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arthurdrakoni · 18 days

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I want all of you to do your part to support Residents of Proserpina Park’s crowdfunding campaign. #AudioDrama #Crowdfunding #Mythology #Podcast #ResidentsOfProserpinaPark

Excited to announce we're returning with two seasons this year!! Please help us reach this goal by joining our crowdfund!

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arthurdrakoni · 3 months

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The Books of Thoth: Episode 2: Starshot

Enjoy this preview of Starshot, episode two of my audio drama anthology The Books of Thoth. Listen to the full episode on all major podcast platforms.

#audio drama #audio fiction #science fiction #the books of thoth #starshot #Breakthrough Starshot #alpha centauri #xenofiction #xenoarcheology #outer space #alien life #space exploration #anthology #audio drama podcast #fiction podcast #podcast #podcasts #Sam McDonald

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arthurdrakoni · 3 months

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Trailer of Thoth

I just discovered that you can share videos here. So, here’s the trailer for my audio drama anthology The Books of Thoth. Listen to The Books of Thoth on all major podcast platforms.

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arthurdrakoni · 4 months

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The Books of Thoth has a trailer!

The god of wisdom holds many books with his great library. Unfurl the papyrus, and breathe in the ancient scent. Come with us as we explore the stories contained within The Books of Thoth.

The Books of Thoth is an audio drama anthology podcast. You will explore tales of the past, the future, and even alternate realities. Every book in Thoth’s library has a story to tell. Let’s go find some, shall we?

Listen on all major podcast platforms.

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arthurdrakoni · 4 months

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The Audio Drama Directory: All Listings from 2023

Over the course of 2023, The Audio Drama Directory added more than 1,300 new listings. Here is an image of each show's artwork from every article that was added last year.

As always, I want to give my sincere thanks to all of the producers out there that continue to create new audio drama shows. It's amazing that there are so many shows to list, and there are more being made every day. This is truly a great time to be an audio drama fan.

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arthurdrakoni · 4 months

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Listen to Starshot, episode 2 of The Books of Thoth, on Spotify

A new year is here, and that means it is a great time to listen to the latest episode of The Books of Thoth, if you haven’t done so already. “Starshot” follows an alien scientist from Alpha Centauri who is studying mysterious space probes aboard a space station. The probes hail from a strange, perviously unknown planet: Earth. The scientist must study these interstellar emissaries. What will they learn about the beings who made the probes? And what the scientist learn about their own place in the cosmos? Listen on Spotify, or wherever else you listen to your podcasts.

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arthurdrakoni · 4 months

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Episode 2 of The Books of Thoth has arrived. Starshot follows a scientist from Alpha Centauri who is studying mysterious space probes from Earth.

The second episode of my audio drama anthology The Books of Thoth is here. It is titled Starshot. A fleet of alien space probes enter the night sky. But this is not our sky, and the probes are from Earth. A scientist from Alpha Centauri studies the probes aboard a space station. What will the scientist discover about their place in the universe?

A big thank you to Angela Yih for performing this episode. Be sure to listen to her audio drama Residents of Proserpina Park, if you haven’t done so already.

What I wanted to do with Starshot is tell a story of First Contact between humanity and extraterrestrials, but from the perspective of the aliens. I wanted it to be hopeful and optimistic. Where the aliens are looking for a friend amidst the darkness, just like humanity is.

The title is a reference to Breakthrough Starshot. It is an proposed space mission to send a series of probes, via solar sail, to Alpha Centauri. It would take between 20-30 year, plus an additional four years for any messages from the probes to reach Earth. Hundreds of probes would initially be launched, with most being lost along the way due to collisions with interstellar dust and other debris. But, hopefully, a lucky few would survive the journey across the ebon sea. Pictures and/or video from another star? Now there’s a thought.

I also attempted to answer the question of the Fermi Paradox. That is, if the universe is so big, where’s all the alien. Perhaps they are in the same boat as us. Advanced enough to wonder who’s out there, but not advanced enough to initial significant contact. Perhaps it is only just now that intelligent life has finally evolved in the universe. I suppose they would make a kind of sense. Look how long it took for intelligent life to evolve on Earth. Well, intelligent as we define it, anyway.

I also wanted to evoke the feelings of wonder and frustration from archeology. Especially with regards to civilizations where we have yet to translate their languages such as the Minoans or the Indus Valley Civilization. I suppose that makes the protagonist a xenoarcheologist.

Still, that isn’t to say you can’t find at least some meaning. Even if it wasn’t the kind you were initially looking for. So, I wanted the story to end with a sense of awe and wonder. With the feeling the the universe is so much bigger, and isn’t that great?

