When a supernatural threat drives mankind to the point of extinction, survivors around the globe struggle to endure in a world with just three rules:
Do not look outside. Do not look at the sky. Do not make noise.
I didn’t realize that this was adapted from a novel by R.K. Katic until after I’d finished the first season. The adaptation is—pardon the pun—phenomenal. The story feels like it was originally written for the audio drama format, with tightly edited dialogue, immersive sound design, and no wasted details.
The show begins with a scene that illustrates the sudden and unexpected violence that accompanies the arrival of an alien entity above Earth. Anyone who looks at it dies immediately. Anyone who makes too much noise attracts the entity…and dies immediately.
If there’s one thing that bugged me about the podcast, it’s the constant repetition of its catchphrase: Do not go outside. Do not look at the sky. Do not make noise. It’s ominous and perfectly sets the tone for the story, but it plays multiple times. Every. Single. Episode. Other than that, I really liked this audio drama.
The Phenomenon is an intriguing combination of alien invasion and natural disaster apocalypse stories. The entity that destroyed the world doesn’t appear to be intelligent, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.
We experience the story through multiple viewpoint characters, showing us how government scientists, military operatives, survivalist experts, and ordinary people go about surviving the end of the world. By the end of the first season, more questions are raised than answered and the multiple plot threads begin to converge.
Like any great rollercoaster, The Phenomenon is fast-paced, exciting, and offers plenty of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Listen if You Like:
- A Quiet Place (film)
- Bird Box by Josh Malerman
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The Phenomenon is a free apocalyptic sci-fi audio drama available through iTunes or wherever you find podcasts. Season one is complete and the second season is currently releasing new episodes. Find out more on its website, or check out the trailer here:
