"Open House on Haunted Hill" by John Wiswell
A sentient house, haunted by its own loneliness, exercises its powers on a skeptic. This story was published by Diabolical Plots. Content advisory: Brief discussion of death
Episodes
LeVar Burton Reads
The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting and presented in 3D immersive audio. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Nnedi Okorafor, Kurt Vonnegut, Ken Liu and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath...
Our immersive audio is best with headphones! If you'd prefer to listen without immersive audio, visit levarburtonpodcast.com/mono.
Episodes
"The Final Performance of the Amazing Ralphie" by Pat Cadigan
An AI-controlled avatar built to entertain patients in deep space performs innocuous magic tricks for patients... until one day, he adds something new to his act. This story was originally published in AVATARS INC edited by Ann VanderMeer, and collected in THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, VOL. 2 edited by Jonathan Strahan. PLUS! With FIYAH Literary Magazine and Tor.com, we announce the winners of the LeVar Burton Reads writing contest! Content advisory: hospice setting, death...
Immersive Remix: "The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex" by Tobias S. Buckell
Get a sneak peek of our our immersive sound! A cab driver spends an ordinary day ferrying passengers around Manhattan -- until an incident involving a wealthy alien tourist imperils his livelihood. Content advisory: alien death.
"The Placement Agency" by Tobias Buckell
What's the weirdest temp job you can imagine? One outside time and space... This story appears in Tobias Buckell's collection SHOGGOTHS IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER STORIES, published by Fairwood Press. Content advisory: some discussion of murder/death
"To Jump is to Fall" by Stephen Graham Jones
A spy narrates his thoughts as he jumps from an airplane and freefalls toward his government target. If you enjoyed this story, check out Stephen Graham Jones' novel, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, published by Saga Press. Content advisory: death
"Drones to Ploughshares" by Sarah Gailey
A sentient government surveillance drone is ensnared, and must determine his captor's motives. For more from Sarah Gailey, visit www.sarahgailey.com .
"The Usual Santas" by Mick Herron
A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst. "The Usual Santas" appears in Mick Herron's collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.
"Different People" by Timothy Mudie
A man begins a relationship with a woman who has fled from a disintegrating parallel universe. For more from the author, check out his website www.timothymudie.com or find him on Twitter @timothy_mudie. Content advisory: Discussion of death
"The Wishing Pool" by Tananarive Due
When Joy revisits her family's old cabin, she's reminded of childhood memories of a pond in the woods and its mysterious powers. For more from Tananarive, check out her works at tananarivedue.com and look for her new novel THE REFORMATORY and graphic novel THE KEEPER, both due out in 2022. Content advisory: Depiction of dementia/illness, brief mention of death...
Season 10 Announcement and a Q&A!
LeVar Burton Reads is back December 7th, featuring work from Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones and Sarah Gailey, a winter holiday story, the winning entry of the LBR Writing Contest and much more! Plus LeVar answers some of your questions about making the podcast and gives out some tips to up your "reading aloud" game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Revisited (Halloween Edition!): "Singing on a Star" by Ellen Klages
A kindergartner travels through a portal to a fantastic and eerie new world. This story appears in Ellen's collection WICKED WONDERS. Find more of Ellen's writing for adults and middle grade readers at ellenklages.com . Content advisory: disappearance of a child See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Revisited: "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience TM" by Rebecca Roanhorse
A tour guide leads virtual reality “experiences” for tourists who want to know what it’s like to be Native American. Think Black Mirror meets Westworld. For more great writing by Rebecca, check out her acclaimed debut novel TRAIL OF LIGHTNING, as well as BLACK SUN, the first installment of her 'Between Earth and Sky' series. You can preorder the next book, FEVERED STAR, right now. Check out rebeccaroanhorse.com for updates on her novels, comics, and television writing. See omnystudio.com/listene...
Revisited: "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu
An immigrant mother tries to bond with her American-born son by creating a magical paper menagerie. This story appears in Ken Liu's collection THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES, available now from Saga Press. Ken Liu's forthcoming novel, THE VEILED THRONE, is the third installment of THE DANDELION DYNASTY and will be available November 2nd from Saga Press. Content advisory: Hospitals, death of a parent
"On the Lonely Shore" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman is hired to look after an ailing man who's been ostracized by his family and sent to live in an old house by the sea. Find more from Silvia Moreno-Garcia at silviamoreno-garcia.com .
