#hearthbound

Ballpoint Pen vs Digital

Poster by @anyaboz

Odessa's just trying to get home to her wife, but along the Loneliest Road in America, she'll encounter strange hosts, stray souls, and echoes of the past she’s running from... or running towards.

Hearthbound is a 10-episode folk musical audio drama, set across a post-apocalyptic Great Basin. It's a road trip, a queer love story, and a ballad for ecological restoration.

[Transcript | Website] Content Warnings - mild swearing.

Guys I had a vision and here we are! These are all shows I’ve loved, friends shows, recs I’ve gotten, and also just shows that have been kind to me in the past! Go check them out! Tagging all the shows under the cut! (If they have a tumblr)

The Vesta Clinic thank you for showing how treatment doesn't have to demeaning. As a person with Conditions(tm) I don't like hospitals much. But listening to The Vesta Clinic is soothing to a certain degree. All the characters had very satisfying arcs this season, especially dr Adra and overall I really loved how there were more personal moments. And all the cases were super interesting/touching/amusing! Can't wait for the season 3!

Two Thousand And Late. Thank you for being angry. No, thank you for being ANGRY. I think we all feel that way right now, no matter where we are in the world. This show is wonderfully done and the dynamic between two main characters is excellent. Sometimes you even forget they're voiced by one person. Some moments hit a little too close to home, but not necessarily in a bad way but in a way you feel seen. That there IS something horribly wrong and it's worth fixing. Also we just need more messy lesbians who can't seem to be able to fix their lives in media.

Hearthbound. Thank you for the journey. This show definitely was a suprise for me since I hadn't expected it to be that genuine or done with such care. The songs are absolutely amazing and you can't help but root for Odessa.

Woodbine. Thank you for telling a story that centers women! Who doesn't like vampires! And women! And women vampires! And they're gay??? Like it's such an easy sell. But Woodbine also has a compelling narrative, wonderful characters and some cases were soooo good (I still relisten some episodes). Not to mention, Woodbine has an antagonist that you just want to rip apart with your teeth and that makes it better too.

I also listen to quite a lot of actual plays, so here are some I've discovered in 2025.

Tiny Table. They play different systems and it's just such an easy show to listen to. They also explain rules, I like it that it's a diverse group and their table dynamic is not too much and not too little.

For the second week of our break, we're sharing the first episode of Hearthbound, a musical reimagining of the Odyssey!

Hearthbound is a 10-episode folk musical from @straylungs, set across a post-apocalyptic Great Basin. It's a road trip, a queer love story, and a ballad for ecological restoration 🍃💕

I think Travelling Light fans will particularly love Hearthbound as it embraces the very best elements of hopepunk - not shying away from the dark, but refusing to be cowed by it ✨

🏕️ Hearthbound ended this week! And what an ending, just like it began. Quiet, and you would mistake it for low-stakes if you weren't paying attention--Odessa and Penelope's reunion was everything I hoped for, and the idea that now that they're together, Odessa's going to show her wife what she discovered is very satisfying. I love them.

🦁 This week @noadventurespod started their mini-series, Necessary Evil, and it's hilarious. I love bad guys who have the aesthetic of evil and aren't actually that bad of guys--your Doofenshmirtzes, if you will. This series hits that note perfectly. Sibella and Casimir having a genuinely loving and supportive relationship while also being technical Bad Guys is delightful. Yes, Sibella, threaten to blow up a fairy godmother, do iitttttt. I should mention, Absolutely No Adventures is also currently crowdfunding for their third season, so show them some love! They're almost there!

🏝️ Oh @iriscasefiles my beloved. First of all, the action sequences in this episode are immaculate. The acting, the directing, the sound design, like--incredible work team. And second of all...oh man. The close shave, the injuries, the STEALING OF A SHIP, the near miss to an opportunity to change everything for everyone...I am tearing this episode apart in my jaws. I don't know what's going to happen, and neither do the crew, and that's kind of the point; we press on and we do what we can. For probably obvious reasons, this show has meant a lot to me lately.

🥋 It's always fun to see @monstrousproductions' traveller experiencing a little cognitive dissonance. Travelling Light has had a lot of very cool and challenging stories lately, and I like seeing the traveller finding beauty in combat. Hurt is not the same as harm. It's also great watching their developing relationship with Scarry. Get you a man who will notice you're cold and find you a sweater in the middle of a pirate attack.

🔩 Hey are you excited for Re: Frankenstein???? So am I! I can't stress enough how good this is about to be dudes, if you can spare some coin (after you throw some at Absolutely No Adventures of course), we would really appreciate it. We're almost halfway to our goal!