Wolf 359 (podcast)

Wolf 359
GenreScience fiction, space opera
LanguageEnglish
Creative team
Created byGabriel Urbina
Written by
  • Gabriel Urbina
  • Sarah Shachat
  • Zach Valenti
Directed byGabriel Urbina
Publication
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes61
Original releaseAugust 15, 2014 (2014-08-15) –
December 25, 2017 (2017-12-25)
UpdatesComplete
Related
Websitewww.wolf359.fm

Wolf 359 is a science fiction podcast created by Gabriel Urbina and produced by Gabriel Urbina and Zach Valenti under Kinda Evil Genius Productions. Following in the tradition of Golden Age radio dramas,[1][2] Wolf 359 tells the story of a dysfunctional space station crew orbiting the star Wolf 359 on a deep space survey mission. The show starts off as lighthearted comedy that focuses on character dynamics before becoming more of a thriller.[1][3] After 61 episodes, the show concluded on December 25, 2017.[4]

Wolf 359 made over $3000 per episode from over 900 patrons on Patreon before the series ended. As of 2018 the podcast had over 6 million downloads.[3] Urbina regularly participates in panels and workshops regarding audio dramas and their future.[3] Many alumni of the show have gone on to participate in other audio projects.

Content

Synopsis

Wolf 359 begins as a series of audio logs recorded by Doug Eiffel, showing the life of the skeleton crew on board the U.S.S. Hephaestus.[1] Doug Eiffel's job on board the station is to scan for signs of alien life, but instead he finds recordings of classical music from Earth. After realizing the recordings are too old to have come from Earth, Dr. Hilbert, the station's science officer, sends this information to Goddard Futuristics, the company funding the mission before attempting a coup on the station.[5] After a struggle, Eiffel and Minkowski manage to regain control of the ship and incapacitate Hilbert. The crew finds out that they were never intended to leave the station, and the show focuses more on the rest of the ensemble cast as it becomes a dramatic science fiction adventure.[3]

Characters

  • Doug Eiffel – voiced by Zach Valenti. Communications officer and primary narrator of Wolf 359, Eiffel is a consummate slacker who prefers finding creative ways to ignore his duties to actually performing them.
  • Renée Minkowski – voiced by Emma Sherr-Ziarko. Commander and navigations specialist of the U.S.S. Hephaestus mission. A straight-laced former Air Force pilot, Minkowski is fulfilling her dream of commanding a deep space mission.
  • Hera – voiced by Michaela Swee. Hera is an Artificial Intelligence tasked with managing the station's many automatic systems, but with a concerning propensity for glitches.
  • Dr. Alexander Hilbert – voiced by Zach Valenti. Chief science officer. Dr. Hilbert is a reserved and reclusive man with a towering intellect. He says he is on the Hephaestus mission to experiment on microbes utilizing Wolf 359's unique radiation.
  • Marcus Cutter – voiced by Scotty Shoemaker. Director of Communications for Goddard Futuristics. The de facto head of Goddard Futuristics, Mr. Cutter takes a personal interest in the mission to Wolf 359.
  • Isabel Lovelace – voiced by Cecilia Lynn-Jacobs. Commander of the previous U.S.S. Hephaestus mission.
  • Warren Kepler – voiced by Zach Libresco. Director of Intelligence for Goddard's Special Projects division.
  • Daniel Jacobi – voiced by Noah Masur. Demolitions expert with the Special Projects SI-5 unit.
  • Dr. Alana Maxwell – voiced by Michelle Agresti. A.I. specialist with the Special Projects SI-5 unit.
  • Dr. Miranda Pryce – voiced by Michaela Swee. A.I. specialist implied to have originated A.I. herself. Creator of many biotechnical enhancements to both her and Cutter's bodies.
  • Rachel Young – voiced by Ariela Rotenberg. Director of Special Projects for Goddard Futuristics. She works closely with Cutter.
  • Victor Riemann – voiced by Julian Silver. Nonexistent on company records, he works for Goddard Futuristics. Unofficially, Riemann is a high-ranking black ops agent for Pryce and Cutter.

