Review: “Curious Matter – The Exile”

With a lack of sleep, I sometimes wonder where to start when reviewing something. The late, great Bob Hoskins once said, “It’s good to talk.” That sentiment perfectly captures the spirit of this week’s electrifying review of Curious Matter’s “The Exile.” Right after finishing it, I had the chance to chat with its writer and creator, Jonathan Pezza — but more on that later.

“The Exile,” originally penned in 1956 as “Police Your Planet” by Lester Del Rey, has been given a modern indie audio adaptation, with Jonathan Pezza doing a sterling job at the creative helm. At 16 episodes long, “The Exile” could very well be my magic carpet ride fictional discovery of 2024. You can quote me on that!

“The Exiles” drama unfolds on a Mars colony, and humanity’s final frontier, where the audience encounters antihero Bryce Gordon, voiced by Tiffany Smith. Bryce is a top-tier card shark with a single, driving ambition: to earn enough money to reunite with her daughter back on Earth. But as we all know folks, things never quite go to plan, do they?

Bryce is a mesmerising character with layers of hidden depth that are a pleasure to uncover as this story unfolds. IMO, if you’re wondering who the real star of this show is amongst a sea of talent, it has to be the descriptive writing and world-building that set my imagination alight. Jonathan has done an incredible job crafting this richly textured, desolate landscape. The details are so vivid that you can almost feel the dusty Martian sand beneath your feet. And that’s before you even delve further into the themes of greed, police corruption, and the fragility of life on Mars!

So, how can I distinguish an award-winning podcast from an ordinary one? Well, for starters, this podcast features over 1,000 unique effects and took 1.5 years to produce. Jonathan also mentioned a customed crowd scene in episode 5 that really pushed his creative limits – can’t wait to hear this! Add into all this an interactive Mars map, mini-episodes, and after-show conversations, and it’s clear just how much raw talent has gone into making this show a multi-award-winning success.

I love the enthusiasm, Kev, but does “The Exile” have the same pomp & circumstance as an Oasis reunion?

When I spoke with Jonathan, his passion for this 3rd season project, and the audio fiction world was truly contagious. It’s rare to encounter someone as humble, yet so laser-focused on creating top-tier immersive sci-fi storytelling, told through a modern lens. What he has mastered with “The Exile” is taking largely forgotten pulp-fiction, and projecting it onto a much bigger canvas. A stunning Martian-red canvas filled with epic sized audio experiences.

Alright, before we “grab a box of popcorn” and wrap up this review, let’s finish with final scores.

Curious Matters “The Exile” 9/10.

Podcast submissions and press kits to – tinthesahara@gmail.com
Cheers, Kev.

Last reviews

• Review: “Bunker 8” The Midnight Mystery
• Review: “The Lucan Obsession” BBC SOUNDS
• Review: “Elon’s Spies” Tortoise Media
• Review: “Dirt an Audio Drama” season 4
• Review: “Curious Matter – The Exile”