#Julian Simpson

[nerds-yearbook]

In 1699, the time traveling alien known as the Doctor (Doctor 11) and his companions Amy and Rory appeared aboard a pirate ship that was trapped on a flat sea. The pirates claimed they were being haunted by a Siren. If anyone was cut or ill, a black spot appeared on their hand and the Siren came for them. But everything was not as it appeared. ("The Curse of the Black Spot", Doctor Who vlm 3, TV)

[silvandar]

Attempting to create some kind of chronological release playlisting for the Pleasant Green Universe. Using the release chronology from Wikipedia.

Starting from the beginning, episodes are now mainly available on soundcloud.

Then we move to The Lovecraft Investigations on spotify (also still available on other players if preferred).

Then the two Aldritch Kemp series. Again I'm using Spotify and made my own playlist, but this is still on BBC Sounds etc.

That's it so far! Will add any new series that come out :)

[areadersuncertaintyprinciple]

Lovecraftian Influence in ORV

On a sleepy bus ride, a few months ago, I was peacefully listening to the s2 this BBC podcast called The Lovecraft Investigations(the name of s2 is "The Whisperer in Darkness").

It is a mystery thriller/horror fiction podcast created, written and directed by Julian Simpson, based on the modernization of several works of H. P. Lovecraft & presented as a podcast-within-a-podcast in which the two hosts of the Mystery Machine, a true crime podcast investigating cases related to the occult and conspiracy theories.

I was listening to ep6 at that time & some minutes in, the podcast describes a "series of things" that strongly remind me of ORV, all traces of sleepiness gone. (following text snippets have been taken from the Pleasant Green wiki, with some additions by me):

Eleanor explains that Nyarlathotep is supposedly the avatar of Azathoth, an entity that is dreaming the universe into existence. But Azathoth is unaware of this? Nyarlathotep goal is to trick humanity into opening a portal to Azathoth's Dreamlands and let Azathoth enter our reality, an act that would send the human race into collective insanity...

The episode definitely goes into more detail but I'm too lazy to do a transcription now. However, I think this short summary from the ep does race a few flags- entity who dreams the universe into existence? avatar of the entity? HEY THIS IS SIMILAR TO MAD & SECRETIVE PLOTTER.

I tried to find if anyone else on the internet(a common fan of Lovecraft & ORV) had noticed this & I found one, very detailed post on Reddit. This confirmed my suspicion & also fueled my curiosity more- I had to see for myself how deep the links went.

so.i.researched...hehe

(contd. in part 2)

[the-only-failure-is-never-to-try]

Thinking about starting a The Lovecraft Investigations Incorrect Quotes series while we wait for the new season

[maddyjones2]

This is a profound truth that is not just about this book, but about Real Life.

It's not like Piranesi is the only place to say it. Haunter of the Dark has Marcus Byron telling Matthew Haewood that even a summer holiday will change one. Heawood isn't delighted to hear this but that doesn't stop it being true

no but you see. as i was nearing the end of piranesi i expected the narrator to either stay in the House as piranesi or to return to the 'real world' and go back to being matthew rose sorensen. those were the only two viable options to me. so when he invented another self in the end, someone new, when the book said, it is possible to live after trauma, but you cannot return to who you were ever again... i may never recover

[maddyjones2]

Clara Page “ You’re not my mother’”

Mrs Bartholomew “There’s the missing item in my gratitude journal.”

[farminglesbian]

"You poor things, corrupted from the root. Is there anything I can do?"

"You can replant an uninfected cutting in fresh soil."

-- Temporal (audible, 2024)

[marylairre]

Pleasant Green Universe - All audios

A small list of all the audios in the Pleasant Green Universe as created by Julian Simpson.

The order of this post doubles as the recommended listening order if you want to follow the story chronologically (for as far as that is possible).

All of the links in this list link to their most official sources, and are all free to listen to. Some platforms like that of the BBC Sounds offer a download option so you can listen to them offline. Soundcloud links all lead to Julian Simpson's official Soundcloud.

Please let me know if a link is broken or if an item is no longer available and I will try my best to get it fixed.

Episode 1: Fragments Episode 2: The Listener Episode 3: Bad Memories Episode 4: Kokomo Episode 5: Fugue State

Episode 1: Mythos Episode 2: Glamis Episode 3: Albion

The Lovecraft Investigations: Season One: The case of Charles Dexter Ward

Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10

The Lovecraft Investigations: Season Two: The Whisperer in Darkness

CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE, BROADCASTING RIGHTS EXPIRED.

Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Feed Disrupted * Urgent update from Kennedy Fisher *When downloaded from the BBC Sounds webpage using its download feature, the episode will show up as an mp3 file called 'Episode 8'. This is not incorrect. It is a different episode and is titled as such to make sense in-universe.

The Lovecraft Investigations: Season Three: The Shadow over Innsmouth

Episode 1: Footsteps Episode 2: Haumea Episode 3: Apartment 6 Episode 4: Melusine Episode 5: Harlequin Episode 6: Saint Germain Episode 7: Rubaiyat Episode 8: Pleasant Green Bonus Episode 1: The Somerton Man Bonus Episode 2: Who is Mary Lairre? Bonus Episode 3: Heawood and Kennedy

Who is Aldrich Kemp?

Chapter 1: Clara Page Chapter 2: Themis House Chapter 3: The Black Windmill Chapter 4: The Spirit of The Age Chapter 5: Kholat Syakhl

Who killed Aldrich Kemp?

Chapter 1: Funeral in London Chapter 2: The Man Who Sold The World Chapter 3: Liberty Flights Chapter 4: The Murder Clowns Chapter 5: Bogata

The Lovecraft Investigations: Season Four: The Haunter of the Dark

Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10

Aldrich Kemp and the Rose of Pamir

Chapter 1: Mothers Chapter 2: The Music Box Chapter 3: American Cryptography Chapter 4: The Missing Child Chapter 5: At The Roof of The World

BAD MEMORIES: FILM

On December 31st 2023 Julian Simpson revealed on the CartoonGravity website that the title of the Pleasant Green film that they're currently developing is going to be titled 'Bad Memories', after the standalone story of the same name.

This post was last updated on: November 22nd 2024

[savycon63]

Many thanks to @meluisart for giving us yet another visual of a Nicola character🥰

DR. FALLON

"I saw the angel in the marble, and carved until I set it free. I changed him to it, I'm not sure about the gender identity of angels."

Fugue State was my introduction to the Pleasant Green Universe by Julian Simpson, so it was about time I drew Dr. Fallon. Had a relisten of it today, since they're all available for free on Simpson's Soundcloud. This was the state of the canvas by the time I was done. The only thing I actually had to look up was what Haumea looks like.

[feelingthemode]

template by me !!

tell me your favorite characters that would agree!

[nerds-yearbook]

In America, the Doctor (Doctor 11) and his companions Amy, Rory, and River, along with FBI special agent Canton Delaware gathered evidence that the world was secretly being controlled by a race known as the Silence (that look like the classical “gray aliens” and could not be remembered once you look away from them). The Doctor used the Apollo 11 Moon landing to change the humans from slaves to up risers. ("The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon" Dr Who vlm 3, TV)

[roseofithaca]

Alison: Julian, did you write down any messages for me while I was gone?

Julian: Of course I did!

Julian: "Mrs. Cooper, you have thirty minutes to move your car from its illegal parking spot."

Julian: "You have ten minutes."

Julian: "Your car has been impounded."

Julian: "Your car has been crushed into a cube."

Julian: "You have thirty minutes to move your cube."

Kitty: Alison, there's someone here to see you!

Alison: Is it about my cube?

