Want to enjoy some spooky tales without gluing your eyes to a screen? Check out our list of horror podcasts to enjoy this Halloween season!
UNITED STATES – 2007/12/14: Misty dark forest trees.. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Want to indulge in the Halloween spirit, but can’t plop yourself in front of a television or movie screen? Check out some podcasts for your daily horror fix, instead.
Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Since Serial became a runaway hit, everyone and your mother has discovered the world of podcasting. For the uninitiated, a podcast is like an on-demand radio show. People will produce regular podcast episodes and make them available online, through RSS feeds and other sources such as the iTunes store.
The form covers a range of tastes and styles, from reviews, to fiction, to philosophical discussions, to interview shows. Think of the most esoteric topic in the world, and you’ll likely find a podcast discussing it. Maybe two.
Horror podcasts, in particular, are growing in popularity. After all, who doesn’t love to experience the chill that accompanies an eerie story? As it turns out, there are quite a few great shows in this genre.
Given that we are currently in the spookiest time of year, now is a great time to check out some of the scarier offerings available. What better way to creep yourself out on a long drive or at work than by listening to a horror podcast? Certainly, if you are a junkie for shows about horror, history, fiction, or all of the above, you’ll find something to satisfy your taste in this lineup.
The podcasts listed here run the gamut of styles and topics. Some are fictional, while others are meticulously researched historical stories. Others are more casual discussions of the nerdiest ins and outs of horror topics. All the shows included here are free to download, so very little stands between you and your incipient podcast addiction.
So, as the leaves fall off the trees and ghost stories become more enticing, plug in your earbuds and listen to some of the scariest, creepiest podcasts around. Remember, if you get scared, just keep repeating: “It’s only a podcast”.
(Image via Night Vale Presents)
11.) Within the Wires
From the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, one of the premiere weird podcasts on the net, comes another feature that is at least as strange as its predecessor, if not more so.
Within the Wires is presented as a series of instructional audio programs. You, the listener, are in the place of a patient of sorts in a medical facility known only as The Institute. However, as you listen, the audio becomes more and more menacing. What are you doing at The Institute, anyway? Who is the narrator? Is she really only teaching you relaxation techniques, or is there something more to the messages she is relaying via cassette tapes? Are those subliminal messages being played in the music?
Janina Matthewson plays the mysterious narrator. She is also the co-writer of the show, along with Welcome to Night Vale’s Jeffrey Cranor. Her even, insistent voice contributes greatly to the growing sense of unease as you delve deeper and deeper into Within the Wires.
Best episode
Like many of the fiction podcasts on this list, I urge you to start at the beginning. Within the Wires relies on the slow burn to establish its mood and to steadily reveal the true purpose of the tapes. Since the first season is only ten episodes, you’ll have plenty of time to savor and ponder each installment.
10.) Faculty of Horror
Are you really, honestly a horror nerd? Could you spend literal hours discussing the minutiae of horror films and other terrifying fiction? Do you secretly (or not so secretly) wish you could get a college degree in horror studies? Then you should head over to the Faculty of Horror podcast to get your fill of academic discussions of terror.
“Horror journalists and occasional academics” Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West host this regular discussion of the horror genre. For each episode, they provide “extra credit” links and readings for those of you who want a deep dive into their discussion. Of course, you can always dive straight into the show without doing any real homework.
Subissati and West both provide plenty of context about female-focused storylines and horror characters. This is especially satisfying in a genre that is admittedly negligent when it comes to female characters and creators. Women are still definitively a minority in the horror genre (at least on the creative side of things). At best, horror can be unmindful of women’s experiences. At worst, it can be downright misogynistic.
It’s heartening to hear two smart, dedicated female fans dissecting the genre. Check out their episode on the most recent Ghostbusters film, as well as another about the Alien franchise for more intelligent feminist discourse on the horror genre.
Best episode
“The Power of Christ Compels You: The Exorcist”. I didn’t realize how much I wanted a feminist reading of this movie until I listened to this episode.
(Image via Lore podcast)
9.) Lore
Lore focuses on some of the scariest tales from real-life history and folklore. In each episode, host Aaron Mahnke presents a true story in the style of some of the best campfire ghost stories. Mahnke, who is also a fiction writer, doesn’t shy away from employing poetic devices once in awhile. He started the podcast as a side gig and a way to share his love of creepy history. Now, Lore is one of the most popular podcasts in the U.S. It’s currently number seven on the iTunes top podcasts list.
Each episode takes around 30 hours to research, write, record, and produce. Because of the involved nature of producing Lore at a high level of quality, Mahnke releases it biweekly. However, there are plenty of previous episodes should you become addicted.
Overall, Lore is straightforward and compelling, despite its spooky nature. This makes for engaging listening, though the true nature of the subject matter can be chilling, if not outright terrifying. “The King”, for example, shows the depths of depravity, bravery, and violence that people can achieve in desperate, isolated situations. Another episode, “Covered Mirrors”, will make you look at passerby a little more closely, then triple-check your locks at night.
