Alethea Audiobook By Katrina Day, Philomena Polefrone cover art

Alethea

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Alethea

By: Katrina Day, Philomena Polefrone
Narrated by: Julia Rehwald, Chace Crawford, Beau Bridges, Helen Hunt, Justin H. Min, Rachel Dratch, Jessica Barden, Becca Blackwell, Bree Sharp, full cast
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In 2048, Sam Bixler is a brilliant scientist working for Telos, the world's most powerful corporation. Little does she know that a shocking secret about a deadly virus lurks within Telos, setting her on a thrilling and dangerous journey.

Telos’s famed Project Alethea initiative treated countless Cato virus patients, including Sam's mother, Joan. Sam must question everything after evidence emerges that Telos may have lied about her mother's death, leaving room for the possibility that Joan might still be alive. Determined to unravel the truth, Sam returns to her hometown in the Hudson Valley, only to discover that her father, Clint, is missing. In her quest for answers, she crosses paths with the Resistance movement, her father's allies in the fight against Telos, as they risk everything to expose the dark side of Project Alethea.

Now, Sam faces a pivotal choice: Spy within her own company and infiltrate the Project Alethea Team for the Resistance or keep her comfortable life within Telos’s ecosystem.

Brace yourself for an immersive adventure, set in a chilling, futuristic New York City. Will the quest for truth be worth Sam risking her own life and the lives of her loved ones?

Alethea is written by Katrina Day and Philomena Polefrone and directed, edited, and scored by Mark Henry Phillips (Serial, Homecoming).

©2022 Katrina Day and Philomena Polefrone (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC Science Fiction
Mark Henry Phillips
Katrina Day
Philomena Polefrone

Meet The Creator

Mark Henry Phillips has been at the forefront of the podcast and public radio world for almost two decades. He began his career as a producer, editor, and reporter at prestigious NPR shows like On the Media and Radiolab. Mark also worked on some of the biggest podcast hits that helped to shape the medium, including the first season of Serial and Gimlet's Startup. In 2016, Mark ventured into audio fiction to help create the hit-series Homecoming as the editor, sound designer and composer. Since then, he has taken on multiple roles as a director, writer, editor, composer, and mixer for some of the most acclaimed audio fiction series to-date include Passenger List, The Cipher and multiple installments of Marvel's Wastelander series. In 2021 Phillips started Windhill Studios - a production studio that specializes in crafting audio for podcasts, film and commercials. After 20 years in Brooklyn, Mark moved with his wife to southern Vermont in 2020 where they take long evening walks with their daughter Olive and labradoodle Lucy.

Meet the Creator

Katrina "Kit" Day is a Brooklyn based writer, director, producer, and performer whose work spans film, audio, new media, theatre, and fiction. Since creating the viral blog and web series Lady Parts in 2014, they have gone on to write for Film Nation’s sci-fi anthology podcast HyperThetical, Audible’s upcoming true crime audio drama Pe$os, and a new music-driven scripted podcast with Clamor and Temple Hill, starring Jason Derulo. Her first feature screenplay, A Young Widow’s Guide to Life After Death, is slated to go into production in early 2024. Above all, Katrina is passionate about spearheading scripted film and podcast projects that center women and LGBTQ+ experiences. More at www.katrinaday.com.

Meet the Creator

Philomena Polefrone is a writer, scholar, and teacher from Brooklyn who holds a PhD from Columbia University. Her life and work revolve around literature, queer and trans storytelling, and her community (cats and plants included). She writes and edits for nonfiction, film, and audio.

Julia Rehwald
Chace Crawford
Beau Bridges
Helen Hunt

Meet the Performer

Julia Rehwald can be seen starring as one of the leads of the Fear Street franchise for Chernin Entertainment and Netflix, based on the popular R. L. Stine book series, where all three films were a huge hit. She is a graduate of NYU.

