Meaningless Problems

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 https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagle...

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 to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

For information about upcoming s...

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 original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe...

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 Work is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.c...

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 extent can a person be aware of their own vibe? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Politics 

If you’d like to read the script of this episod...

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? 

Comedy - Philosophy - Politics 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilma...

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 your successes, which of your current goals would you continue to pursue? 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go...

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 - Plumbing 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might...

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:

1. 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 behalf. But her delight is punctured when her boyfriend receives a message from one of her email contacts claiming that he and Kimi h...

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 consider when reading/listening: 

Are you feeling Christmassy? 

Comedy - Family - Christmas 

A Wise Man is an original short story by ...

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 minister’s chat bot starts making some very provocative statements? 

Something to consider when reading/listening: 

Would this type of hyper r...

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 Words is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com...

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 reading/listening: 

Could you live a good life if you enjoyed every part of it? 

The Meaning of Love is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

...

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 this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

You might enjoy this episode if you like:

Alan Bennet...

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 original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/autho...

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 script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

For information about upcoming stories and l...

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 Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to https://www.fairobserver.com/author/doe-wilmann/ 

For in...

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 Reality - Family   

Just Like Her is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to read the script of this episode go to...

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 characters? 

Dramatic Monologue - Comedy - Family  

Inside Voices is an original short story by Doe Wilmann 

If you’d like to rea...