Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Discussions
98 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 36 ratingsNamed “TOP 20 PHILOSOPHY PODCAST” for 2022!
Brought to you by “After Dinner Conversation” publishing; thoughtful discussions about the philosophy and ethics found in the short fiction stories from our monthly magazine.
Or, put another way, discussions about “what-if” examples, across literary genres, regarding ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, utilitarianism, aesthetics, moral relativism, and political and economic philosophy.
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Episodes
E71. "Season Five Recap" - After Dinner Conversation editor Kolby answers listener questions.
January 29, 2023 15:51 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2023! STORY SUMMARY: After Dinner Conversation editor Kolby wraps up the Season Five podcast and answers ten listener questions. BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short stories here. MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. Use the discount code on our website to get the first month free! SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon. FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
E70. "The Growing And Weeding Of Dandelions" - Can the stakes ever be so high that genocide of a species is a reasonable option?
November 06, 2022 12:40 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: In this work of philosophical short story fiction, a civilization-sized space ship has been flying to populate the surrounding solar systems. They start with a skeleton crew, use ship resources and grow their population over generations, then arrive at a new planet. They drop off the extra people, rep...
E69. "For Your Safety" - How do you know if the government-imposed limits on personal freedom “for your protection” have gone too far?
October 20, 2022 02:39 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Zoe gets a knock on her door from the Department of Public Health. They have detected increased biochemical signatures that lead them to believe she has been having sexual intercourse without a properly filed Intimate Partnership Agreement (IPA). The ...
E68. "Cruel Means, Bitter Ends" - Should war be "won" at any cost?
May 10, 2022 12:19 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: When, if ever, is it okay to let evil win? Should all wars be fought to the bitter end, or is ending the suffering of your people more important? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the Prime Minister is a long-time military man sworn to fighting the evil aggression of the Theocratic Re...
E67. "Exodus" - What makes a “religious” holiday?
April 18, 2022 23:26 - 26 minutes - 24 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: What makes a “religious” holiday? Does the combination of ritual, culture, and family custom all merge together to create “religion?” Does it even matter if the historical basis for religious stories are false? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the spaceship computer AI wakes up a fam...
E66. "Rose-tinted Glasses" - Can you stop yourself from "growing up?"
April 04, 2022 02:00 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: What do we lose when we leave childhood and become adults? Is this a good thing? Can we, at least for a moment, turn back time and see the world again as a child? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Becca and Adam are members of the Fairytale Fellowship, a group of children who can stil...
E65. "The Wrong Side Of History" - How far would you go to protect your legacy?
March 21, 2022 02:04 - 37 minutes - 34 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: Is it appropriate to hold politicians accountable for their past votes, their past actions, and their past opinions, even if they are not reflective of them today? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Senator McCoy is 130 years old and is considered a “national treasure” for his nearly c...
E64. "The Machine" - Would you help create general AI?
March 07, 2022 02:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: A review of “Newcomb’s paradox” and “Roko’s Basilisk,” asks the question, it is better to help build a super AI when failure to do so might later get you punished by it? This work of philosophical short story of fiction is written as a letter to a friend. The letter writer was told about, and is now w...
E63. "Bugs In The Valley" - How do you decide who gets scarce medical treatments?
February 21, 2022 02:00 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: Should medicine developed through privately funded research be auctioned off to the highest bidder or distributed to those most in need? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Amaya has developed a “bug” based on a rare flower that actively finds and repairs damaged cells in the human body...
E62. "Appreciating Hate" - Should we stop consuming art from vile artists?
February 07, 2022 02:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: Is acceptable to consume art that reflects the “depraved, the cruel, the violent, and the heartless” aspects humanity? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Felix doesn’t go for “moral relativism.” He believes there is good and evil, that art should not reflect the evil of the world, or e...
E61. "Conscience Cleaners" - Does a criminal need to remember his crime?
January 24, 2022 02:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: Should a criminal suffering from the remorse of the crime he committed be permitted to be freed of that pain? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Mr. Henmore’s was convicted of a terrible crime many years ago. He served his time, and been paroled, and is genuinely remorseful for what he...
E60. "Home For The Holidays" - Do you ever give up on family?
January 10, 2022 02:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022! STORY SUMMARY: How do you find common ground with those that believe in a vast, intricate, media conspiracy to hide the truth? In this work of philosophical short story of fiction, the narrator drives out to his parent’s house to visit them for the holidays. Much to his surprise, when his parents open the door, the...
