So you’re missing The Magnus Archives…(or, a podcast rec post)
We’re in the hiatus! And you might be missing the hell out of TMA, like me. So here’s a way to fill the void the apocalypse left in your heart
First up, there are other Rusty Quill shows!Â
Rusty Quill Gaming: An actual-play podcast mixing sci-fi tropes, fantasy and hella queer characters. Occasionally has excellent one-shots from special guests.
Stellar Firma: What if Elias was squeaky and also a clone. This is an improvised sci-fi comedy from Ben and Tim Meredith - hilarious, and has an intriguing running plot
Outliers: A historical drama anthology podcast - each episode is a stand alone story aboutt a lesser known figure from history. Writers include Gabriel Urbina of Wolf 359, Beth Crane of We Fix Space Junk and David K Barnes of Wooden Overcoats, as well as Jonny Sims and many more!
The rest of these aren’t Rusty Quill, so I’ve sorted them based on possible reasons you might like TMA. Hopefully this’ll help you find something you like!
The single voice horror narrative: recommended if you find it difficult to process a lot of different voices, like prosaic writing and audio books, enjoy detailed slower burning horror
I Am In Eskew: Abstract, surrealist horror about a normal person in a terrifying reality by which he’s more than a little bit enchanted. A beautiful narrative about the alien and extraordinary. Think Spiral meets Lonely meets Beholding.
The McIlwraith Statements: More like The X Files, about a Scottish woman and psychic who chooses to help a university team try and prove the existence of the paranormal. They don’t know she’s a psychic. Mostly ghost / death-related horror. Very much The End, hint of Beholding.
Spines: Graphic and creative body horror about a group of people with extraordinary powers indoctrinated by a terrifying cult, and the woman trying to bring her found family back together. Think Flesh meets Spiral.
Station Blue: Written by a trans person who has bipolar disorder about a main character with bipolar disorder. It’s an arctic horror that’s all about finding a healthier relationship between horror and the treatment of mental illness. It also has a bunch of LGBTQ+ characters and themes. Think Spiral meets The Dark.
Other similar shows: Janus Descending, Mirrors, Palimpsest, The Lost Cat Podcast, Glasgow Ghost Stories
The asexual representation: recommended if the fact that Jon is canonically ace means something to you, and you’re looking for others shows with explicit canon representation
The Beacon: Written by an ace woman, this show follows an asexual main character who uses she/her pronouns called Bee. Bee finds out she’s developed superpowers, and decides to try and find other people and figure out what’s going on. A lot of other LGBTQ+ main characters. Ensemble cast, s1 is primarily single voice.
Ars Paradoxica: Dr Sally Grissom is from the year 20XX. She’s aromantic and aseuxal. She’s also just accidentally invented time travel and got stuck in the 1940s. An intricate, beautiful, finished show about war, pacifism, compassion and kindness. A lot of other LGBTQ+ main characters, and queer people of colour. Ensemble cast with strong narrated elements.
Other shows with ace representation: The Bright Sessions (Chloe, pan+ace), Greater Boston (Melissa, aroace), Mount Olympus (Pandora, demisexual), The Penumbra Podcast (Sir Talfryn, asexual), The Blood Crow Stories (various), Love & Luck (various)
The LGBTQ+/queer representation: recommended if you like TMA because it has characters with a bunch of different orientations and gender identities
Moonbase Theta, Out: Written by a non-binary person. Love letters from the moon in a dystopian future. Season 1 is a single voice narrative, season 2 is ensemble cast narrations (so narrated sections from different characters). Season 1 is the story of Roger Brogado-Fisher, a non-binary person writing letters to their husband Alessandro on Earth. Romantic, heartbreaking. S2 has other gender-queer characters, including a person of colour who uses Ze/Zir pronouns, a canon aromantic character, and other LGBTQ+ characters.
Love and Luck: A love story about two men who fall in love and realise that their love gives them magical powers over luck. They decide to use this fact to help the queer community in Melbourne. One of the protagonists is trans, and this show has a lot of discussion about the intersections of identity. No matter how hard things get, it always works out. Told as a series of answerphone messages.
The Blood Crow Stories: A horror podcast with an ensemble cast. Each season tells a different story in a different setting with different characters. It’s made by an LGBTQ+ team with a lot of LGBTQ+ characters, including trans protagonists, polyamorous protagonists and asexual protagonists. Regarding the horror, think The Flesh meets The Hunt meets The End.Â
The Penumbra Podcast: written by a non-binary mixed race person and an LGBTQ+ team of creators, Penumbra follows two primary storylines. One, Juno Steel, is about a bisexual gender-fluid detective on Mars and his path to recovering from depression whilst also foiling apocalyptic plots. The other, The Second Citadel, is about a poly trio and also colonialism and conflict. Will make you feel all the things.Has a lot of trans characters, and Sir Talfryn is canon asexual.
Other podcasts with great LGBTQ+ representation: Superstition, Interference, The Van, CARAVAN, Have You Seen Me?, The 12:37, The Pilgrimage Saga, The Strange Case of Starship Iris, Under Pressure, Supernatural Sexuality with Dr Seabrooke, The Orphans
An intricate slow burning plot that unfolds across multiple episodes: Recommended if you like getting out your red string - shows that unfold slowly with lots of detail and take their time to develop.
Unwell: a mid-western gothic horror from a LGBTQ+ team of creators about a woman who goes home to the place she grew up when her mum gets sick, and slowly begins to realise the haunting incidents of her childhood weren’t just her imagination. WLW protagonist, lots of people of colour, non-binary protagonist and queer romance. Beautiful sound design. Think The Stranger meets The End
Mabel: a fae-horror and WLW romance from WLW creators about a hospice carer who becomes fascinated by the granddaughter of her patient. Lyrical and poetic, the show is told primarily through answerphone message monologues. Think The Stranger meets The Corruption meets The Spiral.
Greater Boston: a surrealist love letter to Boston, people and community. This show follows the Stamatis family, three very different siblings - whilst it also follows the secession of the red line tube route as it attempts to become its own municipality. Funny, tragic, beautiful, hopeful.
Other similar shows: Archive 81, Wolf 359, Six Cold Feet, SAYER, Alice Isn’t Dead, Marsfall, Among the Stars and Bones, Windfall
As ever, if you’d like to know any more about any of these shows, please do leave me an ask or send a message! Happy listening!!
