Mortals wield godly powers, eggs appear out of enchanted pockets, sentient substances are invented, and stars are incubated in the hearts of humans. I'm Nila, and I have stories to tell you. Stories in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, fairy tale, mystery, and mythology. Welcome to Storyfeather.
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An astrobiologist gathers and assembles clues from across time to help solve a cosmic mystery that threatens to doom Earth.
Genre: Science Fiction, Mythology
Excerpt: From the depths of the cosmos they come…warping all around them as they go.
Time. Matter. Energy. Will.
Shifting between the unknowable and the knowable.
Per our current understanding, the entity moves through the cosmos and through dimensions, through all levels of existence, differentiating like a cell, gaining specific characteristics, (maybe gaining awareness…
What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on.
This week's episode aims to answer some unanswered questions I left in a Season 4 episode called “Professor Gadston.”
The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me)
Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)
MERCH! Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE
Music: “Connecting dots” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)
Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio) “Complexe Mind” “Connecting dots” “Cold case” “Connected” “Compass” “Cyber” “City”
All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing: A mask-like face at center with sharp angled eye holes, a mouthpiece shaped like jagged teeth, and a beak-like nose. Instead of a body, an amorphous form flows out and up from behind two small ears, where the neck would be expected. A wake of glowing light flows out from the face’s jaw, indicating movement at great speeds. Below and behind the face, bottom half of image, the translucent hint of a planet and a large continent. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along border of visible continent.
The Lemonuclear Conductor
Season 8 · Episode 402
Friday, August 15, 2025 • Duration 32:13
A merchant vessel enters a system with rigid laws about visitors, and almost succeeds in making a lucrative delivery, when it encounters a potentially deadly obstacle.
Genre: Science Fiction
Excerpt: We had obtained the means of shielding certain sections of engineering and the crew quarters. Cargo, I was happy to be transparent about. But there were things aboard my ship that I needed to hide. And I couldn’t expect the crew to remove every questionable item. Our chief engineer would have disembarked if we didn’t fly with a sufficient supply of his favorite snack, mokkie-bars.
What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on.
This story is connected to the Year Seven story entitled “A Tale of Nine Lemons,” in which a young man, whose parents have given his siblings all manner of wondrous parting gifts to help them make their fortunes in the world, is given a basket of lemons to make his fortune. That story was the result of a writing prompt about…lemons.
It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.
The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon.
Oddnever
Season 8 · Episode 393
Friday, June 13, 2025 • Duration 29:40
A studious, non-mischievous fairy fulfills her forbidden dream of traveling to the human realm...straight into a convenience store.
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Excerpt: She passed her least favorite quill partly through the mirror and pulled it back to test. The quill appeared undamaged. So she next passed her least favorite finger through the mirror, gasping at the watery chill that passed through it as it passed through the mirror’s surface.
Her finger too seemed unharmed.
And so, in the most reckless act that she had ever committed in her life thus far, Oddnever stepped through the mirror into the human realm.
What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on.
This story is connected to the Season Three episode entitled “Oddness and the Rose Pox,” in which three kids recovering from chicken pox at home are mistakenly infected with another pox, a fairy-borne pox.
MERCH! Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE
MY FIRST BOOK (yay) Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called
A Coat for Many Dimensions
Season 6 · Episode 303
Friday, September 22, 2023 • Duration 40:17
An alchemist attempts to create a coat that will allow her to travel to other dimensions.
Genre: Fantasy
Excerpt: Aunt Mariya was certain that she had solved the mystery of the many dimensions. All of us could do it, but our minds and bodies prevented us from going, be-cause the environments in these other dimensions were different. Some were slightly different. Some more drastically so. One would die as certainly as a diver without oxygen and a space-walker without a spacesuit would die. Only in these other dimensions, it would not be the body that suffered injury, but the mind and the soul.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Bugaboo: something that causes fear or worry; bugbear; bogy Bugbear: 1) any source, real or imaginary, of needless fright or fear. 2) a persistent problem or source of annoyance. (source: dictionary.com)
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
When a country suffers a curse that extinguishes all but the tiniest of flames, its people strive in spectacular ways to endure, to elude, and to break the curse.
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Excerpt: “Let it be as you claim,” the warlock said. “That there is ‘not enough fire’ in your country.” And then he spoke the words of his spell, his curse.
And from thenceforth, only candle flames could abide in our country.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Heck if I know. There doesn’t appear to be one for this story.
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
When a new father searches through his childhood books for stories to tell his daughter, he learns that some of those books are linked to a hundred-year-old mystery.
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy
Excerpt: For generations, for nearly a century, the Rofotou family had been gathering the pieces of a puzzle that they believed would unlock some grand secret of the universe, or some extravagant treasure, or at least some profound piece of wisdom. But I didn’t know anything about that before a dark-haired woman named Red came knocking on my door one day. I didn’t know why she asked to see my old dream logs.
And I certainly didn’t know what any of it had to do with Mrs. Highweather.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Seriatim: in a series; one after another (source: dictionary.com)
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
After their realm is cursed to suffer absolute darkness, four companions are tasked with finding the secret of breaking the curse.
