“A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep…
Welcome to Night Vale.”

Set in a fictional desert town, Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast created in 2012 by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink, produced by Commonplace Books. The podcast takes on the role of a mock radio station broadcast in NPR style, but with a side of extraterrestrial activity.

Narrated by Cecil Baldwin, the podcast follows radio show host Cecil Gershwin Palmer who broadcasts the strangely humorous, paranormal news taking place in the town.

The town of Night Vale is home to many obscure, creepy individuals and occurrences. There are the dark hooded figures who inhabit the dog park, and the all might glow cloud; the glow cloud ended up running for a position on the parent school board. Weekdays are often cancelled in Night Vale, examples of decisions made by the ominous and ever present city council and sheriff’s secret police.

The podcast also has a segment for the weather. Songs that have been written by unknown bands serve as the weather segments.

“If you love something, set it free. If it returns, burrows into your ribs, devours your heart and becomes your new heart, it was meant to be.” Cecil said during his talk show

Advice like this is given by  Cecil to his listeners, often in the form of a dark and looming warning. This creates a sense of trepidation in his listeners, often leaving them feeling watched.

The few reoccurring characters, such as Carlos the scientist, Telly the barber and Old Woman Josie, give the show a small town feel. One example of a popular episode is the episode titled Sandstorm. In this episode a sandstorm threatens the town Night Vale and Cecil finds himself in a new place. Oh, and, the station’s intern is killed by her doppelgänger (or vice versa).

Although filled with terrifying moments, the show is also humorous because of the overlap of fact and fiction. What could be possible from a real radio show is contrasted by various specters, beings and floating cats talked about on the show. Still, Welcome to Night Vale is a nonsensical show with no defined plot, solely created for the entertainment of its’ listeners.

The main series of Welcome to Night Vale has 109 episodes and counting.  It also has 5 bonus episodes. It is a free download you can listen to on the Podcast app, or you can listen to it here. http://www.welcometonightvale.com