10 horror podcasts you haven’t heard yet

2. Spooked

Fiction is all well and good, and also a pretty dominant force in horror podcasting. There’s certainly nothing wrong with excellent horror fiction, either. Even then, listeners may find themselves wishing for something a little closer to our own reality. If you find yourself amongst that group, then seek out the Spooked podcast.

Spooked is an offshoot of the larger Snap Judgment podcast, via WNYC Studios and hosted by Glynn Washington. Snap Judgment is known for its real stories, told in gripping, cinematic fashion. Around Halloween, it would air some of its more chilling tales, also reportedly real as any other episode. Those episodes became so popular that WNYC decided to break these scary stories into their very own podcast.

It’s up to you to determine whether or not every feature on Spooked is strictly real. Some, like the ones where people are tracked and hunted through the wilderness, certainly have the ring of truth about them. Others, like one relating a scary Mexican zombie clown, sound more like the overly elaborate stories elementary school kids like to tell each other every Halloween season. An episode about a demonic unicorn doll is also fascinating, if a bit too cinematic.

Even if some episodes feel a little doubtful, they are still wonderfully produced. Glynn Washington is an excellent host, too, with a few scary episodes of his own here and there. Even better: Spooked has just started its second season, so there’s plenty more to expect as October approaches.