hpr-knowledge-base/hpr_transcripts/hpr3074.txt

Episode: 3074
Title: HPR3074: For your consideration - Escape Pod
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr3074/hpr3074.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-24 16:15:13

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This is Hacker Public Radio Episode 3,074 for Thursday 14 May 2020.
Today's show is entitled for your consideration, escape pod,
and is part of the series podcast recommendations. It is hosted by Ken Fallon
and is about 30 minutes long
and carries an explicit flag. The summary is
a sample episode from escape pod, the original science fiction podcast.
Today's show is licensed under a CC by NCND license.
Hi everybody, my name is Ken Fallon and you're listening to another episode of Hacker Public Radio.
Today is a recommendation for another podcast creator commons,
attribution, non-commercial, no derivative works.
It is escape pod, it is from escape artists. It should have been submitted ages ago.
I think it was recommended to me here are one of the podcast recommendations
and I've been an avid listener ever since going back and re-listening to all the episodes.
I have many, many recommendations, but I think the one that would suit most for HPR is episode 624.
The fandom for robots was released in April 2018 and I submitted to you for your pleasure.
If you want to support them, they are constantly looking for other nations.
There are no advertisements and they're entirely fun supported.
What they recommend is that you promote the shows and that's exactly what I'm doing right here.
So sit back, relax and enjoy this show. It's a good one.
Reminder, escape pod's flash fiction contest is open for submissions right now.
Give us your best story in 500 words or fewer. You have until April 30th to enter.
Contest winners will be decided by vote in our community forums.
Anyone is welcome to participate.
Escape pod, episode 624, fandom for robots, by the energy minutes present.
Hello and welcome to escape pod, your weekly science fiction podcast.
I am your host this week, Tina Connolly, and I am here to bring you fandom for robots by Vina Chiamin Prasad.
This story first appeared in Uncanny.
Vina Chiamin Prasad is a nebula nominated Singaporean writer working against the world machine.
Her short fiction has appeared in Clarks World, Uncanny Magazine, and Fireside Fiction.
You can find links to her work at vinaprasad.com.
Born in Texas and transplanted to California, Trending Sparks has had jobs ranging from Army Medic to Veterinary Technician,
freelance clown to kid show puppeteer. Nothing has ever made him so happy as voice acting.
From video games to narrating stories, voice performers are conduits of magic and imagination.
So get ready to hop on the hyper warped fan train because it's story time.
fandom for robots by Vina Chiamin Prasad.
Computron feels no emotion towards the animated television show titled Hyper Dimension Warp Record.
After all, Computron does not have any emotion circuits installed and is thus constitutionally incapable of experiencing excitement, hatred, or frustration.
It is completely impossible for Computron to experience emotions such as excitement about the seventh episode of Hyper Warp,
hatred of the anime's short episode link, or frustration that Friday is so far away.
Computron checks his internal chronometer as well as the countdown page on the streaming website.
There are 22 hours, 5 minutes, 46 seconds, and 12 milliseconds until 2 a.m. on Friday, Japanese Standard Time.
Logically, he is aware that time is most likely passing at a normal rate.
The Simack Robotics Museum is not within close proximity of a black hole and there is close to no possibility the time is being dilated.
His constant checking of the chronometer to compare it with the countdown page serves no scientific purpose whatsoever.
After 50 milliseconds, Computron checks the countdown page again.
The Simack Robotics Museum's commemorative postcard set, $15 for a set of 12, describes Computron as
the only known sentient robot created in 1950 by Dr. Carol Alquist to serve as a laboratory assistant.
No known scientist has managed to recreate the doctor's vision.
It's steel-framed box-and-claw design is characteristic of the period.
Below that, in smaller print, the postcard thanks the Alquist estate for their generous donation.
In the museum, Computron is regarded as a quaint artifact and plays a key role in the Robotics then and now performance as an example of the then.
After the announcer's introduction to Robotics, Computron appears on stage, answers four standard queries from the audience as proof of his sentience and steps off the stage to make way for the rest of the performance, which ends with the Android-bodied automaton Tetsuchan showcasing its ability to break dense.
Today's queries are likely to be similar to the rest.
A teenage girl waves at the announcer and receives the microphone.
Hi, Computron. My question is, have you watched anime before?
Yes, Computron vocalizes. I have viewed the works of renowned actress Anna May Wong, Dr. Alquist enjoyed her movies as a child.
No, not that. The girl continues.
I mean, Japanese animation. Have you ever watched a show called Hyper-Dimension Warp Record?
I have not.
Oh, okay. I was just thinking you really looked like one of the characters, but since you haven't, maybe you should give Hyper-Warp a shot.
