Episódios
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This audiobook features "Conscience Cleaners" by Alexander B. Joy. Published in the September 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Should a criminal suffering from the remorse of the crime he committed be permitted to be freed of that pain? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Mr. Henmore’s was convicted of a terrible crime many years ago. He served his time, and been paroled, and is genuinely remorseful for what he did. In fact, his pain is so great, even years later, he suffers severe, almost daily, mental anguish from the knowledge of what he did. His lawyer has gone before the Grand Rectification Council to ask permission to have Mr. Henmore’s memory wiped clean of the crime he committed so as to enter his suffering. After making his case on behalf of his client, it is now up to the Council, should Mr. Henmore forever remember the horrible thing he has done?
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This audiobook features "The Orphan’s Dilemma" by Chris Burrow. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Is it okay to erase memories of your past to give yourself a better chance at a happy future? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Harold is an orphan up for adoption. He has been selected to be adopted, which means, in order to be accepted by the family, he will need to have his memory wiped clean and implanted with the preferred memories of his new family. This, they say, will give him a better chance of integrating with his new family and living out a successful life. He, and other orphans, are called one by one to decide if this is a procedure, they are willing to accept so they can be adopted. Harold wonders what it will be like to no longer remember his first kiss, or his love of science fiction. These are the things, he reasons, that have allowed him to cope and grow from his difficult life. His name is called, it is time for him to decide.
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This audiobook features "The Dividual" by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do people come to terms with the different aspects of their personality? What happens if we “cut away” the parts of ourselves we don’t like? In this work of philosophical short fiction, the world has two related species, humans as we know them, and “dividuals.” Dividuals are related to humans, but, unlike humans, have a trunk with different people, representing the different aspects of their personalities. Seizo is a medical student who is selected for an exchange program to work with, and learn from Osqaris, a dividual he is to have ongoing interactions with. Over time, they become friends. In the end, Seizo learns that he is part dividual, with mixed parents, but was born primarily human. Osqaris was also born of mixed parents, but born primarily dividual. They both, it seems, have struggled to come to terms with how to show, and cut out, the parts of their personality they wish to hide.
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This audiobook features "Home For The Holidays" by Alexis Dubon. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do you find common ground with those that believe in a vast, intricate, media conspiracy to hide the truth? In this work of philosophical short story of fiction, the narrator drives out to his parent’s house to visit them for the holidays. Much to his surprise, when his parents open the door, they are only two feet tall! He is concerned that his parents, like many in the world, have shrunk to half their size. His parents, however, are equally concerned about their son because they believe he, and others in the world, have doubled in size. The son tries to explain to his parents that they have shrunk, that is why their house, and all their belongings, seem so large. However, his parents believe he, like many others, have an altered idea of what reality is, and that they have been lied to by the media and local officials. The son continues to come year after year to visit his tiny parents, who continue to refuse that they have changed, not the world around them.
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This audiobook features "Cast Out" by Joanna Michal Hoyt. Published in the July 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do you deal with generalized fears? How do you learn to overcome a mental health issue so you can serve others? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Verity suffers from irrational fears. She is afraid the fire in her fireplace will catch her mattress on fire so she puts out the fire and rolls her mattress into the snow outside. A friend comes over, but she is too distraught to spend time with them. She heads to the community building and is told, “Tell truth and shame the devil.” And so she does. She stops trying to hide her mental health issues and, bit by bit, they get better. She gets a job helping the local healer. Eventually, when those from the neighboring community have childbirth issue that need help on the outskirts of town, she is asked to go in the place of the healer. The neighboring community members tell of a “fear plague” that has stricken communities they are fleeing. Time passes, and, eventually, a strange mist comes to the town; the fear plague. When a neighbor goes briefly missing the community jumps to the conclusion it was caused by the strangers on the outside of town. The fear has taken hold of them, everyone is a suspect, and everyone is at risk. Verity rush to the front of the group, talks sense into them, and calms them down. The missing community member is found.
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This audiobook features "The Ascension Review of Xebob Zebble" by Sebastian Hoyle. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do we judge behavior in the modern day that was considered acceptable at the time it was performed, but unacceptable by modern standards? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Xebob is waiting for his accession review. If he passes, he will be named, for life, an Interaction Guide. In that position he will hear and issue proclamations governing the appropriate behaviors of everyone on his planet. The problem is, he is a MalPar-A, and a MalPar-B has recently come forward with allegations that he Danyar’ed, and maybe even Disma’ed, a MalPar-B in his youth. Xebob knows the story is true, and he knows the story will ruin his chances in front of the accession board. While he now believes these are inappropriate actions, as a youth he felt differently. In fact, most of society at the time felt differently. Now he is faced with the difficult question, should he allow himself to be held accountable for the actions of his youth, or lie and say the accusations are false?
