Pocket Fiction: Recent Episodes
Steve Cook
An audiobook podcast by Steve Cook, featuring both short stories and novel-length work. A mixture of fantasy and science fiction in a variety of genres by Steve Cook and contributing authors.
It's late. Too late to still be interviewing this particular suspect. Too late for his sneering voice, his arrogance, his stolid restatement of the facts. Too late for four missing young women. But this suspect is hiding a secret, one hiding in plain sight...
The battle is over, and Noctis Point is a smoking ruin. But the war is still far from over...
Aliens and psych clash in the Battle for Noctis Point, as Alex finally accepts the responsibility that his newfound powers bestow upon him.
Alex has always struggled with his psych. But something is different. Something fundamental has changed for him, changed in the world around him. And it feels good...
The assault by the Jovian Spiders is under way. Princess Ariadne and Alex, both at the heart of the crisis, are forced to work together to try and find a solution. But as the Spiders deploy a hidden weapon, will it spell the end of the base?
Alex, frustrated by his exclusion from the group, lashes out psychically. He is powerful, he discovers, and therefore dangerous. But something else, far more dangerous. stalks the corridors of Noctis Point, and Alex finds himself in a head-on collision course...
Ariadne arrives at Noctis Point bringing terrible news: The Spiders are coming. For Alex, Kingly and Natasha, it means an end to their lessons and the beginning of training for a harder cause: War.
Ariadne makes her escape from the assassination attempt and finally mends some bridges with her handmaiden. But as the full scope of the political game on Earth becomes clear, can they do anything to stop the oncoming war?
Ariadne receives her largest piece of the puzzle yet; but is the information worth the deadly risk she may be running, to herself and to those she loves?
Alex, now with some measure of control over his power, begins to experiment with how it can be used.
Her mission complete, Ariadne returns to the Imperial Palace. There are still many holes in her knowledge, but her handmaid Sera holds the largest piece to the puzzle...
Princess Ariadne, in her role as spymistress, finally gets some solid intel on the terrorist plot that festers in London. But things quickly turn sour as she comes face to face with their pet psych - someone Alex would know well to avoid.
Alex delves deeper into his skills as an anti-psych 'Null field'. No psych has ever displayed his particular talent... can he make use of it?
Ariadne faces the fact that she can't stop her father from waging war. But there are problems closer to home that require her full attention...
What new power does Alex bring to Noctis Point? As he begins to develop his unusual strain of psych power, he soon finds that enemies are easy to come by - and friends much, much harder.
With the Earth Empire on the brink of genocide, Princess Ariadne has one last desperate attempt to convince her father that there is another way.
In the aftermath of a site-wide psychic blackout, Alex finds himself the subject of an interrogation.
As Alex and his friends explore their newfound psychic abilities, they constantly discover new and exciting things that they can do. But they are not the only ones flexing their muscles, and danger lurks for Alex among the student body...
Princess Ariadne meets with Principal Reeve on the Noctis Point base. As she learns more about psych biology, and how psychs work, Ariadne works towards a solution that will keep all humans safe from the threat of the Spiders...
The focus of Alex's training moves from psychic to physical, and to the psych game Locus - and suddenly Alex finds himself in a position of power.
Alex finds out exactly what a 'null' is, and just how much danger he is in. Later, as he works to improve his meagre skills, he makes a worrying discovery...
She offered it to Alex, and as he took it a strange tingle ran down his arm. The tube vibrated, numbing his fingers.A vivid rainbow-hued light burst into being, dazzling Alex for a moment and causing him to drop the tube in surprise. It thudded to the floor, and the light instantly disappeared.“What the hell was that?” Kingly said, then whistled softly. “Damn.”
Back at Noctis Point base, Alex discovers that there may be more to his powers than he first thought as he begins to train in telekinesis. But there are dangers on the base, and people who would see him come to harm...
If you have a few minutes to spare, it'd be great if you could leave a review at the iTunes store! Every review helps! You can leave a review by viewing the podcast in iTunes itself, and clicking on Ratings and Reviews.
Even though I'm serialising Noctis Point, Pocket Fiction is always looking for submissions! If you're an author, or you know an author, and you have a piece of fiction you would like to hear in the weekly podcast, drop me a line!
Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store; on Tumblr; and on YouTube.
Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!
Music: “The Descent”, "Comfortable Mystery", "The Path of the Goblin King", Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).
Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0.
Sound effects used in this episode: metal_on_wood by Sir Smith.
Sera frowned. “What will the Spiders do when your father launches the attack?”“They must know that we can destroy Europa and Ganymede,” Ariadne said, throwing her stylus down. “Surely they’re smart enough to realise that.”“Maybe,” Sera replied, looking over the stack of files. “We just don’t know. Ignorance. That’s our problem right now, whether it’s our ignorance or theirs.”
Another episode of Pocket Fiction! Ariadne and Sera perform vital research to try and offset a genocide, as they realise that there is more to the situation than meets the eye.