Meet The Performer

Chace Crawford is best known for portraying "Nate Archibald" in the CW hit drama Gossip Girl based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s New York Times bestselling book series, and for portraying "The Deep" on Amazon’s most watched and highest rated original series, The Boys.
In 2014, Crawford appeared in the 100th episode of the FOX hit show Glee. In 2015, Crawford starred alongside Don Johnson in the ABC miniseries Blood and Oil as protagonist Billy LeFever. In 2017, Crawford joined the cast of the Hulu comedy series Casual in the recurring role of "Byron". Crawford executive produced and starred in Undrafted, a film about a collegiate baseball star who was skipped over in the Major League Baseball draft. The film was written and directed by Joseph Mazzello.
Crawford’s previous film work also includes What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Bruce Beresford’s Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, Joel Schumacher’s Twelve, Lake Bell’s I Do...Until I don’t, Eloise, Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply, and Mountain Men. His first break came when he landed the role of "Tyler Simms" in The Covenant. In 2018, Chace portrayed "Tex Watson" in the Charles Manson film Charlie Says directed by Mary Haron. Most recently, Chace portrayed "William Monroe" in the thriller Inheritance, alongside Simon Pegg and Lily Collins. Crawford can now be seen reprising his role as "The Deep" in season 3 of The Boys.

Meet the Performer

Beau Bridges is an award-winning actor who has portrayed a myriad of characters during a successful career spanning more than six decades.
Upcoming, Bridges will star in Bill Pohlad’s Dreamin’ Wild, which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Bridges recently wrapped production on William Wages’ The Neon Highway and the Apple TV + series Lessons in Chemistry.
Bridges most recently starred opposite his daughter Emily Bridges in a unique narrative and storytelling hybrid of an adaption of Richard Boleslavsky’s 1933 novel Acting: The First Six Lessons. The film explores the craft of acting and evolves in the understanding and appreciation of life itself. Bridges and his daughter Emily previously performed Acting: The First Six Lessons at Theater West in Los Angeles. The production opened to rave reviews.
In 2020, Bridges starred in Showtime’s final season of Homeland, where he portrayed Vice President Ralph Warner.
In 2019, Bridges starred in Amazon’s third Season of Goliath opposite Billy Bob Thornton, returned to OWN’s megachurch drama Greenleaf, and guest-starred on Netflix’s original series Messiah. In addition to his work on the small screen, Beau portrayed his legendary UCLA coach John Wooden in a one-man play titled Coach: An Evening with John Wooden at Theater Aspen’s Solo Flights festival.
Bridges guest-starred for four seasons in the critically acclaimed Showtime drama Masters of Sex and on ABC’s award-winning comedy Black-ish. He also starred in the second and final season of Netflix’s hit thriller Bloodline, alongside Kyle Chandler and Sissy Spacek.
Additional credits include Comedy Central series Robbie, HBO’s interactive series Mosaic, voicing the character of Sheriff Scaley Briggs on the Disney animated series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, CBS comedy The Millers, as well as the musical comedy hit How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, which he starred in on Broadway. He also appeared in Alexander Payne’s Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated film The Descendants. Bridges won a Grammy Award for his shared narration of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.
In 2008, Brides lent his voice for a special documentary entitled Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. Bridges has been nominated 15 times for an Emmy Award. Beau received a Best Supporting Actor Emmy Award for his work in HBO’s The Second Civil War. He won another Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role opposite Holly Hunter in HBO’s The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom.
Bridges starred in the critically acclaimed HBO film Without Warning: The James Brady Story, for which he scored a trifecta, taking home all three of the Best Actor awards—the Emmy, the Golden Globe, and the Cable Ace. Beau has appeared in several highly acclaimed films including Regina King's award-winning film One Night in Miami, The Landlord, The Other Side of the Mountain, Norma Rae, Heart Like a Wheel, The Hotel New Hampshire, Sordid Lives, and Jerry Maguire. He was honored by the National Society of Film Critics when he was named Best Supporting Actor for his role opposite his brother Jeff in The Fabulous Baker Boys.
He starred with his father, Lloyd, and his son, Dylan, in Sandkings, the two-hour film that kicked off the long-running Showtime series The Outer Limits. For his performance, Bridges received an Emmy nomination for Best Actor.
Bridges has also directed films. In 1994, he directed his father, Lloyd, and his son, Jordan, in a movie-of-the-week titled Secret Sins of the Father. He also directed Jordan and his father in The Thanksgiving Promise, at the time the highest-rated Disney television film ever broadcast. His after-school special Don't Touch was nominated for an Emmy.
Beau serves on the board of The Wishtoyo Foundation, a nonprofit organization that utilizes traditional Chumash values and is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and enforcement of laws protecting the health and environment of our communities. He also serves on the board of internationally acclaimed Theatre West, the oldest continually running theater in Los Angeles. Bridges has five adult children: Casey, Jordan, Dylan, Emily, and Zeke. He resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Wendy.