E59. "Claim" - Should sexual assault allegations be an insurable risk?
December 27, 2021 02:00 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBPhilosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine: Code “Happy” for 12 Issues/$4.95! https://www.afterdinnerconversation.com/subscribe/yearly Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Are there certain things you shouldn’t be able to insure against? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator has an eating disorder, and mental health issues. Regardless, she is a good employee at an insurance company. Just before closing, a call arrives from a good client, the l...
E59. "Choice" - Should sexual assault allegations be an insurable risk?
December 27, 2021 02:00 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Are there certain things you shouldn’t be able to insure against? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator has an eating disorder, and mental health issues. Regardless, she is a good employee at an insurance company. Just before closing, a call arrives from a good client, the local diocese who inquires about getting insurance to protect them against sexual abuse of children by priests. She takes the issue, an...
E58. "Season Four Recap" - After Dinner Conversation editor Kolby answers listener questions.
November 29, 2021 02:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: After Dinner Conversation editor Kolby wraps up the Season Four podcast and answers ten listener questions. DISCUSSION: What got you interested in doing After Dinner Conversation? How do all of you know each other from the podcast? Why does your audio sound different each episode? How long do you think you will do the podcasts for? Why does Kolby always do the story introductions? How can I submit a story for consideration f...
E57. "The Devil You Know" - Do you ALWAYS have an obligation to confront evil?
November 15, 2021 02:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: The narrator is walking down a small-town street when he comes across the devil, relaxing on vacation for the holidays. The narrator knows it is the devil because of his horns and goat legs. He also has a few small demon children in tow. The narrator, surprised, stops the devil to talk to him. The devil is cordial and says he has outsourced most of the “hell work” and spends his time traveling around the world moving from place to p...
E56. "Blackorwhite" - At what point are you old enough to be punished for life?
November 01, 2021 02:00 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: The prison medical doctor is called in the middle of the night to take care of Fuzzy, an uneducated, mostly toothless, prisoner who has spent the majority of his life behind bars. Fuzzy, it seems, has gotten into eating cheese, something that strongly disagrees with his stomach and causes severe diarrhea. While the doctor waits for Fuzzy on the toilet and treats him for dehydration he learns Fuzzy’s story. Fuzzy was a young child fr...
E55. "The Perfect Daughter" - Should you betray your morals to give your child every legal advantage in life?
October 18, 2021 02:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Jane goes to visit her parents over the Christmas holiday. She has recently learned that her parents, under a program that favors the rich and elite, had had her genetically modified before she was born to be the best possible version of herself. Jane is crushed at learning that her life success has nothing to do with her hard work and is angry at her parents for having genetically modified her. Her father argues the problem of evil...
E54. "The Freedom Machine" - What's wrong with getting a little AI advice?
October 04, 2021 02:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Kiki has a problem, the computer program that continually whispers the best choices, the Infinity System, is broken. She has been using it for years and simply doing what it says. Following its advice has become second nature to her. She heads into the shop to get it looked at, and finds out it must be sent off for repairs. She will be making choices on her own for a few days. The friendly “Mastermind” service representative at the ...
E52. "Step Back" - Is our "natural" biology always the best choice?
September 20, 2021 02:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Beth and Bob are expecting a baby. However, in this future, womb carried babies have been almost entirely replaced by the far safer “womb farms.” Beth has already decided she wants to have a natural pregnancy and carry the baby to term herself. She is shunned by others who see it as dangerous and selfish. Their neighbor, Sandy is the daughter of a Neo-Shaker family who used science to have their daughter born neuter, that is to say,...
E53. "Step Back" - Is our "natural" biology always the best choice?
September 20, 2021 02:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Beth and Bob are expecting a baby. However, in this future, womb carried babies have been almost entirely replaced by the far safer “womb farms.” Beth has already decided she wants to have a natural pregnancy and carry the baby to term herself. She is shunned by others who see it as dangerous and selfish. Their neighbor, Sandy is the daughter of a Neo-Shaker family who used science to have their daughter born neuter, that is to say,...
E52. "Guilt-Edge Security" - How would you live your life, if you lived forever?
September 06, 2021 02:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: A traveling salesman sits at the bar after a long day drinking bourbon. He is approached and cleverly pitched a new product he has discovered on a distant rim planet, Life. The product stops the aging process. The first batch is free, and the salesman returns eight years later to get into the distribution business. DISCUSSION: There are really three things going on in the story. First, how would you live your life differently if yo...
