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 Alt-Hist File: Cthulhu in the Deep South by Kirk Battle

The world of audio fiction podcasts has gone through many changes over the years. The mid-2000s brought us short story podcasts such as Escape Pod, The Drabblecast, and Lightspeed Magazine. By the 2010s, the audio drama boom was in full swing, and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Earlier than either, however, were podiobooks. Podiobooks, as their name suggests, were serialized audiobooks made available as podcasts. Podiobooks aren’t as common these days, but you do see some new ones pop up from time to time. Such is the case with the podiobooks we’ll be reviewing today. We’re taking a look at Cthulhu in the Deep South by Kirk Battle.

Cthulhu in the Deep South is a series of books set in South Carolina between the 1830s and 1860s. Usually, the action is set in or around Charleston, but two mysterious islands, named Ryland and Carcosa, also play a major role in the plot. Another common thread is people from New England, more specifically Arkham, finding themselves in South Carolina. But above all, the core of the series is the way that the creatures of H.P. Lovecraft combine with real world historical events to produce some fine historical horror.

Okay, so I think I ought to be upfront about a few things before we move forward. Many of you come here for my audio drama reviews. However, Cthulhu in the Deep South is a podiobook. It is like a standard audiobook; no bells and whistles beyond that. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so I’m good with that. But I know some people feel differently, some I’m giving you all the info upfront. If that sounds good to you, let’s press on. I should also note that all six books of Cthulhu in the Deep South are also available as eBooks. 

I was approached by Kirk Battle to review Cthulhu in the Deep South after he saw my review of Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature. Each season of Cthulhu in the Deep South is a book in the series. I’ll give general thoughts and remarks before we get into each individual book. I liked the way that Kirk Battle incorporates actual history into the story. Kirk includes a bonus episode at the end of each season. In the bonus episodes, he explains his thought process when crafting each book. Naturally, he talks about which works of H.P. Lovecraft he draws upon. However, he also talks about which primary historical sources he uses. He will also spends quite a bit of time discussing what those primary sources are, and what they’re about. As someone with a history degree, I very much appreciate all of this.

Okay, so let’s get into the individual stories. Book one begins in the 1830s. It follows a man from Arkham, Massachusetts. He was part of an ice harvesting crew. The crew have collected their ice from the Arctic, and now they’re bound for balmy South Carolina to sell the ice. However, strange things begin to happen. Our protagonist begins to wonder if, perhaps, the crew has brought more than just ice with them. Things get even stranger when our protagonist finds himself on a pair of twin islands, located just off the South Carolina coast, called Ryland and Carcosa. They are a strange otherworldly place where White planters seem to take orders from their own slaves. There is something strange about the people of Ryland and Carcosa. Almost as if they aren’t exactly human.

Okay, so Cthulhu in the Deep South starts out strong. Out of all the books in the series, this is the one that comes closest to mimicking Lovecraft’s writing style, and the general feel of a Lovecraft story. I don’t mean that as a slight against the other books in the series. Kirk Battle has stated that he wanted each of the books to have their own style, and to play into other genres. Overall, I would say he succeeded in that goal. But all of that is to say that the genre for the first book is straight Lovecraft.

That being said, and as previously noted, Kirk Battle also included quite a bit of historical research into this one. One detail is that a lot of the crew of the ice harvester are Black. A lot of free Blacks did indeed find work on sailing ships. Quite a few whaling ships had predominantly Black crews. I also liked the details the bonus episode gave about the history of ice selling. I’m alway fascinated how people were able to preserve ice in the days before refrigeration. Apparently, ice water wasn’t then instant hit you might think it would be. A lot of people didn’t like that it made their teeth hurt, and others were worried that ice water would be dirty. To be fair, that latter concern probably wasn’t totally unfounded. Not that room temperature water was much better, mind you. Still, ice salesmen often had to pay people to give ice water a try, and to sing its praises. A little underhanded, perhaps, be it certainly bore fruit in the long run.

Book one poses a question that crops up a lot throughout Cthulhu in the Deep South. That question is this: at what point is turning a blind eye towards something horrible the same as being complacent in it? Our protagonist comes from an abolitionist family, and considers himself on as well. However, he clearly holds deeply racist views of Blacks. True, he doesn’t own any slaves himself. However, he doesn’t really do much to oppose slavery, beyond some hollow words. This is, sadly, not to far removed from actual history. Many abolitionists were opposed to slavery on philosophical grounds. However, this didn’t mean they believed Blacks should be equal to Whites. The number of people who did was comparatively small. Many abolitionists proposed sending Blacks back to Africa. The nation of Liberia was the results of such attempts.

