PodCastle 372: The Character of the Hound
Show Notes
Rated PG
The Character of the Hound
by Tony Pi
Unlike the other wheel-ships in the fleet, which had been rigged with trebuchets, this squat vessel held on deck only a windowless cabin with a door slightly ajar. I gathered my courage and entered.
Two men stood in heated argument in the lantern-lit chamber. I recognized the wispy-bearded man in his early fifties as Admiral Zhang, bedecked in his imposing lamellar armor. A veteran of the war against the Jin, Zhang had been given the command of our river fleet by the Spirit General himself.
The other, a balding man in his thirties, bore a deep diagonal scar crossing both lips. His uniform marked him as a Yongdui, a platoon commander.
About the Author
Tony Pi
Tony Pi is a Toronto-based science fiction and fantasy writer and poet. Originally from Taiwan, he also holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from McGill University. His short stories have appeared in many anthologies and magazines, both in print or online, such as On Spec, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and elsewhere. His stories often feature sly shapeshifters, wuxia heroes and sorcerers, and unlikely detectives. He was a finalist for the Astounding Award For Best New Writer, and he has an Aurora Award for the Best English Poem/Song. His website is at tonypi.com.
About the Narrator
John Chu
John Chu is a microprocessor architect by day, a writer, translator, and podcast narrator by night. His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming at Boston Review, Uncanny, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and Tor.com among other venues. His translations have been published or is forthcoming at Clarkesworld, The Big Book of SF and other venues. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Ignyte Awards, won the Best Short Story Hugo for “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere.” and won the Best Novelette Nebula for “If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You.” His novel, The Subtle Art of Folding Space will be published by Tor in April, 2026.