Best episode
“On the Farm”, which focuses on the 1922 Hinterkaifeck murders north of Munich. This episode will make you jump at just about every strange noise in your house. Good luck getting to sleep after listening to this one.
8.) Last Podcast on the Left
For well over two hundred episodes, Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, and Marcus Parks have covered some of the strangest stories and legends in human history. Unlike the more sedate Lore, Last Podcast on the Left is cheerfully loud and vulgar. Don’t let that turn you off, however. Last Podcast on the Left is typically well-researched, and listening to the three hosts interact can be a lot of fun. Some listeners might be turned off by the “morning zoo” style, but the hosts are actually, you know, funny.
Last Podcast on the Left covers topics from all throughout the uncanny, including ghosts, UFOs, demonology, vampires, historical figures, cults, Sasquatch, and more. Fair warning: Zebrowski, Kissel, and Parks are often very skeptical of their subject matter and don’t shy away from critiquing it in colorful form. Despite this, even the craziest stories are covered affectionately, especially the more “unique” individuals that are featured in various episodes.
Occasionally, they’ll feature multi-episode series on individual stories, such as a three-parter on H.H. Holmes. Holmes, one of the earliest documented modern serial killers, was active around the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.
Best episode
“Bigfoot Hunters”, in which the hosts explore the especially weird world of modern day Sasquatch enthusiasts. Yes, the episode is just over an hour long, but it’s worth your time if you like cursing, off-kilter impressions, and Sasquatch.
(Image via Limetown podcast)
7.) Limetown
Done in the style of well-known nonfiction podcasts such as This American Life, Limetown is an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an entire community full of over three hundred people. Host Lia Haddock (Annie Sage Whitehurst), an intrepid reporter for American Public Radio (a fictional radio network) digs deeper and deeper into the mystery of the doomed scientific colony of Limetown, with unexpected personal consequences.
Limetown has taken cues from true crime podcast Serial, along with fictional properties such as The X-Files. You might even detect a hint of film properties such as Citizen Kane or The Blair Witch Project.
Thought the pilot promises seven episodes in the first series, you actually get six total. There have been vague plans for a second season, but Limetown is currently on indefinite hiatus (though producers have promised to make a second season eventually). The show’s production company, Two-Up Productions, has signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster to produce a prequel novel to the podcast series. There have even been talks to take Limetown to the television screen, so watch out for upcoming news on the subject.
Best episode
Start from the beginning. Given that the first season is only a handful of episodes, it’s easy to jump in. It will also make much, much more sense. That said, you’ll be wanting more by the time you finish the sixth and final episode.
6.) The Black Tapes
The Black Tapes is marginally like Limetown, but it’s got a far different focus and flavor than its fellow podcast. It starts off as a more X-Files-like affair, with host Alex Reagan investigating a series of strange occurrences.
The Black Tapes begins as a profile of “evangelical skeptic” Dr. Richard Strand. Reagan, however, becomes interested in Strand’s collection of “black tapes”, records of unsolved, seemingly paranormal mysteries. Initially, Reagan enthusiastically dives into the strange cases, with a reluctant Strand as her advisor and research assistant. However, it soon becomes clear that these “black tapes” are all interconnected. Right? Or not? Perhaps Reagan is getting a little too involved, and the tapes are only playing into her (and the listener’s) own innate tendency to see demonic patterns when there is nothing at all.
If you like your horror tinged with demons and the uncanny, then you’ll want to check out The Black Tapes. Honest opinion: sometimes the acting or writing can be a little overwrought or canned, but the overarching storyline is often more than enough to carry you through. Plus, if you’ve got a soft spot for very dramatic, world-bending horror, you may even enjoy some of the more purple moments in The Black Tapes.
Best episode
Again, this is another podcast where it behooves you to start at the beginning. If you want to get a taste for the show’s feel, check out one of the earlier episodes, “The Unsound”.
(Image via NoSleep podcast)
5.) The NoSleep Podcast
In 2010, a Reddit forum called “NoSleep” was begun. In it, users could share their original creepy tales in an effort to scare the pants off their readers. Stories were meant to be plausible (with perhaps a little suspension of disbelief thrown in from time to time) and often sounded like they could be read around a campfire in a dark, deserted forest. The forum became massively popular and eventually led to a dedicated podcast just a year later.
NoSleep is now one of the most popular horror podcasts. Given that the open forums of Reddit are its main source of horror tales, the quality of the episodes can sometimes vary. That said, when NoSleep gets scary, it gets really, honestly scary.
A quick warning: some of the episodes can be particularly affecting. Showrunners don’t shy away from gore or explicit horror, either. Be sure to read the episode description before you dive in. Just remember: it’s only a story.
Best episode
“The Whistlers”. In the season 5 finale, written by Amity Argot, the narrator must survive the physical and psychological perils of her time in a rural forest. Though we never see the titular Whistlers, we certainly hear them and see their effects on other people throughout the episode. Perhaps monsters are all the more frightening when you can’t see them.
