It really is quite amazing how far the podcast has come. For this type of show was once nothing more than fireside chats and unique shows you couldn’t find on the radio. But now… it is an entertainment juggernaut. The kind that has launched the careers of so many and given countless creatives a new outlet in which to grow and tell stories. To the point where even the biggest of names are getting into the game now to create and tell the tales they’ve always wanted to and well, it just so happens that another genre legend is about to create another incredible tale in the world of the podcast.
​
For earlier today, Audible announced that it will be bringing the sci-fi/comedy, Third Eye, to its network as an Audible Original later this year… one from the mind of actor, producer, writer and streamer and overall geek legend, Felicia Day, and well… that is quite the epic and exciting announcement. Since Felicia always delivers and her latest story boats an incredible cast and an incredible plot and to give you an idea of how epic this story is going to be, and why it needs to be on our radar, here are all the details on Third Eye, courtesy of Audible.

‘Audible, Inc., the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, today announced a new scripted science-fiction comedy Third Eye, written and created by actor, producer, writer and streamer, Felicia Day (The Guild, Geek & Sundry) and featuring author Neil Gaiman (The Sandman) as The Narrator. Set to premiere on October 5, the Audible Original produced alongside Clamor, stars Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings), LilyPichu (Offline TV), Wil Wheaton (Ready Player One), London Hughes (The Netflix Afterparty), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest, Community), Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien), Hudson Yang (Fresh off the Boat), and Christopher Judge (God of War). Post-production for the Audible Original will be handled by Mumble Media, a worker-owned podcast production cooperative.

Third Eye tells the story of Laurel (Felicia Day), a “Chosen One” wizard still grappling with the fallout of failing a decade earlier in her fight with the ultimate evil Tybus (Christopher Judge). Day will write and star in the project, as our heroine is forced to overcome her tattered reputation and self-loathing in order to save her friends, eventually uncovering shocking secrets on the way toward re-confronting old enemies. The series takes listeners on a comedic ride, with one-of-a-kind characters including Kate Chen (LilyPichu), a quirky, teenage human girl on a quest for knowledge about the supernatural world; Frank Fletcher (Sean Astin), a cranky, stubborn vampire; Robigus (Wil Wheaton), the local San Francisco enforcer for Tybus the Terrible and a constant thorn in the side for Laurel; and Sybil (London Hughes), an exiled Faerie princess in her 20s who exemplifies “hot mess.” With a storyline written as a love letter to the fantasy genre, listeners can expect an abundance of iconic geek and gaming culture Easter eggs cleverly woven throughout the series.

“As my biggest passion project since ‘The Guild’, I am thrilled that Audible has allowed me to bring Third Eye to life in the exact way I've been imagining for years,” said Felicia Day. “I can't wait for fans to listen and fall in love with these characters as much as I have.”

“Third Eye is a testament to Felicia Day’s unparalleled creativity, transporting listeners to a genre-bending universe of science-fiction blended with comedy,” said Zola Mashariki, Head of Audible Studios. “With a uniquely imaginative performance, Neil Gaiman headlines an outstanding cast comprised of genre royalty. Third Eye is sure to captivate audiences worldwide, and we're thrilled to add yet another exciting show to our growing collection of Audible originals.”

This upcoming Audible Original joins an entertaining slate of original audio sci-fi and fantasy titles including Impact Winter, the fan-favorite post-apocalyptic drama created by Travis Beacham, that is set to launch two new installments, the #1 New York Times best-selling audio fiction The Sandman from Neil Gaiman, performed by James McAvoy, Kat Dennings, Michael Sheen and a full cast and its highly anticipated sequels The Sandman: Act II; and The Sandman: Act III; Middlespace: The Rebels Attack, And Then The Other Side Attacks As Well, a quirky tale from Paul Lieberstein starring Will Forte; Upgrade Soul adapted from the critically-acclaimed science fiction graphic novel by author Ezra Claytan Daniels; The Dispatcher series from New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi and starring Zachary Quinto; Carnival Row set in the world of the Amazon Original series of the same name and created by Travis Beacham and René Echevarria; and many more.