But most of all, I hope that all of you enjoy Starshot. I kind of rushed this one so I could get it out before Christmas and New Year’s. It is a bit more low-key than my previous episode, Paleontology Conference was. But I felt Starshot was a very personal intimate sort of story, and it didn’t need as many bells and whistles. And hey, we got some nice music to listen to along the way.

You can listen to The Books of Thoth on your podcast platform of choice.

Here is the link to the RedCircle page: https://redcircle.com/shows/6701d0b5-6b14-4b76-992d-02f391b5cf42

Here’s a link to Residents of Proserpina Park’s website: https://residentsofproserpinapark.com

And here’s a link to The Books of Thoth’s website, which serves as a hub for all the places you can listen to The Books of Thoth, plus a link to transcripts: https://booksofthoth.carrd.co

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arthurdrakoni · 4 months

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Long Night in Egypt is a fantastic horror audio drama that draws upon Egyptian Mythology. And stays incredibly faithful to the original sources.

There are some audio dramas I listen to that absolutely scream for me to review them. I know I have to get the word out as soon as possible. That way, everyone can enjoy them. Such is the case with Long Night in Egypt.

Long Night in Egypt follows four college students named Mo, Kayla, Jorden, and Pia. They are on vacation in Egypt to visit Mo’s aunt and uncle; a pair of renowned Egyptologists. It’s sure to be a trip filled with relaxation, visits to archeological sites, and maybe even a bit of partying. Then, Mo’s cousin Samira comes up with the idea to visit the Pyramid of Unas at night. Mo’s aunt and uncle are very firm that the Pyramid of Unas must never be entered at night. However, the students sneak into the pyramid anyway. They will soon discover that the myths and legends of Ancient Egypt might just be true after all. They will have to navigate their way thought the Egyptian underworld, and face numerous challenges, if they wish to survive their long in Egypt.

I always find myself returning to the gods and stories of Egyptian Mythology. I love the weird and wonderful animal-headed gods. I love reading about all of the spells and incantations Egyptian magicians created. I love the way that real Ancient Egyptian historical figures sometimes factor into the stories. I love Egyptian Mythology. The stories of Egyptian Mythology took me on magical adventures away from my mundane world.

We have had several audio dramas adapt or reinterpret Greek Mythology, but not really any takes on Egyptian Mythology. In fact, Long Night in Egypt is, thus far, the only audio drama I’ve encountered that utilizes Egyptian Mythology in a major way. Now, this was certainly an exciting discovery, but I had my apprehensions. I’ve had to endure far too many movies and television shows that played way too fast and loose with real mythology. Hey, I’m just saying. If the source material you’re incorporating is a hindrance to the story you want to tell, then perhaps you should write a different story. That, or find a mythology more agreeable to the story you want to make.

Sorry, I got a little distracted there. Getting back on track, I was cautiously optimistic, but I was fully prepared to be disappointed. I was combing through every episode with a fine-toothed comb. I was prepared to pounce at the slightest slip-up. I was particularly worried that Anubis and/or Set would be portrayed as Ancient Egyptian Satan. However, much to my pleasant surprise, I couldn’t find a single mythological misappropriation. In fact, I even learned a few things as a result of listening to Long Night in Egypt.

The main inspirations for this audio drama are The Pyramid Texts and The Egyptian Book of the Dead. The Pyramid Texts is one of the oldest surviving religious texts in the world. It is inscribed into the walls of the pyramids and burial chambers of Saqqara. And yes, that includes the Pyramid of Unas. The texts are a series of spells, incantations, hymns, and utterances that help the pharaoh to navigate the afterlife and ascend to godhood. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is much the same, but with different spells and writings. Also, the Book of the Dead was written on papyrus, not carved into stone.

The Pyramid Texts were completed in the Old Kingdom era, while The Book of the Dead wasn’t completed until the New Kingdom era. The characters do discover inscriptions from The Book on the Dead on the walls of the Pyramid of Unas. However, they do acknowledge this discrepancy, and wave it off as The Book of the Dead being older than previously believed. The Book of the Dead does drawn heavily upon The Pyramid Texts, so, this isn’t all that implausible.

We frequently hear characters, both mortal and divine, quoting passages from both The Pyramid Texts and The Book of the Dead. Oh, and that part where Unas consumes some of the gods to increase his power? Believe it or not, that is directly from The Pyramid Texts. That particular section is even called The Cannibal Hymn. See, this is why I’m such a big advocate for being accurate to the mythological sources. Oftentimes, the actual sources are way wilder than anything a modern writer might come up with.

Long Night in Egypt is a horror audio drama, and I like the approach it took to that. Unas isn’t portrayed as some monster who is bent on world domination. The main characters were warned not to go into the Pyramid of Unas at night, and they paid the price. Granted, they probably wouldn’t have believed the real reason they were to stay away. Still, their troubles are self-inflicted because they ran foul of ancient traditions, and disrespected the pyramid. Even without the undead pharaoh and the magic, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to go into a pyramid at night. It is bound to be dark, and you can get easily hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing.

I loved how the horror comes from the characters finding themself in a story straight out of mythology. I do tend to fantasize about going on urban fantasy mythology adventures. On the other hand, perhaps I should be careful about what I wish for. Such things might be fun to read about, but it might not be so fun to actually live though. Especially if you don’t have magical powers.

I seriously doubt we’re getting a season two of Long Night in Egypt. The ending is pretty conclusive. Still, there are a lot of other mythologies out there. There’s plenty of other myths that could be given the Long Night in Egypt treatment. Hint, hint, Violet Hour and Realm.

Have you listened to Long Night in Egypt? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-audio-file-long-night-in-egypt.html?m=0

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arthurdrakoni · 5 months

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Listen to The Books of Thoth on Spotify.

I recently discovered you can share a podcast episode directly on Tumblr like this. So, here is the first episode of my audio drama anthology The Books of Thoth. Oh, and keep an eye out. Episode two will be premiering in the near-ish future. But for now, journey 100 million years in the future. Come join some squids who are holding a paleontology conference regarding some human fossils.

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arthurdrakoni · 5 months

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New Fiction Podcasts - 18th November

Sected Audio Drama A British sitcom podcast about four incompetent souls trying to start their own cult. Can you create a new movement with no ideas, no philosophy, and a leader with the charisma of a plastic plant forgotten in a cupboard? They’ll certainly give it a go. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-02 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/sected

The Books of Thoth Audio Drama The god of wisdom holds many books with his great library. Unfurl the papyrus, and breathe in the ancient scent. Come with us as we explore the stories contained within The Books of Thoth. The Books of Thoth is an audio drama anthology podcast. You will explore tales of the past, the future, and even alternate realities. Every book in Thoth’s library has a story to tell. Let’s go find some, shall we? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-01 RSS: https://feeds.redcircle.com/6701d0b5-6b14-4b76-992d-02f391b5cf42

Theater of the Mind Presents: Retribution Audio RPG Retribution is a dark comedy/horror themed DND Podcast, set in our world. Join Melanie Kelly, Elliot Brandybain, Ulnok Vargr Johnson, James O'Brien, and Emory Lee, as they traverse the countryside and fight off evil. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231112-01 RSS: https://pinecast.com/feed/theater-of-the-mind-presents-r

The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen Audio Drama WINNER of BEST AUDIO FICTION at the Tribeca Festival 2023!! Raul's life in Hong Kong is thrown upside down when he discovers he can exchange letters with his favorite author, a woman in Paris who died thirty years ago. A nine part limited series, written and directed by Alex Kemp (The Imperfection, Modes of Thought) and produced by Wolf at the Door Studios. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-01 RSS: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/vwt

Out Cold Audio Drama A spooky anthology series produced by Julie Censullo and Sophie Nikitas. Put on your headphones and turn off your lights. Produced in Minneapolis, MN. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-03 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2260953.rss

An Office Workers Guide to Demon Hunting Audio Drama A new audio drama from Family Friendly Podcast. An Office Worker's Guide to Demon Hunting is a family friendly, comedy audio drama that centers around a team of filing clerks with a few tricks up their sleeves. They're on a mission to close the rifts between their world and the dimension of the demons, known as The Between. They meet some interesting people along the way, including a robot secretary, a demon filing clerk, Wallace, and all Seven Sins.As a family friendly production, this podcast contains no swearing (biblical or otherwise), explicit suggestions, or inappropriate content.This show is suggested for 12+ for mild violence and dark themes. Individual episodes may not be suitable for all ages. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-02 RSS: https://feeds.redcircle.com/f1bd8e19-75c0-412b-812e-b547f462fc6f

Feedback: a comedy of impeccable customer service Audio Drama Aspiring drag queen and Ring Wireless representative Akbar Shahzad (Qasim Khan) has a problem with his ex-boyfriend. Anxious mother Valerie LeVac (Rosemary Dunsmore) has a problem with her phone bill. Over a series of calls their lives will be changed by the brief but meaningful relationship that develops between them. Part mystery, part romantic comedy, Kevin Shea's FEEDBACK uniquely blends audiobook and audio drama to tell this strange, surprising, and darkly hilarious story. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231106-02 RSS: https://rabbit-cobalt-7bz2.squarespace.com/feedbacklistennow?format=rss

D&D: The Campaign Chronicles Audio RPG Join me and my friends as we go on this amazing adventure! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231010-09 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/eae300b8/podcast/rss

Rise of the American Griots Audio Drama When young Black teen, Nani, discovers she holds a gift that connects her to a long line of storytellers descended from her enslaved ancestors, she must quickly adjust to her new position in order to find a cure to an unknown illness rapidly spreading through the Black community. But with time not in her favor, can she rally enough support among new friends to save her family? And her people? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20221010-14 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/bf61636c/podcast/rss

Gnom, unser Audio Book Schräger kann Fantasy nicht sein. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-05 RSS: https://www.gugeli.de/feed/mp3/

Vorbereitung Optional | Der Indie-RPG One-Shot Podcast Audio RPG Ein wechselnder Cast von Freunden spielt unterschiedlichste Indie TTRPGs (Pen&Paper Games). Jede Folge ein anderes Spielsystem und eine andere spannende Geschichte! Meistens komplett improvisiert. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-03 RSS: https://pod.optional.page/@VorbereitungOptional/feed.xml

The Crime at Camp Ashwood Audio Drama Desperate to finally solve the decades-old cold case of her best friend’s murder, Margot Ingell returns to the scene of the crime. Will the discovery of a long-lost diary reveal the killer, or will the secret forever remain at the bottom of Camp Ashwood’s lake? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231031-14 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e50e5cb4/podcast/rss

Super Duper Boys: A Pathfinder Podcast Audio RPG Five idiots in a basement, four heroes save the world! We play pretend so you don’t have to. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-02 RSS: https://sdbpod.com/@sdb/feed.xml

Soul Operator Audio RPG Soul Operator is a multi-genre, multi-season podcast that can be described as an actual play-narrative fusion. The podcast was created with the intention of highlighting amazing solo ttrpgs that exist in the space by presenting their gameplay as a fleshed out story. Follow Tessa Whitlock as she navigates these strange new worlds, for better or for worse. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/7d820014/podcast/rss

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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The first episode of my audio drama anthology The Books of Thoth is out now.

Attention everyone, it has finally happened. I have launched the first episode of my audio drama anthology podcast The Books of Thoth. The first episode, Paleontology Lecture, is now available for everyone’s listening enjoyment.

The first episode is titled Paleontology Conference. 100 million years in the future. Humans are extinct and squids rule the Earth. They only know us from the fossils we leave behind. What will the squids make of us?

As you might guess, The Future is Wild was a big inspiration for this episode. I blame that show for igniting my love of terrestrial cephalopods. The All Today’s series of artwork was another big inspiration. I love the way it pokes fun at how our notions of prehistoric animals sometimes turn out to be very wrong.

The Books of Thoth has been a long time coming. I’m both nervous and excited. I admit that maybe there were a few things I could have tweaked. But after a certain point, perfect becomes the enemy of good. And so, I decided to release my audio drama into the wild for all to enjoy.

A big thank you to everyone who made this episode possible. Thank you to Marnie Warner, Amy Young, Faye Holliday, Juan Cruz III, Tiffany Perdue, and Melissa Bowens for providing the voices. As well as my thanks to Geno Samuel for providing the opening narration, and to Nadine Trollip for providing the series cover art.

You can find The Books of Thoth on all major podcast platforms.

The Books of Thoth is hosted on RedCircle: https://redcircle.com/shows/6701d0b5-6b14-4b76-992d-02f391b5cf42

I also made a webpage for The Books of Thoth. It serves as a hub for the official transcripts, the official Twitter account (@BooksofThoth), and provides links to everywhere you can listen to The Books of Thoth: https://booksofthoth.carrd.co

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature is an audio drama about a fictional ancient civilization, but told in the form of a college lecture course recording. This is my review.

Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature is presented as a series of recordings from a second year Literature and Classics class at Harbridge University. Anterra is a civilization discovered only six or seven years prior to the recordings. It dates back to over 60,000 years ago. This makes Anterra significantly older than any previous known civilizations. It was discovered when rescue drones were sent to recover a sunken Chinese submarine. The Chinese government has been rather secretive about archeological finds from the ruins of Anterra. However, some discoveries have made their way to the West. In particular, quite a few discoveries relating to the mythology and literature of Anterra. These finds offer a tantalizing glimpse into a civilization unlike anything that came after it.

We follow the class as they explore the fascinating mythology and archeology of Anterra. However, there’s something sinister lurking in the background. Many strange occurrences happen throughout the course. Could these mysterious happenings have something to do with Anterra?

At first, I thought that this audio drama would be like a fictional college course about xenoarcheology. That is, archeology applied to the past civilizations of alien planets. I assumed that Anterran referred to the Antares star system. But no, that wasn’t quite the case. However, what I got instead was just as good, if not better.

I hadn’t previously encountered an audio drama that took the from of a college lecture. So, this was a really fun change of pace. I am a history major. As such, I can attest that the dialogue, and the general presentation of the class, is very true to real life. I was frequently reminded of my own time in college.

The audio is done in such a way as to give the impression that it is a recording. We can hear the professor fairly well, but sometimes he’ll move around and get fainter until he comes back. We also don’t always fully hear the students, depending on where they are seated. Thankfully, we can get the gist thanks to the professor’s responses. The episode where a music professor comes and plays some recreations of Anterran music was a nice touch. It's one thing to talk about how unusual Anterran music was, but it is far more effective to actually hear how unusual it sounds.

Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature also has an amazing sense of atmosphere. Things start off normal, but there’s a sense that something is lurking in that background. That’s there something just a little off about everything. At first, it just seems like the usual incidental mishaps that might occur in a college classroom. A bit of water spilled on the floor, the lights going out, the professor having a sudden headache. But it all starts to add up after a while, and can’t just be dismissed as coincidence. There’s something going on, but what could it be? And what connection does it have to Anterra?

And of course the biggest strength of this audio drama is its worldbuilding. Anterran Mythology and culture have some very unusual features. For example, according to Anterran Mythology it was a human who created the gods, not the other way around. Anterra also had a ritual called the Idiot King. Basically, a child would be raised in an unground palace, fed and cared for, but never taught anything. Diviners would go to this idiot king during times of crisis, and interpret its will. Anterran culture places a lot of importance on ignorance and darkness.

And yet, Anterra also had some surprisingly progressive aspects. For example, children were referred to with gender-neutral pronouns until their coming of age ceremony, which is when they got to pick their gender. The caste system of Anterra was less of a tiered pyramid, and more of a pie chart. No one caste was necessarily better or worse than the other, and there was some degree of relative mobility within castes.

There’s still a lot of mysteries surrounding Anterra, and I can’t wait to explore them in future seasons. I’ve listened to several shows from Realm in the past, but this was the first that really and truly knocked my socks off.

Have you listened to Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-audio-file-modes-of-thought-in.html?m=1

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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Regina Prime is a science fiction audio drama, and the latest offering from Jessica Berson. This is my review.

Regina Prime begins in the form of an urban exploration vlog. We follow a woman named Regina who is exploring an abandoned research laboratory. Everyone starts of pretty normal, but then strange things begin to happen. It also becomes clear that Regina is hiding something. Or perhaps she’s being forced to hide something. Oh, but we aren’t done yet. Each episode is split between Regina’s adventures, and the happenings of another woman. Well, multiple women, and they all have very similar voices to Regina. These women have been kidnapped by a shadow organization that is seeking Regina Prime. Just what is going on here?

Regina Prime is created by Jessica Berson, who also created the audio drama @echoesinbetweenpod. It was an audio drama that was very much about slowly peeling back the layers of the central mystery like an onion. Regina Prime is very much cut from the same cloth. In fact, I’d argue that it is even more so. Most episodes of Regina Prime are only about half the length of a typical Echoes (in) Between episode. So, I had to be a bit coy with the summary.

Now, back to the subject of Echoes (in) Between. Those of you who read my review will know that I felt immense guilt for putting off reviewing Echoes (in) Between. This is due to the tragic way in which the show came to an end. To make a long story short, Jessica Berson had a pretty nasty falling-out with her production partner. It is highly doubtful a review from me could have prevented this. All the same, I felt bad after I learned about what happened. However, towards the end of my review, I also expressed confidence that Jessica would one day rise from the ashes like a phoenix.

My confidence was certainly not misplaced. Jessica has, in addition to Regina Prime, also started an anthology audio drama called Blue Rose Stories. I’m waiting til it has a few more episodes before I review that one. I will say that the episodes that Blue Rose Stories has out so far are really great.

