Radio at the End of the World: Audio Fiction and Drama Podcast Roundup September 2021
Radio at the End of the World is here every month to bring you new stories, new characters, and new podcasts to sink into. Whether you’re new to audio dramas (or audio fiction) or not, I try and provide a comprehensive sampling of listening experiences.
This month, there’s a little bit of sci-fi, comedy, and more. If you’re interested in checking out the past few months’ roundups, here are August, July, and June. Next month, I’ll be doing a special roundup for October, featuring Black speculative fiction writers and stories in honor of Black History Month and Black Speculative Fiction 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
Nowhere, On Air
Nowhere, On Air is an audio drama centered around a fictional broadcast of a late-night community radio show out of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Think Nightvale but wholesome and heartwarming. There were moments where the fictitious news and broadcasts became absolutely poetic as the host shared moments from the characters’ lives. It reminded me of listening to radio shows in the middle of the night when I was a kid. They had a way of transporting me far from my bed and placing me into the lives of the people speaking through my speaker. Audio dramas like Nowhere, On Air, take me back to those nights. Not many podcasts rekindle that emotion in me, but Nowhere, On Air did instantly.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts
Ear-Movies Season 2 Episode 1, ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’
Despite the gory-sounding title, Ear-Movies is an audio fiction podcast of longish short stories. I’ve tried to give it a listen in the past, but I wasn’t grabbed by any of the stories. September saw the podcast drop a few episodes of their second season featuring some show revamps and new voice actors. Whatever they did, the new season is a lot more entertaining than the first. My favorite story from the second season was ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place.’ The story is about an older woman who finds a companion in a floating rock that joins her after her friend has died and her life feels close to an end. Along with being funny and a bit sad, it was also touching and imaginative without losing the human heart of the story.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | Website
ROMANCE
Royally Yours
Although this romance audio drama wrapped up in August, I didn’t end up getting around to it until September. I’m not typically a gushy romantic comedy type person, but Royally Yours is one of those podcasts like Meet Cute that perfectly captures the feeling of falling. Each episode is a different story, featuring a new romance. The catch of the show is that all of the romances happen the day before the Royal Wedding. I tried to pick just one of the episodes to recommend, but honestly, they were all hilarious and romantic. For Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually fans—romantic comedies set in Britain—Royally Yours is the perfect match.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Website
Read more: The Ballad of Anne and Mary: The Renaissance of Musical Audio Fiction
DARK SPECULATIVE FICTION
Kakos Industries
There are a couple of audio dramas that I’ll be recommending this month that I didn’t enjoy listening to. I know, I know, why recommend something you didn’t like? Both of their concepts and executions were well done enough that I figured other listeners would enjoy them. The first one of those audio dramas is the dark speculative fiction podcast Kakos Industries. An adult black comedy about the culture and dealings of an evil corporation specializing in doing evil better. The show is set up as though the listener is a new stakeholder in the company and must now learn how Kakos Industries can stay ahead of the evil game.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | Transcripts
COMEDY
Highly Irregular
Highly Irregular is a sketch comedy audio drama podcast with a wide array of wacky sketches, songs, topics all singed with that hint of British humor. The creator, Stu Horgan, got in touch with me to check out this podcast. And I was not disappointed. I found myself laughing during a few skits or rolling my eyes at how well they portrayed a particular character or archetype. My favorite part of the show is the songs. They are ridiculous, original, and catchy. It’s also worth noting that if you find yourself, like me, singing some of these songs after the show has ended, there is a playlist on YouTube of all the podcast’s songs.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | Website | Transcripts
FICTION
Kings of the Ring
The other podcast that I ended up not liking that much was Kings of the Ring, an audio drama about the life, times, and exploits of the 1980’s professional wrestling superstars. For me, there was too much exposition and descriptions during the scenes that it took away from the actual acting and events. But again, like Kakos Industries, the concept is solid enough to mention it for fans of that era of wrestling who wished there were new stories or more dramatization of the events that took place inside and outside the ring. The moments that I did end up like were well acted and dramatized to depict that era of wrestling well.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website
Silva Lining’s Care Plan
Okay, okay, but my favorite audio drama podcast that I got into this past month was Silva Lining’s Care Plan. I’m so glad that the creator reached out and put this fiction audio drama on my radar. Following a caretaker and her dementia patient, Silva Lining’s Care Plan is a touching and honest look at what it’s like to care for someone during a time when they need it the most. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and real. There are aspects about the show that feel very genre-bending, but at its heart, Silva Lining’s Care Plan is about relationships, life, and trying to hold on to both. There are individual episodes, but they released an omnibus of the entire audio drama into an hour and 15-minute play for easy listening at the end of September.
Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | Website
That’s it for this month’s roundup of audio drama podcasts. I hope you can 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.
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