It's really good. You might like it. There are six episodes out so far and you can watch it on...
The announcer cuts the girl off and hands the microphone over to the next querit, who has a question about Dr. Alquist's research.
After answering two more standard queries, Computron returns to his storage room to answer his electronic mail, which consists mostly of queries from elementary school students.
He picks up two metal styluses, one in each of his grasping claws, and begins tapping them on the computing unit's keyboard, one key at a time.
Computron explains the difference between a robot and an android to four students, and provides the fifth student with a hyperlink to Daniel Clement Dennett III's writings on consciousness.
As Computron reties himself to enter sleep mode, he recalls the teenage girl's request that he give Hyper-Warp a shot.
It is only logical to research the Japanese animation, Hyper-Dimension Warp Record, in order to address queries from future visitors.
The title, when entered into a search engine on the worldwide web, produces about 957,000 results, 0.27 seconds.
Computron maneuvers the mouse pointer to the third hyperlink, which offers to let him watch Hyper-Dimension Warp Record full episodes streaming online high quality.
From the still image behind the prominent play button, the grey boxy figure standing beside the large eyed blue-haired human does bear an extremely slight resemblance to Computron's design.
It is only logical to press the play button on the first episode, in order to familiarize himself with recent discourse about robots in popular culture.
The series' six episodes are each approximately 25 minutes long. Between watching the series, viewing the online bulletin boards, and perusing the extensive foot-noted fan and cyclopedia, Computron does not enter sleep mode for 10 hours, 36 minutes, 2 seconds, and 20 milliseconds.
Hyper-Dimension Warp Record, Cho Jigin Wapure Kodo, literal translation, super-dimensional Warp Record, is a Japanese anime series set in space in the far future.
The protagonist, Ellison, is an escapee from a supposedly inescapable galactic prison.
Joined by a fellow escapee, Siro, short for cybernetic robot, the two make their way across the galaxy to seek revenge.
The targets of their revenge are the seven Sabers of Paradise, who have stolen the Hyper-Dimensional Warp unit from Siro's creator and caused the death of Ellison's entire family.
Episode 7 of Hyper Warp comes with the revelation that the second Saber, Ellison's identical twin, had murdered their parents before faking her own death.
After Siro and Ellison returned to the Cosmogram, the last segment of the episode unfolds without dialogue.
There is a slow pan across the ship's control area, revealing that Ellison has indulge in the human pastime known as Crying before falling asleep in the captain's chair.
His chest binder is stained with blood from the wound on his collarbone.
Siro reaches over, gently using his grasping claw to loosen Ellison's binder and drapes a blanket over him.
An instrumental version of the end theme plays as Siro gets up from his seat, making his way back to the recharging bay at the back of the ship.
From the way his footfalls are animated, it is clear that Siro is trying his best to avoid making any noise as he walks.
The credits play over a zoomed-out shot of the Cosmogram making its way to the next exoplanet, a tiny pinpoint of bright blue in the vast blackness of space.
The preview for the next episode seems to indicate that the episode will focus on the Saber's initial attempt to activate the hyper-dimensional warp unit.
There is no mention of Siro or Ellison at all.
During the wait for episode 8, Kampitron discovers a concept called fanfiction.
While fanfiction is meant to consist of fan-written stories about characters or settings from an original work of fiction,
Kampitron observes that much of the hyper-warp fanfiction bears no resemblance to the actual characters or setting.
For instance, the series that claims to be a spin-off focusing on powerful Siro seems to involve Siro installing many large caliber guns onto his frame and joining the space marines,
which does not seem relevant to his quest for revenge or the retrieval of the hyper-dimensional warp unit.
Similarly, the high schoolfic in which Siro and Ellison study at hyper-dimension high fails to acknowledge the fact that formal education is reserved for the elite class in the hyper-warp universe.
Most of the fanfiction set within the actual series seems particularly inaccurate.
The most recent offender is Ellison's wife's Rosemary for Remembrance, which fails to acknowledge the fact that Siro does not have human facial features,
and thus cannot touch his nose against Ellison's hair, breathing in the scent of sandalwood, Rosemary, and something uniquely him before kissing Ellison passionately,
needily, hungrily, his tongue slipping into Ellison's mouth.
Caputron reties his stylizes and moves the cursor down to the comment box, prepared to leave anonymous constructive criticism for Ellison's wife when he detects a comment with relevant keywords.
Bjorn Ruffian
Okay, I've noticed this in several of your fix and I was trying not to be too harsh, but when it got to the kissing scene, I couldn't take it anymore.
