Scott Allen has spent years voicing other people’s stories — grimdark warriors, space captains, assassins, at least one traumatized wizard — and now he’s finally thrown his own brain into the ring with The Aerie Protocol. So he's excited to join Mookie Spitz to talk about his flight from audiobook narrator to author, and how one stubborn sci-fi idea refused to leave him alone for years: What if there were hidden cities floating above the clouds… and humanity never noticed?

What starts as a conversation about speculative fiction quickly mutates into a full-blown discussion about creativity, self-doubt, AI, storytelling, audiobook disasters, and why every indie creator is basically juggling chainsaws while pretending they have a business plan. Scott breaks down the emotional core of The Aerie Protocol: a war photographer who realizes he’s spent his entire life hiding behind the lens instead of actually participating in the world. Mookie, naturally, turns this into a philosophical rant about identity, passivity, modern life, and why some people document existence while others decide to kick the damn door open and live.

The two also go deep into the absolute chaos of audiobook production. Failed multi-cast experiments. Voice actors who can’t sync emotionally. Audio levels from hell. AI narration that sounds like a sedated GPS app reading your grocery list. Scott explains why human performance still matters, why reading prose out loud exposes weak writing instantly, and why narrating your own novel is psychologically brutal when you’ve spent years safely performing other people’s work instead of exposing your own.

The two also let loose a ton of real-world creative shop talk: beta readers, editing, balancing day jobs with art, talking story ideas into your phone like a lunatic at stoplights, and the modern reality that writers are now expected to also be marketers, podcasters, editors, social media goblins, and algorithm whisperers simultaneously.

Give them a listen if you love science fiction, audiobooks, storytelling, creativity, or listening to two guys enthusiastically spiral into existential discussions about art and technology while occasionally bullying each other into finishing projects. And yes — Mookie repeatedly pressures Scott to stop overthinking things and record the damn audiobook already. Because if a professional narrator won’t narrate his own sci-fi novel, civilization may already be toast.

The Guest

Storytelling has always been part of my life, even if it hasn’t always been on the page. Over the years, I’ve written short stories and explored ideas quietly, while building a career in voiceover and audiobook narration. Bringing other people’s stories to life gave me a deeper understanding of what makes a story connect.  Now, I’m stepping into a new role as an author, sharing my own work and continuing that lifelong connection to storytelling in a new way. I hope you enjoy the work.

His New Novel

His Prior Podcast

Want to be on the show? Have feedback? Send Mookie a text!

Support the show