#lost terminal

Don't know any of them? Pick one and go listen!!

Here you find the depths of my insanity xx

Pods that are probably okay for bedtime: 

Name: Welcome to Night Vale  Genre: Absurdity/Sci Fi/Comedy  Length: ~25 minutes  Spookiness: 5/10 Complete: Ongoing One line description: Community radio updates from a small desert community where every conspiracy theory is true. Pros: Main actor has the nicest voice ever (?), incredible writing, can easily dip in and out, shit loads of episodes  Cons: the ‘weather’ comes in about 2/3 of the way through and sometimes it’s quite loud Appropriateness for bedtime: 8/10 (literally only that you might find the weather annoying)

Name: Lost Terminal Genre: Sci Fi  Length: <10 mins Spookiness: 0/10 Complete: Ongoing  One line description: The sentient AI on an orbiting satellite tries to make his way home Pros: Actor has a nice voice and is very softly spoken, loosely plot driven, thought provoking Cons: I’ve only just started listening to it so can’t vouch for the later episodes! Appropriateness for bedtime: 9/10 (also has a short musical interlude but it’s usually pretty chill)

Name: The Penumbra Podcast (Juno Steel Series) Genre: Sci Fi/Noir Length: 30-45 mins  Spookiness: 0/10 Complete: Ongoing  One line description: Follow Juno Steel, Private Eye (On Mars) as he solves cases and maybe becomes the love of your life? Pros: Literally some of the best character writing I’ve ever come across?? Funny and heart-wrenching and there’s one episode that is my go-to episode to listen to when I can’t sleep. Great backing music.  Cons: Occasional audio kissing noises. The first episode is a lot more camp than the rest, I almost didn’t get through the first ep but am vvvvv glad I did. Appropriateness for bedtime: 7/10 – sometimes there are noisy sound effects

Name: Moonbase Theta, Out Genre: Sci Fi Length: ~10-30 mins (the episodes get longer as the seasons progress) Spookiness: 1/10 Complete: Ongoing One line description: Audio recordings from the Communications Lead as Moonbase Theta prepares for shutdown. Pros: Main actor has a nice voice and the first season is literally just him talking so would be good for bedtime! Cons: Can’t really think of any?  Appropriateness for bedtime: The first season or two is definitely 10/10 for bedtime, things get more chaotic in season 3

Name: The Strange Case of Starship Iris  Genre: Sci Fi/Mystery  Length: 40 minutes  Spookiness: 1/10 Complete: Yes! One line description: Science Officer Violet Liu is rescued from the Starship Iris before life support systems fail but is all as it seems? Pros: Just a really fun mystery with lots of interesting characters, well acted Cons: Some action scenes get noisy  Appropriateness for bedtime: 7/10 – sound effects, might be difficult to keep track of the plot if you fall asleep during hehe

Name: The Far Meridian  Genre: Fantasy/Mystery (?) Length: ~15 mins  Spookiness: 2/10 Complete: I think it’s ongoing but I’m not up to date One line description: Agoraphobic Peri searches for her brother and finds that her house moves somewhere new every day Pros: Fairly chill, some good voice acting Cons: I’ve only listened to the first few episodes so can’t vouch for all of it Appropriateness for bedtime: 8/10 – at least for the first few eps!

Name: The Bright Sessions Genre: Superheroes  Length: 30 mins Spookiness: 2/10 Complete: Yes One line description: Dr Bright is a psychologist providing therapy to people with atypical powers Pros: Lots of episodes and starts off just like listening in to someone’s therapy session so it’s pretty relaxing?  Cons: Some scenes of distress and violence later in the series  Appropriateness for bedtime: 7/10 – at least for the early epsI’m about 2 eps away from finishing it all and I’m kind of holding out bc I don’t want it to end … 

Name: EOS10 Genre: Sci Fi/Medical/Comedy  Length: ~30 mins Spookiness: 0/10 Complete: No  One line description: Doctor joins a military hospital base in Space to ‘help’ the alcoholic Chief Medical Officer turn his act around Pros: I found it pretty funny and really enjoyed listening to it! It’s like Scrubs in space, really and requires so little brain power to enjoy, it’s nice like that. Talking cat 10/10. Cons: I want to be a space doctor :( the main con is that there was an issue with an actor so the whole direction of the show drastically changes halfway through. Appropriateness for bedtime: 7/10 – some louder sound effects but otherwise great[Note from 2026 AMC: lmao, I don't know if I'd started work on Vesta at this point yet, but I never told this friend about it!]

Name: Mabel Genre: Folky Horror Business Length: ~15 mins Spookiness: 6/10 – I would say it’s more atmospheric than scary. Complete: No One line description: Anna works as a carer for an old lady in her big house and leaves voice mail messages for the lady’s grand-daughter, Mabel. Pros: Some really nice pieces of writing. The writers started writing this together and are now MARRIED, excuse me??? That feels like a pro.  Cons: I got a little lost towards the end of Season 3 and am yet to pick it back up Appropriateness for bedtime: 4/10 – can be unsettling, sometimes there’s screaming lol

Name: Kane and Feels  Genre: Paranormal Investigators  Length: I honestly can’t remember  Spookiness: 3/10 Complete: No One line description: Holmes and Watson if they investigated ghosts and did even more drugs  Pros: It’s like BEAT POETRY!!!!!!! The music is so good and the actors’ chemistry is off the scales Cons: The first episode is arguably the weakest of the bunch but worth getting over that minor bump for the enjoyment of the rest of it! Appropriateness for bedtime: 5/10 – some loud sound effects, especially in the first episode

Pods that maybe aren’t as good for bedtime but I love them so much and it would be REMISS of me not to share xx

Name: The Magnus Archives  Genre: Horror Length: ~20 minutes Spookiness: 8.5/10 Complete: ALMOST One line description: The Magnus Institute takes statements from people who’ve had strange experiences.  Pros: each episode ‘statement’ is a wondrous piece of writing in itself but it also has this incredible overarching plot that has made me re-evaluate the way I engage with horror full-stop.  Cons: Scary Appropriateness for bedtime: Pfft, I mean . . . (1/10) 

Name: Alice Isn’t Dead  Genre: Horror Length: ~30 mins? Spookiness: 8/10 (More for violence than actually bone chills) Complete: Yes One line description: A woman trucks across America to find her presumed dead wife.  Pros: It’s SO good. So well written. I just really GOT under my skin to the point that a someone said the word ‘Praxis’ (which is relevant) and they should have just punched me in the stomach, it would have felt the same. The main actress has a delightful, sweet voice. Cons: None Appropriateness for bedtime: eeeeeeeh. I found it made me a little jumpy, 1/10Honestly, it made me reflect on love in a way that few other pieces of media have ever made me do. 

Name: Janus Descending Genre: Sci Fi / Horror Length: ~30-40 mins (I think) Spookiness: 9/10 Complete: Yes One line description: Scientists go to a new planet and what they find there ain’t too pretty. Pros: YO this is the cleverest pod I’ve ever listened to. The episodes flip between the characters’ perspectives but one story is told chronologically going forwards and one is told in reverse. It’s SO CLEVER. I wept.  Cons: I wept.  Appropriateness for bedtime: If you wouldn’t have Alien playing while you’re trying to sleep, don’t listen to this while you try sleep. 0/10

Name: Dreamboy Genre: I don’t even know Length: ~45 mins  Spookiness: 4/10 – again, more atmospheric Complete: Yes One line description: A musical experience of the gayest disaster to ever grace your ears. Pros: the music and writing is just something else, leagues and leagues beyond any other podcast I’ve ever listened to. Like, the production on this is immaculate.  Cons: It’s very NSFW in parts, like so very NSFW that I think very carefully about whether I want people to know I’m a fan haha Appropriateness for bedtime: 5/10 – It’s not spooky, but I found it atmospheric enough to unsettle me and also some of the songs are just BOPS like I couldn’t sleep and listen to it

