This show is taking over my brain. So well produced. So interesting. So infuriating! It drip feeds you weirdness at such a tantalizing pace that I absolutely cannot stop listening to the episodes. Highly recommend.

Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature” is an incredibly thought-provoking and original podcast that challenges conventional ideas and offers fresh perspectives on literature and culture. The production quality is excellent, and the voice actors are top notch, making every episode a captivating experience. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new season, praying you’d come back! Love that this podcast sparks curiosity and inspires deeper thinking. Highly recommended for anyone seeking meaningful and engaging content!

An interesting show but does seem to push an agenda other than fictional storytelling.

The world building and setup of this show is immense, but I’m always so absorbed by the lectures. Amazing production.

If you want a quick payoff, or even want a series to answer all your questions, this isn't the series for you. I don't even know if this will end having answered most of the questions it raises, though I enjoy it all the more because of that. If, however, you like incredibly detailed world building, are happy just exploring a world where, like the real-world understanding of ancient history, there are many unknowns and unanswered questions that will likely never be answered, and can revel in sound design that replicates a college classroom lecture in exquisite detail, you will love this. There are references to real and fabricated ancient history that fit together seamlessly, an interweaving of ancient mythic stories and ideas from fantasy and science fiction in ways that manage to coherently blend the ideas in to something strange and new. Like the philosophy of the Second Anterran Empire, go in to this accepting that it's better not to know than to know, and you'll enjoy this far more. Make demands for certainty and you'll break the entire thing. As a side-note: complaints about PC or Woke ideas in this are misguided. Ancient cultures had wildly varying modes of thought about all sorts of things (a tiny portion of real world ones are covered here, too), so having an ancient society with flexible gender references isn't so much PC as the type of thing you might actually encounter in this type of study. Doesn't say a thing about our current cultural battles - we're talking about a fictional ancient civilization, one without a written code of law or legal system, and led by a purposefully uneducated child kept in darkness their entire life. It doesn't map on to modern society - so don't push the thing in to that mold.

What a story - It may seem slow at times, but it is all moving forward. Builds a very interesting (fictional) lost place/ lost people story. The "lectures" I've heard complaints about - there is more happening than just the lecture.

Well, it sounded great for the first 3 episodes until they doused the show in woke gender ideology nonsense and gender fluidity/pronoun politics. Too bad.

When I first read the name I thought it was an actual historical podcast. I then reread it 6 months later and realized it was fiction. Slow to develop but compelling. I am intrigued with the direction it's going.

I love the whole thing. The college class setting, the alt history, the ancient society, the mystery. It’s exactly my cup of tea.

This is the podcast of all podcasts. Masterfully written, paced to perfection, the voice of the professor is soothing and convincing. I have listened to many podcasts in this genre - this is the gold standard! Can’t wait for more.

I really wanted to like this podcast. I gave it a shot, ALL the way to the beginning of the 4th season. The concepts are fun and I’m not against world building or character discovery. The constant delivery through “professor lecture” format ended up being boring and off-putting. The few interactions between characters and the ensuing dialogue was intriguing. I was constantly waiting for more of it, which never came. It had such great potential. I wish it became what it could have.

Thank you!! I have been waiting for more episodes and can’t wait to hear more!

i really enjoy this podcast, i hope it comes back soon! the story is really mysterious and investing!!!

The first few episodes of Anterran Literature grip you. The Professor's (unfounded?) dedication to this hidden society has a way of taking a conspiracy theory and making it feel more plausible. The world of Anterra is rich, the storylines taking place outside of the classroom are great, and the inherent mystery leads to a strong premise. However, by the end of season one and the beginning of S2, the lecture episodes perfectly mirror a college seminar: very talky without much conflict. Episodes about music theory and artifacts drone on and on with very little new information being learned. Using a college lecture as exposition/world builidng is a clever device, but I find myself wishing for more plot and development of the overarching conspiracy rather than hearing encyclopedia entries on a fake civilization.

I really dig this story. Presented as it is as a lecture series (with extras), I felt like I was back in college taking one of “those” classes. The weird ones that turn your head sideways and make you wonder if you even exist. The sound editing is flawless in that regard, and the story has me intrigued. As much as I am enjoying the mystery, I’m loving learning about this civilization! Top notch work. I look forward to the next episode.

I think this is my new currently airing fictional podcast. I have a soft spot for historical conspiracy theories a La Fingerprints of the Gods. Even though I don’t really believe them, they’re fun. And I also love dark academia as a genre, not to mention an amateur interest in anthropology. The writers of this must have some sort of background in academic archaeology, because it sounds so realistic that it’s easy to forget that the history of Anterra is 100% made up! An overarching plot does start to develop, but it’s slow to start. But I didn’t mind, because it’s just interesting to listen to the history of this totally made up and ever so slightly fantastical ancient civilization.

The premise of this podcast is enticing. The voice actors are talented and the sound is well done. The non-lecture plot movement is compelling and the tension in those conversations is palpable. I particularly love the greasier side of the prof which he eventually sees reflected back at him. Each episode does sound exactly like a lecture, up to and including the bad jokes. Perhaps too accurate. So conceptually the podcast has hit its target 100%, up to and including the neat website. But for me it was an eventual miss. Even though the Anterran world building is interesting, having to get that via lecture every episode—especially when it’s drawn out with academic realism—is a bit tiring. That, plus very little plot movement after two seasons or reveal wrt what’s actually going on with the Anterran site/Chinese military, is what’s gonna make this a drop for me. YMMV, though!