[livinluxuriouslyselena]

—Below: An audible original

—Curious Under The Stars : From BBC radio 4/the BBC SOUNDS APP

— BOOM (by Stak)

Audiodrama Recommendations

Since I see so many requests for recommendations (mainly on the Audiodrama Subreddit) and make plenty of my own requests 😚

I decided a few months back that it seemed the least I could do was to pay the kindness forward (for all the times y’all have supplied me with suggestions).

Before browsing my list- I think it’s important to have a general idea of what kind of person the AD-lover is before getting your hopes up by their recommendations- because, taste is subjective, no? 😉☺️🌟

So, to me, audio drama is defined by having a full-cast of talented voice actors who’s job is to bring a well-written script to life. It is my opinion that *narration* has *no place* in audio drama **unless** it’s *absolutely essential* to the development of the plot as the script requires.

I’m a lover of all things **surreal** ( favorite Artist? Salvador Dalí, favorite author? Rob Shearman 🫠)- I have LOTS of weird sci-fi/horror/thriller/mystery AD’s under my belt.. (I have literally cleaned out the entire *Big Finish Audio* catalogue. 😳)

I grew up on horror everything - I was 5 when I saw *Poltergeist* 👀 so… and was reading my parents Stephen King books in elementary school 😅🙈🤷🏻‍♀️ - by the time I hit highschool I had watched every horror film in Blockbuster (wow I am old 🤦🏻‍♀️) - from the classics like *Psycho* & The Exorcist to the cheesy 80s b-roll slasher films 🙈���🤣.

That said - I am an equal opportunity listener and I love many shades of comedy dramas. Though I do prefer my comedy to have a bit of *bite* to it.. 😅 and I’m not here for narration. Full cast audiodrama with sound production is my thing. 😅😉😘

as an adult I am partial to UK/Australian/Canada based entertainment. Even though I have lived in NYC my whole life 🤷🏻‍♀️

And here’s the list (I am sure I have forgotten about the audios from before I began this list - so feel free to add to it in the comments)

NOTE- most links take you to Spotify, some exceptions include the BBC SOUNDS app & audible

______________________________

Horror/sci-fi thriller/supernatural thrillers (simplified into “more-serious audiodrama”)

—Restart : by the creators of **The Cypher**

— Children of the Stones : (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi/thriller-mystery full cast audio drama.

—The Piper - (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi detective mystery/horror story (full cast audio drama)

— Jackie the Ripper : the infamous 19th century Whitechapel murders retold with some very sociologically-relevant, feminist twists. I debated whether to place this in the comedy or sci-fi/horror section because, technically, it’s a brilliantly British & even mix of both. Description from their website: “in this modern twist, men are the victims of dark, sexually aggressive murders. The kind that leave them penis-less... Behind all the bloodshed is a woman, Jackie, a ruthless serial killer ready to strike again, and again, and again….without a single ounce of remorse and ready to share it all on social media.”

— BODY HORROR (BBC) : psychological mystery thriller (contrary to the title of the piece, it’s not even remotely in the body horror subgenre lol - no gore or any talk of blood 🩸 because it’s not necessary - this one cuts deep, in particular for any1 who’s suffered from issues of identity or body-image disorders).

—In Another Room : paranormal investigation turned straight-horror

—Fulmar’s Folly uk-based post-apocalyptic water world

— Red Valley : surrealist-sci-fi-thriller-horror full cast UK audio drama. BRILLIANT plot & a few thought-provoking mysteries. S1 & 2 end w/ incredible twists & had me in tears one moment; and laughing the next. S3 is in the making & will be it’s final season; completing the story.

— Lusus - (BBC)- *like* an anthology (which I am not really into anthologies unless they are super original 😅) but if you *pay attention*, each very different story is linked. Each episode is unique in its own subgenre of the horror/mystery category.

