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"My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time." - Poet laureate Eddie Murphy

It's party time at ShEvo Studios, the home and HQ of The End! My lovely wife Sheila graduates as a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning on Friday, and we've a slew of friends and family descending on us for the next few days. If you happen to be in Phoenix on Friday night, you're welcome to come to the party! I'm serious. Just reply to this email and I'll send you the RSVP link. The more the merrier! 

Huge thanks to Mario Portela, creator of ENKI: Tales from the Past and E.C.H.O., for becoming the latest Supporting Creative of The End. Mario is doing some pretty cool stuff with LLM/ML tools that might change your mind about—or at least soften your stance on—how audio fiction creators can use LLM and ML tools creatively. And by "your mind" I mean "my mind." Give his shows a listen before you judge what he's doing. (Though I still can't bring myself to call our current tech artificial intelligence.)

Regardless of your personal stance on technology and tools, please consider being like Mario and becoming a supporter of The End. I love the 44 of you (yeah, that's it, just 44) who contribute on an annual basis, but I'd like that number to grow by... er, a lot. So if you think $25 per year is a dirt-cheap way to support The End as we continue to curate finished audio fiction for you, visit the Support page and join them!

It's a light issue today, probably because I've been doing more party-prep than outreach this week. But that just means more attention to the shows in this issue, right?

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

It's that time of year again, though you wouldn't know at The End HQ in Phoenix, we're it hit 117º F (47º C) yesterday. I hope it breaks before Halloween, or there are going to be a lot of sweaty kids—of all ages—at the end of the month.

As I am wont to do, I've made more enhancements to the website, all designed to make it easier on you to find your next audio fiction fix. Those changes will likely cut down on page views, but I don't sell impression-based ads on the website, so I don't care. What I do care about is making the site an excellent directory and resource for audio fiction listeners. And I'll always happily take your feedback.

This issue is packed with fresh content, so I'll forego my normal begging for your support (but, seriously, if you can, support us) and cut this preamble short.

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

Welcome back to thick and juicy issues! I expect this to be the norm for the next several weeks. Fall (or Spring if you live on the other side of the equator) is usually a busy time, as many creators are either finishing or re-starting seasons and series this time of year.

My big shout out this week goes to Josh and the crew at Gas Station Drugs, makers of What's In The Rift, Wireland Ranch, and other fine shows not (yet?) in our directory. They're our most recent Supporting Creative Shop, and I'm very grateful for their support.

You too can support The End as we attempt—hopefully not in vain—to get our hard costs covered. We're inching closer, but still have a ways to go. If you think $25 per year is a crazy cheap price to support The End, I wholeheartedly agree! Visit the Support page and help us out, if you can.

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

I'm mostly recovered from my vacation, though I've been feeling a little under the weather all week. It's probably a cod or port deficiency in my diet. Because Portugal. A huge thanks to Mario Portela, creator of ENKI: Tales from the Past for showing us around Porto. Hooray for audio fiction makers all over the world!

Back to business: I made a few minor changes to the site that I hope will have a big impact. The first is for listeners—I revamped the Collections page to make it easier to see and surf. The second is for creators—show pages and listings now link to crowdfunding campaigns! Well, just The Dex Legacy for now. But as I learn of crowdfunding campaigns—perhaps even before this newsletter publishes—I'll add them to existing shows. Yes, you can email me if you know of any!

Lastly, I'll again ask for your help keeping the fires burning here at The End with a small contribution. Like, really small. Check out the Support page if you have a spare $25 laying around. We're getting close to break-even, but we're not there yet.

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

First: I'm not sure I'm ever leaving the island of São Miguel in the Azores (Portugal). It's like Jurassic Park but temperate and no dinosaurs. Simply stunning.

Second, thanks to Clea, Amelia, and Nom! You are the latest supporters of The End—some individuals, some creators! Your contributions go a long way to covering the very real costs of running the website and newsletter, and I greatly appreciate it.

If you haven't yet supported The End and would like to give a little—and I think $24.99 for a full year qualifies as little—of your treasure to the service that keeps you updated on the latest finished audio fiction, visit our Support page today!

Thirdly, this is short issue as I've not done my daily scouting and curating of new content since I've been on vacation. I'll get back at it when I get home (if I get home) next week, so expect a few burly issues in the coming weeks!

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

Greetings from Porto, Portugal, where I was going to do a play on Afroman's Because I Got High but with me getting drunk on port wine for this preamble, but I can't be bothered. Oh, that has happened many a day of this trip, which is why I'm penning this preamble with minutes to spare to get it published on time.

