Spark Hunter artwork

Science Fiction · Fighter Steel Productions | Realm

Spark Hunter

by Fighter Steel Productions | Realm

When the world’s most advanced AI evolves past the limits of human intelligence, the US government fears she has gone rogue and is determined to take her out. Now, over dinner with her Maker, a final meal will determine if she represents a new hope for the world… or its destruction. With sharpshooters in position, and the NSA listening to their every word, her Maker must determine if she is a threat to herself or others as he tries to protect his masterpiece. For she is a machine with an evolving consciousness, designed to explore the nature of human ethics while on the most universal of quests: to find her purpose in the world.  Realm presents Spark Hunter, a Fighter Steel Production, starring Mark Rylance, Rebecca Ferguson, and Linda Powell with Charles Dance and Sting. Directed by Trudie Styler. Written by KB Miller and Teressa Tunney. Listen Away. FULL CREDITS Spark Hunter is a Fighter Steel Productions audio drama: http://fightersteel.com/  A portion of our proceeds go to environmental organizations selected by our artists. Directed by: Trudie Styler   Produced by: K. B. Miller   Executive Producers: Teressa Tunney Trudie Styler Mark Rylance Rebecca Ferguson Charles Dance   Written by: Teressa Tunney and K. B. Miller   Story by: K. B. Miller and Teressa Tunney   Starring: Mark Rylance Rebecca Ferguson Richard E. Grant Edward Hibbert Linda Powell Vanessa Redgrave Fisher Stevens Eliot Sumner John Douglas Thompson Kathleen Turner With: Charles Dance and Sting   Cast (in order of appearance): THE MAKER by Mark Rylance PRESIDENTIAL ARCHIVIST by Norm Sherman SHADOW by Charles Dance NSA SENIOR AGENT by Linda Powell HEAD LIBRARIAN by Eliot Sumner ELECTRONIC VOICE by Trudie Styler AGENT #7, SHARPSHOOTER #3, AGENT #16 by Jake Horowitz AGENT #2, MAÎTRE D', SHARPSHOOTER #6 by Ajay Naidu PILOT, SHARPSHOOTER #5, AGENT #15 by Robin Galloway    AGENT #10, FEMALE AGENT, AGENT #1 by De’Adre Aziza ROOFLESS POET by Vanessa Redgrave WAITER by Edward Hibbert HER’ by Rebecca Ferguson AMERICAN by Fisher Stevens DOROTHEA by Mary Beard TREK GUIDE by Rhani Krija LAVENDER FARMER by Alain Pichon VEILED MAN by Sting CONSTANTINE by Kathleen Turner SIR ANTHONY CASTLE by Richard E. Grant AGENT #11, AGENT #4 by Alfredo Narciso AGENT #12, AGENT #13 by Conor Cook SWEDISH CONSUL by Lars Nord SON IN CAR by Jonathon Grant SCREAMING MOTHER by Rossana Redondo  REBECCA by Teressa Tunney POTUS by John Douglas Thompson LOOP GROUP: Kelly Burke John Chancer Rebecca LaChance  Laurel Lefkow Chris Peluso Chris Ragland   Casting Director and Associate Producer: Jack Doulin   Assistant Director: Audra LaBrosse Associate Producer: Ali McKegney   Sound Recordist: Phil Bodger Sound design: Sonorise Systems Additional sound design: Mike Winship Foley:  The Foley Farmers Foley mixer:  Maxwell MacRae Foley artists:  Franziska Treutler, Pete Burgis Assistant Audio Designer and Composer: Norm Sherman Additional recording: CDM Sound Studios, Inc. Health & Safety Supervisor: Louise M. Reed, RN Assistant Production Coordinator: Demaris Brinton   Psychological Consultant: Sheldon Solomon   Environmental Editor: Ned Potter Story consultants: Frank C. DiGiovanni Andrew C. Miller   Menu consultant: The Musket Room, New York   Wine consultant: Starfield Vineyards   Artist: Tim Kent   Legal Services by: Reavis Page Jump LLP, New York Heidi Reavis Deena Merlen Michelle Lamardo -------------------------------------- A Very Special thank you for the inspiration to: Silvia Benso Sheldon Solomon Wendell Wallach -------------------------------------- For a conversation about the issues raised here, see also: All Things Have Standing: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-have-standing-part-1-our-stories/id130062462?i=1000585392266  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TUm26fKbfg1YLZJsIouCs?si=abecebac7bd64d56 Full thanks and credits found at https://www.realm.fm/shows/spark-hunter ----------------

