PodPlane

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Podplane is a monthly newsletter spotlighting podcasts by trans, nonbinary, and non-cis creators! Subscribe today (and if you're a trans/nonbinary podcaster, submit your show for inclusion!)

The Mistholme Museum is where all the strangest exhibits in the world just kind of... turn up. Every episode takes you on a tour of several exhibits, where the ever-helpful and definitely not self-aware Audio Tour Guide will tell you their tales. Over the course of the series, a broader narrative begins to emerge, focusing around themes such as identity, personhood, and hope. I love the vibes of this show, and how the storytelling pulls you in. Transcripts here.

Shadows of a Dark Past is a gothic horror podcast set in colonial Massachusetts. When local psychiatrist Mark McCain suspects the arrival of a supernatural presence in Claysville, the rumbles of that storm approach. The evil that seemed to be slumbering now stirs, and the calm begins to break down as the modern Clayton family is once again eclipsed by dark shadows from centuries gone by. Can the curse be overcome, or will the shadows of their dark past consume the Clayton family once and for all?

Harbor is an ongoing, genre-bending series centering around siblings Al and Sam Greer as they try their damnedest to achieve a work-life balance in their backwoods Appalachian town, which just so happens to be a safe haven for Cryptids. This town poses a question on its dilapidated welcome sign: “Are You Home?” Sam Greer reluctantly is. Thankfully, Al is there to welcome her little brother back. His arrival, however, makes waves in her own life, revealing a perplexing group of neighbors that Al has secretly worked alongside for years - non-Human creatures called Cryptids, who have alarming attributes and a multitude of personal problems. The siblings are thrust back-to-back as a swell of forces pull them into bizarre feuds. All as Harbor begins to stir from it’s sleepy complacency... Major elements include horror, comedy, drama, romance, and, of course, family in all it's forms. Transcripts here.

Eeler’s Choice is a serial maritime horror audio drama set in an alternate 19th century, where instead of whales, great eels roam the waves, famous schools hide dark secrets, and the ocean never gives back what it takes unchanged. It's set in a small coastal town whose economy has lived and died on the hunting of the Great Eels for generations. As demand for product has increased, so have the catches… but even the generosity of the sea has its limits, and all debts must come due. The sound design in this show is great, and I love where the story is going. Transcripts here.

The Strewth is Out There is an actual play monster of the week podcast set in the Australian millennium drought. It's an episodic collection of adventures in the outback following  McNally and the Spooks, a team of paranormal investigators from the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Unincorporated Zoology Division). It's a himbo, a bimbo, and an emo roadtripping around country towns, solving mysteries, fighting monsters, and contending with the red tape and dark past of the Australian Public Service. So far they have taken on giant spiders, evil librarians, shapeshifting sea creatures, and murderous ex-wives. Oh my!

Planet Arcana is a science fantasy audio fiction epic, built through a D&D 5e framework, where an influencer, a drug dealer and a cowboy walk into a casino, then into a vast mystery of science, magic, and Tarot-inspired gods. I personally love the homebrewed retrofuturistic setting of Androids and Humans. Trans and female-led, Planet Arcana is for anyone who likes a healthy blend of humor and drama, rich worldbuilding, great player chemistry and creative roleplay, and a gorgeous soundtrack that feels like its own character.

Three of Hearts is a Space Kings Actual Play Podcast made by queer people FOR queer people (and other people, too)! Follow the lives of special agents Vellum and Felspar as they solve an increasingly complicated mystery in the reclusive town of Clovenheart. Along the way there are laughs, adventures, old flames, new flames and more playing card puns than strictly necessary!

Of The Sword is a daily sword-based, micro-fiction anthology running this month! The episodes each feature a different, unique sword and the story surrounding it. Of The Sword features 21 stories written for the show and 9 stories from other productions. It was a fully volunteer project, and all ad revenue is donated to The National Center for Transgender Equality. You can also buy the entire show for $7 on Ko-Fi (proceeds donated to the same place)! Transcripts are linked in the show notes and also found here.

The next issue of Podplane comes later today! Subscribe now to get podcast recs by trans & nonbinary creators in your inbox!

Electromancy is an urban fantasy audio drama which takes place in a world much like our own, but with a little more magic. Mages in this world are rare, and are identified as children and taken to be trained for government service. Jenna, a young electromancer, has been hiding her powers to avoid this fate, but when she is finally detected, she must survive in a challenging new world. This setting of Electromancy is so detailed, and I love learning about the students' powers and how they work. The shenanigans everyone gets up to are also very fun! If you like the complicated world-building of fantasy novels, you'll like Electromancy. There's a map of the world on the website! That's how you know it's good! I've done a little bit of sound design and acting in the show, and I'm quite fond of it. But one of the highlights for me is Leslie Gideon's performance as Brynn!

Moonbase Theta, Out is a queer sci-fi epic telling the story of the last active Moonbase under a repressive corporate system, their shutdown and reawakening, and a revolutionary Plan to take control of their own existence. Through later seasons, the struggle expands to include uprisings on Earth as well, other Moonbases being brought into the conflict, and a shadowy ex-corporate figure attempting to manipulate all sides for his own advantage. The two-part series finale beings airing on August 20! This show has been running for over 5 years now, and it feels like the end of an era! I love the characters in this story, and it's been wonderful watching them grow throughout the show. (Expect for [REDACTED] which broke my heart!!).