Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1

by Rob Dircks

Like episodes of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, the sixteen stories contained in Listen To The Signal, Short Stories Volume 1 ask questions like, "What would happen if an iPhone game was addictive - to everyone?" and "Are we all living inside a simulation? And if so, who's running it?" and "When a pilot has to emergency land in a remote town near Area 51 what does he find?" Hi, Rob Dircks here. I'm the Audible bestselling author of Where the Hell is Tesla?, and I've been writing and narrating these stories since 2016 on my podcast, Listen To The Signal. But now I've made them available ONLY here in this book. They Dakō • Today I Invented Time Travel • End Game • November 8, 2016 • Quick Fix • Horatio Breathed His Last • Purgatory • Out of the Blue • Tick Tick Tick • Rose • Red Parka • Bloop • Their DNA Was No Longer the Same • The Last One • Mister Personality • Christmas in Silver Peak. Back when I started this project, I was thinking what the heck, writing some short stories will keep me fresh, let me try things I might not try otherwise, act as a sort-of sketch book of my story the funny, the weird, the scary, the sappy, and sometimes all of that mashed up together. 
Well, two years later, I had no idea how proud I would be of this body of work, and how genuinely psyched I am to be sharing these stories with you in this format. I probably shouldn’t pump up the hype too much, and let you decide on your own, but man, going through these again for production, I felt like a proud papa, gathering up all my little babies, or like I was collecting a bag of gems.
 Wow, I just wrote “bag of gems” in all seriousness, like it’s a totally everyday phrase, like I might find myself out on horseback in some medieval European country and have the need to reach into my little leather sack for a gem to purchase an entire village. Anyway, it feels like a bag of gems to me, and I hope it does to you, too. P.S. Your enjoyment of these short stories doesn't end with this book! I’ll continue to write more and publish them first free on the Listen To The Signal podcast, I try to do one a month (but you know how that goes). And if you’d like to be reminded when they come out, you can sign up for my very occasional and not-at-all spammy email newsletter at ListenToTheSignal.com or RobDircks.com. P.P.S. The introduction music and some of the individual story music snippets were composed and performed by Danny Greenlees, and used with his permission. You can find his music at zebfrinar.bandcamp.com.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Humor, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2019

About the author

Rob Dircks is the #1 Audible bestselling author of You're Going to Mars! , the Where the Hell is Tesla? series, The Wrong Unit , and more (including the anti-self-help book Unleash the Sloth! 75 Ways to Reach Your Maximum Potential By Doing Less ). He's also got a drawerful of screenplays and short stories, some of which appear on his original audio sci-fi short story podcast Listen To The Signal, also narrated by the author.

Rob's a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America), and is a big fan of classic science fiction. When not writing, he's helping other authors publish their own work with Goldfinch Publishing, writing and designing for the award-winning ad agency he owns with his brother (appropriately called Dircks Associates), and generally doing what he calls "sampling": video production, audio production, app development, photography, guitar, reading, cooking. (Note the absence of the phrases "going to the gym" and "running iron-man triathalons.") He lives in New York with his wife and two kids. You can get in touch at robdircks.com.

Reviews

[donna backshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great selection of short stories written by one of my favorite sci-fi/comedy authors, Rob Dircks. As a bonus, he also narrates the audio version. In some cases, an author reading his own work can seriously be all kinds of tragic, but with Rob Dircks, he knows exactly the timing and snark to add to enhance the stories.

I found every one of the stories in this "bag of gems" to be imaginative, entertaining, and well worth my time. My favorites were "End Game", with its apocalyptically popular video game and Purgatory, which was just a little familiar, but with some nerdy twists. There was also the laugh out loud "Their DNA Was No Longer the Same", which my son made me play twice in the car, just because. (It looks like you have a new fan in the millenial crowd, Rob!)

I have yet to read anything written by Rob Dircks that wasn't wildly enjoyable and didn't take itself too seriously. I certainly hope more volumes of these cool little stories are on their way soon, because I can't wait to geek out on every single one of them.

