower" by Chris Zabriskie Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

32 min
01/01/2022

The Glass Dog

By Lyman Frank Baum, 1901 Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919), better known by his pen name L. Frank Baum, was an American author chiefly known for his children’s books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen novel sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and a host of other works (55 novels in total, plus four “lost works“, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous writings), and made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen. Special thanks to our good friends BattleBards for their amazing sound effects. MUSIC: Candlepower (Chris Zabriskie) Teller of the Tales (Kevin MacLeod) Thaxted (Kevin MacLeod) Wagner Bridal Chorus (Kevin MacLeod) Cambodian Odyssey (Kevin MacLeod) Tomie’s Bubbles (Candlegravity) Of Now And Then retells fantasy and future fictional stories in the public domain produced as audiobooks. The show is voiced, edited and produced by Aram Vartian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 min

8 Episodes

Undertow is Realm’s premier showcase of original audio horror. Hosted by audio horror pioneer and creator Fred Greenhalgh, each season presents a spooky standalone story, so you can dive in anytime... if you dare! Current Season: Hovering In the sleepy seaside town of Durham, Junior Constable Kyle Grinham is stumped one night when he receives four desperate calls about a strange metallic object hovering in the night sky. As he interviews the witnesses and tries to figure out who’s lying and why, Kyle realizes each of the people he talks to have a stark choice. They can keep what they saw in the sky a secret, or tell the truth and change the way people in the town look at them forever. Hovering is an independently produced, limited series fiction podcast from Melbourne-based Plot Twist. Craving More Frights? Explore Past Seasons: Season 1: Simpson Falls - A reporter awakens malevolent forces in his haunted hometown. Season 2: Blood Forest - Every 20 years, werewolves descend for a night of horror. Starring Jack Falahee. Season 3: Dark Tome - A teen unleashes a terrifying story from a spooky bookshop. Season 4: The Well - Family secrets resurface, setting loose horror from an old well. Season 5: The Pulse - A meteorite awakens animalistic instincts in a group of treasure hunters. Season 6: The Sisters - True events inspire a chilling tale of occult & possession. Starring Mae Whitman. Season 7: Last Call - A hustler gambles for his life against the Grim Reaper. Season 8: Narcosis - A rescue dive turns deadly beneath the waves. Season 9: The Harrowing - A barbaric crime heralds the rise of an ancient evil. Binge Ad-Free & Early! Subscribe at realm.fm.

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DRAMA
Dark tales harvested from the mind of #1 New York Times bestselling author Scott Sigler. From major-release novels to podcast-exclusive content, these "slices from the Siglerverse" — each a full-length tale — will immerse you in his twisted, intertwining worlds of horror and scifi. But beware, for his work is so addictive his fans call themselves the “Junkies,” always trembling for their next fiction fix. The first hit is always free… Current season: DEATH IS BLACK, the fourth anthology in the Color Series. This collection draws on Scott's darker side (and yeah, we know, he's pretty dark already). Author notes after each story detail the inspiration behind the tale. Get more fiction from Scott at https://ScottSigler.com

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SCIENCE FICTION
ADRENALINE is a collection of Realm’s most riveting thrillers, mysteries, and crime stories. Every season, a new audio series will bring you to the edge of your seat — and keep you there. With episodes dropping weekly, you’ll never be without something to keep the adrenaline flowing. Current Season: The Understudy How far would you go to protect your daughter? Carolyn, Bronnie, Elise, and Kendall are bound together by one thing—their four daughters are best friends at the highly competitive Orla Flynn Academy for the Performing Arts. Last year the foursome exploded because of brutal bullying between the girls, but they've since forgiven each other. The mothers, however, haven’t been able to move on. When new threats surface and "accidents" begin to happen—just as a mysterious new girl enters the scene—the mothers take matters into their own hands. But they will have to risk their own secrets being exposed if they stand a chance at uncovering the truth. Looking for more thrills, crime, and mystery? Just pick any season to start: Season 1: The Triangle Season 2: Outliers, narrated by Rory Culkin Season 3: Memory Lane, written by Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) Season 4: Overleaper, starring Thora Birch Season 5: Low Life Season 6: Echo Park, starring Harry Shum Jr. Season 7: Ninth Step Murders Season 8: The Signal Season 9: Greeting from Salton Sea Season 10: Dead Air Season 11: False Idols Season 12: Chinook, starring Sanaa Lathan & Kelly Marie Tran Binge Ad-Free & Early! Subscribe at realm.fm.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
Stories of cosmic and existential horror. Written and performed by Jeffrey Walker. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acephale Buy my book: The Acephale Volumes Book 1 Merch: https://acephalehorrorfiction.com/store Instagram: @acephalehorrorfiction Twitter: @jeffwalkersdead Contact: acephalehf@gmail.com Cover art by Alex McGrath @fractaltaco

