Realm, formerly Serial Box, is an American audio entertainment company that creates original fiction
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
s and
audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
series, which include continuations of TV series. Realm’s podcasts feature an array of production styles depending on the story, some with full casts, others with single voice narration.
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
described Realm as intending to serve as an "
HBO for readers".
History
In September 2015, Julian Yap and Molly Barton launched Serial Box.
The first production was ''Bookburners'', created by
Max Gladstone
Max Gladstone (born May 28, 1984) is an American fantasy author. He is best known for his 2012 debut novel ''Three Parts Dead'', which is part of ''The Craft Sequence'', his urban fantasy serial ''Bookburners'', and for co-writing ''This Is How You ...
.
The writing process was based on
television serials rather than novels.
[ Founder Yap realized that he was reading fewer novels due to time constraints from work. Both Yap and Barton believe that serialized fiction will make reading more accessible and social.][
In April 2021, Serial Box changed its name to Realm and released its productions globally as podcasts.]
Process
Realm hires a lead author, or showrunner, write a pilot episode and a "show bible" which will outline the plot for each season. After this, Realm brings together a team of writers who will contribute ideas in a manner similar to a television writers' room. At the end of this period, each author is assigned episodes to write. Whereas a novel generally takes 2–3 years to be written and published, a Realm production can be completed 6 months from the start date. Because the first episode is published before the season is completed, the authors can tailor the ending of the season to the audience's reactions.writing style
In literature, writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation. As Bryan Ray notes, however, style is a broader concern, one that can describe "readers' relationships with, t ...
despite the involvement of multiple authors.
Awards
Molly Barton, Jeff Li, James Stuart, and Julian Yap were nominated for the 2019 World Fantasy Professional Award for their work with Serial Box.
Productions
References
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Audiobook companies and organizations
Book publishing companies based in New York City
Fantasy book publishers
Science fiction publishers