#I’ve also listened to a bit of wtnv and it was fun

[cha1cedony]

Idk what it is that makes me fixate so hard on one specific thing for years at a time, but I need it to chill out 😭 DnDads has been my only long-term media interest for like 1 and 1/2 years now, and it’s BORING to only like one thing ever lol I’m BORED!!! I need other things to be interested in, but I struggle with getting into new stuff (other than video games) sooo bad :(

That said, if you have DnD podcast recs that have interesting characters……… GIMME 👀 Also where the early episodes aren’t a nightmare to listen to 🙏 I have never listened to any other DnD podcasts, and I think it’s mostly bc the earlier seasons are always poor audio quality or like 3 hours long 😭 I’m also good with any type of narrative podcast. I just want compelling characters and platonic/familial dynamics pls. Stuff I can write sad shit about!! But also not TOO sad the whole time… maybe a little bit silly idk

So far, ones I’ve written down to listen to are Cast Party and Friends at the Table? I don’t know anything about either of them, though so? Also I keep seeing my mutuals posting Oxventure and Woe.Begone (although the latter isn’t a DnD podcast.. I think?) sooooo let me know your thoughts. And recommendations! Send me your propaganda! Tell me about your blorbos

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 4th February ✨

�� CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE SHOW WHICH HAS TAKEN OVER MY WEEK?? @notquitedeadpod !! I’ve been meaning to listen to this show for ages - the Tumblr marketing is so good - and I’m so glad I did. This show brings vampires into the modern age in such a fun way. I love that it’s set in York, I love that it features medical stuff (with no glaring impossibilities!). I love the fresh take on Vampire lore. It’s equal parts gruesome and romantic - and I’ve been enjoying it SO much. 

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E2.5) Oh, bless, Riley sounds absolutely EXHAUSTED and I’m not convinced that it’s entirely due to the (completely understandable) life stresses. Remember, you got attacked by a ghost? Riley, Remember that? I love that Julia is able to piece together what to do with the recorder from Leo’s nonsense, but it makes my heart very heavy to think of her listening to their recordings on the tube home - definitely for research purposes and not because she gets a small bit of comfort from them, of course. 

🌲 The @hellofromthehallowoods Valentine’s bonus My Love From The Moormire is sooo lovely (and also there was that one story that I can’t think or speak about without feeling the sensation of someone grinding the heel of their boot into the pulp of my heart, so that’s fun). Highly recommend treating yourself or a loved one this Feb. 

🎙 (241) WTNV doing what it does best by interspersing genuinely funny knife humour into moments of genuine tension. This Boy arc is so fun and I’m honestly pumped to return to the killing of one’s double era!! 

❤️‍🔥 The Love Talker (8) The inevitable happened this episode. Poor Tyler. The descriptions of the hut in the mountains were perfectly harrowing and I’m full of fear to find out what happens next with Ren and her new/old acquaintance.

🏢 @somewhereohio (S2E8) They did it!! I loved the sneaky references to why the characters got their department names and the shocking revelation about Liv’s memory. What do you MEAN that someone else has been messing around with her memories?? What do you mean Nya is inside her head?! 

⚔️ @camlannpod (2) I do so love a prophetic dream. Takes me right back to the days of Katie McGrath’s hair falling PERFECTLY over her pillows in BBC Merlin which 12y/o me was so normal about… It was so fun mentally screaming ‘KELPIE’ until the characters got it. I also have to point out how beautiful it is to hear a character who we’re assuming is taking lithium for mental health reasons telling another one that they are not ‘crazy’ (implied: something to fear) but that they’re looking after them because they love them 😭 I hope Dai has the same level of self-compassion!! ❤️ #Dai4King 

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (4) I couldn’t stop thinking about Light From Uncommon Stars while listening to this episode. It is certainly exciting to hear a new voice as Augustus!! I’m not sure what happened at the end there, but I hate that Gwen was the only one to hear it. The parallels between her and Jon are ~apparent~ and I don’t want her to be isolated!! 

[knee-stockings]

So I’ve been listening to lots of podcasts at work lately to break up the monotony of my office job. Mainly they’re horror, suspense/thriller, drama, that kind of thing. Trying to give ratings without spoilers~

(Check out updated pod recs here)

The Left Right Game (a journalist investigating an urban legend that gets increasingly more dangerous as they go): 5/5, this being one of the first ones I listened to set the bar really high tbh, it was great, immersive sound design, genuinely suspenseful and creepy moments, interesting plot, my only gripe is that I didn’t love the ending but I couldn’t dock a star just for that, highly recommend, maybe I’ll retire to Wintry Bay someday 

Alice Isn’t Dead (delivery trucker goes searching for her believed dead wife, comes across supernatural towns and creatures and a conspiracy that goes way deeper than one missing woman): 5/5, so so good, enjoyed a lot, I loved learning the truth about the Thistle men, still don’t completely understand oracles but that’s okay, some delightfully creepy moments, this will be high on my recommendation list (also it’s by the Welcome to Night Vale people, which I actually haven’t listened to lmao)

Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind (it’s a Harley Quinn origin story basically): 5/5, very enjoyable, sound design great, plot was fun, I don’t know how accurate this story is to the original Harley Quinn origin story but I liked this a lot

The Burned Photo (two women try to fight a familial curse haunting their bloodlines): 4/5, not bad at all, I thought the sound design was great and immersive but I thought the monster’s voice was a bit goofy idk, the plot wasn’t bad though ofc it was pretty bittersweet and sad in the end, tho I think it was never going to be happy for everyone involved

Blackwood (group of teens investigate the town urban legend and uncover more than they bargained for): I can’t decide…3.5 maybe? It was okay. I didn’t love it or hate it, I’m pretty neutral about it. It was interesting enough

Gaslight (girl goes missing and then reappears to her best friend years later with little explanation): 3/5, feels like there should be another season, wasn’t as dramatic/suspenseful as I thought it would be (maybe that’s my own fault tho, from the description and stuff I thought there would be more to it)

Ice-Cream (teens suspect the friendly neighborhood ice cream man of abducting little kids and uncover a dark secret): 4.5/5, interesting and a lil creepy, there’s something oddly funny about hearing someone scream “fuck you Beelzebub” even in context, sound design is pretty good and voice acting is great, finale was also pretty good but I’m docking half a star bc of that very last bit and bc I said so, overall short n’ sweet, no pun intendo (I’m kinda glad that it’s only the one season and not super long, gives the feeling of not overstaying its welcome. Also in awe that they made it within like a month, gonna go listen to their other podcast Cascadia too)

Cascadia (submarine expedition to uncharted waters, gone wrong, we almost died!?): 5/5, by the Ice-Cream people so I expected great sound design and voice acting and said expectations were met tbh, yes god love the drama, ocean depths are inherently scary to me so this is top tier horror, season one was chef’s kiss beautiful and I heard season 2 is coming so I’ll be waiting eagerly for that

Listening now:

Within the Wires (season 1 is relaxation cassette tapes from another world, season 2 is a guided museum tour I think): also by the WTNV people, interesting so far, the plot that unfolded in the first season was cool to watch as it played out, but also I am so sad. I like it so far

Rabbits (girl goes searching for her friend who disappeared because of this mysterious Rabbits game): feels like a really slow start after a few episodes, I kinda wanna get to more action soon please

Wake of Corrosion (apocalypse where characters are trying to find other survivors and also answers): mild shrug, not sure what to make of it just yet. Only like 2 episodes in so I think I need to give it a bit

Ars Paradoxica (scientist accidentally invents time travel and is thrown back to the 1940s): pretty interesting so far, science is fun 

Spoiler comment for Cascadia under the cut bc it's the one I just finished and I have Thoughts

As much as I enjoyed Cascadia, when I think about the expedition for more than 2 seconds I get confused. Not the whole alien thing, that’s fine, it’s Badger and Maria and their ulterior motives. Why in the world did Badger spend millions of dollars to make a submarine that’s faulty on purpose? And there was so much media coverage around it so the second something went wrong reporters were practically beating him over the head with microphones, so why risk so much bad press? Plus sacrificing three other talented divers who trusted him with their lives??? That’s the most confusing to me. There’s no way Badger foresaw them getting attacked underwater and losing Declan alone, so he must have been fully prepared to lose captain AND crew. Holden said that he saw Badger as a father, and yet he chose Holden to die? He said he handpicked them, so what did Holden, Alia, or Iris ever do to him to deserve being sent on a suicide mission? Doing all this just to get rid of Declan and be with Maria doesn’t feel right. Feels like there should be something more there. Tldr: surely Badger had another reason for conducting the suicide mission, right? Also since season 2 starts with Lila all grown up, a diver just like her father, I wanna know her opinions of her mother and of Badger. Did she learn about her mother’s betrayal? Is Badger still involved in funding deep sea diving or did the FBI take him out of that? Omg who’s the father of her little sibling…I’m so curious…

[melodyofthevoid]

Spotify Discovery 10/2

Lot of ukulele tracks in this one, and it’s a mixed bag. I cannot explain for the life of me what makes a ukelele song sound not bad to me but when I crack that code you’ll know.

