PODCAST · fiction
Meaningless Problems
by Doe Wilmann
An original short story by Doe Wilmann every single week for at least a year. I wanted a platform where I could communicate directly with all the people who like my writing. And yes, I could have invited both of them out for a coffee but they don’t get on. So I’m doing a podcast instead. Will I keep it up? Will anyone listen? Does it matter either way? A mix of styles, genre and quality. Some will be comedies, some will be dramas, some will be sci-fi, and some will be rubbish. Common topics/ themes:The absurdConsciousness Free willArtificial intelligence GodThe AfterlifeNon Duality Eternalism HaircutsBenches ShedsYou’ll like this if you like…. Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror Sum: Forty Tales of the Afterlives by David EaglemanAlan Bennett’s Talking Heads Julian BarnesKazuo Ishiguro (I realise I’m now just listing writers I like…) Margaret Atwood Oscar Wilde Anton ChekhovGeorge Orwell This is my challenge to write, record and produce a short story every single w
Episodes
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#72 A Bear Called I
A kids story for adults about a bear who doesn’t want intelligence. Something to consider when reading/listening: Should we let kids have AI companions? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman Philosophical fiction Speculative fiction Kids...
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#67 Total Reincarnation
What happens when a well known comedian accidentally discovers the secret of the universe? Something to consider when reading/listening: How would your life change if you knew that you literally were everyone who has ever lived? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the...
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#66 The World’s Happiest Company
Alan lands a job at the world’s happiest company. What could possibly go wrong? Something to consider when reading/listening: How does monitoring emotions affect our emotions? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman Philosophical fiction...
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#65 Conquest
Governments are always promising to make things better. What would happen if they actively tried to make things worse? Something to consider when reading/listening: Have you ever noticed that trying to force something to happen can make it less likely? Come and see my new play - While We Wait…
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#64 High Church
Kenny finds church to be a mystical experience - but not for the reasons you might expect. Something to consider when reading/listening: Is there a single truth that connects religions, psychedelic experiences, and near enough every story ever told? Come and see my new play - While We Wait - on…
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#63 The Sense of Happiness
A new technology makes it possible for a mother and father to forgive their son’s killer. Should they use it? Something to consider when reading/listening: Given the possibility to let it go, can it ever be right to hold on to hatred? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales…
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#62 In His Shoes
For ten years, Eric has cared for his vegetative state brother with no hope he’ll ever recover. A scientific breakthrough changes everything. Something to consider when reading/listening: Would you accept a blissful inner life if it meant no interaction with the outside world? You might enjoy…
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#61 Combination
Sylvia’s understanding of reality is shaken by an encounter with her dressing gown cord, a padlock and a snake. Something to consider when reading/listening: Can evolutionary psychology fully explain human behaviour or is there something deeper at play? You might enjoy this episode if you like:...
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#60 Liverpool Brain (performed by Ryan Hurst)
A new technology turns every human being into a super genius, ushering in heaven on earth. There’s just one problem: it doesn’t work in Liverpool. Something to consider when reading/listening: If it’s possible to use technology to increase our intellectual and emotional intelligence, does this...
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#59 The Forced (performed by Kirsten Callaghan)
What happens when every married woman on earth wakes up with the desire to divorce her husband? Something to consider when reading/listening: Where do your desires come from? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman Fiction that makes you...
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#58 Nothing’s Constant
He’s given his daughter an imaginary friend and she’s become quite attached. Does this make him a bad dad? Something to consider when reading/listening: Do you think there’s any harm in kids having an imaginary friend? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives...
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#57 Mad Cow
Jerry’s new boyfriend appears to be perfect in every way. But he has a dark secret at the bottom of his garden. Something to consider when reading/listening: Can an argument be logically correct but still ultimately wrong? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the...
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#56 The Two Brians
This is a story about two people called Brian. One is spiritually enlightened. The other is depressed. But do they have more in common than they realise? Something to consider when reading/listening: What are the two different versions of you? And do they ever have differing interpretations of…
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#55 Omnisilly
Some theories about the existence of god are silly. This one is literally… silly. Something to consider when reading/listening: What other qualities would a maximally great god have? You might enjoy this episode if you like: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman God Atheism…
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#54 Unspeakable Parenting
In the near future, it is widely agreed that children would be better off if they never learnt how to speak. Something to consider when reading/listening: Would you sacrifice your ability to speak if it meant never having another negative or stressful thought? Written and performed by Doe Wilmann...
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#53 Rain Always Win
If life is a game, Harvey Rain is determined to win. But what does winning actually look like? And what does this mean for the other players? Something to consider when reading/listening: Is it true that the only thing worse than not getting what you want is getting it? You might enjoy this…
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#52 Hope for the Worst
When Poppy announces she wants to kill herself, her playwright husband employs a peculiar coping technique. Something to consider when reading/listening: To what extent does negative visualisation make you grateful for what you have? Comedy - Philosophy - Stoicism If you’d like to read the script...
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#51 What Was the Point?
Having spent a year writing short stories for a podcast, the writer wonders what was the point. Something to consider when reading/listening: What was the point of this short story podcast? Comedy - Philosophy - Plumbing If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to...