Okay, history is all well and good, but what about the Lovecraft? Book one takes inspiration from “The Shadow Out of Time.” So, unsurprisingly, the inhabitants of Ryland are members of the Great Race of Yith. I always thought that “The Shadow Out of Time” was one of the more underrated stories from the Lovecraft Mythos. I loved the way all of the different authors put their own signature styles into the story. I have also found the Great Race of Yith to be underrated, as far as Lovecraft creatures. It is mentioned briefly, but our protagonist attended Miskatonic University, which frequently pops-up in the works of Lovecraft.

There were a few minor anachronisms. For example, at one point, one of the Yith makes reference to dinosaurs and genetics. The term dinosaur didn’t come into common use until 1842, and Gregor Mendel was still a kid in the 1830s. Granted, the Yith are time travelers, but the protagonist should have been tripped up by such terms. Still, just a minor instance that I noticed. Overall, the historical research was extremely well-done.

Cthulhu in the Deep South comes out of the gate with a strong first book. Let’s see if it can mainline that momentum.

Book two takes place in Charleston, South Carolina only a few years before the outbreak of the American Civil War. The protagonist of book two is a woman from New England who married the son of a wealthy plantation owner. Her family has pretty much disowned her, as they are all abolitionists. Still, she was convinced that she can build a happy new life in the Deep South. She assumed that she could reform her husband’s plantation into a kinder gentler place. Oh how very wrong she was. Our heroine finds herself drawn into the casually, and not so casual, cruelty of plantation life. This tears her apart mentally, and it only gets worse when her young son Daniel dies. The protagonist begins to hear voices that sound an awful lot like Daniel. Has he returned from the dead? Our heroine teeters on the edge insanity and mental breakdown as South Caroline, and the South as a who, draws ever closer to secession.

Well, well, it would seem that Cthulhu in the Deep South was able to maintain that momentum quite well indeed. The main Lovecraft influence for this one is the Dreamlands Cycle. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman was also a major influence on book two. However, the real horror from this one comes not from eldritch horrors, but from the all too real horrors of history. It is tempting to laugh at the protagonist’s naïvety. When you get down to it, there is no such thing as a truly benevolent slave owner. Slavery wasn’t horrible just because of the physical violence, but also the psychological violence that slaves endured. At any moment, you or your loved ones could be sold completely on a whim, and you’d never see them again. In fact, slave marriages often included the phrase “til death or distance do you part.” Slaves were property, not people, so slave marriages were not legally binding.

I’m reminded of something that Augustine of Hippo once wrote. He wrote about a friend of his who decided to go to a gladiator game. The friend assumed that, as a good Christian man, there was no way he’d get drawn into the violence and bloodshed of the arena. Well, suffice it to say, it didn’t take long for the friend to be jeering loudly for the gladiators to kill each other. The supposedly good Christian man had found himself drawn in by the arena.

It is in book two that we meet the most vile and despicable creature in all of Cthulhu in the Deep South: the heroine’s mother-in-law. Now, you might think I’m joking, but let me assure you that I’m not. On most plantations, it wasn’t the actual owner you had to watch out for. He’d usually be off playing sports, or hunting, or doing other rich people things. Oh, the overseers were certainly nasty, particularly to field slaves. However, it was the lady of the house you really had to watch out for. The wives and mothers of plantation owners were expected to run a tight ship. Many of them often took sadistic glee in the power they lorded over their slaves. They’d often do things like forcing slaves to whistle while they cooked, to ensure they slaves didn’t eat anything. Any slaves who failed to whistle would be hit with a wooden spoon. Kirk Battle drew upon the personal diaries of plantation owner’s wives for his historical research.

Our heroine is frequently tormented by her mother-in-law, who resents her for being a Yankee. Things only get worse when the protagonist’s husband becomes involved with the newly formed government of the Palmetto Republic. That was what South Carolina was called before the other Southern states formed the Confederate States of America. Kirk Battle mentioned that he wanted to tell a story where the protagonist is driven to insanity, per Lovecraft tradition. However, he wanted to depict that insanity as a means of escape and liberation, rather than a terrible fate. I won’t give away the ending, but Kirk certainly achieved that goal. Then again, given how horrible the main heroine’s life is, pretty much anything would be an improvement for her.

Book two of Cthulhu in the Deep South is a worthy follow-up to book one.