Generally good though! The bad tracks though I hated more than last time. Also sorry for the delay I had work and a litany of other things (other writing projects) that distracted me lmao.

Good:

Playing on Train Tracks: Very Mountain Goats in its execution, note that it does cover self-destructive behaviors so be wary but the honesty here is captured so well. I love the use of language and metaphor, cutting live wires, standing on the cliff but never jumping, standing on the train tracks, it hits. The simple instrumentals isn’t overly “stripped down” it fits the subject. Good stuff.

What We Have is You: A song from Kipo, a nice little lullaby. Don’t remember what the context of this bit was in the show but I really liked it. Sterling K Brown has a nice voice.

The Dragon of Climate Change: Not one I’ll listen to frequently but I did enjoy the jaunty folk feel combined with the “fuck the rich” vibes. Calling out carbon credits was a good bit. Very bard core.

Lover (take me to the moon): Gives me confused person in love and I think it works. I wish I could really say what makes these sorts of songs click with me vs brush them off as kinda overdone but I’m afraid it’s a mystery to me as well.

Ghost Choir Vocals: Gives the iconic Ghost Choir lyrics in the style of “Mr.Sandman” and the singer is absolutely lovely. Fun and short, always a treat to hear the ghost choir in general and Louie’s instrumentals lend to the singer’s voice.

Davy Jones: I’ve listened to this cover a shit ton on Youtube and still love the vocals. The Davy Jones/Calypso storyline is a fav and there’s just. Mwah. Chef’s kiss vibes. Not much to say here other than absolute banger. (For an improved experience look up the duet version).

Suffering: A dance to agony, it works in a way of celebrating despite it all. The singer is lovely, the guitar is jaunty, and the rhythm is fast and fun. I like it! Gives me Crane Wives vibes and that’s always a plus for me.

Medusa in a Stone Garden: There’s an interesting energy around this one kinda folk rock? I like the Medusa energy, the repetition can wear on at times but other than that? Excellent.

The Water is Fine: Gives me Mariza/Delta vibes, there’s nice overlap on the vocals, there’s energy here too that is fun. A bit Oh Hellos, a bit Amazing Devil.

Anywhere But Here: A lovely little music box style waltz, very romantic. Melancholic too, and just the sort of thing I like to wind down to.

Duet in Death: Another classical piece, I’m sure if I knew more about the webtoon Nevermore I’d have more of an affinity? But a duet between a piano and a violin is one I’m always a sucker for. I adore violins when they’re done well and this one is spectacular.

Devil’s Flesh & Bones: Another WTNV alumni! Eliza Rickman is neat, she’s got a very distinct voice, kinda Cabaret and kinda jazz. This one all works for me.

Neutral:

Rises the moon: The vocal performance of this cover is… a little shaky at times? But I like the song and I think that it’s alright.

Tough to be a Bug: A twee little ukulele ditty, it’s cute but not really one that I’ll listen to. A bit too soft for me ig.

Bird Song: Not the Florence and the Machine song, but a different one. I enjoyed the folk vibes but the chorus has this kinda tropical electronica and that’s just not my vibe? The song has a general montage feel which works for what it is but a meh experience overall.

A Shitty Gay Song About You: The guitar plus the twinkly xylophone and the monotone vocals aren’t… really my vibe. The lyrics are kinda neat, but it’s not for me. I could see someone making a cute animatic to it though.

I think I want to be alone: Relatable but the style is a little too TikTok for me with the playful vibes combined with the depressing lyrics? Doesn’t scratch an itch for me.

Nah

Katarina Josephina: I’m not really sure what to make of this one. It’s got the trappings of a folk story song but it’s got a strange energy to it. Not certain what to say doesn’t work for me, but the trap break definitely does not.

The Spider’s Face: I like the song Nothing from this musical but goddamn this one is too “playful sing song evil” for me. The plucking strings and the vocals… it does not do it for me. Very unpleasant to listen to.

Aisling Song: I do not enjoy listening to children sing. This is a child singing in a very ~dreamlike~ way. I’m sure this works in the movie “Secret of Kells” but without the visuals I would really rather not listen.

PATROCLUS MEETS HIS FATE: I love orchestral stuff, I love video game music, but the artificial strings really take away any of the grandiosity for me. It’s very canned and I’m not a fan.

Typical Me: DSMP song and not a good one. I don’t like the vocals or the lyrics. Very monotone and unpleasant.

Give a Little: The saxophone and vintage swing feel are neat but I reaaaaally don’t like the vocals. They ruin it for me. Sorry CG5 but really not doing it for me.

64 Little White Things: This is Scary Jokes with the vocal style and again. Not a fan of that. There’s something about the vocals that just sets my teeth on edge, the sing/talking style with the modulation and the carnival music… no. Can’t do it.

[serenity-the-firefly]

Since you’ve already covered a lot of other podcasts, a ranking of the Within the Wires seasons?

WITHIN THE WIRES MY BELOVED!!!

in case you haven’t listened to within the wires, PLEASE do. It’s one of the best things being made right now and has tragically little traction on tumblr. It’s written by jeffrey cranor of wtnv fame and janina matthewson, and is an anthology show where each season features found audio from an alternate history. It’s very well done and is one of the best examples of worldbuilding-via-immersion i’ve encountered yet. the sound design is fantastic, i love all the voice actors, and there is not a single man except for one trans guy. it’s a bit meandering but in a way i like- the writers very clearly have an end point in mind but the way there involves a lot of dreamy and/or philosophical monologuing. It is by turns atmospheric, captivating, heartbreaking… great stuff.

ANYWAYS all this is to say that i have a very difficult time ranking the seasons lol. Here’s my best attempt, but keep in mind that every season of this show is better than like 75% of podcasts.

1. Season 2

OBVIOUSLY season 2 is the best one. you find out about these two women’s relationship via one of them narrating audio guides for exhibits of the other’s work, which involves description of said art, discussions of art, and emotional tangents about their relationship that grow increasingly unhinged.

2. Season 1

Season 1 is a but harder to get into but i really like it. i love janina matthewson’s voice and i think it does a great job of introducing us to the world, plus there’s this one monologue about art that i think about a lot.

3. Season 4

this is where the ranking starts getting really difficult for me. I’ve put season 4 as third because something about the last episode is just so….sublime, for me. Also, this season really highlights a crucial aspect of within the wires, which is that quite frequently the narrators are just like. insane. but i can’t say more without massive spoilers!

4. Season 3

Season 3 is probably the most conventional one so far. Pretty straightforward narration of events, with lots of fun political drama.

5. Season 5

This season just didn’t hit me as much as the others! probably at least in part because it has a more experimental structure so i didnt fully understand what was going on until my second listen. That being said, even thinking about the last ep very much does make me emotional lol.

