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.

Every podcast can be funny in there own way, with inside jokes and just upbeat conversation. Any enjoyable conversation or story includes some light notes of humor. However, these are shows that go out of their way to define themselves as comedy podcasts.

From comedians giving their takes on the news to scripted hijinks to improv comedy to just two pals talking about stuff, there are plenty of different comedy podcasts out there for you to try out. Here are just a selection of a few ones that I recommend!

As a note, this list has several audio dramas (or fiction podcasts). Make sure you start these all from the beginning! Each podcast that isn’t an audio drama has a recommended first episode or two linked in its blurb.

Note: This is a rotating list, which will be refreshed every few months with a slate of brand new comedy podcasts. Entries from previous lists are still kept down below–they’re still great listens for you to check out!

The 10 Best Comedy Podcasts

The Bugle

The Bugle is an international satire weekly news show covering current events both big and small. The show has been hosted by Andy Zaltzman for over a decade, and was originally co-hosted by little known comedian John Oliver before he got too busy being in The Smurfs or something. Ever since 2016, Zaltzman has brought on a number of rotating co-hosts from all around the world, such as Hari Kondabolu, Alice Fraser, Nish Kumar, Helen Zaltzman and more.

All of the hosts have a great energy together, regardless of the combination. From the elaborately clever “pun runs” to the scalding hot takes, The Bugle is one of the best ways to keep up with current events in spite of how bad they might be. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Life With Leo(h)

Life With Leo(h) is a romantic comedy about a career-driven lawyer being gifted an illegally intelligent android who is programmed to love her.  The show is hilarious and about love the same way all these sort of rom coms are, but also explores issues of free will and consent when it comes to someone literally made to love you.

One of my favorite things about this show is how it goes out of its way not just to show how the main couple’s relationship develops, but also how the two develop fun relationships with the other supporting characters. For example, one of Jeanine’s coworkers serves as a point to a potential love triangle with LEO(h), but he and LEO(h) actually have a pretty fun dynamic.

Treat yourself to the first season of this rom-com-sit-com audio drama and keep an eye on your feed for when more comes out!

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS | Transcripts

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

Hey Riddle Riddle

Hey Riddle Riddle is one of those comedy podcasts with a premise everyone can get behind. It’s about riddles and puzzles hosted by people who, after three years of doing this show, still hate riddles. Fire.

Every week, Chicago improvisers Adal Rifai, Erin Keif and John Patrick Coan suffer through as many riddles and word puzzles they can do per episode without getting distracted.

As they tackle these riddles, at the drop of a hat they’ll call from improv scenes sometimes based on the riddle or whatever they’re talking about, or sometimes out of nowhere. The Clue Crew is great at keeping things fun and snappy even when a riddle feels like it’s dragging them along. Hey Riddle Riddle is one of the best improv comedy podcasts out there and also, I have to assume, one of the best riddle podcasts as well. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

The Vanishing Act

The Vanishing Act is a genre-blending globe-trotting adventure following Augie Eckhart, a 1930’s German theater artist looking to recreate a stage act that caused the disappearance of an entire audience. As Augie puts off actually solving this mystery, his egotistic and prickly personality clashes with a colorful cast of characters, including a conman with a fluid backstory, an unfortunately-named mechanical engineer, a man so perfect he wraps back around to being the worst and a narrator who is just so done with Augie’s bullshit.

There’s also a duck.

A nice thing about this show is that it’s done, making it a nice enjoyable package of hilarity and hijinks. If you’re looking for a period piece bleak absurdist comedy mystery drama set during the rise of fascism in the 1930’s that touches on so many different genres that some of them could be considered spoilers, then this is the show for your very specific tastes. As comedy podcasts go, it may be an acquired taste, but it’s one worth sampling.

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS | Transcripts

Fake The Nation

Fake The Nation is the comedy news show for people who get worn down keeping up with current events. Every week, Negin Farsad brings on a rotating roster of comedians and public figures to talk about news, culture, and other big current events.

The show doesn’t shy away from the harshness of the modern world, but takes strides to keep things light with charming and breezy conversation. It’s the kind of show where you find yourself smiling while listening to it, and then later realize you learned something from it. 

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Dungeons And Daddies

Dungeons and Daddies is an actual play Dungeons and Dragons podcast following the adventures of four dads from our world flung into The Forgotten Realms on a quest to rescue their sons. The show features Matt Arnold as stay at home sports dad Darryl Wilson, Will Campos as crunchy opinionated hippy dad Henry Oak, Beth May as the platonic ideal of a weirdo step-dad Ron Stampler, and Freddie Wong as rock and roll cover band dad Glenn Close, with Anthony Burch as the dungeon master.

Come for the dad jokes and raunchy comedy, stay for the comedic ways the shows bends and breaks the mechanics of D&D and, eventually, actual play shows as a whole. That’s incredibly lofty praise for a show that has a long running gag about a dad being stinky. It makes for one of the best comedy podcasts, and maybe parenting podcasts as well… in its own way.

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

I’m Sorry

The thing about public apologies is that, most of the time, they aren’t so much an apology as they are covering for their public relations. They are also often the least they can do. In I’m Sorry, comedians Hoja Lopez, Mohanad Elshieky, and Kiki Monique tackle the most recent public apology and the series of events that lead to it.

We’ve all seen random apologetic posts or videos in the wild, out of context. The I’m Sorry crew will take your hand and guide you down the rabbit hole that brought us to these apologies. If you enjoy deep dives into the latest drama dominating the headlines, check out their back catalog. All you need to know about any of these stories is that somebody somewhere is sorry. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Website | RSS  

Why Won’t You Date Me

Nicole Byer has, as of when I’m writing this article, at least three different comedy podcasts and for good reason. Byer is incredibly upbeat and peppy while also being refreshingly blunt and self aware without being mean. Why Won’t You Date Me explores Byer’s ongoing dating struggles, as well as any issues her guests have been running into when it comes to romance.

I started listening to the show after enjoying Byer’s most recent standup special Big Beautiful Weirdo, which is a good showing of her overall vibe. Byer and her guests get into the relatable weirdness of the modern dating world, while sometimes touching upon the additional weirdness of doing so while famous. Check out this show if you’re looking for comedy podcasts that feels like having drinks with your friends after they went on a weird date.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS 

The Read

Sometimes you just really need someone to cut into the wired and wild drama of pop culture, and that’s where The Read steps in. Every week on The Read, hosts Kid Fury and Crissle discuss the latest news following pop culture’s most trying personalities.

