#tma is a mystery slow burn podcast

[cakemadeofbacon]

Wait people think gerry isn’t goth because the characters didn’t mention his shitty dye job ?are you all stupid

[caw4brandon]

TMA: Horror By Sound

A long while ago, I discussed about the interesting values of Audio content. Heck, I even talked about it in a [Video Here] Audio content, despite being considered as old media is emerging from the corners of the internet in the modern era.

With how things are moving at such a fast pace. A quick and secondary type of medium is bound to rise in popularity. Let's discuss;

- Statement Begins -

< The Magnus Archives > is an audio podcast/drama following an archivist at the Magnus Institute, London. The recordings follow Jonathan Sims who recently took over the position of Head Archivist after his predecessor, Gertrude Robinson mysteriously passed away.

What started out as a typical job of filing documents and old cases spiraled into an unusual turn where Jon and his Archival Assistants; Martin, Tim and Sasha are haunted by a grotesque monster as written in the statements.

As of now, the show has a total of 5 seasons and as the seasons progress. The monsters become more aggressive and frightening against the character's lives and their psyche.

- What's Your Greatest Fear? -

The series has the characters deal with entities that feed on the fears of the victims. From the typical fear of the dark to specific fears such as, spiders, filth, heights, closed spaces, and eventually, death itself. Each fear manifested itself onto the victims in various ways that feels personal.

At the end of the statements, Jon or the others will provide their thoughts on the case and report their findings in reality. Often dead end trials where either the victims have long died or went missing.

The series as a whole, has an ecosystem of connections to the manifestations. From the cursed books of Jurgen Leitner to a cast of active creatures hunting for prey to feed upon and tear into madness.

Aside from the main cast, there are also reoccurring characters that joined the show as well. There's former Paranormal Investigator; Melanie, former officers; Daisy and Basira and a few others.

The show takes a slow burn approach, learning the truth as Jon improves. Having the unknown beings creep deeper into his life inch by inch till he is no longer himself.

We get to see him get exhausted, frustrated at his lack and the comical failure of his preparation against the monsters knocking at his door with the conspiracy that he is but a pawn at the bigger game of these Abominations.

The show also shows a number of audio manipulation, adding to the creep factor. Such is when the creature; The Stranger appears by distorting sound and echoes when they speak.

- Statement Ends -

In a disturbing way. The show seems to suggest that we, the listeners are the very monsters that is affecting the characters. Our constant need for more brings the characters descend further and there is nothing we can do about it but listen.

I've talked in the past about how [ASMR is Sound for the Soul] with the ability to simulate soothing tingles and tell a story with one sided conversations. What TMA does is to do the secondary.

Telling a story by second hand accounts. The way how some of the statements feels can get under your skin. The use of words and the annunciation of the statements feels like something is pulling the statements closer to the audience. Simulating a different kind of tingle.

It sometimes feels like we are prying into closed conversations. Listening to the deepest and darkest parts of humanity without the characters noticing.

As of now, I caught up till Season 3 but it seems like Jon will be getting involved more and more to the beings at the threshold.

What I think TMA does really well is not making horror out of typical fears. It relies on those fears and amplifies its ability to make one cripplingly terrified at things we have yet to understand. Reaching out of the tape recorder and into our world in an unpleasant way. Yet, you can't help but click to the next episode.

Recording Ends

[archiveassistant]

Since I’ve been really missing early TMA, here are some horror podcast recs of my personal favs:

Sayer: Sci-fi horror. The closest to TMA in terms of atmosphere, variety of themes and tone. If you crave the anthological storytelling of early TMA  that will over time turn into an overarching storyline, Sayer is for you. Its corporate AI is also very soothing, yet deeply unsettling to listen to.

The Left Right Game: (Impeccably produced) mystery horror about a game that leads you to another dimension. Much more of an audio drama focused on interpersonal relationships with the horror coming from its setting.

The White Vault: Found footage from an arctic research station about an expedition gone wrong. I’d describe it as slow burn horror that takes a while to build up the tension, but the stakes get progressively higher. (Season 1 is the best, subsequent seasons sadly don’t hold up as well.)

I am In Eskew: Surreal horror, similar to WTNV, but darker. Especially its early episodes remind me of the final season of TMA, with long, vivid monologues building the mental image of something eerie. 

Janus Descending: Sci-fi horror. Found footage from an expedition to stake out an ancient alien civilization gone terribly wrong. (The story is told in non-chronological order, but there’s also a full narrative supercut available.)

Duggan Hill: Supernatural horror. An aspiring journalist joins the search for her missing ex girlfriend in rural Canada and soon discovers something is terribly wrong in the town of Duggan Hill. This podcast is like if a statement giver from TMA actually got the opportunity to record what happened to them. 

The Mistholme Museum of Mysetry, Morbidity and Mortality: An audio guide tour through a supernatural museum’s exhibits. Much like TMA, the story unfolds slowly around smaller stories about supernatural occurrences tied to the objects on display in the exhibition.

The Silt Verses: Folk horror. In a world in which the worship of gods and their cruel miracles is part of everyday life, two worshipers of an outlawed river god travel along its shores on pilgrimage while trying to avoid being caught by the law. Incredible production and acting. (fictional) religion-heavy story. Big content warning for gore.

Deviser: Sci-fi horror. On a spaceship bound for Earth's recolonization, its only caretaker Son wakes up to continue his duties with the onboard AI, Dad. Things soon turn sideways. Content warnings are given for each episode and should be heeded. This is a very well produced, but also very graphic audio drama.

Malevolent: Eldritch horror. A private investigator wakes up with no memory and no eyesight, but a voice in his head claiming to be his friend having taken over his eyes. From the same author as Deviser, this podcast is unique in its main character choices being directly influenced by the audience via Patreon and dice rolls, which are well integrated into the flow of the story.

