The Audio File: The Earth Moves

Some audio dramas last for numerous seasons. Some fizzle out after only a single season. That’s not even getting into serialized vs anthology vs hybrid. The point being, audio dramas come in all different shapes and sizes. The audio drama we’re looking at today clocks in at only two episodes, and slightly less than an hour in runtime. Still, as is often said, good things frequently come in small packages. We’re taking a look at The Earth Moves. 

Brent Ziff is something of a modern-day Howard Sterns. He runs an internet radio show where he interviews various callers. Inevitably, they are brought on so that Brent can make fun of them for being strange or otherwise unconventional. Tonight, however, it is Brent who will receive the jolt of a lifetime. Leo Short is calling into the show. Leo is a big fan of the show, and he has an equally big message. Leo has a strange superpower. He gets intense intestinal distress whenever a major natural disaster is due to occur. Leo explains it as being able to sense the movements of the Earth itself. Leo’s power tells him that tonight won’t just be one earthquake, it will be lots of them. Leo is trying to convince Brent to help him get the word out.

I first came across this audio drama while perusing the r/audiodrama subreddit. I was in the mood for something shorter, and I decided to give it a shot. I did very much enjoy The Earth Moves. I sometimes share what I’ve been listening to lately on the Twitter account for my own audio drama The Books of Thoth. Gideon Media, the creators of The Earth Moves, were delighted by my brief Twitter write up. They even followed The Books of Thoth. So, I kind of felt a bit like my arm was being twisted. And if that’s the case, congratulations, it worked. But, just a tip, the best way to get my attention for potential reviews is to take the direct approach.

So, a bit briefly about Gideon Media. They are an audio drama production studio. They are in the same weight class as studios like QCODE and Realm. Gideon Media has attracted some very big names. They’ve adapted the plays of Wallace Shawn into audio dramas. They’ve also been commissioned to make audio dramas for Audible, including one based on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The Earth Moves is a two-man show, but both of the leads carry it fantastically. Abe Goldfarb channels his inner edge lord as he portrays Brent’s devil-may-care, take no prisoners persona. At the same time, he doesn’t neglect Brent’s more human moments. He is really about to sell us on how Brent cares about his mom back in Minnesota. Brain Sillman starts Leo off as a dorky, but good natured, sort of guy. You can see why Brent might be hesitant to believe Leo at first. Ah, but then the tables turn, and Brain adds a bit more confidence to his performance as Leo.

In a way, The Earth Moves can be seen as a deconstruction of the disaster movie genre. Most disaster movies end with the heroes having survived the major calamity. Sure, the city, or nation, is in ruins. And yeah, they might have lost some pals along the way. But hey, they lived to tell the tale, and the future looks bright as the happy music swells triumphantly. Ah, but therein lies the rub. You see, most disaster movies end there because, well, they kind of have to. If they were to keep going things would be feeling a lot less triumphant and happy.

I was in middle school when Hurricane Katrina happened. My nuclear family lives in North Louisiana, but I’ve got family all through South Louisiana. My dad’s half of the family is scattered throughout the greater New Orleans area. I can remember seeing those images of the flooded city, but still not being able to grasp the scale of the destruction. All these years later, and I’m still not sure I can really comprehend just how bad it was. That’s not even getting into all the looting and rioting that happened after law and order broke down. I remember having family coming over to stay until things cleared up. I also remember having several classmates who were refugees from down south. What happened with the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas hits even harder now that I work at the Shreveport Aquarium. 

All these years later, and it still feels like we’re dealing with the scars of Katrina. I went through a lot of those same feelings when Hurricane Laura hit Lake Charles. My mom’s side of the family is scattered across that general area, but especially in DeRidder. 

The point being imagine that sort of destruction, but on a global scale. Oh, there would be some areas spared from the destruction. Particularly, the higher inland areas that avoided the tsunamis. However, Leo rightfully points out that the supply lines that keep the world running would be completely severed. Food shortage would be all but guaranteed. Ironically, so would fresh water. Hey, all that salty ocean water is sure to contaminate sources of freshwater. Medical supplies would also be an issue. Going back to New Orleans, we saw numerous displays of kindness and generosity among the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. However, we also saw that this altruism had its limits. Eventually, people are going to prioritize themselves, and their families.

And yet, The Earth Moves does not take a nihilistic view to all of this. Leo acknowledges how horrible things are going to be. And that’s exactly why he believes it is so important to get the word out. There won’t be anyone to swoop in and help the survivors. Therefore, the survivors must band together if they want to do more than just scrape by. I’m reminded of one of the Norse sagas. I can’t remember which it was, but there were a group of Vikings who didn’t believe in the gods. Or perhaps, viewed the gods as cold and uncaring. They knew they couldn’t depend on anything but their own strength. So, they banded together against the cruel and indifferent world. I see much of that same sentiment in The Earth Moves.

So, we have an audio drama that doesn’t sugarcoat the human cost of a global disaster. And yet, it paints an optimistic view of humanity’s survival, and ends on a hopeful note. There really isn’t anything for me to really critique about The Earth Moves. If I were to get super nitpicky, there is a scene where Brent watches a livestream of a right-wing rally in…Seattle. Uh, this was supposed to be our universe, right? Like, I’m pretty sure the Republican part of Washington state is on the other side of the Cascades. Like I said, an extremely minor nitpick, didn’t ruin the show in the slightest.

The Earth Moves isn’t just available as an audio drama. It was also adapted into a film, with Abe Goldfarb and Brain Sillman reprising their roles. I haven’t had the chance to watch it, but the trailer looked pretty good.

So, there you have it. The Earth Moves is a darkly comedic audio drama about a shock jock getting the shock of a lifetime. It deals in disaster, but keeps things surpassingly hopeful. It is short, but sweet, and well worth your time.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Truth: Part 2

Well, it seems that Part 2 of my review of The Truth came sooner than expected. If you’re looking for Part 1, you can find it over here. Now, before we dive on in, I wanted to address something. There were a couple times in the last review I came across as a tad harsh. I intended for these reviews to be a warts and all look at The Truth. Where there is good, it shall be given due praise. Where there is lacking, this will be duly noted. Personally, I think, when you look at it as a whole, The Truth got more right than it got wrong. Every ax has a few speckles, as Benjamin Franklin famously said. 

So, with all of that out of the way, let us continue our review of The Truth.

The first episode we’ll be looking at in this part of the review is “They’re Made Out of Meat.” It is adapted from the short story of the same name by Terry Bisson. It follows two aliens who…well, actually, we don’t get any physical description of them. The only thing we know for sure is that they definitely don’t look human. You see, they have discovered a mysterious planet known as Earth. The local intelligent life isn’t made out of energy, or plasma, or gas, or anything sensible like that. No, Earthlings are made out of meat! And they stay meat their entire lives!

I was familiar with the original short story, but this episode was still a lot of fun. When you think about it, it is kind of amazing that a lump of meat and fat can produce our complex minds. Oh, and just so you know, you probably used that lump of fat and meat just then. I suppose this is a humor solution to the Fermi Paradox. Just where are all the aliens? Well, we do tend to be biased towards ourselves. We assume that E.T. and company will be carbon-based meat sacks like us. But what if they turn out to be different? Perhaps we’ve been looking in all the wrong places.

This episode also includes an interview between Terry Bisson and Jonathan Mitchell. Terry said that this episode was probably one of the best adaptations of the story. I agree; this story doesn’t lend itself well to the visual mediums. Though, he did mention a short play a university did. The aliens were represented by lights on a stage curtain. That sounds kind of fun and unique. Also, apparently Steven Pinker and Sam Harris have used this story in their university classes. There was the part where Terry apparently didn’t know audio dramas are a thing, and Jonathan tried to politely correct him. I thought “Mr. Bisson, I’d love to give you some recommendations!”

All in all, an excellent adaptation, and an excellent interview. Two great episodes for the price of one.

Our second episode will be “Possible Side Effects.” This episode follows a guy named Joel. He’s been having stomach pain, but his doctor has put him on a wonderful drug called Intestilax. It has helped it, but it does come with a few side effects. Chief among them is that Joel is hallucinating the disembodied voices of three women named Kimmy, Tina, and Scarlet. Kimmy is the sweet and cutesy one, Tina is the sensible one, and Scarlet is the sexy one. They all love Joel, and want him to be the best version of himself possible. And Joel is equally fond of his special ladies. Unfortunately, Joel no longer needs to take Intestilax. Long term use can result in kidney failure, and his doctor isn’t keen on the whole hearing voices thing. Joel refuses to be without his girls, and will do whatever it takes to get a supply of Intestilax.

There have been times in my life where I would have loved something like this. Well, maybe not the parts where Intestilax turns out to be detrimental to Joel’s health. Still, having some voices that only I can hear, and who like me for who I am, might be fun. Though, as I type this, I realize that this all sound kind of like schizophrenia, which is a decidedly not fun disorder. I’m also reminded of how Son of Sam claimed to hear his dog talking to him, and then he killed all those women. So, uh, yeah, maybe I should think twice before indulging in the fantasies of this episode.

On a lighter note, Kimmy, Tina, and Scarlet were a lot of fun. I find it interesting that they reminded me a bit of the three personalities from The Three Faces of Eve. It could have been coincide, and it probably was, but it was just something I noticed. I suppose there’s an anti-escapism moral in this episode. Escapism can be a good and even necessary thing, but eventually we must face our problems head-on. Retreating too far into our fantasies can have negative results.

Possible side effects of this episode include: laughing, smiling, and listening to another excellent episode of The Truth.

Our next episode is “Sleep Some More.” It follows a college student named Dan. He is taking a literature class, and is really struggling. Then, one night, he hears his roommate Tom talking in his sleep. Tom’s sleep talking provides deep and insightful literary analysis about the various works that Dan has to write essays about. The only catch is that Tom bleeds when this happens. The more Dan exploits Tom’s sleep talking, the more Tom bleeds, and the weaker he gets. How far will Dan go to maintain his grades?

I admit I always kind of struggled with literature class. There were some bright spots during middle school. I had a good English teacher. What finally clicked was eleventh grade American Literature class. I had an excellent teacher, and I really loved how she incorporated history into what we were learning. It made me interested in learning more about the various great novels. Naturally, I became a bit of a popular resource among other students. Though, nobody ever tried to pick my brain while I was sleeping. Well, to my knowledge, anyway.

It is interesting how the action of the episode paralleled Tom’s insights into Dan’s assignments. Like Macbeth, Dan is conflicted towards the start of the episode, but he quickly made his choice. Like Dr. Faustus, that choice is an, albeit metaphorical, deal with the devil. Like Victor Frankenstein, he is more concerned with whether or not he can do something morally questionable, rather than if he should. Like Dorian Gray, he wears a mask of civility in public, and uses it to hide a rotten soul. Like Rodin Rashkolnikov, he is laser-focused on his life’s goal. Dan’s only concern about Tom’s failing health is how it will impact his dream of becoming Secretary of Commerce. 

The parallel with Gregor Samsa is especially interesting. Tom is Gregor, and Dan is Gregor’s family. Tom, albeit unknowingly, sacrifices himself for Dan. And yet, Dan is completely ungrateful. He never even considers stopping for Tom’s sake. He never thinks of revealing the truth to Tom, and perhaps getting his permission to continue. No, all Dan cares about is what’s in it for him.

But this brings us to the most important question of all: how far are you willing to go to listen to this episode of The Truth? To your podcast app of choice, that’s how far!

For our forth offering we have “Salamanca.” Our protagonist reminisces about a trip he took to Spain back in the 1980s. He had a wonderful time in Salamanca, especially when he met a beautiful woman named Emilia. An old legend says that if he can find the frog carved into the Cathedral of Salamanca, you will have good luck all year. Our protagonist certainly felt quite lucky in those gentle summer days. A dream come true, you might say. But a dream, no matter how beautiful, must come to an end eventually.

I have never been to Spain. However, I really wanted to visit Salamanca after I listened to this episode. I never felt like a travel ad. Although, Spain's Ministry of Industry and Tourism probably should have commissioned The Truth. Audio dramas can do wonders for the tourism sector; just ask Blum. Anyway, this felt like a sincere love letter to Salamanca.

The legend about the frog is indeed a real legend. It is also not the only notable site at Salamanca. There’s also a carving of an astronaut. Contrary to what the loonies on Ancient Aliens would have you believe, there’s a mundane explanation for this. The cathedral underwent renovations in 1992, and the astronaut was added as part of that. Along with other additions, such as a dragon eating ice cream.

This episode reminded me of a trip I took to Italy the summer before junior year of high school. I saw many wonderful things, but I also met Rebecca. She was another student on the trip, and we really hit it off with each other. We remained friends, and kept in touch. We thought about maybe being something more, but she had personal demons to sort out. In all honesty, so did I. Eventually, we got our shit together, but then she came out as lesbian. We still remained friends, and I did my best to be supportive, but things were always kind of awkward between us after that. Honestly, part of me wished we could be more than friends, even if I knew that could never happen.

Still, despite everything that happened, I’m grateful that I got to know Rebecca. I still treasure all the good times we had together. I’m reminded of what the protagonist’s Spanish papá says about the song at the end of the episode. I loved the bird, but if it was caged, it would not be a bird.

Come and take a wistful, slightly melancholy, auditory journey to Salamanca.

We’ll be changing gears as we take a look at “Justice Battalion.” Holy Silver Age, Truthman! This episode is an homage to Super Friends. We follow a noble group of heroes called the Justice Battalion. They are: Bright Star, Night Wolf, Captain Kilowatt, and Silicone Savior. The President is giving the State of the Union address. Among other things, he plans to ramp up the War on Drugs, repeal climate change legislation, and will increase production of fossil fuels. Bright Star has had enough, and murders the President on live television. The remaining members of the Justice Battalion must find a way to bring Bright Star to justice. But what does justice even mean in the modern world?

When I listened to this episode, I immediately thought of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The first thing I thought after finish this episode was “Wow, The Truth told a better story in thirty minutes than Zach Snyder did in two and half hours.” I don’t think this was necessarily meant as a response to Batman vs Superman. I detected the DNA of quite a few comics. The idea of the Superman analog going rouge, and embracing vigilante justice, brings to mind Injustice: Gods Among Us. However, the bit about a superhero killing the President, and the question of how far is too far in the pursuit of justice, brings to mind Black Summer by Warren Ellis.