E51. "A Wolf On The Bus" - How do you know if you’ll protect others?
August 23, 2021 02:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: The narrator is simply going about her life riding the bus home from work. A few stops later, a wolf gets on the bus, pays the bus ticket, and has a seat. The woman has heard about wolves and is apprehensive. At the next stop a few teenagers get on the bus. They see the wolf and immediately begin teasing it. The wolf refuses to fight back until, eventually, the narrator stands up for the wolf. The teenagers get off and the woman sp...
E50. "Prey" - How do you break the cycle of living?
August 09, 2021 02:00 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Jared has decided to enter a government program that, after 15 hours of counseling, will allow him to legally take his own life. Doctor Ansley is the top government therapist with 199 “saves” for the year. After several sessions it becomes clear that Jared has serious conviction about dying, but he also has a secret reason for his choice. Only after Doctor Ansley tricks him by giving him a fake test does he divulge his true reason...
E49. "Take-em!" - When is a request from a loved one emotional manipulation?
July 26, 2021 02:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: The narrator is invited by his father to go duck hunting as part of their bonding time. The narrator wants to spend time with his father, but expresses ethical concerns about hunting ducks. The father asserts hunting is a natural part of human evolution. The debate continues as the narrator decides to go on the hunt, but is undecided if he will pull the trigger. The story ends with father and son in the blind just at the moment be...
E48. "Reach" - Should we know "the story" of the people behind the products we purchase?
July 12, 2021 02:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Jack Benson gives his child a prototype toy from his company as a Christmas present. When they check the toy battery compartment, they find a sad poem written in Chinese. Jack decides to fly to China and visit the factory where the toy is produced. He pays an employee to read the poem over the factory floor loudspeaker. A woman on the factory line stands up in acknowledgement, then humbly returns to her work. Later, after the shif...
E47. "Echo" - What natural rights does a human in an artificial body deserve?
June 28, 2021 02:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Martha dies. She wakes up three years later with her consciousness put into the body of an android. She did not ask for this, it simply happened. She is forced to accept that Martha is dead, and that she must live out her new life as Echo. As an android, she has limited rights. She cannot see her former family or friends. She can only work for minimum wage. She cannot interact with any technology. She cannot go to the same locatio...
E46. "Sienna's Monster" - How do you escape the monster inside you?
June 14, 2021 02:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Sienna is living with a “Monster,” in this case, her father. He does not hit her, but he does yell, and rant, and breaks things. Sienna grows up always on edge that the “monster” will lash out at her. Over time, she builds up equally toxic defense mechanisms. She learns to yell back and to be as hate-filled as her father. This all changes when she goes to college and meets her roommate Clara. Clara does not lash out. She do...
E45. "Bill And The Tooth Fairy" - When is it wrong to have a sincerely held belief?
May 31, 2021 02:00 - 52 minutes - 48.6 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: (Not suitable for children.) Bill believes in the Tooth Fairy. He is 28 years old. His girlfriend finds this odd, and sometimes socially awkward, but otherwise harmless. This changes, however, when Bill has his wisdom teeth removed and places them under his pillow with the expectation that the Tooth Fairy will accept his offering and provide him her payment as her showing of appreciation. To appease his belief system, Bill’s girlfr...
E44. "Simon" - What would happen if you killed the devil?
May 17, 2021 02:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Simon is on trial for, literally, killing the devil. He did it by telling everyone he was going to kill the devil. Of course, the devil found out and came to visit him. Simon told the devil he was a cheap peddler of a product, fear, he had never personally experienced. To prove he feared nothing, the devil removed his immortality. When he did that, Simon shot and killed him. However, nothing changed in the world. Evil didn’t go away...
E43. "Season Three Recap - Listener Questions"
May 03, 2021 02:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: After Dinner Conversation Editor, Kolby, answers questions from readers and recaps Season Three. DISCUSSION: Kolby answer reader mail and recaps Season Three. What are his favorite stories from Season Three? What does he consider to be the most quintessential stories After Dinner Conversation has published? Why did we switch from publishing short stories to a monthly magazine? How do you judge stories for publication, and what a...
E42. "People Used To Die Every Day" - Is sleep a waste of time?
