The Magnus Archives Reviews
Horror anthology podcast with a classical sense of tone, the cadence of the narration weighs heavily upon the mood that is delivered–there is something soothing, but utterly petrifying. Something that we find wonderful about the Magnus Archives is the nature in which it tackles each of the episodes–the eerie ability to pull you into a story.
Digital Trends
“I could hardly recommend a podcast any higher than this one. It’s among the cream of the crop. It’s not only horror podcasting at its finest. It’s contemporary horror writing at it’s finest.”
Eric Mertz – EricMertzAuthor.com
podcasts with enormous and entertaining back catalogs #1 – The Magnus Archives is a horror fiction podcast with a whopping 167 episodes as of writing. In The Magnus Archives, a man’s new job requires him to record himself reading the text archives of strange stories. The stories don’t seem intertwined, until suddenly, they do. The narrator becomes a full-fledged protagonist, and his co-workers become fascinating characters.
Polygon
33 Podcasts For Horror Lovers
Lit Reactor
Collectively Rusty Quill took TEN AWARDS at the Audio Verse Awards in 2019 – FIVE of these awards were for The Magnus Archives.
The Magnus Archives took an award for Best Audioplay. The amazing Jonathan Sims took awards for Best Writing and Best Leading Role for his Titular role as Jonathan Sims.
The Infallible Alexander J Newall brought numerous awards home to Rusty Towers of which Best Vocal Direction and Best Supporting Actor rewarded his work on The Magnus Archives.
Audio Verse Awards 2019
“The Institute has been active for centuries and as Sims, whose charmingly grumpy mic presence is a highlight, digs deeper he finds out they’ve stumbled on something awful.”
Alasdair Stuart – Gamesradar
“On the brilliant British horror podcast “The Magnus Archives,” one of the 15 godlike entities that terrorize humanity is known as “the Lonely.” There is no corresponding terrifying embodiment of “the Crowd.” [Essay]
Top 10 Terrifying Horror Podcast to Binge #1 The Magnus Archives
Meg Downey – Gamespot
“I would like to give The Magnus Archive a special recommendation. Its a top notch effort from a fairly new production company and its worth listening to on quality of the stories alone, and the possibility of the framing device developing its own sub-plots is the icing on the cake. Thoroughly recommended for any fan of that sort of horror, its a delightfully spine tingling experience.”
Megan Talbot – Aber Student Media
FIVE STARS
The Cambridge Geek
“The Institute’s many collected statements from those who’ve experienced unexplained esoteric events, and the sound editing makes it feel as if you’ve stumbled upon a secret treasure trove of recordings.”
“One of the best horror podcasts out there right now and one breaking new narrative ground.”
Alasdair Stuart – Ghostwoods Books
“You need to listen to this podcast. If you are any fan of horror or suspense, you must listen. Each unique tale will bring you to the edge of both your seat and your sanity.”
The Daftest Punk You Know
10 horror podcasts that will keep you up all night
Tess Cagle – The Daily Dot
“The Magnus Archives is a perfect blend of stand-alone horror as each episode highlights an original story (featuring new and/or recurring characters) that, over time, are revealed to be bound to the overarching storyline as each new statement is often a small glimpse of things far greater and sinister that they are connected to. Besides a very clever creative team in front of and behind the scenes — who are as passionate about storytelling and horror as they are to bringing these characters and world to life, which is greatly appreciated — the podcast hits every note, from its talented performers, its truly scary/creepy tone driven by smart storytelling, and most importantly, the brilliant characterizations of all the key characters that allow the audience to go on many complex and worthwhile journeys with the individuals involved, especially the terrifying experiences they go through along the way, alone or together.
Without ever missing a beat, the podcast also features one of the most unexpectedly subtle slow-burn relationships that quietly and naturally develops throughout each season and comes together in such a satisfying way it left my little queer heart absolutely delighted — even as the characters struggle to navigate a world full of nightmares.”
Kylie Hemmert – ComingSoon.net
“And even when other voices become more common, Johnathan Sims is still the glue that holds them all together. So the show is either going to sink or swim on that voice. And Sims is delightful.”
Lane Robbins – Speculative Chic
“It’s got ambiance, it’s got the spooks, it’s got great representation, and it’s got a lot of material directly out of your childhood nightmares. Get out your sticky notes and yarn — you’ll need it.”
