Long after a war has ravaged earth, the descendants of the survivors sit on the moon, gaze down at the world they've left behind, and dream of the future.  But not everyone can leave the past behind so easily.

This episode was performed by Ben Dyme and Jared Axelrod.

Go listen to JR and I on Random Signal  with Jason and Ryn

The Voice of Free Planet X theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

Today, The Voice of Free Planet X is two years old.  Join me as we look back on this venerable institution that we call the Voice of Free Planet X, from it's noteworthy beginning in ancient Greece, to the life-changing power it has today.

With special guests:

Christiana Ellis of Nina Kimberly the Merciless; and Space Casey.
Dr. John Cmar of saintnickanuck.com
Chris Miller of podiobooks.com
Jason Adams of Random Signal and This Day In Alternate History
Paul Fischer of the A.D.D. Cast and the Balticon Podcast;
Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit of Requiem of the Outcast and half the content of the internet at any given time
Mur Lafferty of the Heaven series, Playing For Keeps and the other half of the content on the internet at any given time.

Wax cylinder recording of "Groundhog Day" provided by cyberbee.com

Our theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

By Derek Zumsteg.

Read by Jared Axelrod (of The Department of Public Words).
"I read an interesting forum post last night,? my electric toothbrush told me over its low burr."

"Thiff ouff thew be thood," I said through my mouth of foam.

“It was!? he replied. “Using readily available components, Monkeymonkey turned his Intellibrush into a milk frother."

I spit into the sink and set my toothbrush in its white ceramic charger. "What would I do with a milk frother?"

"Make cappucinos," my toothbrush said, with a hint of resignation, as I rinsed and spit again.

"I don’t drink cappucinos," I said.

"You could start!"

Rated G.  Contains a very mild reference to vibrating appliances.

Referenced Sites:

U.S.S. Mariner


Senses Five Press

In the St. Lawrence River, the one that goes from NY to Canada, biologists have discovered pods of beluga whales with cancer. Not just with cancer, but with the highest cancer rates of any wild animal studied. Some of the dead whales are so suffused with pollutants that they qualify as hazardous waste.

Researchers have also found something else in the river: Botulism. Botulism is a disease caused by a bacterial toxin that cause paralysis, and, if not properly treated, death. It's in the fish, in the birds, the entire wildlife. It's in the soil.

And it's beautiful place. Even in the danger area, the "Area of Concern," as the Environmental Protection Agency calls it. It's one of the prettiest rivers you'll see.

This is a river that is still fished in. It is a river that people bring their families to, to boat and swim in. This river, home to toxins, to cancerous animals is frequently swam in by children.

As the world around us becomes slowly poisoned, we are determined to not let it ruin our routines. Guest reader and composer Russell Collins explores this bizarre form of courage in this episode, THE WATER'S FINE.

Russell Collins is a musical composer and singer. In addition to reading the preceding story, he also wrote the performed the score, as well as the VoFPX theme. You can find out more about Russell atwww.clockworkaudio.net

"Floating Away" was performed by Folio and was made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about them at www.folioband.com.

ALIENS YOU WILL MEET, another fine Free Planet X studios podcast, is going to have a live show at Dragon*Con in Atlanta. Live, real puppets will be enacting a very special extended narration, and I hope to see you there.

By Paul Jessup

Read by Jared Axelrod

“These woods are filled with spirits,? she said, “Not like the spirits of the dead. Older spirits. My grandma told me about them. She said that once these spirits used to help people, they were noble and good. And then people stopped praying to them. Stopped giving them food and friendship. Now the spirits are sick, and they wander these woods looking for companionship.?

Brad laughed and drank some of the vodka.

“What a load of shit,? Brad said, “Is that supposed to be scary, huh Carla? I don’t buy it. Not one bit.?

Little Man looked nervous. It was hard to reconcile this story with what we saw only a few hours ago. “Don’t worry Little Man,? Brad said, “Carla’s just pulling our legs. Ain’t that right??

Michael Winerip is a writer for the New York Times and an alumus of Harvard. In a recent column, "Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard," he talks about the multitudes of young teenagers who come to him for an interveiw, in the hopes of getting into his alma mater. None of them do.

Winerip describes a girl who, during summer vacation, left her house before 7 each morning to make a two-hour train ride to a major university, where she worked all day doing cutting-edge research for NASA on weightlessness in mice.

Let me repeat that. This girl's summer job consisted of working with NASA on the effects of weightlessness. Space travel. She did not get in to Harvard.