April 19, 2021 02:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Peter finds out his partner Samir has been sneaking around behind his back to “try out dreaming.” According to Samir, he likes the way sleeping, and dreaming, makes him feel. And besides, he argues, it doesn’t do any harm; his work will never find out. Peter decides to break the law in support of their relationship and to stop taking the drug that makes sleep and dreams unnecessary, in order to better understand his partner. However...
E41. "Teddy And Roosevelt" - Do role models really matter?
April 05, 2021 02:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Roosevelt is a young black child who is obsessed with the life and philosophies of President “Teddy” Roosevelt. He is new at the school and due to an issue with other students is forced into the “Friends Group;” a social adjustment group for students the school have deemed at-risk. While in the group he meets Teddy, an overweight boy who has been in the group for years because he pulled an X-ACTO knife in art class on a fellow stud...
E40. "The Waiting Room" - Is it selfish to abandon your natural abilities to follow your dream?
March 22, 2021 02:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: A a young boy is in the government waiting room waiting to be assigned a new “dream.” He strikes up a conversation with other people in the waiting room. Some of them are anxious to get new dreams implanted into their brain as they have not found success. Others don’t want to let go of the failed dream they were originally assigned because they believe, in their heart-of-hearts, it is what they were born to do. The government is ind...
E39. "The Crate" - Is it better to strip away judgment, or to be judged?
March 08, 2021 02:00 - 43 minutes - 41.4 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: A college student lives in a society dedicated to removing prejudice and judgment. They do this, in part, by having citizens live in mobile crates. They rarely see each other in person and putting down others is sure to get you re-education training. The main character, along with her friend, escape to a nearby society that has no such restrictions. In fact, each person is put into a societal category. Our intelligent protagonist, l...
E38. "In Their Image" - What happens when a Teddy Bear can't find its purpose?
February 22, 2021 02:00 - 39 minutes - 36.8 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: A preacher arrives on an off-world planet inhabited by 7 foot tall, multi-colored, bears, aka “Teddies.” Her mission is to run her church and, if possible, convert the local Teddies to Christianity. Over time she makes no progress and her church is at risk of being shut down by those funding it. She heads to the local Teddy church and learns that, according to their faith, God can only return when everyone alive is fulfilling their ...
E38. "In Their Image" - What happens when a Teddy can't find its purpose?
February 22, 2021 02:00 - 39 minutes - 36.8 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: A preacher arrives on an off-world planet inhabited by 7 foot tall, multi-colored, bears, aka “Teddies.” Her mission is to run her church and, if possible, convert the local Teddies to Christianity. Over time she makes no progress and her church is at risk of being shut down by those funding it. She heads to the local Teddy church and learns that, according to their faith, God can only return when everyone alive is fulfilling their ...
E37. "Externalities" - While facts are unchanging, is 'truth' contextual?
February 08, 2021 02:00 - 45 minutes - 43.3 MBNamed “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021! STORY SUMMARY: Set in the 1600’s, a traveling man of knowledge comes into town with his young assistant and assortment of books. Various townspeople come to visit him, paying to ask questions. Why do my gums bleed? Why does is steel I forge brittle? Finally, a wealthy man comes and asks if he should allow his daughter to marry the local guard. The traveling man says yes, that love is always a thing to respect. The wealthy man comes back later with...
E36. "Everyone's Gay In Space" - What if your clone was gay?
January 23, 2021 15:00 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: Douglas Junior and his wife both have a rare, recessive, genetic disease. They donate their blood to a lab to help them find a cure. Through a medical mix-up, Douglas Junior’s DNA is used to create his clone. 20 years later he finds out about his clone and reaches out to meet him. Things don’t go exactly as planned as Douglas Junior is a blue-collar working man, while his clone is a top-of-the-class gay student who plans to join the space prog...
E35. "Sacrificing Mercy" - Would you let your spouse die for their faith?
January 10, 2021 23:20 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A woman is diagnosed with a heart condition and is offered the ability to grow a new heart to replace hers. She declines based on her religious beliefs. Her husband, who has medical power of attorney, waits until she is unconscious and near death, and goes against her wishes and orders the life saving procedure. When she wakes and finds out what he has done she divorces him. Even after the divorce and going out of jail, he does not regret his ...
E34. "Performance" - Are you simply what you repeat?