Meet The Performer

Helen Hunt has enjoyed a distinguished career not only as an award-winning actor but as an accomplished writer, director, and producer. As an actor, her extensive and diverse body of work includes roles in film, theater, and television.
Hunt has just concluded her residency at The Old Vic Theatre in Eureka Day, a story about parents on the executive committee of a progressive private school in Berkeley, California. While taking pride in their ability to accept everyone, a public health scare erupts, testing their tolerance and revealing their true colors. Written by Jonathan Spector and directed by Katy Rudd, this is the European premiere of a multi-award-winning story. Hunt performs alongside Kirsten Foster, Mark McKinney, Ben Schnetzer, and Susan Kelechi Watson.
In television, Hunt can most recently be seen as Rainey in Daveed Diggs’ and Rafael Casal’s Blindspotting, a show based on the film with the same title. It was recently nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best New Scripted Series, and season 2 was released in early 2023. On the big screen, Hunt can last be seen in How It Ends, Michael Cristofer’s The Night Clerk, and Adam Randall’s thriller I See You.
In 2019, Hunt revived her role as Jamie Buchman for another season of the hit show Mad About You opposite Paul Reiser. The show returned as a limited series on Spectrum Originals with all episodes available on demand.
In 2012 Hunt’s performance in The Sessions earned her an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Actor and notations in the same category by the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, SAG Awards, Broadcast Film Critics’ Awards, and the BAFTA Awards. The film premiered in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and took home the Audience Award as well as the jury prize for Best Ensemble. Other film credits include: Netflix’s Comedy Candy Jar, Ride (which Hunt also co-wrote, produced, and directed), Decoding Annie Parker, Soul Surfer, Every Day, Bobby, Then She Found Me (which Hunt again also co-wrote, produced, and directed), As Good as It Gets, What Women Want, Castaway, A Good Woman, Woody Allen’s The Curse of the Jade Scorpian, Robert Altman’s Dr. T and the Women, Pay It Forward, and Twister.
Early career film credits are: The Waterdance, Kiss of Death, Mr. Saturday Night, Peggy Sue Got Married, Next of Kin, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Project X, and Miles from Home. Additional television credits include Mad About You and the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries Empire Falls. For her role as Jamie Buchman in Mad About You Hunt garnered four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards (three as lead actress and one as producer for Best Comedy), and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was also named Best Actress for her role in the film As Good As It Gets, for which Hunt won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Oscar.

Justin H. Min
Rachel Dratch
Jessica Barden
Becca Blackwell
Bree Sharp

Meet the Performer

Justin H. Min stars as breakout character and fan favorite "Ben Hargreeves" on Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy, whose inaugural season was Netflix's third-most popular title of 2019. Justin also stars as the title character in A24’s drama feature After Yang directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Kogonada. Min plays "Yang" opposite Colin Farrell. The film premiered to rave reviews at Cannes in 2021 and again at Sundance in 2022. He will next be seen in the Netflix series Beef, opposite Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, and can also be seen in Randall Park's critically acclaimed directorial debut, Shortcomings. Min also starred opposite Lucy Boynton in Ned Benson's upcoming film The Greatest Hits from Searchlight Pictures. Justin was named to Variety's 10 Actors to Watch for 2021.

Meet The Performer

Rachel Dratch most recently starred as "Stephanie" in Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, directed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. For her role in this Broadway production, Rachel was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a play.
Rachel is perhaps best known for her seven years on Saturday Night Live, where she created many memorable characters, including "Debbie Downer". Other television credits include her recurring role on King of Queens, where she played opposite Patton Oswalt as his girlfriend, Denise, and various roles on 30 Rock. She has guest starred on Parks and Recreation, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, to name a few. On the feature side, Rachel appeared in Adam Sandler films such as Just Go with It, Click, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and opposite Parker Posey and Amy Poehler in Spring Breakdown. In 2015, Rachel shot Sisters for Universal alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. In 2018, Rachel starred in The Week Of opposite Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Steve Buscemi on Netflix. Additionally, she has lent her voice to Fox’s Bob’s Burgers and The Cleveland Show, Seth Meyers’ Hulu series The Awesomes, as well as Disney Channel’s Fish Hooks and Pickle & Peanut. You may also hear her in the Warner Bros’ animated series Harley Quinn and Teen Titans Go! as well as in ABC’s Imaginary Mary as “Mary.” She also co-stars with John Hamm in the Fox animated series Grimsburg.
Rachel is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Girl Walks Into a Bar: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle published in 2012. Rachel got her start on the Second City Main Stage in Chicago, where she performed in four revues and was the recipient of two Joseph Jefferson awards. She also co-wrote and performed in the show Dratch and Fey with Tina Fey, which enjoyed a highly successful run in Chicago and then New York.
Additionally, on the New York stage, she appeared in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of the David Lindsay-Abaire play Ripcord under the direction of David Hyde Pierce; in Privacy at The Public opposite Daniel Radcliffe; and in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Delacorte. She also played the title role in Sylvia opposite Boyd Gaines at the George Street Playhouse. More recently, Rachel starred in Wine Country along with Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, and Paula Pell, now streaming on Netflix. She also was featured as corrupt parole officer “Paula” in season 10 of Showtime’s hit dramedy Shameless, and as “Linda Shuck” on The Good Fight. In 2021, Rachel collaborated with former SNL co-star Ana Gasteyer to write and star in their parody of a Hallmark Christmas movie through Viacom/CBS, A Clusterfunke Christmas. In 2022, Rachel was in I Love My Dad, which premiered at the SXSW festival.

Meet the Performer

Jessica Barden currently stars in the Netflix limited series Pieces of Her opposite Toni Collette, directed by Minkie Spiro. Jessica can also be seen in the IFC feature film Holler, written and directed by Nicole Reigel, and produced by Paul Feig, which premiered digitally at TIFF.
Jessica stars in season 2 of the Netflix series The End of the Fcking World,* which won the BAFTA for Best Drama, as well as Kelly Oxford’s directorial debut Pink Skies Ahead for MTV Studios. She previously starred in the Paramount feature Jungleland opposite Jack O’Connell and Charlie Hunnam for director Max Winkler, produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions. The film premiered at TIFF 2019. Jessica also appeared in the Australian miniseries Lambs of God, based on the book by Marele Day, opposite Ann Dowd for director Jeffrey Walker. Jessica was named one of the Breakthrough Brits by BAFTA, and was recently nominated for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best Supporting Actress for her work on Scarborough. Jessica was previously seen in The New Romantic, which won Best Feature at the 2018 SXSW festival, for up and coming director Carly Stone. The film was released domestically by The Orchard and internationally by Sony.
Jessica previously appeared in the Cannes Jury Prize-winning The Lobster, opposite Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz, in the memorable role of “Nosebleed Woman.” Jessica also played Carey Mulligan’s loyal confidant in Far from the Madding Crowd, and her other film credits include Lullaby (in which THR critic Sheri Linden called her terminal patient character’s “vulnerability fully felt”), Hanna for director Joe Wright, and Tamara Drewe. Jessica made her US television debut in the final season of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful. On stage, Jessica was an original cast member in the critically acclaimed Mark Rylance-starring play Jerusalem, which premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2009.
Jessica was named one of UK’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2015 by Screen International.