Immerse yourself in this epic tale, exclusively from Audible and available starting October 5, visit www.audible.com/thirdeye.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible’s catalog includes more than 800,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Audible Original, ‘The Space Within’.
​
It is definitely safe to say, that stories that feature otherworldly contact between mankind and an alien species… have grown a touch stale in nature. Not because they’re bad, quite the contrary. Great effort goes into telling those stories and they are indeed compelling. But what makes them feel stale is the sheer fact that they all tend to follow fairly familiar formulas. For instance, a great deal of these stories either feature a friendly, and lighthearted encounter with an alien species, wherein humanity’s better angels are put on display to create some good feels. Or… the aliens in question are as evil as they come, and variants of that formula are the most common of all.
​
Wherein they bring war to our planet and mankind must respond, or they terrorize communities by feeling the need to abduct as many people as possible before disappearing into the night sky. All of which is stuff we’ve seen before and doesn’t quite engage us or enthrall as it used to. But, as time rolls on and new forms of entertainment arrive, there are creative minds working to freshen up every type of story out there, including this one, as evidenced by the brand-new Audible Original series, The Space Within. For this story, the brainchild of Josh Fagin and Greg O’Connor, does indeed feature an encounter with an alien species, but it is how that is accomplished that matters most.

Because… there are no lighthearted cute scenes here about phoning home. Nor is there an invasion and horrors untold. Just… a reveal that we are not alone and how that plays out… is simply amazing. For this is a supremely organic and human story, one that never once informs us of what is to come, nor does it foreshadow in a manner that makes things obvious. It is simply a story about people going about their lives, and dealing with some strange occurrences that transform into something so much more and that is a powerful way to draw us into this story and stun us. Since that creates a world that feels very much akin to our own, something that is reinforced the well-written nature of the characters, since they are fleshed out and complete and we are quite curious about them, and their struggles.

Which allows for us to care about them and their well-being deeply, because they too are relatable, and that raises the stakes when the weird stuff starts coming into play, and the arrival of something else, is also quite refreshing. Since what lies in the shadows is mysterious, and fascinating, and sinister all at once, and it all feels… alien. Which is key because there should be no familiarity with something from the stars, it should be uncomfortable and weird and strange and leave us out of sorts. Which is accomplished here in a magnificent manner, one that evokes feelings of dread and wonder and fear, that only a handful of films in this genre have ever accomplished. That in turn allows for this story to basically offer up some grand homages to Fire in the Sky, and Communion, while forging its own path.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt… that the cast here… is as stellar as it gets. Since you’ll find Jessica Chastain, Bobby Cannavale, Academy Award-winner Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist), Michael Stuhlbarg (Your Honor), Shea Whigham (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, Gaslit), Michael Shannon (George & Tammy) and Carmen Ejogo (True Detective) in this story and that... is an incredible roster. And really, all of these elements make this a worthwhile and incredible story. One that captivates you and surprises you, and most important of all… draws you deeply into a world where everything we’ve ever known is turned upside down and the best news of all… is you can enjoy this amazing Audible Original right now and we here at NTG hope you give it a listen. Simply because it is original and refreshing, and you can never go wrong with that.

To listen to ‘The Space Within’, click here. To learn more about its genesis, check out our interview with series creators, Josh Fagin and Greg O’Connor.

​Please enjoy this exclusive clip from The Space Within, a brand-new Audible Original that you can enjoy on Audible right now!

