Ever since the early days of radio, science fiction has found a natural expression via audio broadcasting. The speculative themes of the finest SF seem ideally suited to be shared by the dramatic presentation of the spoken word. Over the decades, SF has left a lasting mark on audiences who have heard it through the airwaves, on audiobook tapes and CDs, and in person, read aloud. With the advent of the podcasting revolution, however, a new frontier opened for the expression and celebration of quality SF literature. One of the leading pioneers of that frontier was StarShipSofa and its Aural Delights program.

Led by host Tony C. Smith, StarShipSofa became more than a podcast; it grew into a new, vibrant, wholly 21st-century creature: an Audio Science Fiction Magazine. In its first 100 programs, StarShipSofa’s Aural Delights has offered exemplary readings of fiction by many of the luminaries of the SF field, from those whose works define the genre, to those newly recognized as ascending stars in its firmament. In so doing, StarShipSofa has raised the bar for other SF podcasting endeavors to come while introducing new audiences to fantastic poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and novellas. StarShipSofa now invites its listeners to celebrate its first 100 programs in the most traditional and classic of ways: by reading some of the excellent works it has been privileged to present in audio form. This exceptional collection offers a reminder of all that StarShipSofa and its contributing authors and narrators have accomplished in the field of SF; it also stands as a promise for the next 100 episodes of Aural Delights and all of the wonder they will share.

StarShipSofa Stories Volume 1