SUMMER VIBES ONLY
PODCASTS TO LOSE YOURSELF IN Including fiction, comedy and cuisine, various Edge writers have detailed below their favourite immersive podcasts. These are the kind perfect to lose yourself in whilst lazing in the sun -- grab your phone, an appropriate app, and start burning through some of these. There are plenty for summer! THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES When discussing pride podcasts to keep you occupied over the summer break, horror fiction production The Magnus Archives may seem like a peculiar recommendation. Especially with our current collective anxieties, to sit down with almost 200 episodes of an exploration into humanity’s deepest and most fundamental fears perhaps feels a bit counterproductive. But The Magnus Archives doesn’t leave us with hopelessness, despite the subject matter. Although its journey drags characters through horror after horror, the show returns repeatedly to remind us that through our connection to humanity, we are survivors. It is no coincidence that it does so with an ensemble of various identities and orientations. From the biromantic asexual protagonist Jon to the bond between police officers-turned-allies Daisy and Basira, the podcast highlights the value of queer love in a way which does not distract from the tense and well-paced storytelling. It’s an intense listen, one that’s difficult to stop once started, and perfect to lose yourself in if you’re in the mood for something a little more towards the dark side. The Magnus Archives is a thrilling and welcome change to the more traditionally realist genres queer media often finds itself confined to. EZRA WOODGER
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CRITICAL ROLE While not originally a podcast, this Dungeons and Dragons show hosted by voice actor Matt Mercer and starring Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe among others, is immersive and enriching for even those not familiar with the tabletop game. The show itself has been a weekly occurrence since 2015, with two seasons (campaign one totalling 115 episodes and campaign two currently on 99) and a myriad of spin-offs and live shows - even a talk show - to keep you entertained. There are hundreds of hours of laughs, action, heart wrenching decisions, and the odd character death thrown in. The world itself is fully fleshed out, and Mercer’s descriptions are enriching, making even the dullest interactions enthralling. And the players themselves make the world far more than a simple tallying up of dice numbers or movement from one location to the next. You can hear how much these NPCs mean to them, and how ecstatic they are each time Matt asks them, “how do you want to do this?” With the show paused for lockdown, and an animated series coming later this year, there’s no better time to get acquainted with the world of Exandria. And whether Grog or Gilmore, Caleb or Cassandra is your favourite character, or whether you would love to see more of Tarion or the Raven Queen, it won’t take long before you fall in love with their tales and tribulations. LOUISE CHASE
Image courtesy of WARNER BROS
