Wolf 359: My First Leap Into Audio Drama Podcasts

The Wolf 359 Logo / Gabriel Urbina

I am a huge space nerd. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of going to space and having adventures and whatnot. Rockets and spaceships are my favorite mode of transportation in any sci-fi media. And most of all the wonder of the infinite cosmos in beyond description for me. But also, space is horrifying. Like, really horrifying. And one podcast I found over the summer encompasses all of that and more. Welcome to "Wolf 359."

"Wolf 359" is a fictional audio drama podcast set at an unknown time in the future around a real star of the same name. The podcast follows the hijinks of a small crew of corporate-hired astronauts aboard a research space station known as the Hephaestus. The cast at the beginning consists of Communications Officer Doug Eiffel, Commander Rene Minkowski, Dr. Alexander Hilbert and the Hephaestus A.I. Hera. The early episodes are short and unserious adventures about the small crew stuck keeping themselves entertained on the station until their mission wraps up in less than a year. But early on, Eiffel begins to catch mysterious transmissions from deep space that shake up the mission. Slowly as the first season progresses, a larger, more sinister plot unravels that puts the entire crew in unescapable danger. 

I started listening to this podcast over the summer at my internship to pass the time. I have never dived into a podcast like this before that wasn't a talk show format. But this one completely captivated my attention with its goofy and passionate cast, concise setting and ever-changing plot that surprised me with plot twists I never saw coming. Eiffel is by far my favorite character because it gives the listener a window into the mind of an everyman stuck in a scenario where everyone is an elite at what they do. It is a heartfelt story full of passion and deep character moments that are quite relatable to the average person. Each and every single character, even the ones introduced later on, get their own complete character arc which is hard enough to do already with a podcast, but the writers find a way to make sure everyone is important in their own way. 

One of my favorite elements of the podcast is how it rides the genre line between an action drama and space horror masterfully. There are few actual "fights" in the series before the later seasons, but the small conflicts each character encounters are nothing less than entertaining. The drama elements are ever-present even if the listener is unaware of the weight of the drama until later on. And the horror elements take you by surprise when you least expect it. This is a confined setting and plot so the horror is under the same constraints and uses it to an advantage unlike any series I have ever experienced. This podcast really makes you feel the "I am stuck in space" element in the best and most dreadful ways.

I could go on and on about this podcast and how much I want to praise it. I can't even talk about some of my favorite later-introduced characters and episodes because they are huge spoilers for the plot. To wrap this all up, if you have the time and are looking for a new podcast to listen to I can whole-heartedly recommend "Wolf 359" for its powerful cast, amazing plot and overall well-rounded story. The story is complete too! So pick up your phone and get listening.