Season One, Episode Nineteen - “The Gauntlet”
After the Apocalypse26 Jun 2021

Season One, Episode Nineteen - “The Gauntlet”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason One, Episode Nineteen - “The Gauntlet”

“I don’t like it.” KJ said.

“Of course you don’t.” the old man said in return. “Besides the obvious answer that the world has gone to hell, why not?”

“There’s too much smoke. Why would there be so much smoke this many weeks in? Who’s burning stuff and why are they doing it?”

“Maybe it’s a barbeque.” The old man joked. “Yah know, short ribs, beer… It does smell like cooking meat.”

“Maybe they’ll barbeque your scrawny ass, old man.” She countered. “It smells more like plastic or tires or something.”

Bill sniffed at the air and didn’t seem pleased with what he smelled, but for now he could only pace and offer up an occasional worried whine.

...

Greetings my survivor friends. How’s the apocalypse treating you?

Special welcome to my daughter, who pitched in with the typo hunting in this episode. Thanks for the great Father’s Day card!

I am stunned and amazed that here we are, episode 19. Who knew we’d be able to pull it off. This chapter was fun to write. I think we have a clear understanding of who these characters are – so I can drop them into situation and let them speak for themselves.

We see our female protagonist Janet, a.k.a KJ the Killer, slipping into that ambiguity that the end of the world forces on people. We see the old man teetering on the brink of reality and sanity. We see the world thrashing about in the worst types of reactions that befall humans.

The question is which way will they all slide? What will they choose? Do they even have a choice?

We introduced that there is a ‘big bad’ roaming around as the world starts to coalesce around survivors. The ‘big bad’ is more than an antagonist to create narrative tension. The big bad is an alternate blueprint. He is the dark side of humanity that is always just outside, peering through that little window shaped like a porthole in the front door of civilization waiting for us to make a mistake.

And that’s always the tension with humanity.

Civilization is a chaos suppressant. Civilization sees chaos as evil. All our religions have a manifestation of chaos, from Loki, to the Devil, to Coyote – there’s always that tension between order and chaos, or more pedantically, good and evil.

If you don’t have that tension, then the story is just action without purpose. Or horror without purpose. Or comedy without purpose. And when the narrative fiction falls into that space you lose interest in the fate of the characters and all the action in the world can’t keep it going.

You need stakes. Unless there are stakes. Unless there is tension. There is no compelling narrative.

And that’s the fun part of creating a dystopian, apocalyptic universe. You get to decide how that tension of good versus evil is resolved.

Anyhow… enough with the ontology.

And speaking of Coyote the mischief making chaos god of some Native Americans - Here’s my reading list tip for you this week. The Tony Hillerman books about Navajo police detective Joe Leaphorn? I’m not a big mystery fan, but I started listening to these on audio book when I was commuting from my home outside Boston up to an office in Quebec City Canada.

It’s a long drive.

I would get books on tape at the local library for the ride. Hillerman was an Albuquerque New Mexico resident and did a great job describing the Southwest US cultures, and in particular the Native American mythologies. The audio books, if you can find them, are read by Native American voice actors and the cadence of the read is amazing.

There ya go – grab some Hillerman audio books for your summer vacation.

In two weeks we will present the last chapter, chapter 20, in this first season. Then we’ll take a pause to turn the first season into an e-book, a paperback and an audio book. I’ve got a copy editor to work through the scripts and I’ve got a couple artists working on cover art.

I’m recruiting a book launch team and typo hunters. Come over to FaceBook and join the After the Apocalypse group that can be found by searching for “OldManApocalypse” – all one word – and pitch in.

I’m asking nicely. I could use the help.

I’m happy with how this season and the overall format came out. We’re up over 11,000 downloads now. That’s not bad for 6 months in as an indie podcast.

The format lends itself to binge listening. The short consumable episode length and consistency allow people to just queue them up and march through them. Another irony of the podcasting world is that what took me 6 months to produce takes you a couple days to consume!

I can keep up with this fortnightly cadence and still produce a decent quality product. Unfortunately for you I have a full-time job and other things to attend to or I would be cranking out a season monthly!

The next season we are going to add more compelling characters to the universe, we are going to add situations and institutions and threats that test our survival skills.

So stick with us after the break. I hope all of you up in my hemisphere are enjoying your summers and those of you in antipodal hemispheres are enjoying your winters.

As always I could use your support on the Patreon page to keep paying the bills. And I can use your participation on the facebook group at oldmanapocalypse.

And of course keep leaving 5-star reviews on iTunes and keep telling your friends.

