#poisonroot

[stevecookfiction]

#57 - Cog519

The cog took a step forward and it was all Nef could do to stay where he was. The first footsteps were painfully grinding, each one slightly easier than the last. It stopped, five feet from Nef, and he suddenly realised how much taller it was than even him.

It spoke, the voice issuing from somewhere within its skull. “Unit 519. Special tactics cog, fifth battalion..."

A horror/steampunk story set in the Poisonroot universe. When a digging team unearths a relic of an ancient war, Akh Nef is called in to recover it. Instead, he reactivates it. It introduces itself as Cog519, a weapon from a harsher time, and quickly forms a bond with the scientist. But will Nef be able to integrate the Cog into his life safely?

The last steampunk story for Steampunktober, in celebration of the release of Cogs In Time 3 anthology, which is now available in ebook and physical formats! 

This is by far the longest story I've attempted to record; I set myself this challenge because I wanted the chance to produce something of a decent length, with a good long buildup, for Hallowe'en. Next month, though, I'll be back to ten-minute episodes.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” and "Unseen Horrors" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

Sound effects used in this episode: Evil Dentist by Dethrok, low hum by david_werecat, lamp neck bending by jaegrover, Squeaky Door by CastIronCarousel, Metallic noise by RutgerMuller, Box opened by Sinjohnt, electricitystatic by sophiehall3535, pencil in a paper by JuGaspari, Breaking Neck by cinevid, and heartbeat fast by harrybates01.

[stevecookfiction]

#54 - Eve and Tic

"Tic."

"Eve?"

"How do you... work?

A piece of worldbuilding fiction from the Poisonroot universe. Eve, a young engineer in the Science and Industry College, tries to find out a little more about her partner - the enigmatic automata, Tic. 

Back when I was writing Poisonroot, I envisioned a side story with Eve and Tic. She was a cross between Indiana Jones and Young Sherlock Holmes; he was a Cog, a steampunk automata with an intelligence that spanned eons, but the outlook of a child. It was going to be a way to put fairly complicated Science concepts across to younger children. Ultimately, I never really developed the idea, and this is one of the earlier concept pieces for it.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. ​

[stevecookfiction]

#45 - Art of War

The new Emperor looks out upon his empire, victorious, as his scheming son looks on. Can he avoid the final hazard in his rise to power?

A short story from the Poisonroot universe, set in the empire of Koru. The D&D group I run have been playing in Koru for a few weeks now and it's nothing like this story for them. Good thing, too, or I suspect they wouldn't get away with half the stuff they try.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

Additional voices by Susan Cook.

[stevecookfiction]

#41 - The Climb, Part 5

The final part of The Climb. A short story set in the Poisonroot universe, it follows a priest trying to understand the origins of his religion in a world where the monodeity is a giant tree. Originally planned to be only four parts, this fifth part deals with what Father Brennan finds at the top of the tree.

This story that opened my NaNoWriMo entry for 2012. I wrote several short stories, each one designed to stand alone and yet to expand on the world of Poisonroot. That's a world which has seen more action through the D&D campaign I run than through any writing, but it's all useful nonetheless.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a video on YouTube and as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

[stevecookfiction]

The Climb Part 4

Part four of five in a world-building short story set in the Poisonroot universe. I've actually already recorded part five, and I've made some changes. Although I was initially quite happy with it, I'ma few years further down the line now and I think I can improve on it. Enjoy!

This story that opened my NaNoWriMo entry for 2012. I wrote several short stories, each one designed to stand alone and yet to expand on the world of Poisonroot. That's a world which has seen more action through the D&D campaign I run than through any writing, but it's all useful nonetheless.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a video on YouTube and as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

[stevecookfiction]

The Climb Part 3

Part 3 of The Climb. Looking back at it, it's quite a slow burn piece. Not much excitement. Luckily, that gives me the chance to play with sound effects and stuff. It's really interesting to me how well-suited horror, and horrific things, are to podcasting.

This story that opened my NaNoWriMo entry for 2012. I wrote several short stories, each one designed to stand alone and yet to expand on the world of Poisonroot. That's a world which has seen more action through the D&D campaign I run than through any writing, but it's all useful nonetheless.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a video on YouTube and as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

[stevecookfiction]

The Climb, Part 2

A four-part short story set in the Poisonroot universe. The journey begins, and as the Arbour grows ever closer the world enfolds the priest. This was originally intended to be worldbuilding, and a lot of that is still present; specifically, the four parts don't have the teasing or cliffhanging endings that I'd perhaps want from a piece written specifically for Pocket Fiction. But taken as one long piece, it's going to be quite nice, I think!

This story that opened my NaNoWriMo entry for 2012. I wrote several short stories, each one designed to stand alone and yet to expand on the world of Poisonroot. That's a world which has seen more action through the D&D campaign I run than through any writing, but it's all useful nonetheless.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a video on YouTube and as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0. 

[stevecookfiction]

#37 - The Climb, Part 1

A four-part short story set in the Poisonroot universe. A holy man is given orders: to defy blasphemy and go on a journey that will push the very boundaries of his faith and his belief.

This story that opened my NaNoWriMo entry for 2012. I wrote several short stories, each one designed to stand alone and yet to expand on the world of Poisonroot. That's a world which has seen more action through the D&D campaign I run than through any writing, but it's all useful nonetheless.

As always, I would love to collaborate with you! If you have short fiction that you would like me to include as a standalone episode of Pocket Fiction, drop me a line!

Each track is also available as a video on YouTube and as a podcast through the iTunes store.

Thanks for listening! Ideas? Suggestions? Things you would like me to read? Please comment and subscribe!

Music: “The Pyre” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).  Licensed under Creative Commons: By attribution 3.0.