So, now let’s sort out who is who. Bright Star is Superman, Night Wolf is Batman, Captain Kilowatt is Wonder Woman, Crying Clown is Joker, and Silicone Savior…hmm, I guess he’s vaguely similar to Red Tornado. This also extends to the performances the actors gave. Erica Schroeder sounded almost exactly like the Super Friends version of Wonder Woman. Billy Bob Thompson was channeling Mark Hamill’s iconic take on Joker. Marc Thompson was going for Christian Bale’s raspy Batman voice. And, of course, Graham Rowat nailed the announcer role.

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s another excellent episode of The Truth!

Our next port of call is “Mark the Creep.” We follow a man named Mark who has been dealing with some intrusive thoughts. He frequently has hallucinations about people getting angry at him over the slightest mistakes. He also occasionally has fantasies about intimacy, but he worries that this means he’s secretly a pervert. We follow Mark as he tries to navigate life and come to terms with his intrusive thoughts, and gain a sense of self-worth.

This was one of those episodes from the final season of The Truth. It was the worst of times, but it was also the best of times. There were increasingly more misses, but when The Truth managed to land a hit, they really knew how to knock it out of the park. Case in point, this episode. It is rare to see a work of fiction that captures my own struggles so clearly. Like Mark, I also frequently deal with intrusive thoughts, and fear that everyone secretly hates me and resents me. I have a tendency to assume the worst about interactions if I’m uncertain. Such tend to be the case when you’re on the autism spectrum. And yet there are plenty of times, probably most of the times, in all honesty, when things turn out perfectly fine. The other person isn’t angry or appalled at me, and I simply catastrophized things in my head. It’s probably the result of my anxiety and low self-esteem. I sometimes wonder if I might have undiagnosed OCD. I’ve got pretty much every other mental disorder.

This episode was a surpassingly realistic take on someone with OCD. Contrary to popular depiction, OCD isn’t about obsessively ordering everything. Rather, it is dealing with repeated unwarned intrusive thoughts. Basically, you fear that if you think about something bad for too long, you’ll eventually do that bad thing for real. This often leads to various coping methods. You know they’re irrational, but they’re the only thing that feels like it brings relief. Perhaps I need to be more like Mark, and learn some more self-compassion, and to cut myself more slack.

Like I said, this episode was a bright star during a turbulent time for The Truth. Keep that in mind as we get into the next review.

Speaking of which, we will now turn our attention to “Journey into Kalanu.” It follows a man named Richard. He has a strained relationship with his sons Brian and Zach. Still, he’s trying his best. He has taken them to a theme park centered around Kalanu. It is a science fiction franchise that…well, it’s basically Star Wars, with a smidge of He-Man thrown in. The author of the Kalanu book is pretty clearly George R.R. Martin. Anyway, Brian and Zach are big fans, but Richard just doesn’t get it. Richard decides to try out the park’s latest dark ride, and has a surpassingly good time. Little does he know he’s going to uncover the dark underbelly of the Kalanu fandom.

You know, I actually had hopes for this one initially. At the start, it seemed like the episode was going to be about Richard coming to appreciate Kalanu. He enjoys his trip on the dark ride, gets to know a Kalanu fan named Christine, and perhaps even becomes a fan himself. Now, doesn’t that sound like a great episode?

Unfortunately, that’s now how things played out. You see, Christine does not like the recent changes that have been made to the Kalanu franchise. She especially isn’t fond of the new character Rey Palpatine…okay, that’s not really her name, but she’s clearly meant to be Rey. Also, the company that bought Kalanu is pretty clearly Disney. Christine belongs to a conspiracy theory group that claims that the creator of Kalanu is being held hostage, and is being forced to make these changes. And what do they decide to do about this? Why, to set fires across the park, and commit other acts of domestic terrorism. Also, Richard’s sons support the arson.

I mean, wow, where do I even begin? What we have here is a massive strawman argument. Basically, you can either blindly consume everything in a franchise without any criticism, or you can be a domestic terrorist. We never see a character who doesn’t like the current direction of Kalanu, but expresses it in a sensible way. Given the lack of nuance, it’s pretty clear what the message is here. Especially given the connection between Kalanu and Star Wars.

There’s certainly a double standard whenever fandoms do stupid shit. If it’s a fandom that skews male, the media immediately pounces on it, and declares a moral panic. If it is a fandom that skews female, completely crickets from the media. True, this episode does has Christine as the main fanatic. But just ask any woman who openly admits to not liking the Star Wars sequel trilogy about their experiences. Odds are, they’ve been called a pick-me, or get accused of having internalized misogyny. So, no, this episode ain’t off the hook.

So, what do I mean about the double standard? Well, there was that fan artist who got harassed by the Steven Universe fandom because she, supposedly, drew some characters too light-skinned and a smidge too thin. Poor girl tried to take her own life, and thankfully failed. Hell, even the Steven Universe creators had to step in, and tell people to knock it off. And what was the response from the media? Silence, complete and utter silence.

There was also the shipping wars within the Voltron fandom. Further proof about how hardcore shippers really need to get a life, and maybe some meds. Death threats being sent left and right, the creators having to tell everyone to knock it off. And then there was that one person who threatened to link storyboards of the new episodes unless their favorite ship became canon. Naturally, Studio Mir quit giving out tours of the studio after that stunt. But once again, nary a word from the media.

I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. The message of this episode might as well be “Don’t ask questions, just consume product. And then get excited for next product.”

It isn’t like we can’t poke fun at fandom excess. William Shatner’s “Please Get a Life” sketch is one of my favorite Saturday Night Live sketches. The Animaniacs also had a similar sketch that I enjoyed. But both of those felt like they were coming from a place of good faith. It also help that they weren’t trying to lecture their audience. Both traits being something this episode sorely lacked.

What else can I say? Two thumbs way down. Easily one of the worst, if not the worst, episode of The Truth.

We shift gears slightly to have “Breakfast in Wartime.” We follow a struggling comedian named Liz. She’s been trying to break into the big times, but her fellow artists are being unsupportive. Liz wants to be apolitical, and just have a good time. However, the other artists think are should have important messages, and speak truth to power. In fact, they’re all involved in a protest for…well, actually, the episode never says why they’re protesting. So, Liz brushes them off, and lands a gig as a comedian for Fox News/The Daily Wire. She has to decide how long she’s willing to ignore the events around her.

There was an idea here, but it just never came together. I feel that this episode got yanked out of the oven too early, and didn’t have chance to bake properly. The biggest problem is that we never find out why exactly Liz’s friends are protesting. Now, granted, as we saw with “Journey into Kalanu” this could easily go rather poorly. On the other hand, it is very hard to care about them if we don’t know what they’re fighting for. I also felt Liz got a bit of an unfair shake. Not all art needs to have a profound message. Even the most seemingly trivial piece of art can have significance to everyone. It is easy to get emotionally burned out, and sometimes you just need an escape. There is nothing wrong or evil about that. It is important to have an emotional release valve. Doing that could be Liz’s supporting her friends in her own way.

So, while this episode had potential to be good, it just never came together. Perhaps another round of revisions was in order.

We’ll finish this installment with “Naughty or Nice.” It follows an elf named Spark. He works at the Naughty and Nice division of Santa's workshop. He and his coworkers sort all children onto either the Naughty or Nice list. Lately, however, more and more children are winding up on the Naughty list for misdemeanors. Something's going on, and Spark is going to get to the bottom of it.

This was a really fun episode. Of course, in order to discuss it we're going to have to talk about the twist. Why are so many children getting coal? Santa is in bed with the coal industry, that's why! You'd think he'd be concerned about global warming, due to living in the Arctic and all. Maybe he has enough magic where it wouldn't be a problem? In any event, Santa was well-written, and seemed believably nice before the big reveal. I love these stories that give a more technological edge to Santa's workshop and its employees. Also, great sound editing to make the actors playing elves sound convincing.

A fun, slightly satirical tale that I'm sure you'll enjoy. This one is on the nice list.

And with that, we wrap up Part 2 of our look at The Truth. Don’t worry, this is not the end of my review of The Truth. I fully intend to make a Part 3 at some point. I’ve got a feeling that there will also be a Part 4 sooner or later. So, be on the look out for both of those.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Truth: Part 1

Where do I even start with this one? This is another review that has been long overdue. Perhaps a bit too overdue. This one was a true cornerstone of the audio drama community. Doubly so for those of us on the anthology side of things. It is still kind of surreal that they are actually gone. But we aren’t here to mourn their passing, but to celebrate their life. What else is there for me to say? I’m Sam McDonald, and today we’re taking a look at The Truth. 

The Truth is an anthology of nearly 200 episodes spanning a wide variety of genres. It billed itself as movies for the ears, and it certainly lived up to that description. Now, it is true that quite a few audio dramas fit that description, but you have to consider the context that The Truth occurred in. The first episode of The Truth premiered way back in 2011. The indie audio drama community was still very much in its infancy. Fiction podcasts tended to be short story readings like StarShipSofa or Lightspeed Magazine. If you were lucky, you might get something like The Drabblecast, with music and sound-effects added to the mix. The Truth was a full-cast show, performed rather than read, and with immersive sound-effects and music.

The Truth was an anthology in the purest sense of the word. Each episode was a new present to unwrap. It spanned multiple genres and styles. The early years did tend to be a bit more experimental in terms of material. I had the opportunity to chat with series creator Jonathan Mitchell. Jonathan described these early episodes as scenes rather than stories. True, they are certainly shorter than later episodes, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Each of them was like a snapshot into a different life, and they were certainly memorable snapshots. I’m not the only one who is of this opinion. Many episodes from this era of The Truth were featured on various programs such as All Things Considered, Weekend America, Planet Money, This American Life, and Studio 360. Eventually, the need to pay the bills came knocking. So, the episodes began to favor longer stories in order to provide more space for ad breaks. Now, some people say this was the era when The Truth went into decline. Personally, I strongly disagree. There were still many quality episodes being produced.

The real decline, ironically, was around the time The Truth celebrated its tenth anniversary. Well, maybe not entirely ironically. I have noticed that many anthology podcasts tend to start going stale around the ten year mark. It was at this point the misses started to outnumber the hit. Now, to be fair, there were still a few diamonds in the rough. That being said, it was clear that the writers’ well of inspiration was starting to run dry. The episodes also increasingly had the same feel to them. The decline of The Truth didn’t come with a bang, but with a whimper.

It is certainly sad that the curtain has finally fallen on The Truth. No show can last forever. Eventually, if you smolder well past your time, you will see a steady decline in quality. In the immortal words of Harvey Dent, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I certainly hope that The Truth is always remember for what it was, rather than the decline it saw during its final season.

And that, my friends, is what this review is all about. We are going to celebrate The Truth in all its myriad ways. From those early “snapshots of a life” episodes, to the more full-length episodes. We will also look at a few less than stellar episodes. They can make for a good teaching moment about what not to do.

Now, a bit of clarification before we move forwards. I’m doing what I did with my review of Campfire Radio Theatre. I’m going to give it a good start, and then periodically update it with more reviews. Anthologies always take more out of me than serialized shows do. I have to analyze and weigh the merits of each individual episode. This can take a fair bit of time, and you might imagine. I will also not be reviewing the episodes in chronological order. One of the beauties of anthologies is that you can listen to the episodes in any order that you please. As such, I apply the same principle to this review.

With all of that being said, I’m Sam McDonald, and this is The Audiophile’s review of The Truth.

The first episode we’re taking a look at is “Moon Graffiti.” We start things off with an alternate history piece about the Apollo 11 mission. In this story, The Eagle comes in for a crash landing on the Moon. The lander’s capsule is damaged in such a way that it can’t launch into orbit. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are stranded on the Moon until their oxygen runs out. After that, they will go down in history as the first men to die on the Moon. They take their remaining time to chat and muse about the nature of life and mortality.

This was the very first episode of The Truth ever, and they certainly started out of the gate strong. As you might imagine, the alternate history premise piqued my interest. This scenario was very much a concern during the real Apollo 11 mission. In fact, President Richard Nixon had a speech prepared just in case Armstrong and Aldrin became stranded on the Moon. The speech is actually read at the very end of the episode. The actor sounds nothing like Nixon, but he certainly captures the emotion of the speech. Ironically, there was a memorial to the victims of the Apollo 1 fire included with the other equipment on the lander.

What would it be like to experience such a stroke of bad luck? You are stranded hundreds of thousands of miles from home with no hope of rescue. You can see death slowly, but surely, creeping towards you. I try my best not to think too much about death, but the thought proves rather intrusive. I don’t know how I would like to die, as I would very much not like to die at all. But I’m also keenly aware that the reaper will claim me sooner or later.

Yeah, there are a lot of implications on how such a disaster would impact the Space Race. However, this episode is presented as a very intimate story about two men complimenting their own imminent mortality. I am of the opinion that this was absolutely the right move.

“Moon Graffiti” was an excellent start for The Truth.

Our next episode is “Eat Cake.” It follows a woman named Elizabeth who is participating in her favorite Valentines Day tradition: baking a coconut cake for herself and going to a movie of her choice. It's been a thing with her ever since she broke-up with her boyfriend a few years ago. She's just received a phone call from a mysterious man named Brian. Apparently, he calls random people in hopes of having someone to talk to. He's sweet, if a tad socially awkward. So, they decide to meet at the movies.

So, what's the trick? Where is the twist? No trick here, and no twist either. Brian really is exactly what he seems to be. He's a genuinely kind-hearted guy, and he and Elizabeth have a great time. They initially hit it off over their shared love of coconut cake. Elizabeth's former boyfriend didn't like coconut cake, so she rarely got to eat it. A true pity; not enough people appreciate coconut cake. Still, at least she has Brian now.

What else can I say? “Eat Cake” is really cute and I utterly adore it.

The third episode we’ll be looking at is “That’s Democracy.” Jeffery Mohr is a high school social studies teacher. He’s going through a rough patch in his life. Still, he’s determined to give his students an excellent lesson on Direct Democracy vs Representative Democracy. He has brought a gun with him to class. He challenges the students to elect a representative. This representative will select one person from the class to be killed. The students will have the opportunity to debate and persuade the representative about who to pick. They must choose wisely. For if the students fail to pick someone, Mr. Mohr will kill them all, and then kill himself.

A lot of people say “That’s Democracy” is the best episode of The Truth. I’m not sure if that is the case. There’s simply too many great episodes to choose from. However, it is certainly one of the most memorable episodes. The episode started off as a part of a Halloween episode that The Truth made for PRX. However, due to the rise in high profile school shootings, PRX got cold feet about the plot. However, the team behind The Truth didn’t want their hard work to go to waste. And it was thanks to that hard work that we got an excellent episode.

