Season One, Episode Nineteen - “The Gauntlet”

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.

Avsnitt(124)

Season one, Episode nine, “Bill the Dog”

Season one, Episode nine, “Bill the Dog”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason one, Episode nine, “Bill the Dog”Bill the dog watched the old man cooking over a low fire at the edge of a swamp. It wasn’t a fire that humans would likely see or smell, but a dog’s nose was different. Bill had picked up the scent of cooking game and followed it. It was an overcast, fall day. The days were noticeably cooler and most of the leaves had been blown from the trees with the approach of winter. Bill lay concealed in the underbrush and leaves. Silent. Watching. Curious.The old man’s dinner wasn’t the only scent on the breeze. There was, as always, the background smell of smoke and death that seemed to permeate the apocalypse, but there was something else, too. There was the smell of other dogs. ...Show notes: After the Apocalypse is a serial podcast that tells the story of the survivors of a 21st century plague that has catastrophically wiped out 90% of human population. Will they be able to survive? What happens to our modern world when the great plague comes? Can humankind survive and learn, or will it devolve into a dark ages nightmare of our worst traits? Listen to the story of After the Apocalypse and find out. After the Apocalypse is written and produced by Chris Russell (that’s me) aftertheapocalypse.meThe show is narrated by Robert Weinheimer who’s work can be found at https://commandvoices.com/The intro and outro music is by Bobby Quinn https://www.fiverr.com/bobbyquinncThank you for listening to After the apocalypse. Make sure to subscribe and please tell your friends. Because this show can only survive the apocalypse with your help. Be a good survivor and spread the word. Go onto your favorite podcast service and write a review. One of the best ways to directly support the show is through our Patreon page –go to patreon.com/AfterTheApocalypse https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseLinks to everything can be found in the episode and show notes.You can find out more about the show at our website www.aftertheapocalypse.meUntil next week. Thank you for listening and keep surviving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Feb 202117min

Season one, Episode eight, “West”

Season one, Episode eight, “West”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason one, Episode eight, “West”Janet stopped the Range Rover and threw it into park. The big car had apparently taken enough abuse and refused to keep running. The engine choked and coughed to a rattling halt. Stepping out and shaking the last of the glass fragments from her hair and clothes she looked to see what was going on with her father’s truck. It didn’t look like it had crashed, more like it had simply rolled there. She couldn’t see any immediate signs of trouble. It was with a sense of dread that she climbed down into the ditch to check. She could make out a person inside through the back window. She was afraid of what she would find. ...OutroAfter the Apocalypse is written and produced by Chris Russell (that’s me) aftertheapocalypse.meThe show is narrated by Robert Weinheimer who’s work can be found at https://commandvoices.com/The intro and outro music is by Bobby Quinn https://www.fiverr.com/bobbyquinncThank you for listening to After the apocalypse. Make sure to subscribe and please tell your friends. Because this show can only survive the apocalypse with your help. Be a good survivor and spread the word. Go onto your favorite podcast service and write a review. One of the best ways to directly support the show is through our Patreon page –go to patreon.com/AfterTheApocalypse https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseLinks to everything can be found in the episode and show notes.You can find out more about the show at our website www.aftertheapocalypse.meUntil next week. Thank you for listening and keep surviving. Episode OutroOutro S1 E8Hello my friends, how are we surviving? This is Chris your writer and producer talking to you live from the frozen wastes of New England. Today we wrapped up the fourth chapter introducing our friend Janet – “KJ – the Killer” – What do you think? Would love some feedback. As always would love whatever support you can lend me through sharing the story with your friends, (or enemies), as we build our audience and community. I’m enjoying myself but I need your shekels, ducats, real, pounds and dinars to keep the lights on. So do us a solid and got to the Patreon page at patreon.com/aftertheapocalypse and make a donation to keep the story going. This week I’d like to thank Jim for pitching in. I appreciate the support Jim. I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and writing this story has led me to think harder about the genre. For a lot of people SciFi is the stuff of 10 year old boys or nerdy men with no social skills. It gets the short shrift, so to speak. But I’ve always been a fan. I like the way SciFi creates a safe space to explore new ideas. Sort of a sand-box for out-of-the-box thinking. It’s a place where authors can chew on ‘what-ifs?’ and not get beat up culturally for it. I just listened to a piece by Jordan Hill on the Libertarian History of Science Fiction which was thought provoking. He references the hard SciFi authors from the “Golden Age” of SciFi, like Asimov, Heinlein, and all those great stories. I can remember starting to read “Dune” by Frank Herbert or the Foundation books by Asimov and not being able to put them down. I’ll share another foundational, (pun intended), story that has influenced me. It’s a book, that started a pulp serial, written by L. Ron Hubbard – yes that L Ron Hubbard – before he went nutty with the Dianetics stuff - called Final Blackout, published in book form in 1948 and very much influenced by the world wars and that generation’s experience in those wars. It has a character named “The Lieutenant” that is one of the best apocalyptic characters ever written. It’s a bit dated now but it’s a fine piece of writing and I fully intend to lean on it in my apocalypse. Thank you for listening. If you can contribute some to the Patreon that would be great. I’m posting the transcripts of the shows there and other things, like these outros and character sketches – if youbcome a patron you get access to those. Please share with your friends. We are 4 weeks into our official launch and we’re just passing 700 listeners. If I can get a couple bucks from 100 true fans I can keep this project going. My friend Dave is offering to have his daughter do some fan arts on the characters. I love that. I have very clear sense or picture of them in my head but I’d love to see how the picture paints itself for others. I leave you with that my fellow survivors. Next show we introduce my favorite character so far, and I know you’re going to love him as much as I do. As always – Keep Surviving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Jan 202120min

