A green-fingered mystery man vanishes, leaving clues on a futuristic interplanetary auction site.
The episode opens by welcoming listeners to Ad Astral, a podcast dedicated to DJ Burnham's short science fiction stories. It provides background on DJ Burnham, noting he has been writing since 2004, with stories appearing in webzines like Silverthought and Bewildering Stories. In 2005, one story was published in the Silverthought Ignition anthology, and his first collection, Test Drive, was released in 2007. The podcast aims to present tales from near and distant futures, alien worlds, and alternative realities, ranging from commonplace to weird. Future plans include using guest voice actors and creating entertaining audio environments. The first story, Bid, is introduced as featuring a green-fingered mystery man who vanishes, leaving a trail of clues on a futuristic internet auction site that has expanded to distant planets. Bid originally appeared in Test Drive, volume one of DJ Burnham's collected short stories. The episode concludes with a hope that listeners enjoy it and a formal presentation of the story. The format is a solo narrative with an introductory host segment. Recurring themes include science fiction, mystery, and futuristic technology. Key moments include the introduction of the podcast's purpose, the author's credentials, and the plot tease for Bid. The episode sets expectations for triannual transmissions and immersive storytelling. It emphasizes a blend of outer and inner-space exploration. The tone is educational and narrative, focusing on setting up the series. No explicit content is present, and the primary language is English. The episode serves as an entry point for new listeners, outlining the scope and quality of upcoming content. It bridges the author's past work with future podcast ambitions.