DailyUW
Spooky Podcasts to Get You in The Halloween Spirit
CBC Radio Canada
Listening to the show is fun enough on its own, but tracing the connecting threads between statements and guessing that their implications is equally engaging, and keeps online communities thriving.
Adam Townsell – Resonate Recordings
“…had me listening to every available episode – of which there are over a hundred – in seven days.”
Confessions of a Book Worm
The Magnus Archives: A Beginner’s Guide to the Popular Horror Podcast
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Extremely Relatable Horrifying Content
Aysha U. Farah – Medium
This podcast deserves thousands upon thousands of words discussing its themes, which I plan on delivering as soon as it’s finished.
Sarah Kravitz – Medium
#1 Best Fiction Podcasts
Zoe Robertson – Book Riot
Top 20 Horror Fiction Podcasts
P.N. Hinton – Book Riot
“The Magnus Archives is the total package – great writing with interesting stories and characters (and some beautiful wordcraft at times), quality production and performances, and an eerie atmosphere that inspires its own sort of wonder.”
Rowan Rook – Beware The Rook
50 Best Horror Podcasts of 2018 “Damn do they do weird horror well.”
Alex Hensley – AudioDramaRama
“Individually, they are unsettling. Together they begin to form a picture that is truly horrifying because as he looks into the depths of the archives, something starts to look back…”
The Night Blogger
10 scary podcasts to listen to in the dark “Sim’s crisp voice, and the largely minimalist production, lend the stories an eerie, creeping dread that speaks to just how powerful a well-acted tale can truly be.”
Bryan Bishop and Andrew Liptak – The Verge
The entertainment that got us through 2020 “The Magnus Archives, produced by Rusty Quill, is chock-full of terrible things: flesh-eating worms, doors leading to endless twisting hallways, and the fear that wherever you hide, someone is watching… [but] Right now, listening to The Magnus Archives feels good. And by good, I mean it feels bad in a simultaneously abstract and relatable way, which apparently is just what I need.”
Kait Sanchez – The Verge
Top 30 Audio Dramas of 2019
“The amount of effort and build up that has gone into The Magnus Archives is absolutely incredible. There were reveals this season [4] that had been built up since episode one. Not one word is wasted.”
The Podcast Dragon
On Season Finales- The Magnus Archives Episode 160 – The Eye Opens Now this… this is how you build up to a finale.
The Podcast Dragon [Possible Spoilers}
5 offerings (that aren’t horror films) to get you in the October Spirit “With its vast catalog of horrors and excellent production values, The Magnus Archives has something for everyone.”
Caitlin PenzeyMoog, Clayton Purdom, Baraka Kaseko, and Emily L. Stephens – AV CLUB
From its first episode… the podcast has deftly juggled the monster of the week and overarching mythology elements of the horror anthology more satisfyingly than The X-Files ever managed.
Dennis Perkins – AV CLUB
The premiere of the fifth and final season of this superlative horror fiction series comes with an unexpected content warning. Not because of the horrors that Jonathan Sims and his team at Rusty Quill have conjured—eldritch, unspeakable, and reliably skin-crawling—but because the entire episode takes place huddled inside a single location while unseen doom looms outside the door.
Dennis Perkins – AV CLUB
“10/10 would recommend to creepypasta lovers and fans of well-acted audio dramas.”
Calaticia
“If your podcast tastes lean more horror, then enjoy getting lost in the Magnus Institute’s collection of eerie statements concerning potential paranormal happenings. Each week, newly-appointed Head Archivist Jonathan Sims sorts through the disorganized backlog to investigate stories with names like “Arachnophobia,” “The Boneturner’s Tale,” “Killing Floor,” and only getting more ominous as time goes on. Four seasons in and still going strong, the story expands beyond the scope of just the Institute and may provide a welcome distraction from other present terrors.”
“This parade of unsettling events appears, at first, to be a collection of unrelated phenomena, rather like creepypasta-meets-M.R. James in the form of an episodic audio drama. The head archivist is quick to state—in scathingly dismissive terms—that the vast majority of so-called supernatural phenomena are absolutely nonsense, most likely the product of unwell or intoxicated minds, or overactive imaginations, or too much credulity from people who really ought to know better. One might be forgiven for thinking, during the early episodes, that this is the full breadth of the story: skeptical academics, unfortunate eyewitnesses, and disparate horrors that can never be explained.
