The character of Nancy was inspired by Nancy Cunard (1896–1965), a real-life British heiress and political activist who moved in some truly fascinating circles and led a truly remarkable life.

One of the plotlines of this episode was inspired by "In the Walls of Eryx" by Kenneth Sterling and H.P. Lovecraft. Venus is now entirely inhospitable to life as we know it, but at one point in the distant past life might well have existed there, before a runaway greenhouse effect destroyed that possibility. The idea of interplanetary gaseous intelligence is inspired by The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle. The idea of global warming was realized by various scientists in the early 1800s, and was first named the "greenhouse effect" in 1901 by Nils Ekholm, a Swedish meteorologist. The phenomenon was discussed in magazines like Popular Mechanics as early as 1912.

It is estimated by people like The Meteoritical Society that about 6000 meteorites fall to Earth each year, about 1800 of which hit land. Of those, only a small handful are recovered. Most meteorites that hit Earth are stony, but about 6% are iron. Before humans figured out how to smelt terrestrial iron (around 2000 BCE), meteoritic iron was the only kind available, and people all over the world have used meteoritic iron since ancient times to make sacred objects like jewelry and daggers.

Meteorites can be very desirable items to collectors. While most meteorites are scientifically priceless, some have tremendous monetary value as well. The most valuable meteorite found so far is the Fukang, which was discovered in the Gobi Desert in 2000. It is huge, billions of years old, of a rare type, and beautiful, all of which combine to make it worth millions of dollars. The Gibeon Meteorite from Africa is a large and famously beautiful specimen that was known in the 1920s, along with the Willamette Meteorite, found in Oregon, which weighs over 15 tons and has been on display at the American Museum of Natural History since 1906.

The HPLHS is grateful to be collaborating with 30 Ninjas in producing Purgatory Chasm. 30 Ninjas is an award-winning Immersive Content Studio founded by maverick feature film director Doug Liman with visionary digital media innovators Julina Tatlock and Jed Weintrob. They produce must-watch stories and ground-breaking interactive experiences using the latest AI and XR (VR, AR, MR & Spatial) technologies. The Ninjas have stood by Dark Adventure Two-Way Radio Theatre through years of unexpectedly complicated development and platform changes with unflagging optimism and diligent effort, solving complex technical and frustrating logistical problems along the way.

The HPLHS is very glad to be partnering with EarReality on Purgatory Chasm. It hosts Twist Tales, the pioneering platform in the realm of interactive audiobooks apps. Their unique offering in the world of interactive audio stories transforms the traditional audiobook experience into an engaging, participatory adventure. Interactive audio stories represent the evolution of storytelling. Unlike linear audiobooks, these stories offer a dynamic experience where the listener plays a crucial role. Each decision the listener makes influences the direction of the story, leading to multiple possible endings. It’s not just about listening; it’s about becoming part of the adventure.