Nil Desperandum

We present the very first August Riordan story, No Such Thing as Private Eyes, by Mark Coggins. Music is Coffee ‘n Scotch from the Chris Greene Quartet.

Flash fiction, Hand That Feeds, by David Tallerman. Narrated by Scott Danielson of A Good Story is Hard to Find. Main fiction, Bold Choices by Ryan Priest. Narrated by Ryno the Bearded. And two selections from Adam Guantlet’s bookshelf: Maus, by Art Spiegelman, and The Labyrinth Makers by Anthony Price.

We present the conclusion of The Drug Study by James Austin Farrell.

Main fiction is The Drug Study by James Austin Farrell. Adam Gauntlet returns to discuss the “87th Precinct” novels of Ed McBain and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. “Well, I guess we’ve got you by the balls.” This was Davey’s reply once I had explained my predicament to him, perhaps sounding too desperate and, I imagine, [...]

Fisher Cat, by Seth Harwood. Be sure and check out Seth’s crime fiction on his web site, sethharwood.com, or on Podiobooks.com.

An interview with J. Michael Shell. Adam Gauntlett discusses the crime fiction of Chester Himes. And our main fiction is War, by Sandra Jensen. Apart from Religion, school was torture. Lines of white chalk scraping into my head. I sat at the back where on good days I could see Hillbrow Tower out the window [...]

The conclusion of J. Michael Shell’s Preacher Porter’s Cure. The Doggies are the oldest race in the galaxy. At least that we know of. The light beings are almost assuredly older, but like I said, my people pretty much pretend they don’t exist. To those of us who do admit it they’re an embarrassment, because [...]

Part 2 of Preacher Porter’s Cure by J. Michael Shell. Adam Gauntlett opens his bookshelf to find The Alexandria Quartet, by Lawrence Durrell. And Jim is joined by Jennifer Leeper, author of the novella Padre. Be sure and take a look at the very nice trailer! I stayed with the preacher about a week. It [...]

Welcome to the first issue of Nil Desperanum in our new audio magazine format, and the first which will be heard on the No Agenda Stream (Wednesdays at 12p PST / 3pm EST). This week our main fiction is Preacher Porter’s Cure, by J. Michael Shell. Adam Guantlet returns, and finds The Walking Dead, by [...]

Thanks to everyone who listened live to our 2011 Nil Desperandum Christmas Special. This live event was great fun, and everyone definitely enjoyed it. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E. T. A. Hoffman. Narrated by Jim Phillips, Lorna Boyle, Richard Kunz, Ken Stoffler, Charlie White, and Paul Alves.

A Princess of the Moon by Patricia Correll. Narrated by Lorna Boyle. Music is In Kamakkura — The Traditional Samurai Metropolitan in Japan by Ichiro NAKAGAWA. The first night in the new village, Hinako couldn’t sleep. The house creaked and sighed all around her. She tried to hear Father breathing in the next room. But [...]

Adam’s Bookshelf disgorges The Dracula Trilogy by Kim Newman.

The Wadi, by Glyn Hedeg. Narrated by Richard Kunz. Music is Marrakesh Breakdown Lane by Guillermo del Noche. This story was previously published online by Yesteryear Fiction. “Go and fetch some water Hassim,” my mother said. I picked up the buckets and started to walk down towards the river. As I did so I overheard [...]

Adam opens his Bookshelf yet again and finds The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum.

Just Another Graveyard Shift, by Tom Swoffer. Read by Charles McFall. “I know it’s the second time this week he ain’t showed up. What the hell am I supposed to do about it?” Whenever my old lady starts up with me, telling me something stupid I already know, something she expects me to do something [...]

Adam returns with another tome from him Bookshelf, this time The Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser.

Padre by Jennifer Leeper. Narrated by John Robinson. Music is Suil a ruin by Ceili Moss. Be sure and pick up a copy of the novel Padre, beginning 01 November, 2011. Death stands beside me. It stands near me like an old prison warden I’ve known for years, but we’ve never quite become friends and [...]

Obligatory Leanings, by Carissa Halston. Read for us by Richard Kunz. During the unfortunate decade that heralded the popularity of polyester, frosted bangs, and designs shaved into white kids’ hair, I grew up in Billings, Montana. In the wake of my undergraduate education, I fled to Chicago, forsaking my hometown and, as my Mom called [...]

We rejoin Adam at his Bookshelf, for a look at the Sergeant Cribb series of detective novels, written by Peter Lovesey.

The Autobiography of God, by J. Michael Shell. Music is The Knowledge, by Robert A. Wolf. Special thanks to Charles McFall for his narration assistance. Actually, I’m not entirely sure this isn’t a preface as opposed to an introduction. In fact, the entire body of this work will, for most readers, be an introduction. Still, [...]