Another, a boy, did cancer research in the summer. He played two instruments in three orchestras; and composed his own music. He redid the computer system for his student paper, loved to cook and was writing his own cookbook. One of his specialties was snapper poached in tea and served with noodle cake.

And yet, these kids, despite their brilliance, their drive, their perfect SAT scores, their AP classwork and their parental assistance and assurance, kids who you'd think any college would be begging for them to come to, these kids do not get into Harvard. They do not get in Yale, they do not get into Princeton.

Because it just isn't enough. Not anymore.

What would you do, then, as a parent, to give your child an edge? How far would you go? How much would it cost, and how much would you be willing to pay? Guest reader Mur Laferty explores these possiblities in this episode's story.

Mur Laferty is the creative mind behind "Geek-fu Action Grip" and "I Should Be Writing," as well as being the co-author of "Tricks of the Podcasting masters," and editor of "Pseudopod"

"Asshole" was performed by Jim's Big Ego and was made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about them at bigego.com/.

This episode also featured "Concerto in D-Dur - Allegro" by Vivaldi, as performed by Telemann Trio Berlin . More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

Our theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

Happy April the First from the Greatest Music Podcast on the internet!

All music made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network.

"Livin' a Lie" by Suite 666
"Parallel Universes" by Dan Warren
"Time Remembers" by Artificial Intelligence In Texas
"Anesthesia" by Bad Religion
"In the Coffee Shop, When" by Andy Stone
"Killer Gorilla" by Whoremoan
"Powers" by Blackalicious
"Coma Girl" by Joe Strummer And the Mescaleros
"While The Sun Burns" by Catalonia
"She's Dead" by Jim's Big Ego

When your consumption is regulated by your behavior, what can you do when your past catches up with you?

This St. Patrick's Day cautionary tale was read by Brendan Dalton

"Seven Drunken Nights" was performed by Brobdingnagian Bards and was made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about them at www.thebards.net.

This episode also featured "Before I Was Gone" by Ehren Starks. More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

The VoFPX theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

"They say, before you can live here, you have to go and shout, ‘I am a Martian!’ And if God believes you, you’ll live in happiness and peace, until the end of your days.?
“And? If God doesn’t believe you??

"Staring At The Sun" was written and performed by TV On The Radio and was made available curtosey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about the band at www.tvontheradio.com/.

This episode also featured "Long Past Gone" by Jami Sieber. More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

Go vote for me in the Final Round of Escape Pod's Flash Fiction Contest. You will have to register, but then, why wouldn't you?

Our theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

Stories gotta come from somewhere.

Check out the Escape Pod forums at forum.escapeartists.info "The Water" was written and performed by Captain Paradox. It was provided courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network You can find out more about Captain Paradox at www.captainparadox.com

This episode also featured "Forever Babylon" by Falik. More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

Thanks again to everyone involved at Farpoint. The VoFPX theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

When the Devil's in disguise, it takes a powerful messanger to show power of burning love. So, three Elvises walk into a bar...

"Burning Love" was written by Dennis Linde. It was performed by Elvis Presley

Listen to J's Indie/Rock Mayhem at qfsmayhem.blogspot.com/ and at www.myspace.com/qfsmayhem.

Download Aliens You Will Meet at aliensyouwillmeet.libsyn.com. You know you wanna.

The VoFPX theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

Kennedy Rex, the half-man, half-dinosaur political candidate is a shoe-in for the election. Looks like it's time for a tyrant slayer.

"Broken Hands" was written and performed by Anvil Chorus. It was provided courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network You can find out more about Anvil Chorus at www.myspace.com/anvilchorus

Farpoint Science Fiction Convention is held in Baltimore, on Februrary 16-18. For more information, go to www.bcpl.net/~wilsonr/

You can hear Mur Laferty the reading Jonathan Sherwood's SF novelette, Under the Graying Sea at gramophiction.blogspot.com

The VoFPX theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

How do you fix something that sees existing as a malfunction?

"Automaton" was written and performed by No They Do and was made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about them at notheydo.com.

This episode also featured "Last Night Drive" by Ehren Starks. More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

The VoFPX theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net

Sometimes that clean slate isn't as clean as you've hoped

"Down To Zero" was written by Joan Armatrading, performed by Bettye LaVette and was made available curtsey of the of the Podsafe Music Network. You can find out more about her at www.bettyelavette.com.

This episode also featured "Dancing Backward" by Jami Sieber. More information and work by this artist can be found at www.magnatune.com

Paul Fischer is the New Media Ninja Warrior behind the Balticon podcast and the ADDcast. Both are great. Go listen to them.

Our theme was written and performed by Russel Collins of www.clockworkaudio.net