"Tía Abuela's Face, Ten Ways" by Lisa M. Bradley
An anthropologist copes with the passing of her beloved tía abuela, experimenting with her own method of honoring her. This story was first published in SPECULATIVE FICTION FOR DREAMERS. Content advisory: Death, surgery
"Shock of Birth" by Cadwell Turnbull
A man questions his current existence -- and the life he remembers from before. Originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction, and reprinted in Lightspeed. Content advisory: mention of mental illness Only a few more days to enter the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details....
"Words We Say Instead" by Brit E. B. Hvide
A veteran pilot revisits memories, and searches for remnants of her old experimental smartship. Content advisory: War Submissions are now open for the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
"The Years of My Birth" by Louise Erdrich
A woman recounts the story of her birth as a surprise twin and adoption by a Native American couple, and questions the strange presence she has felt with her since childhood. Louise Erdrich's novel THE SENTENCE will be published by Harper on November 9th. Content advisory: Adoption, medical issues, ableist language Submissions are now open for the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details....
"You Perfect, Broken Thing" by C.L. Clark
An athlete trains to win a prize that would ensure her survival. Content advisory: Discussion of degenerative illness, death Submissions are now open for the LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest! Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
"The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara
A young boy feuds with a muralist who has taken over a beloved hangout in his neighborhood. Don't forget! The LeVar Burton Reads Writing Contest opens for submissions on August 1st. Check out www.levarburtonpodcast.com/contest for details.
"The Angel of Khan El-Khalili" by P. Djèlí Clark
A girl visits a bazaar in Cairo, seeking a favor from a mysterious angelic being. This story first appeared in the anthology Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt. For more from the author, visit pdjeliclark.com . Content advisory: Fire, hospitalization
"Milagroso" by Isabel Yap
Marty brings his family to his hometown of Lucban for the annual festival to witness a miracle: lab-grown, synthetic food made real. This story appears in Isabel Yap's collection NEVER HAVE I EVER, published by Small Beer Press.
"Dark Spaces on the Map" by Anjali Sachdeva
A woman has her memories catalogued for the historical record, and must decide whether or not to divulge a painful and complicated moment from her past. Anjali Sachdeva's short fiction collection is ALL THE NAMES THEY USED FOR GOD. Epigraph used by permission from How to Lie With Maps by Mark Monmonier, published by The University of Chicago Press. © 1991, 1996, 2018 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Content Advisory: Blood, intimation of assault/violence...
"Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot" by Robert Olen Butler
A man dies and finds himself reincarnated as a parrot. This story appears in Robert Olen Butler's collection TABLOID DREAMS. His forthcoming novel, LATE CITY, will be published in September. Content advisory: use of a slur
"The Bank of Burkina Faso" by Ekaterina Sedia
What if those spammy emails from princes about overseas banks were... real? An exiled prince teams up with the widow of a military general to recover their fortunes from the Bank of Burkina Faso. This story appears in Ekaterina Sedia's collection MOSCOW BUT DREAMING.
Season 9 is Almost Here!
LeVar Burton Reads is back June 22nd, featuring stories from P Djeli Clark, Anjali Sachdeva, Ekaterina Sedia, Isabel Yap and more. But if you just can't wait to hear a new story -- here's a sneak peek...
"St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid" by C.L. Polk
Theresa Anne has spent years watching her mother tell fortunes and work magical spells. But when she asks to protect the girl she loves, she learns the true cost and sacrifice involved in magical requests. Find more from the author at www.clpolk.com . Content advisory: Violence
"Vaccine Season" by Hannu Rajaniemi
In a post-pandemic future where scientists have made great strides in eliminating disease, a young boy faces his fears and ventures out to his grandfather's island to give him an important vaccine. This story appears in the anthology Make Shift: Dispatches from the Post-Pandemic Future, edited by Gideon Lichfield and available for pre-order from The MIT Press. Content advisory: Discussion of pandemics, near-drowning
"Getaway" by Nicole Kornher-Stace
A getaway driver and her crew are hired to steal a mysterious artifact, and inadvertently get locked into a time loop. Find more from Nicole Kornher-Stace at www.nicolekornherstace.com or on Twitter @wirewalking. Content advisory: Gun violence, gore, death
"Salt" by Rosemary Melchior
A teenage girl is exiled to a penal colony on an icy, inhospitable island. But the island contains secrets, and so does the girl. Content Advisory: Death