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This audiobook features "Mahabbah" by Logan Thrasher Collins. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Would the world be better with more empathy? If so, why not simply engineer society to be more empathetic? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jacqueline is a scientist who invents a virus that she says changes people for the better. By editing genes and changing hormone levels it makes people more empathetic and compassionate towards others. She calls it Mahabbah and she wants the help of her friend Aziz to continuing human trials and release it into the world. Aziz agrees to also test the virus and determines it does perform as advertised. After being infected, Aziz is more sympathetic, and more willing to help others. When Aziz goes to Jacqueline’s office, he finds that she is being detained and her office is being quarantined. Jacqueline gets a message to Aziz who goes to her house, gets the virus, and releases a transferable version in the airport. It works. Over the next few months wars end and world peace takes hold. Jacqueline is released from quarantine months later and meets up with Aziz, and their friendship is strengthened in a new world.
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This audiobook features "Claim" by Fiona Ennis. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Are there certain things you shouldn’t be able to insure against? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator has an eating disorder, and mental health issues. Regardless, she is a good employee at an insurance company. Just before closing, a call arrives from a good client, the local diocese who inquires about getting insurance to protect them against sexual abuse of children by priests. She takes the issue, and her concerns, to her boss who threatens to fire her if she fails to write the policy. It’s not their job to judge, he says, it’s their job to insure. A flashback shows why this point strikes so close home with the narrator. As a young child she was bullied on the school bus for being overweight. In an attempt to lose weight she started getting off the bus early to walk the last three miles home. Later, her bully accused the bus driver of touching her when they were on the bus alone together. Having come full circle, not much has changed. The narrator writes the contract, and sends it to the diocese to sign and return.
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This audiobook features "They Got Their Show" by Garrett Davis. Published in the August 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): What does it take to forgive? Why can’t we force ourselves to forgive sooner? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Nick’s high school daughter was murdered on her way to the Blockbuster Video store in 1995. Her friend and classmate, Benjie, was found guilty of her murder. 20 years later a Netflix true crime series interviewed the witnesses and shined a light on the case, causing it to be reexamined. After 20 years, Benjie is released from prison as innocent. Nick is an alcoholic who, for 20 years, has failed to move on from his daughter’s death and dreamed of Benjie getting the electric chair. Now, he is called to be the taxi driver that picks Benjie up from the prison. They talk, and Nick begins to find forgiveness.
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This audiobook features "The Book of Approved Words" by W.M. Pienton. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Can you change your thoughts by changing your words? Do you have an obligation to speak the truth, even a politically incorrect one? In this work of philosophical short fiction, the narrator is a government approved writer. His job is to update published works by deleting words that have been made illegal; words like Easter, retard, and faggot. Words that might offend anyone. The narrator leaves his office to pick up the newest edition of the Bureau’s Book Of Approved Words. Of course, in getting the new edition, he must turn in the old edition. The narrator goes home, frustrated. Each year, it seems, there are less and less words. The narrator finds his brother-in-hiding, Silas, waiting in his house. He works with the Freedom Of Speech Movement and has a request, he would like a copy of the old banned books the narrator received from his grandfather that he keeps hidden. They plan to upload the books to the net for others to read. The next day the narrator is reassigned from writing movie reviews to writing music reviews because he wrote one to many “anything-but-glowing,” movie reviews. He agrees to provide an earlier edition of a dictionary to his brothers group. The narrator submits the old edition dictionary to be published on the net, his career has come to an end. He is now an outlaw too.
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This audiobook features "The Devil You Know" by David Wiseman. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Is there a moral obligation to always confront evil? Can evil ever be given the chance to live in peace? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator is walking down a small-town street when he comes across the devil, relaxing on vacation for the holidays. The narrator knows it is the devil because of his horns and goat legs. He also has a few small demon children in tow. The narrator, surprised, stops the devil to talk to him. The devil is cordial and says he has outsourced most of the “hell work” and spends his time traveling around the world moving from place to place. He likes the small towns during the holidays and enjoys the peace and quiet. The narrator feels he should do something, perhaps confront the devil, rather than allowing him to exist in peace. Finally, the narrator has second thoughts, in part because he doesn’t have a suitable weapon. The devil and his children continue in peace on their way.
