Ae Reads Skiffily

Addiction comes in many forms, including strange monstrous beings. In this episode, AE and girlfriend Mona read the "A Greater Power" by Benjamin Crowell (lightandmatter.com). Originally published in the Spring 2008 issue of Electric Spec, this story is about a guy who becomes addicted to a tentacle monster.  After reading the story, Mona and AE also weigh in some of the issues brought up in the story, particularly addiction and the 1980s setting.  Sit back and get ready for a Halloween Eve Month episode. You can read along to the story here: http://www.electricspec.com/Volume3/Issue1/Crowell.htmlShow Notes:  The science fiction works mentioned in the post-reading discussion include:  "The Game" (1991) from Star Trek: The Next Generation (season five, episode six), where everyone gets addicted to a VR game. Dune (1965) by Frank Herbert, which features Melange, an addictive narcotic that makes people  smarter and long-lived. Blood Music (1985) by Greg Bear, where a bacterial infection makes a scientist smart