The following was an expedited review. If you’d like to find out more about how you can speed up the process, check out the request guidelines. The first part drops on May 27 and includes the first 3 episodes. Find more information on the “Signed, Venus” website.

Indie Podcasts and Big Networks

When people outside the audio drama space think “indie podcasts,” they imagine something of low quality compared to the high bar set by television networks and Hollywood. What this shock lacks in production value, it more than makes up for in charm and innocence.

The first episode of “Signed, Venus” will make a person think this was created by Tal Minear of Sidequesting. By the end of episode 2, the podcast about ignoring the main plot is actually promoted on “Signed, Venus.”

Directness and Autism

Hayden’s gumption and bluntness is a breath of fresh air in a medium focused almost too heavily on LGBTQ+ issues and not a lot on disabilities. Both films and audio dramas have a long way to go in this area of inclusivity. However, having the main character be played by someone with autism is a nice start. Not sure if the story or casting came first, but both work well together to create a character that is believable and unique.

Mystery Meets Quest

The main story of “Signed, Venus” is a quest plot and the soul of the story comes from the characters. However, there is another plot structure that “Signed, Venus” follows and it’s one of the most common plots out there. Combining a mystery plot with a quest leads to something fresh and seemingly incompatible. There’s no mystery in Lord of the Rings when it comes to the main plot of destroying the one ring. The identity of the unknown writer who Hayden and Cameron search for is what makes this main plot stand out.

Locations: Known or Unknown

One of the problems with this audio drama, thus far, are the place names and setting. As a listener, it’s hard to tell how much is real vs made up. The story blends together real places with locations that may or may not exist.

Signed, Venus is a tale full of heart and charm that you should definitely check out.

4/5 Stars