Book three takes place during the American Civil War. We follow a young Free Black man from Arkham. He felt the swell of patriotism and decided to enlist in the Union army. However, he soon finds himself facing discrimination from all sides. Many of his commanding officers assume that he’s trying to swindle money out of them. Most of his fellow Black soldiers are former slaves, and he has quite a bit of cultural difference with them. As for the Confederate soldiers he fights against, well, that goes without saying. Our protagonist is assigned to a dangerous mission to the islands of Ryland and Carcosa. It is a mission that will lead him straight into the heart of darkness.

I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought that I would. Don’t get me wrong, book three had its moments, and it did have some interesting historical and literary influences. Still, I just feel like it never quite came together for me.

Let’s take a moment to talk about those influences. The main Lovecraft influence on book three is “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” The big non-Lovecraft influence is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Kirk Battle admits that he’s always had a certain fondness for that novel. Yeah, I guess I can see the influence. Our protagonist goes on a riverboat trip with a man who slowly looses his mind. Some people say that Heart of Darkness is racist. I wouldn’t say that, but I do feel it could have been a bit harsher towards the horrors of the Belgian Congo. On the other hand, it was one of the first novels to speak-out against the horrors of European colonialism in Africa. Ultimately, Heart of Darkness is a product of its time; take a bad with the good.

I did like the historical details. Many freed slaves did indeed join the Union army. Many slaves ran towards the Union army whenever they were nearby. However, many of these former slaves needed to be taught how things were going to work now. Many slaves developed several forms of passive resistance against overseers. They might pretend that they didn’t hear the instructions, or they might do their work as slowly as possible. However, once the slaves joined the Union army, they had to be taught that doing such things was now treason. The Harriet Tubman cameo was also fun. Still it just wasn’t enough to salvage book three for me.

So, unfortunately, book three was a bit of a misfire. Let’s see if Cthulhu in the Deep South can shake it off and recover.

Book four begins in the middle of the American Civil War, and ends not too long after Reconstruction begins. We follow a Christian missionary abolitionist from Arkham. She is heading to South Carolina as part of an effort to help newly freed slaves make better lives for themselves. She finds herself on Ryland and Carcosa, naturally. She becomes acquainted with a conjuring woman named Mam Ruth. Mam Ruth is the leader of the Black community on the isles. Mam Ruth is also privy to the many supernatural happenings on the isles.

Ah, it would seem that Cthulhu in the Deep South recovered quite well. Book four is our first introduction to Mam Ruth. She becomes a very important supporting character from this point forward. Mam Ruth is a root doctor, which were practitioners of folk magic common in Gullah communities. Kirk Battle said he wanted to take a root doctor character, and make her into a wise sorcerer type character, like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. I liked that he drew from Gullah culture for inspiration. The Gullah are a very fascinating people group. They live in the Sea Isles, off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Unlike most other enslaved peoples, the Gullah managed to retain a fair bit of the ancestral African culture. They also have a very distinctive dialect.

Another fun bit of real history is one of the characters who is part of the main character’s group. He’s an anthropologist who is interviewing the newly freed slave about if their traditions have roots in African culture. He is heavily inspired by an actual anthropologist who did pretty much the same thing. This wasn’t necessarily bad in and of itself, but the Black people he interviewed wished that he would talk more about the racism and discrimination they were facing. The main character disparages him, but she’s not as different as she’d like to think. Sure, she is trying to give the former slaves an education, but she goes about it in a very White Man’s Burden kind of way. She tends to put most emphasis on teaching them the Bible, and her primary motivation for teaching them to read is so they can read the Bible.

Of course, later in the book, the protagonist runs into trouble trying to get charities in New England to help the former slaves. Most charities focus on helping Union soldiers and their families. Certainly an admirable cause, but it also highlights a major part of the North’s reaction to the Civil War. 

There are many reasons why Reconstruction failed. I would say the biggest was that the South was granted amnesty way sooner than it should have been. Thanks at lot, Andrew Johnson. Southerners, including several former Confederate generals, were able to fight Reconstruction from within Congress. That Confederate leaders never got hanged for treasons is, in my humble opinion, one of the biggest mistakes in American History.

All of that having been said, the second biggest reason Reconstruction failed was the apathy of Northerners. I would compare Reconstruction to the War in Afghanistan. It was a very controversial military operation, there were numerous calls to pull out, and everything went to hell when the troops actually did pull out. Northerners might have been willing to fight to end slavery, but weren’t necessarily going to invest in the Black community afterwards.

