"As One Listens to the Rain" by Andrea Chapela

Author Interview: Mary Robinette Kowal

Wil sits down with Mary Robinette Kowal. He also reads a piece of her flash fiction, “With Her Serpent Locks”  Content warning: the episode contains sounds of rumbling and thunder, and mention of snakes. To learn more about this author, please visit: https://maryrobinettekowal.com/ [https://maryrobinettekowal.com/] It's Storytime was produced in 2025 by Traveler Enterprises, Inc., who holds the copyright. Our producer is Harris Lane. Our Story Producer and Director is Gabrielle de Cuir. Our Content Editor is Michael Thomas. Our Podcast is mixed, edited, and mastered by Alex Barton of PhaseShift AV. Special thanks to Wes Stevens and Christopher Black. It's Storytime is recorded at Skyboat Media in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, California.  If you'd like to support the show and get an ad-free feed, visit ⁠patreon.com/storytime⁠ [http://patreon.com/storytime]  I'm your Creator, Executive Producer, and host, Wil Wheaton. You can find me online at ⁠wilwheaton.net⁠ [http://wilwheaton.net/].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

"As One Listens to the Rain" by Andrea Chapela

"As One Listens to the Rain" by Andrea Chapela, narrated by Wil Original Publication Credit: Uncanny (2022) translated by Emma Törzs Original Spanish published by Editorial Almadía (2020) as part of the short story collection “Ansibles, perfiladores y otras máquinas de ingenio” It's Storytime was produced in 2025 by Traveler Enterprises, Inc., who holds the copyright. Our producer is Harris Lane. Our Story Producer and Director is Gabrielle de Cuir. Our Content Editor is Michael Thomas. Our Podcast is mixed, edited, and mastered by Alex Barton of PhaseShift AV. Special thanks to Wes Stevens and Christopher Black. It's Storytime is recorded at Skyboat Media in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, California.  If you'd like to support the show and get an ad-free feed, visit ⁠patreon.com/storytime⁠ [http://patreon.com/storytime]  I'm your Creator, Executive Producer, and host, Wil Wheaton. You can find me online at ⁠wilwheaton.net⁠ [http://wilwheaton.net/].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

"The Portal Keeper” by Lavie Tidhar

"The Portal Keeper” by Lavie Tidhar, narrated by Wil Original Publication Credit:  Uncanny Magazine, 2022 (text) Uncanny Magazine, 2022 (audio) The Year’s Best Fantasy: Volume 2 (text and audio) Podcastle, 2024 (audio) To learn more about the author, please visit: https://lavietidhar.wordpress.com/ [https://lavietidhar.wordpress.com/]  It's Storytime was produced in 2025 by Traveler Enterprises, Inc., who holds the copyright. Our producer is Harris Lane. Our Story Producer and Director is Gabrielle de Cuir. Our Content Editor is Michael Thomas. Our Podcast is mixed, edited, and mastered by Alex Barton of PhaseShift AV. Special thanks to Wes Stevens and Christopher Black. It's Storytime is recorded at Skyboat Media in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, California.  If you'd like to support the show and get an ad-free feed, visit ⁠patreon.com/storytime⁠ [http://patreon.com/storytime]  I'm your Creator, Executive Producer, and host, Wil Wheaton. You can find me online at ⁠wilwheaton.net⁠ [http://wilwheaton.net/].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

"Phoenix Tile" by Guan Un

"Phoenix Tile" by Guan Un, narrated by Wil Original Publication Credit: Khoreo (including audio version): https://www.khoreomag.com/fiction/phoenix-tile/ [https://www.khoreomag.com/fiction/phoenix-tile/]  To learn more about the author, please visit: https://guanun.com/ [https://guanun.com/]  It's Storytime was produced in 2025 by Traveler Enterprises, Inc., who holds the copyright. Our producer is Harris Lane. Our Story Producer and Director is Gabrielle de Cuir. Our Content Editor is Michael Thomas. Our Podcast is mixed, edited, and mastered by Alex Barton of PhaseShift AV. Special thanks to Wes Stevens and Christopher Black. It's Storytime is recorded at Skyboat Media in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, California.  If you'd like to support the show and get an ad-free feed, visit ⁠patreon.com/storytime⁠ [http://patreon.com/storytime]  I'm your Creator, Executive Producer, and host, Wil Wheaton. You can find me online at ⁠wilwheaton.net⁠ [http://wilwheaton.net/].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

"To Carry You Inside You" by Tia Tashiro

"To Carry You Inside You" by Tia Tashiro, narrated by Wil Today, we are going to visit a future where child actors are still exploited, still used up and discarded, facing an adult life without purpose, that they were never prepared for, because nobody cared what happened to them past an arbitrary age.We will meet a young woman who is doing her best to assemble the pieces of a stolen childhood into a fulfilling adult life. It isn't what she wanted, or would have chosen for herself, but she's doing her best, which is all any of us can do. This is: To Carry You Inside You Original Publication Credit: "To Carry You Inside You" was originally published in Clarkesworld in print and audio in November 2023; it was translated into Chinese in print in Science Fiction World: Translations in October 2024. To learn more about the author, please visit: https://tiatashiro.com/ [https://tiatashiro.com/]  It's Storytime was produced in 2025 by Traveler Enterprises, Inc., who holds the copyright. Our producer is Harris Lane. Our Story Producer and Director is Gabrielle de Cuir. Our Content Editor is Michael Thomas. Our Podcast is mixed, edited, and mastered by Alex Barton of PhaseShift AV. Special thanks to Wes Stevens and Christopher Black. It's Storytime is recorded at Skyboat Media in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, California.  If you'd like to support the show and get an ad-free feed, visit ⁠patreon.com/storytime⁠ [http://patreon.com/storytime]  I'm your Creator, Executive Producer, and host, Wil Wheaton. You can find me online at ⁠wilwheaton.net⁠ [http://wilwheaton.net/].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]