—5 Week Countdown

— Murmurs (BBC) high-concept, surrealistic sci-fi-horror

—Limelight - another BBC AD: composed of mini-serials. My personal favorites are English Rose (5 part mini-series) ,The System series 1 (6 parts) & 2 (5 parts), Dead Hand (5 part mini-series, each episode a half an hour run-time), & Steelheads (5 parts)

—**Weird Tales** : (BBC) Some of these were just phenomenal. They ease you in with *The Fly* (not associated with the movie) and then they dial up the psychological fear-factor times 10 for *The Loop* - which was my favorite of the entire series. But they are all great (though the framing device is lazy & unnecessary)

— Malevolent : an indie lovecraftian tale

— Dashing Onions Audio : I read a review while Google searching best audiodrama - the mini series When We Were Two (3 part mini-series) was a perfect recommendation- this is how *every* Twilight Zone episode should have been. Upstairs, Upstairs was good just too short. Customs is a master class in script editing. Overall I prefer their mini series.

— Video Palace : traditional horror story

— The Man in Black bought on audible the version with Mark Gatiss; listened to the OG version on the BBC SOUNDS app. ((Anthology-horror)) Each episode is the length of many modern podcasted-audiodrama’s full seasons.

— Dangerous Visions (BBC) Horror/thriller

— Forest 404 (bbc) sci-fi/fantasy-thriller; hard to actually put this one into a genre category..but it’s written by Timothy X Attack, & if you’re a fan of his work with **Big Finish Audio**, it’s worth ur time.

— The Message sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— LifeAfter sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— Archive 81 : ((i suggest u start with S3. If you like it, wither go back to S1 & continue in order, or stick with the “backwards” route; going from S3->S2->S1 😉))

— The Imperfection : award winning. Any more description will ruin it. Go in cold.

— Who Killed Alaska? : sci-fi/mystery/thriller w/elements of surrealism,dark comedy, & possibilities of the paranormal..?

— How I Died : ongoing sci-fi/mystery/horror-thriller

— The Cypher : truly a great mystery (or mysteries..?), definitely a futuristic, world. Sci-fi thriller. Also by the BBC but available on most podcasting apps like the other BBC AD’s I have recommended here (spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pocket Casts, a few are even available on audible)

— Petrified: Ireland based award winning full cast horror audio drama

— Subsister: A Real Podcast ongoing sci-fi mystery with multi-media/arg elements.

— The Deep Vault : made by the Archive 81 team. Fast paced true horror.

— The Oyster : this one I was apprehensive about & it was just… great. Cerebral, thought provoking, *moving*, psychologically-terrifying sci-fi. You will laugh & likely cry & feel your stomach fill with butterflies & it leaves a definite impression that lasts for days…

— Tracks (BBC) There are 5 different seasons - each could be listened to in isolation as they all have their own individual mysteries that are solved. All weird sci-fi, psychological thriller fiction

—Steal the Stars (renamed STORIES FROM THE STARS) : a shortened version (and obviously far more streamlined in storyline, production etc) of Archive 81 but here the writing shines, the pacing is absolute perfection - and then it’s like a roller coaster that I didn’t see coming - that ending I was so, so unprepared for 🤯🫢🤐

— Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night (can be found under the feed “Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail” - which is the 2nd season of the series) : I am not into the DC/Marvel universe. The last super-hero movie I saw was the 1990’s Batman movies 😳. I knew literally *nothing* about Wolverine, the character, when I finally caved into trying this…and boy, am I glad I did. This AD serves as yet another reminder of how holding onto preconceived notions only limits one’s potential for enjoyment. Anyway… this is absolutely not for children, & not an origin story (which is what I had been expecting). I was shocked to hear that the titular character (the term “Wolverine” is never used. It took a bit of googling for me to see that the missing “Logan” = Wolverine) is played by none other than Richard Armitage (who I know most recently from his spine-tingling portrayal of Rassilon in the Gallifrey Time War boxsets) and oddly enough, said-titular-character has very, very few lines/appearances in this story. I could go on, & on, & on trying to sell the idea of what this thing is & why it deserves your time - but it’s easy enough to just Google..

