It took quite a bit of research to uncover a good amount of these as I often try not to merely cater to the Spotify top ten and I’d like to extend some much given thanks to the audio drama subreddit for their excellent recommendations.

With a bit of assistance, I’ve found the new, the obscure, the scary, the silly, and the weird combinations of both. Here we have fifteen audio dramas that have caught my attention as of late all coming in a variety of tones, lengths, and genres spanning meaty, long-form mysteries, science fiction anthologies, or a short and sweet miniseries from the likes of newcomers and experienced vets.

As a note, all of these podcasts should be listened to from the beginning unless otherwise stated. Almost all of these podcasts are serialized stories with continuous narratives.

The Best Audio Drama Podcasts

Audio drama is certainly a subjective subject. What one person likes, another will hate. But we’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our picks for the best audio drama podcasts employ excellent storytelling, character development, and have the requisite plot twists that will keep you hooked.

So let’s look at the best audio drama podcasts the medium has to offer. At the end of the post we’ve included some bonus audio dramas that didn’t quite make the list of “best,” but are still pretty damned good and worth your time.

Without further adieu.

The Fourth Ambit

A slightly newer podcast debuting last spring of 2021, The Fourth Ambit is already a solid few hours in the length of their episodes and has got me hooked like malware on a hard drive. 

The Fourth Ambit is a dark, intelligently written sci-fi that weaves a fascinating futuristic landscape where the merging of advanced technology and the human condition take center stage. You won’t want to miss any of Gilles’ misadventures between virtual reality and reality-both of which seem to be equally dangerous.

Give Me Away

Give Me Away focuses on a crashed spaceship titled “The Ghosthouse” for the constant presence of ghastly screams from doomed extraterrestrial life trapped in its mainframe. The only way to end such eternal torment is to transfer their minds into willing human participants-permanently. 

This audio drama comes from the writers behind such favorites of The Message, Life/After, and Steal the Stars which ensures Give Me Away will be a gripping, methodical mystery built from the ground up on atmosphere and chilling discoveries.

It makes for a piece of amazing science fiction with a psychological core, dabbling into complex themes of identity and self worth. You’ll be deeply enamored with the journey of protagonist Graham Shapiro and an exploration into the value of one’s life, be it his own and those around him.

If you do like science fiction do check out some of the paranormal podcasts we’ve reviewed recently. Are they fact or fiction? Or a blend of audio drama?

The Program Audio Series

Joining my collection of favorite anthology series besides The Long Hallway and Theatre of Tomorrow is The Program Audio Series where we’re transported to a universe where Money, State, and God form into one entity governing over a future society. The Program Audio Series lets us into the lives of multiple strangers-some innocent, some not so much, all of them somehow affected by the might gonglamorith of technology. 

The Program audio series is an unapologetically cruel but undeniably creative collection of short stories about a terrifyingly possible future and a rapidly changing present.

PLEASURE MACHINE

It all starts when African American sound artist H gets a job offer from tech cooperation Librate–a once in a lifetime opportunity that wroughts on a number of personal conflicts. That’s the base plot of Colt Coeur’s PLEASURE MACHINE, a nine episode long thrill ride that’s a blend of Dear White People and Sorry to Bother You.

PLEASURE MACHINE’S writing is deeply provocative and smart yet simple in execution with its neat editing tricks, and atmospheric sound design that packs so much into so little time. Many struggling under the stress of freelance, social constructs, and societal pressures will adore this miniseries, these all being topics that PLEASURE MACHINE provides with a complex, adult perspective.

Margaret’s Garden

The Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network has carefully crafted the quaint American suburb of Everton, a picturesque suburban brimming with all-American charm, modern appliances, and opportunity…seventy years ago, that is. 

The American Dream becomes the American Nightmare in their show Margaret’s Garden, a suspenseful suburban audio drama fresh from the oven as of the fall of 2020. Margaret’s Garden is a nice blend of Greener Grass and 1989’s Parents, setting itself up as a piece of truly memorable and macabre Americana.

Greenhouse

Put your flower shop AU’s to bed because Atypical Artists’ Greenhouse is the kind of blooming romance you won’t want to miss. Cute, cozy, and awkwardly sweet, Greenhouse is To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with deeper roots than your favorite Wattpad fic.

Watch from the shrubs as two wallflowers learn to overcome their fears and open up to each other one letter at a time. Our leads Abigail and Rose are as socially anxious as they are adorable and you’ll be ready for their love story to grow from the first “dear”.

Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers

Babysitting and bad gardening merge in this short audio drama comedy that packs plenty of personality (and pollen) in just under an hour. In this unlikely summer tale in Southern Florida we join twelve-year-old Donnie and his nanny Lex as they investigate the presence of a mysterious palm plant when their game of detective turns into a legitimate investigation.

At a brief five episode length, Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers is a simple, charming story with just the right amount of childhood innocence and the kind of summer fun that will lighten up any dreary day. 

Jack of All Trades

In search of work and a place to live, young and spry Jaclyn Seeglay, often known as Jack, gets hired at Fidus Achates as their new repairwoman, even if her own resume could use some tweaking in the truth department. 

Little to her knowledge, she’s signed up to be the company’s new paranormal hunter who must determine if the creaky floors and leaky faucets are the results of poor house planning or a poltergeist. 

Though I”m sold on the absolute disaster lesbian of a protagonist and her hilarious coworkers, Jack of All Trades comes with some surprisingly strong lore and unique takes on supernatural creatures that give its world immaculate depth.

What Can I Get Started For You?

What Can I Get Started For You? is a slice-of-life comedy mini-series that tells the story of four New York baristas passing by work days with hilarious banter and curating the perfect Spotify cue to survive the next lunch rush. 

Lucky Doll Productions has crafted the ultimate coffee shop story complete with seductive health inspector checkups and talent shows.

What Can I Get Started For You? gets by on the strength of its snappy writing, fun characters, and unique stage play framing that gives it the vibe of watching sitcom misadventures. Don’t even bother adding sugar to your coffee this morning, this show’s good vibes should be enough.

PodCube

No need to adjust your settings, PodCube is just as odd as it seems and the kind of alien experience you might be looking for if you have a taste for a weird workplace comedy. PodCube seems to be a semi-improvisation project though it might be the actors’ natural comedic flow with each other that’s got me recalling the Interdimensional Cable segments from Rick and Morty.