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs (cause it's always nice to give a shout out and get people into things I'm into rn)

[The Magnus Archives] (I recently finished the podcast and I fell into a hole for a while so here you go)

Sing a Song of Sixpence by Kaiel

Ship: Jon/Martin

In which Jonathan Sims is a Siren, and he fails to notice any new abilities granted to him by the position of Archivist. Or really anything about the Entities at all.

Takes place in season 1 featuring Jonah Magnus’s slow decent into madness

(The new mythology interwoven with tma's worldbuilding is so freaking good and I love how all the characters change and develop because of these changes. Also, f you Elias)

Along Came a Spider by Dribbledscribbles

Ship: implied Jon/Martin

Sasha James is the Archivist, as expected. Martin Blackwood is menaced by Jane Prentiss, as expected. Elias Bouchard weaves his web, as expected.

All goes as it should.

At least until something calling itself Jonathan Sims steps in.

(Web!Jon in this makes me want to weep, it's so freaking good. A pretty long, very excellent oneshot on what could've happened if Jon got taken by the web when he was a kid. And Sasha as the Archivist is ALWAYS so cool, we love her in this house.)

A Break in the Clouds by Ash_Rabbit

“I’m eight.” the kid sniffs as if eight was any different from four, maybe not an unspeakable horror then, just a regular horror. “And I heard that the Magnus Institute deals with-” his little nose scrunches, cute. “-spooky things.”

“Do you have a-” he cracks a grin, and then rethinks it as small hands tighten against their burden.”-spooky thing to deliver?” gods he hopes not, it’s bad enough when adults walk in and lay out all of their baggage, but for a child-

“There’s a spider in this book.” the kid says solemnly, raising his textbook sized parcel. “It ate Evan Pritchard.” a bloody fucking Leitner. Of course an eight year old would find a murder spider book. “This seemed like the best place to bring it.”

(I never thought about what the Original Elias could've been like AND NOW I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THIS FIC. I LOVE HIM, HE'S COMPLEX AND HE CARES AND JON CARES AND THEY BOTH CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. THIS IS THE CONTENT I WANT, OMG. Also, Jon being even smaller than usual is adorable, so cute. No wonder Elias wants to hug him, a LOT.)

See the Line where the Sky meets the Sea by The_Floating_World

Ship: Jon/Martin, Jon/Oliver Banks

When Jon is a child he looks into the infinite abyss of space. The Vast looks back into him.

(One of my all time fave fics in this fandom, no questions asked. I have reread this three times and am open to doing it again, god. Vast!Jon, such a concept. It's written so beautifully and the relationships Jon develops, so good. ugh. My heart. Please please read.)

Sweet As Roses by Prim_the_Amazing

Ship: Jon/Martin

“Come in, Martin,” he says, not looking up from his notes.

“Hi, Jon,” he says, and Jon stops writing at the sound of his voice. “We’re out of the green tea, but we’ve got lemon?”

Jon looks at him. Martin smiles at him in his usual tentative way as he sets the mug of tea down on Jon’s desk. Heat spikes so sharply in his gut that he twitches with it.

“Thank you, Martin,” he says, mouth dry, and he stands up.

“Oh,” he says, sounding almost surprised. He smiles again. “No-- no problem-- um, what are you--”

Jon takes Martin by the shoulders, leans up on the tips of his toes, and kisses him.

(You have no idea how much I howled through this fic, my god. *buries face in hands* The number of times I wanted to cry from sheer hilarity and horror reading this good lord.)

Things Could Always Be Worse by theOestofOCs

Ship: Jon/Martin, Georgie/Melanie

Sometimes, the most horrifying thing of all is what might have been.

Somewhere, Jon could swear he heard a crowd laughing.

Or: in which Jonathan Sims is forced to swap places with his alternate self—a tall, chivalrous hero extraordinaire, who knows neither fear nor nuance—and is sent to the aggressively straight alternate universe the Magnus Archives was never meant to be.

“Whatever place this is,” Jon announced, “I just want to be sure it knows I hate it.”

(I will say this once, THIS IS THE MOST CURSED THING IVE EVER READ EVER. Like holy hell. I can't believe this thing exists. please read it oh please please please)

-

[Supernatural]

heard from your mother (she don't recognize you) by Schmuzz

Ship: Dean/Cas, Jessica/Sam

A man named Cas wakes up in 2003 with no memories, but he's able to piece together a few things:

1. Supernatural creatures exist, and most of them will hurt innocent civilians if he doesn't stop them; 2. He has abilities that no human hunter should have, but he knows enough about human hunters to keep that to himself, and finally; 3. He keeps running into another hunter named Dean Winchester, who seems to be about as lonely as he is if he's willing to put up with those former facts long enough to help Cas unravel the mystery of who (or what) he really is.

For his part, Dean's still (not) dealing with Sam's departure to Stanford, and figures distracting himself with a bit of mystery and intrigue is as harmless as it gets, right? Right.

(THE fic I'm most into right now, been following this from the very start and it's AMAZING. Cas has agency and is making friends and S1 Dean is growing out of John's influence and is becoming a Person and the both of them first being friends then more. The slow burn as their relationship develops, SO GOOD. SO SO DAMN GOOD. *screams* Seriously one of the best spn fics I've read in a long, long time.)

anamnesis by cenotaphy

Ships: Castiel/Dean, Sam/Eileen

Chuck is depowered, Jack is the new god, and the world is free. Dean and Sam get into the Impala and chase down the miles on an endless highway, and their story is finally, finally their own to follow. At least, that's what Dean tells himself. But the diners and motels and painted interstate lines are blurring together and the smallest details keep catching at his brain like tiny fishhooks and he can't quite shake the feeling that not everything is exactly as it should be.

* Fix-it/alternate series finale. Canon-compliant through the end of 15.19.

(THIS IS THE FIC THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE FINALE OKAY. WHY COULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN CANON. It's Disturbing and honestly plot-wise this makes more sense. Why couldn't we have had this. *screams*)

-

[Avatar: The Last Airbender]

where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor

Ship: Sokka/Zuko

When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them.

Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.

(The fact one of the tags in this fic is, "Sibling Dynamic: Fucked Up But Wholesome" should give you an idea what this fic is like. Chaotic as HELL and I just love Azula here, she loves Zuko so much in her messed up way and Zuko loves her back in the exact same way lol. It's batshit and I am Here For This.)

-

[Naruto]

Eclipse by AislingRoisin (JayBird345) for HybrisAnaideia

Ship: Nara Shikaku/OFC

"In life, it's easier to remain stagnant and wallow in your troubles. But life isn't merely about continued existence, nor is it meant to be gone through alone."

(This is a fic that's slept on and I NEED people to read this. A self-insert fic that I find really interesting in its approach and the worldbuilding for the post-third war shinobi world is fantastic. I feel like there's a certain pattern with self-insert fics, not that is a detriment in any way to how much I enjoy them, so this fic feels fresh to me in a way I haven't read in a while. I am waiting eagerly for this to get updated! Please read!)

On Freedom and Other Formalities by iaso

Ship: Kakashi/Genma/OFC

When push comes to shove, Hiwa Inuzuka doesn't go down easy. Reborn into a new, dangerous world? She puts her past life as a spy to work. Thrown into a war? Hiwa does her duty, for Konoha. And when she's forced into an arranged marriage? All there is to do is beat them to the punch and get married first. Thankfully, Genma Shiranui is willing to lend a hand. Literally. SI/OC

(Listen, LISTEN, it's about the slow burn, the longing, the communication (it both has and hasn't and isn't THAT great??), the messy way you fit three very different people together, it's so freaking good! Also, Kakashi is so Chaotic here this is my fave characterization of him, you can't change my mind. And Genma is a Good Boi who is Doing His Best, along with the Self-insert character who I LOVE SO MUCH, SHE'S FANTASTIC FNEIWOPAF. Sped past this fic in the speed of light, I could not stop reading!)(Honestly, read all of the author's fics, they're all really REALLY good!)

Building a Castle by WhisperingDarkness

Without needing anyone to tell her, Sakura knew that talking to someone no-one else could see or hear would make her weird. It would draw the bad kind of attention to her, something people could make fun of her for.

She didn’t like being weird, but she did like the voice. Her inner voice was helpful and it was a part of her that had always been there. The idea of it not being there would have been so much weirder than anything else.

It was during her first year at the Academy that Sakura realised the voice was not in her head at all, but that it came from a cloudy shape floating next to her.

(Basically a short-ish retelling of Hikaru no Go. Only with more Shogi and Nara and Ninja's)

(Sakura can see ghosts (I'm noticing this is a popular trope for her) and it's really cute haha! Her relationship with Tobirama is sweet and I just enjoyed reading this so much.)

-

[The Magicians]

So Long (And Thanks For All The Books) by IncompleteSentanc (Erava)

Ships: Quentin/Eliot, James/Julia, Quentin/Margo/Eliot

When Quentin is told Julia wasn't admitted to Brakebills, he realizes he has a drastic decision in front of him. If he tells Julia about magic, he'll have his mind wiped as well as hers. But he can't just leave her behind, either. He can't lose his best friend, and he can't let her life a life with her magical potential stolen away from her.

So he makes a third choice.

(Really, and I mean REALLY well-done canon divergent fic, this is the Quentin & Julia friendship fic I have been looking for forever. It explores so much of what could've happened and I just love Quentin here, I really really do. Characterization done so right. I also recommend the author's other works too. Been a follower of them for a long time, they're great.)

-

[Game of Thrones]

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

(I swear, this fic made me laugh so many times, all the Stark are BAMF and fantastic, and Rhaegar gets Wrecked lol. It's crack btw, and the plot goes in directions you'll never guess and it's amazing hahaha!)

-

[Haikyuu!!] (I am very very late to the fandom but here I am)

Ballare (To Dance) by MidnightSparks

Ship: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, and platonic Kageyama & Kentarou (really love their friendship)

Kageyama’s first love is volleyball. His second, however, is ballet.

In one world, Kageyama Tobio is left behind by his parents. In this world, the existence of soulbonds keeps Kageyama’s parents in Miyagi and leaves Kageyama in the care of his grandma and grandpa.

(In which soulmates exist and that changes everything and nothing at the same time.)

(*buries face in hands* I have fallen for this ship so hard and I can't get out fudge me. I understand now. Their DYNAMICS FIEWONPAF)

Kings of Tomorrow by bokubroya (liarielle)

Ship: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru

On the eve of Tobio’s 16th birthday, he counts down the seconds to midnight, and emerges with Oikawa Tooru’s name on his wrist.

It’s been two years since then, and Tobio thought they had an understanding. A silent, never spoken about understanding that this thing between them is nothing, and they’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Of course, it’s just like Oikawa to change the game and leave Tobio wondering what comes next.

(I am WEAK for soulmate fics between these two, I don't even really like soulmate fics half the times what is WRONG WITH ME-)(Please suffer with me, I'm begging you. Its a good fic, thumbs up.)

-

[Crossover]

Honey and Magic by JustARatherVerySillyWriter, White_Squirrel for Super Carlin Brothers

Fandoms: Matilda (yeah you read that right), Harry Potter

Everyone knew Matilda was a rather extraordinary child, but even she didn't know she was a witch. Matilda Honey receives her Hogwarts letter in the year of the Triwizard Tournament, and soon, she will leave her unique mark on the magical world.

(Do I even need to explain how amazing it is to have Matilda in the wizarding world? And Matilda is a HUFFLEPUFF AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL THIS FIC IS GREAT PLEASE READ!!!)