Cthulhu in the Deep South manages to dust itself off and stand proud once again with book four.

Book five is set in 1866. It follows a man from New England who has recently moved to Charleston. He’s a bit of a hustler and a conman, and is always looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. He has recently become part of a group of similar-minded men of fortune who are looking to strike it big by finding buried treasure.

I’m just going to be honest, this was probably the weakest book in the whole series. In fairness, Kirk Battle said that book five was where he struggled the most as a writer. He wanted to tell a story from the perspective of a Carpetbagger. Problem is, there aren’t really any primary sources to use. Carpetbagger was a pejorative used by Southerners against Northerners who moved to the South following Reconstruction. The Lost Cause Narrative painted Carpetbaggers as evil swindlers who swindled innocent Southerners. In reality, however, most “Carpetbaggers” were, basically, White Northerners who didn’t totally hate Black people. Same goes for Scalawags, who were viewed as basically like Carpetbaggers, but Southern rather than Northern in origin. Again, most “Scalawags” were simply White Southerners who didn’t totally hate Black people.

There were some fun ideas. I liked how book five drew parallels between the Plat-Eye of Gullah Folklore and the Shoggoth from the Lovecraft Mythos. And there’s a bit towards the end that draws upon “The Thing on the Doorstep” for inspiration. Unfortunately, on the whole, I just couldn’t get into book five. Oh well, maybe book six will improve things.

Book six takes place during the 1870s. We follow a young Black woman who managed to get sent up North to get an education. Unfortunately, the North didn’t prove to be the land of opportunity she was hoping for. So, she moved back to South Carolina to be with her sister. It is a very turbulent time for Charleston. There’s a lot of unrest and race riots. Still, our heroine has managed to land a job as a maid for a wealthy family. They’re very peculiar folks. In fact, at times they almost seem not quite human. Things only get strange when she discovers a mysterious metal box in the attic. The box introduces itself as Mam Ruth.

It has often been joked that the even number Star Trek movies tend to be better than the odd numbered ones. I’m not sure I’d agree with that; the only truly bad Star Trek movie was Final Frontier, though that was the fifth movie. I’m tempted to say that the same pattern holds true with Cthulhu in the Deep South. Book six was a significant improvement over book five.

Kirk Battle said that he wanted to write book six as maid fiction. Think like the parts of Downton Abby that focus on the servants. It is a genre that hasn’t been popular in decades, but I feel that Kirk Battle pulled it off pretty well. He also drew upon the novel Kindred by Octavia Butler. Well, not just in book six. Kindred informed Cthulhu in the Deep South in general. Kindred is a great book, so I’m glad to hear it was an inspiration. In terms of Lovecraftian influences, we’ve got “The Whisperer in Darkness.” The mi-go do appear, and their habit of putting brains into canisters plays a big role in the plot. We also get “The Thing on the Doorstep” once again.

We also get some insight into social dynamics. Our protagonist finds herself competing against another housekeeper named Maeve. Maeve is a recent immigrant from Ireland, and constantly tries to sabotage the protagonist. Maeve particularly resents that the protagonist got the coveted job of house cook, which pays better than being just a maid. Maeve can’t cook to save her life, but still resents loosing the position. Of course, our protagonist can give just as good as she gets. I’m reminded of something Chris Rock once said about how there’s nothing a White man who only has a penny hates more than a Black man who only has a nickel.

Our protagonist is presented with a tantalizing proposition. She could switch bodies with someone from 1968, and escape the horrors of her own time. Of course, to do that, she’d be condemning someone from 1968 to a life in the 1870s. And, as far as she knows, there’s no guarantee that 1968 will necessarily be much better. In fairness, while 1968 was better than Reconstruction, there was still plenty of racism and discrimination. Still, interesting plot to have someone from the past contemplate potentially escaping to a better future.

And with that, we’ve covered all six books that are part of Cthulhu in the Deep South. It is a series that combines Lovecraftian horrors with the real life historical horrors of the 19th Century South. There were a couple misfires along the way, but on the whole, it is an excellent series of novels. Kirk Battle is planning more entries in the series, however, he’s taking a break from Cthulhu in the Deep South. He’s currently working on a purely historical fiction novel set in the Reconstruction era South titled These Hallowed Halls. And yes, it is available both as an eBook and a podiobook. I wish Kirk Battle the best of luck with all his future endeavors. I’m sure they will be excellent.

