The Radejastians, at Pseudopod

I knew this was coming at the end of April, but - like the tax deadline - it crept up on me. Pseudopod, that weekly horror podcast of which we've heard so much, has, while I wasn't looking, uploaded a most excellent podcast of my story "The Radejastians" - introduced suavely as ever by Alasdair Stuart, given earthy life by Erik Luke of Extruding America. 

This is the bit they blew out to get folks to listen:

There is a cathedral in the middle of Radejast. It addresses the approaching pilgrim as a fist of granite and slate and limestone, lifting black iron bells and arches and gargoyles to touch the dangled teat of the soot-cloud that ever hangs low over the land. Within: a forest of stone pillars, some carved with the likenesses of Radejast’s saints, some simply chiseled with the mark of its venerable religion — all surrounding the dome, so high and wide that when emerging from the pillars I stumbled beneath it, madly fearful that gravity might suddenly reverse, fling me from the floor, and smash me against the curved mosaics above the whispering gallery.

The Good News Happening Congregation’s hall was larger than Radejast’s cathedral by half again: a great circular space beneath a peaked roof, lit from high, clear windows on every side. Behind the pulpit stood a crucifix with a painted sculpture of Jesus Christ bound to it, bright lines of blood trickling down his slender limbs, from the crown of thorns he wore. Altogether, it was half-again taller than any similar icon in Radejast.


The Radejastians first appeared in Tesseracts Thirteen last year. It does not (as I miscommunicated to Pseudopod, and as Alasdair mentioned in the introduction) appear in Monstrous Affections. But Ellen Datlow did give it an honorable mention in The Best Horror of the Year Volume 2. And now - it's right here.

Addendum, May 2:

One of the commenters on Pseudopod this morning mentioned Gogol Bordello, a band  I had not heard of until now. And so I went a-youtubing, and found this - which fits so well with the theme of "The Radejastians" that I am glad I hadn't seen/heard it while I was writing the story.

The song's called American Wedding. Put your hands together for Gogol Bordello, yard-apes.

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