An Eye for an Eye by DpsMercy

Fandoms: The Magnus Archives, Welcome to Night Vale

In which Jonathan Sims is not from the UK but instead, if you took his origins and turned them sideways twice then flipped them over, he technically would be from the US, the town of Night Vale specifically. Elias can’t do shit about it and gets a headache and slowly creeping madness instead.

(Look, I know probably everyone has read this because if they haven't, what have you been DOING with your lives??? Jon interning at Night Vale is Incredible, nothing phases this man, it's Delightful. I laughed so many times reading this, I'm not even kidding right now. Read or perish.)

The Favour by R_Cookie

Fandoms: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Ship: Original Percival Graves/Harry Potter

Percival is ten years old when his grandfather tries to tell him that he's ensured the greatness of the Graves legacy for him, that he ought to be eternally grateful - but the explanation is hijacked by a stranger who manages to intimidate Chester Graves with an ease never seen before.

or: Hadrian (Harry) Potter is the Master of Death, who grants Graves a boon. Nobody could have known that the Deathly Hallows didn't turn you so much into the 'Master of Death' as into the anthropomorphic personification of Death. And so, Death becomes Percival's guardian angel, and Percival does not spit out his cereal.

(Look, I don't know how I stumbled back into the FBAWTFT fandom either, it just happened and I'm grateful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found this amazing fic. Their relationship is slow and strange and I just love how Percival is characterized here. Also, one of the tag promises that it deviates from canon so I am really, really excited for that! XD)

baby that's what i do by natanije

Fandoms: Naruto, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

"Are you telling me," Hidan exclaims, incredulous, "that you collect money all this time to give to orphans?!"

Kakuzu pauses. He blinks a few times.

"Huh. I guess I do."

(Tsuna reincarnates as Kakuzu and it's HILARIOUS. HE'S SUCH A MOM HAHAHA)

[rabdoidal]

i know you listen to a lot of podcasts and ive found some of my favourites from hearing you talk about them! do you have any favourites?

under the cut! my top 10 podcasts at the moment:

Alice Isn’t Dead Genre: horror, thriller, drama, Lovecraftian, Americana Episode count: 30 (completed) Description: A truck driver searches across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead. In the course of her search, she will encounter not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman. Thoughts: This podcast is, to me at least, completely flawless in every way. I would consider myself a person that listens to a lot of horror podcasts, but Alice Isn’t Dead takes the cake for its depictions of liminal middle America, the horror that is capitalism, and the most tender, realistic depiction of lesbians in any podcast. Anything else I could say would spoil it and for this, I don’t want to spoil it because I want every person alive that can stomach horror to listen to this.

Archive 81 Genre: horror, comedy, sci-fi, Lovecraftian Episode count: 35 (ongoing) Description: Archive 81 is a found footage horror podcast about ritual, stories, and sound. Thoughts: The latest podcast I’ve tried, and it’s definitely one that grows on you. The audio mixing is some of the best I’ve heard in any podcast, and every bump and scratch and hum of frequency weaves to form moments that are truly and viscerally gory. Season 3 and Left of The Dial are my favorites because again, I love Americana horror, and anything that involves family!

Artificial Ghost Radio Genre: non-fiction, discussion, comedy Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: Our Sisyphean music recommendation challenge with hosts Miles (he/him) and Jupiter (she/they) challenge each other to find songs based on arbitrary themes and to spin the WHEEL OF DISCORD to talk about a random song from their library! They can be found on twitter @artghostpod. Thoughts: Gotta plug my own podcast! We’re still small, but the people I’ve met from doing AGR has made my life richer and fuller, even through the ups and downs. I recommend starting with #58: Songs about Aliens ft. our friend Liz (@thescaryjokes)!

EOS 10 Genre: medical drama, comedy, sci-fi Episode count: 34 (ongoing) Description: Doctors in space, a deposed alien prince, a super gay space pirate and a fiery nurse who'll help you win your bar fight. Thoughts: It’s been a hot minute since I listened, but as someone that inherently loves things like Star Trek and procedural comedies, EOS 10 is a quick and hilarious listen! Fair warning some of the earlier stuff is a little bit ignorant when it comes to their LGBT characters, but it gets a lot better over time.

King Falls AM Genre: horror, comedy, Lovecraftian Episode count: 100 (ongoing) Description: King Falls AM centers on a lonely little mountain town's late-night AM talk radio show and its paranormal, peculiar happenings and inhabitants Thoughts: I’m a bit behind, but again, gotta love some Alpine American horror! King Falls AM perfectly captures the feeling and sound of listening to a small late night radio show with two bros, but it really goes from typical dude dialogue to heart wrenching found family alien conspiracy real quick. Same as EOS 10, fair warning for some ignorant language and LGBT stereotypes, but they address it and it gets better as it progresses.

Not Another D&D Podcast Genre: actual play Dungeons and Dragons, TTRPG, comedy Episode count: 128 (ongoing) Description: Welcome to the campaign after the campaign! Three unlikely adventurers attempt to right the wrongs caused by a party of legendary heroes who screwed up the world while trying to save it. Thoughts: I’m only like 40 episodes in because they’re thick, meaty ‘sodes, but god is NADDPOD fucking hilarious. I’ve tried a fair few TTRPG shows, but the chemistry and care that the cast has together is unmatched by others in the genre. I’m a complete sucker for shows that are so funny and so tragic in equal measures, and the entire concept of a D&D game set after the world has been so drastically changed by a different D&D game is so unique!

The Faculty of Horror Genre: non-fiction, horror, philosophy, sociology, feminism Episode count: 86 (ongoing) Description: Tackling all things horror with a slash of analysis and research, horror journalists and occasional academics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West are your hosts for brain-plumping discussions on all things that go bump in the night. Thoughts: A little non-fiction in this list of fiction podcasts! The Faculty of Horror is a concise and educated intersectional feminist podcast, and it’s a breath of fresh air to listen to anyone that isn’t a cishet white guy talk about horror. I highly recommend the episode on Cabin in The Woods or Jennifer’s Body!

