Listen to a reading of Robert J. Sawyer’s 2003 short story “Come All Ye Faithful”

Thanks to the folks at Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine, you can listen to Mike Boris read “Come All Ye Faithful” (MP3, 34 min.), a short story written by award-winning Canadian science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer that was first published in the anthology Space Inc. (2003). A tale about Father Bailey, the one and only priest on the Red Planet who is called upon to investigate an apparent miracle on the desolate plains of Cydonia, here are the opening lines of “Come All Ye Faithful”:

“Damned social engineers,” said Boothby, frowning his freckled face. He looked at me, as if expecting an objection to the profanity, and seemed disappointed that I didn’t rise to the bait.

“As you said earlier,” I replied calmly, “it doesn’t make any practical difference.”

He tried to get me again: “Damn straight. Whether Jody and I just live together or are legally married shouldn’t matter one whit to anyone but us.”

I wasn’t going to give him the pleasure of telling him it mattered to God; I just let him go on. “Anyway,” he said, spreading hands that were also freckled, “since we have to be married before the Company will give us a license to have a baby, Jody’s decided she wants the whole shebang: the cake, the fancy reception, the big service.” …

Thanks to Jesse Willis of SFFaudio for the tip.