http://rustyquill.com/the-magnus-archives

Reviewed by Samantha Cross, Editor-at-Large [PDF Full Text]

The Magnus Archives is a fictional podcast produced by Rusty Quill. In it Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist for the Magnus Institute, London, reads statements submitted to the archives by those who have experienced something supernatural. The recordings are part of Sims’ initiative to bring order to the archives after his predecessor left the institution in an archivist’s nightmare of incomprehensible misfiling and general disarray. As the show progresses it becomes clear that there’s more to the statements, the archives, and the role of Archivist than even Sims is aware of. 

From an archival perspective, it gets some of the mundane aspects of archives spot on. I’m not typically a fan of the horror genre, but I do enjoy a good thriller. I love it when an idea changes the way I look at the world because once that piece of information burrows into your grey matter, good luck trying to get it out. So while the horror aspects of The Magnus Archives may not be my cup of tea, the thriller slant more than makes up for my squeamishness. If you go a bit green over descriptions of blood, insects, teeth, and meat, then proceed with caution if at all.

The podcast is in its fifth and final season, but there’s nearly 200 episodes of content to catch up on before the finale in March 2021.