Podcastle, Episode 915 for Tuesday the 28th of October 2025.

The Hunter, the Monster, and the Things That Could Have Been by Leoneing, read by Amanda

Ching and produced by Eric Valdez, rated PG-13.

Good morning, good day, good afternoon and good evening and welcome to Podcastle, the flying castle of fantasy fiction.

I'm your host, Matt Dovey, and it is my privilege to present for your enjoyment, The Hunter, the Monster and the Things That Could Have Been by Leoneen, narrated by Amanda Ching.

This story was first published in the anthology Monster Lairs, published by Dark Matter

Inc in October, in October, 2023.

One quick and possibly too timely note before our story.

It's the World Fantasy Convention this weekend in Brighton, UK, and I'll be about with my lovely wife, as will co-editor Devon.

We are all roiling bags of social anxiety at the best of times, but still, if you see me, and at 6'4 I stand out in a crowd,

please do feel free to come over and say hi, you have my permission.

And keep your fingers crossed for us at the British Fantasy Awards ceremony on Saturday evening, where we're on the shortlist for best audio, along with our slimy-sister, pseudapod.

Okay, tell a lie there is a second quick note. The dragon has taken pity and adopted a new human so that Eric can have a friend.

Everyone, please welcome Dean Kidd as our second audio engineer.

Hi Dean!

Your author today, Lea Ning, lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and their adorable

fluffy overlords. Some of the uncomfortable things she writes can be found in Apex Magazine,

Podcastle, beneath ceaseless skies and the dark magazine. You can find her on Twitter and blue sky

at Lea Ning and on her website Le Learning.com.

Amanda Ching is a mailman. Neither rain nor snow nor elder gods can stop her.

And now pay attention, for our tale is about to begin,

and the government leaflets have warned you about this situation.

...