13 episodes

Odd and lovely tales from a motel in Jersey running the literary gamut, from sci-fi and horror, from comedy to romance, and everything in between. Based on the recovered writings of Oscar Garrett, a teenager who lived at the Motel Americana in the 1980’s, it’s hard to tell where the fiction begins and where the facts end. Wherever possible, the readings incorporate the actual surveillance audio of the lodgers that Oscar’s bugs captured, audio he evidently used as the source material for his stories. Many of the characters’ tales prove to be loosely interconnected and they ultimately offer a backdrop, and perhaps some answers, to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the eventual disappearance of Oscar and, indeed, of the motel itself.

Motel Americana Motel Americana

    • Arts
    • 4.7 • 22 Ratings

Odd and lovely tales from a motel in Jersey running the literary gamut, from sci-fi and horror, from comedy to romance, and everything in between. Based on the recovered writings of Oscar Garrett, a teenager who lived at the Motel Americana in the 1980’s, it’s hard to tell where the fiction begins and where the facts end. Wherever possible, the readings incorporate the actual surveillance audio of the lodgers that Oscar’s bugs captured, audio he evidently used as the source material for his stories. Many of the characters’ tales prove to be loosely interconnected and they ultimately offer a backdrop, and perhaps some answers, to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the eventual disappearance of Oscar and, indeed, of the motel itself.

    [1] Oscar’s Notebooks – The Lobby

    [1] Oscar’s Notebooks – The Lobby

    Jack describes how Oscar’s notebooks and surveillance audio recordings, the source material for this podcast, came into his possession one sweet summer morning in the mid 1980’s. This is the account of Jack’s first and only contact with Oscar and his beautiful sister, Mandy.







    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 20 min
    [2] The Switchman – Room 57

    [2] The Switchman – Room 57

    Called into a dark room to change a pair of light bulbs, Oscar encounters a seductive woman whose tale is terrifying and tragic. While a man suffers apparent torture in the adjoining room, the mysterious woman makes Oscar an offer that may forever damage his immortal soul.











    [Read along with this episode]







    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 35 min
    [3] Center of the Universe – Room 24

    [3] Center of the Universe – Room 24

    A teenage runaway has a strange and remarkable affliction that’s become too much of a burden to bear. When she summons her hapless friend Noah to the Motel Americana for moral support, the situation gets a little better… before becoming apocalyptic.







    [Read along with this episode]











    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 17 min
    DreamWriters

    DreamWriters

    The solar storms are wreaking havoc across the country, but perhaps nowhere have they been felt as strongly as at the Motel Americana, where a troubled man called Lang has just checked in. Everywhere he turns he hears a mechanical voice– incessantly sputtering from TVs, droning on every radio station, spilling ceaselessly over the phone lines. He’s been trying to ignore it, but he can’t anymore. He finds that it’s been describing intimate details of his life, a life he may have misunderstood entirely.







    [Read along with this episode]











    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 22 min
    Center of the Universe

    Center of the Universe

    This re-issue of Episode 3: Center of the Universe features the actual surveillance audio Oscar’s bugs captured weaved into the narrative:







    A teenage runaway has a strange and remarkable affliction that’s become too much of a burden to bear. When she summons her hapless friend Noah to the Motel Americana for moral support, the situation gets a little better… before becoming apocalyptic. A sci-fi short story audiodrama.















    [Read along with this episode]







    To hear a full account of Oscar’s tapes and how I came into possession of them, be sure to check out episode 1 and episode 2.







    The original release is intact for posterity: episode 3 Center of the Universe











    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 20 min
    Stage Talking – Room 86

    Stage Talking – Room 86

    Talk radio personality and self-help guru Remy Danger checks into the Motel Americana during a stopover on his book signing tour. When a die-hard fan tracks him down and knocks on his motel door, Danger tries to give the kid what he thinks he wants, but Danger just might get more than he bargains for. You can’t just talk your way out of the Motel Americana.















    [Read along with this episode]











    Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Radio Public | Android | RSS

    • 15 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

RiffTheJet ,

Motel Heaven

I love podcasts like this! Unique and great fun to listen to - I really hope there’s a second season coming in the future, and that it finds a larger audience: the podcast universe needs a lot more stuff like this. Thanks to everyone involved ~ ✌️!!

iheartspookypods ,

Original and well made

This is really great!

a.ofi ,

Original, Great Quality

I normally don’t like anthologies and was worried that I wouldn’t like this one. Boy was I surprised (in the best way possible!) the stories are all interconnected and serve a greater purpose for the over arching main story.

Super original, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy, you can tell that this podcast was made with a lot of love and passion. I’m about half way through and I am hooked! after listening to almost every audio drama podcast you can think of, it becomes hard to find something that stands out. So glad I found this little gem.

Top Podcasts In Arts

Fresh Air
NPR
The Moth
The Moth
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked
Snap Judgment
The Magnus Archives
Rusty Quill
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Deb Perelman & J. Kenji López-Alt