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The New York Times: "4 Podcasts That Go Bump in the Night"

"This is the story of a scientist so preoccupied with whether she can excavate a wiped-out ancient extra-terrestrial civilization that she never stops to think if she should. ... Jordan Cobb, the series creator as well as its star, masterfully weaves the dueling narratives in such a way that your expectations are subverted."

-Phoebe Lett

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You can read the full review here!

"Janus Descending" Weaves Beauty into Tragic Horror

"In this limited series, there is incredible beauty woven in: into Chel’s lush descriptions of ancient civilizations or of Peter’s talents, all of them so full of love; into the breathless soundscape of an alien planet, icy and haunting and inhospitable; into the compositions, one moment tinkling gently until it rumbles forward like a rock let loose from its precarious position on a cliff. Janus Descending is a work of art, with an ending that feels complete even while it promises the possibility of more."

-Elena Fernández Collins

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You can read the full review here!

"Janus Descending" Melds Sci-Fi, Horror, and Time

"We have yet to unfold the mysteries of Janus Descending, but so far, the entrance into the mystery has been an intriguing, innovative journey. It uses each part of its cast and crew in new and exciting ways while also weaving together two radically different, but intrinsically tied, narratives, resulting in a project that’s ambitious, mysterious, and absolutely lovely."

-Wil Williams

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You can read the full review here!

AudioDramatic's Best in 2018 Podcasting (Production & Best Performance)

"This is Julia Schifini’s debut as a sound designer, though you’d have to read that somewhere in order to believe it; Janus Descending‘s rich and detailed environment encapsulates the horrors of space yet unknown. This is a ride of pure tension and distress, from every staticky scream to the ominous vague vocalizations, and even the silences are full of that horrified quality."

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"The tragedy of Chel and Peter, introduced through the opposing timestream narrative structure, takes on a new form when Cobb plays Chel as cheerful, reckless, adventurous, and curious. Cobb is going to pull our hearts out. When you already know whatever is going to happen isn’t good, it becomes that much harder to get listeners to invest in that character; Cobb makes it effortless to love Chel."

-Elena Fernández Collins

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You can read the full article here!

Wil William's Best in 2018 Podcasting (Production)

"Janus Descending is a new horror audio fiction sound designed by Julia Schifini, and though it’s Schifini’s first foray into design, it doesn’t show; Janus Descending is truly terrifying and fantastically textured. Something Janus Descending has done better than almost any other audio fiction is convey the tremendous weight of something in sound, and the results are chilling."

-Wil Williams

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You can read the full article here!

AudioDramaRama's Best in 2018 Audio Drama Podcasting (Space)

"A story told from two different perspectives and from different starting points. I really love experimental storytelling and Janus Descending‘s experiment paid off."

-Alex Hensley

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You can read the full article here!

15 Great Science Fiction Podcasts

"[Janus Descending is] a story that begs being put together with theories as it goes, wondering how everyone got from the start to the end, what chaos happened between. The writing changes tone completely while still remaining cohesive, and the sound design is truly chilling.."

-DiscoverPods

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You can read the full article here!

From our listeners...

"A fantastic, gripping tale with plenty of horror and heart. Undoubtedly one of my favorite podcasts in a long time, and one of the most memorable. The world, tone, and characters of Janus Descending will stick with you long after you finish the final chapter (and trust me, you'll get to the final chapter, because you'll never want to stop listening, even with all the pain.) Masterful writing, pacing, and suspense makes this non-linear story work at every turn. The ambiguities, questions, and tensions threaded throughout weave perfectly together, and the characters come alive thanks to stellar, nuanced lead performances. If you're looking for a podcast that stands out from the crowd and looks towards the stars, this is undoubtedly the choice for you." - ECR-SYL-HJY (Apple Podcasts)

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"An amazing Sci-fi Horror thrill ride! It's got everything! The acting talents of Jordan Cobb and A. R. Olivieri are put on display by excellent sound design and top notch writing. It's formatted differently and I highly recommend listening to them in the order they were released, it follows Chel from the first entry, but goes backwards for Peter, this builds tension and emotional attachment in a way that is hard to pull off but they nailed to the floor!!! All around it's wonderful, but don't listen before bed..." -Runksmash (Apple Podcasts)

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"Amazing. Tragic. Spell binding. This is the best kind of audio drama. The narrative and audio production are stellar. The story is perfectly made for an audio format, while simultaneously making bold creative choices with how to tell an audio story. Cannot wait to see what Jordan Cobb creates next." -Andrew Swearingen (Apple Podcasts)

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"I'm sure no matter what order you listen to the episodes of this show, you're emotionally devastated by it. It's scifi, it's horror and it's brilliantly done" - malene_gitte (PodChaser)

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"EXCELLENT. My new favorite podcast. Jordan Cobb brings us an exciting new space horror series, and I could not be more excited. There's a mystery to be solved in the ship's logs as a two person crew heads for an alien planet. If you like Wolf 359 or Here Be Dragons, definitely give this a listen. Great acting, writing, and production." -Emily C. A. Snyder (Apple Podcasts)

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"Absolutely fantastic work!! The story draws you in. The acting keeps you on the edge of your seat. The sound design puts you right in the middle of everything. It was creepy, intense, and heartbreaking." -fbeemcee (Apple Podcasts)

Janus Descending

Reviews and Critical Responses

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