Season one, Episode seven, “Home Again”

Season one, Episode seven, “Home Again”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason one, Episode seven, “Home Again”The skies were darkening now as Janet eased the Range Rover onto the entrance ramp to the expressway. Her hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel hard, adrenaline still pumping through her body. “That man just committed murder right in front of me”, she said, not sure if she could believe it. What the hell was going on? What was this nightmare? Was it like this everywhere? ...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/oldmanapocalypsePatreon to support the show -> https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseKindle Vella Story -> https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LTRC8RHMerch Store -> https://www.teepublic.com/stores/after-the-apocalypse Twitter -> cyktrussell@twitter.comEmail List -> https://acast.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a02fed2a783fcc887760255a9&id=e15419e7be Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Jan 202120min

Season One, Episode Six, “Anarchy”

Season One, Episode Six, “Anarchy”

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason One, Episode Six, “Anarchy”Janet glanced back at the nose of the Range Rover sticking out from behind the dumpster. She regretted having to leave it. It had become the center of her world since fleeing the city the day before. A safe harbor. A den-like space, comfortable and familiar where she had control. It couldn’t be helped. She needed fuel. She needed food and supplies. ...OutroAfter the Apocalypse is written and produced by Chris Russell (that’s me) aftertheapocalypse.meThe show is narrated by Robert Weinheimer who’s work can be found at https://commandvoices.com/The intro and outro music is by Bobby Quinn https://www.fiverr.com/bobbyquinncThank you for listening to After the apocalypse. Make sure to subscribe and please tell your friends. Because this show can only survive the apocalypse with your help. Be a good survivor and spread the word. Go onto your favorite podcast service and write a review. One of the best ways to directly support the show is through our Patreon page –go to patreon.com/AfterTheApocalypse https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseLinks to everything can be found in the episode and show notes.You can find out more about the show at our website www.aftertheapocalypse.meUntil next week. Thank you for listening and keep surviving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Jan 202124min

How to get Ad-Free Shows

How to get Ad-Free Shows

Ad-Free: How to get Ad-Free episodesHello my survivor friends. Thank you for being part of the After the Apocalypse Family. I have set up Ad-Free versions of all the 5 seasons and 100+ episodes of the After the Apocalypse story on Patreon. Go to the After the Apocalypse Patreon page and you will have access to all the episodes without commercials. This is Chris, the author and producer speaking to you from the end of August 2025The podcast will continue to be free to listen to with programmatic ads inserted on any podcast feed, but, if you despise commercials and want to help me get paid directly instead, I have posted all the episodes and seasons on the Patreon page. So, now, through the miracle of modern technology, you can subscribe to the Ad-Free membership tier and get unlimited access to all episodes and seasons as long as your subscription is valid. Or you can buy the individual digital audio files and seasons directlyAnd, I’m assured that you can also subscribe to an Ad-Free RSS feed directly from Spotify. You’ll also have access to scripts and extra episodes and you can even chat directly with me. Give it a try and let me know if you have any problems. A little something to help you survive the apocalypse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Jan 20212min

