Story Obsessed

Welcome, Crawler. The System has detected a new episode, and it has already begun counting your attention span.This week, host Alyssa Much is joined by Krissy Hanthorn, HR tech expert, theme park enthusiast, devoted new mother, and a woman who spent date night painting Princess Donut. Her credentials are not in question.Together, they descend into Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book One by Matt Dinneman: the story of a man in pink crocs, a show cat with dangerously high charisma stats, and an alien corporation that has claimed Earth for its resources and its entertainment.Current objective: dissect all of it. Spoilers are contained to Book One. In this episode: what makes Carl so devastatingly lovable, whether Donut is grieving or just performing, the slow-burn tragedy of Mordecai, why every character in this dungeon is performing for a corporation that controls their fate — and what that says about the world outside the dungeon. Also discussed: the chosen one debate, the Truman Show theory, and the fan theory that the System itself wants Carl and Donut to survive.Your listening experience is ready. Ratings, as always, are everything.Created by: Alyssa MuchMusic by: Dan D'Addeo (Providence, RI)Art by: Jorm Sangsorn (Licensed via Adobe Stock)Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

Some stories don't just stay with you, they change you. For this episode, I sit down with published writer and editor Viva Whitman (https://vivawittman.com/), whose work has appeared in Bloodletter, Loam, and Carve magazines, to obsess over The Wax Child by Olga Ravn.Can an object hold a memory the way a person does? What does this story reveal about the hysteria and cruelty behind the witch-hunts? And what do we owe the things we create, knowing they might outlive us?Listen to find out our thoughts on these questions and more.Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

For episode four, I sit down with corporate recruiter, renowned Dungeon Master, and lifelong movie buff Aedan Van Acker to obsess over The Animatrix.Are the machines actually sentient, or just better than us at everything intellectual? Is the Matrix closer to real life than we want to admit? And why does a 2003 anime anthology feel more ahead of its time now than it did back then?Listen to find out our thoughts on these questions and more.Created by: Alyssa MuchMusic by: Dan D'Addeo (Providence, RI)Art by: Jorm Sangsorn (Licensed via Adobe Stock)Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

For episode three, I bring on the person who taught me that stories are other worlds that you can disappear into: my big brother, Tyler Much. A COO, lifelong fantasy and sci-fi reader, and trading card expert, he's here to obsess over the show that started it all for a lot of us: Season one of Stranger Things.Why does killing off a main character actually make a show better? Is Steve Harrington secretly the best character in the whole show? And are nostalgic for a childhood of freedom, or just a sense of danger?Listen to find out our thoughts on these questions and more.Created by: Alyssa MuchMusic by: Dan D'Addeo (Providence, RI)Art by: Jorm Sangsorn (Licensed via Adobe Stock)Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

Corporate accountant, CPA, and go-to advice-giver Jess Trammel joins me to obsess over a book she rereads every single year: Crazy Rich Asians.Can you marry into a family that's already decided who you're allowed to be? Does old money actually buy you anything real? And why does a story about billionaires keep coming back to something as small as ten quiet minutes with a cup of tea?Listen to find out our thoughts on these questions and more.Created by: Alyssa MuchMusic by: Dan D'Addeo (Providence, RI)Art by: Jorm Sangsorn (Licensed via Adobe Stock)Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

Some stories don't just stay with you, they change you. On the very first episode of Story Obsessed, I sit down with lawyer, business owner, and certified life-of-the-party Steph D'Angelo to obsess over Fleabag.What finally lets Fleabag grow? Are soulmates real? Is anyone ever really forgiven? Listen to find out our thoughts on these questions and more. Created by: Alyssa MuchMusic by: Dan D'Addeo (Providence, RI)Art by: Jorm Sangsorn (Licensed via Adobe Stock)Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/

Some stories don't just stay with you, they change you. Welcome to Story Obsessed, the podcast for anyone who has ever loved a story more than they can explain.I'm your host, Alyssa Much, and every episode I sit down with someone who's unapologetically obsessed with a specific story. Maybe a TV show, a book, a movie, fan fiction, even a play - any narrative that's captured their heart. We talk about the story, we talk about the obsession, and we always answer the same ritual question: who needs this story right now?The first three episodes drop Tuesday, July 21. We're kicking things off with: Fleabag, Crazy Rich Asians, and Stranger Things. New episodes every other Tuesday after that.If you've ever finished something and immediately needed to talk to someone about it, this is your show. Subscribe now so you don't miss launch day.Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyobsessedpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@storyobsessedpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryObsessedPodcast/