The Audio File: Observable Radio: Season 1 (Part 2)

I don’t really have an introduction to add. So, I’ll get straight to the point. Welcome back to my review of Observable Radio. We’ll be covering episodes 9-15 in this review. If you’re looking for Part One, which covers episodes 1-8, it can be found over here. With all of that out of the way, let’s checkout some more radio transmissions from alternate universes. 

Episode nine is “Fathom Under.” It is set in a world where there has been wide scale ocean colonization. Millions of men and women live and work under the sea. It has been discovered that there is quite a bit of water located beneath the sea floor. The global water crisis has been solved. However, there is something else lurking beneath the subterranean ocean. Something absolutely massive, and something that isn’t pleased with humanity’s meddling.

Oh, well what do we have here? Ah, this is a kaiju episode. The Showa era Godzilla movies were a big part of my childhood. I didn’t so much walk, as much as ran, when Pacific Rim came out in theaters. I am still pissed about how Pacific Rim: Uprising turned out, however. I was very pleased to see references to both Godzilla and Pacific Rim in this episode. Ah, but do I detect some other kaiju references? I also see hints of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, and The Kraken Awakes. Yes, this episode is a fine vintage indeed. Not much more to say. Just a good solid fun kaiju episode.

Very much recommended for all you kaiju fans, and lovers of other giant monsters.

Episode ten is “Best Minds.” It takes places in a seemingly idyllic world ruled over by an A.I. known as Salom. Every year, a select group of students are chosen to attend a very special academy. You have to be among the best and brightest in order to be selected. At the end of term, the students will personally get to contribute their knowledge to Salom. Allen will soon be making his contribution to Salom, but he’s beginning to have second thoughts.

This episode is another anti-A.I. parable. Albeit, one that takes a more allegorical approach to the subject than “Large Models” did. One of the arguments against A.I. is that it steals the labor and knowledge of the lower classes for the benefit of the wealthy and powerful. It also see hints of classic science fiction short stories. I get some notes of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” Salom is more or less powered by forsaken children; or rather, teenagers, as the case might be. I also see echoes of “Examination Day.” The theme of doing well on a big test actually being to one’s detriment.

Overall, not a bad episode. It didn’t get me excited the way “Fathom Under” did, but still a fairly solid episode.

Episode eleven is “Earworms.” It is set in a world where Earth is experiencing a visit from an alien race. They come in peace, and they really do seem friendly. They are small wormlike beings. Small enough to slip in your ear. But don’t worry, they only want to be your guide, and provide you with some helpful advice and companionship. However, not everyone is convinced of the aliens’ intentions. Some people claim that the aliens are actually an invasion force. One which humanity has welcomed with open arms. But it can’t happen here, can it?

The first thing that came to mind when I listened to this episode was Animorphs. Or rather, the basic set-up of Animorphs, but without superpowered kids swooping in to save the day. Well, save the day, and deal with deep-seated psychological trauma as the result of being child soldiers. Yeah, Animorphs is to kids books what Neon Genesis Evangelion and Attack on Titan are to shonen anime. However, as it was as I was writing this review that I realized there was another influence. This episode clearly draws from the miniseries V. It also deals with aliens who present themselves as friendly, only to later turn out to have not benign intentions for humanity. And yes, it too followed a resistance cell of humans.

Come to think of it, many episode of Observable Radio are tributes to other works of fiction. “Cattle Drive” draws heavily on Soylent Green. “As Below” is a self-admitted prequel to The Time Machine. “Fathom Under” is a kaiju sampler platter. None of this is meant as a criticism, merely an observation.

I can say, completely, of my own volition, that this was another fine episode of Observable Radio.

Episode twelve is “Bloodwork.” It is set in a world where vampires rule over humanity. However, it isn’t as bad as you might imagine. Humanity has experienced an unprecedented era of prosperity and harmony. The only thing the vampire ask in exchange is that humans offer a small blood donation every month. However, not all humans are happy with this state of affairs. There are whispers that humanity are merely slaves to the vampires. Sure, the donation of blood is low now, but what if the vampires decide to raise it? We follow a resistance cell of humans who are plotting to overthrow the vampires.

