From Clockwork to Cloning

The first story episode of Flame Tree’s Myth & Fiction podcast! Contained within are two tales that speak to anxieties prompted by artificial intelligence and advancements in technology. 

Featuring:

‘The Dancing Partner’ by Jerome K. Jerome (00.52), narrated by Olivia. A story about a toy maker who creates a clockwork dance partner for a group of girls who are unsatisfied with the men who frequent their society balls. First published in 1893, this story can be found in our Robots & Artificial Intelligence  short story collection. 

‘Skinprint’ by Antonia Rachel Ward (15.39), narrated by Amanda Benzecry. A narrative that follows a woman who has volunteered to be subject to cloning. A shockingly effective story that explores the cost of manufactured humanity. Published within our Gothic Fantasy collection, Learning to be Human, which came out in January, 2024. 

Biographies: 

Antonia Rachel Ward is an author of horror and speculative fiction, based in Cambridgeshire, UK. Her short stories and poetry have been published by Blackspot Books, Brigid’s Gate Press, and the British Science Fiction Association, among others. She has published two novellas, 'Marionette' and 'Attack of the Killer Tumbleweeds', and her first novel, DreamScape, was published in October 2023. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Ghost Orchid Press. Find her at antoniarachelward.com

Jerome Klapka Jerome (1859–1927), was largely known as a novelist, playwright and editor. Best-known for his novel Three Men in a Boat (1889).

Amanda Benzecry (voice actor) regularly narrates books for Audible, is on the panel for the RNIB and is a frequent contributor (both as a narrator and a writer) to TNF Soundings, providing audio material for the visually impaired.

This episode is hosted by Bea.

‘Skinprint’ is © 2024 Antonia Rachel Ward and appeared in Learning to be Human (Flame Tree Publishing, 2024).

‘The Dancing Partner’ by Jerome K. Jerome was first published in 1893 and more recently in Robots & Artificial Intelligence (Flame Tree Publishing, 2018).

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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) 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.html

Our 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, Independent Publisher of the Year 2024, 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.