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#50 What Do You Do?
Lost in thought at a funeral, our narrator sets out a compelling case for why we should never ask anyone what they do for a living. Something to consider when reading/listening: To what extent does your job define who you are? What Do You Do is an original short story by Doe Wilmann If you’d like...
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#49 It Might as Well Be
Businessman Nathan Norrie calls upon a spiritual guide to help improve the atmosphere among his work colleagues. The guide offers three peals of wisdom. Something to consider when reading/listening: If a message is true, does it matter if the messenger is dishonest? It Might as Well Be is an...
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#48 The Meaning of Work
The prime minister is facing the biggest strike in British history. But the strikers are the last people she’d expect to strike. And their reason for striking is even more surprising. Something to consider when reading/listening: Can you truly be rich if your life lacks meaning? The Meaning of…
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#47 Tony’s Vibe
Tony’s tried everything to make himself more employable, more dateable, more popular. He’s tried life coaches, elocution coaches, therapists, personal trainers but he’s looking in the wrong place. He’s not the problem. I am. I am Tony’s vibe. Something to consider when reading/listening: To what...
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#46 Culling Cobras
Member of Parliament Lawrence Sitwell is frustrated by the failure of his political career. A conversation with an old friend causes him to rethink everything. Something to consider when reading/listening: When politicians try to make something better, are they more likely to make it worse?…
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#45 The Weight of Achievement
In Bernard’s local pub, everyone carries their life’s achievements with them in a big black bag. Philosophy - Spirituality - Absurdism The Weight of Achievement is an original short story by Doe Wilmann Something to consider when reading/listening: If you were never allowed to tell anyone about...
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#44 Futility
A writer is slightly concerned about his short story podcast. He shares these concerns with a plumber and is surprised by his response. Something to consider when reading/listening: How do you know for certain that you are not a fictional creation dreamt up by somebody else? Comedy - Philosophy -...
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BONUS EPISODE: Best of 2023
The top five short stories from 2023. If you’re new to Meaningless Problems, this might be a good place to start. These are the stories with the timestamps for each: It Wasn’t Me - 1.30 - Kimi is delighted with Su-Z, a new personal assistant software that can send and respond to emails on her...
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#43 A Wise Man (Christmas story)
A silly story, especially for Christmas. Working the early-turn Christmas Eve shift, Sergeant Rod just wants to finish at five, collect his daughter’s bizarre choice of present and go home. But his boss, the local drug lord and south London’s canine population have other ideas. Something to...
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#42 Prime Minister’s Questions
Thanks to developments in AI and VR, every voter now has the right to meet their political candidates one-on-one. These hyper-realistic chat bots look and sound exactly like their real-life equivalents and they answer questions with 99.9% accuracy. So what happens when the British primer…
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#41 No Words
A new medical procedure will remove anxiety and allow you to live perfectly in the moment. The only downside? You have to give up your ability to comprehend language. Something to consider when reading/listening: What would you be prepared to give up in exchange for perfect peace of mind? No…
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#40 The Meaning of Love
Like most of his friends, Burt hates his job and lives for the weekend. And when his friends start installing modules into their brains that make them enjoy their work, Burt is furious with them. What’s the point of escapism if there’s nothing to escape? Something to consider when...
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#39 Losing the Plot
After a mental breakdown, Michael reconsiders his entire perception of the world. Something to consider when reading/listening: Are there any narratives in your own life that you’d be better off without? Losing the Plot is an original short story by Doe Wilmann If you’d like to read the script of...
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#38 Your Final Ambition
On your deathbed, in agonising pain, you are given the chance to reduce your suffering. But in order to do so, you must reduce your worldly success by the same amount. Something to consider when reading/listening: Would you sacrifice the present for the sake of the past? Your Final Ambition is an...
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#37 Don’t Blame the Children
In the near future, virtual reality allows couples to meet their potential children before they’ve been conceived. Something to consider when reading/listening: Does having more options make us more free? Don’t Blame The Children is an original short story by Doe Wilmann If you’d like to read the...
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#36 Iguana
A therapist is tasked with convincing a very clever eleven year old that there is a difference between fact and fiction. Something to consider when reading/listening: If all of your experiences take place in your mind, how can you be certain anything is real? Iguana is an original short story by...
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#35 Just Like Her
A widower uses an AR filter to make his new girlfriend look exactly like his ex wife. Something to consider when reading/listening: Is it possible to have a truthful relationship with someone if your perception of them is totally different to how they perceive themselves? Sc-fi - Augmented…
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#34 Inside Voices (performed by Tamsin Dowsett)
Casting director Lydia has invited an actress along to a family meet-up so that the actress can model her next character on Lydia’s twin sister Tania. But Lydia soon realises that one Tania is quite enough. Something to consider when reading/listening: To what extent are we all actors playing...
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#33 A Bench in West London (performed by Thea Collings)
Tania’s twin sister Lydia has bought a memorial bench for their mum in the family’s local park. There’s just one problem: their mum is still very much alive (Lydia was unaware that memorial benches are exclusively for the dead). Cue a series of tributes from people who want to pay their respects,...