I first became aware of Regina Prime when I got followed by the show’s Twitter account. I was very pleased to see that Jessica was making another serialized audio drama. I made a note that I was going to be proactive and not drag my feet this time round. I had to take care of a few personal matters first, but here we are now. It seems that Jessica is taking a back to basics approach with Regina Prime. As I have previously noted, the episodes are about half the length of a typical Echoes (in) Between episode. Jessica also provides the voices for all of the characters. She manages to give them all distinct personalities, and that’s no small task, given how similar most of the characters sound. As for why that is, well, that would be spoilers. One of the characters is a computer AI. Jessica considered using an AI voice for the role, but ultimately decided against it. She felt it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

Have you listened to Regina Prime? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-audio-file-regina-prime.html?m=0

#review #audio drama #audio fiction #Jessica Berson #Regina Prime #science fiction #sci fi #fiction podcast #podcast reviews #podcasts #podcast #mystery #thriller #suspense #audio drama recs #audio drama review #audio drama podcast #echoes (in) between #science fiction podcast

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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It took me a while to try The Call of the Void, but I’m glad I finally did. Come for the Lovecraft homages, stay for the compelling characters

Topher Sommers is a tour guide who works at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. He’s got a fairly good life, and is reasonably happy. Then his father, a prominent physics professor, disappears. Topher and his sister Simone try to retrace their father’s steps. This leads Topher to a palm reader named Etsy Delmen. She went to school with Topher, but he kind of forgot about her over the years. Etsy is hide a few secrets of her own. Topher and Etsy hit the road to retrace Mr. Sommers tracks, while Simone stay behind in New Orleans. Topher and Etsy are about to find more than they bargained for. They will discover arcane symbols, deranged cultists, morally questionable experiments, and eldritch horrors from beyond this universe. This is The Call of the Void. Stay tuned, stay sane.

I had known about The Call of the Void for a while. I’d seen it get recommended alongside shows such as Spaceships, The Strata, and Residents of Proserpina Park. The Twitter account for The Call of the Void even followed and unfollowed me a couple times. I did follow them back eventually, but I think I ought to explain my process. I don’t follow shows on Twitter until I have caught up with all available episodes that they have. It’s nothing personal, it’s just how I conduct myself. But it was also clear that The Call of the Void was trying to get my attention. Okay, it worked. You guys twisted my arm enough, and I gave the show a listen.

I sometimes get the feeling that shows follow me on Twitter in order to fish for a review. As such, I must repeat what I said during my review of We Fix Space Junk. If any of you who create audio drama would like a review, just be direct. You can message me on Reddit, or send me a direct message on Twitter. You can also comment on one of my many posts on r/audiodrama, or the other subreddits I post in. Or you can message me on Facebook; I'm active in the Audio Drama Lovers group and the Audio Drama Hub group. You can also message my Facebook fan page for this blog, Sam McDonald's The Audiophile. Point is, there's a lot of way to get in touch with me. The best way to guarantee that I'll review your show is to directly contact me. As you might have noticed, I'm more than happy to give any show a shot.

I’ll admit that horror investigation audio dramas aren’t really my go-to genre. Despite this, The Call of the Void managed to hold my interest for all three seasons. I was worried that things would move too slow, and both the mystery and plot would drag on. Thankfully, this was not the case. The plot moved at a decent speed. In fact, there were times when season one felt like it was moving a bit too fast. Fortunately, these pacing issues were smoothed out in seasons two and three. I was also intrigued by the references and connections to the Lovecraft Mythos. I am a fan of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Let’s see: incomprehensible eldritch horrors from beyond this universe, deranged cultists who worship said eldritch horrors, mysterious archaic symbols, academics driven mad by the eldritch horrors. I don’t know about you, but that all sounds pretty Lovecraftian to me.

Also, as someone from Louisiana, I’d be lying if I said that The Calling of the Void being set in Louisiana didn’t intrigue me. My dad’s side of the family is from throughout the greater New Orleans area. So, I’ve visited New Orleans on quite a few occasions over the years. While we’re on the subject, points for getting the pronunciation correct. Those of us from Louisiana pronounce it New Or-lense, not New Or-leans. I realize this makes no sense to non-Louisianans, but that’s how we pronounce it. Saying it as Or-leans is a good way to get yourself marked as a tourist. Also, points for remembering that Louisiana is divided into parishes, not counties. It is a legacy from our days as a colony of France and Spain, who were both Catholic nations. Louisiana is one of only two states that don’t use counties. The other one is Alaska, which uses boroughs.

