LitRPG author S.C. Culligan and narrator Luke Daniels join me to explore The Ascension Protocol—and the collaboration that brings it to life. We talk pop-culture Easter eggs, Fen’s extraordinary abilities, and the challenges of narrating battles involving his Echoes. We also dig into Seraph’s sentience, the mysteries of the Old Ones, and whether “Hardcore” offers true free will or a trap set by the system. Along the way, Luke shares his approach to voicing everyone from NPCs to ancient, god-like AIs.
Luke also gives listeners a peek at several upcoming audiobook projects, including SLAY by Scott Sigler and Rob Otto, Malleable by Brody Hunsaker, and Cinder’s Edge by Gil Hess.
S.C. Culligan talks about the upcoming release of Singularity’s Edge, reveals that Book 3 of The Ascension Protocol is already underway, and teases his next project—a dark tournament card-battler he describes as Mortal Kombat meets Magic: The Gathering.
JD Mullenary’s Interview with pirateaba:
https://abnormalvaverage.com/2026/10/16/a-quick-interview-with-pirateaba/
Pre-release for Good vs. Evil, Volume 1:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HL9M6QZC