A podcast of audio fiction from past issues of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, the Hugo Award finalist and World Fantasy Award-winning online magazine of literary adventure fantasy and our two-time Ignyte Award finalist podcast. Each episode is a classic story
Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online Magazine
By Patty Templeton, from Issue #370 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, detailing the feel and inspirations for the story's world of Shady Grove.The trestle bridge caught fire in 1911. The train dropped. The ravine caught it.More info »
By K.J. Parker, from Issue #369 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by narrator Carla Kissane, who narrated the original BCS Audio Fiction Podcast of the story.“I paint by the inner light,” I said. I tried to make it sound like I was being facetious.More info »
By K.J. Parker, from Issue #368 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by audiobook and podcast narrator Heath Miller, who narrated the original BCS Audio Fiction Podcast of the story.For once in my life, I could walk down the street without looking for places to run to if I heard someone yell my name.More info »
By R.B. Lemberg, from Issue #364 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, explaining elements of the Birdverse world and culture and characters that appear in the novella and how one of the characters connects with the new Birdverse novel The Unbalancing.Across great distances I hear her voice rolling over the sand, traipsing gently above bones of impossible beasts that perhaps had one day populated the desert.More info »
By Natalia Theodoridou, from Issue #362 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineWith an introduction from the author, explaining their beliefs on the story's theme of individual freedom and autonomy.The fawn is still in its mother's belly. Sapo kneels by the doe and feels for the outlines of the little one with her fingers. A gasp escapes her when it moves under the dead doe's skin.More info »
By A.J. Lucy, from Issue #357 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, in an interview conducted and engineered by M.K. Hobson, discussing the story's inspirations in complicity with institutional systems and activism risking that status for beliefs or people you believe in.Sere wouldn't be able to send letters.More info »
By Peter Darbyshire, from Issue #351 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, explaining the genesis of the Angel Azrael character, his horror-influenced Weird Western world, and the personal bibles in that world.The angel Azrael surveyed the remains of the town. The place was as dead as the horse he sat on. More info »
By Phoenix Alexander, from Issue #350 – Science-Fantasy Month 6 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, in an interview conducted and engineered by M.K. Hobson, discussing the story's inspirations from inter-generational political attitudes in families of immigrants and patriarchal culture and how its use of science-fantasy elements shaped its presentation.She says instead: "because he isn't coming."More info »
By Christie Yant, from Issue #347 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, posing questions as to who stories belong to and whether they matter.I had hoped to tell you the first story in the summers to come. It is my sorrowful task to tell you all three, instead.More info »
By M.A. Carrick, from Issue #344 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, the two authors behind the M.A. Carrick pen name, in an interview conducted and engineered by M.K. Hobson.Ondrakja chose her approach and her moment with care.More info »
By Charles Payseur, from Issue #343 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, in an interview conducted and engineered by M.K. Hobson, explaining the story's take on resistance and cooperation.Rory nods. The bullets are Lutean-made, salt and iron and whatever special magic they use to make them potent against rivers.More info »
By Charles Payseur, from Issue #342 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, in an interview conducted and engineered by M.K. Hobson, explaining the story's element that oppression can link people together and can tear people apart.We ride stolen horses over the choked earth.More info »
By Marissa Lingen, from Issue #341 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, discussing the story's approach to characters and politics and to political systems.I don't want to make all our letters about shrews, love, but... I've attached a table I'd like to see filled out with different properties of the shrews and their venom. Thank you!More info »
By Yoon Ha Lee, from Issue #340, Thirteenth Anniversary Double-Issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author, explaining the inspiration for the story and its ending note.This particular mermaid had named herself Essarala, which means seeks the stars in the language of tide and foam.More info »
By Fran Wilde, from Issue #233 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.Liras tried to remain at his workbench and finish the customer's wings, but the pain grew too much.More info »
By Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, from Issue #214 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.I wanted to ask her more questions, about the way the world was made, about death and dreams, but did not want to know the answers.More info »
By Marie Brennan, from Issue #207 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.Magrat was right. This man stood at the heart of it.More info »
By Fran Wilde, from Issue #199 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.I could not answer her. I had no memory of doing anything besides preparing the topaz.More info »
By Tony Pi, from Issue #197 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by audiobook and podcast narrator John Meagher.My soul sunk beneath the platform planks and into a sturdy ox figurine with wisps of cooled caramel for its horns.More info »
By Aliette de Bodard, from Issue #195 - Science-Fantasy Month 3 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.She would have run, but her legs betrayed her—a contraction, locking her in place, as frozen as the baby within her womb.More info »
By Yoon Ha Lee, from Issue #194 - Science-Fantasy Month 3 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.She cursed herself for freezing up and ruminating when the proper response was to react.More info »
By Aliette de Bodard, from Issue #187 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.When she spoke, her voice stopped him, as surely as a knife drawn across his throat.More info »
By Michael J. DeLuca, from Issue #176 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.The cat departs from the moonbeam, flicking its tails.More info »
By Saladin Ahmed, from Issue #172 - Special Weird Western Issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.So when Mister Hadj said that a stone in the road told him where we'd find Parson Lucifer, I didn't doubt it.More info »
By Erin Cashier, from Issue #171 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.I'd had a name, a long time ago. But no one but me remembered it.More info »
By Aliette de Bodard, from Issue #169 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.His eyes, shining yellow in the night, were the ones I remembered from the day I had lost my heart.More info »
By Marie Brennan, from Issue #166 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.If Tolyat wanted to see the whole of Driftwood at once, he had to get close to the Crush.More info »
By Justin Howe, from Issue #165 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.“If it was the last skin you wore,” he said, “would you take it?”More info »
By Geoffrey Maloney, from Issue #164 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the narrator, T.D. Edge.They couldn't be serious, Morrow thought...but then the Major allowed the squid to slip from his fingers and into his mouth.More info »
By Rajan Khanna, from Issue #163 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.I lift the Gorgon's head and remember my mother as she lay dying in her bed.More info »
By T.D. Edge, from Issue #162 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.There's nothing better than low-ranking, fad-following royalty for extinguishing any last desire to even bother fighting for one's life against other wizards in the Ring.More info »
By Marissa Lingen, from Issue #161 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.Things got worse when they started to have their flush of post-war babies and wanted us back out again.More info »
By David Tallerman, from Issue #160 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by narrator John Meagher.The target was thrashing hard enough that the smooth handles of the garrote were biting into Otranto's palms.More info »
By Matthew Kressel, from Issue #159 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.“Do you question me, Mielbok, the Billion-Toothed Maggot?”More info »
By Aliette de Bodard, from Issue #158 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.But we—we are alive, in a way that no other making will be.More info »
By M. Bennardo, from Issue #156 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.All day, No. 17596 waited, but the guards never came.More info »
By Kathryn Allen, from Issue #155 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by author Marie Brennan.I take my time undressing her, half-expecting for The Marshal to come calling.More info »
By Catherine S. Perdue, from Issue #154 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by audiobook narrator John Meagher.I am Boon. I lead my pack.More info »
By Kenneth Mark Hoover, from Issue #153 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.Her words got me to thinking about my past. What there was to remember.More info »
By Tina Connolly, from Issue #152 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by the author.I was looking into his ankle, then there was a frightening jerk on my tail and I was peering into his long wide face.More info »
By Chris Willrich, from Issue #151 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies Online MagazineIntroduced by Hugo Award-winning editor Lou Anders."And yet Now is upon us," said Tvarn Wind-Tamer. "For the Perfection is moving. Look."More info »