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

The Audio File: Malevolent

Many times I find audio dramas all by myself. Other times, people ask me to review there shows. Then there are times I get recommended and/or volunteered to review a show. The audio drama we’re reviewing today falls into that third category. We’re taking a look at Malevolent. 

Malevolent is set in 1930s Arkham, Massachusetts. Arthur Lester works as a private investigator. He has just woken up in his office, and he cannot see a thing. He hears a mysterious voice in his head that tells him it has commandeered his eyes. Arthur calls John for the sake of convenience. John says that he comes from a dark world parallel to our own. John says that eldritch horrors are forcing their way into Arthur’s world. Arthur and John must work together to investigate deranged cultists, terrors from beyond the stars, and revelations that will drive them to the brink of their collective sanity. Above all else, they will discover something truly malevolent.

I had been vaguely aware of Malevolent for a while. I usually saw it recommended alongside shows such as Sapceships, The Strata, Residents of Proserpina Park, and The Call of the Void. However, it only really came on my radar when Ivan Mirko S, creator of The Program Audio Series, recommended me to review it. IMS had previously recommended me to Kale Brown to review Kale’s series SINKHOLE. Harlan Guthrie, creator of Malevolent, was looking for someone to review the series. IMS recommended me, and here we are now.

Malevolent has been picked up for distribution by Rusty Quill. Amusingly enough, so has The Program Audio Series. Rusty Quill are the creators of show such as The Magnus Archives and Outliers: Stories From the Edges of History. However, in recent times, Rusty Quill has also been acquiring preexisting shows for distribution. This helps gets more attention on the shows, and introduces them to a wider audience.

Now, usually I wait for serialized show to have at least one complete season before I commit to a review. However, from what I’ve seen, Malevolent is intended to keep going indefinitely. So, I made an exception. Though, I do wonder how Harlan is going to be able to maintain a sense of suspense and purpose without a defined ending. It seems that Harlan is dividing the series into various arcs. We got an arc in the Dreamlands for several episodes, and before that we got an arc set in and around Arkham. I suppose that first one could be thought of as an introductory arc. I will say I have been greatly enjoying Malevolent thus far. Let’s see if it can maintain the momentum.

The first thing I should discuss is the voice acting. Now, on first glance, it might seem like Malevolent has quite the cast of voice actors. However, that’s not quite correct. You see, Malevolent is an entirely one-man show. Harlan Guthrie voices all of the characters. This is certainly no small feet, as there are a wide variety of accents and pitches that Harlan must juggle. Arthur speaks in a British accent, while his landlord speaks in a New England accent. Arthur has a higher pitched voice, while John has a very deep and resonant voice. Though, I suspect that voice filters and modulation help with that last one. John’s voice does have a noticeable echo and reverb to give it an otherworldly quality. 

I was surprised to learn that Harlan is Canadian. He did such a great job with Arthur’s voice, and I assumed he must have been British. Needless to say, Harlan was quite successful with managing all of the roles he has to play. Thought, Harlan playing all of the characters does mean there aren’t really any women with speaking role. However, that’s also largely true for most of H.P. Lovecraft’s works. So, I guess it fits.

I suppose it fits that Arthur is British. Lovecraft was a massive Anglophile, and English people were one of the only groups of people he wasn’t scared of. And yes, English, not British. Lovecraft nearly had a mental breakdown when he discovered that one of ancestors was Welsh. He also wrote the date was it was 200 years prior, as he considered the American Revolution have been a mistake.

Malevolent has a pretty brilliant justification for being set in an audio-only medium. Arthur has been rendered blind because of John possessing him. As such, we are experiencing the story through Arthur’s point-of-view, or lack there of, as the case may be. The way John is always describing the scenes, and directing Arthur’s actions, brings to mind the Call of Cthulhu Tabletop RPG. It is a Dungeons & Dragons-style Tabletop RPG set within the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Usually, the goal is less about defeating the evil forces, and more about simply surviving them. Oh, and your sanity is one of your stats, along side stuff like strength, intelligence, and other typical RPG stuff. It always looked like it would be fun to play. I wanted to try Tabletop RPGs, but I never really had any friends to play with. Anyway, there are various time in Malevolent where you can hear dice being rolled. Those who support Malevolent on Patreon get to vote on how the story will unfold. The dice rolling sound indicates when an event was voted on by the patrons.

In a way, Malevolent gives me the feeling of experiencing the story of a Tabletop RPG campaign, but without the tropes of conventions of an Actual Play podcast. I find that to be a very nice touch. I must admit I’ve never been the biggest fan of Actual Play shows. Not really my cup of tea. But I do know that often produce some very fun stories.