If you have a few minutes to spare, it'd be great if you could leave a review at the iTunes store! Every review helps! You can leave a review by viewing the podcast in iTunes itself, and clicking on Ratings and Reviews.
Even though I'm serialising Noctis Point, Pocket Fiction is always looking for submissions! If you're an author, or you know an author, and you have a piece of fiction you would like to hear in the weekly podcast, drop me a line!
Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store; on Tumblr; and on YouTube.
Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!
Music: “The Descent”, "Comfortable Mystery", Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).
Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0.
Further frustration lays in store for Alex as he begins to test the boundaries of his power, and finds out just how much he can and can't do.
Alex attends his first classes as a psych in the Mars base 'Noctis Point'. As he begins to explore the depths of his talent as a psych, however, all is not as it seems...
Ariadne attends a briefing that quickly turns into a war council, as new evidence - and an old threat - come to light.
Alex begins his life as a psych at Noctis Point. Together with his room-mate Kingly, he finds out more about what being a psych means - and how dangerous it could potentially be.
Princess Ariadne and Sera take to the skies as they continue their investigation into the terrorist attack in London. As Ariadne inspects the site of the attack, she begins to think that perhaps everything is not quite as it seems...
As Alex sets off towards Mars, and the Noctis Point base, he meets his fellow recruits. But Noctis Point is a school like no other. A paramilitary training school for psychs, it is the first and only hope Alex will have of mastering his talent.
Alex receives a visit from the Psy-Ops psychic police force, and they give him some information that will change his life forever.
The Dimlands, home to the criminal element of London, and unlikely site of Mother Chén's Orphanage. As Alex returns home jobless, he faces the matriarch's wrath. But change is on the horizon in Alex's life...
Ariadne Cutter, daughter to the Terran Emperor, is far more than she first seems: spymistress, information broker, princess, whether in her own name or under her codename, Shrike...
Not again. A man, as wide as he was tall, holding someone against the wall up ahead, a knife glinting in his hand. Alex skidded to a halt.The man turned, his bald head covered in tattoovids that danced and strobed in the gloom. “Kid,” he said, his voice autotuned to a bass burr. “Get lost.”
The London of 2154 is a gritty place, but even in the darkest reaches of the Dimlands there are bright spots. As Alex makes his way towards one such spot, however, he quickly comes across the worst the district has to offer.
This year, Pocket Fiction will be host to the entire run of my novel Noctis Point. Each episode will be produced sequentially, taking me through to September. Coinciding with this, I will be releasing Noctis Point later in the year as a Kindle book.
Please, if you have a few minutes to spare, leave a review at the iTunes store! Every review helps! You can leave a review by viewing the podcast in iTunes itself, and clicking on Ratings and Reviews.
Even though I'm serialising Noctis Point, Pocket Fiction is always looking for submissions! If you're an author, or you know an author, and you have a piece of fiction you would like to hear in the weekly podcast, drop me a line!
Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store; on Tumblr; and on YouTube.
Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!
Music: “The Descent”, "Prelude and Action", "Neolith" and "Big Rock", Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).
Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0.
Sound effects used in this episode: footsteps running on the street by hintringer; platos 9 by timlaroche; coke can open 3 by kwahmah_02; Rain 2 by Ryding; parisian cafe by volivieri; and sh_shop_door_bell_openclose by shall555.
Earth, 2154. As the alien Spiders, together with human allies, assault a communications centre in the heart of London, 15-year-old Alexander Deere finds himself caught between them and the elite psychics of the Psy-Ops force.
As the Matryoshka's final layer is revealed, the paradox comes full circle for Leonard, Margaret and Ross.
A scientist takes delivery of a mysterious matryoshka doll. Who sent it? What lies within it? And why does one of the layers have a perfect painting of himself on it?
A contemporary standalone story in which a man and a dog explore a mysterious mansion in search of a homeless woman.
A quirky short story about a talking dog and an abandoned mansion house. It's not Scooby-Doo fanfiction, I promise.
This was the story that accompanied Susan Cook's speech at the User-Centred Design Conference a couple of weeks ago. More info can be found at stevecookfiction.com
A man is invited to a dinner party by an old friend, but with a twist: his host has been hired to kill him, and makes no secret of the fact. Has his luck finally run out?
When a digging team unearths a relic of an ancient war, scientist Nef is called in to recover it. Instead, he reactivates it...
I'd all-but forgotten about the Philadelphia Experiment, which is alleged to have taken place in 1943, but podcast Stuff You Should Know did an episode on it recently and pretty much all the way through I was thinking 'But wouldn't it be cool if...' The result is this podcast.
A chief engineer decides that enough is enough, and hands his resignation in; but will it be enough to stop the government from using his creation for war?
A Victorian inventor discovers that he has a secret admirer, and it's Death. But why is the End of All Things so interested in his work?
Eve, a young engineer in the Science and Industry College, tries to uncover the mystery of her partner's construction.
Ken, a salvage diver, is deeply suspicious of his coworker Jenick's response to a brush with death - enough to perform his own risky dive in search of the truth.
A young man looks to mysticism and monkeys to solve his problems - but will it make a difference?