In a way, this episode is about the classic thought experiment of The Trolly Problem. Of course, it is easy to act moral when everything is hypothetical. It is quite another story when the knife’s literally at your throat. Or the gun at your head, in this case. I’m a bit reminded of the classic Twilight Zone episode “The Shelter.” It isn’t as well known as other classics, such as “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”, but it is very much worth looking into. It hits on many of the same themes as “That’s Democracy.”

“That’s Democracy” is also notable for having been adapted into a short film. It is the only episode of The Truth to hold this distinction. The short film follows the plot of the episode almost exactly, baring a couple minor differences. It is an excellent short film. It was certainly interesting to see an audio drama be adapted into a different medium.

No matter the medium, “That’s Democracy” is very much worth experiencing. If you haven’t done so already, of course.

Next up, we have “Do You Have a Minute for Equality?” This episode follows a young woman named Kate. She’s a professional activist of a sort. She goes around collecting donations for various social causes. And yet she doesn’t really give too much thought at the causes themselves. One day, while collecting donations, she meets a prosthodontist named Arnold. He doesn’t have any money right now, but he’ll be sure to give her a big donation if she comes to his house. What could possibly go wrong?

I have many social causes I feel strongly about. I admit I could be a bit of a firebrand in my younger days. And yet, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve also grown more cynical towards activists. Particularly, those who make a career of being professional activists. I sometimes feel such people do fare more to harm the causes they claim to support. I also often feel there are those who are only in it for the attention. That, or so they can claim unearned moral superiority over others.

Kate claims to be fighting for voters' rights, but is totally unfamiliar with the major cases relating to that cause. To their credit, the writers certainly make Kate flawed, but not a strawwoman. I will say, however, that I felt that the ending was darkly comedic in a way. Suppose I related to Arnold somewhat. Oh, and remember that Halloween special I mentioned earlier? Well, “Do You Have a Minute for Equality?” was one of the segments included in that special. And don’t worry, we shall get to the other segments in due time.

No, I don’t have a minute for equality. But I do have a minute to say that we’re four-for-four when it comes to great episodes of The Truth.

For our fifth outing, we have “Brain Chemistry.” This one follows a man named Richard. He was cryogenically preserved, but he’s been revived. The future isn’t quite what he expected. Oh, climate change is a bit of an issue, but the people are nice enough. Unfortunately, Richard, and others like him, could only be revived as a brain in a jar. He spends his days as an exhibit in a museum. He tells visitors, usually kids on field trips, about what the 21st Century was like. One day, he meets another cryonically preserved brain named Casey. Richard hasn’t had much to look forward to in a long time, but Casey lights up his world. They might be a couple of brains in jars, but they’ve got serious chemistry.

We already discussed how I often have morbid thoughts about death. I have entertained the idea of cryogenics as a way to cheat death. It sounds nice in theory, but is there any hope that it could actually work? I’d like to think so, and yet I can’t help but feel that is far too optimistic. Still, I suppose you never know. What would it be like to awaken in a brave new world of the future? There are many people who choose only to have their heads frozen. The thinking is that future science will be able to provide entirely new bodies for them. Of course, what if the future isn’t a better place? Even if not dystopian, perhaps the future is different in a way you might find enjoyable.

I do value my mind, but I’m not sure if I could handle being a brain in a jar. It is nice to take a stroll around the neighborhood every now and again. It is especially hard on Richard. He used to be a mountain climber. Still, any hardship is easier to shoulder when you have people you love and care about you.

The ending was absolutely fantastic. I won’t give it away, but I loved how Richard gains a new perspective on life. The ending where he asks the kids to tell him about their lives, rather than the other way round, and the way the music was woven in so beautifully. It was just such a wonderful ending.

And yet I’d be lying if I said this episode wasn’t somewhat tainted for me. The Truth wanted to do something special during their tenth anniversary. So, they allowed listeners to audition to be interviewed about an episode they loved. I picked “Brain Chemistry” because it was the first episode of The Truth that I ever listened to. I poured my heart out in the application. There were only five slots, but I was selected. I did my best to be extra sure I was prepared for my interview with Jonathan Mitchell. We had a really good time chatting, but wouldn’t you know it, Jonathan forgot to press record. So, we had to do the whole thing all over again. I was mentally exhausted from giving it my all, and as a result, I sounded like a total dumbass the second time round. But I was assured that all was well. So, I patiently waited for the big day to come. It felt like I was going to get some validation for helping to promote quality audio dramas.

Alas, this was not to be. The big day came, and I received an email. The Truth couldn’t make my interview work, but they hoped I understood. I was crestfallen, but I listened to the episode…which featured five interviews. Apparently, Jonathan had done seven interviews. It would seem there was a lack of planning with the tenth anniversary special. He says he wanted to include them all, but he wanted things to flow well. And if that meant cutting interviews, then so be it. In his view, it would be no different than cutting an actor’s scene from an episode. 

Well, in my view, I felt like The Truth was spitting in my face, and didn’t even have the decency to call it rain. But I bit my tongue, and wished everyone a happy tenth anniversary. But I’m not holding my tongue anymore. I would expect a certain degree of professionalism, or at the very least planning, from an audio drama like The Truth.

Look, I get that Jonathan was probably being sincere. I get that he had good intentions, but you know what they say about the road to Hell. What The Truth did was an absolutely shitty thing to do. Especially how they waited til the day of to let me know. It didn’t completely ruin The Truth for me, but it was still a pretty serious black mark against them. If there was a possibility that the interview would be cut, well, you should have been more upfront about that. You could have at least tried to schedule a do-over. Just saying.

Well, anyway, let’s move right along.

The next episode is “Fish Girl.” It follows a girl named Win who has the ability to talk to fish. She befriends a porcupine pufferfish named Jane. Jane lives at an aquarium store, but longs to see the ocean. Win can’t do that, but she can take her down to the pond. Safely in a plastic bag, of course. It’s sure to be the adventure of a lifetime for them both.

Many of you know that I work as an edutainer at the Shreveport Aquarium. I inform and entertain the public about the animals; especially the touch pool animals. As it happens, we also have porcupine pufferfish. His name is Potato, and he is very cute. We also have a green spotted pufferfish named Bean. He is also extremely cute, if a bit shy. As such, this episode has become entertaining in a whole new way. I loved how real fish fact got woven into the story. Pufferfish have extremely powerful jaws, and can snap snail shells and clam shells in half like crackers. And yes, most fish will happily eat themselves into obesity if given the opportunity. Also, Eddie the store owner is right, don’t tap the glass. It sounds very loud to the fish. I admit that I don’t have the ability to understand fish. However, I do often talk to the fish as though they were people. That’s pretty common among aquarium workers.

Now, “Fish Girl” is all in good fun. However, I should point out that, in real life, it is important not to anthropomorphize animals. Don’t worry, the fish you see in aquariums are not longing to be in the wild. In fact, they have no clue they aren’t in the wild, and are most likely being well cared for. Their biggest concern is about what’s for lunch. I only mention this due to having dealt with my share of loony animal rights activists while on the job. It’s an occupational hazard, but thankfully they tend to be few and far between.

This was an episode that has gotten even better with age. It is also one that I happily recommend.

Our seventh episode is “Mall Santa.” It follows a longtime mall Santa named Al. He's growing increasingly disillusioned with the cheeriness of the holidays. However, he's about to have an encounter with an amateur Santa that just might help him rediscover the magic of Christmas.