But appearances, like everything else, can be very deceiving.
The unveiling of the central story in The Magnus Archives is gradual, but it doesn’t take all that many episodes for it to become obvious that everything is connected in some awful, hidden way. And, to be absolutely clear, by “everything is connected,” I don’t mean “mostly monster-of-the-week with occasional arc episodes.” I mean everything.”
Kali Wallace – Tor.com
“In summary, there exists every reason that you should listen to The Magnus Archives. It’s a fantastic show both to listen and re-listen to—and yeah, I’ll attest—re-listen to again. I hope you find the same enjoyment in the show as I did, and I’m confident you will. And gosh, I’ve always wanted to say this:
Statement ends. ”
Andrew King – Tor/Forge Blog
“For those uninitiated with this amazing horror serial, the premise is this: A research institute investigates statements and artifacts of the supernatural… There are so many things to love about Magnus, from the delightfully gruesome stories themselves, to the diverse representation and canonized queerness, to the amazing fanart, but what I’m here to talk about is how the horror of the show changes over time. To this end I’ve divided The Magnus Archives into three stages that document how the show continually reinvents itself while staying true to the good stuff at its core that resonates with so many.”
Andrew King – Tor.com
Top 50 Bingeworthy Podcasts
“You’ll go into an episode about a scary doll, for instance, thinking, “Oh, this is silly”–but by the time the episode’s ended, you’ll be avoiding the toy aisle next time you hit up Target.”
Wil Williams – Discover Pods
“The Magnus Archives is simply an excellent series with solid writing, great world building, and compelling characters, not limited to a brilliant take on the narrator, but to leave it at that would be doing its impact a disservice.”
Podcake – Discover Pods
The 17 Best Horror Podcasts of 2020 “The timely use of sound effects heightens the dread, as does the slick production and professional voice acting.”
Brian Hall – LifeWire
“The first episode, “Angler Fish,” was exactly what I hoped and expected from that title, and all I knew going in was that this was horror audio fiction. (And, no, that episode does not take place in the water.) As much as I try to avoid even the appearance of using puns, there’s no better way to say it than I was well and truly hooked.”
Jeff Stehman – Black Gate
“How to spend your Pandemic Summer” [Roughly Translated from German]
Lëtzebuerger Journal [German]
“The Magnus Archives reached a total of 160 episodes with its fourth season finale, and is starting its fifth and final season soon… Don’t let the worryingly high number of installments put you off — each episode is only about 20 minutes long, perfect for early morning jogs or listening three-at-a-time on commutes. And by the time you’ve caught up, there’ll (hopefully) be more.”
Wei Ai Ng – The Oxford Student
The Magnus Archives comes in at number 28 as one of our Best Fiction Podcasts.
WhatPods
Top 30 Horror Audio Podcasts & Radio You Must Subscribe and Listen to in 2019
Feedspot
Best Podcasts for Horror Movie Fanatics
The 10 Best (& Most Terrifying) Horror Podcasts Of All Time “It’s hard not to love The Magnus Archives.”
Kirstie Landry – Screen Rant
Ranked Number 1 Best Horror Podcast on the list of top 10 Horror Podcasts
Kylie Hemmert – Mandatory
“…you only need to listen to one episode to become hooked, waiting every week for a new episode to draw you further in to the depths of the archive.”
Catriona Harvey-Jenner – Cosmopolitan
“Have you talked to me in person recently? No, you haven’t, because we’re all in quarantine. However, my roommates know I will not shut up about this show. The Magnus Archives starts as a horror anthology, with each episode a spooky one-off told through the lens of an archivist recording witnesses’ statements. As the seasons progress, the episodes are slowly woven together into an overarching narrative that absolutely blows every B-tier horror movie out of the water.”