Genre: Mythology, Fantasy
Excerpt: In those days, all people had the power to send their shadows off to explore the world around them, but those shadows could only travel in one direction, the direction in which they were cast by the sun. But these people with two shadows, they could send one shadow in one direction and the other shadow in the opposite direction. In this way, they could explore and gather knowledge far more quickly than the people of other lands. These people came to be called the amphiscians, the two-shadowed people.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Amphiscians: inhabitants of the tropics (from the Greek “amphiskios,” “casting a shadow both ways”)
It somehow slipped my mind that there is another vocabulary word in this story. I didn’t mention this in the episode, but the name of the hero, “Glissade” is a word that means “a skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain, as on skis or a toboggan.” So specific! (source: dictionary.com)
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
Castle Farouche
Season 6 · Episode 299
Friday, August 25, 2023 • Duration 40:13
There is a door in the basement of my new house that leads to nowhere, or so I thought…
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Excerpt: When buds are twisted too tightly, they will never bloom beautifully, my grandmother always said, all the more so after she’d witness my staying in my little corner of the room at a party in our house while the other children played with each other. But she did not know that I was surrounded by friends in my own world, in Castle Farouche.
That is…I didn’t think she knew.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Farouche: 1) fierce. 2) sullenly unsociable or shy
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
A young boy seeks to make his mother proud by picking the pocket of a man whose fortunes no one has ever managed to steal, not even the master thieves.
Genre: Fantasy
Excerpt: In the town of Pennyhaven, there was honor among thieves.
For thieving was allowed, but only if done according to the strictest of rules, which were set by the Union of Thieves. The Union had a truce with the local constabulary to deal with any thief in town who did not abide by those rules. Their highest and foremost rule, for example, was that no living creature could be harmed by thieving. Their next highest rule was that only non-living objects may be stolen. And so on. Any aspiring thieves who broke the rules of the Union would never see membership, and would indeed be dealt with by the Union before the constabulary ever need step in.
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? I’m not sure. My notes are unclear. But it might be the name of the main character, “Eridanus.”
It is the name of a constellation and a river god, and the river itself. The name is of Greek origin and means “early burnt.” This is for its connection to the mythical story of Phaethon, the son of the sun god, Helios. Phaethon stole his father’s chariot—the sun—and recklessly rode it, causing mayhem until Zeus threw a thunderbolt at him, striking him down. Phaethon fell to his death, into the river Eridanus.
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up:
A Waking Walker in Slumberland
Season 6 · Episode 297
Friday, August 11, 2023 • Duration 51:12
To rescue her kidnapped infant sister from a magical monarch, Parni and her pet rat enter the dream realm and pass through nightmare and illusion.
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Excerpt: Three days has passed since Parnika’s baby sister, Kulfi, has been taken by the Marshmallow Monarch.
Such was the price of living in a town that bordered the famed and infamous slumberland—the source of all dreams and nightmares. Most people only ever visited slumberland in their dreams. But Parni’s people lived close enough to enter the land in body as well as in mind.
Myriad signs of warning marked the borders of slumberland. They were meant for grown folk. Children didn’t need such signs.
For only children could see slumberland…
What’s the Word (that inspired the story)? Slumberland: an imaginary land described to children as the place they enter during sleep. (source: dictionary.com)
Follow my Fictioneering Mischief The Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more sent by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
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Discover shows related to Storyfeather, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you’d like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer’s Field Guide (if you’d like writing tips and guidance from me)
Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)
MERCH! Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE
Music: “Neon god” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)
Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY “Them droids” “Neon god” “Reloaded” “Negociation” “MDK” “Bio hazard” “Men in black” “Under the mask” “Trojan horse” “Master” “Virtual reality”
All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of a humanoid person with a long-haired mohawk and scaly skin at left, facing away and looking at multiple glowing holographic displays with various readouts. The person points at the main display, which shows a containment or reactor vessel. Some text is readable. The word “engineering” at top, and “Lemonuclear Conductor: LNC Version 5.5.” Horizontal rectangular image is made square with borders at top and bottom with a textured pattern of square confetti and vertical bars in the same orange and yellow colors of the main image. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along left side of reactor vessel.
The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)
Music: “Midnight Creeping” by Jonathan Shaw (Intro & Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)
Music by JONATHAN SHAW “Spinning Tavern” “Midnight Creeping” “Checking Inventory” “A Tale of Peace”
Music by ANDREW SITKOV “Magic Within” “Hidden Fear” “Journey into Fog”
Music by BENJAMIN CARR “Dwarven Settlement” “Ice Cavern” “Ancient Ruins”
All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Benjamin Carr, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.
Find more music by Benjamin Carr, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.uk Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing of the view down the aisle of a convenience store, shelves stocked with generic shapes of bottles and packages. In the foreground with their backs turned to the viewer are two store employees, both wearing green tops. Across from them at the end of the aisle is a figure sticking a hero landing—one knee down, the other bent forward, one hand on the ground, and the other thrown back. The figure is wearing glasses and a hoodie. Two glowing pink wings sprout from their back. A glowing pink spark floats above the hooded figure. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders with streaks of color that match the colors of the main image and line up with the main image’s perspective lines. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along floor of aisle at right.
