Weekly Podcast Review:
The Silicon Chickens Project Podcast (Also available on iTunes). This unique, original story-based podcast is the brainchild of Paul Chapman (he of The Greatest Movie Ever Podcast fame). Paul has always struck me as an intelligent and introspective guy with tastes similar to my own and a vast knowledge of literature, film, and generally speaking, good stories. Chapman's original project, Silicon Chickens, is an ongoing series of podcasts featuring his original literary work. Chapman is also well-known podcaster and an occasional contributor to the anime magazine Otaku USA.
Initial thoughts:
I had some initial difficulty in reviewing this podcast, since it has little to do with anime or pop culture in general. I wanted to feature Paul Chapman's unique story to other listeners and perhaps get them to subscribe to this heartfelt and bold project.
On to the podcast:
"A Companion of Dust Devils" is the original story featured in today's podcast review. It is the story of a young girl's chance encounter with a malevolent spirit called a Buggerboo. The girl uses her wits and world knowledge to face off against the spirit in a haunting confrontation.
Continuing thoughts:
Chapman's stories have wowed me thus far, and the Bugerboo story is fairly exciting as it recounts the tale of an imaginative young girl and her encounter with a strange, ephemeral creature. Chapman's descriptions are chilling at points, haunting at others, especially his recounting of the final confrontation between Josephina, the heroine, and Buggerboo, the malevolent forest spirit. Chapman's afterward, a recounting of a true story of child murder, is similarly haunting, sticking with Chapman even as an adult, and inspiring him to write this enthralling tale.
Final thoughts:
This is the eighth iteration of Chapman's Silicon Chickens Project of original works, and my favorite thus far. For the new listener, I highly recommend starting from here and then devouring the other seven at your leisure. Chapman seems to update his project twice a month, which is a nice interval for a project like this. I commend Mr. Chapman for his dedication to this side project. It is clearly a labor of love but it is also a great showcase for the literary talents of Paul Chapman.
Quotable Quotes
"At heart, Josephina was a wild thing, a companion of dust devils." -Chapman's narration