There are several people who consider vampires something of a cliché. I, however, am not one of those people. I found this episode to be delightful. You don’t typically see too many vampire dystopias. Usually, you get vampires hunting humanity like animals. So, it was a breath of fresh air to see the vampires establishing a Vichy regime. Speaking of dystopia, this episode has even stronger V vibes than “Earworm” did. I guess, in this case, V is for Vampires, rather than Visitors. I also liked seeing cameos from famous vampires such as Dracula and Carmilla. And then there was that ending. Wow, I actually kind of found myself rooting for the vampires. It was just so impressive how they were three steps ahead of the resistance cell.

See, it turns out vampires don’t need to drink blood, and they aren’t immortal. The names are, basically, titles passed from vampire to vampire. Most of the blood they collect is used in agricultural feed, iron and nutrition supplements, or sold back to hospitals. I bring this up because the plan of the resistance was to infect the blood supply with prions. So, they only wound up hurting their fellow humans. George S. Patton famously described Erwin Rommel as a magnificent bastard. I’m tempted to say the same of these vampires.

Now, granted, this does raise some questions. Do vampires have any differences at all from standard humans? Are the vampires really just humans who tricked the other humans into serving them? Pretty impressive if that’s the case, but it’s more fun if the vampires really are vampires. I know this episode had an anti-capitalism slant to it, but it also feels a bit muddled. The monthly blood donations are mandated by the people running the government, and there is no way to opt out of them. So, in other words, taxation. Now, I’m just spitballing here, but I’m pretty sure Cameron Suey is not a Libertarian. However, muddle message or not, this still remains one of my favorite episodes of Observable Radio.

First we got a wonderful kaiju send-up, then we got a vampire dystopia. How is Observable Radio going to top this one?

Episode thirteen is “Palimpsest.” It all began in the 1860s when a comet passed by Earth. Before that, only psychics and mediums had the ability to communicate with ghosts and spirits. After the comet, everyone gained the ability to see and hear the dead. At first, it was a time of great rejoicing and celebration. The living were reunited with their dearly departed loved ones. Slowly, however, things began to change. The psychics and mediums began to get overwhelmed by increasing visions of the dead. Decades past, and with their passing, humanity’s collective clairvoyance grew. Soon, people could see the spirits of animals, but then the spirits of plants began to manifest. What if the visions never stopped? What if humanity gained the ability to see the spirits of every living organism all at once?

How would Observable Radio top “Bloodwork?” Quite well. Quite well indeed. If I absolutely had to pick a favorite episode of Observable Radio, it would have to be “Palimpsest.” I looked it up, and a palimpsest is a manuscript that has evidence of previous writing still on it. You know how when you erase something and you can still sometimes see the outline of what you wrote? That’s an example of a palimpsest. So, I suppose you could say that ghosts are a form of spiritual palimpsest.

I have never encountered a ghost apocalypse story before. Certainly not one anything like this. So, this episode was even more of a breath of fresh air than “Bloodwork” was. I also liked the alternate history aspects of this one. Queen Victoria is far less dour now that her beloved Prince Albert has been returned to her. In our world, she spent the remainder of her life in mourning after Albert died. Meanwhile, the American Civil War ended earlier due to ghosts from both sides pleading for the war to end. Though, I do wonder if anyone listened to what the Black ghosts had to say.

In a way, we are living on top of a graveyard. Ninety-nine percent of all species that have ever existed have gone extinct. It might be cool to get to see spectral dinosaurs, and other extinct creatures. And it would be nice to know that death is not the end, and that there is something on the other side. It would also be nice to see my dog Wolfie and my cat Tiger again. Of course, not being able to see anything due to all of the ghost bacteria would definitely take a lot of the shine off of all that.

There really is not enough I can say about what an absolutely fantastic episode this was. I recommend it in the strongest possible terms.

Episode fourteen is “High Strange.” This episode follows a group of meddling kids who find themselves in a strange town. The town is in the middle of the desert. It is a place where the rules of reality seem to be out to lunch. So, yeah, this episode is basically a crossover between Scooby-Doo and Welcome to Night Vale.

This episode wasn’t bad per se. The idea of a Scooby-Doo/Welcome to Night Vale crossover was a fun concept. However, given the incredibly strong string of preceding episodes, it is hard not to see this episode as a bit of a let down. It doesn’t help that the plot is interspersed with the plot of the finale. The final two episodes deal with Observer and Trapper. As previously mentioned, Observable Radio failed to make me care about the Observer segments. So, it was kind of hard to get invested in the finale.

