It Will All Be Fine
Newsletter #015
Hello!
Writing this on a day with about 500 other tasks on the to-do list, so let’s see how quickly we can get some chaos going.
As usual, if you want the chaos to come to you direct, fuck waiting for you to get it on your own, that’s what the big orange button is for.
Now let’s do it.
THE HARBINGERS
We have a new episode of our modern fantasy drama series coming out tomorrow! It’s called Boston, which if you’ve been listening to The Harbingers so far should perhaps be making some alarm bells start ringing in your head. Don’t worry about it, I’m sure it will all be fine.
Here’s the promo image for the episode, in case you want a quick preview of what’s coming…
And I’m doing a livestream for the episode’s debut tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern over on my channel. So if you want to be among the first people to hear what happens in Boston, make sure you tune into the big preview! That lives here:
Some brief spoilers in the rest of this section for Episode 9 of The Harbs, proceed with caution if you’re not caught up.
It’s long been a truism in the world of fiction podcasts that the best thing that you can do to boost your download numbers is make a certain amount of show and then go away for a while. No growth hack quite like shutting the fuck up when you’ve been talking for a while. It’s a little counterintuitive, but makes sense when you stop and think about it. A hiatus gives people a chance to marathon through your content, it gives those who have been waiting for a chance to hop on the train a chance to get to the station, and it lets listeners talk about the show so far without the conversation being so predicated on what’s right around the river bend with the next new episode.
Still, though, in this modern age of over-saturated media consumption, you do wonder: if we go away for a while, will everyone forget about us? When we come back, will the only response we get be the slightly confused “huh?” of a party that’s moved on without us?
Well, at least for one more turn of the hiatus wheel, I’ve managed to avoid being consigned to the embraced of oblivion. Episode 9 of The Harbingers, which came out on Valentine’s Day, was our most downloaded effort so far, and our first day back saw so much traffic that we considered building a new highway next to our RSS feed. We got some lovely new reviews, some awesome comments over on our Spotify page, our Tumblr ask boxes runneth over, and - best of all for my ego - I saw two separate people refer to the show as “everyone’s new favorite show.” The squishiest of metrics that last one, but boy it soothes the skittish artist’s soul. So for everyone that tuned in and made that happen: thank you. It means the world.
I was very curious how Episode 9 would go over. I’ve said a few times that The Harbingers is a show where big scary things start out of focus in the distance and get closer and scarier as the show goes forward. Our first post-hiatus episode is kind of the one where the political part of the story really comes to the fore. That’s the scary thing that just muscled its way to the front of the show’s attention. The story’s always been rife with discussion of politics, of course - our first episode contains an extensive diatribe about the inherent amorality of billionaires and the second has a brief meditation on the ethics of brainwashing U.S. congressmen in the name of a good cause. (We don’t recommend it, just for the record.) It’s all been there, but it gets loud in Episode 9. At Christmas we told you that Amy’s friend Andrea was elected U.S. President in 2028. Episode 9 explores how the heck that happened. We don’t go as far as showing you a presidential debate between two fictional politicians (our producer might have finally put their foot down if I had submitted that script) but we come pretty darn close.
Reception to it has really been everything that we could have hoped for - a lot of folks have really understood what we’re doing and appreciate it. Even the folks who have written in to tell us that this direction is not their particular cup of tea have done so in a very polite, understanding sort of a way, which I’ve appreciated. No story is for everyone, naturally, and this particular story has this element to it. The Harbingers is about power if its about anything. Adam has the power to teleport a whole city to the moon - do we think that’s all right? Amy, Eckerberg, Adam, and the Doomscroller swayed things in the direction of a 35-year old woman without a lot of direct political experience getting elected president - do we think that’s all right? Even if we agree with them politically, should such a small number of people hold that much power? What goes wrong when so few people have so much power? Discuss.
But still, I so love the people who have written in saying they were moved and touched by what we did in this episode and what we had the characters say, or that they appreciated how the show is reflecting and refracting a lot of what we see around us. And I so respect the folks who have tapped out going, “This is not what I want to hear right now.” That’s so okay! It’s not gonna be what everyone wants to hear - the same way some listeners are not going to want to hear about the sudden destruction of the city of Boston.
Which brings us back to… well, Episode 10’s out tomorrow. It’s called Boston. Good, uh, good luck everyone. See you on the other side.
20 to Midnight Epilogue (For Now)
This past week saw me, Emma Sherr-Ziarko, Beth Eyre, and Mike Schubert record the Epilogue episode to the Cavalier Chronicles, the campaign that we’ve been live-streaming via our D&D show 20 to Midnight for… checks notes… three and a half years. Blimey. Here’s a very silly screengrab of that final episode:
I feel like I have not always talked as much as I should have about 20 to Midnight. It is almost a twin creation with Hit Singles, starting gestation around the same time, and I think has slightly been overshadowed by the huge projects that I’ve taken up around it. (Turns out that making huge Audible shows leaves you exhausted oh my god.) But it’s been a lovely, touching, amazing experience - a huge, ambitious, sprawling story told with three of my best friends in the world. And with 57 episodes including the epilogue, it’s basically as long as Wolf 359. That’s a wild thought to think, but here we are.
I love this adventure that I got to make for three of my friends, and to share with so many people online. Could it be tighter and better plotted? Sure. Did we sometimes get a little Calvin Ball-esque with the rules? Undoubtedly. Did I put my three poor players through hell? You betcha. But the times when we were able to capture those small miracles that happen at the table - a joke that unfolds perfectly, a dramatic moment that lands with a terrifying snap, a pitched battle that comes down to that one last roll of the dice - they’re some of my favorite things I’ve ever made.
We’re figuring out what comes next for 20 to Midnight, besides a good, long nap now that we’ve wrapped up this first campaign. But for now? I’m so grateful that we made it, and that I got to share it with my three friends. Thanks for the adventure!
LIVING RADIO
If you’re gonna be around New York City next Monday (03/02), you should come check out Living Radio! It’s a monthly showcase of radio plays that we do hear in NYC, all based on the previous week’s news, and put together by an amazing team of writers, directors, actors and technicians.
I’ve written and directed a lot for the show, and I’m writing a new play for this Monday’s show! And if you love audio fiction but have never seen it performed live in front of you, it’s a magical experience. So come by and watch some great work done by local artists!
Tickets can be found here. Some photos of past plays that I’ve worked on for LR:
Quick newsletter, he said. Just a fast one, he said. Lies. Anyway, just a few quick hits to round things out:
Thank you to everyone who wrote in with suggestions and advice on how to migrate Controlled Chaos out of Substack. I love you all. Gonna see if I can implement those in the next few weeks.
What Have I Been Listening To? Do you all know Night Talks? You should know Night Talks. Night Talks are awesome. Fall in love today.
That’s it for this one. Thanks for all the Episode 9 love for The Harbingers. Check out Episode 10 tomorrow.
More soon. Promise.
Gabriel Urbina
02.25.2026