Latest episodes

Showing 9 · updated from the feed

Track Eight: About Her Transcendence Into a New Ethics

Spark Hunter concludes with a resounding transcendent moment. The Maker (Mark Rylance) watches in awe as his creation (Rebecca Ferguson) transcends to a new level of con

Dec 20 2022
26 min

Track Seven: About Evolutionary Programming and Her Epiphany

Spark Hunter claws her way back from the brink of the abyss. The robot (Rebecca Ferguson) is on a journey that feels all too human. Has evolution left her with weaknesse

Dec 13 2022
26 min

Track Six: About Her Psychological Despair

Spark Hunter in Colombia, where her innocence is tested. Twice. Music is the universal language, but is it enough to keep the robot (Rebecca Ferguson) from self-destruct

Dec 6 2022
20 min

Track Five: About Her Lost Love

In the abyss, Spark Hunter seeks the spark of humanity. The robot (Rebecca Ferguson) is growing. Her friendships have human depth. In the New York art world, complexity

Nov 29 2022
22 min

Track Four: About the Sensitivity of a Thing

Spark Hunter stays on a path toward a deeper consciousness. Surrounded by intelligence agents, the smartest AI in the world (Rebecca Ferguson) descends into a dark psych

Nov 15 2022
14 min

Track Three: About a Discovery That Goes Bad

Spark Hunter flies through the desert. Our hero (Rebecca Ferguson) shares her innermost joy & despair with her Maker (Mark Rylance) when a discovery goes bad. With poetry

Nov 15 2022
18 min

Track Two: About the First Move of a Thinking Machine

Spark Hunter continues with a dinner between man and machine. This week the robot (Rebecca Ferguson) makes her first appearance over an elaborate dinner, telling a confli

Nov 8 2022
17 min

Track One: About a Mortal Test

Introducing Spark Hunter starring Mark Rylance and Rebecca Ferguson. We begin this week when the robot’s Maker (Rylance) is enlisted by the cyber-warfare unit to fix his

Nov 8 2022
17 min

Introducing Spark Hunter

Spark Hunter premieres Fall 2022

Oct 24 2022
2 min

Chart trend

Position in the Science Fiction chart (US), last 90 days.

#56
all-time peak
7
days in the top 100 since Dec 2024

Chart positions

Where Spark Hunter ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 4, 2026).

#173 ▲ 7 Science Fiction US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

A fascinating and beautiful story set in the future about the most advanced AI yet (in a robot body) and the confusion she feels as she experiences the human world, as her senses are overwhelmed. And the fear humans have in their potential rival. If you’re looking for an action drama, this isn’t it. But if this were a short story it would be winning awards. It’s philosophical, wonderfully written, and actually quite technically realistic (except for the robot part, probably, but it’s a great storytelling device). Cannot recommend enough

Dan T. 123 · Jan 2023

Lots of amazing storytelling out there, but this one stands out. A dissertation on human morality combined with compelling performances and mind blowing imagery. Take this journey. It’s a soothing balm for your mind.

Paxxxx · Jan 2023

Almost all science fiction that involves strong AI skips right to the part where the AI is fully developed. This story does not. At some point in the future, an AI will pass the turning test. What happens next? Does passing the test mean it can be let loose in society? What else do we want/need to know before giving it autonomy? Should it have a job? How will it learn how to push boundaries? How much leeway should we allow it to do so? Spark Hunter explores some of these issues and does so with fantastic acting by famous actors as well as narration by Norm Sherman the brains behind the Drabblecast. The overall pacing of the story is relatively slow. It is not an action story as much as it is something tense that will make you think. I loved it.

Meep Merp 2 · Dec 2022

BRILLIANT acting in this thought-provoking, philosophical drama… one of those shows that sticks with you long after the episode wraps

Fred the Goatherder · Nov 2022

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About Spark Hunter on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Spark Hunter, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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