Podcasts 3
At the end of ars Paradoxica there’s a long conversation with members of the cast and crew. It’s worth a listen. But at one point, when talking about their next projects, staff writer Julian Mundy mentioned his comedy scifi show: StarTripper!!. So as soon as I finished The Bright Sessions, I had that queued up and ready.
StarTripper!! is the first podcast I listened to that’s still ongoing, which is great because I get to hear the story unfold live and I get to actually support it! I’m still bummed I never got to throw any money at ars, but I signed up to the StarTripper!! Patreon after the first episode.
The creators have never explicitly said so, but in my head StarTripper!! exists in the same narrative universe as Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. That’s the feel and the tone I get from this show. The lead character is a cubicle farm escapee with a burning wanderlust and more luck than sense. He stumbles from adventure to adventure with good humor and a helpful mien, and it’s simply impossible not to smile as you listen. The show also has a strong found family theme, with the cast growing from just Feston to include an entire crew of misfits, and I love them all dearly.
The show is produced and sound designed by Mischa Stanton, which explains why the sound quality is so good. There’s a good bit of action in StarTripper!!!, and the audio always makes me feel like I’m right there at Feston’s side - for better or worse.
I could heap praise on the entire cast, but I definitely want to single out Ian McQuown, who plays the lead character. He brings such a delightful charm to the role. Feston has never been described in great detail, but he’s almost a cartoon character in my head, just from the way Ian brings him to life.
If you’re a fan of Douglas Adams, listen to this show. Period.
5 stars, two thumbs