Despite its inherent weirdness, PodCube is a weirdly grounded look into the chaos of mainstream marketing and working under capitalistic restrictions. Between fake movie trailers and awkward press conferences, PodCube never once tries to explain itself. You should have been listening to this yesterday.

The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society

Now this is unfortunately a late arrival as The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society is on its third season as of this writing and as a fan of Barbie and The Three Musketeers I’m honestly a little sad no one told me about this sooner. 

Here we visit an alternate 20th century France in the seaside town of Massalia under the threat of brutal political corruption from a group that calls themselves The Six. It’ll take wits, cunning, and teamwork to fight the forces disturbing the peace and married lesbian couple Saffron and Zinnia are up for the challenge.

The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society is my greatest feminist fantasies come true complete with sword fights, fiery debates, and frilly outfits. It not only makes for some excellent historical fiction but has such contagious charisma and charm, it’ll have you rallying alongside these dashing heroines.

Maxine Miles

The newest brainchild of The Bright Sessions’ Lauren Shippen is Maxine Miles, a Nancy Drew by way of Clue audio drama with a choose your own adventure twist. Taking place in the late nineties of Hastings, New Hampshire in the eve of autumn, we join Maxine’s team in uncovering the mysteries of her town after the disappearance of one of her classmates. 

The uber-intelligent and precocious Maxine definitely has the wits to crack the case but will the secrets that plague her New England home be too much for one girl to handle? 

Maxine Miles proves to be wholesome fun with a twinge of suspense and intrigue that’ll have you nostalgic over tweenage mystery novels. You definitely won’t need a magnifying glass to see why this one is a gem.

Death by Dying

The life of an obituary writer isn’t exactly thrilling but in a world where the most unlikely of deaths come attached to haunted bicycles, evil farmers, and cats with a deadly appetite, it’s just one of few misadventures in the life of a rookie occult investigator.

Death by Dying is darkly entertaining in its bold writing choices and macabre yet hilarious subject matter, making it an excellent blend of Wooden Overcoats and Less is Morgue. You’ll enjoy Death by Dying’s smooth narration, solid comedic timing, and intriguingly insane mysteries. It’s grim yet uplifting, discusses the dead and is yet filled with life in each episode.

Hannahpocalypse

It’s the end of the world as we know it and Hannah is doing weirdly fine. From Red Fathom Entertainment comes Hannahpocalypse, a comedy/horror audio drama from the perspective of the world’s last unliving girl who has (un)survived a zombie apocalypse merged with a Terminator-style apocalypse.

Hannahpocalypse is a smartly written, tongue-in-cheek take on post apocalyptic tropes told from the perspective of the titular monster. Hannahpocalypse has weaved a funny and insanely charming piece of self aware comedy that’s a refreshing take on the usual piece of glum and gritty apocalypse fiction.

Who Killed Avril Lavigne: A Time-Traveling Pop Punk Podcast

Local teen edgelord Derek Walker has his head up in space and himself back in time when his substitute teacher sends him back to Warp Tour to investigate the disappearance of pop punk princess Avril Lavinge. From that premise alone, the best damn thing might be Who Killed Avril Lavigne: A Time-Traveling Pop Punk Podcast, a love letter to rock and the early 2000’s that will resonate with millennials and the average music fan. 

Who Killed Avril Lavigne is a nostalgic yet strangely modern piece of time-travel comedy that blends crackpot conspiracies and punk rock edge seamlessly. No reason to make things so complicated, you won’t find many things this stylistically gorgeous, absurd, and unbelievably original.

Bonus audio drama podcasts

These audio drama podcasts come from versions of this article past. We still recommend them! They remain some of the greats in audio drama podcasting.

Life With LEO(h)

The androids that don’t dream of electric sheep or are probably dreaming of long walks on the beach. From the same studio that brought you podcast darling The Bright Sessions comes Life With LEO(h), a lighthearted sci-fi comedy about the bond between girl and machine. 

In true rom-com fashion, it focuses on strict and serious Jeanine Bell whose active work life as a robotics intelligence lawyer has majorly crippled her chances at an active love life.

Luckily for her, she’s getting a relationship reboot if she wants it or not once she comes across the adorably dysfunctional, and highly illegal android LEO, Loving, Empathetic, Optimistic, and (only sorta) helpful. This show will never have you doubting if robots could ever know love. When Leo is involved, romance is always part of the equation.

Read more: Life with LEO(h): Atypical’s New Fiction Podcast About Living With a Sexy Robot 

Less is Morgue

Meet your fellow monster in this excellent comedy with a horror twist, Less is Morgue. Taking place in a fantastical Tallahassee, Florida where the supernatural is the norm, a grumpy ghoul named Riley and giddy ghost Evelyn host their own podcast from the comfort of their basement.

But this duo proves that being dead doesn’t make their days any less lively. 

Less is Morgue is smartly written, weird, and wonderfully charming with a great cast of characters, quotable dialogue, and some very solid chemistry from the main undead duo that makes every scene hauntingly hilarious.

Where The Stars Fell

From the creator of Inkwyrm comes a supernatural mystery audio drama written by Newt Schottelkotte of the always experimental Caldera Studios. It follows the not so average life of Dr. Edison Tucker, A.K.A. Ed, whose search for the paranormal might have to start with herself.

Where The Stars Fell is a story of truly biblical proportions twinged with all things existential, violent, and downright weird. Honestly, it might be best to go in blind to truly get the full experience yourself. Be not afraid and check it out. 

When Angels Visit Armadillo

Conspiracies ahoy in Christin Campbell’s When Angels Visit Armadillo. Get to know Magnolia Waters as she tells all through interviews and phone calls about a mysterious disappearance back in ‘88.

When Angels Visit Armadillo is an excellent piece of Americana, a deeply intriguing mystery with Southern flair and a sapphic story at its core. It’s a pleasant mixing pot of Alice Isn’t Dead and the previously mentioned Where The Stars Fell, and despite its short runtime, it’s got a real grit to its presentation that I can’t help but respect.

Spirit Box Radio

Set your stereos to supernatural with Spirit Box Radio, a weekly horror audio drama from Hanging Sloth Studios. When the original host, Madame Marie of Spirit Box Radio‘s Advice and Community Segment goes missing, plucky newcomer Sam Enfield will have to take her place.