As should be clear by now, Malevolent draws heavily upon the Lovecraft Mythos. Early on, Arthur and John investigate a cult dedicated to the worship of Shub-Niggurath. There’s a scene at a hospital where Arthur and John encounter an old woman. The way she’s described brings to mind “The Thing on the Doorstep.” Much later into the series, Arthur and John visit a town named Addison. It is located inland, but the inhabitants are described in a way that suggests they have the Innsmouth look. There are also several episodes where Arthur and John must traverse the Dreamlands. You don’t really see the Dreamlands turn up too often in Lovecraft-inspired fiction. Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle was a bit closer to fantasy than horror, so perhaps that plays a part. Oh, but don’t worry, Malevolent milks the Dreamlands for all the horror and dangers they can provide. So, hats-off for choosing one of the lesser utilized aspects of Lovecraft’s work. Arthur also visits a library and learns about Hastur, the King in Yellow.

Okay, I’ve put it off for as long as possible. We’re going to have to talk about to major spoilers. As such, if you don’t want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

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

It was clear to me from the start that John was actually some sort of entity from the Lovecraft Mythos. My money was on Nyarlathotep, as I believe he’s been known to possess people from time to time. But no, it seems that I was wrong. John is actually the King in Yellow…sort of. He’s actual a fragment of the King in Yellow. At first, he wanted to become whole again, but spending time in Arthur’s body made him come to appreciate humanity. Hmm, okay, that’s an interesting choice. So, we have a Great Old One being humanized, and given a sympathetic treatment in the form of John. However, the King in Yellow remains and genuinely threatening antagonist, and doesn’t loose any of his street cred. That’s some very smart writing choices.

Some series that utilize the Lovecraft Mythos go completely silly and lighthearted. Other really lean into the darkness and nihilism of the original works. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either approach. It all depends on the sort of story you want to tell. However, I do find that Malevolent strikes a happy middle ground. We can have John depicted sympathetically, but also have the Great Old Ones be genuinely terrifying and menacing. In a way, John’s character arc reminds me of Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. He was also a god-like being who eventually found meaning in humanity.

Oh, but we aren’t done yet. You see, Arthur’s hiding some secrets of his own. He used to be musician, and he had a daughter named Faroe. I learned that her name is spelled like that after reading the transcripts. I’d been mishearing it as Thoreau, as in Henry David Thoreau, but apparently it is Faroe, like the Faroe Islands. Anyway, Arthur got so into composing one night that he forgot Faroe was in a bathtub, and she drowned. I mean, technically that is something that can happen, especially with younger kids, but it kind of came across as unintentionally funny. Still, it is a testament to Harlan’s acting skills that he was able to sell those lines. It helps flesh-out Arthur as a character. The King in Yellow has certainly killed several people, but Arthur has blood on his hands too.

Speaking of blood on hands, I’d like to mention another showcase of Harlan’s acting talent. The scene where Arthur and John must decide whether or not to mercy kill a Dreamlands creature. I mean, wow, that was really powerful, and emotionally heart-wrenching. And to think it was all one guy playing all of the roles. Let it never be said that Malevolent isn’t capable of tugging at your heartstrings. 

Arthur and John have their similarities, but they also provide an interesting mirror to each other. John grows more compassionate and human, but Arthur grows increasingly callous and at times even ruthless. In a way, Arthur becomes a bit more like the King in Yellow. 

Even with all of the darkness, and everything that Arthur and John go through, there’s still flickers of light at the end of the tunnel. Malevolent has, when you get down to it, a somewhat optimistic tone. Yes, you may go through hell and back again, but you can get through it if you try. Well, that’s the tone so far. Let’s see how long that lasts.

I think that should cover just about everything. Harlan Guthrie said he wanted to be able to quote a critic about Malevolent, and call the show critically claimed. Well, here you go, Harlan. Malevolent takes desperate elements of Lovecraft’s works, and weaves them into a tapestry all its own. The story has no plans of stopping any time, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. Malevolent is great for horror lovers, and fans of the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

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

The Audio File: The Call of the Void

I have my tastes and preferences when it comes to audio dramas. Having said that, at lot of times, I won’t know if I’ll like something until I give it a try. As with many things, finding a great audio drama often comes down to pure chance and luck, more than anything else. Though, I certainly hope my reviews help you to find great audio dramas. There’s no much more to add, so let’s get right into it. We’re taking a look at The Call of the Void. 