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#32 As It Should Be
A married man purchases a memory of himself having sex with another woman. His wife finds out and kicks him out. He returns to the memory shop to try and put things right. Something to consider when reading/listening: Picture something you’ve always wanted to do. Would you rather do it and have…
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#31 Tell Her I Was Kind
A father with a terminal illness has the chance to spare his young daughter from the pain of his death by erasing her memories of the times they’ve spent together. Something to consider when reading/listening: How far would you go to save someone you love from grief? Sc-fi - Memory - Family Tell...
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#30 Cheek Biter (performed by Sebastian Brown)
An offhand remark from his dentist makes Mark question his entire existence. Something to consider when reading/listening: To what extent does our identity depend on other people's perceptions? Who are we when no one is looking? Dramatic Monologue - Psychological - Relationships Cheek Biter is an...
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#29 A Backup
Gina has a fantastic relationship with her seven-year-old son, James. The trouble is James is actually an adult and this seven-year-old is simply a perfect VR simulation of how he used to be. And adult James isn’t willing to share his mummy with anyone - even himself. Something to consider when...
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#28 Skipping Through Life
Faced with the prospect of making half his workforce redundant, Mr Pomeroy is offered the chance to skip the experience by travelling twelve hours into his own future. He accepts the offer and, twelve hours later, finds he still has all the memories of having experienced the day. So how is ‘time...
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#27 Dreams and Memories
An old man is troubled by the fact that his late wife spent her final years reminiscing about memories that never actually took place. A doctor visits him with some unorthodox advice. Philosophy - Spirituality - Memory Dreams and Memories is an original short story by Doe Wilmann If you’d like to...
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#26 The World’s Ugliest Person
A new augmented reality app allows everyone to look beautiful. This makes Gary, who refuses to use any form of AR, the ugliest person in the world. He’s never been a particularly bad-looking bloke so how will he adapt to his new reality? Sc-fi - Comedy - Dating The World’s Ugliest Person is an...
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#25 It Wasn’t Me
Kimi is delighted with Su-Z, a new personal assistant software that can send and respond to emails on her behalf. But her delight is punctured when her boyfriend receives a message from one of her email contacts claiming that he and Kimi have fallen in love. Will Kimi’s boyfriend believe her when...
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#24 The Light Without The Filter
Lee has a strong memory of his dad’s last moments on this earth. Only it’s not his memory, it’s his dad’s. Somehow he can picture, with perfect clarity, the final thing his dad saw before he passed away. Is this just a trick of Lee’s imagination or is it pointing towards something deeper?...
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#23 Starmix and The Runaway Table
Harry Bow (aka Starmix), a part-time waiter and full-time life coach, has discovered the secret of the universe. Namely, that every living being shares the same consciousness. And now it is his mission to correct the bad behaviour of everyone he meets. Philosophy - Spirituality - Comedy Starmix…
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#22 Making You Feel Better
There’s a secret that may well blow your entire world apart. ‘You wouldn’t recognise me but you have seen me,’ says the narrator of this story. ‘You’ve seen me many times. The day your partner left you. When you were fired from your job. The time you felt like you couldn’t go on…’ So who are…
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#21 Instant Connect (performed by Taj Atwal)
There’s a new dating app that cuts out the dating. It connects two compatible people and implants a love story into their memories, while removing any recollection of ever having signed up to the service. As far as the two lovers are concerned, they met and fell in love in a totally normal…
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#20 Failing Our Son
When her teenage son experiences failure, Gina is annoyed by her husband’s indifference. But did Martin secretly hope their son would fail all along? Philosophy - Comedy - Domesticity Failing Our Son is an original short story by Doe Wilmann If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
An original short story by Doe Wilmann every single week for at least a year. I wanted a platform where I could communicate directly with all the people who like my writing. And yes, I could have invited both of them out for a coffee but they don’t get on. So I’m doing a podcast instead. Will I keep it up? Will anyone listen? Does it matter either way? A mix of styles, genre and quality. Some will be comedies, some will be dramas, some will be sci-fi, and some will be rubbish. Common topics/ themes:The absurdConsciousness Free willArtificial intelligence GodThe AfterlifeNon Duality Eternalism HaircutsBenches ShedsYou’ll like this if you like…. Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror Sum: Forty Tales of the Afterlives by David EaglemanAlan Bennett’s Talking Heads Julian BarnesKazuo Ishiguro (I realise I’m now just listing writers I like…) Margaret Atwood Oscar Wilde Anton ChekhovGeorge Orwell This is my challenge to write, record and produce a short story every single w
HOSTED BY
Doe Wilmann
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Meaningless Problems have?
Meaningless Problems currently has 54 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Meaningless Problems about?
An original short story by Doe Wilmann every single week for at least a year. I wanted a platform where I could communicate directly with all the people who like my writing. And yes, I could have invited both of them out for a coffee but they don’t get on. So I’m doing a podcast instead. Will I...
How often does Meaningless Problems release new episodes?
Meaningless Problems has 54 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Meaningless Problems?
You can listen to Meaningless Problems on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Meaningless Problems?
Meaningless Problems is created and hosted by Doe Wilmann.
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