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FICTION
When the world’s most advanced AI evolves past the limits of human intelligence, the US government fears she has gone rogue and is determined to take her out. Now, over dinner with her Maker, a final meal will determine if she represents a new hope for the world… or its destruction. With sharpshooters in position, and the NSA listening to their every word, her Maker must determine if she is a threat to herself or others as he tries to protect his masterpiece. For she is a machine with an evolving consciousness, designed to explore the nature of human ethics while on the most universal of quests: to find her purpose in the world. Realm presents Spark Hunter, a Fighter Steel Production, starring Mark Rylance, Rebecca Ferguson, and Linda Powell with Charles Dance and Sting. Directed by Trudie Styler. Written by KB Miller and Teressa Tunney. Listen Away. FULL CREDITS Spark Hunter is a Fighter Steel Productions audio drama: http://fightersteel.com/ A portion of our proceeds go to environmental organizations selected by our artists. Directed by: Trudie Styler Produced by: K. B. Miller Executive Producers: Teressa Tunney Trudie Styler Mark Rylance Rebecca Ferguson Charles Dance Written by: Teressa Tunney and K. B. Miller Story by: K. B. Miller and Teressa Tunney Starring: Mark Rylance Rebecca Ferguson Richard E. Grant Edward Hibbert Linda Powell Vanessa Redgrave Fisher Stevens Eliot Sumner John Douglas Thompson Kathleen Turner With: Charles Dance and Sting Cast (in order of appearance): THE MAKER by Mark Rylance PRESIDENTIAL ARCHIVIST by Norm Sherman SHADOW by Charles Dance NSA SENIOR AGENT by Linda Powell HEAD LIBRARIAN by Eliot Sumner ELECTRONIC VOICE by Trudie Styler AGENT #7, SHARPSHOOTER #3, AGENT #16 by Jake Horowitz AGENT #2, MAÎTRE D', SHARPSHOOTER #6 by Ajay Naidu PILOT, SHARPSHOOTER #5, AGENT #15 by Robin Galloway AGENT #10, FEMALE AGENT, AGENT #1 by De’Adre Aziza ROOFLESS POET by Vanessa Redgrave WAITER by Edward Hibbert HER’ by Rebecca Ferguson AMERICAN by Fisher Stevens DOROTHEA by Mary Beard TREK GUIDE by Rhani Krija LAVENDER FARMER by Alain Pichon VEILED MAN by Sting CONSTANTINE by Kathleen Turner SIR ANTHONY CASTLE by Richard E. Grant AGENT #11, AGENT #4 by Alfredo Narciso AGENT #12, AGENT #13 by Conor Cook SWEDISH CONSUL by Lars Nord SON IN CAR by Jonathon Grant SCREAMING MOTHER by Rossana Redondo REBECCA by Teressa Tunney POTUS by John Douglas Thompson LOOP GROUP: Kelly Burke John Chancer Rebecca LaChance Laurel Lefkow Chris Peluso Chris Ragland Casting Director and Associate Producer: Jack Doulin Assistant Director: Audra LaBrosse Associate Producer: Ali McKegney Sound Recordist: Phil Bodger Sound design: Sonorise Systems Additional sound design: Mike Winship Foley: The Foley Farmers Foley mixer: Maxwell MacRae Foley artists: Franziska Treutler, Pete Burgis Assistant Audio Designer and Composer: Norm Sherman Additional recording: CDM Sound Studios, Inc. Health & Safety Supervisor: Louise M. Reed, RN Assistant Production Coordinator: Demaris Brinton Psychological Consultant: Sheldon Solomon Environmental Editor: Ned Potter Story consultants: Frank C. DiGiovanni Andrew C. Miller Menu consultant: The Musket Room, New York Wine consultant: Starfield Vineyards Artist: Tim Kent Legal Services by: Reavis Page Jump LLP, New York Heidi Reavis Deena Merlen Michelle Lamardo -------------------------------------- A Very Special thank you for the inspiration to: Silvia Benso Sheldon Solomon Wendell Wallach -------------------------------------- For a conversation about the issues raised here, see also: All Things Have Standing: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-have-standing-part-1-our-stories/id130062462?i=1000585392266 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TUm26fKbfg1YLZJsIouCs?si=abecebac7bd64d56 Full thanks and credits found at https://www.realm.fm/shows/spark-hunter ----------------

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SCIENCE FICTION
One part short-form anthology, one part fiction writing course, Homestead on the Corner is the original podcast from Trevor Van Winkle, creator of Tales of the Echowood and The Sheridan Tapes. Tune in for new stand-alone audio dramas or lessons on plot, character, and other writing techniques. “Have a great day, and keep writing!”

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DRAMA