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THE STRANGE INTERLUDES F.A.Q.
Last updated Jun. 19, 2005
What is Strange Interludes?
Strange Interludes is a Texas-based company that produces original sci-fi, fantasy, and horror audio dramas on CD for the delight of millions worldwide. Strange Interludes is also the blanket name for the aforementioned audio drama series...many different stories, one anthology name—like "The Twilight Zone" or "Tales From the Crypt."
So you're not related to Eugene O'Neill's play titled "Strange Interlude"?
No, we have no connection to O'Neill's Pulitzer-winning 1928 play, nor does the name of our company imply any affiliation with or endorsement by the estate of Eugene O'Neill. It's just one of those odd coincidences.
Why would I want to buy this stuff?
Because it's so cool, obviously.
In truth, there are many reasons you might want to partake of our wares: nifty concepts, entertaining stories, great vocal performances, terrific music, bargain pricing...the list goes on and on.
No, I mean "why would I want to listen to a bunch of people talking when I could watch a movie -or- watch some TV -or- play a videogame/RPG/LARP/MUD/MUSH/MMORPG/boardgame -or- get outside and get some fresh air -or- do anything else?"
Ah. Well, there's no quick answer for that. We at Strange Interludes are really big proponents of all of the activities mentioned above, and in fact we engage in all of them as frequently as possible. You could look at Strange Interludes as a supplement to all the other fun things you do in your daily life.
In the end, Strange Interludes is probably unlike anything you've ever heard before. Why not give them a try and see what you think?
What advantages do Strange Interludes offer over books on tape/CD?
Books on tape are great, but audiobooks have some distinct disadvantages: they're not cheap ($25-50 in most cases); they're not easily portable (most involve carting around half a dozen or more cassettes or discs—for just one story!); they're mostly one person reading aloud from a book (rarely do you get full-cast audio, with sound effects and music); and in almost all cases, they're an abridged (edited-down) version of the book they adapt!
Strange Interludes, on the other hand, are eminently affordable (when was the last time you paid $9.99 retail for a brand new hour-long-plus CD? Or a new hardback novel?); easily portable (one disc); packed with great performances from multiple actors—not to mention a fantastic soundtrack to completely immerse you in the story; and each one is a complete, brand-new story in and of itself.
Do you take outside submissions of scripts, music, etc?
Not at present, no. Strange Interludes is still very much a venture in its infancy, and with our day jobs we barely have enough time to work on our own material, much less sift through a slush pile of script submissions and music demos!
That's not to say we won't open ourselves up to outside submissions at some point in the future. But right now, we're keeping it all in-house for logistic reasons.
So, not to talk down to y'all or anything, but PLEASE DON'T SEND US SUBMISSIONS!
Thanks. :)
How many releases will you publish a year? Will they be evenly divided among science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories?
We're hoping to start out with two releases in our first year, and hold it at two a year from there onward...possibly increasing to three (or more) as things progress. Our first batch will be equally split between sci-fi (PARADOX), fantasy (FANTOCCINI), and horror (BRAKE'S PRISON ). After that, we'll publish what strikes our fancy. We'll try not to neglect any particular genre, but we also won't hold ourselves to a 'genre quota'.
By the same token, many future releases won't necessarily be categorized according to a single genre (and all the tropes associated thereof). You'll see sci-horror, crime-fantasy, and a whole host of other hybrids.
A-ha! I see what you're up to! You're not accepting outside submissions, and your producer is writing the only titles you've announced! This is some sort of masturbatory self-publishing vanity exercise, isn't it?
Nice work, Matt Drudge -- you've uncovered our insidious master plan!
Seriously, though, Stephen is writing our first three releases for two reasons, and two reasons only: One, he works cheap. Two, he's wanting to set an editorial tone for the series, to give prospective scriptwriters an idea of what we're looking for regarding the scope and tenor of SI. After BRAKE'S PRISON, we will be looking for new writers, and Stephen's script contributions to SI will happen rarely thereafter, if at all.
Now having said that, our earlier request stands: please don't send us anything! When the time comes for us to accept outside submissions, we'll be announcing it on various writers' websites, as well as here on strangeinterludes.net. But until then, we just won't have the time to devote to any unsolicited materials, and we'll have no choice but to return them to you unread. Thanks for understanding.
PARADOX Errata
We all know what road is paved with good intentions, and it was with the best of intentions that we released PARADOX...unfortunately, a few errors crept in --
Should PARADOX go into a second pressing, these errors will be corrected. We hope none of them affected your enjoyment of the play!