From Hollywood to hip hop to the occasional sports drama updates, the hosts bounce off of each other sorting out what’s happening and why it matters. I’m not really one for keeping up with celebrity drama, but The Read’s humorous approach to catty stories keeps things fun and engaging.

Add them to your collection of celebrity podcasts and comedy podcasts, or pick them out as a fun glance into a side of stardom you might not otherwise keep track of. 

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website 

Anime Sickos

Despite the title, Anime Sickos isn’t really about anime. Each episode, hosts Tom Harrison and Joe Anderson break down “the four pillars of modern misery: anime, gaming, posting and jobs.” The show is whatever The Sickos feel passionate about talking about each episode.

This can range from Joe interrogating Tom about why he watches Food Wars, the horrors of different work stories (including an episode where guest Tom McHenry talks about a coworker who only spoke in babytalk), reflecting on great moments in posting history or talk about their Crime Gameboys.

They even once did a fully produced audio drama play The Tragedy of Modesty City, an incredibly made parody of the classic fiction podcast Pleasuretown. When I started listening to the show, after hearing a few recent episodes, I jumped to the first episode of the podcast and listened to the entire back catalog, which I believe is a huge compliment to one of the many comedy podcasts that’s ultimately just two dudes chatting. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, check out this recommendation page.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Bonus Comedy Podcasts

These comedy podcasts are from lists past. They’re still some of the greats of comedy podcasts, and we still recommend giving them a listen!

Scam Goddess

Everyone loves a good crime story, either because the criminal gets away with it in a cool, swift, smart way or they parade through a cavalcade of screw ups. In Scam Goddess, host and self-declared “scam goddess” Laci Mosley takes her guest and the listeners on a tour of some of history’s greatest hoodwinks and the charlatans who performed them. Mosley will have you rolling on the floor in laughter as she cheers on hucksters who really stick it to the man and laughs at the demise of folks who were just real monsters. Hop into the most recent episode, or find one with a guest you know or a story you’ve heard about!

Rude Tales of Magic

Polaris University has vanished without a trace. The only survivors will stop at nothing to find their school. And by “stop at nothing,” I mean, “get distracted by the wonderful and weird obstacles thrown in front of them.” Rude Tales of Magic is an actual play podcast starring a group of artists, writers and comedians using the game Dungeons and Dragons as a framework to spin a hilarious and magical yarn.

If actual play podcasts scare you due to the rules of D&D, you’ll still enjoy Rude Tales. The show is more improv and comedy focused than mechanics focused, pushing through the number crunching to get to the fun stuff. Fans of actual play shows such as The Adventure Zone or Dimension 20, or fans of fantasy improv shows like Hello From The Magic Tavern will get a kick out of this nasty time!

Read more: The 69 Nicest Actual Play Podcast Highlights of 2020

Bad Romance Podcast

It might be a bit weird to have comedy podcasts about comedy movies on this now meta list of comedy podcasts, but Bad Romance Podcast earns it’s spot. Every week, hosts Jourdain Searles and Bronwyn Ariel Isaac select a romantic movie, often a romcom, and talk through it. They joke about the weird jumps that these movies take in fictional romance compared to how real actual humans deal with romance.

There is a lot of genuine, well thought out film critique in this show, and you’ll find yourself laughing along with the hosts. If you like shows like How Did This Get Made or other comedy rewatch podcasts,  check this show out! Search their feed for some of your favorite (or least favorite) movies to get started!

Dead Eyes

Comedian and actor Connor Radcliff was cast in a minor role in the 2001 HBO series Band of Brothers, only to be fired by director Tom Hanks for having “dead eyes.” Years later, Radcliff embarks on a journey to find out why. Dead Eyes is mostly about Ratliff trying to solve the mystery of this experience through intense investigation (re: finding as many people as he can who are tangentially connected to this minor event and scratching their memories to see if they have anything).

It’s also a show about rejection and show business, and how the littlest interactions, even the ones you weren’t really hurt by, can have some lasting meaningful impact.  The show has a true crime documentary-like format investigating something that isn’t a crime but is a solvable mystery, a nice change in how comedy podcasts typically follow a conversational format.

If you liked shows like The McElroy Brothers Will Be In Trolls World Tour, jump right into the first episode!

Review Revue

“Reading things people wrote on the internet and making fun of them” is probably one of the most used premises for comedy podcasts out there. These podcasts live and die by the chemistry of the hosts, and that is where Review Revue shines. Each week, hosts Reilly Anspaugh and Geoffrey James choose a topic of interest and cherry pick a few reviews.

They riff on the review and launch into improv scenes based on them. Internet reviews are a great jumping off point for improv scenes, especially for the strange topics chosen for this show, because the reasons they write reviews are often wild.

If you want a good place to jump into the show, check out their two “Best of 2020” episodes, where they clip together some fan-favorite reviews and scenes from 2020. 

Urgent Care

The important difference between an actual advice show and an advice comedy podcast is that the advice comedy podcasts give isn’t always trying to help you, but rather riff about your question and may deal out some wisdom if they know how to help. On Urgent Care, hosts Joel Kim Booster and Mitra Jouhari take in listener submitted issues, often about dating but sometimes a sprinkling of other life issues, and do what they can to help out.

The chemistry between the hosts is chaotically electric with jokes that just pull you out of whatever funk you might be in. You should be able to jump into the most recent episode of this weekly podcast!

Let’s Make A Music

Ever want to have a fun time listening to people make good music? Well, now you can! Join Brian David Gilbert, known for Polygon’s Unraveled series and some steller Youtube content, Karen Han, a Slate writer who’s had work appear all over the place, and Laura Kathryn Gilbert, star of this video explaining her relationship to Brian, as they create songs based off of audience suggestions. 

They present the audience with a word, like “gravity” or “spiritual” and collect suggested song title ideas, exploring the vibe and feeling of the titles, to come together to make a song that feels like that word. The show hits a weird yet specifically relatable kind of comedy that other song creation podcasts might not have. You should be able to jump into any episode!

Read more: 10 Offbeat Podcasts for Music Lovers

The Amelia Project

Have circumstances lead you to a place where the most viable option for you would be to fake your own death and disappear, but you have no idea how to do it? Well, worry not! The Amelia Project will orchestrate your death and get you settled into a new life of your choosing!

The Amelia Project follows the titular secret organization as they meet unique and quirky clients who are all looking to fake their deaths. The show is grounded in it’s own logic, but is also able to get phenomenally off the rails. Even as the plot and world of the show expand to a globe-trotting adventure, the formula of “interview, faking death, payment” remains consistent.