***UNRANKED*** season 6 and the novel are unranked because i haven’t yet listened to/read them yet! I am very excited for both though, the novel especially since the conceit is that it’s an autobiography annotated by a scholar.

[asimovsideburns]

Okay I /think/ I've asked this before but I can't find the original question if I did: What are some of your all-time favorite podcasts and what makes them stand out to you?

OKAY OKAY OKAY

LOVE to talk about podcasts!!!

(not in any particular order)

1) Welcome to Night Vale. A classic. The first podcast I ever listened to, and in fact I didn’t even really know what a podcast was, I just used my computer to go to the website and play the episodes there. I dropped off at some point, but then eventually got into podcasts and actually knew what they were, so I picked it back up again. I still am not current.

WtNV was an amazing, incredible thing to me! It had surreal horror-comedy, which I had never encountered before; it was a way for me, a person who hates scary stuff, to finally enjoy what other people loved so much. It had music I’d never heard before! It had a canon gay main character in the first episode!!! WtNV was, in many ways, a formative experience for me. It also has the single scariest moment I’ve ever experienced. I do miss the days when it was all over tumblr, honestly, it was so incredibly fun.

2) The Adventure Zone (and, in spot 2.1, My Brother, My Brother, and Me). If WtNV was my introduction to podcasts, this was the beginning of my personal podcast explosion. Seeing all the animatics for this, along with the clips from the MBMBaM tv show, is what got me to figure out things like “what is a podcast actually” and “how do I listen to podcasts easily” and “who the fuck are these mcelroy guys”.

I decided, okay, everybody’s talking about them. They seem pretty funny. I’m going to check them out. So what did I do? Did I treat it like a normal person? Of course not! I listened to every mbmbam up until the first taz episode, then I listened to every taz episode, and then I finished the mbmbam episodes. I listened basically every waking moment of every day. TAZ is the second thing I’ve ever written fic for (and the first podcast). I will, for the rest of my life, fondly remember the weeks I spent with the constant company of the podcasts in my ears.

3) Not Another DnD Podcast. I think this was my second actual play podcast. It’s extremely good! You just… really do have to power through the first bit, which is… something. Like, “I put the podcast down and only came back to it because of podcast withdrawals” something. I was just very uncomfortable! It’s a podcast that is often funny, often crude, and, surprisingly, often very touching. If you’ve ever seen the full “what an honor. what an injustice.” quote, this is where it’s from, and if you told me that while I was listening to the first episode I would never have believed you. Fondest moments are watching the campaign 1 finale in a livestream with just so many other people and texting my mom the truly unbelievable amounts of damage one of the characters was doing to the final boss every single turn, and the incredibly wild charity livestream they did where they had a bunch of CR1 or less creatures fight in an arena, tournament style, with donations affecting what happened—draw from the deck of many things and the animated armor gets banished! someone else draws the wish card and brings it back! it gets annihilated again! resurrected again!

It really is just a lot of fun, and the cast’s chemistry and friendship shines through at every moment.

4) Let’s Make a Music. Brian David Gilbert, Laura Kathryn Gilbert, and (depending on the season) either Jonah Scott or Karen Han take tweet suggestions themed around a prompt word and turn them into songs. Very fun, and they’re pretty dang good at the music thing, too.

5) Wow If True. This is a pretty recent one! I don’t usually go for podcasts where it’s just, like, people discussing things and sometimes interviewing people, but I follow one of the hosts here on tumblr so I was willing to give it a shot, and I’m glad I did! The concept is that it’s all about memes, but in practice it’s really more about just… existing on the internet? It’s not a comedy podcast, like most of the other stuff I listen to is, but it’s super interesting!

The hosts have great chemistry, they’re fun to listen to, and the editing and audio quality is quite frankly way better than any podcast I’ve listened to that isn’t making a lot of money and/or done by Professional Recording People (whether that’s musicians or people who do many podcasts or whatever). It’s a great way to 1) hear about the New Memes that are going on outside your bubble (or figure out what the hell is going on inside your bubble) and 2) get some interesting info on how other people interact with the internet. Recently they talked about disability and accessibility both on and off the internet, which was really cool.

6) Second Star To The Left. Alright, bringing it back around to WtNV-style audio dramas, SSTTL is my newest podcast. It’s also the one I’ve been the best at keeping current with so far, but that’s mainly because I started listening when there was still only one episode. It’s funny how you find things—I followed someone for her fanfic, and then years later read some of her original work, and then like literally a couple of weeks later she revealed that she had co-written a podcast, so naturally I had to give it a listen.

It’s about a scout who goes to an alien world to make it habitable for human life. She’s canonically disabled (prosthetic leg) and her scout-minder, who is the only person in the universe with a direct voice line to her, is a nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns—and all this in the first episode! I hear they’re supposed to fall in love, too. So far the vibe has been… slice of life long-distance annoyances to lovers in space with occasional emergencies and science that is, while sometimes a bit improbable, not actually impossible/wrong given what we know right now. Also, I absolutely love the way they treat disability—Gwen has a prosthetic leg, and that didn’t stop her from becoming a scout; another character has an issue come up that causes a possibly permanent condition, and the way it’s handled is with incredible care and compassion.

Speaking honestly, SSTTL is probably my favorite podcast right now, and I encourage everybody to check it out so I’ll have people to talk to about it. I’m not sure how long it’s planning to run for, but I hope it’s a while, because I want to listen to it forever.

[cantarellangel]

angel's list of podcasts

Podcasts I'm up to date with:

The Magnus Archives: What got me started on podcasts again after wtnv in 2013. Really like it, the slow buildup to the overarching plot is v impressive. Frightening sometimes. (8.5/10)

Alice isn't Dead: Some genuinely touching moments. Dragged a bit in the middle, but I really liked it. Not all that attached to the characters but I'm making this list a year later. Lesbians!(7.5/10)

Archive 81: This is..... alright. I suppose. I mean I don't care about any of the characters and the plot is.... fine. I've got to listen to Season 3. Not scary. (6/10)

Caravan: I didn't like any character in this :( or the plot :( maybe i don't like non horror podcasts? representation is cool but i need to like the story as well :/(3/10)

Death by Dying: Solidly okay. The main character was funny...... but like thats it. The story was solidly okay. (4.5/10)

Gender Forking: This is a twilight podcast. (7.5/10)

Girl in Space: I liked this! Solid likeable characters and a plot that's actually halfway decent. Am I just rating these podcasts lower bc they're not horror? Has the magnus archives flowers for algernon-ed me? (6.8/10)

I am in eskew: REALLY LIKED THIS ONE. Lots of allegories and metaphors to draw parallels to that i recognised in some dark corner of my pitiful heart. It took me a while to get through this bc of the ambient rain sounds and the main character is a british man narrating so I kept falling asleep. Didn't scare me though, even though people say it's scarier than tma. (9/10)

Inkwyrm: I was told this was like devil wears prada in space and it is....... but like it's not that funny. And like instead of Andy growing more Miranda-like, in this Miranda becomes a better person which would appeal to some people i guess but not me. (4/10)

LifeAfter/The Message: I liked LifeAfter more than The Message tbh but it's good. Says interesting things about technology and capitalism but not in a boring black mirror sort of way. I liked it! (7/10)

Limetown: This is like LifeAfter but with more episodes and a more likable main character. Ep 2 warning was the scariest thing I've ever heard. I really like stories about brave women seeking out truth to an extent that everything else (including their own safety) becomes background noise. (8/10)

Mabel: This is so poetic and pretty and I love the characters and world and story and plot. Unfortunately it's so poetic I've missed whole chunks of it, and so i have to relisten. (8.5/10)

Old Gods of Appalachia: This is really fun, I like how the narrator refers to the audience as family. The plot is also really good. Horror. (8/10)

Olive Hill: This is a good one, like Limetown but the production quality is like rather indie. But it's the best modern adaptation of the changeling metaphor that I've seen. (7.5/10)

Philosphize This: Well it's a philosophy podcast. I've not finished it but it's good. (7/10)