Music by ANDREA BARONI (Cyberleaf)* “Fugue for One Synthetic Heart (No Percussion)” “March of the Waking Lights” “Evolving Cities” “Forest Bathing” “Cozy Afternoons” “Night Time (No Percussion)” “You Were Always in the Right”
Music by Benjamin Carr (Scythuz)* “Labyrinth” “Fire Dungeon” “Ice Cavern” “Torture Chamber” “Forbidden Tower” “Miscellaneous Battle Theme 1”
*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Andrea Baroni and Benjamin Carr is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket
Episode Art Description: Scan of ink drawing, digitally colored. A girl or young woman seen from knees up and from the back. She has short hair ending at the base of the skull and is wearing a coat that is gathered at the back and flares down from the waist in folds. Trees with scarce bare branches surround her, their tops looming above. Through them can be seen the glowing disc of the moon casting out dim light on the gray and foggy atmosphere below.
Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Studio Fantasy)* “Guardians of the sword” “The girl and the sword” “In the shadows” “Emblem” “The village” “Peacefull place” “Into wild lands” “Dark fields” “Knight song” “The edge of nightmare” “Blood on snow” “Call of the wild” “Flames on ice” “Fallen leaves”
*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Nicholas Jeudy is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A red chili pepper lying on a surface, stem side to left and bottom to the right. The pepper is slightly curved at the bottom and is surrounded by a bright yellow glow, which also appears in patches over the pepper’s surface.
Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)* “Dark Side” “Casual Theme #3” “Casual Theme #1” “Another World” “Medieval Theme #5” “Medieval Theme #3” “Medieval Theme #2” “My Kingdom (looped)”
Music by CHRIS LOGSDON* “Level 1” “Level 6”
Music by RAFAEL ARCHANGEL “So Cold” “Deep Dive” “Smoke”
*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Chris Logsdon and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Music by Rafael Archangel is licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal License Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Eleven books of approximately equal size but differently colored covers sit on a shelf. The book at far right is angled so that its cover is visible. The cover reads “Mrs. Highweather Charming Adventures.” Below the title is the image of a woman whose face is obscured under a floppy hat with a band whose ribbon edges float up into the title. She is seen from shoulders up wearing a coat. The titles of the other books and the number indicating their order in the sequence are readable from the spines. From left to right they are as follows. Mrs. Highweather Meets the Four-leggers (1). Mrs. Highweather’s Haunted Hat (8). Mrs. Highweather Finds the Farthest Star (2). Mrs. Highweather and the Key to Existence (7). Mrs. Highweather Sails the Suddenly Sea (5). Mrs. Highweather and the Queen of Questions (3). Mrs. Highweather and the Villainous Vine (10). Mrs. Highweather in the Dream Realm (6). Mrs. Highweather and the Forest of Feathers (11). Mrs. Highweather and the Perilous Painting (4). Mrs. Highweather and the Last Charming Adventure (9).
Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Infinite land” “Winterheart (seamless)” “In the shadows” “Winter guild” “Of sun and sand” “Scroll of the wind walker” “Blood on snow” “Haven” “Adventure” “Warriors” “Incantation” “Shadows and flames” “Fallen leaves”
*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Nicholas Jeudy is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Four figures, all facing forward, one in the foreground and three behind. The figure in the foreground holds a candle in front of her chest with her left hand, the flame illuminating her face from below. The background figures from left to right are as follows: a woman looking at a small golden object held in her right hand and holding her left arm across her waist; a hooded figure with face hidden and right hand raised; and a large man looking forward and holding his hands at the side, right hand curled into a fist.
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At left, a girl in right profile with short hair, wearing pants and a hoodie, walks through an open door, the inside of which is black. The door swings out to the left. Behind it at an angle is a brick wall. Right side of image, just behind the door, a series of towers blurred behind a glowing hash mark design that gives the effect of distorted digital image on a screen.
Storyfeather-themed merchandise T-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE
Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At left, lying on a surface, a top hat with a slim feather sticking out from the band. At right, hanging in front of the hat, obscuring part of the hat’s rim, is a pocket watch with an ornate cover and in colors matching the hat. The pendant and bow parts are visible at the top of the clock.
Music by JONATHAN SHAW* “Thoughts” “Treading the Unknown” “Checking Inventory” “A Bitter Hope” “Cold Sanctuary” “Midnight Creeping” “Encounter of Misdeeds” “Spinning Tavern” “Visions of Freedom” “Showdown of Misdeeds” “Sinning Tavern”
Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Compass” “Don’t move” “The plan” “Hunter’s moon”
*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Jonathan Shaw and Nicholas Jeudy is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket
Episode Art Description: Scan of ink drawing, digitally colored. A tree with light colored bark sitting on a slight rise of earth. The tree’s roots extend down and to the right. The base of one branch appears at top left. The thin leafy ends of branches extend down from the top right. A girl peaks out from the edge of the tree at right, only the face and left arm visible, hand grasping the tree. A small dark rat with a long tail sits on her shoulder. Some of the roots glow with a bright light.
