Pieces
What do you get when you take one story and split it up across eight different podcast authors? Pieces, compiled by Nobilis:
Joan’s world has literally fallen apart. She lives in one tiny piece of the shattered universe, bounded on all sides by shimmering veils. When the creator god, calling himself “Cassius”, stumbles into the cathedral where she lives, she is drawn into an adventure of cosmic proportions.
The story is told through the cracked lens of seven experienced podcast authors. Nobilis, Christiana Ellis, Chris Lester, Graydancer, Paul S. Jenkins, Philippa Ballantine, Brandon Crose and John Tanzer take turns, chapter by chapter writing and reading episodes of the story.
All 14 episodes of this fractured audiobook are available in the default feed. Or if you prefer to piece it out (pun so intended), you can get a custom feed and enjoy them (here I go again) piece-by-piece.
December 9th, 2008 at 3:46 am
A wonderful story with likeable, compelling characters in a unique universe. Despite it’s minor flaws in continuity, tone and style, the authors of have crafted a saga worthy of a sequel. The a capella theme music does become annoying from overuse as a transition element rather than just being used as a bookend element.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:27 am
i agree that the continuity was a small issue, but just a small one. it was a great story in spite of that. i would like evo for posting all 14 episodes that too helped me with the minor flawes.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:46 am
As much as I like praise, James… I have to beg out of this one. I post as many episodes as the author gives me. Some, like Nobilis here, are happy to make them all available at once, leaving the choice of how to listen firmly in the hands of the user. Where I think it should be, to tell the truth.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Evo, I diffidently asked Nobilis for this one, but I was too late. It was already in your hands. Definitely a good idea.
I loved the music, but did suffer a little fatigue after one episode. I learned the song when I was young, but remembered it as a round. The versions with two and three voices were especially impressive.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Gail, I had originally planned to have another voice adding onto the music for each episode, but it turned out to be too much work what with everything else going on. I’m just not a music engineer, I didn’t have the skills, and in the end I just decided to go with what I had.
In the end, I think several of the authors attempted to work it in, especially just the word “Peace” and all of its connotations, and in the end I think the music was a net benefit.
Another lesson learned.
March 11th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I’m listening to this at work, and I’m a bit confused…is there an episode that went missing or out of sequence? There’s a large continuity gap between Episode 7 and 8, with some plot reveals taken as assumption of happening in the beginning of 8. That, and the bit of narration at the start of 7 that doesn’t link to anything, and goes almost right away to a flashback (or half of one).
I understand that this is a collaborative work, so it’s understandable that things might fall through the cracks, but the rest of the story has been pretty smooth so far, and I’m still enjoying it just for the concepts and story. Thanks!
April 7th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Cobalt, what you hear is what you get; yes, there are some continuity problems. It’s a cracked lens, and some of the cracks are pretty deep.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Pieces. I am very impressed and so glad I listened. What I thought was going to be a SciFi, turned out to be an investigation of many myths and god-belief systems. Like your art class description in the last chapter, one writer would not have added so many twists and turns. The listener has to understand the project, that different authors are each writing two chapters and then let it flow over them, enjoying the differences and turns in the road. Who would have ever guessed the paths the god would take, and the powers given and taken. And in the end, all is well. Difficult, but okay. I am glad I listened and have a great respect for the challenge the authors had writing, following another and you had for creating the ending. Thank you for the adventure.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I LOVED this book if only for it’s alternate take on God.
It does have issues as it is written by different authors in turn who all had different ideas.
To me that made it fun as well especially with ‘knowing’ some of the authors from their other work.
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I thought this book was great. I was familiar with some of the authors and was happy to listen to the others. I found the different takes, from the different authors added to the character of the story. Thank you Nobilis for stepping to the ledge and jumping.
November 30th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Sorry to notice the (relatively) new posts on this item so late.
Arlene: Thank you for listening and leaving your comments here, it means a lot to me.
Shane: That was one of my intentions all along; I’m glad so many of the authors took that strong narrative thrust in the first chapter and built on it.
Mochafrappe: You’re quite welcome.