Took a little while to get into, but I really enjoyed this series. The recorded-lecture format is really unique and makes it easy to immerse myself in the story. All the fictional anthropology feels grounded, not like a fantastical version of Atlantis, and the covert intrigue plot is a bit of a marathon but gripping nonetheless. Looking forward to future episodes!

Please, more episodes - this world is worth exploring!

I need more episodes! Please release more!

First, the rave review on the front comparing it to Tanis is just unfair to this audiodrama. This is so much better than Tanis and only trails Old Gods of Appalachia in my book. I love Anthropology, but you don’t need to. The classroom setting is a pretty genius way to get around the whole “I’m recording” issue most podcasts seem to suffer from. One problem with most podcasts is that they skim the surface of 10 subplots, but it seems like this one dives into them, which is such a relief. The ancient civilization idea has been done before, but this is a very cool new take on it. I could not recommend this one more.

I’m sorry but this is the worst podcast I have ever listened to. Don’t waste your time.

I’d you’re a fan of Tanis and Within the Wires you will enjoy this melding of the two to make a series all its own. MOTIAL is an amalgamation of puzzle pieces that are leading in the right directions but we don’t yet have enough to make a full picture.

I have no idea how it's going to turn out but this is something unlike most fiction podcasts.

Now this is the kinda mystery i like. This encroaching wrongness or dread thats situated in this very real feeling universe. Its why i liked the beginning of the black tapes so much. Great stuff, can’t wait for the next episodes.

Narrative podcasts have been something of a crapshoot for years now. Cookie cutter mysteries, Reddit-grade creepypasta knockoffs, and migraine inducing voice acting have plagued the medium for years. Modes of Thought, like the Anterran civilization we study, raises the narrative podcast from that dark ocean slumber back to relevance. Professor [REDACTED] epitomizes the college humanities professor—aloof, witty, and fueled by strange, romantic obsessions with the ancient worlds that possess his life. The actor playing him absolutely dominates this role and there’s no shortage of high-quality acting, writing, audio production, and sheer intrigue across every episode. The story itself is deeply woven into popular (and real) archeological discoveries, actual ancient literature, and genuinely excellent world building of its own. Make no mistake—the creator(s) could have taken a very easy route in telling a story so centered around modern pop-archeology. They chose not to and ended up with something original and genuinely exciting. I’ll be signing up for this class for many semesters to come.

This is the kind of podcast that does something that couldn’t really be done on any other type of media and makes me excited about the possibilities of this form. It’s super creative, a slow burn, atmospheric, and weird while still being approachable.

My only complaint is that there isn’t more. Well written, realistic with a perfect mystery component woven into it. If you’ve ever taken a college course, and you love mythology or folklore, this podcast is for you. Very well done, glad I found it.

This podcast is fantastic!!!!! I just got caught up and I have actual chills. The content of the lectures are fascinating, but it’s not just a course about a made up ancient civilization. There’s plot surrounding the professor and the class that slowly creep in and now I’m enthralled. I desperately need more episodes!!!! I keep checking and checking because I’m anxious. Also I don’t know what “Woke Nonsense” that one review is talking about, it’s literally not political at all

Wow this is brilliant

Brilliant fiction, love the premise. Told from a very unique perspective with great voice acting.

This podcast is extremely unique, and any description I give here won’t do it justice. I LOVE fiction podcasts, and this one has quickly become the one I’ve been looking forward to the most. Keep ‘em coming!!

It’s a slow burn, easy listening, ratcheting tension, character piece, mystery! Can’t describe it. But will recommend it. Keep ‘em coming!

It is completely different from anything else out there. It’s thought provoking, mysterious, and incredibly creative. Keep it up.

Loving the performance, the creativity and the world building, the history and philosophy references, the slow slow burn — do not speed up the mystery/plot!!! It’s perfect. Could do 100 hours of this. More, more, more. Nothing like this out there. Mesmerizing performance.

If you are interested in history, philosophy, or mythology, you will love this unique podcast. I’ve never heard anything like it, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I’m dying to know where this goes.

Not what I expected in a good way. Eerie with top notch writing and production.

I was thinking this was going to be a humanity class seminar and only that. But after the first episode. Something was unfolding. Really like the natural characters, world building, philosophical questions and amazing sound design.

Through 6 episodes I can only say this is among the BEST podcasts I’ve ever listened to. It’s wonderful, weird, ominous, and I have no idea where it’s headed.

I’m intrigued; the story is very interesting, although a little slow to unfold. There really could be more than a whisper of “something else is going on” after 5 episodes. The acting is superb: it really sounds like a recorded lecture. The scenes out of class are very natural, as well. Let’s get Season Two underway, please!

Love it!

Promethean concept for a podcast. Fascinating insights and conclusions. Tantalizing journey through a subject that establishment academicians are unwilling to reckon with. Just marvelous.

Where is this going? Its wild but I love it! and I feel smarter after listening, haha!

Is this a real lecture or not, does anyone know?