If You Love Dystopian Stories, You Need To Download Forest 404

When the world feels like it's falling apart, we turn to dystopia. Losing yourself in an apocalyptic future via book, film or podcast makes watching the 10 o'clock news slightly more bearable.

So thank you, BBC Sounds, for Forest 404 – a new drama podcast set 200 years from now. This gripping environmental thriller will distract you from your news app and dull commute – for as long as you can resist binge-listening the nine episodes in one go.

Forest 404 tells the story of Pan, a clerical worker tasked with deleting sounds from the Slow Times (i.e. the time you and I live in) that have no importance or consequence. Iconic speeches, classical music, pop hits – they all get the cut.

Pan and her boss Daria are living in what is known as the Fast Times – an age we would recognise as the 24th century but to which they refer as a time after a huge data crash, The Cataclysm. When Pan discovers a recording of what we recognise as a forest but she has no recollection of, everything is thrown into question. She is forced on a journey that makes her reevaluate her entire existence, as she strives to unearth what happened to the world before The Cataclysm.

Eager to know more? Read on to find out why Forest 404 should be your next podcast download.