The Magnus Archives Genre: horror, office comedy Episode count: 180 (ongoing) Description: The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organization dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join new head archivist Jonathan Sims as he attempts to bring a seemingly neglected collection of supernatural statements up to date, converting them to audio and supplementing them with follow-up work from his small but dedicated team. Thoughts: TMA is, similarly to A81, a bit of a slow burn to get into, but I think once you listen to a few episodes you’ll know if you want to continue. It’s a pretty standard prompt for a narrative, but the sheer amount of individual short horror stories they’ve managed to write is insane! And I love the slow break down between recording statements and the stuff happening within the archives. Also one of the best redemption stories in a character that starts off as such a grumpy fuck!

The Penumbra Podcast Genre: sci-fi, neo-noir, romance, comedy, found family, magic, medieval fantasy, adventure, mystery Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships. Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters...even the ones they’ve fallen in love with. Thoughts: On god TPP was a life changing podcast for me. Having creators that are genuinely concerned with accurately representing minorities with care and dedication makes me feel spoiled when I try listen to anything else. The two main universes are so different with their own set of histories and cultures, but I love them both so completely. If you want LGBT+ representation, this is the seminal podcast for everything non-binary, trans, queer, and people that aren’t afraid to change and have that change be known! I haven’t listened to another podcast that actually depicts transitioning like they do, absolute king shit.

Wolf 359 Genre: space drama, comedy, action Episode count: 61 (completed) Description: WOLF 359 is a radio drama in the tradition of Golden Age of Radio shows. Set on board the U.S.S. Hephaestus space station, the dysfunctional crew deals with daily life-or-death emergencies, while searching for signs of alien life and discovering there might be more to their mission than they thought Thoughts: Wolf 359 is like if you fell down the stairs and at the bottom of the stairs was a bear trap, and then after you step in the bear trap someone helps you take off that beartrap, but then they kick you in the nuts. Just replace physical pain with emotional pain. It can be so funny but also so fucking stressful and sad – w359 isn’t afraid to kill its darlings, and it will break your heart but you will still say thank you.

[cowardhe]

podcast fans listen up!

ok I haven’t done a podcast rec before but I know some of y’all follow me for my tma shitposting (which I’ve been slacking on recently sorry) SO

if you’re specifically a fan of the found audio/ log entry sort of style of tma or archive 81, or the mundane suburban horror style of pods like dreamboy,,,,

PLEASE listen to The Domestic Life of Anthony Todd

like I said it’s mundane horror (of sorts) crossed with urban fantasy- a slow burn mystery centring around a Very Normal And Fine Town and the protagonist who is recording their diary entries whilst staying there to conduct research for a novel

the episodes are about 10 minutes each, so they’re very easy to get through, and as of right now there’s only 10 so you can blast through pretty quickly (season two is coming 5th of July!!)

it has captivated me so quickly and the vibes are hella good, so if it sounds like your thing please give it a listen!

tl,dr; please listen to this urban fantasy pod it’s amazing!! The Domestic Life of Anthony Todd

[madmaudlingoes]

Chapters: 29/29 Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay & Gertrude Robinson, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Tim Stoker, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood, Gerard Keay, Gertrude Robinson, Sasha James, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Melanie King, Mary Keay, Michael | The Distortion (The Magnus Archives), Basira Hussain, Alice "Daisy" Tonner, Jurgen Leitner Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mystery, Friendship, Slow Burn, Additional warnings for:, Mind Control (The Web), Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Monster Hunters, Mentions of Cancer, Rating is M for Language & Violence, What if TMA had an Endless Fuck Budget: The Fic

Summary:

In March of 2015, Elias Bouchard planned to kill Gertrude Robinson, thwarting her plans to burn the Archives and destroy the Magnus Institute- but Gertrude shot first. A year later, Martin Blackwood is still working for what remains of the Institute, now run by an enigmatic new director. Sent to investigate the theft of several books from the library, his search leads him to Pinhole Books, current residence of Gertrude Robinson, alongside her latest assistants: Gerry Keay and Jonathan Sims. But according to all records, Gertrude was believed to have perished nearly a year ago, and discovering her alive and well only leads to more questions. As Martin and his colleagues look deeper into the circumstances surrounding the accident at the Institute, they are drawn into a world of monsters and mystery from which there seems no escape.

Written for the Rusty Quill Big Bang 2020 event with companion art from Dasha @sun-dari.

Aka that time @lostjonscave and I wrote nearly 140k words of AU fic together! Thanks, @pilesofnonsense!

[zazujoy]

I’m sure this has been done but here’s everything I, a person who has listened to exactly zero seconds of The Magnus Archives, know about this podcast

Characters

Jon: He’s the main character, the archivist, and he’s got some spooky eye powers. I don’t know if he got them on purpose. He’s kind of a dick but in a way that makes the fandom love him.

Martin: Jon’s boyfriend, eventually. Unfortunately I don’t know much about him outside of that, but he’s both a. A monsterfucker and b. Pro killing all the monsters, so we’ll see how that works out for him

J. Leitner: fuck this guy. I don’t know anything about him but fuck him.

Daisy: is a werewolf maybe? She’s evil but she might also be friends with Jon, I’m not sure

Sasha: I don’t know much about her but she seems chill. She might be dead by now; there’s a not!Sasha which means she got pulled into one of the Spooky Things, so f in the chat for that

Tim: idk he exists

Georgie: might be a secretary or something? That might be a different character. There’s someone named Gertrude who I also know nothing about so it could be her. 

Elias: is he married to Tim? Is there a different character named Tom that he’s married to? I think this guy got married and divorced and then remarried his ex-husband but I don’t remember his husband’s name. Also I think he’s insanely old. Maybe.