[Rob Dircks]

Hi, Rob Dircks here. I've been writing and narrating these stories since 2016 on my podcast, Listen To The Signal, and now I've made them available ONLY here in this book. They include: Dakō • Today I Invented Time Travel • End Game • November 8, 2016 • Quick Fix • Horatio Breathed His Last • Purgatory • Out of the Blue • Tick Tick Tick • Rose • Red Parka • Bloop • Their DNA Was No Longer the Same • The Last One • Mister Personality • Christmas in Silver Peak.

Back when I started this project, I was thinking what the heck, writing some short stories will keep me fresh, let me try things I might not try otherwise, act as a sort-of sketch book of my story ideas: the funny, the weird, the scary, the sappy, and sometimes all of that mashed up together. 
Well, two years later, I had no idea how proud I would be of this body of work, and how genuinely psyched I am to be sharing these stories with you in this format. I probably shouldn’t pump up the hype too much, and let you decide on your own, but man, going through these again for production, I felt like a proud papa, gathering up all my little babies, or like I was collecting a bag of gems.


Wow, I just wrote “bag of gems” in all seriousness, like it’s a totally everyday phrase, like I might find myself out on horseback in some medieval European country and have the need to reach into my little leather sack for a gem to purchase an entire village.

Anyway, it feels like a bag of gems to me, and I hope it does to you, too.

P.S. Your enjoyment of these short stories doesn't end with this book! I’ll continue to write more and publish them first free on the Listen To The Signal podcast, I try to do one a month (but you know how that goes). And if you’d like to be reminded when they come out, you can sign up for my very occasional and not-at-all spammy email newsletter at ListenToTheSignal.com or RobDircks.com.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories were originally sent into the world via the author’s podcast. But not being a podcast fan, I’ve never heard of them of him until this book appeared on Netgalley. I’m always up for stories with twists, especially science fiction with a twist, and though I’ve long ago adjusted my expectations not to expect a Black Mirror sort of awesomeness, these sorts of things still tend to be fun. And so it was. Dircks’ got a great overactive sort of imagination powered up by various what ifs and conspiracies and the result is a very entertaining bunch of tales with twists. Most of them curated, which I like, because it offers explanations for inspirations. Quality wise these stories feature uniformly decent writing, but then again the contents not the packaging seem to be the star of the show here. Even if you find the narrative underwhelming or plain at times, it's always serviceable and always in service of a story that is refreshingly original. It’s kinda sorta like Outer Limits lite, and also quite funny at times. Your mind may not be blown per se, but you’ll be very entertained. It’s such a quick read too and a lovely vacation from reality for an afternoon or so. Recommended for fans of speculative fiction with a twist and maybe a joke or two. Thanks Netgalley.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the stories in this book is humorous science fiction. My average rating for the stories in this book is 3.5625, thus rounding up to 4 stars.

My comments on the stories can be read in this thread, messages 139-154:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen To The Signal is an interesting collection of sci fi short stories. I liked some more than others. Overall, they were all fairly average and an okay read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie Capell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no one writing scifi as well as Rob Dircks right now, and this short story collection proves it.

I listened to all of these stories when they originally came out on his podcast, and was blown away every time by the quality of his writing and his mastery of the short story form. He knows the tropes and how to subvert them. He can build a world in a few paragraphs so that you understand it intuitively. He creates characters that are uniquely relatable and gosh darn it, he's funny to boot.
That is when he is not making me tear up. Add to all that the fact that he does a terrific job narrating his own stories and you have a very appealing package.

But now that I have been able to re-listen to all the stories again via this collection, hearing them all together rather than strung out over a series of months, I perceived something I had not noticed before. Something that unites not only these stories but also his novels. Something special that only Rob Dircks can deliver.

It's a sweetness, a love of life and humanity, that shines through all of his characters and all of his imaginary worlds. I feel instantly better when I finish something he has written, I feel uplifted and hopeful. What a wonderful gift Rob has to allow us to see the good in one another, and how lucky we are that he is sharing it with us through his art.

Can't wait for the next collection.

