StarShipSofa – Details, episodes & analysis

Brian Trent is the award-winning author of the sci-fi thrillers Redspace Rising and Ten Thousand Thunders, and more than a hundred short stories appearing in the world's top fiction markets, including in the New York Times' bestselling Black Tide Rising series, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Nature, Daily Science Fiction, Escape Pod, Pseudopod, Galaxy’s Edge, and numerous year’s best anthologies. Trent lives in Connecticut. His website and blog are at www.briantrent.com.

This story originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March/April 2020.

Narrated by: Mary Murphy

Mary is a New York based actor/voice-over artist. She loves the world of audio drama and is delighted to be back on board the StarShipSofa. She has performed in theatre, film, TV, animation, radio, and video games. A few of her recent credits include the one-woman play An Evening With Lola Montez, It’s A Wonderful Life, a streamed performance of the piece Near Nellie Bly, Divination of The Three for Asheville Fringe, and the audio dramas Frontier Gentleman, Chinook, and Newfield. She can be heard voicing various characters for Disney, GoKidGo, LeapFrog, the Center For New American Media, Audible, and Audimance. She has also been a regular performer on the audio drama series Fireside Mystery Theatre, The NoSleep Podcast, The Wicked Library, To the Manor Borne By Robots, and Campfire Radio Theater. marymurphyonline.com

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Edward M. Lerner is the author of eighteen SF novels and many shorter works. The final novel in his InterstellarNet trilogy won the inaugural Canopus Award “honoring excellence in interstellar writing,” while other stories have been nominated for Locus, Prometheus, and Hugo awards. 2023 was a banner year for him, with two new novels published. Those are On the Shoals of Space-Time and Life and Death on Mars.

This story originally appeared in Deco Punk, 2015.

Narrated by: Diane Severson

Diane Severson is a lyric soprano specializing in Early Music, especially Baroque and medieval music. Diane has been involved in the SF Poetry Scene (yes, it’s a thing) since 2010. She has narrated for StarShipSofa, and PodCastle. She produces the sporadic podcast, Poetry Planet and is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. She is a staff blogger for Amazing Stories Magazine focusing on Science Fiction Poetry. The best place to find her is on the web because she tends to pick up and move to another country at the drop of a hat. She and her family currently reside in Paris.

Fact: Looking Back At Genre History by Amy H Sturgis

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Main fiction: "Nothing to Lose" by Edward M. Lerner

Edward M. Lerner is the author of eighteen SF novels and many shorter works. The final novel in his InterstellarNet trilogy won the inaugural Canopus Award “honoring excellence in interstellar writing,” while other stories have been nominated for Locus, Prometheus, and Hugo awards. His latest book (2023) is the novel Life and Death on Mars.

This story first appeared in Galaxy's Edge, May 2017

Narrated by: Will Stagl

Will Stagl is proud to be a member of the StarShipSofa team, recruiting narrators for the podcast’s stellar stories. Will works as a creative professional and occasional musician from his adopted home of Tucson, Arizona.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "Fingers" by Frederick Gero Heimbach

This story originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact (January 2019).

Frederick Gero Heimbach lives a pulp fiction life and takes notes. His family lives with him, warily, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is the author of two novels of satirical alternate history. Find his science fiction and horror stories at Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact, at Mysterion Online, and other places. Fred is also the newly appointed editor of StarShipSofa.

Narrated by Drew Mallory.

Drew Mallory is a PhD research psychologist, on weekdays, who studies how societal institutions can protect their most vulnerable members. On weekends, however, all bets are off. His voice acting and speculative fiction embrace the uncomfortable, weird, and uncanny. Drew spends his time mostly in Thailand, but can be contacted directly by stating his name thrice into a darkened mirror anywhere.

Fact: Looking Back At Genre History by Amy H Sturgis

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "Child of the Universe" by Christian Riley

This story is original to StarShipSofa.

Chris Riley lives near Sacramento, California, vowing one day to move back to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he teaches special education, writes cool stories, and hides from the blasting heat for six months of the year. He has had more than 100 short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, and across various genres. His debut novel, one of literary suspense titled The Sinking of the Angie Piper, was published in 2017; and his debut short story collection is forthcoming, with Mount Abraxas Press. For more information, go to www.chrisrileyauthor.com.

