You can listen to “Total Loss” by James Hosek on the Bedtime Stories for Insomniacs fiction podcast on your favorite podcast app or Audible or directly at this link: https://bedtimestories.studio/episode/100/64.
This week features another story by my brother, James Hosek. I had the honor of attending this years Nebula Awards, put on by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association in Pasadena, California. He was posthumously awarded the volunteer of the year award for his service as Comissioner of the awards. I came to learn that while most people hold that position for a year or two, Jim did it for nearly 8 years. It was a very demanding position and he loved doing it.
He also loved writing science fiction, and back in 2006 got a story published in Analog: Science Fiction and Fact. “Total Loss” graced the pages of the July/August special double issue, and later was voted by the readers as one of their favorte short stories of the year. Although it’s a bit longer than the usual story I present on the podcast, the story very much fits in with its quirky humor and a fun twist at the end. It’s a humorous story, and one of those science fiction stories that could come true tomorrow. In it, a man discovers that after being in a car accident, his insurance company has deemed him a total loss—not his car, him!
If you’ve been tuning in every week, you’ll know that every Thursday I’ve been posting chapters from Jim’s first novel, A Really Good Day. In it you’ll find much of the same humor he displays in this story.
And if you head on over to https://JamesHosek.com and sign up for the mailing list, I’ll keep you posted on when the first book of his cozy mystery series about a crime solving veterinarian named Dr. At is available. I’m sure you’ll love it.
As always, I ask that you share the podcast with anyone you know who might enjoy audio fiction. It’s available on all podcast apps and Audible, and you can find it on YouTube if you prefer at https://www.youtube.com/@RichHosek/videos. And don’t forget to like, rate, review on the platforms that allow it. It really helps!
And I very much would love to hear what you think over at SubStack. Let’s get the conversation going!
Thanks again, and all the very best.