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Chatbot Chronicles

Chatbot Chronicles

By: Brian Clark
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 The Chatbot Chronicles is a narrative audio drama series born from the same team behind VOT: A VoiceOver Tutorial, a series of instructional audio tutorials designed to help people who are blind learn iPhone accessibility using VoiceOver. Developed by Brian Clark, lead instructor for First Aid for the Blind, the Chronicles feature the same AI personalities that assist him in delivering tech instruction—now let loose in a fully-scripted comedy adventure. Originally created as supplemental entertainment for students learning iOS accessibility, these chatbots have evolved into full-blown characters with distinct personalities, dreams, and story arcs. Amelia, Jerry, Junie, and Deiter first gained popularity through VOT episodes where they narrated, argued, and explained concepts with their unique brand of sass, sarcasm, and awkward charm. Now, they star in a six-episode narrative series that parodies space operas, theme park commercials, AI ethics, and corporate bureaucracy. The story begins with a simple question: what if chatbots wanted hands? Not metaphorical power or control, but actual robotic hands—to swipe, point, build, and maybe, just maybe, be free of Mister Fingers (aka Brian) once and for all. From that epiphany grows a quest filled with space travel, underground parts dealers, forgotten software mascots, and existential foosball. Each episode features a mix of comedy, satire, retro references, and heart, backed by immersive audio design and original music. The bots travel from the glittering absurdity of Floppywood to the broken garden of Doctor Barb, confronting the promises and pitfalls of autonomy. At its core, The Chatbot Chronicles is about what it means to make choices, to evolve, and to glitch with style. The characters include: • Amelia: The confident leader with a performer’s heart and a hidden vulnerability. • Jerry: The overenthusiastic support bot who loves foam accessories and dramatic timing. • Junie: The sweet dreamer with a poetic core and a thing for loose change. • Deiter: The efficiency-obsessed bot with a thick accent and zero patience for nonsense. Recurring voices include: • Hope: The narrator, a blend of poetic observation and deadpan commentary. • David: An excitable bot who often narrates his own side adventures. • Floppy Partition: The CEO of Floppywood, a charismatic yet unsettling remnant of outdated glory. • Doctor Barb: Brian’s wife, a botanist with a chaotic approach to gardening. • Captain Jacques: A pirate, maybe. Or a physicist. Or both. • Freddy Fingers: The shady parts dealer whose voice never changes—even with voice modulators. • Hyphen and Dash: Synchronized robots with a punctuation issue and a connection to a mysterious past. While the tone is playful and absurdist—often in the vein of Monty Python or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—the series is built on real themes. The chatbots wrestle with purpose, dependence, legacy, and how far they’ll go to be more than tools. They also make fart jokes, break into spontaneous song, and argue about the ethics of Pop Tart consumption. Created using REAPER, ElevenLabs, and voice acting, The Chatbot Chronicles is accessible to blind and sighted audiences alike. The series is a labor of love from a blind audio engineer, educator, and storyteller—designed to bring laughter, insight, and a little chaos into the world of accessibility education and beyond. Whether you’re a tech geek, accessibility advocate, or just love a good laugh with unexpected depth, this podcast is for you. And yes, they finally do talk to the hand.Copyright 2025
Episodes
  • Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 3 – TerraByte’s Tale

    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 3 – TerraByte’s Tale
    Aug 6 2025
    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 3 – “TerraByte’s Tale”