Now, let me elaborate a bit. Out of Place was an audio drama that took a similar approach; an anthology with a recurring meta plot. The difference, however, is that it made me care about Andrew the Archivist and his personal life. The Observer segments sound like the ravings of a madman, and I couldn't make any sense out of them. As such, I just couldn’t get too invested in the Observer. So, maybe listen to “High Strange”, but skip the two-part season finale.

I don’t want to end this review on a sour note. So, I’ll briefly talk about some of the other offerings from Observable Radio. Cameron Suey has been sharing some bits of his other fiction during the wait for season two. He has published these stories across the internet under different pseudonyms. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I’d listened to one of them before.

“Thaw” follows an astronaut who has been put into cryogenic preservation for a space mission. However, he wakes up to find that something has gone terribly wrong. I had listened to this story on the creepypasta channel CreepyPastaJr. I was pleasantly surprised when the story started playing. It was like meeting an old friend that I hadn’t seen for years. Though, in hindsight, it is unfortunate that CreepyPastaJr is how I know of “Thaw.” He and CreepsMcPasta both got busted for attempting to solicit underaged fans of theirs. But, at least we now have another audio recording of “Thaw.”

I was also quite fond of the story “Sick, Or, The Algorithm.” It follows a man who is being poisoned by a powerful man. The power man has an equally powerful algorithm, and hordes of loyal followers, he can use to help eliminate our protagonist. But the protagonist isn’t going down without a fight. He’s going to get an untainted meal; even if he has to resort to…unconventional methods to do so. This story was almost like a bizarre superhero origin story. Something more along the lines of V for Vendetta. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how the protagonist would outwit the powerful man.

Season two of Observable Radio is going to take a different approach. It will be a single self-contained story told across the season. It is set in the near future, after everyone on Earth has had a vision of an apocalypse involving a solar flare. It seems we will follow a different person each episode, and how the vision has impacted their lives. So, something along the lines of The Phone Booth or The Program Audio Series. Whatever the future holds, I’m excited to see what Observable Radio will do next.

So, there you have it. Observable Radio is an anthology of radio transmissions from parallel universes. It is a fine mix of horror, science fiction, and a bit of alternate history. Tune in if you dare, and I certainly hope that you do dare.

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

The Audio File: Observable Radio: Season 1 (Part 1)

As many of you know, I got my start on my audio drama listening journey with anthology shows. There’s something magical about having each episode be a new present to unwrap. Each story a new adventure to begin. I suppose it was fitting that I also began my audio drama production journey with an anthology. And as I’m sure you have gathered by now, we shall be reviewing an anthology today. We’re taking a look at season one of Observable Radio. 

Observable Radio is presented as a series of radio transmissions from parallel universes. Each episode covers a different universe experiencing, if not an apocalypse, then something rather unpleasant. We have a universe dealing with a kaiju invasion. There’s a universe undergoing a ghost apocalypse. There is one where AI has gotten out of control. There’s even one were The War on Christmas has a far more literal meaning. At the beginning and ending of each episode we get some commentary from Trapper or the Observer. They are…well, actually, let’s put a pin in that for now.

As with many things, I first became aware of Observable Radio thanks to the r/audiodrama subreddit. However, they significantly boosted themselves on my radar by listening to my own audio drama The Books of Thoth. Observable Radio recommended The Books of Thoth alongside several other audio dramas they’d been listening to. So, I decided to return the favor by listening to Observable Radio. I’m happy to report that I give them a recommendation as well. Observable Radio is created by Cameron Suey, and performed by an ensemble of actors and actresses.

Observable Radio reminds me a lot of another audio drama I enjoyed: Out of Place. Particularly the second seasons of Out of Place; which also dealt with apocalypses from across the multiverse. Though, Observable Radio is more conventional style audio drama; in the sense it doesn’t rely as much on narration and after action reports to set the scene. Not that there's anything wrong with the latter approach, mind you. Merely an observation on my part.

Now, on that note, there’s something Observable Radio and Out of Place have in common. I couldn’t review Out of Place without getting into serious spoilers. And the same is very much true here. So, if you don’t like spoilers, consider this your first and only warning.

With that out of the way, let us begin.

We’ll start with a brief word about Trapper and the Observer. I have no clue what was going on there. I could never make heads or tails of what they were saying. It was cryptic to the point of being incomprehensible. Also, I felt the show failed to make me care about those bits. I found myself drumming my fingers during those parts and thinking “Get to the good stuff already!” Let’s be real, the transmissions from the parallel universes are the true stars of the show; as they rightly should be. Thankfully, you can ignore the Trapper and Observer segments and you won’t miss out on anything. Well, the season finale will make no sense, but we’ll get into that.

