I like it! Will there be a season 3?

The static sound effect makes it unlistenable.

This podcast starts with a strong premise - nonlinear tragedy/horror, in space! - but the later episodes start to feel overblown. In fairness, I didn't listen to the last couple of episodes so maybe this problem does get resolved, but I was just too bored to finish listening. The shape of the actual plot becomes pretty apparent only a few episodes in, and it feels like the second half of the podcast is devoted to filling in the last few details at a snail's pace. I really don't think I lost any of the story by skipping the last couple episodes. There's only so many times you can hear a character say "we never should have come here" in the same panicked tone before you stop feeling any emotional pull and just kind of get bored, and for me it made me feel generally less empathetic to the characters than I started out. The story begins as a narrative of an unforeseen and horrifying tragedy, and by the end it felt like a glaring indictment of a single character's pigheadedness. Literally the entire plot (!) could have been avoided if not for Chel reliably making bad decisions in a way that is written as starry-eyed and manic pixie dream girl-esque but comes across as, frankly, stupid. This last part is definitely very subjective, as is my entire review, but I honestly feel that if this podcast was maybe half the number of episodes that it was, the writing could have had much greater emotional impact. Maybe you'll like it more than I did - certainly a lot of people have - but I can think of several similar podcasts I would recommend over this one.

If the producers could title the episodes in a more orderly way that would be MUCH appreciated. Also, there was some confusion about the parasitic predator and how it actually operates. Otherwise, the series is excellent. It's a smart story, with really good acting and very good sound effects. I heard some complaints about the static, but it was a good technique to introduce time jumps, shifts in perspective, etc.

I listened to this podcast maybe a year or so ago and it has been showing up in my feed so I decided to relished and this is such an amazing podcast!! I love it!! Great job on the acting too❤️❤️❣️

I originally was hesitant to listen to this podcast because I always check reviews first and seen a handful of negative ones upfront. I was sort of expecting it to be bad and something about this loud static sound and confusion over the plot line jumping back and forth. But I did not experience any of that. The music and sounds were fantastic. The acting was great. The plot was very easy to follow and the character development was just as big of a part of the story, if not more, as the mystery and horror. I’m definitely listening to the their other series. I’m so glad I ignored the negative reviews and went through it. Definitely worth listening to if you enjoy science fiction horror with strong character development.

I really enjoyed this podcast.

1. ‘Hate’ is a strong word, one I rarely use, but the static that is senselessly interjected into this story with no apparent purpose but to spike the anxiety of the listener and distract from the narrative? Yeah, I HATE that. 2. The upload order and titling is ridiculous, so thanks for the supercut. That was a good idea. 3. The acting is disingenuous, but bearable. 4. So why listen? The story is good. Imagine how much better this could be! Consider re-recording.

What is up with the ear piercing static that interjects the dialogue..?!?! That was a poor sound design choice. Not only does is detract from the story, it actually disrupts the flow of the narrative. I couldn’t get past the third episode which is unfortunate because the foundational premise of the story is interesting and provocative.

Liked the premise but they went with the stereotypes of men being hopeless puppy dogs chasing after a woman and women being far to emotional and irrational to ever do anything of consequence. Just one cringeworthy moment after another. It was a pity because I enjoyed the story when they weren’t being so stupid.

This was impossible to follow. I continued to listen, thinking that eventually the scattered plot would come together and make sense. I was wrong. An interesting idea to hear one character beginning to end and the other end to beginning, but it doesn’t work.

Terror on the level of the original Alien movie, with a fascinating alternating perspective of events that keeps you guessing. Well done!

This was sort of promising but the story jumps all over and not in a compelling way. Listened through episode four then deleted.

I agree with some of the other reviews...the breaks in between scenes have a super loud static. Completely destroys the mood of the scenes.

It could be the greatest podcast in the world and I still couldn’t listen to it because of that jarring static sound they use. The first time I heard it I thought it was just going to be a one time deal but it occurs in every episode I’ve listen to so far. Not to mention it’s twice as loud as any of the dialogue. I literally have to lower my volume every time it happens. It’s a shame because it seems exactly like the type of horror I would like but that static is a dealbreaker. It’s the equivalent of a great video game that has a game breaking bug

Well written and sublimely structured with excellent sound design! There’s nothing like it in the audio fiction landscape!

