18 Fiction Podcast Debuts: April 2020
Our cat starred in a tragic drama involving a mouse, and I listened to all my podcasts on the floor.
If you ask me what I did in April, the answer is probably going to look like a giant question mark, because mostly what happened in April was a massive digital overwhelm.
We also had a mouse in the house.
I’m currently living with three cats, but Egg used to be a barn cat, and he sensed the mouse living under the oven. He’d spend every night watching the oven from different corners, and some nights from on top of the fridge. Eventually, he got his brothers wrapped up in this and showed one of them where the mouse was hiding under the cabinets. This went on for two weeks.
Finally, one afternoon, Egg and my partner spent two hours chasing the mouse from the kitchen, to under the couch, to the corner still filled with moving boxes, to the wine rack. It was frantic, but absolutely hysterical to watch; I have a photo on my phone of my partner hunched in front of the wine rack and his cat sitting atop it, both of them in extremely similar positions. At the climax, the mouse was cornered in the entrance to my room, trapped between a door, my partner, and all three cats standing in a semi-circle around it.
The mouse did not die of fright.
The mouse escaped right from under Egg’s paw, because Egg’s brothers are not exactly… competent. And it disappeared. (Great.)
Egg sunk into what I’m pretty sure was grief. He spent at least five days bullying his brothers, brooding in corners, yowling at the ceiling, and generally engaging in very un-Egg-like behavior. Eventually, he warmed up again.
Now we have a different problem. Since last week, Egg’s taken to sitting alone in the bathroom on a mat for hours. He’s ecstatic to see you when you walk in and demands belly rubs, but won’t come out and won’t allow himself to be carried out either. Buddy, please come out of the bathroom, that’s such a weird hang-out spot and you can get attention more easily in the living room.
I don’t know what the end of this story is, but I listened to these podcasts while sitting next to Egg in various (usually uncomfortable) locations to get him to warm up to people again. Looks like I’m going to have to start sitting in the bathroom. Won’t that be fun?
Null/Void
Cole Burkhardt, Donald Guzzi, Jonsey Jones
Piper’s depression has reached a peak. One day when she’s supposed to get on the bus, a strange woman she met one night at the bus stop tells her to not get on and saves her life. Piper’s town is slowly being decimated and overtaken by ruthless tech billionaires, and she and her newfound group of friends are going to save it. This is Cole Burkhardt’s debut podcast as a creator, though they can be found as a voice actor and sound designer for many others (Unplaced, Novitero, The Godshead Incidental). That prior experience shines in Null/Void, with its richness of sound and depth of emotion and character delivered even in the first episode.
The Mountain’s Heart
Felisa gets to go visit her family in the Philippines for the first time in five years, but the only way she can go is if she fulfills an audio log of the experience for the course she’d be missing. Felisa doesn’t really know what to expect, but the awakening of a long-slumbering guardian is definitely not on the list. Marcilena Bailey’s work in fiction podcasting is plentiful, work which has honed her skills at monologues to a fine point and enabled her to master the creation of fiction built up from real life. The Mountain’s Heart is no exception.
A Place Called Fairneck
Eva Bilick, Kyle Andrews, Sean George, Rama Vallury
Fairneck is a small town with a large orthodox Jewish population that suffers the loss of a community member during Passover in a plague-related accident. Michael, local snarky teenager journalist now comically, but with a dark edge, recounts the events that lead up to it — except, how exactly did it happen? And who was it? Michal’s tale alternates storylines, investigating that possibilities that could happen if people made different choices, obscuring and revealing the secrets of Fairneck like a master illusionist.
Visionaries
Richard Seneque, Peter Lobo, Diana “Dee” David, Max Conklin, Veronica Farias
In this astounding audio debut, Richard Seneque brings forth an epic fantasy narrative with a sweeping soundscape in a world where humans have evolved powers based on the uniqueness of their eyes. Humans that don’t evolve become enslaved and known as Dead-Eyes. This a powerful work about rebellion and oppression, privilege and ability, and the world we’re living in today, and those truths and stories are entertaining, as well as crystal clear instead of bedded inside of deep metaphor.
Radio Elusia
Nina Segal, Rob Drummer, Robert Awosusi
In Elusia, the law is oppressive, heavily structured, and overly regimented. Rafael transmits protest pirate radio from the seventeenth floor, watching the city for a sign of revolution. He waits, and he disappears. Radio Elusia follows two women years later who find his studio and try to harness it to bring on the revolution he waited so long for. His lonesome monologues clash admirably with Lia and Suze’s path as they try to interpret the way forward.
God of Obsidian
Mac Rogers, Jordana Williams, Bart Fasbender, Sean Williams
The creators of Steal the Stars return with a hard-hitting two-person play originally written by Mac Rogers in 2017. Nathan is leading Alice to see his home deep in a forest, except Alice becomes trapped on a rickety bridge. Thus, Nathan begins to spin his web of lies, mansplaining, and gaslighting. This dark fairy tale is arresting in its simplicity, grounded as it is in Alice and Nathan’s relationship and ease of conversation, but with it comes the complexity of raw emotions and storytelling: how much is too much? And how do you leave?
Path of Legends
Keith Silvas, Vincent Cruz, Johnathan Rowden
Path of Legends is an immersive binaural fantasy tale about three young teenagers who encounter an abandoned wizard’s house in a time where magic is outlawed. When the Inquisitors refuse to help find the teenager that goes missing, the two remaining friends must go back and figure out how to find him. The audio is crackling with life, and it’s easy to get this story, awash with the sensation and swept up in the exuberant feeling of distant lands.