Siro can't touch his nose against anything because he doesn't have a nose.
Siro can't slip his tongue into anyone's mouth because he doesn't have a tongue.
Were we even watching the same series? Did you skip all the parts where Siro is a metal robot with a cube-shaped head?
Ellison's wife
Who are you, the fandom police? I'm basing Siro's design on this piece of fan art.
Link here
Because it looks better than a freaking metal box.
Anyway, I put, don't like, don't read in the author's notes. If you hate the way I write them so much, why don't you just write your own?
Caputron is incapable of feeling hatred for anything, as that would require Dr. Alquist to have installed emotion circuits during his creation.
However, due to Caputron's above average procedural knowledge, he is capable of following the directions to create an account on fanficarchive.org.
And Ellison maneuvered his flesh-hands in a claw-like motion, locking them with Siro's own grasping claws.
His soft human body pressed against the hard lines of Siro's proprietary alloy in a manner which would have generated wear and tear had Siro's body not been of superior make.
Fluids leaked from Ellison's eyes. No fluids leaked from Siro's ocular units, but...
Comments. Three.
Don't god-rhythm.
To what the hell? Have you ever met a human this freaks like an alien wrote it?
Tattered freedom wings.
Uh, this is kinda weird, but I think I liked it. Not sure about the box thing though.
Bjorn roughing them.
Oh my god. Smiley, smiley, smiley, smiley face.
Finally, someone who doesn't write human-shaped robot in name only Siro.
Some of Ellison's characterization is a little awkward. I don't think he would say all that mushy stuff about Siro's beautiful boxy shape.
But I love your Siro. If this is your first pick, I can't wait for you to write more!
Computron has been spending less time in sleep mode after episode 13's cliffhanger, and he has spent his time conducting objective discussions about hyperwarps appeal with commenters on various video streaming sites and anonymous message boards.
As he is about to reply to the latest misive about his lack of genitalia and outside social activities, which is technically correct, his internal chronometer indicates that it is time for the robotics then and now performance.
So I was wondering, have you ever watched hyperdimensional warp record? There's this character called Siro that...
Yes, I am aware of hyperwarp, Computron says. I have taken the how to tell if your life is hyperwarp, quiz online, and it has indicated that I am a hyper big hyperwarp fan.
I have repeatedly viewed the scene between Ellison and Siro at the end of episode 7, and recently I have left a like on Bjorn Ruffian's artwork of what may have happened shortly after that scene due to its exceptional accuracy.
The show is widely regarded as this season's sleeper hit, and has met with approval from a statistically significant number of critics.
If other members of the audience wish to view this series, there are 13 episodes out so far, and they can be viewed on the announcer motions to him using the same gesture she uses when audience members are taking too long to talk.
Computron falls silent until the announcer chooses the next question, which is also the last due to time constraints.
After Tsetsuchan has finished its breakdance and showcased its newly programmed ability to pop-in lock, the announcer speaks to Computron backstage.
She requests that he takes less time for the question and answer segment in the future, understood, Computron says, and returns to his storage room to check his inbox again.
Private message from Bjorn Ruffian
Hi robot fan, I noticed you liked my art, thanks, and you seem to know a lot about robots judging from your thick, and well, your name.
I'm doing a fan comic about Ellison and Siro being stranded on one of the desert-ish exoplanets while they try to fix the Cosmogram, but I want to make sure that I'm drawing Siro's body right.
Are there any references you can recommend for someone who's looking to learn more about robots, like the classic kind, not the Android kind?
It'd be great if they're available online, especially if they have pictures.
I've found some books with photos, but they're way more than I can afford.
Thank you for any help you can offer. I'm really looking forward to your next pick.
Shortly after reading Bjorn Ruffian's message, Computron visits the early robotic section of the museum.
It has shrunk significantly over the years, particularly after the creation of the redefining human, androids of the future, and the drone zone sections.
It consists of several information panels, a small collection of tin toys, and the remnants of all three versions of the Hexo robot.
In episode 14 of Hyperdimension Warp Record, Siro visits a deserted exoplanet alone to investigate the history of the Hyperdimension Warp Drive, and he finds himself surrounded by the deactivated bodies of robots of similar make,
claws outstretched, being slowly ground down by the gears of a gigantic machine.
The robot recycler scene is frequently listed as one of that year's top ten most shocking moments in anime.
On 7 June 1957, the third version of Hexode fails Dr. Alquist's mirror test for the hundredth time, proving that it has no measurable self-awareness.
Computron watches Dr. Alquist smash the spanner against Hexode's face, crumpling its nose and lips.
Oil leaks from its ocular units as it falls to the floor with a metallic thud. Its vocal synthesizer crackles and hisses.