Basira: ???? [see also: Tim]

Spooky stuff

There’s spooky stuff. I don’t exactly get how it works but you can become an avatar of a Spooky Thing, although that seems like not the greatest life decision.

Trying to think of Spooky Things from TMA off the top of my head, I listed The Lonely, The Slaughter, The Flesh, The Eye, and Clowns(???) and then I just googled a list so I’m just gonna guess what the items on this list mean.

The Buried: There’s worms somewhere in this podcast and worms like to get buried in the ground so I’m saying The Buried is the Worm Spooky. I hate it. 

The Corruption: yeah I have no idea. The word “corruption” brings to mind either religion or politics so maybe it somehow has to do with one or both of those things. 

The Dark: darkness is spooky I guess. 

The Desolation: yeah so “desolation” definitely sounds bad and scary but I have no idea what it means in the context of this podcast, because everything is bad and scary here except for occasional moments of tenderness. So this is a Mystery Spooky Thing as far as I’m concerned. 

The End: I know there’s something in season 5 that hits uncomfortably close to Real Life Pandemic stuff that’s happening, so I’m gonna say The End is that. Probably it’s the end of the world or humanity or something. 

The Eye: Jon’s an avatar of this one; I think it just lets you Know Stuff that you otherwise wouldn’t; also maybe you get literal extra eyes? Or can see through other people’s eyes? I’m just making things up but those might be true. I know “invasion of privacy” is a Spooky Theme in at least some of the episodes and The Eye seems like a likely cause of that. 

The Flesh: gross meat stuff. 0/10, do not like. I think the Leitner dude that everyone hates is involved with this one

The Hunt: I guess it makes you want to go kill people?? Also maybe you’re a werewolf. I think Daisy is an avatar of this one. 

The Lonely: pretty much what it sounds like: makes you really lonely and isolated. Martin got caught up in it for a bit in a recent episode but then he remembered he loves Jon so it’s fine for now. 

The Spiral: sounds like some weird hypnosis shit

The Stranger: this is the one that got Sasha, I’m pretty sure. Replaces you with a spooky version of yourself or something. IDK what happens to the original person, maybe they die (rip). I think this is the one that led me to include “Clowns???” on my original list, though maybe that was The Spiral. 

The Vast: emptiness as a concept is inherently spooky so maybe that’s what this is. Makes me think of a very large empty field and I hate that shit, so. 

The Web: based just on the name, sounds like something that’d give you a supernatural mental connection to the other avatars of this thing. 

Plot

I really really have no idea. You could string together literally any set of events and say it happened in The Magnus Archives and I’d believe you. But here’s my best attempt at piecing the events together:

Jon is doing archivist stuff; people come and give him statements about scary stuff that happened.

There’s a guy who got a cursed coffin that said not to touch it or open it so he didn’t. Legend. 

Martin is new at the Institute, I think, and Jon doesn’t like him, but eventually they fall in love (slow burn, babey! But like really slow; I think they got together for real in s3 or 4)

Jon removes a rib or two, maybe to get his Eye Powers. One of the ribs is just sitting in his desk drawer. It’s fine.

At some point I think there’s a transition between “Jon listens to people talk about spooky experiences” to “Jon fights worms and other weird creepy things” and I don’t know when or how that happens.

Daisy tries to kill someone I think.

Some worms are fought.

Sasha becomes not!Sasha. I feel like this went unnoticed for a little while and then eventually caused fairly sizable problems. 

(I wasn’t joking when I said I don’t know the plot of this podcast at all)

I think Jon and Martin are currently trapped in some tunnels fighting monsters. Martin wants to kill all the monsters. Jon is one of those monsters, technically, and probably he has some Issues and insecurities related to not being fully human (he needs therapy. They all need therapy). Martin had An Experience with The Lonely; it was a whole emotional rollercoaster but he’s in love and he won’t forget that.

The creators have said it’ll end in tragedy and I think this is the last season, but everything is sort of okay for now? It’s not great but Jon and Martin are still alive and together for the time being. 

Other stuff

The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill Ltd. and licensed under a creative commons attribution non-commercial sharealike 4.0  international license. 

“Statement begins”

“Fabric rustles” (NO kissing noises)

The creator’s name is Jonathan Sims and he just named the main character after himself for fun

Apparently “Jonathan” is supposed to be shortened to “John” but that’s bullshit

[bubonickitten]

TMA fic: Knock-Knock

While relistening to the scenes where Elias implants knowledge into Melanie's and Martin's minds, I got to thinking, "What if he did that to Jon?" and... yeah.

Summary: Statement of an unnamed childhood bully regarding a fatal encounter with Mr. Spider. Statement procured by Elias Bouchard, head of the Magnus Institute, for the edification of one Jonathan Sims, the Archivist.

More below the cut, or on AO3 here.

[Note: A lot of unsettling and visceral spider imagery in this one, so big CW for that if you have any degree of arachnophobia.]

[SPOILERS up to and including MAG 92.]

[There are a few verbatim lines I used from the podcast itself; they're all marked by an asterisk.]

ARCHIVIST

I never chose this.*

  ELIAS

You never wanted this, no. But I’m afraid you absolutely did choose it. In a hundred ways, at a hundred thresholds, you pressed on. You sought knowledge relentlessly, and you always chose to see. Our world is made of choices, Jon, and very rarely do we truly know what any of them mean, but we make them nonetheless.*

 [SILENCE.]

  ELIAS

You seem uncertain, Jon. Do you need convincing? [sighs] Very well. Shall we discuss the very first door you chose to open?

  ARCHIVIST

What are you –

  ELIAS

A Guest for Mr. Spider. A particularly nasty book, wasn’t it? How did you describe it?

  ARCHIVIST

I – how –

  ELIAS

“A violence seemed to ooze from it, sticky and pungent—”*

  ARCHIVIST

Stop it.