This award winning comedy will keep you engrossed for hours, and just thinking about it will make you want to drive a knife into your closest friend for a nice cup of hot cocoa.

(Editor’s note: Please be advised that the first episode of The Amelia Project includes transphobia.)

Margaritas and Donuts

Romantic comedies are a somewhat underrepresented category of audio dramas, let alone good ones. It’s also rare for there to be black-lead romcoms about people dating in their 40’s. Margarita and Donuts is a limited run series that covers this underfed subcategory of a popular genre.

You’ll be rooting for Josephine and Malik as they overcome personal obstacles to make their relationship work. This is one of the more grounded options on this list, since it’s a healthy balance of romance and comedy, but that just means that you can find yourself relating to the situations the characters find themselves in.

If you like romcoms and also want to listen to something that isn’t a huge commitment, check out one of the best romcoms to come out in the last few years!

Latinos Out Loud

Latinos Out Loud feels like a good old fashioned radio variety show. Every week, hosts Rachel La Loca, Juan Bago, JFernz and Frank Nibbs chat about the latest news, perform improv, do pranks, interviews, and character segments. The established chemistry and history between the hosts helps each part of the show shine. It’s fun, high energy, and proudly Latino.

They’ve been doing the show for years, so there is a healthy backlog if you want to get really into it. You can also jump into the most recent episode of this show, although, as a musical theater nerd, I’d recommend their recent dive into the In The Heights movie. 

The McElroys Will Be In “Trolls World Tour”

The McElroy brothers have become increasingly famous over the years between their terrible advice podcast, My Brother, My Brother and Me. which was made into a show for Seeso/VRV; their massively popular actual play podcast, The Adventure Zone, which is being adapted as graphic novels; or their successes over on YouTube.

But did you know that they will be in Trolls World Tour, or, as they originally called it, Trolls 2? Neither did the creators of Trolls 2.

This documentary follows the process of the brothers deciding that they want to be in the cinematic sequel to children’s movie Trolls, and then trying everything under the son to actually be cast. It’s a practice in absolute absurdity, especially for their poor, poor manager. This is one of those comedy podcasts that requires listening in order for full dramatic effect.

Alba Salix, Royal Physician

Alba Salix, Royal Physician is a comedy audio drama about the eponymous royal physician and her plight to look after her patients: the rulers of a magical realm. Alba Salix is the perfect mix of comedy and plotting: it feels more comedy-forward than most current sitcoms without losing plot or character.

It’s filled with rapidfire jokes and hijinks, mixing up Alba’s frustration and resignation (think Amy Sedaris as Bojack Horseman‘s Princess Carolyn) with the absolute ineptitude of her apprentice, Magnus, or most of her patients. Mix in high-fantasy political intrigue, inter-personal drama, and a good dose of fantasy, and you’ve got a serialized podcast that you’ll only stop binging because you’re laughing so hard you have to pause.

For those who are interesting in Dungeons and Dragons podcasts like the aforementioned The Adventure Zone, be sure to check out this team’s The End of Time and Other Bothers, an actual play set in the same universe, too. Both of these projects are hilariously written and supported by incredible performances and sound design.

Spirits

Spirits is “a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and lore.” In each episode, hosts Julia and Amanda discuss a legend or story, whether it be about the Japanese story of the Yuki-onna, Hollywood urban legends, or the listeners’ stories about their local folklore and spooky encounters.

While Spirits is fundamentally about the stories that matter to cultures, it’s also fundamentally about two hilarious lifelong friends getting tipsy and talking about things they love. Julia Schifini (also of What’s the Frequency, Tides, and others) plays the part of the expert with her encyclopedic knowledge of mythology and copious amounts of pre-recording research, her fortes both her knowledge and her dry, sardonic comedic timing.

Meanwhile, Amanda (also of Join the Party) plays the part of often-uninformed enthusiast, her fortes the giddily-delivered puns as well as her quick-witted connections between the discussion topic and modern life.

Punch Up the Jam

Hosted by two champions of Vine (rest in peace), Demi Adejuyigbe and Miel Breduow, Punch Up the Jam takes an iconic song, goes into its history, analyzes it moment by moment, and then aims to make something . . . “better.” Adejuyingbe and Breduow are shockingly impressive musicians, which makes their “punch ups,” the parodies and covers at the end of each episode, both more impressive and more ridiculous.

Punch Up the Jam is best started by listening to an episode on a song you already know (but maybe not one you unironically love), but once you’re hooked, you’ll find yourself listening to the back catalog whether or not you’ve ever heard the original songs before.

(Update 1/27/22: This podcast is now hosted by The Gregory Brothers of “Autotune the News” fame past. I fully have not listened to any of those episodes–two white dudes? in MY Punch Up the Jam?–but the backlog with Breduow, Adejuyigbe, and other rotating hosts past Adejuyigbe’s tenure are still solid as hell. Highly recommend the ultra chaotic energy of the episodes featuring Chris Fleming. –Editor Wil)

Wooden Overcoats

If your preferred brand of humor is a little less The Office and a little more Blackadder, you may find your comedy podcast soulmate in Wooden Overcoats. This acclaimed comedy audio drama centers on the story of Rudyard and Antigone Funn, the owners of Funn Funerals, once the only funeral home in their small island town.

When a competitor, Eric Chapman, opens a funeral home across the street, the Funn siblings hatch plan after plan to take him down–while Antigone tries to deny her attraction to him. Wooden Overcoats is the epitome of a podcast sitcom: it’s episodic, so each new chapter has its own story arc that’s started and completed within about half an hour, but it also has an overarching narrative that dives deeper into each character season by season.

Song Salad

In Song Salad, hosts Shannon and Scott pick one randomized musical genre and one random Wikipedia article. First, they go into the music genre, explaining its history, its key features, its most prominent musicians, and its place in the overall music landscape. Next, they read the Wikipedia article out loud, commenting along on the way.

Then, they do the next natural step: they combine the two, making a short song in the randomized musical genre about that Wikipedia article. This results in some hilarious combinations like a jingle about a tree or an Austropop song about Jesus cleansing a leper.

If the premise alone somehow isn’t enough to win you over, Song Salad isn’t just its setup: it’s also a funny podcast hosted by two of the most loveable, goofy hosts in the medium.

