Alice Isn’t Dead, written by Joseph Fink and performed by Jasika Nicole, is a dark and suspenseful story of a truck driver on the search for her missing wife who she initially believed was dead while facing the paranormal. Presented in an audio diary form, the main character speaks in first person about her thoughts and occasionally says dialogues from her accounts out loud in an audiobook-like style. However, what draws the line from making this a podcast and not an audiobook is the unique elements that draw the listener into this fascinating environment that only podcasts can bring.
Part 1, Chapter 1, The Omelet, starts immediately with some cursing from the speaker followed with an apologetic “Sorry, someone cut me off.” The first couple of seconds, along with the sound of a recording device being turned on, helps set the context that the main storytelling device for this podcast is in the form of audio logs. The speaker begins the story at a diner in a gas station where she notices a strange-looking man savagely devouring an omelet. The description of the man is very detailed as the speaker states how the man “was wearing a yellow hat, like, um, like a baseball hat. His fingernails were yellow, too. Not cigarette yellow or nail polish yellow; translucent yellow, just below the surface. Polo shirt. Dirty. Filthy. Dirtier than you think a restaurant would allow someone to wear, would serve. Just the word ‘Thistle’ on the right breast. No logo.” The particular attention to detail and imagery is important because listeners do not get visual images in podcasts like they would in TV shows. With detailed descriptions, listeners are allowed to create their own visuals of the story in their heads which other storytelling platforms like TV shows do not permit as the characters, settings, and visuals are already decided for the audience.
Another element that this podcast utilizes effectively is sound. The ominous opening music in the background sets the foreboding tone of the story immediately. Additionally, the chapter uses special sound effects to assist in imagery and help transition to different scenes. The sound effect of an audio device cutting off notifies the listener of a scene change that happens throughout Chapter 1. The two main scenes the chapter switches in between are the encounter scene in the diner with the Thistle man and the truck ride scene with the main character on the road in her truck delivering travel-sized deodorant. In the encounter scene, there is dramatic and suspenseful music that is played in the background presenting a very eerie atmosphere for the listeners. The encounter scene seems to be the main scene of the story while the truck scene is more like an interlude as we seem to hear the character’s inner voice and thoughts instead of the main story. Listeners can identify whether they are in the truck scene or not by listening for the sound of a truck moving along the road. Near the end of the chapter the mysterious and hideous-looking Thistle man “with yellow nails” approaches the main character “to explain death” to her. He then picks up an unsuspecting man named Earl by the neck causing his face to go vacant as if he was possessed. Earl is then taken outside of the diner and viciously eaten alive by the Thistle man in front of the main character. What makes Earl’s murder more gruesome and horrifying than it is already described is how there is audio playing in the background of what sounds like flesh and guts being devoured. The audio takes control of the listeners’ imagination causing them to envision this sickening event alongside the main character which helps the listener really feel the main character’s impending fear as she witnesses the Thistle man gorge his victim. The chapter ends with the speaker fleeing to her truck and driving away. The story then transitions to the truck driving scene as she recounts her past experiences with the Thistle man and explains how he has been constantly following her wherever she went causing her to be paranoid on her quest to find Alice. With the elements of detailed description and utilization of sound, Alice Isn’t Dead provides listeners with an engaging and immersive story that works the listener’s ability to imagine. Word Count: 720 words
To start off, this sounds like an awesome podcast to listen to. I really like that you mentioned how descriptive the podcast is. I think that description should be emphasized in story telling podcasts because, as you said, it helps the reader create the visual for the story in their minds. Unlike tv shows and movies, which have a direct way to show the watcher the story, podcast have to create the story in the readers mind and the only way to effectively do that is by adding an immense amount of details into their podcast. I think that by adding a lot of detail, the audience is able to follow along with the story better and understand what is happening easier. Another thing you mentioned that your podcast did a good job at was the sound effects that they used. I think that the usage of sound effects in podcasts can be the one thing that either makes the podcast great or not. Like you mentioned, “Alice Isn’t Dead” adds the sound of what is happening in the background such as the truck noises. This definitely helps the listeners follow along with the story because they are able to know at exactly which part they are on and where they are visually in the story. Another thing you mentioned that makes this podcast sound incredible is that they added sounds of flesh and guts being devoured to Earl’s death. I think that that can really make a podcast great because it makes the listener feel as if they are in the moment with whatever is happening. I think that you did a great job at describing the narrative techniques that this podcasts uses, and it makes me want to go listen to the podcast myself.
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