Rabbits: Solid premise, annoying narration, bad execution and ending. (2/10)

Spines: I like this! Really good body horror!! Not frightening but like I love it. (7/10)

Stellar Firma: Well it's okay. Definitely more fun listening to it while interacting with the fandom than taking the pure source material. It's fun, it's alright. (7/10)

The Domestic Life of Anthony Todd: This is nice except I have barely any idea whats going on like world-wise and I don't like any of the characters. It's also not horror, god, do I really have a bias against non scary podcasts? (5.5/10)

Time:Bombs: This was funny. Also 3 episodes. (7/10)

Wolf359: LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny, mostly a drama and I love all the characters. Really want to write a character driven drama like this (9/10)

Wooden Overcoats: Got to be real this isn't funny and tbh it's kinda boring. I've only listened to the 1st season and I may drop it. (3/10)

The 6 disappearances of Ella McCray: I liked this one! It's short and cute I think (5/10)

Mirrors: I liked this a lot more than Ella McCray, the characters were fun and the plot is intriguing and heart-warming (6.5/10)

Zero Hours: Love this as well! Though I'm glad I listened to this before 2020 since it's about the end of the world. (8/10)

Podcasts to be listened to:

Sayer

The Black Tapes

The Deca Tapes

The White Vault

Unwell

Within the wires

Podcasts I've dropped:

The Penumbra Podcast: Tried a solid amount of eps but it was a slog and i didn't like any of the characters or the plot or anything

The Bright Sessions: Why's the narrator so... aloof like? ugh. It's also a bit over produced

The Adventure Zone-Graduation: How do you make a boarding school story unfun? :(

The Adventure Zone-Amnesty: No idea wtf is happening here

My Brother, my brother and me : Maybe I just don't like these dudes.

Rusty Quill Gaming: Sorry Alex :( Maybe I just don't like gaming podcasts without a plot :((

Lore: Just not my style :/ Maybe I don't like real stories

Welcome to Night Vale: I love wtnv but like without a solid overarching plot it loses steam & direction.

(Last updated: 19-09-2020 3:25 p.m.)

[intheseautumnhands]

I have no work so pre-NaNo ramblings under the jump as I try to sort out if I’m starting anything new for it, feel free to click through or ignore entirely. 

All fic, because I have no idea what Im doing with any original stuff right now. Most of it is TUA fic. Because I am currently Having An Obsession.

- Speaking of Having An Obsession, primary goal is definitely to get turpentine and patches (the pre-S1, “Diego and Vanya and pregnancy and dealing with trauma by being determined to be better parents than Reginald and finding something else to live for, technically a kidfic I guess even though it probably ends right before or right after the kid if born” fic) finished. Or close to it? Just... to work on it. 

(I’m stalled right now because I’ve written through what my brain termed The First Part, and I have an idea for The Third Or Fourth-ish Part, but need to figure out what The Second Part is going to be in a way that’s interesting to write about. Right now in my head it’s just “?????? Dealing? Somewhere in here we deal with the Question of Doctors, but not The Question of Medication, they need to be closer for that. also in here is where Diego effectively moves in even if they don’t really register that fact til later.” I may write the attached one-shot to The Third-ish Part in my head first, see where the emotional states land, and write towards that? That might work. Or maybe I’ll just put Braille on repeat and go to town.)

But I am not Proper NaNoing -- for one thing I don’t think the above is going to be 50k, especially not on top of the ~7k I have already? I could be wrong, but we’ll see. So other thoughts:

- I would like to get some more words on the Allison-is-born-in-Night-Vale story(/ies) done, because right now that exists as a decontextualized collection of paragraphs, some from the base fic, some from the series of spin-offs where she meets the various Hargreeves (mostly the one where Luther starts getting her show on the moon and falls in love with her from afar). And it’s just fun. I think I need a WTNV refresher, so I may make a point of listening to some of my favorites this week. It’s also good Halloween noise and I can work to it, so.

(Should not just listen to Desert Bluffs episodes. But may do some of those too. Because I love Kevin more than is probably healthy for me. One day I’ll go as Kevin for a con somewhere and have way too much fun.)

- I appear to have lost the bare: a pop opera/TUA crossover file somewhere in my docs? I need to dig it out again and go back to that as well, but I need a refresher on what bits I have scrambled down, because I think that’s also pretty piecemeal.

- ..... I don’t have that much oomph for my other existing WIPs right now, which is dissapointing. Some part of me DOES want to turn the series of Abigail/63!Will ficlets into somethign more than A Series of Kinky Moments, but I don’t know what to do with that, so it’s probably not happening yet.

I may make an effort to work on the eldritch-Sigyn-time-loop fic though. Because I love it and i feel like it’s going to end up just languishing. Or maybe that will be my wind-up to NaNo, since I don’t know what to write lately?

- Things I’d like to start but need to do research for:

-- That fic where Abigail survives but is mute, the metaphor becomes text and in her lack of voice becoming text she finds a way to reclaim her voice and her power, because I still have STRONG FEELINGS about Abigail Hobbs apparently. Like. A lot of them. Like, it’s almost a problem, but not surprising.

However, to write it properly I’d really want to research throat wounds and healing, and I am A Chicken about gory images, so I have to figure out how to research it without risking running into pictures.

-- I ALSO need to research throat wounds and healing for the fic where Diego crash-lands into the 60s a couple of months after Allison, they’re assumed to be married, and they just kind of roll with it. Also, racism in the 60s, and specifically how it affects marriages that are different races but nobody involved is white? Because literally every source I found on my first go-round was only about interracial marriage when one part was. 

(That, or I need to throw up my hands and choose to declare this fic not reality complaint, but I feel like this one I should definitely at least TRY to research first. But goddammit I just want to write fake-married-and-worried-about-everyone-else turning into actual-relationship(-and-still-worrying) [and also somewhere it developed a plot where Diego tries to get into boxing because he has no ability to keep jobs and ends up running into Luther and possibly evolves into threesomes and also collecting their other siblings several months before Five shows up? I don’t know how but it did].)

- Shorter contenders if I need to find something else to think on for a bit include: 

-- The fic where Ben slowly becomes possessed by the Horror.

-- The series of AUs where each member of the Academy ended up being the last one left behind.

-- Luther viewing Vanya as their father’s left-hand team leader to his personal right-hand team leader and coming to her to keep her in the loop and ask advice, which eventually morphs as they get older into a habit of going to Vanya to confess everything he feels he’s done wrong and her giving him a kind of penance

... Do I even have anything else that’s not TUA left? I feel like I should but I Have A Fixation right now, it’s a problem. I need to go back to the Magicians and see if that creeps in. Or maybe something else, but this will work for NaNo, I think. altogether it’s definitely more than 50k, though I’m not planning to write it all at once this coming month, just, it’ll be easier if there’s a plan for me to look at while I’m going ‘but what do I wriiiiiiiite’ than if there’s nothing.

Not even sure I’m really going for 50k, but just. Writing in a Substantial Amount would be nice. For once I think I can do it! It’s been 14 fucking years since I’ve won (or even gone over 10k I believe)! So let’s see how it goes!

