LeviathanChronicles.com, January 2012
For those not yet in the know, The Leviathan Chronicles is a
sci-fi podcast centred around a hidden city called Leviathan, lying beneath the Pacific Ocean. The city is home to a
community of immortals who set out to create a utopia over 1000 years ago. For generations they lived in peace and harmony,
working for the advancement of humankind. But they harbour a terrible secret that, if discovered, could theaten the future
of the entire human race.
The Rogue Plague is a special edition podcast featuring some of the characters
from the series. The action is set in sixteenth century Scotland, when Evangeline Leifreik (Laura Post) seeks the
assistance of a young priest Harlequinn (William Hall). Bennu (Max Vogler) is not best pleased with Evangeline's decision,
and plots to kill Harlequinn off. However all of them have to cope with the plague, that spreads its evil influence over the
Highlands, either killing everyone in its path or driving them to madness. Oh, and I must not forget the presence of another
of Evangeline's enemies, who wants to raise an army of mad people to enact his revenge.
The Rogue Plague is a rip-roaring tale, where the heroine has to deal with
various obstacles in her path; she does this with protean skill: Evangeline is both intelligent and strong, defying medieval
expectations of how a woman should behave. Writers Lafferty and Laputka exploit the potential of sci-fi to explore possible
worlds, in which the protagonists can discover new behavioural models. At the same time The Rogue Plague has
strong echoes of other adventure stories - not necessarily sci-fi. Evangeline is accompanied on her journey by faithful
sidekick Angus McCoy (Todd Butera), an old sea-dog character straight out of R. L. Stevenson's Treasure Island.
The Narrator (Samantha Parker) begins the tale by speaking in detached
tones, as if believing that her sole responsibility lies in describing the scene for listeners. As the story unfolds, however,
so she becomes more and more involved with her characters; her excited tones reveal an increasing engagement with the action.
The story unfolds at a great lick, covering such basic themes as love, treachery
and revenge - a kind of medieval Pirates of the Caribbean without the pirates, if you like. If you get the chance, give
it a listen; it serves as a great introduction to the whole series.