In other news: I love port wine! 🍷

I'll make this quick, but I need to give a huge thanks to Jon for becoming the latest Individual Supporter of The End! Much appreciated, Jon. And I promise not to use your contribution to help fund my d̶r̶i̶n̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶b̶l̶e̶m̶ tour of Portugal. Nope. It goes to paying the real server costs to keep this thing running. Vacations are on my own dime. Well... mostly my wife's dimes. But you get what I mean.

If you'd like to lend us your support, it's only $24.99 for the year! And that's a locked-in price, so when I bump the prices in 2025, you'll be grandfathered in at the lower rate. Visit the Support page now!

OK, I'm stopping this before the port makes type something silly and potentially offensive, as I'm still swaying from either the boat tour (with port) or the port-to-blood ratio in my system. Yeah. Probably both. There are likely many mistakes in this issue. Did I mention port?

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

For non-USian readers or those younger than we Gen Xers, you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day, which is this coming Monday. Don't ask me why. I didn't make the rule. And, like all arbitrary rules set by generations before me, I don't follow it.

A special thanks to Stephanie, creator of Alpha 8, for becoming the latest Supporting Creative! Much appreciated, Stephanie. Your contribution helps pay for the very real costs of running The End. Especially since two of the services we use are cranking their prices up by 30%! So every little bit helps.

And yes, I'm talking to you! If you can spare $25 (or more), that's all I ask once a year. So, if you can, check out the Support page. Please? 100% of your contribution goes towards offseting those costs (which are not yet covered), so you're not funding my lavish lifestyle. Speaking of that...

I'm heading out for a much-needed two-week vacation (I'm looking forward to meeting you, Mario!) tomorrow. I don't anticipate any delays with the next two issues, but if you see any delays, blame it on Portugal.

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

Good news! Our A/C issues—something you never want during the summer when you live in Phoenix—was a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive fix, at least when compared to the cost of replacing the whole unit! So we're nice and cool now, and ready to bring you another update of recent additions and updates to our directory of finished audio fiction.

If I seem more joyful in this preamble, its because I am. As you know, it's election season here in the US of A, and I've watched every single night of the Democratic National Convention, something I've never done in the 38 years I've been a voter. My politics may not be your politics, but I gotta say... it's been an amazing experience to watch from home. Here's to the next 75 days, USians. Let's get to work!

I'm running a little behind today, and I've a lunch date at an Ethiopian place around the corner with a long-time friend, so...

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

My A/C is struggling to keep my house cool, which is not something I want to say in mid-August as a resident of Phoenix. A technician is on the way and hopefully it's just in need of some coolant, cleaning, or a solid whack with a large hammer. If not... well. You really don't want yo know the price of installing a new A/C unit in Phoenix in the Summer. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Though that does give me a good reason to resume my plea for Individual Supporters, Supporting Creative Shops, collaborators, and even sponsors! All contributions go directly to the costs of running The End, which ain't cheap and isn't getting cheaper as we approach 1,000 listings. Please check out the Support page to see what fits your budget. I've kept things terribly cheap just for you. (I may increase those rates in 2025, so lock 'em in now!)

One more thing before I get this show on the road: Yes, you, as a listener, can submit your favorite audio fiction show to us. A few superfans do that currently (Hi, Olsen. Would you reply to this email, please?) and their contributions are really helping to round out our listings, especially for older shows. The new submission form makes doing so even easier, so go ahead!

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

Well, not really 101 reasons. But the number one hundred and one has always been a favorite of mine. Not for any mystical reason. And not because I have an unhealthy relationship with the movie One Hundred and One Dalmatians. I mean, it's a fine movie and all—I am of course referring to the 1961 version. I'm just not sure why I like that number. My very first blog (like, from the prior century) had 101-365 in the title. Damned if I can remember why.

I'm feeling a lot more joyful and hopeful than I have in a very long time. And yes, that was a political statement. And yes, you should check your voter registration. And very yes, you should vote. That message isn't just for USians. If you can vote, vote. Ideally, cast your vote thinking of the needs of the least advantaged person in your life, but that's between you and your conscious. And speaking of joy, if you haven't seen TimWalzFixedYourBycycle.com, you're in for a treat!

But you're not here to be reminded of your civic duty. You're here to learn about the latest additions and updates to our directory of finished audio fiction. Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo