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You’re absolutely right about the technical shortcomings and audio quality of the recording, especially the first few episodes and the special “Brenhurst’s Tale” episode. I won’t defend it, only explain that the podcast is a partially a product of the times and the result of the equipment and software I had to work with. Since the time of the recording (September 2005) I’ve been fortunate enough to upgrade from the recording and mixing hardware and software I limped along with back in the early days of podcasting. While I don’t podcast regularly these days, rest assured my later recorded works don’t suffer from the same issues that plagued those early episodes.

I appreciated that you guys recognized “Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era” is kind of a love letter to the comics and culture of the mid-eighties. There are more than a couple winks and nods to the reader throughout… although this chips away at the fourth wall a little, I couldn’t resist having a little fun. Ultimately the book is about discovering who you are and being comfortable with that… a few tips of the hat hopefully don’t take away from that.

You can go completely behind the curtain if you read the show notes for each episode — there are spoilers, but it might be fun for folks as they listen.

Forgive a small amount of hubris, but I had to grin when you mentioned that there are plenty of “super powers in the real world” media properties out there… and then mentioned a ton of stuff that came out after “Brave Men Run.” Remember, in 2005 there was no “Heroes,” “Playing For Keeps,” “Soon I Will Be Invincible,” or twenty super-hero blockbusters in the theater every summer. When I started writing the book, I had the wonderful “Astro City,” “Powers,” “Watchmen” and “Wild Cards” as examples. It’s been interesting to see the sub-genre expand over the years.

Thanks very much for correcting your note about my other projects. For folks interested in more “Sovereign Era” tales, the following is available:

– The Sovereign Era: Year One, a slim anthology with stories from J.C. Hutchins, Mur Lafferty, Nathan Lowell and other luminaries in the podcast fiction space. It’s available in print and electronic editions.

– target=”_blank”The World Revolves Around You, a short story available for the Kindle, Nook, assorted other e-book formats and as a signed, limited edition hand-made chapbook

– Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights, an intermittent ongoing serial fiction project chronicling the lives a group of young friends, lovers and rivals that begins a year before the events in “Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era” and features many of the supporting cast of that book in starring roles. This is available to read for free on my site.

I’ve got other non-Sovereign Era short stories for sale, and a musical collaboration with J. C. Hutchins, “Anyman: The John Smith E.P.” Which reminds me! The horrible singing in the podcast is deliberate — remember, it’s Nate Charters telling the story (the book is in the first person) and Nate can’t sing!

Again, thanks for shining some light on that dusty old podcast edition of “Brave Men Run: A Novel of the Sovereign Era.” You guys did a great job.

Best,

Matthew Wayne Selznick

Oh, and Kaylee would be a great name!