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This audiobook features "In Love And War" by Veronica Leigh. Published in the June 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How much do you need to know about someone in order to help them? Is knowing that they need help enough? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Irene lives in Krakow, Poland in 1943 under Nazi occupation. Like everyone, she struggles to make enough money to survive. There is a frantic midnight knock at the door. Terrified, she opens the door to find a stranger that, she assumes, is part of the resistance. She lets him in and finds he is injured, and bleeding. She sews him up the best she can. She offers him sanctuary, knowing that if she is caught doing so, it is certain death. He explains he is not part of the resistance, but a Jew. She agrees to let him stay just one night. They fall asleep. When Irene wakes up, the man is gone, but has left her a heart-shaped locket in thanks. She runs out of her house, down the street, the finds him not far away. Irene coaxes the man back into her house to rest. After he is in the house, Irene weighs her options. The man is likely to die from infection of his wounds anyway. If she is found hiding him, she will be put to death. However, if she turns him into the Germans there will be a reward of much needed money. Irene puts the man to rest in the bed, leaves the house, and heads to the Gestapo Headquarters. God, she reasons, will understand.
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This audiobook features "The Fortune Teller" by Harman Burgess. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Does believing in determinism mean no acts are immoral? Is the appearance of choice enough? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jon and Michael decide, after a drunken night on the town, to visit a fortune teller. She takes their money and hands them each pre-written envelopes to open the next day. Jon opens his and finds an exact transcript of the television from the exact moment he opens the letter. Additionally, there is a warning, that Michael is going to kill him. A moment later, Jon’s phone rings and it is Michael, acting strange. Jon goes to Michael’s house, is stabbed, and nearly dies. While unconscious he can feel the fortune teller feeding off of him. He wakes up before death. Jon and Michael decide to head to the fortune tellers house to “rough her up.” When they arrive, they find that she is, indeed, something beyond the normal world. Michael runs out of the house in fear and Jon attempts to confront her. She disappears. Moments later, the entire house disappears.
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This audiobook features "The Freedom Machine" by Remi Martin. Published in the June 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): If you could have a tool always whispering in your ear the best choices, would you use it? Is being the best version of yourself the point of life? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Kiki has a problem, the computer program that continually whispers the best choices, the Infinity System, is broken. She has been using it for years and simply doing what it says. Following its advice has become second nature to her. She heads into the shop to get it looked at, and finds out it must be sent off for repairs. She will be making choices on her own for a few days. The friendly “Mastermind” service representative at the shop asks her out on a date. Without her Infinity System giving her advice, she decides to take a chance and say yes. She ends up getting drunk and sleeping with him. When she heads into the store to check to see if her Infinity System is repaired, she sees the same “Mastermind” using the same pickup lines on a new woman. She storms out. Finally, after several lost days, her repaired Infinity System is repaired and sent to her house. Now she is stuck with the final decision, will she start using it again?
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This audiobook features "Blackorwhite" by Jay Allisan. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): What is the purpose of the criminal legal system? What factors should we take into account when punishing criminals? In this work of philosophical short story of fiction, the prison medical doctor is called in the middle of the night to take care of Fuzzy, an uneducated, mostly toothless, prisoner who has spent the majority of his life behind bars. Fuzzy, it seems, has gotten into eating cheese, something that strongly disagrees with his stomach and causes severe diarrhea. While the doctor waits for Fuzzy on the toilet and treats him for dehydration he learns Fuzzy’s story. Fuzzy was a young child from a poor family when his brother got him into a small-time gang robbing homes. Fuzzy and his brother wanted to get out of their life and move to Houston to look for legitimate work, but need enough money from a big heist to cover their travel fees. Their final heist goes wrong and the police show up. Fuzzy watches his brother get wrongly gunned down and, in a panic, hops in the van to try to get away. In the process he hits and kills a police officer with the van. The remaining members of the gang are captured and found guilty. Fuzzy, it seems, was able to eat so much cheese as it was his “last meal” on death row and assumed he wouldn’t be around for the results. However, there was a last-minute error with the electric chair so he was forced to face the retribution of his culinary choices. Hearing Fuzzy’s story, the doctor feels greater sympathy for Fuzzy and his life.