It is cliche, but true, that giving is better than receiving. There is a certain magic that can be found in helping your fellow man. This magic isn't exclusive to the holidays. It can be found any time of the year. I think that's really the take away from this story. You don't have to move mountains to make the world a better place. Spare some time for those who need someone to talk to, and perhaps could use a few kind words.

This episode might be Christmas themed, but it plays well no matter the time of year.

Like I said before, this is just the initial foundation. I will be returning periodically to review more episodes of The Truth. In fact, I think I’ll have to split things off into a part two. So, be on the lookout for that at some point. But until then, I hope you have enjoyed our little look at The Truth. I certainly hope I’ve inspired you to check it out. It was movies for the ears, it was a shining star to other anthologies, it was a tapestry of genres. Above all else, it was The Truth, and it will be missed.

I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: Blum

Audio dramas can be found all over the world. I’ve always been particularly interested in what the audio drama community outside the Anglosphere is like. Unfortunately, the only language I speak is English, and this can be a major stumbling block. However, sometimes I get lucky, and the stars align just right. And by that, I mean a non-English audio drama gets re-released in English. Such was the case with the audio drama we’ll be reviewing today. We’re taking a look at Blum. 

Blum follows a university student named Emma Clark. She has traveled to Switzerland to research an artist named Ursula Blum. Ursula Blum was a painter who lived during the early 20th Century. However, she was also a composer, and dedicated her life to researching the possibility of using music for healing. She was involved in a lot of esoteric groups and secret societies. In particular, Blum was intrigued by the concept of the Music of the Spheres. Emma isn’t the first person to research Ursula Blum. Five years ago, another student named Clara Torres disappeared while researching Blum. Emma is determined to find out what happened to Clara. She’ll also do whatever it takes to discover Ursula Blum’s secrets.

I had known about Blum for quite some time. As is often the case, it first got on my radar when I was pursuing the r/audiodrama subreddit. I was intrigued, but then I saw that it was only available in Spanish. Blum is produced by the Spanish audio drama production company El Extraordinario. However, there was a potential silver lining. If it made the weekly roundup list, then maybe, just maybe, an English version might arrive someday. Time passed, but eventually my faith was rewarded. However, I got tied up with requested reviews, so I couldn’t listen right away. But then I finally got a gap in my schedule.

I share what I’ve been listening to every other Sunday on the Twitter feed for my own audio drama, The Books of Thoth. Naturally, one Sunday I mentioned I had listened to Blum. El Extraordinario was happy to hear this, and I promised them I would give a full-length proper review of Blum when I have a chance. And so, here we are now.

I have a degree in history. I spent my freshman year at a liberal arts college. It didn’t work out, but eventually I found myself at LSUS, where things turned out better. I bring this up, because Blum really tapped into that feeling of being a liberal arts major. The liberal arts are fairly interdisciplinary. History, music, art, literature, philosophy; no matter your major, you’ll get a bit of everything eventually. So, like the protagonist of a Marcel Proust novel, I felt enveloped by a strong sense of remembrance for my own days in university.

The scenes at St. Gallen’s Monastery were particularly fun. Learning about the musical notions that medieval monks used took me back to my days in Music Appreciation and Music Theory. Though, I also admit I got excited because one of the segments in Agent of Byzantium took place at St. Gallen.

Blum is quite possibly one of the best tourist ads for Switzerland I have ever encountered. I really wanted to go visit Switzerland after I listened to Blum. This, of course, is very much by design. Blum was commissioned by Switzerland Tourism in hopes of attracting more visitors for Switzerland. However, it never felt like I was listening to an ad, or any sort of product placement. It is very clear to me that series creators Manuel Bartual and Carmen Pacheco have a deep, and genuine, love for Switzerland and Swiss culture. That love is stitched into every aspect of Blum, and the audio drama is all the better for it.

But that’s not the only area where love shines through. This is, ironically, felt the most in scenes where sounds are absent. There was clearly a great amount of care put into the sound design of Blum. Emma often finds herself in various museum galleries. There is a certain ambiance to these scenes in how they are quiet in a specific way. I have spent much of my life exploring museums and art galleries. As such, I’m well acquainted with the sounds of such buildings. These scenes were recorded in actual galleries to properly capture this ambiance.

But, of course, Blum is certainly no slouch on the other end of the spectrum. One of my favorite scenes is in the first episode. Emma talks about how music and religion have been intertwined for centuries. We get a montage of music being using in religious ceremonies from around the world. It was a very well crafted sequence; felt like something out of a non-fiction podcast. On that note, Blum really nailed the true crime investigation vibe. Each episode opens and closes with a bit of classical piano music. There’s also a few more bit of classical music liberally sprinkled through the audio drama.

I must also take a moment to praise the voice acting. Emma’s voice actress did an especially good job. There were a couple time she pounced certain words more along the lines of British English, even though Emma is supposed to be American. Make me wonder if the voice actress might not be American. But if that is the case, she did an absolutely amazing job of maintaining the accent. Come to think of it, Clara was pretty much the only Spanish character in the entire podcast. I wonder if, perhaps, Emma was from Spain in the original Spanish version of Blum. Whatever the case, it never felt like anything had be lost in translation. There was clearly effort put in to ensure the English version of Blum would live up to its Spanish predecessor.

Okay, I want to choose my words carefully for this next part. I want to make sure nobody misconstrues what I’m saying here. Blum reminds me very much of a Dan Brown novel, and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. Look, I’m aware that Dan Brown has a bit of a bad reputation. Yes, he often gets pretty significant facts wrong in his novels, and maybe his novel aren’t exactly high literature. But that man knows how to write a page-turner. If nothing else, he got me interested in the various artists he mentions in his books. Another big appeal of his books is that, for lack of a better way of putting it, they are travel porn. They are often filled with loving descriptions of various European cities. I always wanted to travel and see the world, and Dan Brown’s novel let me indulge those fantasies. Thankfully, I did eventually get to visit Italy, and I even got to see all the places mentioned in Angels & Demons when I was in Rome.

Blum evokes that same sense of wanderlust with its lovingly detailed descriptions of Swiss cities. It also incorporates art and classical music into a plot about solving a mystery. However, unlike Mr. Brown, the writers stayed true to actual facts and history. So, you get all the good parts of a Dan Brown novel, in audio format, but none of the downsides. For example, Ursula Blum is an entirely fictional character. However, she was inspired by several real life artists and musicians.

Speaking of the mystery, just what is the Music of the Spheres? We have known since Ancient Greece that all music can be converted into mathematics. But what about the reverse? Can math be turned into music? There have been attempts to translate the orbits of the planets into music. Under the Ptolemaic Model, the planets were believed to occupy different celestial spheres, hence the name Music of the Spheres. But what if it goes deeper than that. What if there is a music written into reality itself? This appears to have been the opinion of Ursula Blum and the various esoteric groups she belonged to.

Okay, now comes the part where we have to get into spoilers. So, turn back now if you don’t want any of that.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

If everyone who wants out is gone, let’s get into it.

So, as Blum progressed there were hints dropped that Emma was poking into things better left alone. I got some cosmic horror vibes. Perhaps there was something Lovecraftian afoot? Would it turn out to be something that mortal minds weren’t meant to comprehend? Something that would drive Emma into madness?

Well, I suppose that it is a matter of perspective.

You see, Emma does uncover the music Ursula Blum had been researching. It turns out to be incredibly beautiful. So beautiful that it makes Emma feel as though she is flying. So beautiful she can see the connection that binds everything together. So beautiful that she completely fails to notice that she jumped out a window.