Gay Future

Gay Future is a fiction podcast mini-series inspired by the unrelased young adult fiction manuscript by Mike Pence–yes, Mike Pence–about a future in which everyone is gay, and the hero is straight. Gay Future parodies everything about this concept, turning it into a hyperbolic satire that’s hilarious and genuinely riveting.

If the title and concept worries you, rest assured that the podcast parodies the concept and Mike Pence, not the actual LGBT+ community, and the jokes land so solidly that it’s not just funny, it’s also cathartic.

HORSE

HORSE is the best basketball podcast about everything but the sport. I don’t know anything at basketball–I grew up in a family that was more stoked about operas than any sporting events–but HORSE is still one of the funniest podcasts I’ve ever heard, without ever making me feel lost in jargon or who’s who.

HORSE focuses on the behind-the-scenes of the NBA and basketball culture, both of which are genuinely buckwild. Hosts Eric Silver (disclosure: Silver has written for Discover Pods) and Mike Schubert have an energetic, goofy dynamic that makes every episode as much about basketball as it is these two nerds riffing.

StarTripper!!

When I sat down to talk with writer and creator Julian Mundy about his upcoming project StarTripper!!, I was already excited–but the early episodes have already more than exceeded my expectations. This sci-fi comedy audio drama follows Feston Pyxis, an excitable and impulsive once-was desk job worker, now intergalactic explorer. 

StarTripper!!feels like a combination of Futurama, Galaxy Quest, and Cowboy Bebop; it’s high-energy, hilarious, and feels like a fully-imagined world even with how ridiculous it is. If you like your sci-fi silly and your comedy whimsical, StarTripper!! is a great escape.

Because it’s a newer release with just a few episodes out while writing this, it’s also easy to catch up on–but Mundy has also been sure to let prospective listeners know that they’ll be able to jump in at any point without having to worry about getting through the backlog to enjoy the most recent episodes.

Fall of the House of Sunshine

Fall of the House of Sunshine is a musical comedy horror audio drama about the ages-old war between a cult of dentists and their natural enemies, puppets, following the murder of a children’s TV show host via bullet shot through a rift in spacetime.

All of those words were chosen on purpose and are accurate. It is the strangest thing I have ever listened to, and few things have made me laugh as hard or as often. If you’re looking for something off-the-wall and totally innovative, Fall of the House of Sunshine will deliver all of that and more–while also bringing character arcs, a shocking amount of cohesive world building, and killer songs along the way.

You’ll want to listen to this many times over, both because you’ll want to hear all the jokes you missed the first time around and because it’s just that good.

Comedy Podcasts Are a Subjective Beast

So that’s our list for now. We know that comedy podcasts aren’t going to be a hit every time for every listener, which is why we listen to so many funny podcasts. Call it a perk of the job. I mean, can you say that your job lets you listen to comedy podcasts all day long?

If not, you should probably talk to HR about that. Seriously.

The post The 10 Funniest Comedy Podcasts (You Might Not Be Listening To Yet) appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

This month, there’s a little bit of something for everyone, except for kids. Unfortunately, I didn’t come across any this month that captured me. Oh well, there’s always next month!

If you find an audio drama podcast you like below, don’t just listen to it. Go beyond that and support them by sharing, donating, and/or subscribing. These acts help show the creators that people are interested in what they are creating and encourages new episodes and new stories. 

SPECULATIVE FICTION MYSTERY

Great & Terrible

Usually, extremely podcasts whose episodes are under five minutes aren’t my favorite, but Great & Terrible (and one other on this list) is the exception. The speculative fiction mystery audio drama Great & Terrible follows a high school student locked in a curse that allows her to live forever as long as she kills someone every full moon. It doesn’t matter who, just as long as a life is taken. The mystery of who will be the new victim and when the curse will end permeates many of the short episodes. In quick—and I mean real quick (2-4 minutes on average)—episodes, Great & Terrible not only charts what it’s like for a teenager curse bound but what it’s like to be a teenager in high school. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts

ROMANCE

Meet Cute

I’m not blushing; you’re blushing. Meet Cute is one of the most perfect concepts for a romance audio drama series I’ve come across in a while. In short episodes, Meet Cute gives listeners a chance to hear how a relationship begins—hundreds of relationships. Each story introduces new characters, situations, and cuteness. These episodes sound like the beginnings of genuine contemporary relationships. They are diverse, realistic, adorable, ranging in ages and relationship types. Just pick what kind of setup you want to experience and settle in for the sparks to start flying. I tried to find just one to recommend, but honestly, every episode I listened to made me smile and gave me butterflies. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website 

DARK SPECULATIVE FICTION

SCP Archives

SCP Archives is a dark speculative fiction mystery audio drama anthology podcast series. Each episode dives deeper into the sordid, terrifying, and very classified files held within the SCP Archives. While the audio drama centers around the SCP Foundation, the episodes themselves are sorta standalone episodes of weird fiction. The podcast reminds me of So Weird; Erie, Indiana; The X Files, and other paranormal anthology mystery television shows. SCP Archives is interesting and weird in a way that I forget about the overarching oddness of the Foundation and get lost in the episodes. Mix each episode’s oddness with the fact that they aren’t done in any order, and it creates a haunting atmosphere that never seems to end.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts

Ostium Podcast

Ostium Podcast sounds like right out of the SCP Archives. A strange town hidden in the woods and supposedly empty, except for all the strangeness and locked doors that lead to other times and places. Ostium Podcast began back in 2017 and introduced fans to Jake Fisher, a man lured to Ostium, a town out of time and space. Speculative fiction mysteries have a way of capturing my attention pretty quickly. What worked so well for Ostium Podcast was the attraction of the simple Google Maps game that leads Jake to Ostium and all its hidden strangeness. From there, like Jake, I was hooked, snared by the mystery of Ostium. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts

FANTASY COMEDY

Alba Salix, Royal Physician 

The fantasy comedy audio drama podcast Alba Salix, Royal Physician, sounds like an improv play cast. A fantasy podcast about a kingdom’s magical healer and the sordid and hilarious affairs she gets herself into. The jokes land flawlessly between the characters, and the world feels fleshed out enough to carry it for many more seasons to come. Until then, there are two seasons available for listeners, with a third on the way. There’s even a spinoff following a couple of the side characters, but I haven’t given it a listen yet. If it’s anything like Alba Salix, Royal Physician, then it’s probably absolutely hilarious. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts

Read more: The 20 Funniest Comedy Podcasts (You Might Not Be Listening To Yet)

HISTORICAL FICTION

Blackbirds Volume 1

Content warning for racism and racial slurs

Blackbirds Volume 1 is a historical audio drama podcast focused on a Black family living in the Jim Crow Deep South before the Civil Rights Movement. Blackbirds Volume 1 only started airing back in June, so there are only five episodes out right now, but each one is poignant, heartbreaking, and filled with small Black joy. This one was suggested to me by the creator of the show, André Coleman. And I am so glad that he put it on my radar. I haven’t swung back and forth between laughing and crying while listening to an audio drama in quite some time. It’s a stark depiction of Jim Crow struggles for Blacks while also giving insight into Black culture during the time. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website 

Harlem Queen

Content warnings for racism and racial slurs

Another historical audio drama focused on Black lives is Harlem Queen. Except instead of the Jim Crow south, Harlem Queen depicts the life and times of the Numbers Queen, Madame Stephanie St. Clair, during the Harlem Renaissance. Like Blackbirds Volume 1, Harlem Queen gives listeners an unscrupulous and honest depiction of what it was like during those times. There are two seasons out, with the third one wrapping up in August with a quick finale. I will note that the episodes are pretty short and definitely left me wanting more. But what was there felt fleshed out and full in both acting and sound design, which is why I wanted the episodes or seasons to be longer because they are so damn good.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website 

That’s it for this month’s roundup of audio drama podcasts. I hope you were able to find at least one new podcast to add to your to be listened list. 

If you are the creator or writer for an audio drama or audio fiction podcast, please drop me a line through my site, on Twitter, or in my inbox. Let me know what you’re working on and putting out into the world. I can’t guarantee it’ll make it on one of these roundups, but I can promise that I’ll listen to it with an open mind and excitement for your words.  

The post Radio at the End of the World: Audio Fiction and Drama Podcast Roundup August 2021 appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Looking back on it, it radiates that special level of Tumblr pretentiousness and faux-poetic phrasing that just doesn’t reflect my current writing style, let alone my own personal opinions on fashion. And much like a thirty-something looking back at their teen goth phase, I feel myself a little embarrassed by my shallow attempts to cash in on the cottagecore-dark academia-Harry Potter fan-Studio Ghibli GIF reposting-8tracks playlist making side of Tumblr (and by “that side of Tumblr” I mean eighty percent of it).

But even after all these years, not much has changed in terms of my field of interests: I’m still writing about podcasts, I’m still obsessed with fashion, and, bregugidly, I still have a Tumblr. It’s just the way I talk about them has altered dramatically between four to five years. 

And much like my personal sense of style has changed, so has my writing ability, so allow me to inform the less fashionably conscious readers to a personal Podcast Lookbook that will let the runway we call this dilapidated Earth know what low-budget passion project is on your Spotify queue at a single glance.

The Amelia Project: The Prepful Dead

The Amelia Project is the ultimate cozy, coffee shop vibe with a delightfully dark edge. To embody its aesthetic pleasantness should be a simple but carefully calculated operation and, much like organizing a fake murder, you won’t even have to get your hands dirty.

Remember the five Big B’s: bardot belts, big buttons, blazers, berets, and (if you can afford it) Burberry. Honestly, the default coffee cream under red and black plaid design Burberry is known for is an excellent starting point as far as color schemes go and nicely mirrors The Amelia Project logo with just some slight color correction. 

If there’s anything Burberry has taught us it’s that it doesn’t have to be autumn to wear autumn colors, so be sure to keep them intact even on the warmest of days. 

Any tank top or pair of shorts will come in a creamy caramel and will be an excellent substitute for the snug, ribbed turtleneck you can save for apple picking, cafe dates, and talking to Santa Claus.

But there’s no need to break the bank if you want the genuine article, your local thrift store or eBay bid (my personal favorite of the Big B’s) is sure to have the same pieces at half the price.

The Amelia Project’s air of effortless class demands all inspired by their style to be taken seriously by the masses. Be it you’re going for the private school student or stylish lawyer, either works when it comes to nailing the Amelia appeal. Think Cher Horowitz, Beth Harmon, and Blair Waldorf for preppy-chic style inspiration that’s smart but not stiff.

Brimstone Valley Mall: Hell of a Look

Brimstone Valley Mall fans will be delighted to know that the most typical of the gothic-punk fashion subculture is applicable. Seeing as how most of the ideas listed here pertain to some variation of alternative fashion, it was only a matter of time until we got around to rebellious street wear. 

Right here you’ll find the usual: leather jackets, fishnets, combat boots, silver jewelry, and deliberately ripped attire from skinny jeans to crop tops.

Seeing as how the band Brimstone Valley Mall is about doesn’t exist, at least as far as I know, the option of repping official band merch is sadly not an option. It’s times like these that substitutes come into play: Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Misfits, and AC/DC not only have a surplus of merch but will at least evoke the vibe of the kind of heavy metal Brimstone is inspired from. 

Any true fan might want to consider getting a piercing or two and if you are currently prowling your local mall, don’t be afraid to break away from aesthetics to drop by your local Claire’s.

Inkwyrm: The Devil Wears Planets

Inkwyrm is a podcast for and by fashion auteurs. When blending science fiction fan with the average fashion conscious trendsetter, what first comes to mind is the somewhat dated but nonetheless memorable looks from movies like the Disney Channel original movie, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and Luc Besson’s, The Fifth Element. The Fifth Element even had Jean Paul Gaultier as its costume designer, including over 1000 designs for literally ever character in the film, including extras.

My personal favorite time capsule of futuristic fashion comes from Dreamcast rhythm game, Space Channel 5 which manages to be flashy even with its simple shapes thanks to a bright color palette, bold accessories, and go-go boots.

“In my brain while making the show, Inkwyrm fashion is VERY campy, fully committed to the out-there sci-fi look.” said Newt Schottelkotte, main producer of the show.

Read more: PRIDE: Finding Asexual Representation in Indie Audio Drama

The best forward-thinking fashion has an equal balance of weird, rubbery, metallic fabrics and exposed skin-think Vocaloid, not The Noid-but if you still want to strike the balance of comfort, both me and Schottelkottle agree that bigger is better.

“Think Laverne Cox, Awkwafina, and Madelaine Petsch at the 2019 Met Gala.” Schottelkottle added. “Big shoulders, dramatic silhouettes, and skirts that are either very structured or loose and ethereal. Suits typically have wider pant legs to easily accommodate different body types, and at least one piece a season has a train.”

It might be some time before truly anti-gravity clothing becomes mainstream, so for now clothes that give off an effortless, floaty mystique is the way to go. Think flowy but not completely formless to keep things flattering which can be exemplified perfectly through pieces like culotte pants or tops with breezy, breathable fabric. Pair it with some metallic tights or a silver belt and you’ll have the tabloids orbiting you.

Girl in Space: “UWU Soft Space Child” but Actually Make it Fashion

Girl in Space is more specifically, and I hope I’m describing this correctly, “spacecore”. Now, spacecore fashion can range from the elegant and obscure to the dreadfully dated abandoned 2009 Tumblr account and it’s surprisingly easy to slip into the latter rather than the former. 

The problem with mixing subtly with space, which is something Girl in Space is especially good at pulling off in their show run, is that the very nature of the solar system is anything but subtle. 

The best option is not to summarize the entirety of outer space in your wardrobe, but zero in-or, should I say zero gravity?-on one or two key elements that intrigue you the most. Choose just one planet, just one solar system, just one constellation and go from there.

I’ve been positively obsessed lately with mesh covers designed with star patterns and astrology themed belts. This pulls off a look that doesn’t make you feel like you’re wearing an entire planet on your shoulders, let alone the entire universe.

The less you look like a walking craft store, the better. Too many gimmicks at one time and you’ll be pulling off Miss Frizzle, not her much sexier cousin, Miss Sizzle.

Greater Boston: Good Will Bargain Hunting

Greater Boston embodies the vibe of a busy, city crawler with just a dab of surrealism and it’s actually surprisingly easy to get that across with some very deliberate outfit choices. 

If there’s anything Greater Boston has taught me, it’s that minimalism and simple storytelling can convey so much more than you think if you have just the right spice behind it. Thus we will be dabbling in the age-old practice of taking a famous template and applying a weird spin for extra flavor. 

Let us observe: the businessman.

From here, it’s all accessories: I’m talking printed neckties, suspenders, tinted sunglasses with circular rims-pretty much, look like you just walked off the set of Stranger Things.

If you’re going to be investing in decorative neckwear, be sure to balance it out with shirts that compliment the eccentricity of the tie. Too many crazy patterns at one time will throw everything off so stick with one or the other: crazy necktie with a tame shirt or tame necktie with a crazy shirt. The same could be said with suspenders and pants as well but if you want an extra pop of color somewhere around the nether region, cuffing your pants is an excellent and simple solution.

Those who want to especially dip their toe into the vintage aesthetic might want to invest in a polaroid camera, the type you wear around your neck with those really thick lanyards. And no Greater Boston inspired piece is complete with a leather messenger bag, nothing too big, just wide enough to carry your laptop and thick enough to accommodate iron on patches and vinyl buttons. 

The point is to always make it look like you’re always going somewhere important, that you’ve got people to meet, large buildings to take photos of, and, most importantly, rollercoasters to not die on.

Less is Morgue: I Would be Caught Dead in That

You know those t-shirts and sweatshirts with the glow-in-the-dark ribcage designs around the torso? Okay, that’s pretty much the starting point for any Less is Morgue inspired ensemble. 

Seeing as how Less is Morgue is about dead people and all the advantages and disadvantages that come with it, it’s only fair to exemplify the air of the undead so much in your wardrobe that people mistake you for a really enthusiastic necrophile. 

Less is Morgue is much less goth as it is casual punk with just a bit of a scene influence. Where in Brimstone Valley Mall is all leather and chokers, Less is Morgue is at least willing to wear a mood ring and rubber bracelets every once in a while. 

Take just a few elements of Brimstone and be willing to color-code it: Instead of ripped black fishnets, stick to perfectly intact neon fishnets, swap out short leather gloves for striped arm warmers, why wear chains when you can wear glow sticks? It’s all about giving off the bioluminescent glow of the afterlife without making your outfit lifeless in the process. 

But to keep from looking like you got lost on your way to a graveyard rave, here are some of my personal tidbits to add to your shopping cart. 

Forever 21 has this positively adorable polka dot mesh graphic top with some “til death do us part” typography that just screams casual goth. And if those glow in the dark skeleton hoodies aren’t doing it for you, Pretty Little Thing’s skeleton bodycon dress is a must-have.

All that and more is possible with some guts, be it your own or the ones you’re eating. And best of all, you don’t even have to be seen in public with a Nickelback t-shirt.

Station Arcadia: Forget a Triple Threat, You’re a Quadruple Threat

Now, I’ll admit that creating something fashionable for Station Arcadia was a self-imposed challenge. Station Arcadia is, after all, a love letter to a variety of industrial science fiction settings that combines dieselpunk, steampunk, cyberpunk, and solarpunk-all of which have their similarities but just as many polarizing differences from an aesthetic stance.

We haven’t quite gotten to a point in time-let alone been able to backpedal far enough in time-where trench coats and top hats paired with eco-friendly visors are an average accessory, but there’s nothing wrong with at least embodying those ideas into your outfits without looking like you got lost on the way to a Dresden Dolls concert being headlined by Steam Powered Giraffe that was also hosting a Studio Ghibli movie marathon interspersed between clips of Blade Runner while sitting in World War I jets repurposed into chairs.

The point is to simplify your look so much that you manage to look both current and ahead of the curve at the same time. I’m positively in love with this ruffled, flowing spring dress worn by Selena Gomez in the “De Una Vez” music video that positively screams casual solarpunk. 

Pair it with heavy boots and an Apple Watch while carrying a copy of Atlas Shrugged in a leather satchel and you’re good to go on any point of this massive dystopian island.

But in all honesty, it’s all in the little details: drink herbal tea out of a ridiculously ornate mug covered in so many moving gears it may as well be classified as a weapon, watch SuckerPunch on your VR headset and refuse to take it off in public spaces, drive a stick shift that runs on sunflower oil.

 It’ll take a true artisan to truly know what all your minor details add up to. If you ask me, an air of mystery is the best accessory.

Return Home: Style for a Rainy Day

When you live in a place like Melancholy Falls, it’s best to always be prepared for the unexpected. And no I’m not talking about genies and spirits of greed, but really humid, dreary weather. 

Believe it or not, rainy-day couture isn’t just limited to baggy, unflattering coats and ruined makeup. If you know where to look, you can get your hands on some awfully chic pieces that’ll keep your confidence high and your hair dry.

No need to become a weather fashion victim just because of some noisy clouds, instead utilize it into your wardrobe that makes the weather itself seem like a pre-planned accessory. 

