Escape Pod 757: The Sun From Both Sides (Part 1 of 3)

Escape Pod

Escape Artists Foundation

Fiction, Drama, Science Fiction

4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2020

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Sun From Both Sides (Part 1 of 3) By R.S.A. Garcia Once, a woman loved a man, and a man loved a woman. They lived in a forest, in a small stone-grey hut, set far enough back from a river to escape the seasonal floods. Every day, they woke on a too-soft mattress and turned their faces to each other before they opened their eyes. Her smile would curve her lips as she lay her hand on his cheek, and he would sigh and nuzzle her palm. Then they would roll away and sit up on either side of the low bed and push their feet into their shoes. Days were short and cool, or long and hot, but there was always something to do. Firewood to chop, the roof to repair, a garden to tend. They carried out their chores accompanied by his tuneless humming, and when she looked at him, he always knew. They would pause, gazes locked as they took a breath, hands wiping sweaty foreheads, or resting on bent knees, before they both went back to what they were doing. Nights were for dinner, and fireside reading, and sitting with their shoulders touching on the wooden swing-bench outside the creaky front door as they stared up at the patches of sky visible between the swaying branches. He would use his legs to push them back and forth slowly while she sat with her knees drawn up. Sometimes she let her head rest against his neck, and sometimes he put his head in her lap. Other times, he would play his flute while she lay her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. If she fell asleep, he would carry her inside without waking her. When they fought, with air sucked through teeth, hands on hips and narrowed eyes, it was usually over small things, like whose turn it was to clean up. But they made up quickly, with soft kisses, fingers interlaced as they walked, and bodies entwined at night.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Get your hands on Escape Pod's first ever print anthology.
0:04.4	If you're listening to our podcast, you probably like our stories.
0:08.0	This book has a mix of ones you've heard before,
0:10.7	as well as brand new ones by authors like Ken Liu,
0:14.0	N. K. Jemison, Tim Pratt, and Tina Connolly.
0:18.0	Get your copy in the UK on October 20th and in the US on November 17th.
0:24.0	The State Pod, episode 757, The Sun from Both Sides. Part 1 of 3.
0:39.4	By RSA Garcia. Gasea gasea. Hello and welcome to Escape Pod your weekly science fiction
1:07.7	podcast I'm Divia your host for this episode. This week I bring you part one of three of The Sun from Both
1:16.3	Sides by R. S. A. Garcia. It was first published by Clark's World Magazine in May 2019.
1:25.0	RSA Garcia lives in Trinidad and Tobago with an extended family and too many dogs.
1:32.0	Her debut science fiction mystery novel, Lex Talionis, received a starred review from
1:38.0	publishers weekly and The Silver Medal for Best Sci-Fi Fantasy Horror E-book from the Independent Publishers Awards in 2015.
1:47.7	She has published short fiction in international magazines including Clarks World,
1:51.9	Abyss and Apex, International magazine, and several anthologies.
1:57.0	Her newest story, Fire in His Eyes, Blood on His Teeth, is available now in The Devil's Way anthology edited by Anna Kashina.
2:06.6	Your narrator this week is Maxine Moore.
2:09.8	Maxine is a creative who has dabbled in a variety of fields, including theater, radio, photography, and now voice acting.
2:18.0	She can often be found watching movies and arguing about them, drinking tea, traveling, or enjoying a good book.
2:25.8	She lives with her husband in the Washington, D.C. area.
2:29.4	Now, get ready to have your peace and quiet interrupted because it's story time. The Sun from both sides, written by RSA Garcia, narrated by Maxine L. Moore.
2:57.8	Once a woman loved a man and a man loved a woman. They lived in a forest and a small stone-gray hut,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Escape Artists Foundation, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Escape Artists Foundation and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.