I was reminded of my own short story “Chain Reaction.” It is about a man who goes crazy and starts a religion based around rollercoasters. He has a very similar experience where the rollercoaster god shows him the connections that bind all things together. The rollercoaster explains that it can’t show him this too long, or he might forget to eat and drink.

Well, as they say, great minds think alike. I thought the big reveal was very well executed. I liked the way it explored that concept of pantheism. It is the idea that everything within the universe contains a spark of divinity. Or, to put it another way, that the universe itself is God.

Blum was an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish. It appealed to my inner liberal arts major. It was like taking an auditory vacation to Switzerland. It was a great introduction to the world of Spanish audio drama. I cannot recommend it enough. You should listen to it as soon as possible.

I certainly hope this means we might see more El Extraordinario audio dramas getting translated into English. I also hope we might see audio dramas from other parts of the world getting translated. Perhaps, even some English audio dramas getting translated into foreign languages. But whatever the future holds, I’m glad that the world of audio drama is ever expanding. It is great to see more countries joining the party.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Books of Thoth: Starshot

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. You guys should know by now how much I love Residents of Proserpina Park. So, I was awesome to have Angel as part of The Books of Thoth.

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 initiate 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 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. 

The Audio File: Campfire Radio Theatre

Hmm, how do I begin this one? This has been a long time coming. I definitely should have gotten to this one a lot sooner than I did. That’s certainly a recurring theme on this blog. This one was a major part of my journey into the world of audio drama. So, without further ado, here it is at long last. We’re taking a look at Campfire Radio Theatre.

Welcome, friend. Have a seat by the fire. Make yourself comfortable. Campfire Radio Theatre is a horror anthology audio drama created by John Ballentine. I first became aware of it when Jordan Harbour mentioned Campfire Radio Theatre on an episode of his podcast Twilight Histories. I figured that Campfire Radio Theatre must be good if Jordan was recommending it. Sure enough, I discovered a wonderful horror anthology. Campfire Radio Theatre is proof that good things come to those who wait. What it lacks in frequency of uploads it more than make up for in quality. John Ballentine has assembled a very talented team of voice actors. Keven Hartnell, the series composer, always produces some excellent spooky music. And, of course, the writing is almost always fantastic.

So, a bit about how I’m going to approach this review. I’m not actually going to review all of the episodes in one go. I’m going to treat this as though I were reviewing an audio drama such as The Program Audio Series or The TEMP. I will give it a good start, and then periodically update it with more reviews. Anthologies always take more out of me than serialized shows do. I have to analyze and weigh the merits of each individual episode. This can take a fair bit of time, and you might imagine. I will also not be reviewing the episodes in chronological order. One of the beauties of anthologies is that you can listen to the episodes in any order that you please. As such, I apply the same principle to this review.

Now that we've got all of the housekeeping out of the way, let’s start the review in earnest.

The first episode that we’ll be looking at is “Death and Alchemy.” This episode takes place in London during the Victorian Era. We follow a scientist who has developed a serum that he claims can restore the dead to life. He wishes to test the serum on the corpse of a recently deceased girl. He is sure that this experiment will put him in the history books. Little does he know how terribly correct he is, but not for the reasons he thinks.

This was the very first episode of Campfire Radio Theatre I ever listened to. Jordan Harbour recommended this episode in particular. John Ballentine returned the favor and ran a promo for Twilight Histories at the end of the episode. “Death and Alchemy” is based on the short story “The Doctor in the Dungeon” by Patrick Moody. I quite enjoyed this episode, so I’ll have to track down the original short story. “Death and Alchemy” really captures that feeling of a gothic horror story from the Victorian Era. The horror coming from a scientist probing into things man was not meant to know. 

Getting to see a zombie apocalypse unleashed upon Victorian Britain was certainly fun. I’m an alternate history enthusiast, and this episode certainly appealed to that side of me. I also liked how it drew a bit upon real history as well. Real medical schools in the Victorian Era often acquired corpses, via illicit means, for their dissection classes. There was quite a lucrative trade in grave robbing.

All in all, and excellent introduction to Campfire Radio Theatre.

Next up, we’re taking a look at “The Dentist.” This episode follows a woman named Sandra who has become a dental assistant for a dentist named Dr. Stewart. He offers his services at a very reasonable rate. In fact, he’s still the most popular dentist in town. But there’s something a bit odd about him. Dr. Stewart always insists on using gas to relax his patients for their procedures. All of his patients seem a bit off after they’ve received their procedures. The secretary is also very secretive about patient files. Dr. Stewart is hiding something, but what could it be?

This episode is another adaptation. Specifically, it was adapted from the episode of the same name from the Canadian radio series Nightfall. It was a horror anthology from the CBC that ran during the 1980s. You can find all the episodes on YouTube, and I certainly recommend that you do. Nightfall is an excellent series, and I’m glad that Campfire Radio Theatre introduced it to me. This episode was an extremely faithful adaption. I listened to the Nightfall version, but I think I prefer the Campfire Radio Theatre version. Not that the Nightfall version was bad, but I found myself comparing the performances to the Campfire Radio Theatre version. 

Again, they weren’t bad, I was just used to the Campfire Radio Theatre version. John Ballentine actually got permission from Bill Gray, the writer of the Nightfall episode, to adapt “The Dentist.” I personally don’t consider dentists to be scary, but I know that many people do. Still, the big revelation of the episode certainly managed to send a chill down my spine. It was also lovely to hear Julie Hoverson from 19 Nocturne Boulevard as Eveline the receptionist.

Another excellent adaptation, and another excellent episode.

For our third offering we’re examining “Demon Eyes.” We follow an FBI special agent named Sara Gowan. She must locate the victims of a serial killer named Wesley Morrow. Morrow is slated to be executed soon, and Sara is racing against the clock. However, Morrow has given Sara a pair of glasses, but not just any glasses. These glasses allow those who wear them to see the demons that walk among us disguised as humans.

This was the first episode of Campfire Radio Theatre ever produced. It was certainly a strong start to the audio drama. John Ballentine has admitted to being a big fan of John Carpenter. I bring this up because I can definitely see some influences from the movie They Live in this episode. Still, John Ballentine manages to put his own spin on things. For example, there isn’t really any commentary on social issues like consumerism. And the antagonists are demons, not aliens. Then there was the big reveal at the end of the episode…which would be major spoilers if I were to talk about that. I will say that I did not see it coming, but I absolutely loved it.

We have bowled a turkey as far as great episodes of Campfire Radio Theatre.

Our fourth fearsome offering is “The Rites of Autumn.” We follow a grandfather teaching his grandson all about various Halloween festivities and traditions. It starts off innocently enough, but there’s clearly something sinister lurking just beneath the surface.

This one is kind of hard to talk about without spoiling the ending. True to the title, this one does have a very autumnal feel to it. Makes for good listening during the Halloween season. Then again, so does the rest of Campfire Radio Theatre. The actor who played the grandpa did a fantastic job. You could tell there was something sinister about him, but he never tips his hand until the big reveal. Although, during the pumpkin carving scene, I certainly had a feeling that knife was going to be carving more than just pumpkins. Oh, and be sure to stick around after the credits. There’s a fun little gag segment at the very end, along with a very catchy song. Not much more spoiler-free stuff to add here. Well, beyond to say give this one a listen.

