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I know I'm doing a good job with the newsletter when a fellow newsletter-about-podcasts editor tells me her father is a big fan of my newsletter. Hi, Shreya's dad!

Rumor has it that the economy is improving. If that's the case for you, perhaps it's a great time to become a supporter of The End? I'd appreciate it greatly. I spend about 15–20 hours each week on curation efforts. I love it, so I'm not complaining. But if you're able to contribute to the efforts, I'd love it even more!

If you (like me) have yet to see much in the way of economic recovery—you can still help by forwarding this email to few dozen of your friends and family members who love fiction. That's always nice.

Let's get to the stories for this week, shall we?

- Evo

I thought about counting up the total listening time of all episodes in this issue and using that as the title of this newsletter. But the more I looked at the results—40 hours and 31 minutes—the more I thought that might panic some people.

Hey, have you listened to the companion podcast yet? I frequently talk to readers, and most of them say something like "Wait, there's a companion podcast to The End?" And, indeed, there is. Yes, you should give it a listen. New episodes drop every Thursday. And no, it's not just me reading the newsletter. That'd be boring.

And if you've been considering supporting The End with a small contribution, now's a great time. Things are in the works, and it may be worth your while to get in now!

Let's get into the stories, shall we?

- Evo

As the one year anniversary of The End draws near, I'm on the hunt for some audio fiction tales from the past that I might have missed—or, more likely, forgotten about. So if you've a favorite that I've not featured previously, do let me know.

The last week, I've been helping lots of fiction podcasters improve the listener experience of their shows. That's been a lot of fun for me and quite helpful to the creators. Which should, in turn, help you and me, the listener. I'm doing it pro bono for now, as I'm learning a lot from the experience too.

Before we get to the shows in this issue, a reminder that I'd love you forever if you became a supporter of The End. There are also sponsor opportunities available, so spread the word!

Let's get into this, shall we?

- Evo

This is the time of year I wished I lived in the southern hemisphere. 🥵 If you too are struggling with the heat or other crazy climate stuff, we shall commiserate together.

A huge shout out to Ostium Network for becoming the latest creative shop to support The End. They make a variety of fiction podcasts, and their flagship show—Ostium—has been publishing episodes since 2016. Thanks, Alex and crew, for your support! (And if you're reading this paragraph with jealousy in your heart and a few coins in your pocket, perhaps you'll consider supporting us too?)

Also—astute readers of The End will notice that this issue's two Featured titles were highlighted in issues just a few weeks ago. Since then, I've listened to both of them in their entirety and found them worthy of the coveted Featured spots. So if you missed them when I first told you about them, here's your second chance with my compliments.

Let's get into it, shall we?

- Evo

It's another short issue this week, so I'm using this preamble section to bring two quick things to your attention:

First, let's talk about my Featured Audio Fiction selections below. While I am a picky listener, I have all sorts of reasons to choose titles that go in here. Not all of them are perfect. Some of their imperfections may be more of an issue to you than to me. And that's cool. The one thing all of these shows have in common—I enjoyed them. As I say below, YMMV.

Next, I remind you that very affordable options to support The End are available to readers just like you. While I do run this newsletter as a labor of love, the global recession has, in the last few weeks, significantly impacted my livelihood. I'm not in danger of sleeping on the streets anytime soon, but I am forced to spend more time on revenue-generating projects to claw back some of the losses. End of sob story, as things are tough all over.

Let's get into this week's shows, shall we?

- Evo

I somehow came down with a summer cold yesterday, so this opening bit from me is going to be short, as I still have to do the podcast version. And then go back to bed.

Enjoy today's audio fiction selections. I'll be more loquatious next week. Maybe.

- Evo

Instead of trying to keep up with Threads, P92, X, or whatever new version of the social web large companies are trying to foist upon us... how about some lovely audio fiction to take you away from that whole mess?

It's a shorter issue this week (hello, 4th of July), which just means you'll have even more time to spend contemplating the shows featured, highlighted, and coming soon this week, right? Right.

Let's get into it!

- Evo

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I really should stop tweaking this newsletter, but I keep finding ways to improve it!

You'll now find a couple of brief notes on why I've chosen to feature the two... well, featured shows, which adds a bit of color and commentary to help you make your decision.

Oh, and there's no way I can keep this email small enough to make Gmail happy. So if you, like me, use a Gmail account; know that you'll probably always have to hit "view in browser" to get the full issue.

Let's get started. And oh, look! A minor tweak to the cover image. See if you can spot it.

- Evo

Check out the slightly new format for these newsletters, will ya! I'm hoping that the new template is more... friendly, let's say. Especially to those of you who rely on screen readers. Let me know if it's better, would you? Oh, note there are links to RSS feeds and trailers, too. Woot!

Also, I want to highlight the fine folks who recently signed up to support The End with a teeny-tiny monthly gift. Ben, Colin, Fred, Charlotte, Craig... you are amazing individuals. Your names are memorialized on the site and at the bottom of this email. Thank you!

Want to help? Fab! I'd love to shout a big thank you to you as well.

Enough of the preamble. Let's get started.

- Evo

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As you're reading this, I'm probably 30,000 feet in the air. No, it's not a vacation. Far from it. I lost a very close friend to cancer last Saturday—yes, my birthday. So my wife and I are making the cross-country trek to be at his celebration of life and to spend time with his family and other close friends.

Bruce also loved excellent fiction, from books to TV to movies to, yes, audio fiction. This issue is for you, Icepick. (Pause to mop up the tears I shed typing that last sentence. Blame them on any mistakes you find in this issue.)

But enough of me being a downer. #FuckCancer. Let's get into this, shall we?

- Evo