— St. Mary’s School for Children with the Stigmata

— The Grove : short serialized mythological horror story (obviously full cast)

—The Deca Tapes : almost like an experimental ARG-type formula? Basically you are dropped into a futuristic sociological experiment of sorts- and it’s up to the listener to figure out wtf is going on. This one has narration but it’s integral to the storytelling.

— BOOM (by Stak) : From their website: “It's 1999 and Enron finance manager Jim Yang has received an email from the future.”

—Parkdale Haunt* ((*I found the first season to be almost intolerable due to the very slow opening and pacing issues - but when it gets going it is good. I get the impression that they were finding their feet so-to-speak)) a supernatural horror story- seasons 2 & 3 are great - season 1 is a treck so if you don’t have the patience or tolerance, I advise skipping this one

—The Bright Sessions* (slow the 1st season. But worth it come the AM Archives)

—SCP: Find Us Alive : a darkly comedic horror serial set in the SCP universe but doing something CREATIVE within it

—The Sink: A Sleep Aid (BBC) immersive experience in psychological horror

—Case 63 : a short, professionally recorded, concisely-written psychological thriller

—Blood Culture : horror/sci-fi serial

—Quiet Part Loud : by Jordan Peele. This is a must listen.

—Tomorrow’s Monsters : serialized horror/sci-fi thriller

—Eliza : A Robot’s Story : professionally recorded.

—Borrasca* : paranormal investigation turned horror series by Q-code so that in itself is an advertisement warning complete.

—Passenger List: slow burn mystery. Caitlin Le, an Asian college student from Kansas is attending university in NYC when news breaks of a plane going missing (ala the Malaysian airline’s mystery). As the “disaster” unfurls, she is surprised to discover her twin brother was on the flight from London to New York. Months later the airline announces a “bird strike” was responsible for the flight crash; despite the fact that no evidence of a crash has been found. Caitlin Le can’t move on until she knows what happened to her twin. Soon she uncovers multiple rabbit holes 🕳️ and she gets lost . Did she really ever truly know her twin brother?

— Batman Unburied : I’m not into the whole Marvel comics thing but this audio drama does something different with classic tropes

—Batman : The Audio Adventures : again, very well done. I was into the Gotham TV show for awhile - but that’s the only marvel/DC-spawned-entertainment that’s ever caught my attention. This is another one that works for both fans of the Batman and newbs alike

—The Secret of St. Kilda : this is more of a drama with some supernatural/mythical elements

—Give Me Away : I was torn whether to put this one in the comedy or serious section because it’s more of a “dramedy ”. And it’s scary because of what it says about society but not traditional horror. It’s also by the team who did *Steal the Stars*

—Paragon : an hour-length sci-fi/horror audio drama and is part of the PRIMORDIAL DEEP feed

—Wake of Corrosion : post-apocalyptic horror (ongoing)

—Quietly Yours : straight-up horror, bottle episodes (anthology of cinematic horror drama for the ears)

——————————————

Non-horror full cast audio drama (space operas, comedic serials, etc)

—Juno Steel : part of the Penumbra Podcast

—EOS 10 : comedic space opera

— Brimstone Valley Mall : dark comedy nostalgia fest

—We Fix Space Junk : comedic space opera

—Marscorp : comedic space opera

—Classified : Dark Comedy, triggers : mental illness/asylums

—Wooden Overcoats : dark comedy “sitcom”

—Mockery Manor : nostalgia-fueled dark comedy/mock/horror

—Eternal Strife : comedic serial

—Victoriocity : a less serious, less professional version of Jago & Litefoot

—Alba Salix : comedic serial fantasy

—Bubble : this one is a weird one because it is full cast and yet it has a designated narrator… so… 😏 give it a shot & if it doesn’t work for you probably give it a pass 😙

—The Candyman : Horror-comedy/parody - very indie but quite short and worth it 👏😂

—Human B-Gone : ongoing but so far so funny

—Two Flat-Earthers Kidnap a Free Mason: This one is definitely meant to be a farcical, satirical look at the internet conspiracy world (ie: the people who followed Alex Jones’ almost religiously lol) - it’s only 14 episodes in so far, and clearly ongoing… it’s not great but it works if you’re bored..? There are certain parts that would be really funny if the pacing had been better.