And together, we will keep surviving.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(118)

Season five, Episode thirteen – “Whirlwind”

Season five, Episode thirteen – “Whirlwind”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode thirteen – “Whirlwind” ...General Ottweiler was worried in a way that he hadn't been since before everyone died from the sickness. This felt like the old, pre-apocalypse days when there was a change in administration. He’d lived through it. The new overlords in Washington DC would have ‘new’ priorities. Often with a radical shift in priorities and policy that would dramatically affect the armed forces. Since the great dying, and up until now, he had been master of his own domain and he'd nearly forgotten the headaches that come from dealing with politics and politicians....Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Mar 27min

Season five, Episode twelve – “Burn”

Season five, Episode twelve – “Burn”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode twelve – “Burn” ...An animated 3D Defender Bioceutical logo rotated slowly on the screen. The old man’s crew had managed to get a generator running, and with it, the backup power to the facility. At least enough to get the main systems back online.“ Developing a Better Future” scrolled slowly, left to right, as a reminder. A reminder of the vague and poetic aspirations of corporations that were often an apologia for malfeasance. The computer was in the office of Roger Updike, Chief Information Officer, better known to all present as ‘Rabbit’. The password to access the machine, they had discovered, was, of course, “Jonah”. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Feb 35min

Season five, Episode eleven – “Politics”

Season five, Episode eleven – “Politics”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode eleven – “Politics” …Congressman Alvingham looked out of his office window. There was some sort of interaction going on at the fence. His guards were turning yet another group of refugees away. There was a scuffle, and a shoving match started. They were shouting and angry and the guards needed to draw their weapons. One refugee was a bedraggled older woman. His guards pushed her to the ground. When she recovered her feet, they shooed her away from the fence. It looked like she was weeping. The congressman rubbed his eyes. Running this new world wasn’t always easy. But the important things never were. ...Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Feb 28min

Season five, Episode ten – “Razor”

Season five, Episode ten – “Razor”

Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.html...After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode ten – “Razor” ...Brent did not know how long he had been sitting in the chair. He had been focused on staying relaxed and using the time to calm his mind, but he was starting to get unsettled. Unwanted thoughts crowded into his composure. He had to go to the bathroom, and as much as he pushed the thought away, he knew he’d need to make an uncomfortable decision soon. His breath under the hood smelled garlicky and unpleasant, and hard to ignore. ....Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Jan 24min

Season five, Episode nine – “Screech”

Season five, Episode nine – “Screech”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode nine – “Screech” …Some kind of animal shot out from behind the lab cages and leapt at the old man.And then chaos!The old man fell on his back, and rolled on the floor, with his arms up trying to protect his face and head from the frenzied attacker. A whirlwind of vicious blows assaulted him as he rolled across the floor trying to find cover. Someone shouted, then there were screams. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Jan 27min

Season five, Episode eight – “Fort”

Season five, Episode eight – “Fort”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode eight – “Fort” …The active, angry cawing of crows fighting over carrion broke Brent from his morning sleep. At first, he was disoriented but quickly came to the present. The truck roof. The dim light of a new day. Fort Manning.It felt like there were more crows now. The old joke was that rats and cockroaches would survive any apocalypse. Brent thought crows might give them a run for their money. Maybe the crows were just better at surviving in this new world where humans had been pushed back by the plague.Filling the void. Taking advantage. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Des 202427min

Season five, Episode seven "Convoy"

Season five, Episode seven "Convoy"

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode seven – “Convoy” ...It took a long three days for Brent and his small convoy to go the 150 miles to get to Fort Manning.The roads were bad. Abandoned vehicles blocked the highways. It was like this everywhere. Pathetic human chaos frozen in time. As the virus struck and panic overcame the populace, they took to the roads trying to get away. Or maybe to get somewhere else. People run from disaster. They run from fear. But they often don't realize that the place they are headed is no better than the place they started....Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Des 202431min

Season five, Episode six – “Conceit”

Season five, Episode six – “Conceit”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason five, Episode six – “Conceit” ...Dr. Shuck -> http://www.drshuck.com/scifiThe corpse by the door didn’t shock anyone. They were used to the dead. At this point, nine months into the apocalypse, even the most reclusive of them had seen dozens of corpses. It was a corpse world, inhabited by corpses. They, the living, were the strangers in this world. “It looks like he was trying to get out.” Chester, one of the boomers on the team observed. “Made it this far.” The old man added, stooping over the corpse which was face-down and reasonably well preserved in the dry, air-conditioned environment of the Defender HQ. ...Website -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellSubscribe page on Acast -> https://plus.acast.com/s/after-the-apocalypsePodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseFacebook group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldmanapocalypseYouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@cyktrussellPatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comRunRunLiveWebsite -> https://www.runrunlive.comPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/runrunlive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Nov 202427min

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