THE VOID CALLS

Rejoice, sophont observers, as it's time for story! This endweek we have for you a tale about the relevance of the Goldilocks zone in astrobiology: "Once Upon a Planet" by Kelsey Hutton. Perceive it as you wish!

Catsitter am gone for the day... Fiasco am once again solitary ruler of hims domain... king of castle. Only problem is, all hims subjects consist of fluffy clown with boundary isues

Attention, sophonts! We've finished changing the locks and Escape Pod is now OPEN to all your amazing, amazing submissions! Consult our submissions page if you want to refresh your minds on what we're looking for - ignore that "CLOSED" bit at the top - and we hope to see rad work from you all!

Scams and grifts: they're not just for humans anymore! Please welcome the endweek with this new original story about just that: "Grifting the Zaxonite" by Cooper C. Wilms for episode ten-ten.

ONE OF MY LOVE LANGUAGES IS “FISH” AND ANOTHER IS “CHIPS.”

It's a new month, and with it a new story, but really we'd have a new story for you even if it was August 36th. Today we have for you "The Combat Pilot’s Dictionary" by @absenceofgravitas.bsky.social, and like any given dictionary, it's full of words!

First off: there is nothing wrong with the pod bay doors. Second: someone jammed gum in the pod bay door locks, so they won't be opening to story submissions until September 15th. Meaning that all of you eager submitters will have an extra two weeks to polish your stories!

It's approximately the endweek, which means it's time to bring you our 1008th story: "Observer Effects" by @timpratt.org, which contains harsh language - that's how you know it's a story that contains harsh language! Also, there's a headphones ad in the show notes, in case you need headphones.

Welcome to another endweek, blazing sophonts! For our 1007th episode we've got for you another fresh original, "35 / F / Lane’s Creek, Oklahoma" by @hansew.bsky.social. Follow the author's suggestion: "come for the robots, stay for the romance!"

Very happy to share that my story 35 / F / Lane's Creek, Oklahoma is out on @escapepod.org! Come for the robots, stay for the romance! escapepod.org/2025/08/21/e...

Hail, sophonts! If you sent us an email expressing interest in being an associate editor for Escape Pod, a response email has just been sent; if you don't see anything from us after a couple of hours and there's nothing in your spam folder, please reach out to [email protected]. Thanks!

Thanks for all the interest! The pod bay doors will be closing at the end of the day, so if you are interested but haven't sent us an email yet, time to get on it!

Hail, sapient observers, your patience has been rewarded! Part 2 of 2 of "When the Oracle Speaks" by @chubertwrites.bsky.social is now up for your experiential amazement.

"The Dame with the Earth at Her Back" in @escapepod.org. queer retrofuturist noir set under a midnight sun. if you think you're seeing mrs. maisel fanfic....keep it to yourself escapepod.org/2021/03/25/e...

If you missed the only new piece of fiction I’ve written/published this year, and my first published short story in many years, it had the honor of being @escapepod.org’s 1,000th episode, it’s about creating in the face of unimaginable adversity, it’s kind of funny? And you can listen for free.

Greetings, sophonts and trilobites! {{}}< The smoke is finally under control, so this week we've got part 1 of 2 of "When the Oracle Speaks" by @chubertwrites.bsky.social. Behold! Also, please check the batteries in your smoke alarms. >{{}}

This story is very of the moment. As I was listening to this imagined dystopia I was also thinking about our current one where we have to mask up to go outside in Chicago, but our cars can talk to us and drive(some) on their own like KITT.

I’ve been reading stories for escape pod for three years now and this is one of my favourites in that time. read it! (or listen to it)

Greetings, sophonts! Today, we've reached deep into the Vat to bring you a story of cloning, identity, and goblins -- okay, no goblins, but still! Please experience "The Girl Who Came Before" by David von Allmen, and mind the trilobites. {{}}<

WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY TO READ MY ANGRY STORY ABOUT A PLAGUE THAT KILLS BILLIONAIRES

This is the perfect story for this moment in time. We've all daydreamed about putting billionaires' money to better use. This story imagines a way to get there.

Hail, observers! Are you in the mood for a story about billionaires dying? If so, you're in luck: our latest original, "Billionaire’s Tears" by @vriccithode.bsky.social, is all about that!

Mellow greetings, sapients! Today we've got a tale of a secret-keeping station opening doors between dimensions: "Tigers for Sale" by @risawolf.bsky.social. Note: Escape Pod does not recommend buying tigers for personal use, unless you are ready and willing to have your face clawed off.

Mellow greetings, sapients! Today we've got a tale of a secret-keeping station opening doors between dimensions: "Tigers for Sale" by @risawolf.bsky.social. Note: Escape Pod does not recommend buying tigers for personal use, unless you are ready and willing to have your face clawed off.