Our fifth freighting episode is “The War of the Worlds.” This one adapts H.G. Wells’ classic novel, but with Campfire Radio Theatre’s own unique twist. It takes the form of a series of cellphone recordings. We follow a young lady as she tries to survive the Martian invasion of Earth, and avoid their dreadful war machines. She thinks that she has found temporary refuge from the invaders. Little does she know that aliens aren’t the terrors she should be looking out for.

This episode really surprised me. I was not sure how John Ballentine was going to pull-off “The War of the Worlds” in only thirty-seven minutes. John took the right approach here. This isn’t a straight adaptation of The War of the Worlds. Rather, it is a story that happens to be set in that particular world, for lack of a better way of putting it. I also really loved the angle this episode went with. Sure, the Martians are a threat, but it is your fellow humans that you really have to watch out for. The War of the Worlds has been a big part of the audio drama world ever since Orson Wells’ famous broadcast back in 1938. That is why October 30th is World Audio Drama Day. I’m glad to see Campfire Radio Theatre paying its own homage to that famous broadcast.

This episode was certainly a pleasant surprise. It is also certainly one you should listen to.

The sixth episode that we’ll be examining is “Monster’s Game.” It follows a young man named Rob who has been struggling with schizophrenia. He has been listening to true crime podcasts, with Monster’s Game being his favorite. However, he’s been hearing something strange lately. There’s a voice in his headphones calling itself Mathias, and it claims it can save Rob’s sanity. There’s just one small catch: Rob has to commit murders, particularly strangulations, under the guidance of Mathias. Is Rob just hallucinating, or might Mathias be more than just a voice in Rob’s head?

Ah, so we’re getting metafictional with this one. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that the voices in my head from podcasts have faces that go with them. In a way, this episode almost seemed to be about what happens when those parasocial relationships go a bit too far. Well, there is also the wrinkle of the main character’s mental illness. It was kind of funny, I kept thinking about how everything reminded me of Son of Sam. Then, the characters all started talking about Son of Sam. I also sense themes about true crime podcasts. Specifically, the ethics of them, and the questions how far some podcasters are willing to go for a good story. 

Of course, I’m hardly a true crime aficionado. So, I can’t comment on this particular aspect too much. Also, this episode was kind of retroactively amusing. Rob is voiced by Bobby Gaglini, who is now far more famous as Will and Otto from Spaceships. Don’t worry, this does not undercut his performance in the slightest. “Monster’s Game” is another winner.

Our seventh dervish delight is “Desecrate.” It follows Jen, Brent, and Holly. Jen and Holly have been best friends since childhood, and Brent is Holly’s boyfriend. Holly is into all things occult, and wants to contact the spirit of Philomena Tillman; a woman accused of witchcraft. Holly plans on doing this using an ouija board in the graveyard Philomena is buried in. She hopes to uncover the truth behind Philomena’s story. However, Jen and Brent have a few secrets of their own. They’ve been having an affair, and they fear that Holly will find out. Specifically, how she will react.

This one is a little hard to review. Oh, it is an excellent episode, make no mistake of that. However, this is really one of those episodes it is best to go into knowing as little as possible. There are a lot of twists, turns, and revelations in this one. I will say that all of the actors did a fantastic job. The actress who played Holly did a particularly good job. Holly is described as being Goth Barbie, and certainly sounds the part. There’s some other bits of acting I could mention, but that’s getting into spoilers. The point is, “Desecrate” is another excellent episode. You should listen to it as soon as possible.

Our eighth aural offering is “The Master’s Hungry Children.” This one is set in Romania during World War II. We follow a group of Nazi soldiers who have arrived in a rural Romanian village. The villagers are wary, but not because of the Nazis. They speak of movement in the shadows, and creatures that stalk in the night. In particular, the villagers warn of one known as The Master, and his vicious children. The Nazis scoff it of as merely the ramblings of ignorant peasants. However, it soon becomes clear that these are no mere superstitions. The Nazis will soon come face to face with vampires.

I get the feeling that some people might not like this episode. It does have a certain campy quality to it. The set-up of Vampires vs. Nazis sounds like something out of a B-Movie. But you know what? I like B-Movies, I like vampires, and I enjoy camp. It was fun to have an episode set during World War II. Also, the actors make the smart choice to play the premise completely straight. This episode, despite its B-Movie feel, certainly had way better writing than a typical B-Movie. “The Master’s Hungry Children” won’t be to every listener’s liking. However, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I encourage you to give it a try as well.

And so that is every episode of Campfire Radio Theatre that I have reviewed thus far. Like I said, this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list. I wanted to start us off with a good foundation, and I will periodically review more episodes as the mood strikes me. I hope that it is clear by now that Campfire Radio Theatre is a frighteningly fantastic horror anthology audio drama. John Ballentine and his team have created something special. Proof that good things truly do come to those who wait. I certainly hope that you will give Campfire Radio Theatre a listen as soon as possible.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Flag of the Union of Sovereign Republics

This is the flag of the Union of Sovereign Republics. It comes from a world where the government of the Soviet Union discovered the plot by hardline Communist Party members to stage a coup. The leaders of the planned coup were arrested, and this meant that the New Union Treaty was signed into law. The Soviet Union reorganized itself into the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. The first wave of reforms were somewhat modest, but they allowed for capitalism, and investments from foreign businesses, to make inroads to the USSR. This provided a much needed shot in the arm to the Soviet economy. This led to a weakening of the independence movements among the constituent republics of the USSR.

Economic reforms soon lead to political reforms. Genuine opposition parties were allowed to run starting in the late 1990s. This led to a weakening of the Supreme Soviet, and by the mid 2000s, the USSR had transitioned into a full democracy. Its name officially changed to the Union of Sovereign Republic to better reflect this new nature. Thus, the Cold War came to a somewhat anticlimactic end.

The Union of Sovereign Republics emphasizes devolution of powers. The national government handles matters of international diplomacy and national defense. Meanwhile, the constituent republics are given considerable leeway. They can declare their own official languages, establish their own educational systems, establish their own legislative assemblies, and pass their own internal laws. The national constitution also holds all constituent republics to be equal, and protects the rights of minority groups. The USR is working towards redressing the grievances the Soviet Union committed against non-Russian ethnic groups.

Relations between the USR and the USA are fairly friendly and cordial. The two nations have increasingly collaborated over the years. For example, they collaborated on a joint manned mission to the Moon in 2015. Surprisingly, there’s even talk have having the USR join NATO. However, that’s on hold at the moment.

China has not fared well in the 21st Century. The Chinese economy is in shambles. Western businesses never really invested in China. Most international production facilities are instead located in the USR and India. China is plagued by political unrest, and government crackdowns are increasingly common. China relied on Russia to keep America in check. However, the increasing closeness of the USR to America has sent Chinese leaders into a panic. The USR and USA are watching China with increased wariness, particularly after China’s invasion of Vietnam in 2019.

Time will tell what becomes of this. For now, however, the Union of Sovereign Republic enjoys economic prosperity and a high standard of living. For the first time in a long while, things are looking up for the peoples of Russia and Central Asia.

The blue doesn’t have any official meaning. Though, some take it to mean that the same blue sky is shared by all members of the Union of Sovereign Republics. It also contrasts with the red of the old Soviet flag. The eight bent poles represent the equality of all the constituent republics of the USR. The white is to offset the blue, and make the flag look a bit less like the old Soviet flag.