“STARVATION,” by M. Bennardo.
Read by Brian Swanson. (36 min)

Johnny straggled behind Dalton as they came out of the jungle into the clearing. Streaks of fuel burned in the grass, the flames pale and languid in the bright midday sun. But they were still hot and smoky as hell. The smashed chopper was only about twenty yards away, a crumpled aluminum can surrounded by four smoldering lumps of black. The rest of the men. 

Dalton brought the nose of his rifle up and put his finger on the trigger. They hadn’t seen any enemy fire when they had gone down, but it was hard to be sure. And even if the bad guys hadn’t been around before, there was nothing like a crippled chopper to bring them out of cover. “Keep your eyes open,” said Dalton. Johnny just grunted, and drew his knife. It was the only weapon he had anymore.

Download the MP3 • Subscribe on iTunes
Direct podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/machineofpodcast

M. Bennardo‘s stories have been published in Asimov’s Science Fiction and Strange Horizons, among other markets. He is also one of the co-editors of Machine of Death. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brian Swanson is one-half of FoxSwan, a comedy karaoke duo based in Burbank, California. He is currently on a mission to sing karaoke with Meat Loaf.

In the book, “STARVATION” is illustrated by Karl Kerschl. This podcast episode was edited by Matthew Schwartz.

“CANCER,” by Camron Miller.
Read by Joanna Penn. (8 min)

In the months afterward, in suburban dining rooms, the bohemian bourgeoisie debated the ethics of the machine. The first had been installed unobtrusively in leading doctors’ surgeries, and as they spread across the country, schoolteachers and bank managers and creative consultants and publishers met for cocktail parties, suppers, restaurant lunches, the conversation turned to the machine, the machine, again and again, the machine.

“I saw one,” said Kate Boothroyd, sucking on a cigarette, “on Kensington High Street. There was a line a bloody mile long — madness.”

A temporary silence settled over the Broads’ dining table, broken by the hostess.

“And would you?”

Download the MP3 • Subscribe on iTunes
Direct podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/machineofpodcast

Camron Miller is an amateur writer and classics student. A graduate of St Bees School and the Lawrenceville School, he divides his time between the University of London, the Surrey Hills, and a seaside village near the Lake District National Park. He can be reached at camronmiller [at] hotmail.com.

Joanna Penn is an author, blogger, speaker and business consultant based in Australia. She recently published the novel Pentecost, and she also recently conducted an interview with us about Machine of Death.

In the book, “CANCER” is illustrated by Les McClaine. This podcast episode was edited by Matthew Schwartz.

“NOTHING,” by Pelotard.
Read by Lore Sjöberg. (14min)

The door opened when she was still a few yards from the house. An old man made his way out, standing on the three steps leading down to the yard, straightening his back. He looked exactly the same as last time — five years ago, or maybe seven? She couldn’t quite remember — thin, tall, with a wisp of nearly white hair that blew whichever way the wind fancied.

She smiled at him. “Hi, Grandpa.”

Download the MP3 • Subscribe on iTunes
Direct podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/machineofpodcast

Pelotard has worked at Microsoft in Dublin, at the European Space Agency in Noordwijk-an-Zee in the Netherlands, and has found his degree in theoretical physics completely useless in his current career at a translation agency. He lives outside Stockholm, Sweden, with his family.

Lore Sjöberg is a humorist, cartoonist, and the author of The Book of Ratings. He is a regular contributor to Wired.com, and his new blog is at dogsandsorcerers.com.

In the book, “NOTHING” is illustrated by John Allison. This podcast episode was edited by Matthew Schwartz.

“FLAMING MARSHMALLOW,” by Camille Alexa.
Read by Colleen AF Venable. (20min)

I’m so freaking excited I can hardly stand it.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is my birthday, the birthday. The birthday everybody waits and waits for and until you get there you just hate that all your old friends already got theirs and you’re the only one without it yet, and sometimes you think holy-freaking-eff, I’m never going to turn sixteen, but then you do.

This is what I’ve been waiting for all these months. All these years, I guess, though before my friends started getting theirs, it didn’t seem like such a big deal. We were all No-Knows then.

Tomorrow, I’m finally going to feel like I belong.

Tomorrow, I’m going to find out how I die.

Download the MP3 • Subscribe on iTunes
Direct podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/machineofpodcast

Camille Alexa lives with fossils, dried branches, pressed flowers, and other dead things in ¼ of an Edwardian house in the Pacific Northwest. She’s fond of big dogs, warm bread, post-apocalyptic love stories, and the serial comma. Her short fiction collection, Push of the Sky, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly and has been nominated for the Endeavour Award.

In the book, “FLAMING MARSHMALLOW” is illustrated by Shannon Wheeler!

TRIVIA: This story was also published in audio in 2008 by Escape Pod, read by Dani Cutler!

TRIVIA: We have just learned that Jonathan Shockley, who read “MISCARRIAGE” for us, is also behind the internet phenomenon “100 Ways to Love a Cat.” You’re welcome.

“HIV INFECTION FROM MACHINE OF DEATH NEEDLE,” by Brian Quinlan.
Read by Jason Frederick.

“Well,” I thought, “that sucks.”

Download the MP3 • Subscribe on iTunes
Direct podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/machineofpodcast

Brian Quinlan recently earned a degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech. He has yet to decide what the hell he’ll do next..

Jason Frederick is a comedy writer and performer. He lives in Los Angeles.

In the book, “HIV INFECTION FROM MACHINE OF DEATH NEEDLE” is illustrated by KC Green!