Thematic and Spirited Introduction

Into the Beyond presents, "The Next Best Thing," starring Rhea Mendoza, Pat Kiely, Dan Leroy, and Mike Norris

"16 Mostly Science Fictions," by Kristen Studard

"The Shoot-out at Proplyd 9," by Dennis O'Toole

Light some candles, recline with a lover (or two), and let your imagination be ravished by these tales of romance and the erotic.

"Pileup," by Tim Sniffen

"The Lady and the Rake," by Dennis O'Toole

Below is last week's complete episode busted up into chewable morsels.

Podcast options coming soon.

Introduction

"The Maidenhead of Geraldine Evans," by Brendan Dowling

"The Silence of the Worms," by Jen Bills

"36 Bus Nightmare," by Barry Hite

"The Ax Murdering Dentist," by Dennis O'Toole

"Children of the Corn," by Scot Goodhart

Closing

The new show "Girls" on HBO has been on three times so far.  Very few people have had a chance see it, yet that has not stopped the flood of pained commentary all over the web.  And I mean pained, from the apparent "The Emperor Has No Clothes" depiction of modern sexual life (you mean it's not all idyllic free love?) to the earnest debate that consumed the chattering class last week--after the second episode--about whether the show is too white.  It's a comedy, but you would not know that from the people writing about it.

At least, the people I see writing about it.  The New Yorker, the New York Times, Slate, Jezebel (duh) and the Atlantic are holding daily "Girls" symposiums on ever-changing, non-funny cultural issues du jour.  (Slate was first conceived as a site for pained discussions on shows few people see.)  Is Salon still around?  Let's assume it is, and that the lead article on the homepage today posits the couches depicted in "Girls" are too big for actual Brooklyn apartments.  I also assume that the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the American Rifleman are holding similar debates.  Maybe their hourly "Girls" posts are much funnier.