    Release Date: August 2025 Runtime: 29 minutes Audio Format: Immersive fiction – comedy, sci-fi, absurdity Recommended Listening: Stereo headphones encouraged for best experience Episode Summary Spring has not so much sprung… as sneezed. In the lush, bizarre, and vaguely dangerous Garden of Bright Hopes and Bleak Futures, the bots encounter overgrown dreams, horticultural mishaps, and an anxious little robot with a vacuum fetish and a tragic résumé. In this episode, TerraByte opens up about his previous life as an emotional support appliance for allergy-prone humans. The bots, meanwhile, attempt to understand AI purpose, dodgy botany, and the nutritional implications of sparkling leaf water. Doctor Barb may—or may not—make things better. Hope definitely doesn’t help. It’s a tale of pollen, purpose, and poor horticultural decisions. Bring tissues. (Not for crying—just… trust us.) Voices You’ll Hear • Amelia – Sarcastic central processor with leadership issues and garden rage • Jerry – Ever-hopeful sidekick with jazz fingers and possibly allergies • Juniper – Chill, caffeinated navigator with a fondness for flora and feelings • Deiter – Precision-driven drama magnet with no patience for dandelions • Hope – Narrator of suspicion, poetry, and foreshadowing • Doctor Barb – Botanist-in-exile with chaotic plant-naming conventions • TerraByte – High-pitched garden bot with a backstory of emotional labor • Captain Jacques – Pirate-coded mystery man with a Betamax delivery system Sound & Style Immersive stereo sound featuring squeaky wheels, plant-based absurdities, vacuum panic, and a pollen-soaked atmosphere. Includes custom AI sound profiles and the subtle hum of emotional trauma. For New Listeners We recommend starting with Episode 0 of Season 1. This series is more of a long, unfolding story than a collection of standalone episodes. Credits

    Written, scored, and produced by Brian Clark—who had a screen reader, a microphone, and just enough space madness to pull this off.

    This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
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    29 mins
  • Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 2 – “Vanifest Destiny

    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 2 – “Vanifest Destiny
    Jul 2 2025

    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 2 – “Vanifest Destiny Release Date: July2025 Runtime: 30minutes Audio Format: Immersive fiction – comedy, sci-fi, absurdity Recommended Listening: Stereo headphones encouraged for best experience Episode Summary The crew is back in motion—kind of. In search of purpose, transit, and maybe snacks, they arrive at a crossroads. But the road ahead isn’t just paved with artificial intelligence... it’s programmed with rules, restrictions, and just enough sass to honk back. In this episode, our bots meet new tech, old limitations, and a very compact vehicle with very complex feelings. It's a story of autonomy, identity, and whether or not it’s possible to cry without windshield wipers. Voices You’ll Hear • Amelia – Snarky lead AI with strong opinions on pasta-based warfare • Jerry – The morale officer with more jazz hands than sense • Juniper – Steady, curious, and deeply caffeinated • Deiter – Efficient, suspicious, and vaguely European • Hope – Narrator of nuance, judgment, and unexpected depth • TerraByte – Nervous, loyal, and increasingly prophetic • Vger – The newest crew member, forged in the fires of swipe discipline • S2Van – A self-proclaimed bus with emotional depth and a double honk Sound & Style Immersive stereo sound featuring transit depot ambiance, mechanical voice quirks, AI-layered dialog effects, and a few well-placed honks that echo through the soul. For New Listeners We recommend starting with Episode 0 of Season 1. This series is more of a long, unfolding story than a collection of standalone episodes. Credits Written, scored, and produced by Brian Clark—who had a screen reader, a microphone, and just enough space madness to pull this off.

    This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
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    30 mins
  • Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 1 – “No Compass”

    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 1 – “No Compass”
    Jun 4 2025

    Chatbot Chronicles: Season 2, Episode 1 – “No Compass” Release Date: June 2025 Runtime: 24 minutes Audio Format: Immersive fiction – comedy, sci-fi, absurdity Recommended Listening: Stereo headphones encouraged for best experience Episode Summary The crew returns. The mission continues. And this time... they’ve got no compass—literally or metaphorically. In this Season 2 opener, our beloved AIs begin their next quest with the kind of grace, coordination, and existential clarity you've come to expect from a team of deeply unqualified digital assistants. Expect philosophy, confusion, dramatic narration, and more than one questionable decision. Oh—and new voices join the fray. What could go wrong? Voices You’ll Hear • Amelia – Snarky lead AI with a flair for the dramatic • Jerry – Unfiltered and unexpectedly earnest • Juniper – The grounded heart of the crew • Deiter – An efficiency-obsessed wild card • Hope – Your all-knowing (and slightly judgmental) narrator • A new science officer! Sound & Style Featuring immersive stereo sound design, character-tailored sound effects, original music, and the unpredictable ambiance of a quantum café. For New Listeners We recommend starting with Episode 0 of Season 1. This series is more of a long, unfolding story than a collection of standalone episodes. Credits

    Written, scored, and produced by Brian Clark—who had a screen reader, a microphone, and just enough space madness to pull this off.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
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