Narrated by Tatiana Grey.

Tatiana is a critically acclaimed actress of stage, screen, and the audio booth. She has been nominated for dozens of fancy awards but hasn’t won a single damned thing. She went to NYU and lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can find her at tatianagrey.com.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "A.I. Family Values" by Ben Spillers

This story is original to Starship Sofa

Narrated by Rish Outfield.

Rish Outfield is a writer, voice actor, and audiobook narrator. He can be heard co-hosting the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine and That Gets My Goat podcasts, where he and Bigg Anklevich entertainingly waste much of their time. He also features his own stories on the Rish Outcast podcast. He once got a job because of his Sean Connery impersonation… but has lost two due to his Samuel L. Jackson impression.

Fact: Looking Back At Genre History by Amy H Sturgis

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "Battle Borne Dreams Never Die" by Paul Alex Gray

This story previously appeared in Broadswords and Blasters (July 2019).

Paul Alex Gray writes linear and interactive fiction starring sentient black holes, wayward sea monsters, curious AIs and more. His work has been published in Nature Futures, Andromeda Spaceways, PodCastle, and others. Paul grew up by the beaches of Australia, then traveled the world and now lives in Canada with his family. On his adventures, Paul has been a startup founder, game designer, and mentor to technology entrepreneurs. Chat with him on Twitter @paulalexgray or visit paulalexgray.com.



Narrated by: Anthony Babington

Anthony Babington is an aspiring voice actor, who looks just slightly off from how he sounds. From his secret volcano lair in Minnesota he narrates podcasts, and leases his soul to corporate America. He has previously recorded for Far Fetched Fables, Tales to Terrify, and The Cursed Inn. He can be found on Twitter as @AlephBaker.

Vital: The Future of Healthcare (2020)

The Science Fiction anthology to cure our unhealthy dystopia.

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Main Fiction: "Transference" by Jay Caselberg

This story first appeared in Transtories (2011).

Jay Caselberg is a writer based somewhere in the wilds of Europe. His work, poetry, short fiction and novels, has appeared in many places around the world and been translated into several languages. Sometimes, he even gets shortlisted for awards.



Narrated by Mark Kilfoil.

Mark “the Encaffeinated ONE” Kilfoil is a reader, writer, gamer, podcaster, narrator and radio program director. He produces a show on gaming (Head In The Game), helps run and produce shows on  alternative radio (chsrfm.ca), plays and runs roleplaying games online (Legends of the Drowned Isles and So Many Levels) and elsewhere, and podcasts daily (“Wandering Out Loud”) on life, philosophy, gaming, and random distractions in sound form. He’s currently working hard on finishing his first audio drama, first novel, and second podcasted novella, all in the span of one year. Find out more and join along at encaffeinated.ca.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "The Lizard and the Rat" by Andrew Dana Hudson

This story is original to StarShipSofa.

Andrew Dana Hudson is a speculative fiction writer and sustainability researcher. His stories have appeared in Lightspeed, Slate Future Tense, Terraform, MIT Technology Review, Little Blue Marble, and more, as well as numerous books and anthologies. He is a member of the 2020/21 class of the Clarion Workshop. He lives in Tempe, Arizona. Find him at andrewdhudson.com and on Twitter at @andrewdhudson.



Narrated by Andrea Richardson

Andrea is a British singer and actress. With extensive stage and film performances to her name, she began narration and voiceover work in 2014 but enjoys using her existing skills in a different way. You can find her at andrea-richardson.co.uk and on Facebook.

Fact: Looking Back At Genre History by Amy H Sturgis

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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Main Fiction: "Love in the Time of Disconnect" by Hayley Stone

This story is original to StarShipSofa.

Hayley Stone is an award-winning writer, editor, and poet from California. She has published short fiction in Apex Magazine and Fireside Fiction, and is the author of the weird western cult hit Make Me No Grave, most recently a finalist for the Laramie Book Awards. Find a complete list of her work at hayleystone.com or connect with her on Twitter @hayley_stone.

Narrated by Will Stagl.

Will Stagl lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife Susan and daughter, Violet. His is a creative professional by day, the leader singer and guitarist for a post-punk band called the Liquid Centers by night, and is always up for a pint at the corner pub.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa.

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