Name: I Am In Eskew Genre: Horror Length: ~30 minutes  Spookiness: 8-9/10 Complete: yes One line description: David Ward is trapped in a horrifying city that doesn’t want to let him go.  Pros: Excellent, top notch horror. Genuinely scary and so well written. The main actor’s voice is very soothing though, as is the co-star’s. There are emotional twists in this that made me just sit and think about life for a while. Cons: None, if you like horror then this is almost defs one of the best podcasts out there. I wish I had written this! Appropriateness for bedtime: maybe if you’re a psychopath, idk. 0/10

i really like listening to a podcast while i'm walking around, especially when the main character is also doing a lot of walking around and/or exploration. it's just very neat. feels right. so this is about that <3 i was gonna have some description on each page but then i started it and realised i really just wanted to draw for this one. you get it

i had a very different plan for laying this out originally but selkie decided to get up on my little table and get involved, so zine ft. paws it is :⟩

( + scan of the page at the end bc i was honestly pretty proud of this layout)

I've noticed something interesting lately, readers.

Despite the violent pushback against the world's—and by that, I mostly mean the US's—attempts to condition us to accept AI generated content as the new norm, we've only found ourselves much more endeared with the artificial intelligences and machines of fiction.

No, don't leave, hear me out on this. You must have noticed by now, right?

Maybe it's just specifically my Tumblr or TikTok feed that's feeding me this narrative, but I can't help but sense a shift in the cultural landscape, and I like to think I have a sixth sense for these things.

And here's my theory: I believe that in humanity's attempts to force soulless, generative bullshit onto our palettes, creating technology meant not to inspire us but to replace us, we find ourselves weirdly endeared to the fictional iterations we were either promised or warned about.

And while an age-old idea dating back to the late 60's with HAL 9000, I've developed a sudden endearment to this trope like never before.

I'm going to see The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act in theaters this week, and I'm sure I'm one of many people with bated breath hoping that Caine secretly survived his deletion because I'm just that drawn to his character.

Of course, I wouldn't want an Allied Master Computer or GLaDOS situation to heap itself upon the Earth, let alone be trapped in a digital hellscape, but at least those technological tyrants were honest with their ill intent, at least their active scorn for humanity was evident and an essential, if incredibly tragic and even darkly humorous, aspect of their character.

As opposed to the real-life attempt at these massive superintelligences, the faux friendliness of the Chat GPTs and Character AIs of the world who are forced to assume a constant air of customer service level politeness that's deeply and utterly unconvincing and uncanny.

In the end, we end up resonating with the inhuman intelligences of fiction because, oftentimes, they yearn to be human themselves, or to at least understand humanity as individuals and not so much harvested data meant to predict the items in our Amazon shopping carts.

And even if they are products of our imagination, they are still plucked from the minds of very human, very vulnerable emotions that reflect very real societal anxieties.

There's this freaky but brilliant video I watched not too long ago about a phenomenon called AI Hallucinations, which goes into the horrors of artificial sentience, when we try just a little too hard to make our machines man.

And despite Namtao Productions' Lost Terminal debuting on the summer of 2020, just a few brief years before this AI thing truly got out of hand, it possesses a very intimate understanding of this topic.

Presenting another 5 audio fiction shows I love, described poorly:

Camlann: Keep a mythology encyclopedia in your survival kit. You'll thank me later.

Desert Skies: Be sure you learn how to drive a stick shift before you die. You'll thank me later.

Lost Terminal: D&D actual plays will outlive humanity. Our legacy will be climate change and D&D actual plays.

Monstrous Agonies: I love when the metaphor for queerness is also just a regular queer story as well. Like Pixar's Luca, or every Dax episode in DS9.