“If a work of fiction has any force to it, we close the book with a head full of images, lines, and emotions.”
The above quote is from an article on The Vulture (a version of which also appeared in New York Magazine) that got me thinking about plot and fiction. In it, the article’s author also mentions that while it’s prose that we most often remember, “it’s the plot that keeps us turning pages.” While the outline of the evolution of plot was interesting, and even though I’m not sure I agree with all of his “worst endings” sidebar, it got me thinking about plot and what keeps us reading.
In my exultant ramblings about Forrest Leo’s The Gentleman a couple of weeks ago, I talked a lot about the humor, but little about the plot. In fact, the plot was a fairly common trope going back to ancient Greek mythology; it was a bit of a riff on the Orpheus story. Nothing remarkable there and yet for me the story was completely remarkable (clearly if I’m mentioning it here twice). So I suppose it’s perhaps not what the plot is, so much as what the author does with it.
And what some authors have been doing with plot is moving it off the page and into our ears. These podcasts are the modern version of the radio dramas that kept previous generations entertained for hours with installments that encouraged listeners to return time and again. I’ve talked about bookish podcasts and audiobooks here on the blog before, but there are some fiction podcasts that will tell you a great story, leaving you with the lines, images and emotions of fiction that stays with you. As with any audiobook or podcast, you may need to keep in mind your surroundings as some will have an E for explicit content, but this is no different from other forms of artistic expression.
This podcast sets itself up as the recordings of a psychotherapist, Dr. Bright, who specializes in what she calls “atypicals” patients who have unique powers that she helps them manage and control. As the podcasts develop, we learn more and more about why Dr. Bright entered into her specialty in the first place and the listener begins to understand that there are nefarious underpinnings that Dr. Bright is struggling against. This podcast does a great job of humanizing those with different abilities (even though those abilities aren’t any we encounter in reality) and gives the listener just enough as the sessions go on to keep us entertained and interested.
Set in a world situated underneath the pacific Ocean, this is an original sci-fi drama that is very professionally produced with longer episodes than most podcasts. The Leviathan are a human-like, immortal race that is infiltrated by a human who comes to realize that she is descended from the Leviathans and tries to come to terms what that means for her and the human race.
Speaking of old-time radio shows, this is a live-produced, Los Angeles based comedy show that has an array of well-known guest stars with original content posted very frequently. This one has a backlog of over 100 episodes, so if you’re in the mood to binge and get addicted to something, this may be your best bet!
This is probably one of the most well-known fiction podcasts that was eventually turned into a book because of its enormous popularity. This podcast is known for its creepy vibe, subtly dark humor and suspenseful storytelling. If you’re looking for something light to fill a Walking-Dead hole, or if you’re looking for something in which to get totally absorbed, this may just fit the bill for you.
If you’re looking to become totally absorbed in fiction, but don’t want the commitment of having a story told to you across multiple episodes, you may want to try this podcast, the most “literary” on this list, but one most definitely worth listening to. Authors like Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Curtis Sittenfeld and many more, have written short stories for the New Yorker, and this podcast brings them to life, in the author’s own voice. If you’d like to hear more of what your favorite literary author has written or if you’re wondering just what your favorite author might sound like when reading his or her own stories, this is a must-listen.
I realize that this post is glaringly lacking in library-related items, but I strongly believe that the library is more than just books and programs. We should be able to help people access as much information as they desire in as many forms as possible. Free formats are an added bonus. I know full well that while I do my best to keep the South Branch stocked with materials that people want to watch and read, our most voracious readers (and listeners) are inevitably always looking for a good story. Podcasts are another way to find them and introduce patrons to people who have their own voices, even if they don’t choose to express it in paper form. If I can keep people intrigued with stories, no matter what source they come from, I feel like I’m doing my job. Till next week, dear readers, whatever keeps you intrigued with a story, whether it’s the plot, the writing or how it’s told to you, I hope you spend the weekend enjoying it.