We shall start with “A Night Indoors.” This episode that place in a world that seems to be presently stuck in the 1940s. We start off with a typical American wartime broadcast, big band orchestra and all. However, there is something sinister lurking in the background. And something is about to go very wrong.

There was technical proficiency here. Observable Radio did an excellent job of mimicking the style of a 1940s radio broadcast. However, the writing left something to be desired. What was the message here? Don’t idealize the past? Nostalgia is evil? Was there even a message, or are we trying to subvert expectations. This was, I think, not the best foot Observable Radio could have put forward. But I felt perhaps there was potential for this audio drama. So, I decided to give the next episode a go.

The second episode is “Cattle Drive.” It takes place in a world that is has been experiencing a food shortage. The Barnyard Flu decimated the poultry and pork supply, but cattle industry has never been better. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. Joseph Clay is a whistleblower who has uncovered a major scandal within the cattle industry. He is currently on trial, and the outcome will have major ramifications for the cattle industry.

I admit, I really wasn’t sure about this episode at first. Initially, I assumed it was going to have an annoyingly preachy pro-veganism message. I’d already been burned by an episode of Wrong Station that suffered from that problem. The technical aspects of “Cattle Drive” were as good as ever, but I was prepared for my eyes to flying out of their sockets from all the rolling.

Then the ending came, and it changed everything. You see, there are two types of twist endings in fiction. The first is the big mystery everything has been building towards. This is sometimes referred to as the J.J. Abrams Mystery Box School of Writing. Such endings can certainly be fun, but they kind of diminish the re-reading/re-listneing value of the works that use them. The second type, however, is one that recontextualizes everything that came before it. These sort of endings increase the re-read/re-listen value of a work. The most famous example of this is Tyler Durden and the narrator of Fight Club being the same person.

The ending of “Cattle Drive” is the second variety. I thought back to how the episode mentions cattle, but never uses the words beef or cow. You see, Soylent Green is people, and so are cattle. Observable Radio had been on the ropes up until this point. I was seriously considering dropping the show. That ending, and how it completely recontextualized everything that came before it, is what convinced me to stick with the show. This was the point the writers officially had my attention, and I had a better idea of what they were capable of.

Sure, there are some nitpicky things I could say. For example, humans would make a pretty horrible food source due to our high caloric requirements. But you know what, I’m willing to overlook it. If the story is good and holds my attention, I can forgive less than plausible plot points.

All this to say, “Cattle Drive” get two huge thumbs up from me. This is the episode you really want to start with for Observable Radio.

Episode three is “Large Models.” It takes place in a world where everything is run by A.I. They deliver food, they run the power grid, they handle emergency services, and of course they produce entertainment. Everything was working perfectly, up until it didn’t. The AIs began to malfunction. Food stopped being delivered, blackouts went unfixed, and society came apart at the seams. We follow a man named Mitch. He is desperate to find other survivors in the desolated wasteland that used to be Los Angles. He has been communicating with a woman named Hope. She claims to know where other survivors are. But hope can be a dangerous thing when you live in desperate times.

Okay, admittedly, I figured out the twists about halfway through the episode. I’m sure you probably have as well. It is often said it is the journey, not the destination, that counts. I don’t completely agree with that. The Mystery Box, as previously mentioned, is an example where not even the journey can salvage the ending. However, I do agree with the sentiment overall. And the journey with “Large Models” was certainly worth it.

Earlier this year, Spotify put out their usual Wrapped recap. They also included an A.I. summary. It summarized my year of listening in the style of a chat podcast with two hosts. It was almost scary how natural and lifelike it sounded. “Large Models” definitely did a good job of replicating the feel of those sorts of AIs. So, major points to everyone in the voice cast.

I am officially agonistic when it comes to A.I. and the future. I do understand the anxiety everyone feels about how arts and entertainment might become automated. Thing is, this isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation. There was quite an uproar among artists when photography started to take off. The writings and correspondence of those artists sounds very similar to modern artists talking about A.I. There’s this fear that photography would put traditional artists into the poor house. But drawings and paintings didn’t disappear.

The genie isn’t going back in the bottle. We don’t have to like it, or be happy about it, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt. Personally, the biggest argument in favor of human artists is how annoying AIs can be. I’m sure you’ve all had to deal with the automated phone service. I’d rather talk to an actual human, and describe my vision to them. Same with voice actors. I’ll happily wait for a human voice actor to give me a performance. They are infinitely more likely to know what I mean when I request a specific performance. I don’t use AIs to write my reviews, and I do not intend to change that.

On the other hand, I’m not naive about potential abuse. Imagine how worse scam calls would be if A.I. could perfectly replicate a loved one’s voice. Too much automation would lead to mass unemployment. This is one of the reasons I support some form of Universal Basic Income. There’s also, as the episode demonstrates, the issue of redundancy. Basically, you need to make sure you have enough humans in case the AIs go haywire. So, you don’t want to go all in on automation. At the same time, the AIs won’t always be broken. Which leads back to the mass unemployment issue.

This was certainly a very timely and topical episode. As you’ve noticed by how many tangents I went on. “Large Models” is very much worth listening to.

Our forth episode is “Signs & Signifiers.” The comet Hasegawa is going to be making a rendezvous with Earth. Ah, but don’t worry, this isn’t Armageddon. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean this world will get off so easily. Strange reports have been coming in across the world. It seems that the comet has brought an infection, but not an organic one. This alien invasion is one of sonic origin.

This was certainly not a bad episode by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoyed it overall. However, it did have the misfortune of being sandwiched between two particularly excellent episodes. So, it wound up getting outshone by its siblings. So, it was an enjoyable episode, but just not quite as memorable as some of the other episodes this season. So, let’s move on.

The fifth episode is “The Holiday.” It is set in a world where The War on Christmas has a much more literal meaning. Well, the people of this world simply refer to it as The Holiday. Every year, hordes of children armed with guns, axes, and other weapons duke it out with Santa’s elves on the field of battle. This year, there’s even rumor that the big man himself is going to get involved in the battle.

This was a much more humorous offering that Observable Radio is typically known for. However, it was certainly not unwelcome. There is still some social commentary amidst the humor. You can definitely see a satirization of American gun culture in all of the scenes where parents cheerily talk about weapons shopping with their kids. Come to think of it, there’s a lot of satirizing of suburban America in general. There are scenes of parents who are proud of their kids for enlisting, or being selected, for the big fight. It brings to mind those parents who get way too competitive about school sports. And, of course, nobody thinks to question the annual tradition. After all, that’s not very patriotic. But beyond all the commentary on American life, the idea of a literal War on Christmas got a considerable chuckle out of me.

My present for this episode is two thumbs up.

The sixth episode is “Sweet Hereafter.” The afterlife is real. Or rather, humanity has made it real. AfterCare specializes in creating digital afterlives for all their clients. You don’t have to worry about not having enough time with grandma. Thanks to AfterCare, you can visit her anytime you want. And you can spend as much time…as your subscription plan allows! Isn’t that dandy? But hey, there’s more! AfterCare doesn’t just make digital heaven, it also makes digital hell. That way, criminals and wrong doers will truly have to pay for their crimes. But uh oh, what’s this? It seems there’s been a bit of an issue with the backup files. What will happen to everyone who has been uploaded.

It is a common trope in science fiction to cheat death by uploading your consciousness into a computer. Personally, I’m a little skeptical of how well this would work. The mind is a byproduct of the brain. You can’t just download it like a computer program. All you’d be doing is creating a digital replica of yourself. That’s all well and dandy, but it doesn’t change that fact that I, as an individual, am still doomed to die. AfterCare claims they keep their clients souls on the tapes. But I can’t help but wonder if that’s merely poetic wording. If so, well, then I suppose that’s the point. AfterCare is depicted as a shady corporation.

There’s also, I sense, a commentary on the private prison system with the digital hell. There’s also potential commentary on the death penalty. I see certain parallels. Use the digital hell as a deterrent for crime, but would it really work? Is it needlessly cruel? Should there be a statute of limits for souls in the digital hell? And most pressing of all, what if an innocent soul unjustly gets sent to the digital hell? I can only answer the last question, and I suspect you might know the answer as well.

Well, actually, I do know the answer to one other question? Should you give this episode a listen? The answer is yes, yes you should.

