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Extraction Request
Our third podcast for January is “Extraction Request” written by Rich Larson and read by Kate Baker.
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 112 - Extraction Request by Rich Larson [65:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (50665)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rich Larson was born in Galmi, Niger, has studied in Rhode Island and worked in the south of Spain, and now lives in Ottawa, Canada. His work appears in numerous Year's Best anthologies and has been translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Polish, Czech, French, and Italian. He was the most prolific author of short science fiction in 2015, 2016 and possibly 2017 as well. His debut novel, Annex, was published by Orbit Books in July 2018, and his debut collection, Tomorrow Factory, followed in October 2018 from Talos Press.
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ISSN 1937-7843 Clarkesworld Magazine © 2006-2019 Wyrm Publishing. Robot illustration by Serj Iulian.
Seth Williams wrote on January 17th, 2016 at 8:00 pm:
I was going out to the market today to stock up on some groceries in front of the coming snow and decided this would be a great time to listen to some fiction. Earbuds in I began to shop and listen. Before I knew what had happened I was in my driveway snow falling around me and a trunk full of sacks and Kate was giving her thoughts on the story, that's what snapped me back to reality. I had connected to this story and had been taken along through the entire sequence of events being present in the narrative. I was impressed with the writing and the narrative but not the closing remarks. Talk about killing the story in a few short sentences. I will say Kate did a good job narrating when she obviously did not connect with story. Thanks again to Clarkesworld for presenting some great fiction once again.
Kate Baker wrote on January 19th, 2016 at 4:06 pm:
Hey Seth,
Thanks for the genuine feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the narration. When I'm doing the closing remarks, I have to weigh length of remarks with length of podcast, and whether my reaction is appropriate.I actually enjoyed that story quite a bit and have recommended it to a few of my friends!
Not only did I think it was a well-written journey through the stages of grief on so many levels (anger, depression, acceptance, defiance, shock, bargaining) but I did think it spoke about the horrors of addiction and placing the high over that of your squad or your lover's life, or that of your own. Would the shuttle have gone down if he wasn't in the back getting high? Would any of them had survived if his thoughts were turned more towards living instead of finding the needle? I would have liked to know more about his life before the consquad that made him turn to morphine. He's running away from his family and while it could be death by a thousand cuts, the backstory there must be tragic.
Not my intention to kill that story for you! Would love to know your thoughts!
Seth Williams wrote on January 19th, 2016 at 10:28 pm:
Hello Kate,
Thank you for responding and giving more of your thoughts on the story. Full disclosure, I love science fiction, Clarkesworld and your narrations. I am also a gay man who in his younger days battled with addiction. This story touched me in many ways, it made me feel vulnerable, angry and ashamed of who I have been and frightened by what I could have been. I felt the want, the powerlessness and was disappointed in the strength that was not or could not be brought to bear when the consquad and lover needed it to survive. As strange as it may sound what sent me to my browser to comment were two small words in your closing "I guess". Reading this now it seems like almost nothing, but feeling are powerful indeed. Thank you for listening and thank you for allowing me to tell you a story.