I admit that my original intention with the Short Trips Volume 13 set was solely to listen to Daniel Hardcastle's debut story, Rise of the Eukaryans, as I am a fan of his but never been much for audio dramas personally. When I did find myself with a long commute and not much option, I decided to listen to the rest of the set, and put on Dark Watchers of California.

It was here I learned my mistake.

Dark Watchers of California is a beautiful story which had me in a headlock for its entire runtime. At 35 minutes, it does lie on the shorter side, but its concise nature does in no way detract from its incredible narrative, which had me tearing up in my car on my way to university. It is a beautiful homage to the queer experience of the past, and its ending had me pulling over to the side of the road so I could wipe my eyes. Riley Silverman writes a gorgeous story, and Rebecca Root tells it beautifully.

A+, no notes.