This Week in Podcasts is a weekly roundup of the goings-on in podcasting, from highlights to pitfalls to updates and more. Have updates or crowdfunding campaigns you want listed? Check here for directions on how to get in touch.
Highlights
A RadioPublic embed of the episode, which you can also find here
Passenger List
“01. Traffic”
Release date: 9/16/19
Runtime: 32 minutes
Transcript
From the charred ruins of Panoply finally emerges a phoenix in the form of Passenger List. A new fiction podcast by John Scott Dryden (Tumanbay) and Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions) being released via Radiotopia, Passenger List stars Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Kaitlin Le, a woman trying to solve the mystery of a plane that disappeared mid-flight with over 200 passengers–including her brother–on board. The podcast quickly cements itself as actively, explicitly political, weaving together themes of Islamaphobia, Russian election interference, and conspiracy theories. But it’s also deeply personal and human. Passenger List is an exercise in grief, making it a listen that is, at times, difficult or uncomfortable–but in a way that’s so viscerally accurate for those who have had to mourn.
Updates
Night Vale Presents announces new novel, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home
Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor announce their new novel in the Welcome to Night vale universe, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home, which will focus on the history and life of The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home, a journey that will take readers out of Night Vale and across Europe, told through flashback.
Interspersed throughout the Woman’s history, readers follow a present day story in Night Vale, as the Faceless Old Woman haunts, guides, and sabotages a man called Craig. In the end, the story of her current day dealings with Craig and her swashbuckling life story in 19th century Europe will come together in the most unexpected and horrifying way.
Part The Haunting of Hill House, part The Count of Monte Cristo, and 100% about a faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home.
YouTuber Markiplier to star in new fiction podcast by QCODE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Mark Fishbach, known as Markiplier on YouTube, will be starring in and co-producing the upcoming fiction podcast The Edge of Sleep via QCODE’s new label, Wood Elf:
In it, he will play a night watchman who discovers that everyone who went to sleep the previous night has died. He and a band of survivors try to stay awake as they look for answers.
Edge of Sleep is the first project to emerge from QCODE’s new Wood Elf label, which focuses on matching digital creators with original narrative genre podcasts.
Fischbach is primarily known for his Let’s Play videos, a genre of YouTube in which personalities play video games and record their gameplay, reactions, voice over, etc.
Campaigns
VALENCE crowdfunding its first season
Upcoming fiction podcast VALENCE (disclosure: this is my upcoming podcast with Hug House) is crowdfunding its first season via IndieGogo. The campaign has a flexible goal of $4000 USD and will be running until September 30th, 2019. VALENCE is an urban fantasy podcast focusing on themes of mental health, found families, and data security. The cast and crew of VALENCE are made up of primarily people of marginalized demographics including queer people, disabled people, people of color, and people who fall under all of those categories. VALENCE‘s funding will go directly to supporting the cast and crew of the podcast.
On Spec crowdfunding its first season
Journalism podcast On Spec is crowdfunding its first season via Kickstarter. The campaign has an all-or-nothing goal of $20,000 USD and will be running until October 4th, 2019. “On Spec is a platform for independently produced long form documentary storytelling in a bi-weekly podcast. We’re a team of eight freelance journalists from diverse backgrounds, living across the globe, who pursue stories because we care about them and know that they deserve a wider audience.”
Oblivity crowdfunding its second season
Starting tomorrow, comedy sci-fi fiction podcast Oblivity will be crowdfunding its second season via Kickstarter. The campaign has an all-or-nothing goal of £5000 and will be running until October 17th, 2019. “Oblivity follows the story of a disgraced war hero, posted to Pluto to oversee a dysfunctional research crew. The first six-episode season was released in April – and has enjoyed thousands of listeners, critical acclaim, a sell-out live show, and fan-art.”
Wil Williams Writes 