  ELIAS

“—I had no idea what was inside, but I knew I hated that book—”*

  ARCHIVIST

You’ve made your point.

  ELIAS

“And I knew that wasn’t going to stop me from opening it.”*

 [A PAUSE.]

  ELIAS

Your… childhood bully, I believe you called him. You don’t remember his name, of course, but you remember what happened to him – or so you think. But you don’t have the whole picture stored away in your memory, do you? No. He died alone, behind the door you ushered him through. You couldn’t face the thing that took him.

  ARCHIVIST

I – I was eight –

  ELIAS

Oh, Jon. We both know that survivor’s guilt is rarely rational. You agonize over hypotheticals, let your vivid imagination run wild with all the gruesome possibilities of what happened after the door closed behind him.

 [A LONG PAUSE.]

  ELIAS

[with a smile in his voice] Do ever wonder what his statement might have been like, had he lived long enough to give it?

  ARCHIVIST

[brusquely] No.

  ELIAS (STATEMENT)

He knows from the moment he cracks open the book that he is pinned beneath the might of something other.

  ARCHIVIST

Don't –

  ELIAS (STATEMENT)

[overriding] Before he drinks in the first page, he is flooded with dread and his only wish is to cast the book into the gutter and run until his legs fail him. Instead, he finds his eyes locked on the words, scanning feverishly left to right without his input, and when he tries to shut his eyes, he finds that he cannot even blink. He has the sudden, unshakable impression that some tacky substance is pulling on his eyelids, holding them in place; his eyes begin to dry and sting and still he stares, riveted—

 [FAINT STATIC.]

  ARCHIVIST

[compellingly] Elias, stop –

  ELIAS

[a short laugh] You need more practice before you can command me, Jon.

Besides, you’re riveted, too, aren’t you? You tell yourself you don’t want to hear this, but you do – there is a guilty part of you that believes you deserve to suffer through this knowledge, but that’s not all, is it? Eclipsing your guilt is the simple desire to know. To observe, to fill all gaps in the testimony.

So sit, and listen, and drink it all in.

 [ANOTHER PAUSE. THE ARCHIVIST TAKES A SHAKY BREATH.]

  ELIAS

[self-satisfied] Good.

  ELIAS (STATEMENT)

He turns the page. He does not want to turn the page, but he is a marionette with gossamer wire wrapped twice, thrice, a dozen times around his wrists and he turns another page, turns another page. Mr. Spider’s legs are shifting and he realizes all at once that so are his own legs, marching him steadily forward – to where, he does not know. He can see nothing except for the book.

He turns another page.

          KNOCK-KNOCK.*

 The words reach out to him like so many spindly, creeping legs.

He turns the page again, again, again and the considering, hungry eyes of Mr. Spider bore into him like botflies burrowing into flesh.

          MR. SPIDER WANTS ANOTHER GUEST FOR DINNER.*

 His knees lock and he comes to an abrupt stop. He does not know where he is; his eyes are still glued to the page.

          IT IS POLITE TO KNOCK.*

 He raises his clenched fist and reaches out.

  ARCHIVIST

[strained] Elias –

  ELIAS (STATEMENT)

[louder] When the door creaks open, something in him releases and he is finally, finally allowed to look up.

He wishes he did not.

 [THE ARCHIVIST’S BREATHING IS AUDIBLE, QUICKENING.]

  ELIAS (STATEMENT)

The spider silk winds its way through the crack and the door, sticky and writhing; slowly and deliberately it twines itself around his arms, his knees, his neck, and he is pulled inexorably toward the impossible, palpable darkness that lies behind the door. Something shifts in the shadows and he catches a glimpse of an enormous, bristly limb. It stretches toward him, curls around him in a possessive, many-jointed embrace. The click-clack of mandibles surrounds him as he is drawn in closer, closer, closer, like a doomed fish on a hook. He is pulled past the threshold, and only then is he finally allowed to scream.

 [A SHARP INTAKE OF BREATH FROM THE ARCHIVIST.]

  ELIAS

Spiders are remarkable creatures, aren’t they, Jon? Those eight skittering legs grant them such agility; all those eyes, watching and waiting; the fragile beauty of the deadly webs they spin. So many millions of years of evolution coming together to weave such a perfect little assassin.

They could be anywhere at any time – and that’s what scares you most, doesn’t it, Jon? Any tickle at the back of your neck, any subtle movement out of the corner of your eye, every tentative reach into the murky space under your bed – your mind jumps immediately to the spider. You enter the dusty storage room and it’s not a question of whether they’re there, but where they are. Did you walk through a web just then, or was it your overactive imagination? You run your fingers through your hair, dreading the moment your fingers brush against the spindly legs of an unwelcome passenger, but dreading even more the idea of not checking, of not knowing whether it’s there.

You tell yourself you can handle reading about spiders, but I see what those statements do to you, Jon. As you read, you feel the faint tiptoe of too many legs on your shoulder, the stubborn cling of web on your cheek, the many eyes watching, waiting in the corners of your office. You picture wicked chelicerae, moving independently of one another, dripping with venom that can paralyze, necrotize, tranquilize. Your skin itches, and crawls, and you shudder, and no amount of restive fidgeting will relieve it.

  ARCHIVIST

That’s enough –

  ELIAS

[speaking over him] You finish the statement and try to pretend that you aren’t gagging on cobwebs. You try not to think about the fact that spiders don’t knock, don’t even announce their presence until they’re crawling down your spine.

Unlike you, Mr. Spider’s sacrificial victim never paid any mind to spiders. But when he saw those legs… oh, the primal, gnawing fear that clawed its way out of his throat like so many needling, skittering legs. You didn’t get to hear it, did you, Jon? The door closed on his terror before you were able to behold the full experience of it.

Feel it now, Jon.

 [A PAINED NOISE; PANICKED, HEAVY BREATHING.]

