A screaming spaceship and a world of radical hospitality… What could go wrong? If you’re listening to the stellar new science fiction audio drama, Give Me Away, you’re about to find out the answer.
Written by Mac Rogers (the creator of the sci-fi hit The Message) and produced by Gideon Media (known for sci-fi thriller Steal the Stars), Give Me Away is a perfect podcast series experience for science fiction fans. It blends the sorts of mysterious aliens, advanced tech, conspiratorial plot twists, and philosophical questions that genre fans can’t get enough of.
The audio drama’s first four episodes aired earlier this summer. Now, the final half of Season One is available for listeners. Episodes five and six are already available wherever podcasts can be found, and episodes seven through nine will go live Friday, October 1, October 8, and October 15.
As a sci-fi podcast, Give Me Away stands out for its strong production values and storytelling alike. It’s an addictive, satisfying listen from start to finish.
The story begins when an alien spaceship crashes on Earth. Emitting a shrieking sound, it becomes clear fast that the extraterrestrial minds trapped within are in terrible pain. The only way to escape their horror and find peace is to engage in a sort of mind-meld. Each alien prisoner needs a human host willing to share their headspace.
The protagonist, Graham Shapiro, divorced and adrift at age 50, is one of the first to raise his hand to allow an alien into his brain. Writer Mac Rogers says Graham shares the sense of disconnect with others that the ETs are struggling with, causing him to relate to their need. “Something about this plight compels him to sign up,” says Rogers.
“Imagine a person who’d say, ‘I’m going to promise you that even though I have all the power, I’m going to make decisions with you.’ That’s a very specific profile, someone willing to have that difficult give and take.” Through that lens, says Rogers, “You can look at consent, consensus building, anti-hierarchical structures. There’s so much to explore, but it comes in a really neat package. What’s great about a show like this is that there are some pairings that work beautifully and some that don’t. And when it’s going badly, it’s a real mess.”
The first half of the season, episodes 1 through 4, follow Graham’s journey into a world of radical hospitality as he agrees to be a host to one of the aliens. As a result, though, his connections with family and friends become strained, and people struggle to understand why he would volunteer for something so permanent.
Because, as the story makes clear, once that alien mind is in your headspace, it’s there to stay. There’s no way to remove it again—until death. A drastic form of generosity, to be sure, and not one that everyone can understand.
It’s a bit frightening to think about sharing headspace with someone who is literally never going to leave you, no matter how anxious, stressed, or sociopathic they could potentially turn out to be. That idea makes Give Me Away a compelling story that listeners won’t soon forget.
Beyond the superb storytelling, you’ll appreciate the sound quality as well. Gideon Media’s production values are always solid, with foley effects that sound realistic without drowning out or distracting from the dialogue that drives the story forward.
The actors are talented too, providing convincing audio performances that make you feel like you’re overhearing the experiences of real people. It’s easy to get caught up and binge the series.
In the season’s second half that is hitting the airwaves this month and next, the simmering tensions of Give Me Away’s early episodes begin to erupt into full-scale crises, as Graham’s biological family and his new chosen one spin out of control. At the heart of this storm is Joshua, Graham’s extraterrestrial “Second,” who barges into Graham’s mind and body with a frightening agenda all his own.
The final five episodes build to a shocking finale that puts both halves of Graham’s life on a collision course. You won’t want to miss them!
The Give Me Away podcast is available free on the Gideon Media website and everywhere podcasts can be found.