Newly uplifted, Nané is a cat of the Gyb duchy. Together with her friend and rider Gita, she needs to prove her worth to the rest of the armed forces...
Based on a piece from 2011, this is an irreverent look at the afterlife through the eyes of Angel Uriel.
When the Red Hand slavers finally catch up them, Tark the otter is injured and Guthry, his human partner, is captured. It's up to Tark to try and mount a daring rescue, but what can one otter do against an entire crew?
Lily, abed with the fever that has ravaged her village, receives a visit from her lifelong friend, the Guardian.
The technological singularity is a point where our artificial intelligences will become self-aware, indistinguishable from our own consciousness. But what if that time has already come?
The shepherd of the future tends, not to sheep, but to small mobile photovoltaic cells. But when poachers threaten his livelihood, will he be able to see them off with nothing but his wits?
The new Emperor looks out upon his empire, victorious, as his scheming son looks on. Can he avoid the final hazard in his rise to power?
When one of the artisans of Ashenhall is injured, it's up to his apprentice and the village healer to save his life. But, in the darkness, something lurks.
The social media of tomorrow might use your emotions to make the experience more immersive. Imagine looking at a photo on Facebook and receiving an emotion, prepackaged, as part of the deal. But what if this technology could be used for more nefarious means, to inflict emotion on the unwary...?
Father Brennan's journey ends at the canopy of the Arbour - his living god - but what will he discover there?
As Father Brennan continues his climb up the tree, he makes some startling discoveries.
A holy man is given orders: to defy blasphemy and go on a journey that will push the very boundaries of his belief and his faith.
What if you were able to walk on cruise control, someone else putting in the effort so that you can check your emails, browse the web, play a few moves in that game you're so in to?
What if there was more to the UK Election than we see in the coverage? What if your vote counted for more - or less - than you thought? A dark look at the events of recent months, recorded specially for the Election.
A comatose patient is summoned through time at the moment of her death, but what does the distant future hold for her?
When a personal assistant is stolen, she goes to unusual lengths to ensure her own safe return.
A homeowner is convinced to buy 'The Kitchen of the Future!' and isn't prepared for what that really means.
The training begins as Farmer Merryhew tries to repeat his success and create the world's tastiest beef, but all is not as it seems down on the farm...
When local farmer Gerald notices one of his cows acting in an unusual way, he at first thinks nothing of it. But as the animal exhibits more signs of intelligent thinking, an odd rivalry springs up between the farmer and his cow...
This week's story comes to you from Rie Sheridan Rose. She edited the anthology 'Avast Ye Airships', into which I was lucky enough to get a story. This is a tale of bloodsuckers; to say anything else would be to spoil it.
Two people who made deals with witches gamble over the life of their firstborn. However, they only have one firstborn between them. As the witches come to claim their prize... which witch will be successful?
A village blacksmith, under threat of being replaced by a machine, is visited by a living legend.
A double-bill, with a short standalone story based on the wonderful modern-day mystery of Numbers Stations, written by me, and a wonderfully atmospheric piece by Eleanor Rutter, better known on Tumblr as Rocnor, about an old man surveying the world.
This is the first chapter of NeedFire by guest author Amy Braun. Sophia is forced to make a difficult choice when the worst happens. NeedFire is available to buy on the Amazon store.
A fantasy story about a cat that grants wishes, and the perils of choosing your words poorly.
Set in the Noctis Point universe, Deep In Thought is a standalone tale. A Psy-Ops operative battles to save the life of a young woman through unusual means.
Set in the Noctis Point universe, Deep In Thought is a standalone tale. A Psy-Ops operative battles to save the life of a young woman through unusual means.
Set in the Noctis Point universe, The Illusionist is the first in a series of Tales From Room 111. A young researcher discovers that an unshakeable belief in something can lead to devastating consequences.
A child writes to his soldier father. A standalone story written in the world of Noctis Point, by Steve Cook.
Trip and Victor meet Lauren, Engineer Extraordinaire. Apologies for the sound quality in this episode; I’m going down with some sort of cold, and I’m still trying to get to grips with new recording software, hence why it’s a little patchy.
After the battle under the tree, Trip and Victor attend a debrief in the Mayor's office, and Victor accepts a new mission.
In the wake of the discovery at the farmhouse, Victor and Trip travel to Deep Round. But the village is in disrepair, and the locals are all injured. What could be the cause?
Anila, the daughter of High Father Hork, trains. But now, with the destruction of her home, she has a purpose.
As Trip and Victor prepare for their journey, Trip comes to the unsettling conclusion that Victor is not the man Trip thought he was.
A boy goes through some mementoes with his grandfather, and discovers that someone may be watching over him. Mild spookiness.
Clockwork is a short standalone horror story recorded for Halloween 2014. Like all good horror, the less said about it the better! Best enjoyed with headphones! Trigger warnings: Claustrophobia, suspense, the creeping dread that we are not alone.
A peace envoy to the Jovian moons results in catastrophe as the aliens take things very literally.