Season one, Episode five, Killer

Season one, Episode five, Killer

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason one, Episode five, “Killer”Her name was Janet Kramer, (Pause)but her coworkers called her “KJ”. She didn’t know why. She supposed it didn’t matter anymore. The lines on the road flashed by and she started to fade from consciousness again, caught herself and focused. Who was she now? In this new landscape of chaos and death? ...Show notes: After the Apocalypse is a serial podcast that tells the story of the survivors of a 21st century plague that has catastrophically wiped out 90% of human population. Will they be able to survive? What happens to our modern world when the great plague comes? Can humankind survive and learn, or will it devolve into a dark ages nightmare of our worst traits? Listen to the story of After the Apocalypse and find out. After the Apocalypse is written and produced by Chris Russell (that’s me) aftertheapocalypse.meThe show is narrated by Robert Weinheimer who’s work can be found at https://commandvoices.com/The intro and outro music is by Bobby Quinn https://www.fiverr.com/bobbyquinncThank you for listening to After the apocalypse. Make sure to subscribe and please tell your friends. Because this show can only survive the apocalypse with your help. Be a good survivor and spread the word. Go onto your favorite podcast service and write a review. One of the best ways to directly support the show is through our Patreon page –go to patreon.com/AfterTheApocalypse https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseLinks to everything can be found in the episode and show notes.You can find out more about the show at our website www.aftertheapocalypse.meUntil next week. Thank you for listening and keep surviving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Jan 202116min

So you made it to episode Five?

So you made it to episode Five?

So you made it to episode Five?Hello survivors, this is Chris, your writer, producer and host for After the Apocalypse, teleporting in from the future with some useful information. If you’re listening to this, you have made it through the first four episodes and are about to delve into episode 5. Let me catch you up. I started this story at the end of 2020 and I finished it in the spring of 2025. There are five full seasons with twenty plus episodes in each season, which means you have 100+ professionally produced and acted shows available to you. I’m currently turning the seasons into books – which is fun. The episodes are all around 20 minutes long. Starting at episode 5 I begin to add Outro comments to the end of the shows. The format will consistently be a 20ish minute episode, followed by a commercial break, and then my comments. Note that the comments are old at this point and some of the information, like links and such may be dated. And if you don’t want to listen to my comments you can skip to the end when you hear the closing music that leads to the ad break. I post the text of the comments on the show website at www.oldmanapocalypse.com. You can find all of the links to everything in the show notes. If you are interested in an Ad-free version, you can find that on my Patreon page. Thank you for making the journey with me and keep surviving. Buy a book -> https://booklocker.com/books/13731.htmlWebsite -> http://www.oldmanapocalypse.com Buy me Coffee -> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyktrussellPodcast on Acast -> https://shows.acast.com/after-the-apocalypseSpotify -> https://open.spotify.com/show/1bbl4l8ZKjQfyJ0ru6TGbB?si=506a40ad1ce64837Facebook 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.

2 Jan 20212min

Season one, Episode four, Home Invasion

Season one, Episode four, Home Invasion

After the ApocalypseA pandemic survival storySeason one, Episode four, Home InvasionThe old man was awakened by the sound of men shouting. It took him a minute to shake off the haze and remember where he was. He had to pee but that would have to wait. “Nothing in the basement!” the first man shouted from the house. “Check the garage!” The other man shouted back from further away. “The tracks led this way. He was here. Watch yourself.” ...Show notes: After the Apocalypse is a serial podcast that tells the story of the survivors of a 21st century plague that has catastrophically wiped out 90% of human population. Will they be able to survive? What happens to our modern world when the great plague comes? Can humankind survive and learn, or will it devolve into a dark ages nightmare of our worst traits? Listen to the story of After the Apocalypse and find out. After the Apocalypse is written and produced by Chris Russell (that’s me) aftertheapocalypse.meThe show is narrated by Robert Weinheimer who’s work can be found at https://commandvoices.com/The intro and outro music is by Bobby Quinn https://www.fiverr.com/bobbyquinncThank you for listening to After the apocalypse. Make sure to subscribe and please tell your friends. Because this show can only survive the apocalypse with your help. Be a good survivor and spread the word. Go onto your favorite podcast service and write a review. One of the best ways to directly support the show is through our Patreon page –go to patreon.com/AfterTheApocalypse https://www.patreon.com/AftertheApocalypseLinks to everything can be found in the episode and show notes.You can find out more about the show at our website www.aftertheapocalypse.meUntil next week. Thank you for listening and keep surviving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Dec 202014min

Populärt inom Fiction

pratkoma
erotiska-berattelser
konspirationsteorier
skrackstunden
sexnoveller-deluxe
rss-nattskiftet
storytime
thrillerpodden
fangelsehalan
rss-p3-serie
rss-konspirationsteorier
midnattstaget-creepypastor-fran-internet
p3-serie
rss-creepypastaradion
kusligt-rysligt-mysigt
rss-skuggornas-hemlighet
rss-hemligt
rss-folksagopodden
fenomen
rss-ondskans-eko