I hung on every word. The picture that was painted in my mind made it seem like nothing else was worthy of attention. Great podcast l. Great story. Thankful for all the voice actors and writers.

Well written and edited. The sequencing of the tapes was well chosen for gradual suspense as the whole story is revealed

They have a supercut so watch that instead of each episode. I really wanted to get into this but for some reason I just couldn’t, maybe it’s how the story jumps around back and forth in time and unless you’re keeping track of the episode names you have to guess where the story is at. I listen during work so I can’t check my phone... it was frustrating trying to follow the timeline or maybe I’m just dumb...

I Love this but the dialouge is unatural and sometimes can go on and on. I still love it, and it gets a lot better at the end.

I struggled through about six episodes of the show, and although I’m slightly curious as to what the nature of the conclusion might be, there are too many off-putting elements present. The dialogue is horribly unrealistic, with characters sounding more like poets waxing nostalgic about various topics than scientists observing the world around them. The reverse order of Peter’s logs does nothing to raise tension. Some of the sound design is impressive, the atmospheric music adding in some places, but the static is far too jarring and imbalanced to feel like anything other than an auditory irritant. I commend the ambitious structure and subject material but the delivery fights far too strongly against any sort of investment I might feel.

I wanted to like this podcast, but it had too many shortcomings to overlook. The voice acting ranges from bad to okay. The sound design rarely does much to help tell the story or immerse the listener into the world the story creates. Action sequences devolved to just a series of unidentifiable noises rather than sound design that helped paint a picture. And there is regular use of blaring white static that just sucked. The format where Chel’s story was told from start to finish and her peer’s was told in reverse was...fine? It didn’t really enhance the story in any meaningful way, so it fell flat as a gimmick. The dialogue was very overwritten. These characters are scientists who are recording audio logs, yet they often use grandiose imagery, description, and metaphors. People don’t talk like that. Scientists probably definitely don’t talk like that. I was routinely pulled from the story because of it. And at the end of the day, the story itself was very derivative. This was a stock alien/horror story that felt more like fan fic from the Sigourney Weaver Alien world than anything fresh or original.

I wanted to like this podcast but it just did not excite me at all. The “horror” elements are pretty PG and I didn’t find either of the characters that like-able. I made it halfway through but could not bring myself to commit to the rest. If you are interested in this kind of genre, I recommend Marsfall.

I came into this show knowing only that it was sci-fi with elements of horror and that it used time in an interesting way. I was not prepared for how visceral my reaction would be. The cast, the writing, the haunting sound design, and the perfect scoring all come together to make it an experience you won't forget. You hear the story from the perspective of the two main characters, one of them start to finish and the other finish to start. The format is used masterfully to reinforce the impact of story beats, and there's a supercut which you can listen to after you've listened through the first time. The language is rich and vivid, the sound design is impeccable and unflinching, and the score alternatively hammers home the dread and plays with the wonder and joy of discovery. I'd strongly recommend looking through the content warnings if there are things you are sensitive to. They do a great job of listing potentially triggering material. I can't recommend this show enough. If you're comfortable with horror, this is a must-listen.

There were some interesting ideas, but the plot was meh. All the action scenes are unclear as to what specifically is going on, like listening to tv in another room. Uncompressed voices and sound effects makes listening a chore riding the volume knob trying to balance not blowing your eardrums with static or Chel screaming and hearing when chel is saying when she’s not screaming. On the plus side, the antagonist is a cool concept, and the voice acting is good. I just felt there was about 2 episodes worth of content and a lot of interesting unexplored territory. Not a waste of time, but I’d put it down your list.

