Audio magic. Kressel and Rudnicki. Sigh.
THE SOUNDS OF OLD EARTH by Matthew Kressel is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, which is perhaps exactly what makes it the flawlessly balanced tale that it is.
In a world where Stonehenge and Versailles are being shipped off to New Earth while Old Earth awaits its ugly fate, Abner, our protagonist, remains one of the few holdouts of the planet he still loves, the one he refuses to forsake as home:
“Night creeps over the forest and the frogs begin their mating calls in earnest. The croaking rises to a din, and the kids pause and listen. The glorious stars emerge, and I’m not sure if it’s my imagination, but the frogs seem to plead to them, over and over again, “Save us, save us, save us!”
Stefan captures the deep complexities of Abner and this dark future perfectly, and the story comes off as much more than a cautionary tale. It’s about family and the appreciation of nature and the importance of upholding your heritage, but it’s also about moving on.
Listen below, then check out Lightspeed Magazine‘s Author Spotlight on Matt Kressel to learn more about how Yankee Stadium and a Hurricane Irene inspired this story. And also view the lively comments on that page.
Matthew Kressel’s fiction has appeared inClarkesworld Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Interzone, Electric Velocipede, and elsewhere. In 2011 he was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for his work publishing the speculative fiction ‘zine Sybil’s Garage. When he’s not designing websites or setting up computer networks for a living, he’s learning to play the trumpet or teaching himself Yiddish. He co-hosts the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series in New York alongside Ellen Datlow, and has been a long-time member of the Altered Fluid writers group.
Matthew Kressel
Stefan Rudnicki is a Grammy and Audie Award winner who has narrated and/or produced over 3,500 audiobooks. He has a dozen published books to his name, and has been seen in more than 80 stage productions on both coasts and abroad. He is the co-founder of Skyboat Media and Podcast Producer for Lightspeed.