[dragimal]

Longform Audio Creepypasta Recs

hey TMA fandom! as a new TMA listener but looooongtime creepypasta fan, I find it rly cool that ppl who aren’t into horror are getting into TMA! I’m hoping this will help bring fresh blood (hah) to the horror fandom, so if you’ve realized that you rather like audio horror but don’t know what else to look into, I’m here to recommend my favorite longform creepypasta narrations! 

this is far from an exhaustive list of long creepypastas, but I just want to introduce some of the stories I consider to be the best of the genre. and while I’m just reccing longform in this post, there are plenty of short one-shots I could rec if anyone wants to ask me abt a specific theme/Entity or even a specific ep of TMA (there are several MAG eps that brought me straight back to a specific creepypasta or two, lmao)

also, I’ll just be linking to MrCreepyPasta’s narrations b/c I’m heavily biased so I mostly listen to him, but there are plenty of other great narrators out there like CreepsMcPasta, CreepypastaJr, etc. (most of their names are variations on a theme asdfgh). and if u just want the text version of any of these, every video I link has a link in its own description back to the original text posting of the story

THAT outta the way, here are my recs! I’ll try to remember all the trigger warnings I can, but keep in mind I tend to be p hardy to most horror content, so there may be some things that slip past simply b/c they don’t register to me. also it’s been a minute since I’ve listened to some of these, so some have updated or I may have just forgotten some aspects. I’ll also update this if ppl find it useful and I find more good long pastas~

Penpal (2.5 hrs, complete)

op recounts some of their odd experiences as a child, all of which stem from an elementary school project involving a pen pal. as he recalls these experiences, a horrifying picture of his past begins to emerge...

easily my favorite pasta of all time-- and that’s saying something, considering there are some damn good recs here. it’s one of the first I read so long ago, and few have come close to what this one made me feel. op does an incredible job of capturing the nostalgia and childhood wanderlust of youth, and the last few lines of each chunk of the story hit like a goddamned truck-- esp "Friends”, I cry like a baby every time, it just.... hits something tender in me...

TW: stalking of children, subsequent kidnapping and child abuse at the end (and while it’s not necessarily *confirmed*, heavy implications of child sexual abuse, for that last bit). implied cat death. some graphic description of the victim of a hit-and-run

Search and Rescue Woods (~5 hrs, ongoing?)

op recalls several of the strange and disturbing experiences (their own and quoted from coworkers) of working search-and-rescue for an unnamed national forest in the US

y’know that feeling u get when u see photos lawn chairs just sitting at the bottom of the ocean? even if there’s a perfectly good explanation for why they’re there, it’s still haunting b/c it feels wrong to see them there, in that context? that’s basically this entire assortment of stories-- the obvious example being the stairs, of course, but even a lot of the human elements feel so out of place and wrong. if you’re a fan of Spiral-type horror w/ a hard edge of Stranger, this is the story for u

TW: generally clinical but graphic descriptions of mutilated bodies. use of the r-slur against an nd individual (it’s during a story that the main character is quoting from a different one-off character, so it thankfully only happens the one time..). child death, in certain stories. some wild animal death

Borrasca (2.5 hrs, complete)

Sam moves to a small mountain town with his family after his father’s job relocates them. he hears some spooky legends about the town, but doesn’t think much of them... that is, until his sister disappears. as Sam and his friends dig deeper into the town’s history to find any clues to his sister’s disappearance, they begin to realize there’s something deeply deeply wrong with their quaint little home

I’ve always loved horror that’s ‘mundane’ enough to be done by regular humans, but vague enough that it could actually be supernatural, under the right circumstances-- and this is one of those mysteries that keeps u guessing until the VERY end. my mind felt like that Pepe Silvia corkboard meme the first time I listened to this, I was losin’ it. this is also prolly one of my favorite examples of MCP’s talent as a narrator, b/c he adds in his own subtle foreshadowing with his voicework, and it blows my mind every time I listen to it again

also worth mentioning there’s a (3.5 hr) sequel! since the horror/mystery is basically done after the first one, the sequel is mostly suspense/thriller and character closure. if ur just here for the horror/mystery and the gut-punch of that first ending, then the sequel isn’t necessary. but if you want more closure for our dear sweet cast who deserve so much better, then by all means!

TW: the ending involves heavy sexual abuse (involving underage girls, no less), part of which is graphic. like I know I joke abt having to take breaks after reading emotionally exhausting stories, but I genuinely had to take a couple days of recovery after this one-- and that’s from someone who’s p hardy to all kinds of graphic content. do NOT take this warning lightly if this is a sensitive topic for you

Tales From the Gas Station (10 hrs for free, otherwise ongoing)

Jack works at a gas station at the edge of a middle-of-nowhere town. Strange things happen at the gas station-- bipedal deer stopping by for a drink, dark gods leaving vague messages, fingers growing from the ground out back, sudden lawn gnome appearances-- All just a part of the daily grind, right?

so if I wanna be totally fair, this is more a rec for Night Vale fans than anything (tho the TMA/WTNV overlap seems to be p significant). the comedic, nonchalant tone taken towards everything supernatural and horrific is p much 1:1 WTNV. I’ve genuinely cried laughing at some of the fuckshit that happens, esp anything involving Jerry. not to say that GST doesn’t have its heavy-horror moments, but the frequency is more comparable to Night Vale’s approach-- dark comedy definitely takes center stage, here. tho this also varies by the POV-- the “Finding Vanessa” arcs are told from the perspective of a more serious character, so the heavy parts are far more frequent and hit a lot harder

as for the time estimate, here’s where it gets a littleee bit complicated. the first version was put out for free, and read for free by MCP (among a few other narrators). this came out in several different parts, and the one video I linked above has compiled *most* of volume 1, but not the Halloween story, featured here. HOWEVER, the author has taken a second go at v1 and beyond, which is currently ongoing and available to buy as books or audiobooks ALSO narrated by MCP!

as for deciding which version to listen to, I’ll just try to describe the differences here. the first version was written entirely via Jack’s online forum posts, which were subject to more direct reader interaction and Jack’s scatterbrain. thus, the first version leaves a LOT more details up to reader interpretation/theorizing, straight up doesn’t have or explain certain plot arcs yet, and is very disorganized in terms of timeline all due to Jack’s canon memory issues. this all, personally, made it v fun and silly to follow, but I’m aware that’s not for everyone. the second version is written from a more standard first person narrative from Jack’s perspective. while Jack’s memory issues still make him an unreliable narrator (often *upsettingly* so in this version), the actual narrative is far more organized, complete, and easy to follow. the fun thing is that the first version can still be considered canon material to the second version, as Jack references making those very forum posts within the second version narrative. so, personally, I consider the second version to be the core cohesive story, while the first version is supplemental, fun material that provides more context for a few of the strange bits that happen in the story (like Jack’s ‘secret admirer’ makes more sense if u’ve listened to the first version). either way, the second version is the only way the story is going to continue (as far as I’m aware), so if you’re ONLY going to listen to one version of the story, listen to the second version

TW: for the first version, there are some uncomfortable jokes/implications at certain points-- associating villains/assholes with fatness and/or personality disorders is unfortunately a running theme, and a few off-color jokes are made abt some of Jack’s conditions (general mental health and his brief use of crutches). there’s also a point at which it’s implied that a specific one-off arc is a ploy to rape Jack, tho nothing actually comes of it beyond awkward scheming (but just in case, that story is specifically “Death at the Gas Station” at the very end of that long compilation, if u wanna skip it). for the second version, I believe the author was made aware of these issues and either straight-up removed or fixed most of them in some way. there’s just one point where an intentionally-questionable character uses the g*psy slur, and a few points where a regular commenter on Jack’s forum posts has w*ndigo in their username

in terms of gore for either one, uhhh maybe some descriptions of injuries? body horror? this one’s a lot harder to call for me, b/c the comedy softens the blow on a lot of the horror

Accounts From a Lonely Broadcast Station (5 hrs, ongoing)

Evelyn is the new voice of a small mountain town’s local radio station. her job is to take calls, play music (ALWAYS play the music), and broadcast emergency warnings whenever the fog rolls in from the surrounding forest. pretty standard stuff. she tries to make the most of it-- if only that damn crow with human eyes would stop watching her...

this one’s similar to Gas Station Tales with its heavy reliance on dark humor, but it takes itself a bit more seriously, with a more even split b/t genuine horror and comedy. also MCP brings in wonderful extra voice talent w/ this one, I RLY love Evelyn's va ;w;

TW: graphic descriptions of mutilation and body horror

My Friend Has Been Living in an Alternate Reality (4 hrs, complete)

op’s eccentric friend, Clint, turns up on op’s doorstep unannounced after several years missing. Clint vanishes again just as abruptly, leaving op with a journal detailing a horrifying, dangerous journey that’s almost too bizarre to believe, yet...

so this one’s more like an action/thriller with horror garnish, tbh-- very exciting and suspenseful! I love the weird, apocalyptic world Clint describes in his journals, and the societies that have cropped up around these hostile circumstances

TW: graphic descriptions of mutilation/injury

My Name is Lily Madwhip (~8 hrs, ongoing)

Lily Madwhip sees things before they happen. they’re usually horrible things like deaths and injuries that she wishes she could prevent but often can’t. at least her best friend-- an angel possessing one of Lily’s dolls-- is around to provide advice

this one’s from the perspective of a little girl, and it leans into dark humor enough to soften at least some of the more traumatic moments. Lily’s young enough that she’s somewhat removed from the full gravity of the deaths around her, but the fact that it’s happening so frequently at all seems to be warping her perspective towards death to be more... casual? is that the right word? it’s just a rly interesting perspective to see for horror. also we’ve got another rly great guest va here for Lily~

TW: brief descriptions of injury, but they’re not graphic. frequent animal death.