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This audiobook features "The Perfect Daughter" by Fryderyk Sylla. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): If you have the ability to do good, does failing to do so mean you are allowing evil to exist? Do we have a moral obligation to improve our offspring? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jane goes to visit her parents over the Christmas holiday. She has recently learned that her parents, under a program that favors the rich and elite, had had her genetically modified before she was born to be the best possible version of herself. Jane is crushed at learning that her life success has nothing to do with her hard work and is angry at her parents for having genetically modified her. Her father argues the problem of evil; that it was in his means to do good, and had he failed to do so, he would have been a god that allowed evil to exist. Jane is unhappy with his responses, but now must move forward with the choice of what she will do, when it is her time to have children.
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This audiobook features "Taps" by Paul Hilding. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Do you have the right, or even the obligation, to disobey laws that you find personally unjust? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, John is a trumpet player that is called by the VA to play taps at the funeral of a Vietnam veteran. He plays at many funerals for veterans as a penance for having fled to Canada to avoid the draft. John goes to the bridge where Daniel previously lived and finds his camp, complete with purple heart and copy of The Collected Dialogues of Plato. Daniel marked several pages in “Crito” outlining the death of Socrates. Like John, Daniel had disagreed with the war, but decided to serve anyway. Upon his return he went to college, but had a breakdown and was unable to finish. John visits the local church, and visits Daniel’s sister. In the end, he plays taps at Daniel’s funeral while still coming to terms with his own, different, choices.
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This audiobook features "I Do So, Like Durian" by Jann Everard. Published in the June 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Where does racism come from? How do experiences with other cultures change our views of race? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Holly, a young teenage girl, heads into Chinatown against her mother’s wishes to visit Jon, a teenage boy, she is interested in dating. He is working at his parents’ Chinese restaurant. She has taken public transportation to Chinatown with her mother knowing, and against her mother’s wishes. Her mother has a strong bias against the area and the people. Holly gets off the bus at the wrong place and gets lost, but friendly locals direct her the right way. She is amazed by the differences in food and culture she sees all around her and ends up buying a durian. Eventually, she finds the restaurant (still carrying the durian), and finds Jon working. Jon is surprised and slightly embarrassed to see Holly and explains to her she will not like taste of the durian. Holly is warmly welcomed by one of Jon’s relatives in the restaurant who agrees to take her in the back and show her out to prepare her exotic fruit.
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This audiobook features "Christmas In Ushuaia" by Matias Travieso-Diaz. Published in the May 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): When you get rid of the worst moments of your life, do you also get rid of yourself? Are horrible life experiences simply required? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Laz has gone to the ends of the earth, the southern tip of Argentina, to throw a diary containing all his life’s disappointments and misery into the ocean, so as to rid himself of these experiences. While dining he sits with an intriguing couple who hear the story of his life and put forth an alternative theory, that our negative experiences are necessary to form our personality. That without our negative experiences, we are left the shell of a person. Laz takes these words to heart, and decides to retain his negative life experiences.
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This audiobook features "Step Back" by Henry McFarland. Published in the June 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.
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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Is natural always the best choice? Should humans step in and usurp nature? Are there uniquely human experiences that should take place, even if it means greater risk? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Beth and Bob are expecting a baby. However, in this future, womb carried babies have been almost entirely replaced by the far safer “womb farms.” Beth has already decided she wants to have a natural pregnancy and carry the baby to term herself. She is shunned by others who see it as dangerous and selfish. Their neighbor, Sandy is the daughter of a Neo-Shaker family who used science to have their daughter born neuter, that is to say, without sexual organs or gender. Sex, they argue, is no longer necessary and sinful as procreation can now be handled without sex. Sandy self-identifies as female and intends to undergo a dangerous and painful procedure to add female sexual organs to her body. Beth dies during childbirth, but her baby survives. Bob and Sandy continue their friendship, and, overtime, start to fall in love. Sandy is finally scheduled for the operation, but Bob tries to talk her out of it. He has lost too many loved ones already. Sandy insists she must be made the gender to match her mental state and does the procedure.
COMPANION PODCAST: Listen to our panel discussions of After Dinner Conversation short stories (“Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Discussions”).
BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here.
MAGAZINE: Sign up for our monthly magazine and receive short stories that ask ethical and philosophical questions. Use the discount code on our website to get the first month free or an entire year for just $4.95!
SUPPORT: Support us on Patreon.
FOLLOW: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
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