Comments on: PodCastle 55: Bottom Feeding

By: Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt | neo-sentinel.info

Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt | neo-sentinel.info — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:29:51 +0000

[...] Listen to “Bottom Feeding” for free at PodCastle.org [...]

By: BestScienceFictionStories.com » Post Topic » Bottom Feeding by Tim Pratt

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:04:52 +0000

[...] Listen to “Bottom Feeding” for free at PodCastle.org [...]

By: FictionFan

FictionFan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:51:13 +0000

Very interesting story…

By: LaShawn

LaShawn — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:22:16 +0000

I have fond memories of going fishing with my daddy, and catfish was one of his favorites. I found this story to be deeply poignant, and the emotional turmoil the main character went through really gripped me. While the ending was abrupt, I think it was a wonderful place to end at.

By: Cookie Stephens

Cookie Stephens — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:43:35 +0000

The only catfish I’ve ever had that I actually like is fried catfish from Reo’s Ribs over by Movies on TV, and I grew up in the south.

By: Randall

Randall — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:30:59 +0000

Being from southern Louisiana, I was rather shocked to hear someone had never had catfish. It’s the most common type of fish around, and the cheapest. Anyway, this was a pretty damn good story, but I am always annoyed by people and stories where, when confronted with something unique and special, immediately want to destroy it. Makes me depressed.

By: Catperson

Catperson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:53:16 +0000

I love this story. Once I got over the shock that it ended, it left me pondering for days. Perfect!

By: Arkayanon

Arkayanon — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:05:27 +0000

No! Not another folksy Southern tale about mystical fish where style is waaay more important than the story itself!

Wait, that’s not what this is. Right as I was about to give up the story showed itself to be more, sending me on a rare stint of hours-long introspection. That alone made me love the effect of this story.

But, this kind of ambiguous ending always feels like a cop-out to me. While no one ending will satisfy everyone, something is better than nothign.

By: Natasha

Natasha — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:22:06 +0000

I’m with Dave - there was just too much buildup as to what the secret of the catfish was to end it like that. It made me think of those awful stories where the whole story is about Hero seeking the meaning of life and when we finally get to the climax, Wise Old Guy whispers it in Hero’s ear and we never hear it - not because our ignorance is important to the story, but because the author couldn’t think of anything compelling enough.

Otherwise, great story, with some really interesting characters. I loved the writing, and the narration was also fantastic.

By: Dave (aka Nev the Deranged)

Dave (aka Nev the Deranged) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:26:00 +0000

Wow! What a fantastically poignant, touching, elegant, marvelous story! I was captivated right up until the abrupt cutoff- it seems like someone at PC must have accidentally hit the stop button on the recording device or something. So, we’ll be getting the other half of this any day now, right?

…Right? =\

By: EasyTarget

EasyTarget — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:07:20 +0000

Beautifully crafted and read story, the ending has been leaving me wondering/angry/satisfied (yep, all three, simultaneously) ever since I listened to it..

Now to my gripe.. I share an apartment with 7 catfish, and they would be horrified to hear the description of their orders lifestyle. So by way of a counterpoint some Siluriformes stay small, are colourful, remorslessly active, have beautiful flowing sensitive barbels, prefer fish food to c**p and like to cuddle up in groups. Ok.
- Granted, there are catfish and then there are Catfish. My other two are rather larger, more ‘ornary, but still prefer a slice of zuccini or an algae wafer over, say, slower tankmates, returned memories or other debris.

By: L33tminion

L33tminion — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:53:07 +0000

I really liked the ending of this story. Part of it is that I just like ambiguous endings in general. Part is that I like how the story reveals that the main character knows the story-within-a-story as well, and thus the ending puts the audience in the main character’s shoes.

By: Bingorage

Bingorage — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:58:32 +0000

I loved the idea of “extraordinary trade”, with the unknown and mystery, as a way for the protagonist to explore his grief. The items traded-for bring memories, yet fail to satisfy.

I prefer the “Walleye of Apathy”.

:Eric

By: scatterbrain

scatterbrain — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:47:49 +0000

Pratt has this special talent of being able to blend the real with the fantastique convincingly, one I would kill for to be honest.

Now if you may excuse me, I think I’ll get back to that piece of haddock I’ve got in the fridge…

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:13:12 +0000

Wow…

Just finished the Tim Pratt story and again I am reminded why I love his short fiction so damn much, even-though the ending is well foreshadowed in the tale the end still takes me by surprise. It is not that M night Sham kind of twist end its one that gives you the twist and then ends without belaboring the twist really…

Thanks for the great tale and the wonderful narration…..

can’t wait to pull out my copy of hart and boot to read it for myself….

By: M.K. Hobson

M.K. Hobson — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:54:14 +0000

Thanks for the hints, Tangaroa! I may also try McGrath’s out in Milwaukee, which is closer to where I actually live (in Oregon City.)

By: Tangaroa

Tangaroa — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:59:20 +0000

You can get catfish in Portland at several places. McCormick & Schmicks has it on their lunch menu. I think I’ve even seen it offered at the Popeye’s location at 158th and Walker Rd. in Beaverton.
Catfish are bottom-feeding fish and I think it tastes a little “muddy” or “weedy” but some people really like it. Give it a try and see what you think.