———————————————

Free Full Cast Audible Audio Dramas Worth Your Time (modern radio/audio drama & *FREE*)

—Space: 1969 (comedy/alternate reality) pieces of the description from the site: “What if President John F. Kennedy had survived and rocketed the Space Race of the 1960s into overdrive? And what if he was, maybe, not quite… himself? Space: 1969 is a retro sci-fi comedy adventure that has to be heard to be believed!”

—Heads Will Roll dark fantasy comedy

—Radioman (psych thriller/horror) from the site: “When a series of gruesome murders leaves a community in despair, a former local DJ decides to start a podcast and do something about it. But as his following grows, long-buried secrets from the past resurface revealing not everyone is who they truly seem....”

—The Method (serial killing actor- intense)from the site: “James Patterson leads you into the darkest recesses of the mind with this chilling, immersive audio thriller. We meet Brent Quill, a frustrated actor trying to take his game to the next level. When he learns about the intensive Method acting process, he dives in deep—and immediately lands the lead role in a TV series about a brutal serial killer.”

—The Catchers (straight horror/paranormal possibly cryptid) from the site: “Catchers is a small-town horror tale with all the charm of a classic ‘80s creature-feature, updated for the modern era.”

—Self Center (dark comedic horror; social relevancy)

—Hit Job (dark comedy)

—The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ Rivals (what it says on the tin - but very funny as well as delivering good mysteries)

—Tribulation : religion trigger warning. Interesting idea - religious cult on an AM broadcast is using electricity to “steal” people and force them into “tribulation”…

—High Strangeness : Doctor Who meets X-Files & Stranger Things - very good; very funny

—Apocalypse Untreated : “five mentally ill teenagers in an inpatient wilderness program during the apocalypse face not only the end of the world, but also the end of their prescriptions. Now, they have to figure out what’s real and what’s just a side effect, and keep their wits about them as they fight for their lives and their minds. Apocalypse Untreated is a multi-part, post-apocalyptic thriller brought to life with world class sound design, and performance.”

—Sorry Charlie Miller : another one w/Zachary Quinto (the protagonist/antagonist of The Method) but this is a modern comedy - from the website “Sorry Charlie Miller is a Tik Tok era mystery with twists, turns, and a whole lot of questionable fashion choices. It takes place in Florida, hello.” - so yeah, for me it depends on the time of the day and time of the month. It’s good for the right time basically 😂

—Sheltered : British humor - very bingeable just wish there was more 😔 Description from the site: “It’s been centuries since Armageddon and no one has ever left the bunker that has sustained what remains of civilised human life....When innocent simpleton Gary and social climber Veronica are sent to explore the world outside, they soon regret ever leaving the safety, soft furnishings and quilted toilet paper of Fallout Shelter 7421.”

—Sour Hall : magical horror staring Pearl Mackie (aka: Bill from the Capaldi years of Doctor Who, also the protagonist of AD Forest 404)

————————————————

[pers-books]

Huzzah! Trailer's dropped for the next Aldrich Kemp audio (out next week!).

[talshiargirlfriend]

Julian: Hey Dax, you wanna touch Garak? He’s not slimy at all, he’s scaly.

Jadzia: Eww, he is slimy!

Julian: That’s ‘cause I soaked him in slime!

Garakgrin.jpg

[gameofthunder66]

Stephen King's Rose Red (2002) miniseries

-(finished) watchin' Season 1 (miniseries)- 12/8/2023- 2 [1/2] stars- on Hulu