Reception

In 2018, Morgan Hines called Wolf 359 "one of just a handful independent podcasts that have been successful without the backing of a network."[6] The show received favorable mentions from critics at publications such as The New York Times,[7] Time Out,[8] Reactor,[9] and Book Riot,[10][11] and was nominated for several industry awards.

Audio Verse Awards

YearCategoryRecipientResultRef
2015Best Original Composition in an Original, Long-Form Production"Welcome to Wolf 359" by Alan RodiWon[12]
Best Writing of an Original, Long-Form, Serial ProductionGabriel Urbina and Sarah ShachatWon
Best Actress with a Supporting Role in an Original, Short-Form, Serial ProductionMichaela Swee as HeraWon
Best Original Long-Form, Serial ComedyWolf 359Won
Best Original, Long-Form, Small Cast, Serial ProductionWolf 359Won
2016Best Original, Long Form, Small Cast, Ongoing, Dramatic ProductionWolf 359Won[13]
Best Performance of an Actress in an Original Ensemble Role for a Long Form ProductionCecilia Lynn-Jacobs as Captain Isabel LovelaceWon
Best Performance of an Actress in an Original Supporting Role for a Long Form, Small Cast ProductionMichaela Swee as HeraWon
Best Performance of an Actress in an Original Leading Role for a Long Form ProductionEmma Sherr-Ziarko as Renée MinkowskiWon
Best Performance of an Actor in an Original Supporting Role for a Long Form, Small Cast ProductionZach Libresco as Warren KeplerWon
Best Performance of an Actor in an Original Leading Role for a Long Form, Small Cast ProductionZach Valenti as Doug EiffelWon
2017Best Music for an Ongoing Dramatic Production"But How Do We Tell The Children We Are Allergic To Their Smiles" by Alan RodiWon[14]
Best Production for an Ongoing Dramatic ProductionWolf 359Won
Best Actress in an Ensemble role for an Ongoing Dramatic ProductionMichaela Swee as HeraWon
Best Actor in an Ensemble role for an Ongoing, Dramatic, ProductionZach Valenti as Doug EiffelWon
2018Best Ongoing, Long-form, Dramatic ProductionWolf 359Won[15]
Best Writing of an Ongoing, Long-form, Dramatic ProductionGabriel Urbina, Sarah Shachat, Zach ValentiWon
Best Performance of a Role in the Ensemble of an Ongoing, Dramatic ProductionZach Valenti as Doug EiffelWon

Parsec Awards

YearCategoryRecipientResultRef
2016Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (Long Form)Wolf 359 "Mayday" by Gabriel Urbina and Kinda Evil Genius ProductionsFinalist[16]

Webby Awards

YearCategoryRecipientResultRef
2017[17]Podcasts & Digital Audio – DramaWolf 359Nominated[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Griffin, Sarah. "Podcast of the week: Wolf 359". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  2. ↑ Lett, Phoebe (April 7, 2020). "Fiction Podcasts to Get Lost In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Watts, Ella (December 2018). "Drama Podcasts: An overview of the US and UK drama podcast market" (PDF). BBC Sounds. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Episode 61: Brave New World – Series Finale!". Wolf 359. December 25, 2017. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Wolf 359 – Seasons 1 and 2 Recap". The Game of Nerds. February 14, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ "As Networks Grow, Independent Podcasters Face A New Challenge". Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods. April 26, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ Lett, Phoebe (April 7, 2020). "Fiction Podcasts to Get Lost In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ Lukowski, Andrzej (January 9, 2023). "The 15 best fiction podcasts". Time Out Worldwide. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ Zutter, Natalie (May 8, 2020). "10 Long-Running SFF/Horror Fiction Podcasts". Reactor. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  10. ↑ Martin, Emily (May 11, 2020). "Science Fiction Podcasts: 15 You Can Listen to Right Now". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ Robertson, Zoe (April 5, 2020). "The Best Fiction Podcasts You Need to Listen To". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ "2015 Winners – The Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. November 27, 2015. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  13. ↑ "2016 Winners – The Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. December 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  14. ↑ "2017 Winners – The Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  15. ↑ "2017 Winners – The Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. January 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ "2016 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists". Parsec Awards. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ "12 Wesleyan Alumni Receive Webby Nomination for 'Wolf 359' Radio Drama". Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Wolf 359 -- The Webby Awards". The Webby Awards. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
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