Sophie Concannon – Portland State Vanguard
“Implicit in its form, this podcast, the substance of which brings to mind the best episodes of The Fourth Dimension, is curiously effective, in particular thanks to the audio format which highlights the muffled atmospheres and the “confident” tone.” [Roughly Translated from French]
Le Monde [French]
#1 of the TOP 5 ways to spend Quarantine
Sabine Kira Berger – Gamer.at [Austrian]
“One of the most famous horror fiction podcasts with millions of listeners worldwide… If you want to know what’s behind the huge success, you can also lose yourself in the previous 160 episodes that have appeared since 2016.”[Roughly Translated from German]
Süddeutsche Zeitung [German]
The Best Horror Podcasts For Halloween “Since the Magnus Institute is the kind of place it is, you get case after case of unsettling Europeans creepiness, the most effective kind of creepiness.”
Dillon McLaughlin – Cool Material
Top 10 Best Fiction Podcasts
Himalaya
“I have never once found something I’ve enjoyed within the horror genre. But I quite like The Magnus Archives… The Magnus Archives is a podcast that I highly recommend… this is definitely one to give a listen to.”
Ria Boldt – Her Campus
10 Best Paranormal Podcasts to Listen to Today
Summary.org
“This anthology out of the UK has a classic sensibility to it while delivering a wide range of shiver-inducing stories.”
Scott Beggs – Thrillist
“Excellent British horror stories.”
Bryan Alexander
THIS IS DOPE: THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES HAS 160 EPISODES OF BONE-CHILLING HORROR FOR YOU – “I have joined the cult following of the British horror fiction podcast The Magnus Archives”
Tres Dean – Syfywire
BITE-SIZED BITS OF BABBLE: THE PODCAST AS A MODERN STORYTELLING DEVICE
Tim Embertson – The Hope College Anchor
I’m breaking my rules, because this is a podcast. But anyone who wishes that spooky radio plays would make a comeback needs to listen to this superlative UK horror series about an organization that collects supernatural witnessings… it is also a reflection on recording technology and the power of voice.
Episode 1 and Episode 2 of this exciting new podcast about podcasts covers The Magnus Archives
Episode 1 – The Meta: A Podcast About Podcasts
Episode 2 – The Meta: A Podcast About Podcasts
“The Magnus Archives is a clear standout in terms of plot and production…The podcast, though not gory or explicit, can be quite spooky and is definitely not recommended for the very young or the faint-hearted.”
Amrita V Nair – thehindubusinessline
I’ve been listening to alot of a horror podcast… The Magnus Archives…I’ve had people recommending this to me for YEARS and i’m getting why people are REALLY in to it
Podquisition
I equally stress on self-care. I enjoy working out with some good music and also set aside time to cook fresh meals in my little studio, often with a podcast for company. The Magnus Archives by Rusty Quill is the podcast that’s currently on my queue.
Priya Bala – The New Indian Express
I can’t recommend ‘The Magnus Archives’ highly enough. If you like horror, or even if you just want to get into the Halloween spirit [with a good Halloween podcast], do yourself a favor and tune in.
Centuari Anthropology
“If you’re looking for this specific brand of horror [cosmic/ urban horror] I recommend the fiction podcast The Magnus Archives because it does a really good job integrating these really really creepy cosmic horror elements into very very realistic grounded lives”
“This podcast has been around since 2016, so there’s plenty of [great] material to keep you going”
Jenny McGrath – Digital Trends
“If you’re into the SCP Foundation, you’ll probably dig The Magnus Archives.”
Lucia Peters – 9 Creepy podcasts that seem real – Bustle
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Charlotte Ahlin – Bustle
The Magnus Archives is a horror-fiction podcast that follows Jonathan Sims, an archivist for the Magnus Institute, an organization that investigates the “strange.” Each episode is thrilling on its own, but as the whole story starts to unfold, you realize that these strange occurrences aren’t necessarily disconnected…
Caroline Donovan – The Vanderbilt Hustler
21 Podcasts that come highly recommended
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Celeb Mix
The Magnus Archives: Live Review
“A precise, measured and relentless inventive first step onto the live stage for one of the best podcasts in the field. Keep an eye out for future shows”
Alasdair Stuart – Scifi Bulletin
“As Sims attempts to organize the archives, new mysteries turn up for our listening pleasure”
Jessica Arnold – She Knows
The Creepy, Weird and Unexplainable: My Favourite Podcasts
Danae Lenz – Idaho State Journal
Caroles Pick Of The Week – Smashing Security Episode 184
Season 1 Statement Would you recommend? Hell yes!
Briony Rose Smith
Season 2 Statement Nearly every statement has some kind of piece of the puzzle that gives both more of a story but mostly more questions. It’s just been so fun to listen to. You feel like a detective trying to piece together a mystery.
Briony Rose Smith
Season 3 Statement Bharg! That season guys. This season! …The Magnus archives is a horror podcast where Johnathan Sims, head archivist of the Magnus Archives, London, attempts to catalogue statements taken from people about weird paranormal happenings. Or can he this season? He’s wanted for murder and on the run and has an apocalypse to stop!
What are the episodes like? There much more variety in the episodes this time around. For the most part, it managed to keep it’s overall structure of start, statement, end but invents different reasons and ways these statements come out to fit with the crazy that’s happening in the background.
Briony Rose Smith
Season 4 Statement Ahh. The metaplot of Magnus just keeps getting better. John is struggling with the idea that he is turning into/is a spooky-thing himself now. We see other spooky things in so much horrible detail and then that finale!
Briony Rose Smith
5 spooky and brilliant podcasts to listen to this Halloween
“Words fail me. This is one of the best podcasts I’ve ever heard.”
Gabriel Blanchard
A round-up of horror podcasts
Opinion: For unique stories, listen to podcasts
“For all those new to podcasts, current horror fanatics who are looking for more quality content or those who want to give the horror genre a shot, the Magnus Institute has its doors open for you. Who knows? Perhaps you will find yourself seeking more of the mysteries that lurk in the shadows.” Sammi Looi – Study Break
“The horrors [in the Magnus Archives], while they are ineffable, while they are cosmic nightmares, they all touch upon fears that we feel, like the fear of a spider or the fear of being watched or the fear of a dark alley or the fear of being alone. All of those things are just touched upon and expanded upon uniquely within this show… That’s why I think the Magnus Archives is the best version of Eldritch Horror I have ever ever seen in my entire life.” Jessie Gender
Rusty Quill Gaming Reviews
“One of the biggest appeals of this show is the world Newell has built. It’s a spin on Victorian-ish Earth, with magitek and all you might expect, but a lot of thought has been put into the background political and historical elements that have lead to the campaign that the players have to navigate.”
The Cambridge Geek
Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast was shortlisted at BBC Audio Drama Awards for Best Podcast or Online Audio Drama
BBC Audio Drama Awards 2020
News: BBC Audio Drama Awards Shortlist Announced
Beyond Joke
Top 60 Role Playing Games (RPG) Podcasts You Must Follow in 2020
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Himalaya
A triple winner at the Audio Verse Awards 2019! RQG won for Improvised Production, Player Direction of a Production for Alexander J Newall’s work and Lydia Nicholas brought home the gold for Player in an Improvised Production as Sasha Racket.
Audio Verse Awards
Discussing Audio Verse Awards
Yahoo News
Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast has fantasy, fun for all
mediaocu
Stellar Firma Reviews
Stellar Firma performed well at the 2019 Audio Verse Awards taking home an award for New Improvised Production and Ben Meredith impressed with his Role of David 7 winning for Player In A New Improvised Production. Take that Trexel!
Audio Verse Awards
“Stellar Firma from Rusty Quill never ceases to delight or amaze me. A truly wonderful dystopian comedy from some truly talented improvisers.”
“Today’s journey lead me in the direction of Rusty Quil’s, Stellar Firma, a science fiction comedy about planetary designer Trextel Greistman and clone assistant David 7 as they take up requests from clients, i.e. listeners, for a number of unique and ridiculous planet designs… Stellar Firma’s core premise of creating new planets with the kind of discussions that make more sense over blueprints of a house has this wonderfully surreal vibe to it.”
An improvised weekly science fiction podcast from brothers Tim and Ben Meredith features a new planet suggestion from their listeners every week. Trexel and David squabble as they fully flesh out the idea in hilarious ways. Previous planet designs have included death rays, dangerous lava playgrounds, and an eternal night club.
“Stellar Firma is the flagship for Rusty Quill’s expansion plans and they could not have asked for a better show. Which is ironic as everyone who asks for a better planet, by and large, doesn’t get one.”