December 28, 2020 00:41 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A weak spirited loser is contacted by the government and informed he has a twin that is the head of a powerful mafia organization. The government will pay him $1 million dollars if he goes through their program to learn the mannerisms and speech of his mafia twin and replace him in the organization. As the twin learns how to act like the mafia boss, he becomes more like him until he escapes the training program with the money and a new persona...
E33. "Love Sounds" - How much should you let family with mental health issues into your life?
December 13, 2020 22:14 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: The story is from the perspective of a mother and her interest in what she believes is her daughter’s pending marriage. She has mental health issues that lead her to be temporarily institutionalized after the birth of her child. The daughter meets with mother from time to time, but provides very little information about her life. The mother continues to get worse until she is picked up by the police after an episode at a perspective wedding ve...
E32. "The Mind Reader" - Is it in our nature to be ruled by a Fascist?
November 29, 2020 22:58 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: The story is a flashback of a man telling a story from the 1970’s that has always stuck with him. He is a psychology student learning about the “F Test” a test that supposedly allows you to gauge your fascist tendencies. He friend, a Vietnam Vet, disagrees with the simplicity of the test. To prove his point he talks to, and easily manipulates, a bohemian woman in the bar to change her life. The narrator watches and does nothing, but is horrifi...
E31. "Idle Horns" - What do you do when it's punishment to punish?
November 16, 2020 02:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: Set in hell, a demon, “Bub” asks the person he is torturing for eternity what he did to end up in hell. Turns out he stole a few bikes. This causes Bub to question his purpose and walk off the job. He climbs to limbo to take a break from it all. Eventually, Hermes comes to fetch him and bring him before Satan, who punishes him for eternity for walking off the job. DISCUSSION: Wonderful story, both for the questions it asks, and the humor ...
E30. "Farewell, Odysseus" - Would you get a human as a pet?
November 02, 2020 01:59 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: Set in the future, the Dios are a group of super humans who, because of having the wealth over generations to make mental and physical enhancements, are a different, and superior, race. Humans on earth sometimes agree to go to live on Mars with the Dios as their pets. The narrator is one such person, that is, until he starts to ask too many questions. DISCUSSION: Great world building. A longer and more complete story than we usually do. Perha...
E29. "All My Tomorrows" - How many tomorrows would you give up for a single yesterday?
October 19, 2020 02:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A sixteen year old girl is put in charge of her parents’ shop that sells memories of your past in exchange for a year of your future. The girl loves her job and all the memories she can feel leaking through the files. A sad man comes in and asks to have the memory of his “last good day.” She sells him the day at a discounted price for the remainder of the life he has left. It was, he says, the last day before he learned a terrible secret he ne...
E28. "The Seven Absent Sins" - Are all sentient species hard-wired to sin?
October 05, 2020 02:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A Jesuit Priest researches other sentient beings in the universe looking for species that are incapable of committing one of the cardinal sins. He finds six different species that, because of their biology, he says, cannot commit one of the sins. He is unable to find a species without the sin of Pride. He questions, but finally confirms, that this strengthens his belief in God. DISCUSSION: Are their merits of earth closing itself off from the...
E27. "Two-Percenters" - Should we make everyone special?
September 21, 2020 02:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: Set in the future, 2% of the population have a genetic makeup that allows them to be enhanced. The intelligent are very intelligent, the beautiful, like Greek gods. Because of their enhanced abilities, they run the world. An enhanced “Social” meets up with an enhanced “Rational” to tell him about a newly discovered drug that would allow the other 98% of the world to be able to be enhanced as well, but it would cause the 2% to regress to averag...
E26. "Snitch" - When doing a moral good, do the ends justify the means?
September 07, 2020 02:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A black pastor in New Orleans is trying to get a redevelopment project built for his poor community post Katrina. Things aren’t going well. A white person was robbed and beat up in the area, which scared off the banks from lending. The pastor goes to the local gang and pays them to keep white people safe. He also reaches out to another church group to help with protests. The white developer/partner comes and says he is going to make the projec...
E25. "Pneumadectomy" - Would you remove your soul, to save your life?
August 24, 2020 02:00 - 54 minutes - 43.4 MBNamed “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020! STORY SUMMARY: A young boy heads to the park to play soccer with friends, they tease him and won’t let him play because he had his soul removed. Flash to the discovery of the soul. A doctor has modified a CAT Scan machine and found the soul in the appendix. When the appendix is inflamed, sometimes it is medically caused, sometimes it is because of an injured soul. Regardless of the cause, it can still be removed and the problem is fine. And the person with n...