One particular aspect of podcasts and original audio content that is quite amazing, is the sheer fact that we are starting to enjoy full on franchises and multiple seasons of storytelling that are akin to what we enjoy on our television sets. In part because it speaks to how far podcasts have come, but what also makes this so incredible… is that it truly speaks to how vested we are in this format of storytelling now, and how excited we get over the prospect of once again being able to return to a particular universe for more storytelling.
​
If anything, that magic is top of mind today, simply because… Audible made an announcement recently that reinforced that reality and will also… make fans of the Impact Winter franchise… quite happy.  For we came to learn the release date for season two of this incredible show, and well, it turns out we don’t have to wait that long to enjoy the next chapter in this wildly popular saga. For season two will drop on Audible on July 13, 2023, and well… judging from how season one went, we are going to be in for another epic treat, and to help you understand how amazing season two is going to be, and to properly celebrate the wonder of this show’s growth, here are all the details on what you can expect from the next chapter in this saga, courtesy of Audible.   

‘Audible Inc., the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, multiplatform content company Skybound Entertainment, and visionary media company Anonymous Content today announced the cast and premiere date for the second season of the epic post-apocalyptic drama, Impact Winter, debuting on July 13. At its launch in February 2022, Impact Winter was Audible Plus' #1 bestseller across all categories and the #1 Audible Original fiction bestseller in its debut week, in addition to taking the #3 fiction spot on Apple podcast charts. Following the incredible fan reception, Impact Winter’s third season has been officially greenlit.
 
From executive producers of The Walking Dead and the writer of Pacific Rim, Audible's groundbreaking vampire-apocalypse series is back. Eight years after a cataclysmic comet impact blotted out the sun and triggered an endless winter in which vampires rule the Earth, two sisters — one training to fulfill her apparent destiny as humanity's savior, and the other finding purpose and her true self while protecting a group of survivors in her elder sibling's stead — are confronted with an inescapable truth: even if they succeed in fending off the biggest threat to humanity's future, they still have to face their fate.
 
“The hit first season of Impact Winter combined extraordinary storytelling with the highest-quality production value and performances. We’re delighted to deliver two new seasons of this powerful series that has captivated audiences across the globe,” said Zola Mashariki, Head of Audible Studios. “With the addition of new characters and a similarly immersive soundscape, we are confident that this epic tale will continue to provide listeners with a uniquely entertaining experience.”
 
Returning cast members include Holliday Grainger (CB Strike, My Cousin Rachel), Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), David Gyasi (The Diplomat, Interstellar), Caroline Ford (Carnival Row), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) who will all be joined by newcomers Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who, The Great), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones, The Witch), Ellie Bamber (Willow), Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone) and Andrew Gower (Being Human, Outlander), amongst others. Skybound and Anonymous Content serve as co-studios on the project which is co-produced in collaboration with Cliff Roberts (The Midnight Sky). From Travis Beacham, the mind behind Carnival Row and Pacific Rim, season 2 of this ambitious series brings listeners a combination of masterful storytelling, incredible binaural audio, superb performances, and extraordinary world-building, to continue the immersive story that originally enchanted audiences in 2022.
 
Revisit season 1 of Impact Winter, now on Audible: audible.com/ImpactWinter, and listen to season 2 of Impact Winter on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts, beginning July 13. In addition, Impact Winter S2 joins Audible’s growing catalog of Originals Audible members can listen to in immersive spatial audio with Dolby Atmos from the Audible app at no additional cost. Visit audible.com/dolbyatmos for more information.  
 
This upcoming Audible Original joins a powerful slate of original audio dramas including Audible’s first foray with Skybound Entertainment, the best-selling series Death By Unknown Event, narrated by Pamela Adlon; James Patterson’s The Coldest Case: A Black Book Audio Drama, a prequel to his #1 New York Times Bestseller The Black Book and performed by Aaron Paul; the #1 New York Times best-selling audio fiction The Sandman from Neil Gaiman, performed by James McAvoy, Kat Dennings, Michael Sheen and a full cast; the highly anticipated sequels The Sandman: Act II; and The Sandman: Act III; The Dispatcher series from New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi; Carnival Row, set in the world of the Amazon Original series Carnival Row, created by Travis Beacham and René Echevarria; and many more.
 
About Audible, Inc.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible’s catalog includes more than 800,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.
 