[Jan Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Rob Dircks is a genius. Either that, or he's on some seriously good drugs. Honestly, I think his imagination is pretty stupendous, and I'm definitely a fan.

This is a collection of short stories that Dircks narrates himself, which adds to the entertainment value. He's a pretty good narrator, and of course, it's his own work. He knows how to pronounce all the words, when to put emphasis on the correct parts, and what emotion he was going for. Additionally, his short introductions to the stories add dimension and interest.

I did take his advice and split up the stories so I could think about them individually; a good tip.

I can't decide which story was my favorite because it was such a mixed bag of plots: aliens, twin astronauts, time travel, artificial intelligence, the human apocalypse, addictive video games. The most clever story, in my opinion, included humor (most do) and pathos and plot twists. What else do you need?

A truly enjoyable collection, and I hope he continues to write short stories along with the novels. I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of 16 short stories that are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. There is little commentary for each one which really helps set up each segment. I like Rob’s advice on reading these in between other books or in between whatever tasks you were doing.

I guess I’ll write little comments on each story to help me remember them all and help me try and figure out which one I like best.
1. Dakō – was interesting and had a fun twist at the end. Was nice and sensual (Japanese)
2. Today I Invented Time Travel – this one was fun. I watched his video of this
3. End Game – This story was a lot of fun. I got so looped into the story, mentally, that I kind of forgot what I was doing. I was sad that it ended the way it ended… I wanted more!
4. November 8, 2016 – This one was great. I felt like it could have been a partially true story and I wished it was a partially true story. But it was also sad and felt very realistic. I didn’t want this one to end either!
5. Quick Fix – I did not like this one as much as the previous ones. It was a little weird and just wasn’t as ‘catchy’ and fun as the other short stories.
6. Horatio Breathes His Last –Books-about-books is always kind of a fun topic, in my opinion. I imagine many authors like this as well (I am not an author, btw). This short story is also something I imagine from many authors – having their characters come to life and then having a really hard time ending their story. #booksaboutbooks
7. Purgatory – this was a nice and conclusive story. It was short and fun and had a bit of a feel-good touch at the end! (which should probably be in a spoiler tag… oh well).
8. Out of the Blue – this was good. The watcher becomes the watchee… Or is it the other way around…
9. Tick Tick Tick – Gross. Disturbing. Creepy. Awesome. Those are my thoughts on that short story.
10. Rose – this was like a Benjamin Button love story, but much better than the movie (and, of course, hours shorter). I liked it. (I suppose that could be a bit of a spoiler…. Oh well).
11. Red Parka – this one was cool. It was a nice story and just kind of fun to where I can see this one expanding to a larger story.
12. Bloop – fun sound effects, and fun playing off sci-fi conspiracies. This is another one that could go much further. Though, I didn’t like the ending. I needed more!
13. Their DNA Was No Longer the Same – this was a fun take on the Kelly astronaut twins. It went a little fast, but it could definitely have been turned into a novella with some dark deep mystery thrown in there.
14. The Last One – I did not like this one as much as the others. I like the ‘epilogue’ section at the back as it gave a good/short backstory on to why the story was written.
15. Mister Personality – when we reach singularity (a new word I learned today), I want Rob Dircks to be appointed as Mr. Personality. This was a fun story and I can see it being realistic (maybe in 50 years).
16. Christmas in Silver Peak – I felt like this one had huge potential, but it didn’t play out for me. Either I may have been a little confused or just didn’t fully enjoy it.

It’s hard to pick favorites. I guess I liked:
End Game
November 8, 2016
Tick Tick Tick
Red Parka
Mister Personality

Audiobook narrator Rob Dircks rating: 4.5 stars
The sound effects are nice, and I like the intro/outro music. Rob is great at reading his own stuff. The only thing that would make me move my rating from a 4.5 to a 5 would be just a little more variation between the voices (when voicing multiple characters).

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Rob! And keep up the great work! I look forward to more and more stories.

[Ammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook version of Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 written and read by Rob Dircks. Let me start this by saying that I am a fan of short stories and even short story collections. I don't believe that everything written, especially in fantasy and/or science fiction circles, has to be part of a trilogy or longer series. I like stories that end, except for the Lord of the Rings. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Christopher Tolkien "unearths" something else JRR never got around to publishing in his day.

