The Edge of Sleep

From time to time I'm in the mood to listen a fictional podcast. To name a few: Homecoming, The White Vault, Sandra, The Habitat, Limetown, 36 Questions, Blackout; recently I came across a new one: The Edge of Sleep.

I must admit: this one got me hooked like never before.

I actually want to go out of my way and make sure not to spoil anything — I read a little spoiler before starting it, and regretted knowing a little too much starting it. So if you don't want any spoilers, also make sure not to read the little intro on their website!

So how can I convince you to listen to this podcast without spoiling anything? Well, if you're into fictional podcasts — or if you've never considered them before — you should give The Edge of Sleep a try. I must warn you though: it's a tense story to listen to.

Besides the compelling story telling, a few things stand out.

First of all there's a narrator telling parts of the story. It's like one of the characters is explaining specific parts as we go. It's a liberating format: the story telling isn't confined to "the rules of podcasting" where there always has to be some kind of recording device present. This podcast simply ditches that rule, which I find liberating.

Second, the sound design is amazing. There's nothing over the top like many fictional podcasts, yet you may expect a very high quality edit. I've written about this before: sound effects can make or break the listening experience, and The Edge of Sleep gets it right.

Finally, the podcast is still ongoing, so there's the thrill of looking forward to the next episode every week. There's one thing I hope for though: that they won't try to stretch the story amongst several seasons just for the sake of it. This happens with lots of podcasts — and television series — and it's a practice that needs to stop. Podcast creators should focus on making a quality story and not try to drag it out for seasons upon seasons. The White Vault and Limetown failed miserably here, but that's a story for another time.

If you're into fictional podcasts, or if you're not sure it's your cup of tea, I'd advice to start listening to The Edge of Sleep. I don't think you'll regret it!