Deep Dream State

Show

The Deep Dream State's the first desire horror audio drama. We look at the horror of what we run towards, instead of what we run away from.

It's also one of the longest running erotica audio dramas on the open web. It may be the only active serial audio drama for erotica, depending on how you do the math.

The adult components of the Deep Dream State aren't a bug. They're a feature. It's part of the theme, and part of our deep commitment to refuse niche containment. This is a very queer show; when people say genre boundary, I hear closet door.

Structure

The organization can seem complicated but at the core, it's simple. There are arcs, aka Seasons. That's a full story with a consistent location and throughline. Within the arcs, there are episodes.

I attach a GE or "global episode" number to each episode. That tracks the TOTAL count across all seasons.

I've used Cycles to identify thematic episode batches. It describes the episode but doesn't impact organization. "Cycles" describe what a group's about; they aren't necessary for the taxonomy.

To navigate here, you can click on the pictures above to explore an arc. You can also click on an arc or episode title below for a fuller explanation with sourcing. Links from the GE lead to the IMDb pages.

Chthonic: Arc 1

The arctic ice is melting. The social fabric is tearing. The Chthonic is about a cruise ship with a wedding party on the surface; it's really about what lies beneath.

I've always been fascinated and repelled by Lovecraft. Brilliant mythos, evocative storytelling, terrible politics. If you're going to write Lovecraft, I think you have to account for that, and account for how humans are the worst monsters of all. Lovecraft Country did this well, RIP. I'm following that thread.

Incognitoh: Arc 2

Reality shows are humiliating. That's baked into the premise. The viewers and contestants all understand the kinky voyeuristic contract at the heart of the genre. Once in a while, it breaks to the surface.

Incognitoh aims to make that contract very apparent, while staying true to the tone of reality competitions. The result is definitely dizzying; I think it's chaotic in the best way.

Sitri Center: Arc 3

Is there a collective unconscious? Is there a structure to dreams that runs deeper than history or specific cultural moments?

I don't know. I can say confidently, though, that if there IS a collective unconscious, it's unimaginably messed up and kinky.

The Sitri Center exists in that imaginal space. Each group of episodes explores a dream phenomenon that's real, but spins it out in fictional ways. Dream interludes punctuate the action. The plot never takes "just a dream" outs.

This arc also introduces in-universe ads. They're potentially unsettling, often satirical, and might be part of a larger story.

Vale Four: Arc 4 Ongoing

Vale Four picks up where Sitri ended. It's about commerce and money and advertising. Beneath that, it's about the dreams and fantasies that animate money.

The "hidden" Christmas arc, Solsticial, often says that there's an older currency. Vale Four asks what that might be. Each "Cycle" dives into a different advertising phenomenon, and looks at what sort of kink in the collective unconscious it might represent.

The plotting is detailed. There's a very continuous throughline. The twists are numerous, but they're earned. If you see where this is going from the outset, you are a true galaxy brain. Even cracking the riddle of the name requires knowing audio drama cliches and demonology. Dig in.