As someone who spent eight years in Georgia, I personally own an absolutely fantastic transparent raincoat that I picked up from a Forever 21 which not only functions as its own fashion statement but a window into whatever ensemble I’ve got going on underneath. But what do I wear underneath, you may be asking the screen with the foolish assumption I can hear you. 

Non-constrictive fabric in simple colors will let your skin breathe and keep your coat from clinging and cluttering. The especially bold will get a kick out of showing just a little bit of skin with crop tops and shorts in case a sunny day is just on the horizon.

Match your umbrella of choice to either your coat or a key color in your core outfit and onlookers won’t just think you’re returning home, but returning to the runway.

Alba Salix, Royal Physician: Turning Herbs

Thank goodness the phrase “cottagecore” finally became a thing because I’ve finally found a word that best describes the fairy tale inspired podcast Alba Salix, Royal Physician which only makes my job of theming a hypothetical outfit much easier.

To those unfamiliar, cottagecore is essentially the equivalent of aggressively glamorizing the concept of farm work, living in small little log cabins in the middle of the woods, and generally living off the land. And apparently Alba Salix was way ahead of the curb because witches and witchcraft are often associated with the joys of making natural elixirs and baking mushrooms into pies.

Here you’ll need the basics: ankle length skirts, wide brimmed sun hats, flat shoes, and at least one white delicate summer gown that will be the perfect start for any number of accessories.

It can be hard to pull off overalls, aprons, and cuffed shirts without looking too matronly and too many flowers at once will have you looking like the end of Midsommar instead of a carefree summer child.

But maybe white bases are too basic, that’s where the modern advancements of patterns come in. You can never go wrong with floral print, sunflowers are especially popular, and plaid or gingham can really liven up the otherwise tame color scheme of the average Alba Salix fashion statement. 

Try pairing with woven bags and tweed jewelry for a Hippie-chic flair or go for wiccan with some wicked crystal pendants that are easy finds at your local Etsy store.

The Godshead Incidental: L’Oréal Ipsum

The Godshead Incidental shows in its bright blue and orange title card alone that they’ve already got a taste for contrasting colors and that alone sparks such an array of options for my fashion conscious self. 

Given the fact the protagonist works as an advice columnist at a newspaper in a fantastical urban setting, I can’t help but let my mind wander to geometric patterns, blazers and peacoats in bold colors, waist hugging shorts, sunglasses, and these big circular sunhats I’m positively in love with. We aren’t just going mod chic, we’re going god chic.

Take just a small drop of the washed up hipster aesthetic from the Greater Boston ensemble and sand off the edges with pops of color and sharper silhouettes. We’re jumping from city crawler to city slicker in just a few simple adjustments.

But if you really wanna play up the mythology aspect and are at a loss to find something that embodies your devotion to the god of memory, a bolder spirit will adore these tights that makes a massive Greek mural wearable or this similarly inspired form fitting cherub top-just don’t wear them at the same time.

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

Maybe Em doesn’t have this kind of stuff in her closet but I’m sure any self-respecting god, a real one or not, owns at least one of these things (Not Tervis, though. He owns one Hawainn shirt too many.) You may not be a god but you can at least be someone’s fashion muse.

Now get yourself into something cute and set some style standards for your fellow podcast fanatics. Besides, furry pants and tunics are just so last year…

The post The (Un)official Podcast Fashion Lookbook appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Eli McIlveen and Sean Howard, the creators of the award winning Alba Salix and The End of Time and Other Brothers, have announced their newest project, Civilized, an improvised dark comedy sci-fi podcast.

“Civilized is a workplace drama superimposed on a pretty ridiculous premise,” says McIlveen. “Our four main characters are stranded after crash-landing on an alien planet, but they are still compelled to carry out their same old duties. They’re searching for meaning and purpose in a world that really points up how absurd our own day-to-day job descriptions and responsibilities can be.”

“The idea of settling another planet also raises the spectre of colonialism,” says Howard. “The world where our characters have landed is already a thriving ecosystem, and may have a native civilization of its own. What right do they have to make this place their home? As our story continues, we want to dig into those issues with the help of a diverse cast of guest improvisers.”

I was lucky enough to get a preview of the first episode of the podcast and am looking forward to hearing more. Fans of the team’s previous work will find the nature of the show refreshingly familiar. The improvised dialogue between the characters helps make the show feel natural, like The End of Time and Other Bothers without the rolls or narration. There are 12 episodes scheduled per season, with episodes ranging between 12-15 minutes in length.

We’re introduced to the four main characters of the show: Bob (Sean Howard), the Captain (Mbula Enobong), Beatrix (Kristi Boulton), and Bartholomew (Michael Divinski). The episode I listened to focused on improvised shelters, strange rain, and reorganized ship layouts. 

Things go south, and the show demonstrates it’s leaning toward horror, specifically body horror in the first episode. This is the group’s first time dabbling in horror, and they’re committed to including content warnings on every episode. Even so, the show is still a comedy, and the horror itself is a well-earned comedic beat. 

The audio design of the episode was also very impressive. Since the entire show is improvised, the sound design is added in afterward to complement the improv (a strategy used in many well-produced actual play and improvised podcasts, such as Join the Party and Hello From The Magic Tavern). The sound of the rain in the first scene helped paint the scene before anyone started speaking. The highlight of sound design in the episode was the previously mentioned body horror. Not to get into spoilers, but it was squishy and sizzly in just the right ways to feel realistically terrifying but not distracting to the actors’ comedic performances. 

All of this was funny on it’s own, but the twist at the end made me really excited for future episodes. I don’t want to spoil it, but it sets up a mystery that also encourages the show’s improvisers to take dangerous risks with their characters.

This is the first science fiction show from the team, as well as the first show not set in the same universe as Alba Salix. This is the first show to be launched under Fable and Folly Productions, the Alba Salix teams’s new podcast production group. 

When asked about the formation of Fable and Folly Productions, Howard said that they created the group to present a more professional and polished look to their work in audio fiction. He stated, “We also want to make a living as audio fiction creators. And with the release of Civilized, we found ourselves in a bit of a quandary. How do we represent this growing list of shows we are producing? Is it just Eli and Sean (in our basement) or is there an entity that people can begin to associate with the quality we work so hard to achieve. And can we leverage this entity to create more opportunities for ourselves and others within our industry? We believe so. So we set out to launch Fable and Folly Productions.”

Fable and Folly Productions is just one of the many independent podcast groups that have recently formed, alongside Multitude, The Whisperforge, and Atypical Artists.

The Civilized is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are found. You can also check out https://civilizedpod.com/ for more information about the show, including links to their press kit and Patreon. 