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s talk about the characters, starting with Topher. As previously stated, Topher has a degree in history, and works at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. It is a real museum that is located in the French Quarter. I’ve been going to New Orleans for many years, but I haven’t been to the Pharmacy Museum yet. I’ll have to correct that next time I’m down there. It certainly looks like and interesting place, and I’ll be able to mark it on my Atlas Obscura list, which is a nice bonus. I’m kind of tempted to ask if Topher Sommers is in just to see how the tour guides will react. As someone with a bachelor’s degree in history, I can confirm that Topher working as a tour guide checks out. A lot of history majors hope to work in museums someday. Though only a lucky few actually manage to achieve that dream. It helps if you can find work at a smaller museum, but even then it can be a bit dicey.

I also liked how Topher has a habit of cheerily rattling off disturbing medical history facts. That’s something else that is common to history majors. Depending on what your focus is, you can get desensitize to some pretty grizzly stuff fairly quickly. I helps if you’re a fan of Horrible Histories, both the books and the television series. I did my senior paper on the history of Mesoamerican civilizations. Human sacrifice was an unavoidable topic, as were religious rituals involving flaying and blood letting. Unavoidable, but I was never really phased by it all. In fact, I took a more nuanced view. At least the Aztecs and Mayans killed people because they thought it was required to keep the world running. The Romans, by contrast, killed people just for entertainment. Yet we don’t discount all the achievements the Romans made because of that.

Time to move on to Etsy before this turns into a Mesoamerican History lecture. Etsy works as a palm reader at a voodoo shop, and she actually has psychic powers. When I first start listening, I was worried that The Call of the Void would fall into the stereotypical depiction of Voodoo. In real life, Voodoo, known in Haiti as Vodou, is a syncretic religion that combines traditional West African religions with Roman Catholicism. It believes that there is a creator god, but he’s preoccupied with keeping the universe running. So, the day-to-day affairs are relegated to lesser spirits known as loa. Practitioners of Voodoo don’t worship the loa, but they do serve them, and give them offerings. Voodoo is a religion like any other. All of that folk magic stuff is known a Hoodoo, also known as root working. Besides the similar names, both Voodoo and Hoodoo are practiced in New Orleans, and there’s been some cross-pollination over the years.

But “voodoo dolls” are totally fake. West African religion often uses dolls known a Fetishes for rituals. Europeans mistook these for Popits, which are a form of folk magic from Europe, and ironically closer to the traditional view of voodoo dolls. The confusion persisted and the myth of the voodoo doll was born. Having said all of that, Louisianans will happily sell “voodoo dolls” to gullible tours, often for a very high price. Hey, don’t give me that look. Louisiana’s economy has been in the toilet for decades. We get excited every time a new Popeyes opens because it means seven or eight new jobs. Swindling drunk gullible tourists helps keep our economy floating.

Thankfully, Etsy’s job was a red herring. Tourist Voodoo is just a bogus in The Call of the Void as it is in our world. Etsy get her powers as a result of experiments she was subjected to as a child. Her mother believed that subjecting Etsy to sensory deprivation experiments would lead to her being able to reach into other universes. And it did, sort of. Etsy can experience another person’s memories by touching them. So, I guess she’s kind of like Rouge from X-Men. Of course, the experiments also lead to her making contact with an entity known as The Void. It is entropy and nothingness incarnate, and it is trying to enter our world. I would argue that, in many ways, Etsy is the true protagonist and driving force of the series. Her connection to The Void drives much of the action across all three seasons.

That said, we do experience Etsy’s story, for the most part, from Topher’s point of view, for the most part. It kind of like those anime where the girl character appears on the cover, and is the one who gets the attention from the fandom, but the boy is the viewpoint character. This is especially amusing, as I believe that’s suppose to be Etsy on the series title card.

There’s also a colorful cast of side characters. Etsy has gotten into numerous run-ins with the law over the years. As such, she’s well aquatinted with Officer Mason. He kind of sounded like Rabbi Bengelsdorf from the HBO miniseries adaption of The Plot Against America. Though, it was just coincidence, as they’re played by separate actors. Officer Mason starts off as a grumpy middle-aged man, but he warms up to Topher and the gang with time.

Topher’s sister Simone is also an enjoyable character. My only complaint with her is that she works at a bakery in season one, but then she’s studying theoretical physics in season two. It felt like there was no set-up for that, and it felt like it came out of left-field. Also, she used to work at a bakery, and she has a boyfriend named…Baker? I mean, its not really anything major, but it a little on the nose.

