12 episodes
Machina Realm
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- Fiction
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4.4 • 73 Ratings
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Two rival tech companies compete for the chance to bring AI to Mars in this workplace drama full of corporate espionage, high-stakes science, and, yes, robot dogs.
Ever since two DevLok employees left the company to start Watchover, the companies have been bitter enemies. So when a government competition to bring AI to Mars is announced, both teams begin vying for the honor. Perilous workplace romances, corporate espionage, and shady ethics mean even blowing off steam at the local bar is rife with conflict. Alliances will be forged and bridges burned in the race to space.
Machina is a Realm production, created by Fran Wilde and written by Fran Wilde, Malka Older, and Curtis C. Chen, with Martha Wells. Listen Away.
For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm
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There is no Binary
In the days leading up to the Mars AI competition, rivals DevLok and Watchover are ready to rumble.
Episode written by Fran Wilde. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
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The Singularity Will Be Televised
On the eve of the first trial, everyone tries to relax at the Moonshot bar.
Episode written by Fran Wilde. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
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Go Big AND Go Home
The competitors send their robots out into the desert as the first trial begins.
Episode written by Malka Older. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
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Pseudo, Make Me a Drink
The trial results are in. No one is calm.
Episode written by Curtis C. Chen. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
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Machines of Loving Grace
As Watchover copes with an investor visit, at DevLok Trey tries to explain the mystery code.
Episode written by Malka Older. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
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Loss of Signal
The second trial drops and tensions are high. A little friendly competition might help everyone blow off steam.
Episode written by Fran Wilde. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm.
Machina is a Realm production. Listen away.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Entertaining
Fun. Easy listening. An entertaining story about two groups competing to make AI. A nice break from gritty depressing audio dramas.
Favorite podcast
This is rad because this is about to happen irl!
Amateurish story with pointless they/them annoyance
My guess is that the five star reviews of this YA podcast are mostly from friends and family.
The Machina story was just not interesting at all. The fact that it had a “robot doggie” did not make it worthwhile.
The characters in the story were one dimensional and stereotypical. The tech bro was a super genius who was always up to something naughty. The non-binary programmer character was thoughtful and conflicted about loyalties and eventually played a crucial role in the resolution of the story.
Many times in the story it felt as though the author simply wanted an excuse to make a non-binary character a hero. Throughout the entire story they were constantly scenes where the non-binary person was with another person and then the narrator would say “they” did something. That was pointlessly confusing and annoying.
The story also was extremely thin. The way the story developed I expected the author to have something interesting to say about the development of artificial intelligence and what it means to be sentient. There was, unfortunately, none of that. Just some lazy hand waving.