The post Creators of Alba Salix Launch New Sci-Fi Podcast and Audio Fiction Production Group appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

The Comedy Bang Bang podcast is much more conversational than the show, but the thing that attracted people to the podcast was the bits and surrealness that often came up through weird characters and situations. The show leans into this with a more structured and surreal experience, parodying the talk show format while focusing on general thematic weirdness that was present in the podcast. They were able to create a format that could be repeated well beyond its podcast origins, to the point where I think it might be the most successful adaptation of a podcast.

MBMBaM, as a podcast, is just three brother doing random bits based on Yahoo questions. MBMBaM, as a TV show, was three brothers wreaking havoc upon their hometown under the guise of answering one question, like a reverse Queer Eye. This perfectly captured the essence of the podcast but I don’t think could be sustained to a second season, at least for the sake of the people of Huntington.

The podcasts on this list would not only each bring something new to the medium of television, but expand upon the ideas presented in the podcasts through the expanded adaptation. They have to potential to expand upon the idea of their shows or present these ideas in new or interesting ways. They also have the potential to be sustained beyond a few episodes. At the very least, some of them just demand visualization. The creators of some of these shows have not only created visuals through audio but impressive visuals that would remain impressive even after being adopted.

In no particular order, here are some podcasts that have the potential to be great TV shows, as well as suggestions on what those adaptations would look like!

1. Spirits

Spirits could work as an educational talk show where Amanda and Julia sit down with various mythology experts and chat about spooky stuff over drinks. Nobody would have any issues with that direct of a transition. However, something that would make a Spirits TV show really something special would be to lean into the Urban Legends episodes. The hosts could travel to towns with compelling local legends, talk to people and maybe even see some of the locations surrounding the legend in-person. Knowing the general tone of Spirits, there’s no way they would do the Ghost Hunter thing and go to these locations at night with night vision cameras to try and “awaken the spirit” or whatever. They would also check out local breweries and bars, and chat about the legends in these locations. If it weren’t a running series, the show would work amazingly as a short run mini-series, where the hosts specifically travel to supposedly-haunted bars, breweries, wineries, etc. In general, Spirits could be a feel-good travel show about spooky stuff, shining a positive light on small towns and local legends, maybe even encouraging viewers to celebrate their own local legends.

Listen: Apple | Spotify

2. Arden

True crime has become a growingly popular genre in the last few years, which means that several different comedic takes have popped up. What makes Arden special is that it does this and also adds commentary to the discussion of the morality of the genre itself. While there have been television shows that focus on the true crime, the only show I can think of that has actually deconstructed the format as Arden has is American Vandel. With the unfortunate cancelation of that show, there is a cultural vacancy for an adaptation of Arden. While a straight-up adaptation of the story presented in season one could be satisfying, a more risky and experimental project could be a continuation of the story. An Arden TV show could be about the hosts continuing to do true crime investigations on a larger platform while dealing with the aftermath of the podcast. This also opens the door to commentary about podcast creators who make the jump between mediums as well as podcasts that have to follow up sudden jumps to cultural relevance.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

3. Fall of the House of Sunshine

This is a very risky one because it’s almost impossible to pitch. It’s a challenge to briefly describe this show, so just read Wil William’s recommendation of the show.

Great! So it’s a weird one, but it’s that weirdness that could make the show great. There have been darker takes on shows like The Muppets, but the thing that makes Sunshine unique is that it approaches this darkness without losing the soul of the original shows. You won’t see these Muppets swearing up and down or having sex (one R&B song aside), but there is still a darker air to its absurdity, with the drama getting to almost Shakespearean levels. The imagery of the show would walk the line between children’s educational shows and hard science fiction, keeping thing philosophically dark but visually bright. This show is so weird that it could only originate as a podcast, but would bring so much to the world of television. At the very least, just imagine someone stumbling across this show at 2 AM and having no idea what’s going on.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

4. Friends at the Table

Adapting actual play podcasts into any medium can be tricky. It can be challenging to remove the personalities of the players since it puts to the test how much the story they told stands on its own. Friends at the Table avoids this by making the game not feel like a game. The best way I’ve heard the show described was like the writer’s room of a nonexistent TV series. Putting the show on this list might be cheating since there are multiple seasons with multiple different stories within it, but this just means that it could become more than one show. Seasons of Hieron could be a less problematic, more existentially dreadful version of Game of Thrones. Counter/Weight and Twilight Mirage could both be adapted into amazingly beautiful Mech-Noir animes. All of these seasons inspire such striking visuals through spoken word alone, with only precisely-placed music at the most necessary moments. Twilight Mirage specifically has moments, locations, and even characters that just beg for visualization. The representation alone in these shows would be groundbreaking for television (a statement that could be applied to most of the shows on this list.)

Listen: Apple | Podbay

5. Alba Salix/EOS 10

While these two shows are each amazing in their own rights, I put them under the same section because I can’t believe there haven’t been shows like them already. The elevator pitched of both shows are ingenious and simple. It’s hard to believe nobody in a pitch room ever said “What about Scrubs but it’s also Star Trek?’ or “What if House were in Game of Thrones?” Those pitches don’t do justice to the shows themselves. An EOS 10 TV show would be similar to Scrubs and Star Trek, but that would undersell the drastically shifting stakes of the series as well as how the characters have interesting romantic arcs while avoiding medical drama romance troupes. The same could be said for Alba Salix’s relationship to House, with the titular character just being likable without being an asshole. Salix also has more of a fairy tale tone than the grim, realistic fantasy one of Game of Thrones. Both of these shows would be both a return to roots for their genres as well as an original adaptation of the existing medical show format.The world and characters of both shows are so well developed that they can be used to tell brand new stories, as opposed to just retelling the stories in the podcast. Nobody would complain about a direct adaptation, but these shows both have a strong staying power.  

Listen: (Alba Salix) Apple | Spotify (EOS 10) Apple | Stitcher

You don’t have to agree with me about any of these adaptations. Maybe you think these shows only work in an audio medium or that they should be adapted in different ways. Maybe there are different shows you think should be adapted. Share what shows you think should be adapted to different mediums. There’s a chance that, in the future,  they might be!

For more on the growing trend of podcast adaptations, check out Ma’ayan Plaut’s article “What Does Adaptation Mean for the Podcast Industry?” which goes more into the pros and cons of adaptations and the thought process behind adapting podcasts.

The post 6 Podcasts Ripe for TV Adaptations appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.