In this eerie new audio fiction series from Kelly Nugent (Teen Creeps, Hellmouthy) a young woman wrongfully accused of a violent crime in a “post-post-post-apocalyptic future” is forced into exile in the Wilds. Desperate to survive, she begins the long walk home to her village, Haven, from the hut where she was abandoned, but soon becomes trapped in a strange house with elderly twin sisters and something that has woken. EXILE is written, mixed, produced, and performed entirely by Nugent herself, along with a haunting score by composer and podcast producer Annalise Nelsen. Nugent, who consumes a massive volume of Young Adult horror novels for her work on Teen Creeps, now shows off her own exceptional storytelling skills, turning the seemingly mundane into a terrifying audio experience. You’ll want to wear headphones to fully immerse yourself in this one. [Nichole Williams]
Really more of a book on tape, this star-studded “podcast” makes good fun out of Hank The Cowdog, a long-running series of children’s books written by John R. Erickson. The radio play—which is set in the Texas Panhandle and stars Texas native Matthew McConaughey—kicks off with Erickson’s 11th Cowdog book, Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest, which will be told over five 20-minute episodes. McConaughey’s cowdog is the “self-declared ‘Head Of Ranch Security’” who fails his way through misadventures alongside his mutt pal Drover (Jesse Plemons) as they protect their owners (Kirsten Dunst and Rich Poland). McConaughey is charming as ever, but Plemons is the standout as the meek sidekick. The series also features original songs and the voices of Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Jordan, Joel Edgerton, Scoot McNairy, and Michael Shannon. The books were written for children, but the fast-paced storytelling—as well as the detailed foley work and sound mixing—make for an entertaining listen for the adults in the room too. Hank is a worthy cheat option for that “free reading” time any kids in your life may be assigned by their teacher over Zoom. [Patrick Gomez]
In previous years, Schmaltzy, a storytelling series from the Jewish Food Society, took the form of a live event where celebrity chefs and grandmothers alike shared stories about the intersection of food, family, and tradition. But now (for obvious reasons) it’s a podcast, and the audio version of Schmaltzy is more than just a collection of recordings. This first episode debuted just before Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start of the fall holiday period and its celebration of togetherness among families and chosen families; the stories told by guests on Schmaltzy are capsules of both laughter and tears at a time when no one is certain when we might experience human connection in its old forms again. Infused with undeniable care, Schmaltzy is the podcast version of a meal that somehow always tastes better when someone you love cooks it for you. [Alma Roda-Gil]
