Does this current dystopia got you down? Well, at the Mix Taped Stories podcast, we replace your

existential dread with original speculative short stories and miniseries filled with humor, hope,

and wonder, and brought to life with music and a cast of human actors. Check out Mix Taped

Stories wherever you get your podcasts.

At Mix tape stories, we're creating beautiful fiction in a disappointing timeline.

Escape Bud, episode 1. EscapeBOD, Episode 141. Love in the Time of Dust and Venom.

By Sharon Joss. Hello and welcome to Escape Pod, your weekly science fiction podcast.

I'm Valerie Valdez, your host for this episode.

Our story this week is Love in the Time of Dust and Venom by Sharon Joss.

It was originally published in Fiction River Time Travelers in 2013.

Award-winning author Sharon Joss writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The author of nine novels, including The Hand of Fate series, and dozens of short stories.

She has worked as a waitress, bartender, real-time operating system software developer for the Space Shuttle.

Besides writing and reading, she enjoys jazz, training dogs, and falconry.

The 2015 Writers of the Future Golden Pen Award winner lives and writes in Oregon.

Our narrator, Torin Andros, is a full-time voice actor and digital artist residing in the Pacific Northwest.

After many years working corporate life, they are happily expanding on all the creative dreams they've

carried with them since childhood. They've spent many years now voicing audiobooks and audio dramas,

drawing book covers, interviewing wonderful creators, and even creating jingles and musical

intros. Currently, they're obsessively learning more about comic art and collaging.

Now, get ready for time travel to give new life to an old man, because it's story time.

Love in the Time of Dust and Venom by Sharon Ross, narrated by Torne Andrus.

Using his walker to brace himself, Kako watched her ancient grandfather stoop beside the packed dirt path and tug at a weed.

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