In season two we get to meet Fargo Kaminski. Under normal circumstances, she’d be like one of those crazy conspiracy loonies you see on The History Channel. However, though more than a tad eccentric, she prove to be a valuable ally to Topher and Etsy. Fargo lives out in the swamp, and has a pet alligator. She just does. And yeah, maybe she’s a little crazy, but hey, its a Lovecraft-inspired story. Pretty much everyone is going to be a little crazy.

I’d now like to take a moment to talk about the voice acting. Etsy and Topher are voiced by series creators Josie Eli Herman and Michael Alan Herman. They both look fairly spot-on for how I envision Etsy and Topher looking. In fact, that’s Josie cosplaying as Etsy on the series title card. Needless to say, they portray their characters quite well. Michael nails Topher’s dorky, but endearing, personality. Likewise, Josie really captures Etsy’s conflicted nature. She gives an understated and somewhat emotional detracted performance, but also give subtle hints at the sadness and trauma Etsy carries within her. I must also give praise to Amanda Buchalter’s performance as Simone. She and Michael sounded like that could pass as actual siblings. Really, the entire cast gives very strong performances. I have not complaints there.

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

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

Topher is a big fan of Lovecraft’s work as well. However, we only find this out towards the end of season two. Considering all of the Lovecraftian motifs, starting all the way back in season one, Topher really should have spoken up sooner. Also, when faced with a dark cyclopean city in season two, Topher likens it to R’lyeh, the resting place of Cthulhu. Uh, given that the Yellow King is the antagonist of season two, wouldn’t Carcosa be a more fitting comparison? A supposed Lovecraft fanatic like Topher really should have picked up on that.

Also, The Call of the Void bills itself as science fiction, but it’s really science fiction to the same extent that Stranger Things is. Though, this isn’t too surprising, given that the creators are big fans of Stranger Things. They’re also big fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Parts of the finale for The Call of the Void remind me of what the lion-turtle said to Aang in the Avatar finale.

Okay, so now we’re going to have to get into some major spoilers. If you don’t want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

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

Now, I stated that season one felt like it was moving too fast. That also extends to the ending. Etsy gives into despair decides to help the cult summon The Void…and then, in the very next episode, changes her mind, decides she does have something to live for, and seemingly banishes The Void. It was such a jarring whiplash of an experience it almost bordered on comical. It felt like the production team wasn’t sure if they’d get more than one season, and were trying to hastily wrap things up. Nothing about the season one ending feels earned or satisfying.

However, the team seems to have realized this, and seasons two and three have much better pacing. It is also clear that they were playing the long game this time. In fact, season two and three feel like they are two halves of a single continuous story arc. They take time to properly develop Etsy and Topher’s characters and motivations. We get proper build-up for Etsy’s growing feeling of despair, but also how Topher acts as her rock in troubled waters. The ending of season three has a similar set-up to the ending of season one, but the execution is much better. In fact, the series ending almost feels like an apology for the way season one ended.

And this is actually in keeping with the series’ Lovecraftian roots. Lovecraft was famous for being a pessimist and a nihilist, but a surprising number of his stores had happy endings. Or at the very least, ended in ways that weren’t completely horrible. The Dunwich Horror, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath all qualify. A case could be made that even The Shadow Over Innsmouth counts, given that the protagonist comes to terms with what happens to him.

The fact that Topher and Etsy finally become a couple is even sweeter when you remember that Josie and Michael are married in real life.

I also loved the episode of season two where Etsy flickers in and out of multiple universes. In one universe, she meets a Topher who works at the botanical gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s a botanist, rather than a history major. Well, he calls himself an herbologist, but that’s probably what botany is called in that universe. This Topher, known as Christopher, loves to rattle off facts about deadly plants. You know what they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The idea that Etsy’s powers were surging in way she couldn’t totally control was very clever, and leads to some twists that I did not see coming.

If there is a central message to The Call of the Void, it is that bad things happen, often to good people, and the world is an often cruel and unkind place. But there is still hope despite all of this. A light within the darkness. Bad things may happen, but they can be overcome. It helps if you can find people who genuinely love and care about you. Darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.

Well, it took me a while to get her, but I’m glad that I gave The Call of the Void a try. Don’t sit on this one like I did. Give it a try today. It is well worth your time. Come for the Lovecraft homages, stay for the engaging characters.

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