About The Show
Deep Dream State is a full-cast serialized audio drama built at the intersection of desire horror, dystopian science fiction, and surreal psychological thriller. It is written and produced by Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns and co-directed by Bliss Blank. The full cast and crew list is here.
Deep Dream State examines systems of control, compliance, and desire as horror. The phenomena it depicts are the subject of the work, not its method. The show is organized into narrative arcs. Each contained plot within an arc is called a Cycle, and each Cycle examines a documented psychological, sociological, or technological phenomenon. The arcs exist within a shared continuity called the Neuralverse.
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New to the show? Arc 3: Sitri Center is a strong self-contained entry point. Arc 1, Episode 1: Maiden Voyage is where the story begins.
The Arcs
Arc 1: The Chthonic
A luxury cruise ship sails toward a wedding and discovers something ancient beneath the melting Arctic ice. Cosmic horror and desire horror in the Lovecraftian tradition: a bachelorette party, a conspiracy, and a sea that does not forget. Start here.
Arc 2: Incognitoh
A reality game show. A social experiment. A system of tests and rewards where no one knows who is watching. Sorority pledges, fake names, secret votes, and masks that never come off. The deeper the contestants go, the more the show rewrites them. Pink noir. Start here.
Arc 3: Sitri Center
A secluded dream research institute offers participants a chance to master their dreams. But once the experiment begins, control becomes illusion. Inside the center, obedience is subconscious and reality rewrites itself from within. Desire horror and dystopian sci-fi. Start here.
Arc 4: Vale Four
A remote island facility studies advertising technology on paid participants, and the technology doesn’t stop when the lights go out. Each Cycle examines a different documented phenomenon at the intersection of attention, desire, and systems designed to exploit both. Commerce horror. Currently releasing. Start here.
The Solsticial Arc — Patreon Exclusive
Seasonal desire horror, released around the solstices and major holidays. Standalone entries, no prior listening required. Available exclusively through Patreon.
- Rainbow: Desire horror for the season of pride. The rainbow is a covenant and someone is collecting on it.
- Jingle: The holiday earworm that won’t leave. It was designed not to.
- Miracle: A pagan Hallmark movie gone feral. Full throttle parody every step of the way, right up until it isn’t.
- Old Money: The actual pagan ritual one. Ancient obligations resurface through modern behavior on the year’s longest night.
Production
Deep Dream State launched as a podcast in October 2024. The Neuralverse, its shared fictional continuity, has been in continuous production since 2017, with works documented on MusicBrainz. 32 episodes have been released across four narrative arcs to date, with an active listener community on Patreon and Reddit.
For press inquiries or licensing regarding the Neuralverse continuity, contact Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns via Patreon.
Deep Dream State is produced by Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns, ISNI 0000 0005 2877 6254. View the series on IMDb. Published works in the Neuralverse are catalogued on MusicBrainz and BookBrainz.