About Skybound Entertainment  
Skybound is a company for creators. We're known for using the Wheel of Awesome to make cool stuff, no matter the platform. We place creators and their projects at the center of the wheel and work with them to keep the integrity of their vision as it becomes a comic, game, TV series, film, audio series, or all of the above.  
 
Skybound builds global franchises. We’ve been the home of The Walking Dead and Invincible since 2010 and are leaders in creating universes that become pop culture phenomena from our library of over 150 properties, including the emerging tentpole Impact Winter.  
 
Skybound is a force in games. We publish, produce and distribute video games across every genre, including the blockbuster The Walking Dead series and the BAFTA award-winning Before Your Eyes. 
  
Follow Skybound on Twitter (@Skybound), YouTube (Skybound), Facebook (@SkyboundEntertainment), Instagram (@skyboundent), Discord (Skybound), Reddit (Skybound), and at www.skybound.com.    
 
About Anonymous Content
Anonymous Content is a visionary global media company that produces multi-platform premium content and boasts an exceptional client roster which includes many of the world’s most renowned and innovative directors, writers, and actors. The company’s award-winning Film & TV division encompasses many commercially successful and critically acclaimed works. Current Anonymous Content films include the recently released and critically acclaimed THE STRANGER (Netflix) starring Joel Edgerton, SWAN SONG (Apple TV+), WORTH (Netflix), STILLWATER (Focus Features) and THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Netflix) as well as the highly anticipated upcoming films, FOE (Amazon) starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre that is currently in post-production, and the adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel THE NICKEL BOYS. The company is also behind the three-time Academy Award winning film THE REVENANT, Best Picture Academy Award winning film SPOTLIGHT, and Academy Award winning film for Best Original Screenplay, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. The company’s TV credits include the recently released SAINT X (Hulu) directed by Dee Rees, SHANTARAM (Apple TV+) starring Charlie Hunnam, THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GREY (Apple TV+) starring Samuel L. Jackson and Dominique Fishback, as well as the second season of RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS (HBO). Upcoming series include season four of TRUE DETECTIVE (HBO) starring Jodie Foster, TIME BANDITS (Apple TV+) from Taika Waititi, DISCLAIMER (Apple TV+) from Alfonso Cuarón, starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, and SAVANT (Apple TV+), starring Jessica Chastain. Anonymous Content has also produced many other award winning and critically acclaimed series including MR. ROBOT (USA Network), HOMECOMING (Amazon), 13 REASONS WHY (Netflix), DICKINSON (Apple TV+), HOME BEFORE DARK (Apple TV+), and DEFENDING JACOB (Apple TV+). Through its Commercial work, Anonymous Content is also the driving creative force behind countless leading global brands. In 2018, Anonymous Content created The Lab, a creative incubator designed to push the boundaries of how brands tell stories by engaging emerging filmmakers and diverse storytellers. For more information, visit www.anonymouscontent.com.’

Over the course of the past year, we’ve talked at length about the majesty of Realm Media and their fascinating podcasts, and rightfully so. Because they continue to put forth amazing, scripted audio content and podcasts, and well… they’re doing such a great job with this, that they are beginning to attract some incredible creative talent to partner with, to help their network grow and prosper. In fact, they even went so far recently, as to bring into the fold, one of the founding fathers of podcast fiction to properly nurture the next phase of their scripted content.

For New York Times Bestselling Author Scott Sigler is now part of the Realm family, and his arrival only adds to the richness of the network. Since a bevy of his quality content will now be featured in Realm’s digital database and this is huge. For it will undoubtedly lead to some incredible content from Realm, the kind that will wow us and take podcasting to new heights. But before we ponder upon what is to come, it is best we celebrate this amazing collaboration and to properly do so, here are all the details on this magnificent union, courtesy of Realm.

‘Realm, the world’s largest scripted podcast network with over 120 shows and 3500 hours of audio entertainment, today announced the signing of author Scott Sigler, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the founding figures of podcast fiction.
 
“Realm is a perfect fit for my work,” Sigler said. “Realm has cultivated a large audience of listeners eager to consume horror and sci-fi audio fiction. I’m excited to put my stories in front of new listeners.”
 
Sigler is bringing multiple unabridged titles to Realm, including Nocturnal, which is live on the site, and soon to be added titles Infected Trilogy, the Generations Trilogy, Ancestor, Earthcore, and the entire Galactic Football League series.
 
Nicole Kreutter, Realm’s Head of Network said: “Scott is a pioneer in audio entertainment – he distributed his audio series as podcasts very early on and built an incredible audience base before expanding into traditional book publishing. We’re excited to partner with Scott and introduce his amazing catalog of audio fiction to the Realm audience.”
 
Sigler, an inaugural member of the Podcast Hall of Fame, is a trailblazer in podcast fiction. In March, 2005 — three months before Apple added Podcasts to iTunes — Sigler released his novel Earthcore as a free, serialized audiobook delivered via RSS. Since then, he has released an episode of his fiction every Sunday. Over 50 million episodes of his work have been downloaded.
 
Even when signed to Penguin Random House through its Crown and Del Rey imprints, Sigler retained the right to distribute audio editions of his novels as podcasts.
 
“My podcast audience was part of why I landed that major hardcover deal,” Sigler said. “I wanted to make sure my existing fans weren’t locked out when I released new books. Now I can bring those stories and more to Realm’s listeners and continue to grow this community.” Most of Sigler’s works join the Realm network as completed, serialized podcasts. His weekly podcast, recently renamed Scott Sigler Slices, delivers an episode of a new story every week and has run nonstop for eighteen years.
Find Sigler’s full catalog of stories on Realm at: realm.fm/scottsigler

About Scott Sigler:
 #1 New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of eighteen novels, six novellas, and dozens of short stories. He is an inaugural inductee into the Podcasting Hall of Fame.
 
Scott began his career by narrating his unabridged audiobooks and serializing them on his weekly podcast. He continues to release free episodes every Sunday. Launched in March of 2005, Scott’s podcast — now known as SCOTT SIGLER SLICES — is the longest-running fiction podcast in history.
 
His rabid fans fervently anticipate their weekly story fix, so much so that they’ve dubbed themselves “Sigler Junkies” and have downloaded over 50 million episodes. Subscribe to the free podcast at scottsigler.com/subscribe.
 
Scott is a co-founder of Empty Set Entertainment, which publishes his Galactic Football League
series. A Michigan native, he lives in San Diego, CA with his wife and their wee little Døgs of
Døøm.
 
For more information, please visit scottsigler.com
 
About Realm:
Realm is a leading audio entertainment company with an award-winning studio and the world’s largest scripted podcast network. Realm’s slate is anchored by #1 hit fiction podcasts and fan favorites like IF I GO MISSING THE WITCHES DID IT starring Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe; ORPHAN BLACK: THE NEXT CHAPTER and POWER TRIP starring Emmy-winner Tatiana Maslany; MARIGOLD BREACH starring Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto; OUTLIERS narrated by Rory Culkin; and ECHO PARK starring Harry Shum Jr.
 
Realm produces immersive stories with top-tier talent and companies from across the entertainment industry. Franchise partners include Warner Bros. and DC Comics on projects including the #1 Spotify podcast HARLEY QUINN & THE JOKER: SOUND MIND starring Christina Ricci and Billy Magnussen, and the official continuation of the hit TV series ORPHAN BLACK, starring Tatiana Maslany. Realm’s forthcoming original slate includes partnerships with horror legends John and Sandy Carpenter, multi-award-winning audio drama creator John Dryden, and TRUE BLOOD author Charlaine Harris.
 
Realm was co-founded by former Penguin Random House executive Molly Barton and former Obama Administration Dept of Justice lawyer Julian Yap. The Realm team and advisors include talent from CAA, UTA, Blumhouse, Warner Brothers, Spotify, NPR, Gimlet, etc. Realm shows are available as podcasts everywhere and on the Realm app, awarded “Best of the Year” by Apple. Follow Realm for updates on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, please visit realm.fm.