As I noted at the beginning, The Call of the Void draws heavily upon the works of H.P. Lovecraft for inspiration. The Void itself wouldn’t be too out of place in a Lovecraft story. Even the way it factors into the plot of The Call of the Void evokes Lovecraft. H.P. Lovecraft came up with a pantheon of Great Old Ones with a very detailed mythology. However, the Great Old Ones usually don’t directly appear in Lovecraft’s short stories. They’re usually lurking just off-screen, for lack of a better way of putting it, and manipulating things from the shadows. The Void only directly appears a few times, but its presence is very much felt.

The main antagonist of season two is known as The Yellow King. This is an obvious reference to The King in Yellow. The King in Yellow was created by Robert W. Chamber. However, Lovecraft was a big fan of Chamber’s work, and incorporated The King in Yellow into the Cthulhu Mythos. Speaking of Cthulhu, I get the impression that the title of the series might be a reference to “The Call of Cthulhu.” Topher, Etsy, and the gang are also menaced by Night Gaunts at the end of season two, and the start of season three. Points for picking one of the more obscure Lovecraft monsters.

The Call of the Void bills itself as science fiction, but it’s really science fiction to the same extent that Stranger Things is. Though, this isn’t too surprising, given that the creators are big fans of Stranger Things.

Also, as a history major, a lot of Topher’s characterization rang very true. I haven’t been to the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, but I’ll be sure to fix that the next time I’m down that way. I’m tempted to ask if Topher Sommers is in just to see how the tour guides react.

Have you listened to The Call of the Void? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-audio-file-call-of-void.html?m=1

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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Season 2 of Age of Confusion both meets and exceeds the success of Season 1. This is my review.

I thought that season 1 of Age of Confusion was really unique. It is alternate history, but told in the style of a non-fiction history podcast. It is set in a world where President John F. Kennedy survived his assassination attempt. It follows the resulting changes to the history of America and the World.

From the opening of each episode we know that three things are going to happen: East Germany is going to invade West Berlin, RFK is going to be elected president in 1972, and the Apollo Program is going to go differently. Well, season 2 is the season where the other shoe drops for all these things and more.

Sean Munger built upon the success that he achieved in Season 1 and then surpassed it. I’m glad we finally got answers to the snapshots we see from the episode openings. Admittedly, some were more satisfying than others, but overall I was quite pleased with how things turned out. I also appreciated that we got to have more episodes set outside of America this time round. We got episodes set in Israel, China, and of course West Berlin. I also liked that we got an episode devoted to how pop culture changed as a result of the alterations to history.

Sean Munger is taking some time off before he commits to Season 3. However, based on how Seasons 1 and 2 turned out, I have full confidence that it will be absolutely amazing.

Have you listened to Season 2 of Age of Confusion? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-alt-hist-file-age-of-confusion.html?m=1

And if you need the review of season 1, that’s over here: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-alt-hist-file-age-of-confusion.html?m=1

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arthurdrakoni · 6 months

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Silly Old Bear is a delightful adaptation of the original Winnie the Pooh stories from A.A. Milne. It is great for both the young and the young at heart. This is my review.

I am a lifelong fan of Winnie the Pooh. I grew up with the Disney cartoons, and watched the video tapes constantly. Well, when I wasn’t watching Thomas the Tank Engine or The Tales of Beatrix Potter, of course. Though I’ve gotten older, there’s still very much a special place in my heart for Winnie the Pooh. So, naturally, I leapt at the opportunity to Silly Old Bear.

Edward J. Bear, known to his friends as Winnie the Pooh, lives in a house in the forest. He has many friends, such as Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Eeyore, and of course Christopher Robin. There’s lots of adventures to be had for a bear of very little brain. Pooh and friends will learn many lessons, and have many laughs, during their (mis)adventures. So, why not journey into the forest, and send some time with everyone’s favorite silly old bear?

One fine and blustery day on Twitter, I saw a tweet. It was one of those “these people you follow also follow this” sort of tweets. It was promoting an upcoming audio drama called Silly Old Bear. It was to be an adaptation of the original Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A. Milne. It was created by @saucymincks, who has created several other audio dramas, such as @seenandnotheardpod. There was only a trailer available, but I decided to give it a listen. It was love at first sound. The gentle, calming, whimsical music perfectly capture the spirit of Winnie the Pooh. That theme music always manages to put a smile on my face whenever I hear it. And then there was the actor who played the titular silly old bear. Ashley Hunt was obviously not copying the Disney version of Pooh, but my goodness, did he ever nail Pooh’s character. The entire trailer was less than a minute long, but I was sold. I eagerly awaited launch day.