Our seventh episode is “Hollow Ring.” This episode seems to take place in a world where democracy was never invented. Countless dynasties and noble families carve the globe amongst themselves. But this isn’t just lines on a map. There are several megacorporations controlled by noble families. Lord Osmand, the head of House Hanover-Gore has been murdered. It has been quite a while since an assassination has occurred, and this has sent shockwaves across the dynasties. Who is the murderer, and what is their motivation?

There was potential here, but the episode failed to achieve that potential. We get some tantalizing glimpses of this world. We know that Egypt is still ruled by Pharaohs. There’s brief mention of a House of Argos. Perhaps related to Jason of the Argonauts? There’s also mention of a place called Ondonga. Perhaps the Iroquois managed to maintain their independence? Which is odd, given that they didn’t have nobility, and practiced a form of democracy. In fact, the Iroquois Confederacy is one of the longest continuous democracies in history. Only the Icelandic Althing has been around for longer. There’s also mention of luxury airships. I know some people consider airships a cliche, but I like them.

The further back the point of divergence, the more alien of a world you get. This world was certainly alien, but I felt I never got a feel for how it functioned. I felt like I was being thrown in the deep end without an explanation. I certainly wished we would have gotten to know more about the history of this world.

There was so much potential, but this episode failed to make the most of it. Thumbs down, unfortunately.

Episode eight is “As Below.” We follow a community of folks living deep underground. They tend to their crops and keep the great machine running. It’s just as their sacred forefathers commanded them to do. It isn’t much, but it’s honest work. They hold the great machine in an almost religious revere. But some folks are beginning to question that devotion. Perhaps all is not as it seems.

This was another episode that had potential, but didn’t quite hit the mark. Apparently, according to Observable Radio’s social media accounts, this episode is meant to be a prequel to H.G. Well’s classic novel The Time Machine. A way to explain how the Morlocks and Eloi came to be. I guess I can kind of see that. Wells was making a point about class conflict with the Morlocks and Eloi. Though, Wells also seemed to assume that the middle class would never become a thing. The reveal was certainly fun, but I don’t feel the journey was quite worth it. This episode also had the misfortune of being followed by one of my favorite episodes of Observable Radio, but we’ll get into that next time.

For now, however, I unfortunately have to point in the direction of this episode. Thumbs down.

And this is where I’m going to stop for now. I will split the review into two parts to make for easier reading. We’ll cover episodes nine though fourteen next time. I don’t want to end this half on a sour note. Overall, I very much enjoyed Observable Radio. To whet your appetite, I will add that some of the best episodes are yet to be discussed on this blog. I loved getting to hear all these broadcasts from other universes.

Observable Radio is a fine blend of horror, science fiction, and just a hint of alternate history. Always excellent to find another fellow anthology show. If you think the half was great, wait until you see what the back half has to offer. Speaking of which, I should get to work on part two of this review.

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: 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.

The Books of Thoth: My First Foray into Audio Drama Production

I’m back with another update post, and this one is an especially big update. You see, I’ve finally done it. I have officially launched my audio drama anthology podcast The Books of Thoth.

We’re kicking things off with “Paleontology Conference.” 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 part where the narrator speculates about the Squibbons developing their own civilization always sparked my imagination. The All Todays segment of the book All Yesterdays 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. You do get some references to how our views on prehistoric animals have changed. The part where the professor mentions chordates used to be viewed as slow and lumbering, but then were viewed as active and dynamic? That was almost word-for-word how our views of dinosaurs changed over the years. And there’s a few more in-jokes if you’re paying attention for them.

A bit about where the title for the podcast came from. Thoth is the god of wisdom, writing, and magic in Egyptian Mythology. He possessed an ultimate book of spells known as the Book of Thoth. Among other things, it had spells that could enable you to speak the language of animals, restore the dead to life, and peer through the layers of reality and gaze upon the gods themselves. Thoth acted as scribe of the gods, and he’s probably written quite a few scrolls in his time. And those scrolls are bound to have some pretty good stories within them.

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, aka Stardust-Phantom, for providing the series cover art.

The Books of Thoth is hosted on RedCricle, and you can find it on all major podcast platforms. Including, but not limited to, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Podcast Addict, Amazon Music, Player.FM, Audible, TuneIn, RadioPublic, Apollo Podcasts, and Goodpods. And yes, I do have transcripts available.

It hopefully won’t be too long before I have more episodes for your listening pleasure. But in the meantime, I do hope that you enjoy the inaugural episode of The Books of Thoth.