It’s here! The Angry House by Thomas Wrightson

 It's here! It's finally here! After the epic trilogy of its origins and development (part 1, part 2, part 3), The Angry House -- a horror audio play written by me, Thomas Wrightson -- is releasing into the world first through Alternative Stories's Spec Fic Radio Theatre; Monday 15 December (tomorrow) for their silver-tier Patreons, then everyone else on Wednesday 17 December.

This post will be updated with links to versions as they release.

Spec Fic Audio Theatre release - Wednesday 17 December 2025 - Podlink, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, PodBean,

Alternative Stories and Fake Realities release - Friday 19 December 2025 - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, PodLink

This audio production, produced by Alternative Stories and directed by Chris Gregory, is a Christmas chiller. In 1999, on the eve of a total eclipse, a brother goes with his sister and life partner to refurbish an old house. But as they work there, strange events suggest a hostile presence is haunting them, threatening their lives.

With a wonderful cast bringing it to life--Charlie Richards, Marie-Claire Woods, David Monteith, and Sarah Golding--this is my very first time writing for the radio format and my first production of this kind. Where things may go from here, who knows. But I know this will be a fascinating thing to have floating around for people to listen to.

Read more here!

Review – Novel – Stanislaw Lem's The Invincible

 I've got an...odd relationship with how I came to trying out the science fiction works of Polish author Stanislaw Lem. I first became aware of Solaris, principally its two most notable film adaptations from 1972 (Russian, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky) and 2002 (American, directed by Steven Soderbergh). I didn't really get the story through these adaptations. I then found out about a video game called The Invincible, which was apparently an adaptation of Lem's novel of the same name. Having gone through it and now reading the book, it's more of a prequel but the ideas seemed fun. It wasn't until I heard some of an audiobook reading that featured a new translation directly from the Polish that I got it. Then when I learned that The Invincible had a translation by the same person (Bill Johnston), I decided to keep an eye out for it. And eventually, I got a copy.

The premise of The Invincible is fairly simple. The titular ship is sent to investigate the fate of its sibling ship Condor on Regis III, a planet with land dominated by ice and deserts while the ocean is teaming with life. As the crew land and investigate, they find increasingly disturbing signs of something existing on the planet that not only doomed the Condor, but has destroyed all life on land. The unfolding story, told principally through the perspective of the Invincible's navigator Rohan, is by turns fascinating and terrifying.

Fair warning for anyone going into this; The Invincible is HARD science fiction. It likes to explain itself, and grounds itself within the probable. It's also written from a collectivist cultural perspective that is noticeably different from other notable sci-fi works from the time. While Rohan emerges as the 'lead', the omniscient narration focuses far more on the crew as a body. It's also in an older style of writing where you get vast blocks of text and run-on sentences that detail events and paint scenes. That's not to say there aren't many effective moments; exploring the Condor, discovering an unknown structure, the deployment of a large automated weapon, and Rohan's final exploration beyond the ship. It is also a book of its time in that there are no women on board. At all. Zip. Nil. Nada.

Part of the reason I went for this edition and this translator specifically is that his translation of Solaris is really good, and his work shows here too. Johnston worked on the translation in collaboration with Lem's family, and it is the first direct-from-Polish translation as previous versions were translated via German. From my limited experience with Sapkowski's Witcher series, Polish is a tricky language to translate from; while the first two Witcher titles from one translator were eminently readable, all the rest from another are extremely clunky and put me off the entire series. If the Solaris translation had been similarly clunky, I'd have avoided The Invincible. But it isn't.Both Solaris and The Invincible have really good translations that make what are very technically dense books into engaging reads.

Lem's work isn't easily digested or adapted, because he approaches familiar sci-fi concepts (facing the unknown, the limits of humanity) from an unfamiliar angle. I now see why the adaptations of his work don't land; they all miss a key point. The height of human rationalism can appear childish before something that refuses to conform to our anthropomorphic view of reality. But UNLIKE a lot of modern fiction that takes this approach and adds soap opera levels of stupidity and drama, Lem continues to tackle the issue with cold rationalism. The mystery of Regis III is a subject of horror, but also a thought experiment where the participants of the book approach it with rationality and caution, all while their limited view of the world is violently challenged.

This book, specifically this version of the book, is a must-read for any sci-fi fan. Yes, it's of its time in characters and aspects of its representation, and some paragraphs are a slog to get through. But otherwise it's a brilliant exploration of human contact with something truly alien.

8.9/10

Author Talks — Final 2025 episode

 It's all in the name. Today is when the eighth and final episode of this year's season of Author Talks releases. It's been a long year for me, and hopefully I'll be able to create something more next year. Also, stuff's been happening, and I go into a rough outline of that in this episode alongside something that just...caught my attention about a certain metal-faced person from a certain French adventure novel. I hope you enjoy, and have a Merry Christmas/Yule/Holiday.

YouTube link

Spotify link

The Angry House — The Next Stage

 I've been chronicling the progress and development process of The Angry House, a horror audio drama produced by Alternative Stories. I've already talked the OG awards, and a long behind-the-scenes where I detail the cast and recording progress as a log. Now, the climax.

The next major stage of things was selecting which of the many takes would (provisionally at least) form part of the final cut. I was more than prepared for some heated debate over which take was better or worse, and listened to each and made notes on advice from Chris Gregory. I had to bear in mind that these were the raw audio from Studio Orpheus, without sound re-balancing or positional changes or effects or anything. I had to pick from a number of bits and pieces, and sometimes there were sections of a take that didn't quite fit with the rest, so (as previously outlined) there were some bits of takes that sounded better overall and could be spliced into the whole.

When it came time for us to actually decide, I had listened through the lot and I was prepared for some measure of combat. As it turned out, only one of the takes had any kind of contention around its suitability, but Chris decided to go with my option as a working basis and see how it meshed with the rest of things as a whole. His choice...seemed off to me, which was the best metric I could give for many things. That it was 'right' or was 'off' when it came to both the emotional resonance and the flow from one scene to the next. As to the other takes, we were in united agreement over which whole takes to use, and which bits to splice in where needed.

I also learned something interesting about my writing while talking with Chris. If you read the dialogue just bald, without actors or characterisation or atmosphere, it can seem quite shallow. But because of the scenarios I've created, because of who the characters are in the context of the story, they're actually quite deep and challenging. One bit in particular, where the actor for lead character Harry Wells, Charlie Richards, had a long sentence that needed to be said quickly and with emotion after flipping immediately from a barely-controlled calm. We needed SIX TAKES to get anywhere near right. That kind of thing, a scene turning on a dime more than once, or character interactions that make things so powerful, are the place where my lines were challenging for the actors. And engaging, I hope and believe. They certainly seemed to be having a great time.

The next stage was listening to the final assembly to make sure the takes that we agreed upon were. And when you're listening back with cleaned-up audio and some added directionality, it really adds something. It wasn't the final product, but it was quite a thing. Helped by the fact that part of why I was listening through was not only to judge the takes, but to find any issues. And...there were a couple. But I'm not calling out anyone, these will happen to the most highfalutin production houses and Chris Gregory is a very busy man. It's just...don't go in expecting perfect and then getting mad about it. It doesn't help anyone and only causes problems further down the line.

To quote Chris Gregory following my initial feedback: "Well this went well!" Agreed, and relatable.

But when the final edit came in...oh boy. I think it's enough of a compliment to say that after the initial check of the redone end-to-end reel, I listen again and...just forget I was listening to an in-progress thing. The scenes flowed together well, and it just sounded like a radio play you'd hear on BBC Radio 4 or 4Extra.

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The Angry House is set for release during December 2025 on these podcast platforms; Spec Fic Radio Theatre, Alternative Stories and Fake Realities, and Pen to Print Write On! Audio.

Enjoy a Christmas time spook fest. Are you prepared to join our characters in entering 'The Angry House'?"

My Anime Life: Zetsuen no Tempest

I hadn't intended this to be the week's post, but I came down with a nasty flu, and this was ready, so I'm doing it now.

In this newborn article series, I've already talked about The Apothecary Diaries and Blood-C. Now I'd like to highlight a series you may never have heard of at all. Zetsuen no Tempest (officially localised as Blast of Tempest) began life as a fantasy drama manga co-written by Kyo Shirodaira and Arihide Sano, and illustrated by Ren Saizaki. The same year the manga concluded, an anime television series was created by Studio Bones and adapted by Mari Okada.

The storyline is...something. The initial premise is that following the death of his adoptive sister Aika, Mahiro Fuwa finds himself allied with Hakaze Kusaribe, a member of a mage clan dedicated to the Tree of Genesis. That clan has splintered, with a large faction seeking to awaken the counterpart Tree of Exodus, which causes giant seeds to appear and wipe out nearby populations. Mahiro seeks out lead protagonist Yoshino Takegawa, a loner who was friends with himself and Fuwa. Since Fuwa was killed with magic, Yoshino and Mahiro ally with Hakaze to find Fuwa's killer, ending up caught in the plots surrounding the Tree of Genesis and its plan for the world.

That sounds like I've given away the whole plot, but I assure you I haven't. The plot takes lots of twists and turns, yet it's paced out fairly slowly. The core drama is how the three core characters--Yoshino, Mahiro and Hakaze--deal with the unfolding path of events and the truth behind the conflict of the Genesis and Exodus Trees. The magic system used here is robust and unique, with mages of the Tree of Genesis sacrificing pieces of modern technology to grant them charges of magic, which themselves have a strict limitation on what they can and can't do.