Fun fact: “A Thousand Names for God and Infinite Mustard” is the first new prose fiction I’ve finished-finished in like, two years? Lotta reasons. Video game writing. Career woes. Burn out. Depression. Point is… I finished it. It’s been published. I wasn’t done. I’m not done. Neither are you.

Hail, sapients! For the palindromic episode 1001 we've got for you "Death by Pink in the Lollipop Apocalypse" by Ryan Cole, with a lesson as old as the hills: don't rely on genetically-engineered bacteria to solve your problems. Seriously. They're more trouble than they're worth.

Oh! Oh! Science fiction podcasts for you! Science fiction podcasts for you for One Thousand Episodes!!!!

Sapients, behold: we've added an extra digit! Escape Pod episode ONE THOUSAND! Today we bring you "A Thousand Names for God and Infinite Mustard" by @mattfnwallace.bsky.social, a story about the age-old theme of finding God and what we're going to do to him once we find him.

Behold, sapients: Escape Pod's nine hundred and ninety-ninth story, "Eros, Philia, Agape" by Rachel Swirsky, in a flashback to 2010! We can't make contact with that year again, unfortunately, but you can experience a part of it right now.

Good news, sapients: there are three profanities in the first sentence of this week's story, a reprint of "The Carina Nebula" by Kelsey Hutton! It's the best way imaginable to prepare for the belgium weekend.

Good news, sapients: there are three profanities in the first sentence of this week's story, a reprint of "The Carina Nebula" by Kelsey Hutton! It's the best way imaginable to prepare for the belgium weekend.

This week's topic is cozy SFFH short stories. First up is Jennifer Hudak's "Holding Patterns" in Escape Pod! Read along with us! @jenniferhudak.bsky.social @escapepod.org

Congratulations for making it this far, fellow sapients, on this most of days! Part 2 of "Sanctuary" by @alexisames.bsky.social is now available for your experience, so why not distract yourself with it?

The trilobites have been chewing on our search engine wires; anyone out there recognize this story?

Hold fast, sapients; the endweek beckons! Until then, please distract yourselves with our latest offering: part 1 of "Sanctuary" by @alexisames.bsky.social. It starts with a dead king, and what's not to like about that?

I have a piece out with @escapepod.org today! #WritingCommunity #SFF escapepod.org/2025/06/05/e...

Yesterday I've read @cornellwriter.bsky.social's After the Rain, a cozy solarpunk story about protecting your community. I love Patty's fiction, and if you're looking for a great story in the genre, that's it. Published at @escapepod.org. escapepod.org/2025/05/01/e...

And that's that! Escape Pod is now closed to submissions until September 1st, but we'll keep posting stories, so keep reading and make sure your keyboards stay sharp.

Congratulations, sapients: you have made it to the endweek! And what better way to celebrate with an X-rated story like "This, My Body" by @jeremiahtolbert.com? We're not sure! Tell us if you think there are better ways. We might believe you.

The countdown is on, sapients: this Saturday, May 31, Escape Pod will be locking down the airlocks for the summer. If you've got any stories you'd like us to consider, please send them in before then, or hold on to them until September!

Don't look away, sapients. Trans people are facing fresh threats of terror and genocide today thanks to the US government. Our latest original, "Magical Girl Antifa War Machine" by @esther-alter.bsky.social, is in part a story of trans vengeance. So observe. Consider. Act.

Don't look away, sapients. Trans people are facing fresh threats of terror and genocide today thanks to the US government. Our latest original, "Magical Girl Antifa War Machine" by @esther-alter.bsky.social, is in part a story of trans vengeance. So observe. Consider. Act.

Welcome to the endweek, you lucky, lucky sapients! Our latest offering is an original: "That Thing With Bob and the Crop Circles" by T. Kingfisher. It mentions chickens!

Now that we've dealt with that temporal anomaly, welcome to new story zone! This week we have for you "Nerves Into Circuits" by Lyra Meurer. Experience it while causes still precede their effects!

Joyous endweek, sapient observers! Today we have a fresh solarpunk original for you, "After the Rain" by @cornellwriter.bsky.social, and we promise it has nothing to do with those punks who keep spray-painting family might/coulds on our solar panels. Enjoy!

Felicitous endweek, sapient observers! While we're busy keeping the new editor from licking the walls, pleas enjoy a Flashback Friday: "The Malcontent" by Serah Eley, coming at you from nineteen years ago!

Farewell, @premeemohamed.com, on whatever new adventures you may find yourself on! The trilobites have laid claim to your old lab, so don't worry about a thing! Now then, we just need to take this intruder we found skulking around to the airlock for a quick jettison, and-- what the intruder's WHAT

Turning on the “vote for Escape Pod” beacon as we zoom through space

Well met, survivors! This endweek Escape Pod is joyed to bring you a fresh original: "Holding Patterns" by @jenniferhudak.bsky.social! Please enjoy. And if you were looking for fresh orignal instead, the moose are on E Deck.