Overall ***** performance ***** story **** —- Review by Rox Burkey
In ‘Shared Madness,’ listeners are immersed in the gripping tale of Zack Tripler, a Boston psychiatrist, who admits a new patient to the hospital. The patient, Youssef al Saud, was brought in from the woods, where he had been hiding for several days with his laptop. Terrified, the man clutches the laptop tightly to his chest and is hallucinating, delusional, and convinced his life is in danger. Thus begins this psychological thriller.
Zack’s mental state begins to unravel as he navigates the complexities of his patient’s psychotic episode. Zack’s character is superbly developed, as are the surrounding patients he treats. To treat his patients, Zach gradually finds himself facing his hallucinations and delusions, creating a riveting narrative filled with unexpected twists and turns. The realistic dialogue and interactions between characters are perfectly balanced.
The talented voice of Joe Smith enhances the experience remarkably. Smith’s impressive ability to bring each character to life through distinct voices and accents makes the story even more immersive. His nuanced performance captures the emotional depth of the characters and maintains a captivating pace that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats. With phenomenal sound quality and engaging narration, ‘Shared Madness’ transforms into an unforgettable auditory adventure that beautifully complements its thrilling storyline.
The story masterfully intertwines paranoia, suspense, and psychological intrigue, drawing listeners into a world where nothing is quite what it seems. Overall, both the story and the narration combine to create a compelling psychological thriller you won’t want to miss.
About the Author
Rick Moskovitz is a Harvard-educated psychiatrist who taught psychotherapy and spent nearly four decades listening to his patients tell their stories. After leaving practice, he in turn became a storyteller, writing science fiction that explores the psychological consequences of living in a world of expanding possibilities, including even the prospect of evading death. His characters deal with enduring moral and emotional struggles against a backdrop of a near-future world that is still dealing with environmental crises as it navigates the intersection of human and artificial intelligence. His Brink of Life Trilogy begins with the quest for immortality in the mid-21st century and concludes with a search for the origin of human life. The Pinocchio Chip, a fourth entry to the series, picks up the story of an AI character that has aspired to become more human. It is a cautionary tale about the evolution of AI. In Shared Madness, he returned to his roots as a psychiatrist to write a first-person tale of a psychiatrist who, while treating a psychotic patient, descends into madness and finds himself at the nexus of a deadly mystery. Carousel Music explores his fascination with the subjective and malleable nature of memory and how our memories create the narrative of our identities.
About the Narrator Voice-Actor
His website
Joe Smith has been a professional working actor for 30 years (not constantly – this includes sleeping and eating). He grew up in Worcester, MA where his parents founded and ran the Worcester Foothills Theatre Company. In Boston and now in Los Angeles, Joe has worked in theatre, film, TV, voice-over, commercials, storytelling/stand-up, live events, and in most other corners of show biz, plus one eulogy. He currently lives in Palm Springs.
He created the public radio parody IPR : Irrational Public Radio. He is a member of the performers unions SAG-AFTRA and AEA. He teaches commercial acting both live and virtually, through (among others) Boston Casting, the Orange County School of the Arts, CP Casting (Boston), Sol Acting (NM), and others.
He plays blues harmonica, was on Wheel of Fortune, and once built a pretty decent shoe bench. He is married to a gorgeous and strange California girl named Amy. They grow fruit and have cats and a dog.
