Unread

"Unread is a peculiar little puzzle box… Gentle, smartly edited, and beautifully written, what he makes is a moving tribute to a friend."

— Nick Quah, Vulture, Best Podcasts of 2021

"[Unread] is a clever and moving personal essay, where Stedman honors his friend’s story and reflects on friendship, contemporary loneliness, mental health, digital and sexual identity… Until Unread I had not heard one that ventured so brilliantly in a genre hardly explored in audio."

— Diego Salazar, El Washington Post

"Unread is not for the faint of heart… As much a loving eulogy as it is an internet mystery, the podcast is really an ode to all of us lost souls who must turn to the internet for acceptance."

— Jess Joho, Mashable, Best New Podcasts of 2021

"Although the hook of Unread is solving the mystery of Alice’s identity, and the possibility she could be Spears, the podcast ends up becoming something much deeper."

— Barry Divola, Sydney Morning Herald

"At the surface, this is a pop culture mystery that any Britney fan can enjoy. More notably, it’s a moving investigation of depression, friendship, loss and how the people around us shape our lives."

— Kate Sheppard, Huffington Post, Podcasts We Loved in 2021

"Extraordinary… a delicately plotted journey through one person’s grief, a fandom’s relationship with an icon, and humanity’s attempts to understand the unknowable."

— R. Eric Thomas, Previously On…

"An affecting story and a compelling mystery, Unread [is] among the podcast highlights of the year… A poignant journey… Deeply moving."

— Ammar Kalia, The Guardian

"A captivating nonfiction podcast."

— Shane O’Neill, Washington Post Style Memo

"Moving, funny, and curious."

— Racket, 7 Minnesota-Made Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

"In this incredibly moving series, Stedman attempts to uncover the woman’s significance, all the while meditating on grief, friendship, fan culture and his friend’s life."

— Hannah J. Davies and Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 20 Best Podcasts of 2021 (#6)

"An unlikely story about friendship, depression, and Britney Jean Spears… Tragic on so many levels, heartbreakingly kind, and entirely unique."

— The Podsauce

"You could tell that this production was a real labour of love for Chris, and I thought it was a beautiful tribute to Alex’s life."

— Kelsey Cueva, CBC, Best Podcasts of 2021

"A wild tale of self reflection and investigation… [Unread] is a journey of mental health and mystery with a rewarding surprise ending."

— Mara Davis, Paste Magazine

"An incredibly moving story about grief, mental health, friendship and finding community… It’ll be one of the best podcasts you listen to this year — and one that sticks with you for even longer."

— Áine Ryan, 9Honey Australia

"A touching and sometimes devastating podcast about suicide… I’m sure you’ll find it as moving and healing as I did."

— George Fenwick, Stuff New Zealand

"A heartbreaking show about losing a friend and trying to pick up the pieces, with a strange twist about Britney Spears."

— Ann Friedman, The Ann Friedman Weekly

"So riveting and ultimately heartrending that I had to listen to the final episode twice… Truly beautiful."

— Garrett Schlichte, them

"Unread is one of those antidotal perspectives… an ultimately life-preserving lesson that we hope every young LGBTQ person is able to learn."

— The Trevor Project

"One of the most original podcasts this year."

— Buro (Serbia)

"A podcast for our times that’s at once heartbreaking and hopeful."

— Chris Hanna, Yahoo Canada

"A true masterpiece."

— Sara Poma, The Podbuster (Italy)

"No spoilers, but a vehement recommendation. ☆☆☆☆☆"

— Eva Eistrup, Politiken (Denmark)

"A really special show… a warm, often funny portrait of who Alex was, and how his friends from all over found each other in the aftermath of his death."

— Alice Walker, Starting Out

"Chris pulls us along on his search for the real Alex and Alice, all the while painting a memorable portrait of the very funny Alex that makes him seem alive."

— Lauren Passell, Podcast: The Newsletter

"A deeply moving audio essay."

— Adam Cecil, Night Water

While it seems on the surface to be an is-it-her-or-not investigation, this tasteful podcast is more an unravelling of friendship, loss, grief, and the digital dustpiles we now all leave behind. Thanks to Stedman's qualifications as an academic on religion, this show navigates the moral conundrums of such an undertaking perfectly.

— Kellie Riordan, Pod Squad

"Unread is a deeply touching and personal skewering of the investigative podcast formula… [it] wrangles with the complex relationship between our IRL and URL lives, and the liberating nature of queer friendship."

— Alim Kheraj, The Guardian, Best LGBTQ+ Podcasts

"Will stare right into the heart of every millennial who lived and loved online… Recommended."

— Ashley Lusk, Bello Collective, Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2021

"A beautiful four-part series about friendship, loss and misfits."

— Anne Moraal, NRC (Netherlands)

"Deeply moving."

— The Guardian’s Best Podcasts on Recent History

"Unread unfolds like a mystery, and coalesces into a beautiful portrait of the pain and secrets we hide and the constant struggle to understand one another."

— Lifehacker

"A tender love letter to a lost friend, Unread will make you laugh, cry, and dance while you still can."

— Todd Stephens, The Queer Review, LGBTQ+ Highlights of 2021

"A moving ode to friendship, internet culture and misfits… Unread proves that [Britney’s fans] are at least as interesting as their idol."

— Max De Moor, De Standaard (Belgium)