I've read and enjoyed all of Dircks work released to date and this collection of short stories will feel familiar to anyone who's already read (or listened to) his Telsa books, You're Going to Mars, or The Wrong Unit.

I find most short story collections to be . . . a little uneven. Usually, you get a mixed bag, in terms of quality, with only a couple of above average stories tossed in. Listen to the Signal is a minor exception. There are no stinkers here, but the stories do range in quality from good, to very good, to very very good.

The best way to describe this collection is to say that it's like Philip K. Dick, but with a sense of humor. You've got stories about aliens, robots and AI, time travel, the effects of living in space on human DNA, and even a yarn about a candy crush clone, all in one package. These stories are a reminder that even though life may be resembling a science fiction future, life is still precious. Also, life is funny. Unless you get bit on the rear by an evil tick. Then it's not funny, it's terrifying.

Given that these are literally short stories, I can't review too much without spoiling them individually. I'll settle for talking about my favorite story from Listen.

My favorite story in this collection centered a character who hates his job (relatable, right?). In a world where the singularity has already happened, he spends his workdays teaching AIs to be more human (not as relatable, but interesting). This story managed to be humorous, relevant (this is an actual job you can get now), and touching.

Before and in between stories, Dircks provides insight into his creative process and shares some of the experiences that resulted in each work. I enjoyed this peek behind the scenes.
Not every author should also handle narration chores for their books (except for Neil Gaiman -- he should always narrate his books). That said, Dircks does an admirable job reading his text. There was a distinction between his expository interludes and when he was actually performing that felt natural and I appreciated that as a listener.

***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was about to start this review by stating that the stories contained within this book are varied and not unlike such series as Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. Then I saw that the actual description already says that. So those of you out there interested for exactly that, you're in luck! I won't go into much detail, the stories range from humorous to horrific, from somber to silly, and from awe-inspiring to awe-kward. The author also includes notes with each story to give an idea of what was going through his head as he wrote them. More importantly, this has served as a reminder to me that I need to take the time I've already set aside to write and actually use it to write.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of Sci-Fi short stories. While some of the stories are merely good others are really brilliant. I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone who likes SciFi and I'm looking forward to Volume 2.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short stories, perfect for a brief road trip!

[Bookish_in_the_Midwest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I’m going to preface this review with admitting that I am not a big Science Fiction fan. There I said it, please don’t transport me.

Ha ha ha. Jokes aside, there have been a few books I have come across that actually do spike my interest to overlook the genre and this is definitely one of those rarities.

This collection of quick short stories reads exactly like a podcast (no surprise since the author is a podcaster). But I found that I enjoyed the writing style and voice.

There were a few stories that I had to roll my eyes at, but I still read them and recognized that it was only because the subject matter of those particular stories wasn’t of interest. The majority of the stories kept my interest and the minute I started one I HAD to finish it to see what would happen. Some had good twist endings, many had me laughing at what I can only assume is this writer’s own humor shining through and another had me cringing.

Overall, it was a quick read that did so what both books and podcasts alike set out to do, entertain me. Would definitely recommend, especially to the science fiction lovers or those wishing to dip their toes into the water without feeling overwhelmed with the tech-info dumping common with this genre (which the author thankfully doesn’t do).


**Side note, a big thank you to the author Rob Dircks and Goodreads! I won a digital copy in a Goodreads Giveaway and was happy to get to step out of my usual reading comfort zone. The review above is done with complete honesty. **

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good collection of short stories. Some of the best tests of a writer's ability is to craft a compelling, comprehensive short story. Rob succeeds masterfully. Some stand out more than others, I'm really worried about the aliens designs on our genetics in 'Christmas in Silver Peak'. All that time, all that distance all for a roll in the hay? 'Dakō' will touch your heart if you've ever lost someone you loved. 'Bloop' I first read about "the bloop" years ago, I think it was in a Cracked.com article giving it a Lovecraftian bent. Cthulhu farted! 'Red Parka' a touching and interesting tale of time traveling heroics. Is there a sequel?! I honestly enjoyed all the stories, well except for the one about ticks, that gave me nightmares. Ugh. . . I guess that means it was good too then. My skin's still crawling. Go read this!