But hosting a mystical radio show isn’t exactly a walk in the graveyard when the studio itself is host to terrifying secrets and its own history of hauntings. Spirit Box, with its interesting premise and wiccan vibes, should be a fun listen for anyone seeking out some new, lighthearted horror.

Seen and Not Heard

Our lead in this excellent audio drama is Bet Kline, a woman who is now legally deaf and must navigate herself around such an unexpected curveball. Seen and not Heard is a brutally honest look into living with disability that doesn’t spare a good sense of humor to get its message across.

Those who have struggled with anything be it mental health or hospital stays will find a lot of catharsis in the show’s sincerity and delicate yet bold approach. (Discloure: Caroline Mincks has written for Discover Pods.)

Read more: Seen and Not Heard: On Hearing, On Listening

Ronstadt

Spooky yet weirdly sentimental, mystical yet down to earth, cool as ice and yet hot as hell-that’s one of many ways to describe Ronstadt, a severely undepreciated supernatural noir comedy taking place in an alternative Los Angeles. Meet Rhett McLaughlin, AKA Ronstadt, a snarky, dysfunctional phone jockey thrown headfirst into the dark underbelly of L.A., here known less for its sandy beaches and overpriced coffees and instead it’s otherworldly events.

Combining the aesthetics of The Meat Blockade with the general, effortlessly cool vibe of a Juno Steel adventure, Ronstadt’s strong voice acting, crisp sound editing, and solid storytelling makes a great find for mystery and magic fans looking for that urban twist.

Only Sketches About Podcast

If you’re looking for a less linear podcast experience, you’ll definitely find it with the Only Sketches About Podcast, a grab bag of topics ranging from the mundane like camping trips and gift shops to the more abstract tales of UFO’s and clams. 

Only Sketches is always weird and always funny with a nice twinge of satire to boot. Regardless, Only Sketches is a delightfully unpredictable time with a small but strong cast delivering wonderfully weird stories in this collection of memorable skits.

The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte

Do you ever read the title of something and immediately be sold on its premise? Well, that was the case with picking up The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte, and luckily a pretty solid adventure comedy podcast happened to be attached to it. 

El Fuego Fuerte is a thoroughly original, bombastic joy ride filled to the gills with combat and camp you probably can’t find anywhere else. Creator Daniel Valero Fletcher shows a real love and passion for the art of masked wrestling and the series is pure passion from start to finish.

Mars’ Best Brisket/Midnight Burger

From your local restaurant comes Mars Best Brisket, a short and snacky sitcom by Ponders Productions. Join this eclectic couple as they create the first ever vegan restaurant on Mars, navigating food critics and new hires. Mars Best Brisket is cute, homey, and lovably original with strong writing and the unmistakable wholesome center of visiting a family diner to support its short runtime. 

In fact, why don’t we sandwich a similar recommendation into this with a heaping helping of Midnight Burger, the story of a seemingly normal Phoenix diner that’s actually a time bending, dimension hopping restaurant. Check out either one of these or maybe develop a craving for both. Regardless, you’re bound to leave here smiling and satisfied.

Patient 33

The podcast where the protagonist is in a coma. To be completely honest, that premise alone has sold me on Patient 33, a splice of comedy and medical drama that deconstructs the very nature of podcasts with its clever use of dissecting listener agency with this unorthodox but very creative choice of perspective.

Patient 33 is genuinely engaging with its ongoing plot and dysfunctional cast of characters, making Hope’s Memorial Hospital the hospital that never sleeps.

OBSIDIAN

Ever since checking out Adventures in New America from Night Vale Presents, I’ve been on the prowl for more afrofuturism. Luckily, speculative fiction podcast OBSIDIAN has seriously been scratching that itch for me lately in this truly excellent sci-fi anthology collection. 

OBSIDIAN is delightfully bizarre and insanely smart with inspired settings and one of a kind world building that dabbles into ideas of space travel to simulations, making for an intense, psychological romp that may spark only a minor existential breakdown.

Beautifully constructed from the ground up, OBSIDIAN is an easy yet engaging listen for anyone who wants to get lost for a while.

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services

Fans of Alba Salix, Royal Physician will probably get a kick out of this ongoing lost gem from 2018, Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services. In this modern take on witches navigating the working world, local witch Kalila Stormfire makes a living as a one-stop shop for fixing magical (magickal?) mishaps. 

You won’t just get tarot card readings and healing crystals here because Economical Magick Services is conjuring up astral projection and speaking to the dead all at an adorable price. And, luckily for you, you can check out this excellent audio drama free of charge. 

We Fix Space Junk

A long time favorite of mine, We Fix Space Junk specifically appeals to my favorite brand of science fiction: the down on their luck, ragtag working class variety like you find in shoes like Wolf 359. 

Here we join repairwoman Kilner and her A.I. partner in crime as they take on any variety of odd jobs while narrowly avoiding being blown into space dust. We Fix Space Junk is a hilariously written, tongue-in-cheek satire that cinches its story with some great acting chops and editing all while being an impassioned love letter to the genre.

If you’re a fan of quirky space comedies like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you’re bound to enjoy this.

Community Cat News

Oh the things you’ll find if you dig just deep enough, and in this case, my journey concludes in the litter box. Community Cat News is exactly what it appears to be on the surface, an adorable glimpse into the minds of neighborhood cats and what makes them tick in their personal cuddly corner of the world. 

Composed entirely of short episodes, Community Cat News will make up only about five minutes or less of your day and with it sponsored by the prestigious Meow Meow Puffytail, Feline Rights Attorney, you know it’s bound to be a pur-fect entertainment for you and your own feline friend.

Brimstone Valley Mall

As a soda-chugging, pizza-munching, Twitter-account-owning degenerate who feels entitled to the kind of liveable wage a part time mall job simply can’t provide, a black comedy podcast about demons in a rock band working at a suburban shopping mall during the late nineties is a little too up my alley. 

Though my Goth phase is long past me, a show that encompasses Goth aesthetics is such a rare and incredibly welcomed facet to the considerably less Goth podcasts lying around. No time for prissy preps here, Brimstone Valley Mall is truly the epitome of what old people think rock music does to the youth-Satan worshipping and a sudden taste for leather included.

The Godshead Incidental

(Disclosure: Cole Burkhardt, who plays Lorem Ipsum, is a Discover Pods contributor.)

It usually doesn’t take much to impress me so The Godshead Incidental passing the test within a mere few seconds of its first episode is actually high praise. In this urban fantasy that’s a nice combination of The Wicked and The Divine and an episode of Parks and Recreation, comes one of the most unique takes on modernized mythology I’ve heard in years.

Get to know advice columnist Em as she tries to find her missing sister after a sudden run in with the God of Memory, throwing her into a risky partnership with the charmingly mysterious Lorem Ipsum. Witty dialogue, fantastic world building, and solid acting chops makes for a one of a kind experience. 

Read more: New Religion: “The Godshead Incidental” Review

The Magnus Archives 

As the kind of person who still gets startled by bread coming out of a toaster, I’m probably not the kind of person who should be getting personally invested in horror shows. Too bad The Magnus Archives has already sunk its teeth into me and hasn’t let go for the better half of last year. 

What starts as a loosely connected compilation of one-off horror stories becomes a densely personal psychological horror peppered with just the right amount of existential dread and body horror galore. If you can stomach what it has to offer, it’ll prove to be as satisfying as it is scary.

The Long Hallway

Perhaps blame my short attention span or growing fondness for Black Mirror, but there’s something I inevitably enjoy about anthologies. There’s definitely an art to be appreciated in the nature of a short story, how quickly we’re introduced to characters and ideas until we’re forced to jump to another one with the fate of our last gallery of heroes left completely abandoned. 

Anthology shows are in no short supply in audio drama but there’s just something about The Long Hallway that really caught my attention. Its methodical pace, its slightly eerie atmosphere, and its love for twists and subtle theming all packed in episodes that never go over eleven minutes makes it an excellent entry level podcast.

The Theatre of Tomorrow 

While still on the topic of anthologies, the first collection I found myself smitten by was easily 2017’s The Theatre of Tomorrow by Midnight Disease Productions. There’s just something so fun about shows that are wacky for wackiness sake and it takes a delicate hand to make these kinds of shows charming instead of obnoxious.

The Theatre of Tomorrow is silly but inspired by its love of retro, old-timey radio plays, granting it a sort of 1950’s aesthetic pleasantness. It’s random but never incoherent which is helped by some positively solid casting and editing, making it as hilarious as it is fabulously put together. Nothing quite tickles my fancy the way a good scripted comedy does and The Theatre of Tomorrow is a severely underappreciated relic.

Fuck Humans

Audio-fiction erotica is in itself quite a rare genre. Not that podcasts can’t talk about or include sex or sexually active charaters, but many of which can hardly call themselves legitimate smut. And for the lonely adults in the world in need of some more sizzly soundbytes comes Fuck Humans, a fantasy romance for the eighteen and older audience.

Fuck Humans manages the art of combining both smut and story and doing so with expert consistency. All around, it’s the kind of show you can enjoy with a bit of privacy…or out in the open if you’re into that sort of thing. What could have been a mere monster mash is a rather simple tale about overcoming prejudices with a sexy twist.

The Penumbra Podcast

Be it you’re tuning in for the suspenseful cyber noir of private eye Juno Steel or the medieval misadventures of many a dreamy knight at The Second Citadel, The Penumbra Podcast is one of the more popular selections to have come out in years but has certainly earned its position among the greats. Excellently crafted with great characters and even greater mysteries to uncover, any path you choose guarantees hours of wit, whimsy, and wonderful angst.

Read more: Plug in, Press Play: Reimagining Podcasts as Games

Dark Dice

I personally feel like I’m still barely toddling into the realm of DnD podcasts which is a shame given how incredibly popular they are. An easy format thanks to the improvised storytelling aspects and the wholesome company of good friends with wild imaginations, but it takes far more than just setting up some sound equipment in your mother’s basement to make a session podcast worthy.

That’s why I highly recommend Dark Dice, a grim fantasy adventure following a lovably flawed party banding together to find the missing children of a nearby village while being pursued by a shapeshifting monster. Fool and Scholar Productions creates a solid atmosphere with the kind of interesting creatures, mysterious lands, and high stakes you find in the likes of Thrilling Adventure Zone and Critical Role. So roll for initiative and check it out.

Rover Red: Alone in the Apocalypse 

As someone so hung up on their own nostalgia that they still have Adobe Flash installed on their computer purely out of spite, it’s no wonder I’m still not over Rover Red: Alone in the Apocalypse, a gloriously short-lived science fiction thriller that debuted in 2017 and, much like a sentient implant drilled into my ear canal, hasn’t left my mind since. 

In this rather intense show we follow the adventures of Leah as she navigates the ruined remains of a post-apocalyptic world with only an artificial intelligence and the motivation to find her brother pushing her through increasingly difficult trials that a mysterious council, i.e. listeners, were able to vote on.

Even if there’s only so few episodes to spare, it’s worth a peak regardless for its iron hard tension, excellent world building, and blend of psychological horror and science fiction adventure that makes Ender’s Game look like Little Einsteins.

THE INFINITE NOW

As far as non-linear, artsy shows go, THE INFINITE NOW  is a short and sweet but certainly fun little detour. To describe the show’s premise is a bit of a tall order as it’s more or less a random selection of spacy monologues narrated by the show’s creator Richard Penner. But if you have a taste for surrealism, existential horror, and some atmospheric music, it’s an excellent selection to backtrack your next blunt rotation with some close friends.

The Meat Blockade

High-brow surrealist comedy with singing pirate frogs and lamb scrotum isn’t the kind of thing you’d be bragging about in your next book club but somebody’s gotta break the ice, especially if you’re in the similar company of Kafka enthusiasts. 

The Meat Blockade by the Hennesy brothers is a thrillingly absurd look into the unlucky life of Karl Berenger as he desperately tries to crawl his way back home after one single choice lands him in the gaping maw of Nighttown. Gorgeously edited, fabulously acted, and never slacking in surprises, it’s a wonderfully bizarre romp that wears its inspiration on its sleeves.

SAYER

A favorite, always going to be a favorite, and is still a favorite to this day. SAYER is the science fiction horror audio drama debut of Adam Bash who has weaved a positively fascinating if terrifying futuristic dystopia. And it’s through the eyes of the titular SAYER, as well as a number of other equally dysfunctional artificial intelligences, that we learn about the dark secrets and darker tragedies befalling the citizens of Typhon.

Hadron Gospel Hour

Hadron Gospel Hour is the kind of show your dad would like, maybe even my dad would like, but that hasn’t stopped teenage me or adult me from being insanely fond of easily one of my favorite audio drama sci-fi comedies.

With its wacky dimension hopping, reality bending mishaps, and chaotic duo of a mad scientist and average joe, Hadron Gospel Hour was Rick and Morty before Rick and Morty was cool, so it’s worth a listen simply for that level of hipster street cred.

Return Home

Small towns with big secrets is common ground to tread for many fiction series with varying levels of success. There’s something just so oddly humble about the hidden secrets of an average community being brought to the forefront and it’s things like Return Home that reminds me of the potential they have to be fun, wonderfully bizarre experiences. 

Though it may not be for everyone, Return Home is one of those shows that has a little bit of everything: comedy, strange supernatural forces, and romance all wrapped up in a package that’s so unashamedly authentic.

With a loveable trio as the leads and an interesting slew of monsters to pick from, this long trip to Melancholy Falls is a nice blend of creative and campy.

Adventures in New America

Night Vale Presents is nothing short of a seal of quality around these parts so it’s no wonder that shows like Within the Wires and Alice Isn’t Dead are such beloved audio drama favorites that still have just the slightest DNA of our favorite desert town in its veins. And though those shows are darling to me, Adventures in New America feels like a truly unique entity.

Branching off from the more Americana-esque vibes of Night Vale Presents other works, this show decides to walk in the pond of political satire with a cyberpunk twist. In this “Afrofuturistic buddy comedy”, tag along with best friends IA and Simon Carr as they wind up in increasingly more absurd heist missions on the dangerous streets of New New York City for the deliberate goal of landing in jail for the benefit of free health insurance. 

Be it you’re in the mood for social commentary or foul mouthed and funny exchanges, you’re bound to be seeing things in neon after one listen.

Steal the Stars

Written by Mac Rogers, Steal the Stars is the story of Dakota “Dak” Prentiss, a government worker on a secret test site. She and her team are tasked with looking after Moss, the comatose body of an alien named for the moss-like substance growing on its body, and its baffling ship that emits deadly waves.

The project is so dangerous that Dak’s higher-ups have completely forbidden the team from becoming attached to each other. No friends. No confidants. And definitely no hookups–which becomes more difficult when the painfully attractive Matt Salem is hired. What starts as a pulpy romance slowly turns into a political intrigue thriller, a heist, and one of the most memorable final episodes in audio drama to date.

Harlem Queen

Audio drama is known for being heavy on the sci-fi and horror, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t great realistic fiction. Based on the true story of “Numbers Queen” Madame Stephanie St. Clair, mobster and gambler, Harlem Queen is a historical fiction podcast set during the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem Queen is jazzy, glamorous, and exciting–but it also doesn’t shy away from the realities of being black, and especially being a black woman, in the American 1920’s.

Wolf 359

Wolf 359 was an audio drama space opera, set in a massive space station orbiting the eponymous red dwarf star. What starts out as a lighthearted story about the lackadaisical protagonist Doug Eiffel being bored in space eventually becomes an action-packed, dramatic, heart-wrenching story about the cost of the greater good, the path to redemption, what it means to be human, and overcoming trauma. Wolf 359 concluded its four-season run at the end of 2017, making it a perfect completed story to listen to without worrying about staying current.

The Big Loop

The Big Loop is a somewhat sci-fi, somewhat magical realism anthology series created by Paul Bae of the well-known horror fiction podcast The Black Tapes. Each episode of The Big Loop is a different story, meaning you can skip around and jump in whenever you’d like. Each episode also feels like a different genre: “The Studio” is a sort of ghost story, “YOU” is about an astronaut and her AI, and “All God’s Children” is somewhere between comedy and Lovecraftian horror. If you’re in for a supernatural story with some heavy emotional punches, though, “Goodbye Mr. Adams” is a great place to start.

CARAVAN

A product of audio drama cornerstone The Whisperforge, CARAVAN is a buckwild journey into a story about demons, vampires, banshees, and the caravans that slay them. Protagonist Samir is a play on a typical nerdy everyman genre fiction hero, with the important differences that he’s queer, Desi, and explicitly not thin. As Samir falls into an otherworldly, weird west canyon, he teams up with a traveling group of demon hunters but winds up seeing how he can change their ways to be more ethical. CARAVAN plays with genre, the hero’s journey, and eroticism in one big, unabashed, thrilling bundle.

36 Questions

If you’re looking for a realistic fiction story you can get through in an afternoon and you’re not against the idea of musicals, 36 Questions is a great first foray into audio drama podcasts. This 3-part limited series is a full musical about a husband and wife who are recently separated and their attempts to rekindle their romance–or snuff it out for good. The songs are gorgeous and catchy with lyrics that balance profoundness with authenticity. It’s a fiction podcast you won’t be able to get out of your head, whether because of the songs or the incredible characters singing them.

Alba Salix, Royal Physician

Alba Salix is a comedy audio drama about a royal physician in a fantastical realm, trying her hardest to make her patients understand common sense. It’s one part Scrubs, one part Monty Python, one part Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It’s an easy listen even with an overarching plot that delivers fast-paced jokes and ridiculous characters. If you want to get an introduction to audio drama podcasts but maybe without so much drama, Alba Salix is delightfully whimsical, light-hearted, and hilarious.

The Amelia Project

The Amelia Project is a comedy audio drama about a company that helps clients fake their deaths and start anew, complete with faked identities. Each episode is a consultation with the prospective client to find out why they want their death faked, how they want it do be faked, and how they want to come back. The comedy is absurd and twisted without ever being to gritty or macabre. The level of creativity in The Amelia Project is already enough to make it a great listen, but the acting and sound design are both just as impressive.

For more on The Amelia Project, make sure to read Morgan Hines’s interview with its creators.

Greater Boston

Greater Boston feels like the Mike Schur equivalent in the podcast world. Like Brooklyn 99 or Parks and Recreation, Greater Boston takes place in a hyperbolic version of a real place. Like The Good Place, that level of hyperbole is sometimes brought to bizarre high-concept episodes with an almost supernatural feel. Greater Boston takes place after the world’s most boring man dies on a roller coaster, and the podcast only gets more surprising, hilarious, and intriguing from there.

Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back

Rom-coms are finally returning to popular culture, including in podcasts. Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back is a romantic dramedy about two fans on the opposite sides of many debates in the Star Wars discourse. It’s a classic setup: two hot-headed opponents make assumptions about each other, expect the worst from each other, and then consistently surprise themselves when they find common ground and maybe even common attraction. Wrap the premise up in some cosplay and give it a lightsaber and you’re in for a great listen.

Limetown

Limetown is an audio drama that straddles the line between science fiction and horror. Framed like an investigated journalism podcast a la Serial, Limetown follows a reporter trying to find out what happened to a town where everyone suddenly went missing ten years ago. Limetown packs so much character development into its first season, with most episodes following a specific interviewee, but it balances character with one of the most riveting plots I’ve ever heard. After several years, Limetown is returning with its second season on October 31st–yes, Halloween–2018, as well as releasing a prequel novel set when Limetown was founded.

The Bright Sessions

The Bright Sessions is a character-driven audio drama about people with superpowers going to therapy. Don’t shy away if you’re not a fan of big superhero blockbusters, though–The Bright Sessions is much more Friday Night Lights than The Avengers. It’s a gorgeous character study, but it also has a plot that focuses on government conspiracies, well-researched discussions of mental health, and some beautiful love stories. The Bright Sessions is also being adapted as a TV show and three spinoff novels, so make sure to catch up first.

Marsfall

Marsfall is a newer addition to the audio drama world, but it’s already being regarded as one of the best in the scene. This science fiction audio drama follows a different character’s perspective each episode as they land on Mars for an expedition. The changing point of view adds depth to each part of its somewhat large cast while also complicating the ethics so often discussed in the plot. Marsfall also proves that large-scale action sequences are not only possible in audio, but can also be beautiful.

Station to Station

Station to Station is a horror audio drama that turns the audio medium on its head. Plenty of audio drama podcasts give a reason for their story to take place in audio, but Station to Station subverts this with internal monolgues and changing perspectives. This fiction podcast follows a researcher on a massive ship whose research partner never showed up for the voyage–but did leave the protagonist some audio recordings. Station to Station is an audio drama that you could listen to casually, but it’s best when given the time and attention one might give Lost or Westworld, and it merits just as much theorizing.

The post 15 Audio Drama Podcasts to Get You Hooked on Fiction appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

This list is 10 podcasts that use music in a way that’s innovative or different from a typical music review podcast, given in no order–they’re much too different from each other to rank, but all delightfully offbeat. These aren’t going to be your standards like All Songs Considered or Song Exploder (which are both fantastic!); instead, we want to give you something a little different with these recs.

1. 36 Questions

From Two-Up (the team behind Limetown), 36 Questions is a fictional podcast musical presented in three parts. The story follows a husband and wife who are estranged for mysterious reasons–but the wife is trying to bridge that gap and get them back together. The music is catchy and often moving, but the dialogue also feels so genuine to each character. It’s incredible how well you’ll know the two characters after just three episodes, and it’s almost infuriating how long the songs will stick in your head.

2. Aria Code

Aria Code is a podcast all about famous arias from operas, produced by WNYC and The Metropolitan Opera. Hosted by Rhiannon Giddens, a recipient of the MacArthur “genius” grant, each episode dives into what makes each aria work, the mindset behind how it was written, and breaking down notable performances. Opera isn’t something many people think of as accessible–or maybe even interesting–but Aria Code completely redefines that image of the art.

3. Song Salad

Song Salad is an inventive comedy podcast in which two friends make a song each episode based on a randomly-selected musical genre and Wikipedia article. What results is songs about bizarre topics in styles that usually completely clash with their subject–all while teaching the listener about both the music style and topic themselves. The concept is already brilliant and hilarious, but the sweet, goofy dynamic between the two hosts makes it a listen I never miss.

4. It Makes a Sound

It Makes a Sound is one of the more divisive Night Vale Presents fiction podcasts; it takes a good deal of buy-in and patience, but that initial learning curve is well worth the results. It Makes a Sound follows a woman obsessed with a musician from her youth, Wim Faros, who nobody else seems to have heard of. The podcast gradually becomes more and more musical–as well as becoming more profound and moving. It’s a rumination on music, memory, and identity, with some really lovely songs along the way.

5. Punch Up the Jam

Punch Up the Jam is a comedy podcast in which the hosts and their guest choose a song, usually from the 90’s, to improve upon. They discuss the history of the song and how it was written before “punching it up”–making the parts that don’t work better while celebrating the things that do work, while also giving hilarious banter.

6. Fall of the House of Sunshine

I’ve listened to many, many podcasts, but nothing I’ve heard is as unique as Fall of the House of Sunshine. Before 36 Questions, Fall of the House of Sunshine was paving the way for both musical fiction podcasts and a strange, bizarre world of fiction in podcasting in general. This podcast centers on figuring out how and why the host of a children’s television show about dental hygiene–who is also the heir to a cult about dental hygiene–was murdered on air. And it does not get less strange from there. It’s a wild, kinetic listen with so many surreal moving parts and rapidfire jokes it can be hard to take everything in. Once you do, though, it becomes something entirely unique and exhilarating.

7. The Soundtrack Show

The Soundtrack Show is a dive into the soundtracks of films, TV shows, video games, and more. The podcast is a great mix of accessible topics–most people will have heard most of the soundtracks discussed–and looking into music theory. For those who haven’t taken theory classes, discussing things like augmented chords or tritones can be confusing, but host David W. Collins puts everything in clear language that helps listeners not only understand the film/etc. being discussed on a deeper level, but also how music works to evoke moods and concepts.

8. Dreamboy

Another Night Vale Presents production, Dreamboy is a very NSFW podcast about a burnt-out musician who moves from New York to Cleveland with the goal to write an album. The podcast isn’t just about a musician, though–it’s also meticulously scored. Music is the blood of the podcast, flowing around the bones of the dialogue. The music and the writing are equally vital to how the podcast sounds and feels. It’s a strange, often hilarious, often unsettling podcast that feels as dreamlike as the plot often is, largely in thanks to the score.

9. Let’s Make a Music!

Let’s Make a Music is a comedy podcast in which the hosts make a song based on listener submissions. It feels a little bit like Song Salad, but based on tweets versus random Wikipedia topics–and like Song Salad, it’s also filled with jokes, banter, a sweet disposition, and songs that are much better than they have a right to be. Let’s Make a Music has more of a freeform structure, but the hosts always dissect the suggestion and ruminate over the song before presenting it to the listener.

10. Reasonably Sound

Reasonably Sound is a podcast all about how sound works. The show covers everything from the noise chip readers make to how foley artists work or–as linked above–the infamous “Braaam” from Inception and every big-budget action film that followed. It’s a podcast not just about music, but about what makes sound tick, and how we interpret those sounds. It’s one part science, one part observation, one part history–and all absolutely fascinating.

The post 10 Offbeat Podcasts for Music Lovers appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

1. Love and Luck

Love and Luck is the story of two queer men in Austalia who fall in love, start a cafe, and realize they have magical abilities. Told through voicemail, this story is sweet and tender, making sure that even when there’s drama and turmoil, the plot always returns to being delicate. As the cast expands, more love stories manifest, but the love of the two main characters stays central to the show’s focus.

Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Pocket Casts | RSS

2. 36 Questions

36 Questions is a musical audio fiction about a wife who aims to reunite with her estranged husband by using the “36 questions to fall in love”–the same way they fell in love on their first date. Shrouded in mystery and turmoil, explored through beautiful songs, this melancholic will-they-won’t-they story packs a shocking amount of chemistry into just three episodes.

Listen:Apple | Google | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS

3. This Is Love

Created by the team behind CRIMINAL, This Is Love is a look into love in all its iterations. What does love mean to two closeted gay men, to a woman dealing with the loss of a child, or to an incredibly rare snail? Each true story is told with such a sincere level of interest and respect, no matter the story being told. It’s a reminder that even in real life, love is something beautiful, strange, and magical.

Listen: Apple | Google | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher

4. Deck the Halls (with Matrimony!)

While Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) is Christmas-themed, it’s sweet and fun enough for a year-round listen. Told in movie-length episodes, Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) starts out as a classic romantic comedy that only gets zanier and more fun. If you’re a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, or even off-the-wall romances like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) is a great fit for you.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | PlayerFM | RadioPublic

5. Kaleidotrope

Kaleidotrope is an audio fiction about two opposites hosting a radio show on a magical college campus. This podcast is filled with classic romcom tropes; in fact, it’s baked right into the name and the plot of the show. As these hosts try to help fulfill the tropes of love stories around campus, they find themselves falling into one of their own.

Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher

6. Wonderful!

Wonderful! isn’t necessarily about love, but love permeates everything about it. It’s a podcast hosted by a husband and wife in which each week, both discuss two things they love. It’s a simple premise, but what makes the podcast stand out is how much these two love each other. Their dynamic is so sweet and goofy, it’s hard not to come away from each episode with something new to check out, but also swooning at what absolute marriage goals the hosts are.

Listen: Apple | PlayerFM | Spotify

7. The Bright Sessions

The Bright Sessions is an audio fiction about Dr. Bright, a therapist for the “strange and unusual”–people who not only have psychological troubles, but also superhuman abilities. There are two love stories in the plot: that of a time traveler and someone stuck in time, and that of an empath and the only person who doesn’t disrupt their emotional state. Each love story develops slowly over each character’s individual arc, giving the listener plenty of time to really feel the impact of each story.

Listen:Apple | Spotify | Stitcher

8. The Shadows

The Shadows is both a love story and an anti-love story; it’s a listen that might be best for people who don’t see Valentine’s Day as a celebration as much as a time to brood. The Shadows follows the fictionalized Kaitlin Prest (producer of The Heart) as she falls in love–or what she thinks might be love–with a fellow actor, only to realize she might not know what romantic love is at all.

Listen:Apple | Google | RSS

9. Steal the Stars

If you like your love stories with aliens, political intrigue, and suspense, Steal the Stars is a must. This audio fiction is about the workers in a secret government facility built to study a deadly alien. Because the stakes of the job are so high, no intimacy–even close friendship–is allowed between employees. This becomes almost impossible, though, when a new worker is brought on to the project, and he’s problematically gorgeous.

Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher | Spotify

10. Pounded in the Butt by My Own Podcast

Or maybe what you need is something so ridiculous you’ll be laughing so hard you cry. Look no further than Pounded in the Butt by My Own Podcast, a Night Vale Presents show in which guests read hilarious, absurdist erotica by Chuck Tingle (known as “tinglers”), usually to some kind of audience. Some of the tinglers read on the podcast include Slammed in the Butt by My Handsome Laundry Detergent Pod, Unicorn Butt Cops: Beach Patrol, and Monday Pounds Me in the Butt.

Listen: Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher

The post 10 Romantic Podcasts for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Sometimes, what you need to feel better is a great comedy podcast. Sometimes, though, let’s be real: you just gotta look dead in the eyes of your sorrows and cry a little.

Here’s a collection of 7 tear-jerking podcasts that will help you do just that. They’re not in any particular order. I was too busy feeling my feelings to rank them (and besides, they’re all great).

1. Terrible, Thanks for Asking

Terrible, Thanks for Asking is the most accurate imagined response to the question, “How are you doing?” From American Public Media, this podcast in an unabashed look into stories of things that have gone truly, fundamentally wrong–and reminding the listener that sometimes, when your life feels like it’s falling apart, you’re not alone. Its brazen, unapologetic look at mental health completely subverts the trend of sensationalizing depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc., instead deciding to tell peoples’ stories with a deep empathetic core.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Google

2. The Bright Sessions

The Bright Sessions is an audio fiction about a therapist to the strange and unusual: people whose mental health intersects with their superhuman abilities. The concept sounds X-Men, but it’s much more along the lines of a beautifully-told character study, similar to Friday Night Lights or The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The listener gets to hear each character grow and change through their arc, and each of those characters’ stories is complicated and messy in the way that everyone’s story is complicated and messy. It’s a piece of fiction that will leave you in tears both in empathetic agony for the characters, and in absolute pride–and it’s being adapted not just for TV, but also as a trilogy of novels.

Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher

3. Wolf 359

Wolf 359 might start out silly and fun, but it slowly becomes one of the most dramatic, emotional pieces of audio fiction to date. Wolf 359 follows Doug Eiffel, a crew member aboard the U.S.S. Hephaestus, orbiting just outside of the sun Wolf 359. The more the listener learns about Eiffel and his crew, the stranger and more dire their situation seems, until everything starts going awry. Wolf 359 allows no character to feel too precious and pulls no punches. It takes sharp twists and turns, often leaving you gasping several times an episode. It might not seem like it hits those emotions hard in the early episodes, but trust me, it gets there.

Listen: Apple | Google | RSS

4. 36 Questions

36 Questions is a musical mini-series by Two-Up, the same team that produces Limetown. The story follows a wife trying to reconnect with her estranged husband using the tool that made them fall so completely in love on their first date: the New York Times‘s 36 questions to fall in love. With stunning songs each episodes and phenomenal performances, it’s hard not to fall in love with these characters as they try (and resist trying) to fall back in love with each other. The details about why the two are separated and the wife’s history are tear-inducing enough, but pair that with the question of whether or not they will, or even should, get back together heightens everything.

Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS

5. The Hyacinth Disaster

The Hyacinth Disaster is an aptly-named audio fiction set aboard the MRS Hyacinth, a mining vessel with a crew stuck in the middle of corporate rivalries for resources–which is made more dangerous and dire when a ship’s captain is kidnapped by a rivaling corporation. In this mini-series, you get to know each crew member before everything goes horribly, horribly wrong. It’s a story that prepares you for the worst, but you still won’t be ready for how hard so much of the plot hits.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

6. The Adventure Zone

Looking at this recommendation on this list might seem strange. “Isn’t The Adventure Zone a podcast on the comedy network Maximum Fun? Isn’t it hosted by those good good McElroy boys?” Yes. Both of these things are true. It’s also one of the podcast that has made me cry the hardest.

The Adventure Zone is an actual play podcast in which three brothers and their dad play Dungeons & Dragons (or, in more recent episodes, a tabletop platform called Monster of the Week). It’s a hilarious podcast with goofs aplenty, but then suddenly in its third arc, it starts hitting some devastating story. By the time the first campaign ends, it’s hard to get through an entire episode without sobbing, and it becomes something stunningly beautiful. Start it for the jokes, stay for the tears.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify

7. The Shadows

The Shadows is Kaitlin Prest’s first project after ending The Heart. In partnership with CBC, this podcast that blurs the lines between fiction and nonfiction is a harsh inquiry about the modern idea of romantic love. Every facet of how we discuss love is called into question, and while the podcast asserts it exists to prove love doesn’t exist (somewhat jokingly), it does something much more complicated, gripping, and heartbreaking along the way. The story follows a fictionalized version of Kaitlin, a puppeteer who falls in love with another puppeteer who she has little in common with other than an incredible chemistry. You can read our full review of The Shadows here.

Listen: Apple | Google | RSS

The post 7 Tear-Jerking Podcasts To Pull at Your Heartstrings appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

On plane rides, you have relative quiet with a prolonged span of time to focus–and not much else to focus on. On a plane ride, you want something with a captivating story, rich sound design, and a marathon-worry story. Plane rides are, however, not the time for high-stakes thrillers or horror stories. Airports and planes are already stressful enough as it is, so you’ll want something beautiful, lush, and engaging, but ultimately not too stressful.

The following list is written with that criteria in mind. They’re not listed in any particular order, but instead are just a collection of podcasts that will help make your plane ride a little more bearable.

Related: 5 Great Road Trip Podcasts

1. 36 Questions

36 Questions is a three-part mini series about a husband and wife who, due to initially mysterious situations, are separated. It’s also a full musical with gorgeous, interesting, moving songs in each episode. The plot should be experienced with as little known about it as possible–for what initially sounds like a standard romantic drama, there’s a shocking amount of twists and turns along the way. What makes 36 Questions great for a plane ride is not just its self-contained story that can be listened to in full, but also its music and its sound design. The songs are gorgeous and help bring something different to a listen. The sound design is beautiful and lush, allowing you to really immerse yourself in the world, and a plane ride will allow you to focus and take in every detail.

Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher

2. The Far Meridian

The Far Meridian is an audio fiction that follows Peri, an introvert whose lighthouse starts appearing in a a new location every day. The Far Meridian is an incredibly tender work of fiction that has stakes and moments of peril, but it won’t make you feel more stressed out than you already will be while traveling. Like 36 Questions, The Far Meridian is beautifully designed with an immersive setting each episode; like 36 Questions, The Far Meridian also has some variety: each episode is a character study, whether it’s through someone Peri meets or with Peri herself. Peri’s story is one about what confidence and courage can look like outside of a traditional extroverted hero, and it’s one that will stay with you long after you land.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

3. Join the Party

Join the Party is a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast–as in, a group of friends actually playing D&D. The podcast is split between the players and the characters. The listener gets the story of what’s happening in the D&D campaign, complete with character voices, sound design, and a fantastic original soundtrack. The listener also gets the players talking out of character, whether that be discussing their next moves and ideas or making jokes with each other. The story is long and ongoing, but has specific arcs that make for great marathon listens. If you don’t know anything about D&D, don’t worry; in their first arc, they have a track for beginners where they break down the rules as they play so you can follow alone.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

3. Within the Wires

Within the Wires is the most stressful and unsettling podcast on this list, but it’s also one of the most interestingly woven together pieces of audio fiction I’ve ever heard. Each season of Within the Wires follows a different character and a different framing device for their audio. The first season is a set of relaxation tapes that slowly unveil the strange, worrisome, science fiction inspired world in which they were created. The second season follows recordings to accompany art pieces and museums that becomes a story about love, frustration, art, and memory. The third and current season follow dictation tapes for a bureaucrat that tie the first two together. Within the Wires is beautifully written and performed, and a plane ride will afford you the concentration you’ll need to follow these stories as closely as they deserve.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

5. This Is Love

This Is Love is a nonfiction podcast about all of the different sides of love. Created by the makers of Criminal in partnership with Radiotopia, the first season features beautiful, true stories about what love is. Intimacy is a hallmark of podcasting, but This Is Love feels especially close with its interviewees, largely thanks to the sincere care and respect the producers have for each episode’s subject. As a warning, this podcast might get you a little misty-eyed during travel, but each episode has an arc that feels so heartwarming and rewarding once you’re done. It’s a great plane listen for people who don’t mesh well with most fiction but still want something literary and lovely to steep themselves in.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

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