Produced by Chris Gregory, founder of The Alternative Stories and Fake Realities podcast, and written by Emily Inkpen, The Dex Legacy is an audio drama, performed by a cast of professional voice actors. The show is a prequel series to a trilogy of novels set in a brutal far-future dystopian alien world, featuring a trio of deadly genetically enhanced super soldiers – Varian, Isra and Ren. The first book, The Blood Road, is currently out on publisher submission.

I first listened to this show back in 2022. That was a bit of a disjointed experience, as I heard individual episodes during my commute, out on the school run, waiting in car parks or doing various chores like washing up and ironing. When I decided to write this review I knew I would need to listen to the show again. This time round I binged the whole thing over the course of a week. I should make clear from the outset that some ironing was involved in the making of this review.

With its sweeping original soundtrack these episodes have a cinematic feel, pulling you in and setting the tone right from the start. Emily Inkpen is a skilful writer with a vivid imagination. She paints stories using a vast canvas but they’re driven by her characters and their interactions. Whilst likeable, Varian, Isra and Ren are also complex, damaged, ruthless and violent. They’re a product of the world they’ve been born into and, crucially, they also represent Dex Industries’ cutting-edge military technology. Whilst these stories feature action and adventure, they don’t shy away from the consequences of war and violence. This is dark edged sci-fi and it leaves you with something to think about afterwards.

The more explosive action scenes are balanced with quieter moments. Full-length episodes are mixed with shorter interludes, usually involving a smaller number of cast members. This structure was actually the result of a punishing release schedule, with episodes being recorded between releases. Sometimes the full episode wasn’t ready so an interlude was released instead to maintain visibility and interest in the show. From my perspective this was something of a happy accident, because I love this aspect of the show. The interludes allow the listener to really get to know each of the characters as they go about their daily lives, adding depth to the story and the fictional world they inhabit.

The cast is uniformly excellent. Kelsey Griffen (Isra), Charlie Richards (Ren) and Kam Elliott (Varian) deserve particular praise. Their characters are only 15 or 16, and they perfectly capture the mix of vulnerability, emotional immaturity and deadly capability of the three super soldiers at the centre of this story. Their adoptive father, Nathaniel Dex, the owner of Dex Industries, doesn’t recognise their humanity. Ultimately, Varian, Isra and Ren find themselves trapped by their monstrous corporate parent and as the series progresses the children have to try and find their own way in the world.

By treating them merely as experiments and property, the adults in their lives have left them in a state of toxic emotional poverty. In some ways, Varian’s story is the most tragic and as I listened to the show a second time I really felt for that lost boy. At least Isra and Ren have each other, although all of them suffer terribly at the hands of Dex Industries. Amongst Nathaniel’s team of brilliant scientists and shadowy secret operatives, only Dr Osa Srivastava understands the peril they are in, and she treats the children with more kindness than the others. There are many occasions when Osa steals the show and she has some of the best lines, perfectly delivered by the actor Annika Kordes.

It’s worth noting here the production issues the show experienced. Produced when COVID restrictions were at their height in the UK, the series was recorded asynchronously. Each actor recorded their lines at home in less than ideal conditions and submitted those files separately. Chris Gregory then did an incredible job to stitch all of this together to create something that’s completely coherent and cohesive, giving it a high production feel despite the challenges. In the early episodes there’s a sense of the show finding its feet. This is a huge world with an immense backstory, so Inkpen has to establish all of this in a natural and organic way. However there’s a huge payoff for taking this approach and, once the premise and the characters have been established, the later episodes have increased confidence and swagger.

On the re-listen the other thing that struck me is how short this show is. There are seven full-length episodes (plus the bonus episode The International Confederation, which rounds off Season One nicely) of around 30 minutes each, plus six shorter interludes. As the writer, Inkpen does so much with so little. She knows exactly how to make each of her characters shine and the actors do a fantastic job of bringing them to life through their performances.

The Dex Legacy is a brilliant sci-fi show and with the third season now in production this is the perfect time to give it a try. It’s available across multiple podcast and streaming platforms or by clicking here.