The voice actors don’t attempt to copy the voice actors from the Disney cartoons. I suspect that this is done deliberately. That way, it helps to give Silly Old Bear its own unique identity. Well, that, and Disney’s legal team probably wouldn’t like it if Silly Old Bear sounded too similar to the Disney cartoons. The casting in Silly Old Bear also returns Winnie the Pooh to its British roots. The Disney cartoons used American voice actors, which has lead to the misconception that Winnie the Pooh is of American origin. To the contrary, it is quite British. In fact, A.A. Milne was considered one of Britain’s finest satirists and playwrights before he wrote Winnie the Pooh.

The cast of Silly Old Bear is a veritable who’s who of British audio drama voice actors. We have among many others, Sarah Golding as the narrator, Felix Trench as Rabbit, and Karim Kronfli as Owl.

Our title character is voiced by Ashley Hunt. He does an absolutely fantastic job of capturing Pooh’s child-like innocence and optimism. Piglet is voiced by Sophs Hughes, who uses they/them pronouns. They nailed Piglet’s nervous and perpetually paranoid demeanor. Their performance as Piglet was one of my absolute favorites of the entire cast. It was equal parts cute and hilarious.

And of course I must give praise Ethan Hunt, son of Ashley Hunt, as Roo. What can I say? He is just utterly adorable. I see a very bright voice acting future for young Ethan.

Silly Old Bear fills me with warm and fuzzy feelings, and always manages to put a smile on my face. It is an absolute joy from start to finish. It is an excellent audio drama for both the young and the young at heart. You certainly won’t want to miss it if you’re a lifelong Winnie the Pooh fan.

Have you listened to Silly Old Bear? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-audio-file-silly-old-bear.html?m=1

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arthurdrakoni · 7 months

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Season two of The Dial-Up is a worthy follow-up to season one. This time, the future comes calling.

Season one of The Dial-Up was short, sweet, but still an excellent audio drama. I was eagerly waiting to see what season two would bring. Well, the wait is finally over. Season two of The Dial-Up is here, and so is my review.

To recap, season one of The Dial-Up followed a tech support worker named Lewis. He wound up having an Internet phone call with a dude named Callum. Not too unusual, except that Lewis was in 2022, and Callum was in 1999. They chatted it up, compared their lives, and prevented a minor catastrophe from happening. Lewis decided, on Callum’s advice, to quit his dead-end job and go see the world. Unfortunately, money doesn’t last forever, and Lewis had to go crawling back to his old job. It sucks, but it pays the bills. Well, Lewis is having another cross-temporal conversation. Only this time he is chatting with a woman named Dana from 2052. Dana needs Lewis’ help to prevent a massive earthquake from striking Glasgow.

Philip Catherwood promised us a fantastic second season of The Dial-Up, and he certainly did not disappoint. I had wondered if something like this might happen. We already got a caller from the past. So, it would certainly make sense for the future to come calling.

Philip Catherwood allowed me to listen to the first two episodes of season two before anyone else. He only requested that I tweet out a spoiler-free Twitter thread about my thoughts. Philip did this because of my role helping promote The Dial-Up, and being a key listener. Thank you for that, Philip. Also, sorry that it took me so long to get this review out. I was working on some personal projects. Hopefully, said project will be out soon.

Craig McDonald Kelly returns for another fantastic performance as Lewis. I loved how Craig portrayed Lewis’ dorkier side now that he is in Callum’s shoes. Perhaps, Callum managed to rub off on Lewis. I must also give praise to Amy Alexander’s performance as Dana. You can see shades and echoes of how Lewis was in season one, but Dana has enough differences to make her interesting.

Now, with all the focus on the future, this season of The Dial-Up makes several predictions. I felt some were more on the mark than others. For example, we learn that Britain will be getting a space program in the future. Wait a minute, Britain already has a space program. It was founded back in 2010. On the other hand, I do think that climate change getting worse is a depressingly realistic possibility. Just look how many people refused to take Covid seriously. I also think the part about movie theaters not dying out, but significantly reducing in number, also tracks. Don’t know if eating bugs will become commonplace by 2052, but I certainly hope it does. Bugs are quite tasty.

Season two of The Dial-Up is a worthy follow-up to season one. I’m eagerly looking forward to what season three will bring.

Have you listened to season two of The Dial-Up? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-audio-file-dial-up-season-2.html?m=0

And if you haven’t checked out my review of season one, here’s the link to it: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-audio-file-dial-up.html?m=0

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