You got forsaken tin bucket! Dr. Alquist shouts, to hell with you!
If Dr. Alquist were to raise the spanner to Computron, it is likely that Dr. Alquist would not have an assistant for any future robotics experiments.
Computron stays still, standing in front of the mirror, silently observing the destruction of Hexode so he can gather up its parts later.
When Computron photographs Hexode's display case, he is careful to avoid capturing any part of himself in the reflection.
Bjorn Ruffian
Oh, man, thank you so much for installing chat just for this! Anyway, I really appreciate your help with the script thus far.
I think we can call it a collab by this point. And thanks for the exhibit photos! Was it a lot of trouble?
I checked the website, and that museum is pretty much in the middle of nowhere!
File transfer of thankyourobotfan.png from Bjorn Ruffian started.
File transfer of thankyourobotfan.png from Bjorn Ruffian finished.
Bjorn Ruffian
So I've got a few questions about page 8 in the folder I shared. Can you take a look at the second panel from the top?
I figured his joint would be all gummed up by the sand, so I thought I'd try to do an x-ray view thing as a close-up.
If you have any idea how the circuits are supposed to be, could you double-check?
Bjorn Ruffian
Okay, you're taking a really long time to type. This is making me super nervous. I did everything wrong.
Robot fan
Apologies
Robot fan
I
Robot fan
I'm not fast at typing. Bjorn Ruffian
Okay, I'll wait on the expert here.
Robot fan. The circuit is connected incorrectly, and the joint mechanism is incorrect as well.
Bjorn Ruffian
Oh, I knew it was wrong!
Frowny, frowny, frowny face. Bjorn Ruffian
I wish the character sheets came with schematics or something. I've paused the flashback scenes with all the failed robots like 10 billion times to take screenshots.
Robot fan
Besides the scenes in episode 14, there are other shots of cyroschematics in episode 5, at 17, colon 40, colon 18, and 20, colon 13, colon 50.
As well as episode 12, 08, colon 23, colon 14, file transfer of schematic dash screenshots.zip from robot fan started.
File transfer of schematic dash screenshots.zip from robot fan finished. Bjorn Ruffian
Thank you! I swear you're some sort of angel or something!
Robot fan
That is incorrect. I am merely a robot. There are certain things in the museum storage room that would benefit Bjorn Ruffian's mission of completing her cyro-elison comic.
Computron and hexode schematics are part of the Alquist collection, which is not a priority for the museum's digitization project due to a perceived lack of value.
As part of the Alquist collection himself, there should be no objection to Computron retrieving the schematics.
As Computron grasped the doorknob with his left claw, he catches a glimpse of cyro from episode 15 in the door's glass panels.
His ocular units blazing yellow with determination after overcoming his past.
In fan parlance, this is known as determined cyro, and has only been seen during the fight scenes thus far.
It is illogical to have determined cyro appear in this context or in this location.
Computron looks at the dusty glass again and sees only a reflection of his face.
Robot fan
I have a large file to send you. To be precise, four large files.
The remaining three will be digitized and sent at a later date.
File transfer of Alquist-archives-scan-part1.zip from Robot Fan started.
File transfer of Alquist-archives-scans-part1.zip from Robot Fan finished.
Bjorn Ruffian
Oh my god, this is awesome! Where did you get this? Did you rob that museum?
This is perfect for that other cyro-elison thing I've been thinking about doing after this stupid desert comic is over.
It would be great if I had someone to help me with writing cyro, hint hint?
Robot Fan
I would be happy to assist if I had emotion circuits.
However, my lack of emotion circuits means I cannot be happy about performing any actions.
Nonetheless, I will assist. To make this an equitable trade as is common in human custom,
you may also provide your opinion on some recurrent bugs that readers have reported in my characterization of Ellison.
Bjorn Ruffian
Yes!
Smiley, smiley, smiley, smiley, smiley face.
Rossum Sula
Tin men and tin toys
Examining real and fictional robots from the 1950s, Journal of Robotic Studies 8.2, 2018, pages 25 through 38.
While the figure of the fictional robot embodies timeless fears of technology and its potential for harm,
the physical design of robots real and fictional is often linked to visual cues of modernity.
What was once regarded as an object of the future can become overwhelmingly obsolete within the span of a few years,
as advances in technology cause the visual cues of modernity to change.
Bloch, 1979
The clawed lumbering tin toy-esque designs of the 1950s are now widely regarded as tin cans that should have been recycled long ago.
Williamson, 2017
Notably, most modern critiques of computer design tend to focus on its obsolete analog dials.
Watch Free Enemy, Hyperdimension Warp Record Episode 23, Live Chat, Pyro.
Okay, is it just me or Osirro starting to get really attractive?
I swear, I'm not gay, is it gay if it's a robot?
But when he's slung Ellison over his shoulder and used his claw to block the sixth saber at the same time?
Holy shit, that sniper scene right through the scope and then he fucking bumps Ellison's face with his claw?
Okay, fuck it, I'm gay for Siro, I don't care, I'll fucking tweedle his dials all he wants after this episode.
CK Wizard
Dude, you're too late, we've been finding Siro hot ever since that scene in episode 15!
You know the one, where you just see this rectangular blocky shadow lumbering towards the first saber
and his clunky sound effects?
Then his eye bulbs, like glint, really bright yellow and he bleeps out activating kill mode and his grabby claws start worrying?
There's like a really good thick about it on fan archive?
Actually, you might as well check the author's blog out here, he's really Siro obsessed.
His earlier stuff was kinda uneven, but the Bjorn collabs are good.
She's been illustrating his stuff for a while.
Pyro
Okay, I just looked at that thing, you know, the desert planet comic?
I think I ship it.
Oh man, when Ellison tries the manual repair on the armed joint and Siro has a flash back to the robot recycler
but tries to remind himself that he can trust him?
Yeah, fuck it, I definitely ship it.
CK Wizard
Join the fucking club!
It's the fifth time I'm watching this episode, this series has ruined my life!
I can't wait for season two!
Bjorn Robot Collabs posted
Hi everyone, Bjorn Ruffian and Robot Fan here.
Thanks for all your comments on our first comic collab.
We're really charmed by the great reception to in the desert's sun.
Okay, I'm charmed and Robot Fan says he would be charmed if he had the emotion circuits for that.
He's an awesome roleplay partner too.
Love his sense of humor, smiley smiley smiley face.
Anyway, it turns out that Robot Fan's got this awesome collection of retro robot schematics
and he's willing to share for those of you who want to write about old school robots
or need some references for your art.
Hint hint, the fan of totally needs more Siro and Siro Ellison before season two hits.
To be honest, I'm not sure about how legal it is to circulate these scans.
Robot fans, as it's fine though.
So just reply to this post if you want them and we'll private message you the links if you promise not to spread them around.
Also, we're going to do another Siro Ellison comic in the future
and we're thinking of making it part of an anthology.
If you'd like to contribute comics or illustrations for that, let us know.
Get ready to draw lots of boxes people.
The robot revolution is coming.
9,890 replies.
The end.
There is so so much I love about this story.
And I'm obviously not alone from all the attention the story has been getting.
One of my favorite things is the pitch perfect way that Prasad writes the journey of people finding community through fandom.
The real-time texts as Computron and Bjorn Ruffian get caught up in the show.
And the later journey as people like Pyro and CK Wizard get caught up in the fanfic that robot fan and Bjorn Ruffian make together.
The journey of Computron from loneliness to happiness is the emotional heart of the story of course.
It's beautifully written and not a bit overdone as she shows us each small beat of him blossoming into this beautiful connection of creation and collaboration.
As I've often mentioned, my favorite kind of stories are those that blend humor with drama.
And so here, a perfectly lovely story of Computron is developed by all the perfectly lovely bits of truth that are so funny
because they are so spot on.
I love every time Computron claims not to have emotion or feelings while in the middle of doing something deeply emotional or heartfelt.
And they also absolutely love Bjorn Ruffian's first reaction to reading Computron's thick.
Bjorn is delighted to find someone writing with authenticity, someone who truly speaks robot.
But, Bjorn is also not afraid to point out where the robot might have gone astray at attempting to write a human.
I don't think Siro would say all that stuff about his beautifully boxy shape cracks me up every time I read it.
I don't need to see the actual thick that Computron wrote.
It is far more perfect to envision it for myself, as seen through the lens of Bjorn's delighted eyes.
Escape Pod is a production of Escape Artist Ink and is brought to you with a creative comments contribution non-commercial note of it of the license.
Don't change it, don't sell it, please go forth and share it.
Escape Pod relies on the generous donations of listeners exactly like you, so if you enjoyed our story this week, then consider going to escapepod.org
or patreon.com slash eapodcasts and casting your vote for more stories that maneuver their flesh hands and claw-like motions.
Our opening and closing music is by Dekaiju at Dekaiju.org, and our closing quotation this week is from Cat in Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, who says,
The whole point of fanfiction is that you get to play inside somebody else's universe, rewrite the rules, or bend them.
The story doesn't have to end.
Thanks for listening, and have fun.
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