Next Stop
Eric Silver, Brandon Grugle, Amanda McLoughlin, Julia Schifini
Podcast collective Multitude (Join the Party, Spirits) returns with a roommate sitcom that starts its journey when Cam and Ally have to scramble to replace their roommate, who announces she’s leaving abruptly after proposing to her girlfriend. Eric Silver has concocted escapades of the type you tell stories about to your friends a decade later as these three roommates attempt to be adults and figure out how to move forward.
Tales from the Aether
Jackie Jorgensen, Chris Gregory
Tales from the Aether is an anthology of fairy tales that starts with “The Witch of Rockwood Cove.” This is a lushly sound-designed tale of witches, queer women falling in love, suspicion, and a spreading crop blight that causes a horrible illness. Kyna travels far to aid the suffering and dying towns ahead of her, but ends up in a highly religious town which is, only at first, grateful for her help. This atmosphere, between sound and original music, achieves both a warm and gloomy state, wrapped together much like they are in real life.
Earth under Gold
Matthew Edward Gustavsen, Paul Michael Christian, Catherine Quesenberry, Darren Prentice
In 2033, giant flying aliens known as the Goldens landed on Earth and decimated the human race, herding the remaining humans into refugee camps. Earth under Gold takes place fifty years later, when the camps have become city-states and the Golden have begun an exodus. Matthew Edward Gustavsen questions how humans would deal with familiar, historical crossroads coming around again and whether they would be able to break the horrible cycles we know now.
Light Hearts
Caroline Mincks, Evan Tess Murray, Tal Minear
If you’re looking for a sweet and low-key story, Light Hearts is about running a community space bar in an old, haunted building and how to handle unexpected situations with the help of some new friends who know what’s happening, because there are a lot of ghosts. Light Hearts is a produced by queer and trans creators who create a safe, smiling space to escape to, just like Janine and her bar, Prism.
Desperado
What do you think a long trip with three Gods of Death from different cultures would be like? This is the question Desperado answers, as three chosen God’s of Death travel to protect their heritage from modern-day crusaders and survive in battles that come for the very heart of who they are. The atmosphere here is one of old wounds and simmering anger, and of carrying the weight of your lore and your history with you into danger.
Appropriate Culture
Appropriate Culture, an independently released family sitcom webseries now releasing new episodes as a podcast, follows the escapades of Julian and his family and friends throughout dysfunctional relationships, toxic dating, and the grind of finding a new job. It’s inspired by classics like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, presenting themes of familial unity, inclusion, and cultural insight and representation. Julian Stephen has incredibly translated this work into an audio format, rooting his humor in instances that resound in audio more than visual, like when Julian finds out his favorite actor isn’t American.
The Fairest of Seasons
Grant Ellis, Lauren, Jess, Jo, Derek, Emma
Good Society is a Jane Austen RPG, where players court, spread rumors, go to balls, and further engage in the strange whirl that was Austen’s English Regency era. The makers of The Fairest of Seasons delightfully take this game and setting and mold it to their will as queer and trans creators, to partake in some real shenanigans. If you’ve ever wanted to gasp at the scandal someone dares to spread, now’s your chance.
Bleeding Love
Jason Schafr, Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, Harris Doran
Bleeding Love is a musical produced by the Broadway Podcast Network (Loveville High). It was written before the pandemic, but it’s so creepily resonant that you have to listen to it. In a world post-climate catastrophe, where it is too dangerous to go outside, a naive cellist dares to leave her home to help the punk next door seek a real rose in a world where nothing grows anymore. This musical is a little twisted and weird, and a lot thrilling, with a glowing set of catchy tunes.
Dumplings & Dragons
Benjamin Teh, Laurence Yee, Michael Stevenson, Jen Huang, Ankita Singh, Jess Hong
This actual play stars a core cast of Kiwi-Asian actors based in Auckland as three clever adventurers who meet in Xiandian Forest and the farming town of Tongod. These actors haven’t played D&D before, and Dumplings & Dragons dives right into the story, with DM Benjamin Teh guiding them through using their stats, skills, and abilities. They’re a cohesive cast right out of the gate, who fully enjoy making decisions Teh does not expect.
Golden Ash
Mary Littlejohn, Ricardo Pequerino
Golden Ash is an ingenious take on the design of a detective recording an investigation, where every recording and interview stands as its own chapter, creating the sense of listening to a record without much elaboration or extemporaneous action. A record where, perhaps, the audience might be encouraged to try to solve the mystery of Hazel Street alongside the brooding, noir-voiced Detective Shaker.
Monotony: The Musical
Sarah Luery, Jared Chance Taylor
Herbert is trapped as a tax accountant, a job he hates but feels obligated to complete for his father. His best friend Marnee is unhappy with her decisions for her own life, and so now manages others’, including Herbert’s and Theo’s. Theo is a comic book artist who’s landed his first solo contract, but does so without the support of his father, who just wants him to be an accountant. What’s left but to sing about the absolute monotony of life as it goes on, and on, and never changes? Monotony is a hypnotic musical that covers the fears of stagnancy, repression, and trying to get your best friend to stop setting you up with your boss’ son.
This playlist was sponsored by Podchaser. Check out Podchaser’s Creator Profiles to find your favorite podcast hosts, producers, editors, guests, voice actors, and more!
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