Alasdair Stuart</>
Top 30 Audio Dramas of 2019”
“Stellar Firma THE SECOND BEST AUDIO DRAMA OF 2019 – I can think of absolutely nothing that I would change about it. The acting is perfect, the soundscapes are incredible, the improv is hilarious, I love it all.”
Episode 4 of The Meta celebratea Stellar Firma
The Meta: A Podcasts About Podcast
Duluth Media Group staffers share their podcast picks, and bonus: some worthy audiobooks.
Duluth News Tribune [Original Publishing]
“hooked me on their first episodes and have kept me on the line”
Jeff Stehman – Black Gate
Four Stars
Outliers Reviews
How do you make British palaces — and their bygone occupants — come alive without a trip to the U.K.? You listen to “Outliers — Stories From the Edge of History.”
Phoebe Lett – New York Times
Our Favourite Fiction Podcasts – An absorbing series of dramatic monologues from characters on the fringes of history. Sarah Hemming and Fiona Sturges –
Financial Times
A collaboration between Historic Royal Palaces and producers Rusty Quill, Outliers is a charming historical fiction podcast. Each short story weaves a beguiling narrative around a real person, place or event, focussing on little-heard tales from Britain’s ancient buildings.
Eleanor Bley Griffiths – Radio Times
TOP 50 London Podcasts
Player FM
Best Fiction Podcasts – Rusty Quill’s (Magnus Archives) series of monologues from characters just outside the spotlight of history immerses us in intimate moments. Historic locations aren’t cold dusty rooms, they’re environments where secrets are shared, mischief is wrought and excitement is incited.
Lindsay Harris Friel – The Podcast Host
Heritage from Home – October 2020 – Enjoy this historical fiction podcast from Historic Royal Palaces, which examines significant events through the eyes of characters who have traditionally been confined to the shadows.
Rusty Quill in The News
The Magnus Archives News
“Trope Talk: Greatest Fears – video sponsorship”
“Fandom Spotlight”
“Online Fandoms on the Frontlines”
“The Magnus Archives nominated for This is Horror Award. Votes close May 20th 2020”
This Is Horror
“Finding Comfort in Horror” (May 13th 2020)
“Tumblr Loves Animal Crossing and The Magnus Archives”
“Ear Candy ABC of Audiobooks and Podcast of The Month: The Magnus Archives” (April 12th 2020)
“Rusty Quill sponsor YouTube video on Generator Rex” (April 7th 2020)
“Video interview with Alexander J.Newall by Haggis and Dragons at PodCon UK 2020.” (April 6th 2020)
“Jonny Sims on The Magnus Archives Final Season” (April 2nd 2020)
“The Magnus Archives Debuts New Logo and Video Trailer for Fifth and Final Season” (April 1st 2020)
Award Winning Horror Fiction Podcast Teases Final Chilling Season” (April 1st 2020)
The Scotsman
The Magnus Archives debuts new logo, preps for its final season” (April 1st 2020)
BZ Film
“Trending: The Magnus Archives Season 5 Trailer” (April 1st 2020)
Interview on Riverside Radio Arts Watch with Lydia Nicholas. (March 31st 2020)
“The Magnus Archives Debuts New Logo and Trailer for Fifth and Final Season” (March 31st 2020)
The Podcast Dragon
“Podcasts: The Rising Media Form” (March 31st 2020)
Marissa Tharp – EH Extra
“Virtual HorrorCon Annouce Schedule” (March 30th 2020)
mp3sandnpcs.com
“Podcast Radio Hour: Audio Fiction” (May 10th 2019)
BBC Radio 4 Extra
Rusty Quill Ltd. News
“The One Shot Podcast”
The One Shot Podcast
Press Release – “Rusty Quill Signs with WME”
Press Release – “Rusty Quill Signs with WME”
“Podcast Network Rusty Quill signs with WME”
Press Release – “Rusty Quill Signs With WME in Trailblazing Move”
Press Release – “Rusty Quill signs with WME in Trailblazing Move”
“Rusty Quill win an Acquisition International Business Award for Production.” Acquisition International
“Gehenna Gaming Announces Virtual Horror Convention” (March 25th 2020)
PR.com