The Showers (2.75 hrs, complete)

op recounts a scary story he heard from a teacher back in high school about a vague location and a terrifying encounter. he later ventures to find this location to see the truth for himself, but is it worth it?

this one’s a classic-- I think it was of the first creepypasta I listened to? not this version, but I wouldn’t be able to tell u which narrator it was at the time. I won’t say that this one’s the most unique story out there, but something abt it has always stuck with me?.... idk, I think the premise rly hooks me

TW: oh god it’s been a while, but I don’t remember anything particularly triggering? maybe body horror?

[looseinthecatroom]

Some messy af data on queer characters in podcasts

So this might be of some interest to podcast fans? Might be completely worthless. It’s not exactly neat.

So, generally speaking, since Ye Sad Olde Days of queer rep in media, (Okay, actually only since the early to mid aughts, I’m still in my twenties, so sue me.) I’ve had a habit of keeping track of every queer character I come across, and occasionally messily throwing that data into some sort of semi-relevant categories to see how it pans out. (I.e. “How many non-binary characters that I’m aware of are shown in an on screen relationship?”)

Well, it’s far (FAR) from definitive (I mean this is, after all, just a list of the stuff I’ve PERSONALLY listened too), but I decided to chop off the podcast part specifically and see how some of it panned out. It might be worth a very small look at a not totally unreasonably sized sample of podcast queerness. Though again, this is merely from one persons perspective, and as a rule, I don’t add characters from works I’ve not personally engaged with.

Still might be a fun little list to look at.

I’ll be honest, it’s quite messy, so much so that I debated not posting it, but hey, its tumblr, let’s have some shits and giggles. No one’s making y’all look. I would absolutely looooove to chat about it if you’d like, as some of the categories and listings can get a little contentious, I know. I mean there are characters on there I’m being pretty generous with interpreting as queer (Daine Craton for example. She was included simply because in the first wtnv book she lies about dating a new person to her son, mainly a woman, and it’s no big thing for her or her son so hey, I went ahead and assumed she was simply bi/pan and people around her were aware of that fact.) and of course there are likely characters I missed, or who slipped my mind, or who WERE specifically mentioned to be this or that particular identity. (Mainly my list has ONE character on it that’s explicitly a lesbian? Really? I know it’s a bit hard to know what kind of wlw people are, particularly when you can’t just make a somewhat reasonable assumption from them dating or hitting on multiple genders, but really?) I’m particularly foggy on the exact identities in the Bright Sessions for instance, as it’s been a long while since I first heard it.

It should also be worth noting that I’m not caught up with wtnv or The Unexplored Places as of a little while ago, nor have I seen anything Bright Sessions that isn’t specifically the podcast (i.e. Novels or TV adaptation). I think there might be a second season to Palimpsest? I’ve only heard the first. Also? Spoilers. There may be some things that could be considered spoilers kicking around.

Google doc can be found -here-.

Like I said, I’d love to chat. I find I try to sub divide categories too hard, or feel like -every- other damn entry needs an “explanation” because they don’t really perfectly fit in category x or what have you. Let me know what you think, if you’ve got the time.

Cheers!

[mossrotts]

1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 20, 21? Bonus: 16 ✨🙂🤔👀

near comin in HOT with those questions, what’s up

1. what song makes you feel better?

i answered i wanna get better on the previous ask, but another one is Monster by the Automatic (they used to be the automatic automatic which i think is a cooler name, but i guess they dropped an automatic along the way). 

i used to be a part of a fake band that’d go around doing rock band (as in the video game) songs in competitions and stuff and i was the lead singer! we did Monster for a competition in town at this place that used to be a railroad station. it was a neat place and we won and i was told that i “embodied the spirit of automatic automatic”--which at the time i was only just starting to question gender and realizing i was trans and being compared to a band with a male lead singer was just, idk, very euphoric. anyway, another song that is very good to scream out in a car. 

2. what’s your feel-good movie?

Labyrinth, baby. love those muppets, love that goblin king. also Practical Magic, i feel like i could rewatch that one a lot. 

6. say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

oh! this is a kind ask. i’m just gonna do three (the parentheticals imply i should do six) just cause that seems easier to start with. 1. i’m pretty good at poetry! i’ve gotten poetry published! i’ve read my poetry in front of a bunch of people at salt lake pride!2. i may not be a ‘master’ in many areas, but i’m a jack of all trades and have a lot of skills. if i’ve never done something before, i can probably figure it out. 3. i am stronk! i think many people might assume i’m not with my chubby physique but i’m pretty good at doing things that are physically exerting. 

7. what color brings you peace?

though i enjoy other colors, i think that i answered that pretty well here and i can’t think of another color that does quite as much for me as grey does.

10. what’s something you’re excited for?

gayhaus is moving soon!! it’s still in utah and just in the next town over, but we through my roommate’s connections we found a pretty nice house for rent. no connected neighbors (finally i can start singing at the top of my lungs at all times) and the landlord’s okay with certain alterations so i get to paint my freaking room. also our pets will be legal and we’ll have a yard and space to garden. 

20. what do you want most in the world right now?

sleep lmao. i haven’t been able to get meds (should be seeing someone for mental health soon tho!) so i haven’t got my anti-insomnia meds and hoo boy it’s been just. a lil bit rough!!!!! i’m tired, man!

21. if you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

change is okay and not knowing is okay. it’s better to listen to what you need and want in the moment rather than telling yourself you have to do/not do something because it fits some label that you think defines who you are. 

16.🎆🎇 compliment the person who sent you this number.🎇🎆 

hell yeah!!!!!!! you’re such a fucking cool dude robin. i love how knowledgeable you are! i love your choice in aesthetics, you’re so creative and have really neat original characters, and you’re just very kind and thoughtful. i’m so glad i met you (and glad i met you in such a fun way, godbless wtnv). 

thanks near!

[max--phillips]

Genuine question: do u have any podcast recs? I’m mind numbingly bored there’s only so much narcos rewatching my brain can take. Thanks!

hell YEAH I HAVE PODCAST RECS!!!!!!!!!!! Ok here’s what I’m currently listening to, in alphabetical order bc I have my podcatcher open and that’s how it lists them so this is not in order of my personal recommendation sdfkgjh

Baby Geniuses! It’s a couple of gals who work in show business, talk about a bunch of random stuff, and read a weird wikipedia article every week. it’s funny, they’re pretty relatable despite working in Hollywood(tm), and sometimes they talk about genuinely interesting wiki pages! You can jump in at any point.

Beef and Dairy Network. If you like(d) WTNV, you’ll like this podcast. Start from the beginning, though, otherwise some things won’t make sense.

Dolly Parton’s America. This was a 9 episode series put on by WNYC studios about Dolly and how she......... just Is, as a person. it’s fascinating, and they touch on politics and how she’s sort of a Great Unifier.

Mission to Zyxx! This is an improv comedy sci-fi podcast. They just started their fourth season, and if you like star wars and star trek but also like to make fun of it, you’ll like this. It’s genuinely funny while also having plenty of stupid lowbrow jokes without it being...... just straight up stupid, if that makes sense. I recommend listening to all of it, but there are a lot of episodes.