(Image via Welcome to Night Vale podcast)
4.) Welcome to Night Vale
If you know anything about podcasting, much less scary podcasts, then surely you’ve heard of Welcome to Night Vale. Presented as a radio show for the fictional desert town of Night Vale, Welcome to Night Vale delves deep into the inherent strangeness of the town.
Co-creator Joseph Fink said that he “came up with this idea of a town in that desert where all conspiracy theories were real” and took that as the starting point for one of the strangest, most engaging horror fiction podcasts around. He teamed up with Jeffrey Cranor to publish the series starting in 2012.
Welcome to Night Vale is hosted by Cecil Palmer (Cecil Baldwin), the local radio host, and features slow-building stories that center on strange forces and conspiracy theories that hold the town in thrall. Guest stars include Mara Wilson as the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home, Jasika Nicole as Intern Dana, and Jackson Publick as Hiram McDaniels, a five-headed dragon.
The show has also led to the well-reviewed 2015 novel, Welcome to Night Vale, as well as a production company, Night Vale Presents. Podcasts produced by this group also include Alice Isn’t Dead and Within the Wires.
Best episode
The thirteenth episode, “A Story About You”. Though this episode is a little unusual in that it features an unnamed character and is narrated in the second version, it’s a good introduction to the tone of the series. You might even find yourself unexpectedly emotional at the ending of this episode.
(Image via The Truth podcast)
3.) The Truth
The Truth creates “movies for your ears”. True to that claim, each episode of The Truth is an artfully crafted radio play, complete with full casts, music, and high-quality production. Sometimes the stories are funny, sometimes they’re science fiction, and sometimes they’re downright creepy. If the hour or longer marathons of other podcasts are a little much for you right now, then the ten to twenty-minute episodes of The Truth will be perfect.
This podcast is consistently one of the most well produced, engaging, and imaginative fiction podcasts out there. Many of the actors featured in the show are active in the New York scene and are often based out of the Magnet Theater near the Chelsea borough. The theater training and thoughtful direction really show in each episode.
Best episode
“The Death of Poe”. Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most renowned masters of literary horror. He died in 1849 in Baltimore, under mysterious circumstances. You see, Poe was found, barely coherent and in dire straits, wandering the streets of that city. He never regained enough sense to explain how he came to be in such a state and, strangely enough, was wearing someone else’s clothing.
Though speculation has abounded for over a century, no one has definitively solved the mystery of Poe’s strange, sad end. This episode seeks to present a chilling fictional account of his final few hours.
(Image via The Message podcast)
2.) The Message
To be fair, The Message is billed as a science fiction podcast. However, it is eerie enough to qualify for this list quite a few times over.
Presented by the Panoply podcast network and the GE Podcast Theater, this fiction podcast benefits from the professional backing of the two entities. From the website:
The Message is a new podcast following the weekly reports and interviews from Nicky Tomalin, who is covering the decoding of a message from outer space received 70 years ago. Over the course of 8 episodes, we get an inside look at a top team of cryptologists attempting to decode, and understand the alien message.
The Message has plenty of science fiction tropes, what with the aliens, mysterious sounds, and a race against the clock to cure a seemingly unbeatable disease. However, the horror of the disease and the downright creepiness of the message itself are sure to make you think twice when you hear some static on the radio. Plus, since this series is only eight episodes long, you can enjoy a well-told tale without reserving the next few years of your listening life.
Best episode
Yet again, I urge you to start at the beginning. Part of the fun of The Message comes from the slow build of the mystery and the character work that comes along with it. Remember, this podcast is short and sweet (at least compared to many other podcasts), so you’ll have plenty of time to savor it.
(Image via Sawbones podcast)
1.) Sawbones
Serious question: does visiting the doctor frighten you? Do you quiver and shake at the mere thought of a shot or filling? Then exercise caution when treading into the audio world of Sawbones.
If you need a little pep talk, be assured that the hosts do a good job talking about crazy medical history in a fun, approachable way. Yes, it’s occasionally terrifying, but remember that you’re incredibly unlikely to encounter an actual “sawbones” doctor today.
Sawbones features a married couple, doctors Sydnee McElroy and her husband, Justin. Every Friday, they discuss the history of medical practices throughout the ages, featuring all of the strange and terrifying methods doctors have used to cure their patients. If you can make it through an episode, you’ll be more than grateful for the leaps and bounds modern doctors and researchers have achieved. Who thought we’d be quite this grateful for Novocaine?
Best episode
“Aah, Real Monsters!”, in which Sydnee and guest Rileigh Smirl talk about the diseases that are at the root of monster myths. Sydnee explains the disorders that may have given birth to legends of werewolves, vampires, and more.
Next: Scary Women: 13 Female Horror Writers You Should Read
Even a confirmed spooky kid such as myself has a lot to learn from this short episode. For example, clinical lycanthropy is a recognized psychiatric condition in which the affected person genuinely believes that they can turn into a non-human animal. Could this rare disorder have caused a few of the early werewolf legends, such as the medieval Peter Stubbe?