Technically the initial goal of Hakaze to retake control of her clan is resolved within the series' first half, but the plot continues well beyond that point and builds to a compelling finale that had my head spinning in a good way. There is some repetition of scenes and information here and there, especially in flashbacks, but the writing was good enough that the repetition didn't feel like a drag. Plus, with how overwhelming some of the plot can be, some reminders here and there are a good thing.

Perhaps what brought this series to mind for the next "My Anime Life" article is Overly Sarcastic Productions' Trope Talk video on "Haunting the Narrative". The character of Aika Fuwa, who is dead by the story's opening and only seen in flashback, is the definition of this trope. Her influence on the current narrative is profound, and we do get a good look at her personality and actions, but she never features in the present storyline. Her relationship with her secret lover Yoshino and adoptive brother Mahiro is complicated to say the least, and drives much of the character chemistry related to the two. She is also the sources of some humour, which can be sorely needed as this is otherwise a pretty serious and grim plot.

Last time I didn't feel the need to comment on the anime itself beyond narrative, but here I think it is appropriate. There are some parts of the story which, to be honest, can drag. I may find a verbal debate lasting two episodes interesting, but most would be bored to tears. The animation is engaging enough that some of the boring bits are tolerable, but it's the musical score by Michiru Oshima that forms the backbone of most scenes. A grand orchestral score, it's never used in the wrong place, and despite a surprisingly small number of tracks spread across twenty-four episodes I didn't get the feeling of "oh, this one again again", but instead "oh, I know what this scene is about".

My latest video -- Narrative in Video Games: An Author's Retrospective

 So, over the past year, I've been more serious about creating a multimedia presence for myself. That includes versions of my podcast episodes, game playthroughs including a long one of Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy with a restored content mod, and the new endeavors: videos that are more standalone projects which look at different bits of media I like or topics that I feel need more dedicated time and energy like using video clips. I've done Fabula Nova Crystallis, I've done the Bionicle movies, and now...video game narratives.

In this decided non-exhaustive look at narrative in video games, we go through their history, different attitudes towards them, how they are used, and some of the unique mechanics present in the interactive space. I hope it's enjoyable

YOUTUBE LINK

My Anime Life: Blood-C

Not quite in time for Halloween, I know. But I had a more important post to put out, so instead here's a late theme-appropriate article, the second on the "My Anime Life" series. This time we look at Blood-C, the third anime project in Production I.G's Blood franchise. A collaboration between established Blood staff, and manga collective CLAMP, Blood-C became notorious in its time due to its frequent usage of graphic violence, which was censored in Japan and caused it to be banned in mainland China.

The initial set-up is deceptively simple; Saya Kisaragi is a shrine maiden for the local Shinto temple run by her father, and is something of an airhead at school. But at night, she fights monsters in the surrounding woods dubbed Elder Bairns. People in the village start falling victims to the Elder Bairns, who speak with Saya and accuse her of being a traitor to an ancient covenant. The storyline is something a hybrid between a slow J-horror style creeping dread and unease, and the more action-oriented style of earlier Blood projects. The storyline is concluded in the movie The Last Dark, where Saya is in pursuit of forces tied to the series' events.

To say Blood-C is an acquired taste would be an understatement. Its pacing is purposefully very slow and cyclical, with part of the unease coming from how different events either don't seem to impact each other, or repeat in a kind of forced normality which grotesquely contrasts against the monstrous attacks of the Elder Bairns, many modelled on pre-existing Japanese yokai. Saya's character goes from innocent and air-headed young girl to someone who could easily dice an opponent with her sword in the blink of an eye, and some bits of the lore aren't explained fully until after the series has ended. The characters are also deliberately shallow, with a late-stage twist explaining it in a way I found interesting, but likely wouldn't sit well with a lot of people. It also does became very graphic. For once, I fully understand the censorship it received, because...yikes.

This commentary also partially extends to the movie The Last Dark, which is technically very impressive, but the tone is starkly different. It can still be quite violent, and there is a lingering dread that forms part of the horror, but it feels a lot more like a retread of the original Blood: The Last Vampire than a follow-up to Blood-C. It does properly wrap up the story, and Saya gets her wishes fulfilled, but it doesn't have quite the right kind of oomph. It's something I would watch to close out the story rather than as a good story in its own right. And to enjoy the animation and music for both, which are really good.

So...what about this? I can see why Blood-C is the black sheep of the Blood franchise. It deliberately adopts a tonally dissonant approach to its narrative, has a major plot-altering twists that I personally didn't see coming first time, and a movie that shifts tone yet again and makes the two feel like the products of entirely different teams (they're not, it was again a deliberate artistic choice). Should you try it? Well, maybe, I guess. At your own risk.