MBMBAM. Listen. I love the mcelroys so much. Just jump in and listen to mbmbam, it’s a good show.

Sawbones! If you like medical stuff, medical history, or just. history. this is a great podcast. It’s gross, but also funny, and genuinely informative. Justin’s wife, Dr. Sydnee McElroy, is a family practice doctor (family practitioner? idk), and she Does Her Research. It’s great. Jump in whenever, though I highly recommend listening to everything.

SciShow Tangents! If you like watching scishow on youtube this can be especially funny because then you’ll know a little bit about two of the hosts, Hank and Stefan, but honestly you don’t need to watch the youtube channel to like the podcast. It’s a “lightly competitve knowledge showcase” where they all just bring random facts to the table and have fun with a certain topic every week. Jump in whenever!

Shmanners. Kinda like Sawbones, but with etiquette! A good dose of history with what you should do in certain situations. Jump in whenever!

Still Buffering. Three sisters this time! The youngest is in college, while the older two are in their 30s. They just changed up the format of their show, so now’s a good time to jump in. They pick a topic every week to talk about, now one of them brings a piece of media that shaped their teenage/young years and chat about it. It’s an interesting look into how being young has changed since the 90s.

The Adventure Zone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first foray into the mcelroy brand of podcast product. They have three full seasons at the moment: Balance, Amnesty, and the one that’s currently happening, Graduation. I highly recommend listening to all of it, but you can jump in at the beginning of any one of the arcs; you don’t need any knowledge of Balance to understand what’s going on in Amnesty.

And Wonderful! You want to listen to one of the most wholesome couples on earth talk about stuff that makes them happy? Yes? This is the podcast for you. Jump in any time!

I also have this one podcast lined up called Vast Horizon, which I’ve only listened to one episode of, but it seems really interesting. It’s an audio drama about a gal who wakes up on this ship bound to colonize a planet somewhere, and she’s not supposed to be awake, the crew is gone, and her only companion is the ship’s AI. from the first episode I can say I’m Hooked, but we’ll see how the other episodes make me feel sdkfjgh

[polaris-australis]

6 Horror Podcast Recommendations For Quarantine

I’m bored, you’re bored. If you’re interested in looking for new audio dramas to listen to (because I’m bad at the nonfiction ones, sorry), especially if you’re a fan of scaring the shit out of yourself like I somehow am, then I have a few I’ve been meaning to talk about. Note that I will either give warnings for each one or they can be found in the descriptions of the episodes themselves. These are all my opinions on them, though I will try to stick to basic summaries. I just think these are good content. 

I’m also willing to make a part 2 for this people are interested, because there are so many more and I haven’t even touched on most of the more popular ones (namely Magnus Archives which I’m not going to talk about because literally everyone is so it’s not hard to find a summary about it). 

2 Short Podcasts

1. The Hyacinth Disaster: This is the shortest show on this list, being only seven episodes long, each being about 20 minutes long, but it’s amazing and I love it. It centers around a group of asteroid miners trying to strike it rich on an asteroid in order to bargain for the life and safe return of their friend, who is being held hostage by a rival company who claims the ship was in their territory. However, it turns out the asteroid is kind of sentient, and over the course of the show, every single character dies. This isn’t really a spoiler, so I feel like I can say it. It’s masterfully done, being very character focused and emotional. I can’t think of any major warnings here besides death (which aren’t explicit or particularly gruesome), but there should be some in the episode descriptions as needed.

2. Limetown: We’re only counting season one of Limetown because season two is absolutely garbage and hardly anyone I have seen actually considers it canonical. This one is also one of the major ones on this list, as it was one of the early audio dramas that really showed what the medium could do and brought in new listeners the way WTNV did for many people (including me). It surrounds a journalist named Lia Haddock who is investigating the mystery behind Limetown, a fictional research town for the top scientists in the country where, within a single day it seems, every single resident vanished. When she begins her investigation, a survivors start to come out of their hiding places, revealing exactly what was going on and some of them dying in the process. It’s six episodes total with mini “announcements” in between that are part of the show, though are usually about 3-5 minutes. Episodes average out around 30 minutes, sometimes more or less. It’s interesting and in-depth and I did enjoy it - however there are major trigger warnings that I wish someone had given me. At the end of episode 2, there is a man who people refer to as “The Manic Man” who is very much unstable and frankly pretty ableist and gross, but I won’t get into that here. He basically bangs his head on Lia’s door screaming her name and that she needs to stop investigating Limetown. He appears again at the end of episode 3, having broken into her parents’ house and is ominously saying her name into the phone. He is not heard from for the rest of the season, nor in season two if you listen to that disaster. Episode 3 also involves animal death, and in “The 911 Call” there are gunshot noises. Again, it’s an enjoyable podcast, but please be careful is any of these things are triggering for you.

3 Medium-ish Podcasts

3. Academicasaurus : This one is a bit different from the others, but I’m considering it horror because a) someone is listening in to all the phone conversations, which is how we’re hearing them, b) it does end up surrounding the supernatural, and c) it just has a creepy vibe to it. This one surrounds two English literature professors and the head librarian, who help run Academicasaurus, the school arts journal that combines older aspects and elements of literature with modern pop culture. It begins when they begin getting wildly inaccurate articles dropped at their office doors, and then strange things begin happening around the school, including a fire in the library and a missing person case. In season 2, the supernatural aspect to the school starts to unveil. Episodes are about 12-20 minutes for season one, which is 7 episodes, then start hitting the 20-25 marks in season 2, which is 8 episodes. Season 3 is starting May 25, 2020, so I’m probably going to relisten before then. It’s fun content, and yes goes along with the grey academia aesthetic.

4. Janus Descending:  Listen. Listen. This was so close to being my jam. The twist just ended up screwing me over and I hate so much that it was ruined for me. It’s another space podcast where two xenoanthropologists head to an unknown planet where there were signs of an ancient civilization and things go terribly wrong. It’s told through alternating perspectives and audio logs, but the real kick is that Chel’s tapes go in normal chronological order and Peter’s go backwards. So you get the sheer whiplash of going from “everything is going to be amazing!” to “sobbing because one is dead and the other is about to die.” I personally just didn’t enjoy the main twist at the end but that was just me. Episodes are about 20-30 minutes, there are 13 total. The main warnings are for lots of paranoia, crying, and major character death/some violence. Not bad horror wise overall.

2 Longer Podcasts

5. What’s the Frequency?: This is a much weirder one that I have found is a hit or miss with most people. It’s set in 1950s LA and at first surrounds two private investigators searching for a missing typewriter, but then expands into a world descending into madness due to a strange radio show. It’s a bit gorey but there are trigger warnings, and the aesthetic is honestly terrifying. The audio effects are amazing, distorting and making it sound like an old radio. Episodes are around 20-30 minutes except for the finale I think which is longer. Only the first season is out for now but season two is supposed to be out soon, which is why this is going here instead of above. Regardless, this is a good time to listen.

6. The White Vault: This is a podcast I’ve referenced before on my main blog. It’s an isolation horror podcast about a team sent up to a research outpost in Svalbard to fix a transmission issue, but they become stranded by an unnaturally brutal snowstorm. They discover a vault (literally) in the bunker that leads into a cave system that isn’t as abandoned as they thought. This one is honestly terrifying, it’s just the anticipation and slow build up that then becomes actual horror as the monster hunts them down one by one. Three seasons are up right now, and the final season comes out in October, so this is a good time to catch up if you like. Episodes can be from thirty minutes to almost an hour, each being told through the “found footage” format with a separate narrator putting the pieces together. Each season has about 10 episodes. I adore it to bits.

Feel free to tell me if you try any of these shows and your thoughts on them! Again, I’m totally willing to make more posts like this touching on other horror podcasts or nonhorror ones, but I felt like making this one first. Hope you’re all having a good day, and, if not, that it gets better soon < 3

[grimogretricks]

Why you should listen to The Magnus Archives

I see a lot of people seem to be getting into The Magnus Archives podcast of late, which is great, I really hope this excellent podcast will continue to get all of the attention it deserves. It is fantastically atmospheric, superbly written and well acted horror, that has that same deeply resonant atmosphere that permeates the work of older horror writers like M.R James, Algeron Blackwood, and, of course, H.P Lovecraft (except this is not horrendously racist). It is genuinely frightening and sometimes very disturbing, without relying on the tired old horror tropes that demonise the mentally ill or rely on pure shock and gore, or sexual abuse as an element of horror.

 It also contains within it an overall narrative involving characters you can't really help but grow attached to, even as they constantly frustrate and alarm you.

 Jonathan Simms is an amazing writer and actor, and I highly recommend this podcast to people who are interested in well crafted horror or just enjoy good creepy storytelling in general.

 It should be noted that it covers practically anything creepy that a human being is likely to be afraid of, and thus, some episodes may be a bit much for people to stomach. I know there's some episodes of this that I am absolutely never going to listen to again because they were just too horrifying! But there are content warnings you can read if you want to be forewarned and overall, especially beyond the first season, I've found it fine to listen to even as a fairly sensitive person with several relevant phobias, who doesn't care for horror.

 However, noting the kind of typical tumblr fandom talk that seems to be potentially drawing people to this series, I feel a need to say that this series is not one that you should listen to if all you want is fun, positive romantic content between characters or indeed positive representations of the relationships between characters.

 It's about characters, but it is really not about romance at all, and the horror it has is absolutely not the fun, positive kind, like the kind that would happen in the excellent Welcome to Nightvale, nor does it have Nightvale's concentration on positive relationships and actually fun emotions. So yes, do NOT go into this looking for what WTNV delivers. It WILL make you sad. 

[bowansparrow]

WTNV, Second Citadel, The Magnus Archives, Kane and Feels, The Amelia Project, Rusty Quill Gaming

WTNV: What was your first podcast? 

     the adventure zone!! started when balance was still going on

Second Citadel: Do you prefer sci-fi, fantasy, or a modern setting?

     i think largely i prefer fantasy. i’ve only listened to a couple with a modern setting, but i’m all about that other world and magic stuff

The Magnus Archives: Do you like to go into a show blind, or do you research it first?

     blind lmao i don’t think i’ve actually researched any of the podcasts i’ve listened to, i’ve just absorbed i might be interested through tumblr osmosis and for a couple my spotify recommended

Kane and Feels: What’s your favourite character dynamic?

     honestly probably the stronk archetype…. i mean when i first listened to the adventure zone i was All about taako but in the relisten i gravitated to magnus a lot, which was also probably me starting to lean more towards travis, but i’m also in love with beau in critical role

The Amelia Project: What podcast universe would you want to live in? 

     i mean the adventure zone is pretty much the standard dnd world so i feel like that’s cheating, but one podcast i listened to, the two princes, had a really cool setting going on so probably that one!

Rusty Quill Gaming: Scripted or improv?

     i think it largely depends on what i’m listening to. overall, i think i’ve gravitated a little more to improv because i listen to a lot of dnd podcasts, but there’s a couple (lore and the two princes and i just started the magnus archives and have one called mythology in my queue to listen to) that are scripted. i find improv is a bit more fun to listen to because it’s so free and i find myself laughing more because it sounds more like real people and interactions because it is

thanks for asking!!

Podcast Ask Game!

[paperdoghats]

On Carlos

Carlos’ purpose in the story has changed since WTNV’s beginning and it’s made me feel uneasy (and not in a good way.) This post includes spoilers up to episode 55 and from episode 135. Non-spoilery details from episodes/books between those are included.

When Carlos was introduced, it was clear he was meant to be our eyes, the outsider to Night Vale who finds it all very strange and wanted to investigate “just what is going on around here!” We were made to feel comfortable knowing that Carlos was just like us and so we immediately liked him, because we related.

This is pretty normal in storytelling. Any storyteller can tell you the importance of including a character the readers can use as their own perspective, especially in non-modern settings.

Pretty quickly, though -- and I’m not sure if it was intentional or not -- Carlos revealed that he is not like us. He says he’s never had to read a book before. His methods for science involve “using microscopes and vials of bubbling liquid and making thoughtful expressions and saying things like “Hmm.”” He also has the curious quote, "I am a scientist. I study science, not plants or nature." Carlos... doesn’t sound so legitimate anymore.

In Episode 55, one of the biggest reveals about Carlos is that he was going to teach science at a school called the University of What It Is. That’s definitely not a Regular America (read: non-Night Vale-area) school. Carlos might not be from the town of Night Vale, but we were misled to believe that he’s from somewhere less strange. Why pretend Night Vale is weird?

Now, onto aallll of the spoilers from episode 135.

Carlos has a double whose name is Charles. He lives in Desert Bluffs 2. He is very plainly stated to be 41 years old. Well, now we know Carlos’ age, and somebody should update the Wiki. Charles wants to be a teacher. Carlos was going to be a teacher. Charles is a theologist. (Theology is the study of religion.)  Charles has the same voice actor that Carlos had before Cranor felt too uncomfortable voicing a non-white person. Cranor uses the same voice, which is a fun nod to Cranor’s Carlos eps, and really drives home that Charles is Carlos’ double. (Also that Carlos’ double is white?)

What does it mean that Carlos has a double? Aren’t doubles a Night Vale-only thing? Why doesn’t Charles seem weirded out by the sci-fi goings-on of the Night Vale area? It sounds like everyone in the world has doubles, and the reason why doubles are only a problem in the Night Vale area is because the divide between alternate universes is weak in their spot of the world. As for Charles finding it all very normal, there’s one quote from Kevin that potentially answers that question by raising a few others: “You did not turn from my face. You did not wince. You looked straight into me and knew I was the same as you.“

What does Kevin mean by Charles being “the same as” him? I, honestly, have zero guesses.

Was Carlos’ being the listener’s perspective dropped because Fink and Cranor just can’t resist being silly, or because Carlos isn’t what he appears to be?

So, after turning all of this over in my head for a few months, I have a couple of ideas about Carlos:

1. The most likely. Carlos has been slowly forgetting everything about his pre-Night Vale life, including his studies, as sometimes happens with people not native to Night Vale. This gives no explanation about why he would be teaching at a Night Vale-esque school.

I read both WTNV novels this week (6/13/19). Carlos, at one point, thought back on his family. Nothing more was said, but he did remember them.

2. Carlos has a kid. I know, this one seems out of the blue, but I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing Charles and what he could mean about Carlos, since we still know so little about Carlos. Charles is a direct parallel of Carlos and information about him seems to be intended to be information about Carlos. So, why would the writers introduce a Carlos double and then just give him a child, if not to imply something about Carlos? Everything they write into WTNV is deliberate. Not only does Charles have a son, but Charles’ son lives with his dad only, and he never mentions the other parent. Drawing a direct parallel, Carlos could have a child that lives with their mother only and he never brings it up.

When considering all of the segues into making Cecil and Carlos parents (Cecil has recently been openly and loudly presented as someone who loves taking care of kids!), this one seems to fall most easily into the story.

3. A bit of a joke that can always be considered a possibility: Carlos is/was an undercover agent for the Vague, Yet Menacing Government Agency. His cover story is that he’s a scientist, but it’s clear that he doesn’t actually know what he’s doing. He accidentally fell in love, but must keep his secrets, and that’s why we know so little about him, and is why Cecil also mentions not knowing many things about his own partner. Carlos could reason that this situation is OK because it doesn’t mean he loves Cecil any less. It isn’t like Carlos isn’t keeping any huge secrets from Cecil in canon.

(Spoilers: He is.)

Either way, I’ve stated before why I don’t trust Charles, and Carlos’ story worries me, too. It seems particularly unlike WTNV’s writers to give us a character with no backstory; there’s probably a reason for it.