Within the Wires

Within the Wires is a science fiction anthology podcast created by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson. Set in a dystopian society in an alternate history, it is presented as in-universe audio files such as relaxation cassette tapes or museum audio guides. Each season follows a new storyline and characters, all set in the same world.

The series has been produced by Night Vale Presents since 2016.[1][2] For its first five seasons, the podcast aired bi-weekly, but changed to a weekly release starting with Season 6. Cranor and Matthewson have written every episode, as well as the novel You Feel It Just Below the Ribs (2021), which is set in the podcast's universe.

Production

In an interview with CBC Radio's Podcast Playlist, Jeffrey Cranor explained that the initial idea behind the podcast was to use pre-existing audio guides as a template for storytelling, with the first season taking the form of a relaxation cassette program. Cranor had read and enjoyed Janina Matthewson's book Of Things Gone Astray, and they first met when he messaged her on Twitter in Autumn 2015 to invite her to a Welcome to Night Vale live show when it was touring through London. Cranor later pitched the initial idea to Matthewson and they began brainstorming story ideas together.[3] Each episode is outlined by Cranor and Matthewson, before being written by one of them and then edited by the other. Every season is written by Cranor and Matthewson, with music by Mary Epworth. From season 4 onwards, Cranor and Matthewson also became the producer and director, respectively. The first season was partially funded through sponsored advertising.

With the release of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that those who donate $50 or more to the podcast would receive an exclusive prologue episode for the second season,[4] which was released on August 22, 2017. After the launch of the podcast's Patreon, the prologue episode was included in the same tier as the bonus Black Box episodes.

Episodes

Every episode is written by podcast creators Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson.

Book

In 2021, Cranor and Matthewson published You Feel It Just Below the Ribs, a novel set in the universe of Within the Wires. A fictional work written in the style of an annotated autobiography, it details the events of the "Great Reckoning" and the formation of the Society from the point of view of one of the survivors. The book was released on November 16, 2021. The audiobook was narrated by Kirsten Potter and Adepero Oduye.

Reception

Marc Hershon of The Huffington Post positively reviewed the second episode, stating that it "has a distinctive flavor all its own" and that the show is "every bit as warped as [Welcome to Night Vale]."[6] Nathan Dorer of The Rensselaer Polytechnic positively reviewed the first season, finding that "the evolution of the podcast throughout the first season was borderline artful" and praising Matthewson's narration and the "effective" atmosphere of the podcast.[16] Steve Greene of IndieWire praised the podcast as "an off-kilter delight" and observed that it was "something that can only exist in this medium."[17] Devon Taylor of The Sarahs observed that because the story is "parceled out slowly" it could "frustrate listeners accustomed to a more linear plot," while also drawing positive comparisons to Lost and the works of David Lynch.[18]

External links