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.

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.

These six podcasts master that blend. They’re not listed in any particular order, and just like the subject of the list, there’s a blend of nonfiction and audio fiction present.

1. Podcast Meander

Podcast Meander starts out as a travel podcast, and it ends up . . . something different. It’s the story of a man who’s, essentially, trying to flee from his problems, only to find that they refuse to leave him behind. The podcast uses a blend of fact and fiction to convey the emotional truth of living with a mental illness. It’s strange, surreal, and often deeply uncomfortable–and it does all of this beautifully. With gorgeous sound design and music, Podcast Meander is a shockingly haunting listen that you won’t soon forget.

Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher

2. Flash Forward

Flash Forward is a fun take on sci-fi hypotheticals. What if your thoughts were controlled by a fungi? What is we ate using food pills? What would happen if we just gave everyone money? While investigating how each scenario would play out, drawing from research and real world examples, the episodes also contain segments of audio fiction, depicting how that sci-fi world might exist in a fictional space. It’s a great way to tie together scientific exploration with something a bit more engaging and exciting than just presenting the standard facts and concepts.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Podbean

3. The Shadows

The Shadows blends the true life of Kaitlin Prest (previously of The Heart) with a fictionalized version of herself to try to answer the question, “What is love?” Kaitlin–the character–struggles to find her place in modern ideals of romantic love and monogamy, but still desperately craves the storybook romances we’re all constantly fed. As she fulls in love with one of her fellow puppeteers, her struggles to maintain her concept of romance, her concept of her friends, and her concept of herself all in line. You can read our full review of The Shadows here.

Listen: Apple | Google | RSS

4. Everything Is Alive

Everything is Alive is an improvised interview show with inanimate objects. While the episodes are clearly fictional, they’re also meticulously researched beforehand. In the first (and absolutely stunning) episode, a can of generic cola informs host Ian Chillag of the very real radioactive sodas that used to be sold, and of bottles of strawberry Fanta left out for offerings. A lamppost tells Chillag about the theft–sorry, kidnapping–of the lamppost from the famous Singin’ in the Rain scene. Each episode leaves you laughing and moved from the story told, but also filled with bizarre tidbits of trivia. You can read our full review of Everything Is Alive here.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Podbean

5. Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment follows a standard format for a public radio storytelling podcast. Each episode brings different stories on a theme, usually about three 20-minute stories for a one-hour episode. Snap Judgment differs from most, though, in that it isn’t just human interest stories. It also pulls in fiction. Several episodes weave fiction in with the other stories, but to make sure the difference is clear, all of the fiction pieces are given some element of the superhuman or supernatural.

Listen: Apple | Stitcher

6. Greater Boston

Greater Boston is a phenomenal work of slipstream fiction that takes place in a hyperbolic version of Boston, MA–a version in which the psychics are sometimes right, The Red Line is its own town, and the world’s most boring man decides to die while riding a roller coaster of the first time. Each episode begins with the creators interviewing actual Boston residents with one question that pertains to a major theme in the episode. 

Listen: Apple | Stitcher | Libsyn

The post 6 Podcasts That Mix Fact with Fiction appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.