After trying out a milestone list for April, I decided to do it again for May. As usual, this doesn’t contain everything as there is just so much out there in the audio fiction world, but I’ve tried to include all the milestones from the shows I was listening to in May.
Debuts
Cassandra’s Tales and Truths
In the most recent season of MJ Bailey’s The Oracle of Dusk, we met two new oracles through their communication with Delphi, and the two prove to be very different from each other. Spin-off series Cassandra’s Tales and Truths (with its own separate RSS feed) features one of these two new oracles, who goes by Cassandra. Cassandra writes short stories based on the Delphic maxims – the first of which was ‘know thyself’ – which are then presented by Delphi.
Space Ranger 421
Action/horror Space Ranger 421 is set around 100 years in the future, after humans have evacuated Earth. Dr Theo Jones arrives on Mars to discover what went wrong in a now-abandoned colony, with the help of a group of explorers. They find Devlyn Drax, Space Ranger 421, still in the colony and apparently on his own; and there are some terrifying discoveries as the story progresses.
The Wanderer
The Wanderer is a beautiful and poetic exploration of what many people have experienced during the pandemic, from T.H. Ponders, the creator of Accession. It’s a fantasy story about having to stay apart from the one you love in order to keep them safe; and The Wanderer shares his experiences of wandering through the forest day after day, and the difficulties this lonely journey brings.
ROGUE RUNNERS
ROGUE RUNNERS is a new actual play from the creator of CARAVAN, Tau Zaman. This season is adapted from the video game Hades, and the players’ mission is to escape the House of Hades, to win another chance at life. Both the DM and players have a lot of fun with the story, and no knowledge of the video game is required to enjoy the show.
New Seasons
The Great Chameleon War
The weird and wonderful The Great Chameleon War is back for its second season, and things are just as dream-like and surreal as ever. However, in a change from the show’s first season, we find the Amanuensis in a new and unexpected situation, and also discover that he’s no longer alone.
Passenger List
Passenger List is also back for its second season, and after I was wondering where this season could go, the perspective from which the story’s told changes completely. This new season has really taken some disturbing turns so far in the investigation into what happened to Flight 702, and I’m really curious to see where it goes next.
We Fix Space Junk – Marilyn’s Diary
We Fix Space Junk launched the second season of Marilyn’s Diary, titled A Long Journey Home. Here we catch up with wasp-cow-human princess Marilyn, and former spaceship AI Computer, as they travel back to Marilyn’s home planet of Gontano. I love how Marilyn’s Diary brings a change of pace to the show, and how it gives us a new perspective of the Automicon universe.
Marsfall
Another show that was hit by 2020, Marsfall is back for its third full season. The first episode in the season continues right from where season two ended, and things very quickly take a turn for the worse. The use of music in this season opener is amazing, as it paints a very otherworldly discovery on the red planet.
Everything is Alive
Everything is Alive’s fourth season starts with a very timely interview, with Adam the bar stool. This podcast is a series of interviews with inanimate objects, which can very often lead to poignant reflections for us, as humans. It’s an unusual, but emotional, examination of the loneliness of the pandemic, as the bar Adam belongs to has, of course, been closed for many months.
Season Finales
Folxlore
Queer horror Folxlore wrapped up its first season, with the release of two episodes over the first weekend in May. The focus of the season is a tenement building in Glasgow, which has been the site of some strange and paranormal events over the course of the years. We meet some of the people who live in the building, through different perspectives – some of which are more…unusual. The threads all come together in the final episode, at the scene of a chilling event.
The Night Post
Supernatural podcast The Night Post concluded its first season. The mystery behind Ashley’s disappearance has developed into a bigger and more sinister conspiracy all of the couriers of Station 103 are a part of; thanks to, very fittingly, a letter each of them receives.
The Call of the Void
I was really curious as to where a second season of The Call of the Void would go, and it certainly brought a lot of surprises. The new discoveries over the course of this season slowly built up to a tense confrontation in the finale; and we only got a glimpse of some new aspects of this story which are still to be explored, with some shocking new details about Etsy and her background. The show’s season will be its last, with a launch date to be announced.
Paired
I love how fun Paired is, with Pairy the digital assistant trying her best to help out the various folks she meets; but there’s also a much more serious thread that’s been in the background for much of this season – and it’s here that we end up for the season three finale, in a big break from the show’s usual format.
Less is Morgue
After an impressive run of 31 episodes, Less is Morgue concluded its first season. It’s been a wild ride for the roommates (basement-mates?), and the season finale really wraps everything up nicely, and provides some very touching moments.
Moonbase Theta, Out
Moonbase Theta, Out has grown in size so much since the show’s first season, and the finale for the show’s third season really brings all the various threads and locations from this season together, and gives the audience some big revelations. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Moonbase Theta, Out finale without some big emotional moments, and a Roger monologue.
Quid Pro Euro
This second season of Quid Pro Euro was very different to its first, with literally a different format of media as a framing device – this time Quid Pro Euro is a video game, as opposed to video tapes. I loved the change of pace in this season finale, and how it tied into the events that happened at the end of season 1. Everything makes sense now… Well, maybe not everything.
Desperado
There’s a lot to wrap up in the finale of Desperado’s first season, and it does it extremely well, with some impressive sound design too. The long journey of our three death gods has led up to this moment, but there’s still more of the story left to be told – including the aftermath of a shocking discovery.
Inn Between
Inn Between’s season finale ends with the unexpected aftermath of a huge battle. I love how Inn Between breaks the fourth wall, and the suggestions here that there was something going on that the party of adventurers didn’t see was very amusing. The (pre-credits) episode ends on an unnerving question, which sets up a possible plot for the show’s next season.
Down
After sci-fi show Down had to be put on hiatus due to 2020, it returned to conclude its story, and wrapped up the series after 24 episodes. The story developed much further beyond anything I could have imagined at the start of the show, and the finale really brought some wild revelations, bringing the Virgil’s journey to a tense end.
In Transit
The conspiracies are unravelling in the tense season finale of sci-fi podcast In Transit. One of the themes the show has explored is the fragility of life in space, and the situation aboard the Eurus becomes even more dangerous as this episode progresses. The ending sets up their promised season two nicely, and I’m really intrigued to see where the story will go next after that ending.
Liberty – Tales from the Tower
Mines and Mysteries is a four-part story from Liberty’s horror series Tales from the Tower, and I really loved this mini-series’ format. We meet a group of friends who spend a planned lockdown playing an RPG, when strange things start happening in the apartment they’re staying in.
The Ballad of Anne & Mary
Long Cat Media really put together a stunning production with their queer pirate musical, The Ballad of Anne & Mary. In this 5-episode series set in 1721 we meet pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and journalist Nathaniel Mist who wants to write their story. I loved the finale, and especially the love song which so wonderfully captured Anne and Mary’s relationship.
Stellar Firma
Series finale detected, security alerted. It still feels like yesterday that Rusty Quill’s The Magnus Archives concluded back in March, but the end of May also brought the series finale of their chaotic improv sci-fi show Stellar Firma. David 7, Trexel, and Hartro make some huge discoveries, and there are some really great twists. It was a very satisfying ending to a podcast that’s been a lot of fun to listen to. I loved the inclusion of Rusty Quill founder Alexander J Newall as an AI!
A Sky Full of Pods 