Starring Jasika Nicole No. of episodes 10 | Language English Debut March 8, 2016 | |
Format surrealism, paranormal horror Opening theme "Le Petit Bleu de la Côte Ouest" by Disparition | ||
Alice Isn't Dead is a podcast presented as a series of audio diaries by a truck driver named Keisha in her search across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead (the titular Alice). In the course of her search, she encounters not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond her missing wife. The series was created in 2016 by Joseph Fink, and it has been published by Night Vale Presents since March 8, 2016. The main character and narrator, Kisha, whose name is never mentioned until the final episode of the first season, is voiced by Jasika Nicole. During its run, the podcast typically airs on every other Tuesday. The first season ended on July 12, 2016, with a second season slated for release in 2017.
Contents
Production
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Joseph Fink explained that the inspiration for the podcast came from his experiences traveling around in vans on long trips, particularly in the United States, for the Welcome to Night Vale live shows. The series puts particular focus on the narrator driving through towns without stopping and spending time at rest stops along the highway. All ten episodes of the first season were written by Fink, with music by Disparition.
Jasika Nicole also appears on Welcome to Night Vale in the role of Dana Cardinal. She was pitched the series during a conversation with Fink before one of the Night Vale live shows and signed on immediately, receiving scripts a few months later. The first season was partially funded through sponsored advertising by Audible Inc., Squarespace, Casper Sleep, and Blue Apron - a practice that would continue with other series under the Night Vale Presents banner such as Within the Wires and The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air).
Reception
Cassandra Khaw of Ars Technica positively reviewed the first three episodes, stating that the series "very quickly comes into its own, dropping any pretence of gallows humour for the kind of creeping, consuming terror that pervades the best horror movies."