Meet The Performer

Becca Blackwell, now seen recurring on the Peabody Award-winning series Sort Of (HBO MAX), is a New York City-based trans actor, performer, and playwright. On the TV side, Becca has appeared and recurred on Ramy (Hulu), High Maintenance (HBO), Shameless (Showtime), and the upcoming A24/Netflix series Survival of the Thickest opposite Michelle Buteau. On the big screen, Becca can be seen in Universal comedy Bros. Blackwell was a recipient of a Doris Duke Impact Award in 2015 and recipient of the 2020 Creative Capital Award. Their stage show They, Themself and Schmerm has been presented by a number of venues, including The Public Theater’s 2018 Under the Radar Festival, Abrons Arts Center, and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s Festival. Becca was last seen on stage at the Vineyard Theater in the Obie Award-winning Is This a Room, opposite Emily Davis, and reprised their role on Broadway.

Meet The Performer

Bree Sharp is an American musician, actress, and lead vocalist/songwriter for the electro-pop band Beautiful Small Machines. She garnered national attention for her cult-hit song “David Duchovny (Why Won’t You Love Me?),” whose underground video saw George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and KISS lip-synching along. After graduating NYU and signing a record deal, Sharp became a regular cast member at NYC’s renowned UCB Theatre and went on to act in numerous indie films as well as TV’s Louie on FX. She’s recorded songs for Pokémon and the hit animé show Mew Mew Power. Her latest single, "Simple Joys (4 Roy & Pris)", a duet she recorded with recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran, was released on Spotify in October. Sharp has been the brand voice for E*Trade since 2020. This is her first scripted podcast and she’s thrilled to be part of such a wonderful cast.

Captivating Storyline • Intriguing Premise • Excellent Voice Acting • Interesting Characters • Believable Dystopia

Highly rated for:

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Most relevant
Pandemic level virus takes out millions of humans, with the only ones gaining are those who are ‘helping’ to create a ‘cure’ ? Big companies that are at the forefront of the virus! Loved every bit of the story and the performance was great!!!

Wow! A little too close to home since 2020

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Seriously, this story needs a good editor. So many inconsistencies and there’s just no way any of these people would have survived 5 minutes in a dystopian surveillance state. Like they act all weird and serious about code names and then introduce the main character by her full name the first time they meet another resistance member 🤦‍♀️ Come on guys.
Personally I am also not a fan of the narrative style here. It was like listening to a movie. I constantly felt like I was missing something. There needed to be way more narration to fill in the gaps. And since there wasn’t a lot of narration you get to be treated to far too many kissing noises. Like literally just wet kissing sounds. So if you’re not into that I don’t recommend this one. Performances were ok I guess. It’s not the actors’ fault the script was poorly put together.

Interesting idea, poorly edited storyline

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Predictable, and the actors sound like they’re reading. It’s a good plot overall, but pretty predictable. I guess I’m looking for a sci-fi, dystopian that blows me out of the water. I’ve seen/read so many and I’m looking for that next great thing, and this isn’t it :(

Mediocre

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If you like gripping drama and science fiction, this is a MUST LISTEN! Quick to immerse and engage the listener with its enthralling story and incredible production, Alethea is sure to be your next binge listen! (If you’re like me, you’ll finish the whole thing in a day or two… and have it take that long only because work and family came between me and my newest favorite Audible!)

P.S. If you liked this, be sure to check out the, “Our Fair City” podcast drama series on Spotify!

Immersive and Captivating!

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Such a great story and keeps you wanting to listen to more. Although it's science-fiction you can definitely get the feel for it being real. Great story.

Great story

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