A Year in Five and Twelve

We’re exploring stories that use nature, and the fruits it bears, as a way of marking time. Whether working in harmony with humanity or standing in opposition to it, the natural world provides a powerful narrative tool, helping authors shape themes, track change, and deepen meaning within the short story format. In today’s episode you can look forward to heroes, villains, natural wonders and of course a slice of retribution. Featuring‘Five Fruits I Ate in Sandar Land’ by Michael Haynes (03.49), read by Richard McIver. This is simultaneously a tale of great quest, a love story and a tragedy, all told in a tidy 1500 words. Found in our Heroic Fantasy Short Stories collection. ‘The Twelve Months’ by Josef Baudis (14.29), read by Ruhthie Durang. Experience all of the year’s seasons in twenty minutes with this Czech story from our brand new Slavic Myths & Tales collection. BiographiesMichael Haynes lives in Ohio. An ardent short story reader and writer, Michael has had stories appear in venues such as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Nature and also in anthologies such as Deep Cuts, Not Our Kind: Tales of Not Belonging, and Kwik Krimes. He is the chair of the Cinevent classic film convention and enjoys photography, geocaching, and travel. His website is michaelhaynes.info. Josef Baudis (1883–1933) was a Czech and Celtic folklorist and linguist. Born in Prague, he studied at university there and went on to become a teacher. Following the First World War, he lived for a number of years in the UK, where he studied Celtology. In 1924, he became a professor at Comenius University in Bratislava. Originally from Reno, Nevada and now based in London, Richard McIver brings a rich transatlantic perspective to his work. He has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Theatr Clwyd, and Hull Truck Theatre, and has appeared on screen for ITV and Sky/HBO, alongside his work as an intimacy coordinator across film, television and theatre. In voiceover, his recent work includes audiodrama, feature film ADR, and video games. He most recently voiced multiple characters for a major upcoming video game releasing in 2026.Ruhthie Durang is excited to lend her voice to Flame Tree's Myth & Fiction Podcast. She is a graduate of NYU, Tisch School of the Arts and her recent credits include Call the Midwife, Disclaimer and Our Place at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. This episode was hosted by Bea. ‘Five Fruits I Ate in Sandar Land’ is ©2014 Michael Haynes and was first published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies but more recently appeared in Heroic Fantasy Short Stories (Flame Tree Publishing, 2017).‘Twelve Months’ was originally published in Czech Folk Tales (1917), but more recently appeared in Slavic Myths & Tales (Flame Tree Publishing, 2026)......................................................................................................................................Music is an extract of Sunbeams by Allen Stroud, from his Fractal Series album, licensed courtesy of fpl-digital 2025.This podcast is hosted and sometimes narrated by Beatrix Ambery (also audio editor), Olivia Jackson (also podcast coordinator), Shilpa Varma and Nick Wells (also producer). Chosen from hundreds of wonderful tales, short stories such as these are selected by our short window open submission process, giving opportunities to writers of all levels of experience, culture and location. Look out for our submission announcements, and see the full list here:  flametreepublishing.com/gothic-fantasy-book-series-list.htmlOur full range of thematic short stories, epic tales, mythology and folklore titles are available at all good bookstores, online and in retail, and at flametreepublishing.com Flame Tree Publishing, Best Indie Press 2024 & 2025 (British Fantasy Society). Beautiful Books, Timeless Storytelling, Fresh Perspectives.The Flame Tree Myth and Fiction podcast is created and © copyright 2025 Flame Tree Publishing Ltd.