  ELIAS

There you are. Hear the clicking and snickering of the monster pulling you into the dark. So many legs, certainly more than eight; so many eyes, hundreds of them – you can’t see them, but you can feel them dissecting you. You are lifted into the air and the legs begin to spin you in slow circles and you’re flooded with the image of meat turning on a spit. The spider silk clings to you layer upon layer and you think hysterically of all the times you glimpsed a spider preparing a fly, such a small and mundane thing to witness that you never spared it a second thought.

You do not want to think about how spiders feed, but the human mind is predictable and it supplies you with every scrap of information you ever encountered, filed away as insignificant and promptly – you assumed – forgot. You know with crushing certainty that you will be fully encased in web; you will feel yourself suffocating, but what ultimately kills you – slowly, so very slowly – is the spider’s bite. You feel the double puncture of fangs, the digestive enzymes injected into your body, the leisurely liquefaction of your innards. The creature sucks in the visceral slurry, transforming you into a dehydrated husk.

You are conscious for every moment as it wrings the terror and life out of your fragile young body.

 [THOUGHTFUL PAUSE.]

 Do you know what his final thoughts were, Jon? When the fear burned away into numbness, what was left was anger – dull and desiccated, but anger nonetheless, and all of it reserved for you, Jon. An infuriating, arrogant, know-it-all brat with his nose in a book and so many insolent, prying questions.

It should have been you, he thinks. This fate was intended for you.

 [THE ARCHIVIST TAKES A DEEP, SHUDDERING BREATH, AS IF FIGHTING BACK TEARS.]

  ELIAS

You still can’t remember his name, can you? He became a mystery, and you let it happen, hoarded the memory to yourself and never told a soul. For all your hungry observations, you have remarkably little consideration for the people who cross your path, don’t you? You devour the details that help you complete whatever puzzle you’re working on, and discard the rest as so much superfluous detritus. I would call it egocentric, but you don’t even prioritize yourself, do you? No, it’s all about the knowing. You would sacrifice yourself and anyone unlucky enough to cross your path if it meant satiating your own curiosity.

 [ANOTHER PAUSE, AS IF TO ALLOW THE WORDS TO SINK IN.]

  ELIAS

This isn’t a criticism, Jon. Consider it a performance review. I believe I made the right choice in appointing you as the Archivist. You had the temperament for the role long before you ever joined the Institute. You opened the book, you stood on the threshold, you just as good as opened the door. You would be making the same flavor of choices regardless of whether you became my Archivist. You never could tolerate an unsolved mystery.

If you want to stop the Unknowing, you cannot afford to stand around wringing your hands over what it means to be human. And you won’t allow the Unknowing to happen unopposed. Cling to that conscience as proof of your humanity, if you’d like. 

But more than that, we both know that the Archivist in you can’t leave a question unasked or unanswered. 

 [A HEAVY, SHAKY EXHALE.]

  ELIAS

[businesslike] Now. Do you have any further concerns, Jon?

  [LONG SILENCE, PUNCTUATED BY THE ARCHIVIST'S RAGGED BREATHING.]

  ELIAS

Good. Well, I have work to be getting on with. I’ll send you a Return to Work form, but don’t worry about the doctor’s note.*

 [THE SOUNDS OF PAPERS RUSTLING, A COMPUTER MOUSE CLICKING, AS ELIAS TURNS TO OTHER MATTERS.]

  ELIAS

[gloating] Do take care, Jon.  

 [HARRIED FOOTSTEPS, A DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. A HEAVY, CHOKED GASP – PERHAPS A SOB – MUTED BY A CLOSED DOOR.]

[theradioghost]

Hey, so I recently finished episode 8 of the magnus archives and I have no idea what’s going on. Like I understand he reads statements about creepy stuff and they investigate but is that all there is to this podcast? And did you have a hard time figuring out what was going on at first? Sorry to bother you btw

Hey! That is very much not all that there is to the show, but TMA is definitely a bit of a slow burn – my recommendation is to stick it out to at least episode 22, where things start to pick up a bit more. The reveals that come later on are absolutely worth the investment to get to them.

Without charging into spoiler territory, the show isn’t just about the Archivist reading the statements – all of these “standalone” stories are very much connected, and the more you listen to, the more visible the connections and patterns and recurring characters become. And Jon (and the other characters who will start making their appearances through Season 1) very much end up involved in the supernatural danger themselves.

(Side note: I also don’t recommend skipping episodes for reasons other than the totally understandable one of not being able to handle a particular episode, because with the extent to which this show is basically a mystery story full of interconnected clues, it’s very hard not to miss things that turn out to be important later.)

[ao3feed-themagnusarchives]

Night Like Darkest Pitch

by Will_I_Ever_Make_A_Sound

London is dark place, and when grizzly murders start occurring, an unlikely group of allies including a Scotland Yard detective, a private investigator, a journalist and a bunch of other characters have to work together before it's too late. Aka a TMA Ripper inspired fic!

Words: 637, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood, Michael (The Magnus Archives), Michael Shelley, Alice "Daisy" Tonner, Basira Hussain, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Gerard Keay

Relationships: Jonmartin - Relationship, (but it's slow burn obvs), Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Basira Hussain/Alice "Daisy" Tonner, Sasha James/Tim Stoker, Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley, Gerard Keay/Michael

Additional Tags: jonmartin will be, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, (except enemies is. Misleading. Jons just grumpy), everyone gets a partner!, Jack the Ripper AU, victorian au, Murder Mystery AU, yep this is what I'm doing, btw Michael is My Michael so if you've read sdadmip you know the basics of my boy, michael and Jon are autistic, Tim and Sasha are married and a Power Couple That Solves Crimes, Tim is a head detective of Scotland yard, Jon is a private investigator!, martin is a jorunalist, together they are unlikely allies!, not much fluff in this one yall, (though that might end up wrong lmao), Murder, tw: semi graphic descriptions of corpses

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/23902357