[Amber DuBois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I LOVE short story anthologies, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. They run the gamut from hilarious, to scary, to stories that make you stop and think, to the occasional warm and fuzzy--and there wasn't a single one I didn't enjoy. I love Mr. Dirck's writing style and I enjoyed the times when he referenced what he was thinking, or what the story I was about to read was connected to. The stories were the perfect length to consume during my lunch break and long enough for each to be complete.

I definitely enjoyed this--if you like Sci-Fi that doesn't take itself TOO seriously, this is the book for you!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob Dircks is one of my favorite author finds of the last five years. He writes interesting SF with heart and usually narrates his own audiobooks. This specific book is a collection of short stories that came from his podcast, Listen to the Signal.

He dares suggest that you listen to the stories one at a time, and I took that to heart. Some of the stories were more interesting to me than others. I would say the one with the most staying power was about the unicorn video game. No, it's not sweet and cuddly. It's scary.

This is a good listen for those who want inventive short stories in modern SFF.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun listen! For some reason I don’t read a lot of short stories but every time I do I remember how much I’m missing out. They’re so self contained and satisfying! I definitely liked the stories more and more as they went on, and my favorite is still Mister Personality (yes, I’m predictable, and always a sucker for robots). I can honestly see a lot of these as episodes of the Twilight Zone! Always delighted!!!

[Mille Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, that WAS very entertaining. As always with Rob Dircks SF stories - you get great ideas mixed with great humor, and it works! It makes you think and it makes you laugh. Plus, Rob as the narrator does - as always - a great job. The best bit is, that the fun is not done when you finish the book, as he'll continue with the short stories as podcasts. I am already lining them up into my next listens :)

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best science fiction writers with stories leavened with a good dose of humor.
Rob has a great imagination and the ability to take often very minor thems in the shorter stories and twist them into something enjoyable. A couple fall a bit short or are a bit too predictable but overall this is a great collection of short musings on themes. I think Rob is quite good and should be more popular than I guess he is.

[Craigd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the perfect road trip listen. You get small digestible stories to help pass the time, but almost all of the stories are built around a bigger question. This bigger question leaves you and your stinky car-mates with something to talk about while getting another bladder buster and sack of Twizzlers at the Gulp n' Go.

[Elna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received via NetGalley for review.

A great collection of short stories, all about the mundane and the fantastic in our lives. While there isn't much stylistic difference in the stories, they're all enjoyable and fun, and short enough that even if you find yourself not liking it, you're quickly on to the next one.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed reading all the stories. Rob has a fertile imagination and a gift for story telling. Recommended reading.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review all these wonderful stories. I appreciate it.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very creative and original short stories to read during the commute time or during the vacations. I was unable to stop reading this book. Highly recommended

#ListenToTheSignalShortStoriesVolume1 #NetGalley

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good sci-fi short story collection. Although this was taken from a podcast and translated to print, it's a fun read and nothing gets lost from the narration. If you like speculative fiction and a variety in your sci-fi, but need some quick reads, you should grab this book and dive in.

[Ashley]

I couldn’t get invested in it, but I will try to revisit it later.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of short stories

I liked the concepts behind many of the short stories but wasn't a fan of the bad language used in them. It was unnecessary.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice collection of stories. Good variety from some very talented writers. I enjoyed the commentary with each story. Recommended.

I really appreciate the complimentary copy for review!!

[Fantasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct, funny, scary, and brilliant.

[Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I say every time, I'm always game for a collection of short stories. I haven't heard of this author before and he definitely falls into the "new author" category. These are average quality science fiction stories like you might see in Asimov's or Analog. You could probably read through them in an evening and find a few you liked.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy, amusing, packed with ideas and lots of fun. Just subscribed to the podcast. Full review at Skiffy and Fanty!