Audiobook - Day One

Got five minutes? Susan Omand explains why listening to Neil Gardner’s FREE short story from Spokenworld Audio is the way to spend it...

Day One. Even the title resonated with me for some reason, as it spoke of the promise of things to come and of something to look forward to and I was not disappointed as I sat, open-mouthed and awestruck for the full five minutes.

The story is a simple one – a man sits alone in a semi-dark room on Day One after The Changing, contemplating what lies ahead. The writing though is stunning, almost poetic with its short sentences and repetition. Because of the stripped back nature of the telling, you find your imagination filling in the back story and I’m sure everyone’s will be different. To me this is a post apocalyptic tale. Something major has happened in “The Changing” and Day One is the start of a brave new world of survival. However it could also be an evolutionary story, one where The Changing has physically happened to the man and he has to learn to live with it. It is in this openness of interpretation that the true genius of the writing lies – it challenges the listener rather than spoon-feeding.

The piece was performed beautifully by Peter Noble, his phrasing making the pauses between the words say almost as much as the words themselves in getting across the bleakness of the situation. The music/soundscape by Purple Planet too is utterly wondrous, dissonant and unsettling, fitting perfectly with the mood created by the words.

As a whole this five minute gem of a story grabs your brain and it doesn’t let go. Get it.

Image courtesy of Spokenworld Audio.

Day One is available free from Spokenworld here.