At first I was bit put off by the format of the show (Chel is in chrono order whereas Peter is in reverse). But after the second episode, I was fully invested. FULLY. The writing is spectacular here- lush imagery weaved all throughout, painting both beautiful and horrifying pictures in my mind. The actors did a beautiful job of conveying the tragedy and love of this story. The soaring musical score was perfect. My only complaint was the static between dialogues. Ugh, that got seriously annoying by the 7th episode. Looking forward to listening to more Jordan Cobb works for sure.

Very well done. Nicely narrated and nice sound backdrop and effects. Stories are engaging and believable. Keep up the good work!

What an amazing backdrop for a horror genre story! You become enamored by the main characters. The sincere without being over the top. Thank you.

I’m only one episode it. The story seems interesting, but the static in between dialogs is sooooooo loud. Turning the volume down doesn’t help because the dialog is much more quiet than the awful static. Hopefully every episode isn’t like that.

My entire life I have hated horror in every single medium. So I put off listening to this for months. I am so freaking glad I finally dipped my toe in. This is podcast storytelling at its most glorious. Through a few hours of audio covering only a few days of their lives, you can’t help but fall in love with Peter & Chel. There are dozens of little moments that tell you everything about stuffy hermit Peter and bold and silly Chel. Add to the tremendous writing the talented voice acting & moving sound design...and this story is everything. With the counter timelines you think you know what’s coming, but you don’t. Somehow your heart is still unexpectedly ripped to pieces by the devastation unearthed on this faraway planet.

Love it, great production and even greater voice actors. Hope it continues! Recommended to all my friends and family. Binge listened to it with in two days at work. So mysterious and endearing and super scary. Had me jumping! Haha.

Really great to see more mysterious, compelling space horror!

The atmosphere is fantastic, the writing phenomenal, the characters super easy to get attached to and invested in. The fact that it’s not in chronological order may be off putting to some, but I think it adds a nice touch and has the effect of making the listeners constantly recontextualize previous episodes. All in all and amazing podcast!

Love this so far but the girl was born on Saturn and she remembers hiking through firsts with streams with her dad?

I can only assume that the people who wrote these glowing reviews must be either family or very close friends.

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.

Jordan Cobb is really a talent to watch. She's a terrific actor, and a fascinating storyteller. They way she plays with non-linear structure here is compelling and fun, exactly the kind of risk-taking structure I like to see! And Julia Schifini offers an impressive first time out in sound design!

Definitely use the earbuds for this one. The sound is immersive and well balanced. Solid writing and editing, slowish pacing adds to the tension. It’s a finished project, and even has the complete story in one file as the last episode. Thoughtful in every way, including sensitivity warnings.

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.

Janus Descending utterly blew me away. The narrative structure had such a perfect payoff and the acting was incredible. Jordan Cobb is meant for big things and I can’t wait to see where else this series goes!

Expect to jump occasionally, even be slightly unsettled. From the moment I saw the different log entries - out of order - I knew this was going to be a wild ride. (Listen by episode first to last!) An amazing story with wonderful Easter eggs for Star Trek fans too! You’ll find yourself immersed in a sci-fi mixed with deep human emotions that makes you truly care about these characters and their fates. The episodes are just the right length for a trip to work too! Prepare to become addicted. Excellent!

I’ve listened to a lot of audio horror and few podcasts come close to obtaining the level of chilling fear that I feel listening to Janus. It knows its medium. It knows it cant get us with jump cuts. Instead it shows us two people in isolation and the madness that crawls under there skin as they explore the unknown. Absolutely riveting.

sound design, acting, writing, this pod has it all! the characters are relatable and nuanced and the way the world is constructed through narration and sound design is great. it maintains a sense of tension that underlies the whole thing, even if the characters are experiencing other things on top of that. just so, so well done!

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 Chell 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...

The story draws you in. The acting keeps you on the edge of you seat. The sound design puts you right in the middle of everything. It was creepy, intense, and heartbreaking.

OMG! It’s like a cross between Prometheus and The Thing. Very well done. Poor Peter what will you do? The sound design and writing really put me there. You can tell that this has been put together by some folks with some experience. Takes a bit to pick up the pace but well worth it. Keep at it! Is there more? I certainly hope so. Fishbonius

Can’t wait to see how this story evolves !

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.