Halloween Countdown, Day 13
It's list time again! Here are my picks for the spooky podcasts you don't want to miss this Halloween.
In no particular order...
* Welcome to Night Vale: This is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Think Lake Woebegone meets Stephen King. (It's gods_lil_rocker's fault I'm completely addicted to this podcast.)
* Tales to Terrify: This weekly audio magazine is one of StarShipSofa's siblings in the District of Wonders. Hosted with flair by horror author Larry Santoro ("the Vincent Price of podcasts!"), it includes the best of contemporary horror fiction and nonfiction. (I have narrated three haunting stories for this podcast. Follow the links to hear my reading of “After the Ape” by Stephen Volk, my reading of “Jewels in the Dust” by Peter Crowther, and my reading of “Payback” by P.D. Cacek.)
* Kat & Curt's TV Re-View: In this weekly podcast, bloggers Curtis Weyant and Katherine Sas introduce Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who to each other, watching one episode of each per week, sharing fannish delight and critical analysis. Curt, a long-time Buffy devotee, introduces the show to Kat, and newly-certified Whovian Kat acquaints Curt with the Doctor. Join them for a journey through time, space, and the halls of Sunnydale High as they battle demons, aliens, and the inscrutable process of creating quality narrative television. Perfectly timed for October, the latest episode, "Eyeballs and Entrails," includes a close-up look at Buffy's "Halloween" as well as Doctor Who's "The Girl in the Fireplace."
* MonsterTalk: This is the science show about monsters - a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and werewolves. Hosted by Blake Smith, Ben Radford, and Dr. Karen Stollznow, MonsterTalk interviews the scientists and investigators who shine a spotlight on the things that go bump in the night. The episode airing dates average out to mean a new show once a month, sometimes more. (Thanks to ankh_hpl for introducing me to this great show.)
* Classic Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley: what's not to love? This is a fantastic weekly podcast featuring B.J. Harrison's unabridged readings of great -- and often haunting and Halloween-friendly -- fiction.
* Atlanta Radio Theatre Company: Founded in 1984, ARTC is a staple at venues such as Dragon*Con and has a standing program year-round, performing adaptations of works by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells live. ARTC podcasts its fantastic productions.
* Pseudopod: One of the oldest horror podcasts and still one of the best, Pseudopod presents fine short horror in audio form weekly.
* The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast: In each weekly podcast, Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer discuss a specific H.P. Lovecraft story - what it’s about, how it reads, why it may have been written and what other works of art it’s influenced. Since concluding Lovecraft’s stories, they’ve been covering other weird fiction that inspired the author, mostly from his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature." They regularly have talented guest readers and contributing composers for our music sections. The majority of the Lovecraft episodes are free. The podcast is now mostly subscription-only, but it's well, well worth the modest cost.
What other spooky podcasts do you recommend?
“Good things come to those who wait. But so do really malevolent and scary things. In fact, probably more of those. Better keep moving.” - Welcome to Night Vale
“Don't worry. Someday you'll find that person who is perfect for you. They can't hide forever. We have satellites.” - Welcome to Night Vale
“Big news in the science world! Scientists announce that they have discovered the world’s deadliest spider - a previously unknown species that is as hard to spot as its bite is hard to survive. Apparently the specimen was found when your dead body was examined. They say you were a portrait of agony, your skin a myriad of pulsing, angry colors and... Oh... You know what? I’m sorry. This report is from next week. Aw, things have gotten so confusing ever since the wire services started using time machines. Never mind. No need to worry about that report for a few days.” - Welcome to Night Vale
In no particular order...
* Welcome to Night Vale: This is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Think Lake Woebegone meets Stephen King. (It's gods_lil_rocker's fault I'm completely addicted to this podcast.)
* Tales to Terrify: This weekly audio magazine is one of StarShipSofa's siblings in the District of Wonders. Hosted with flair by horror author Larry Santoro ("the Vincent Price of podcasts!"), it includes the best of contemporary horror fiction and nonfiction. (I have narrated three haunting stories for this podcast. Follow the links to hear my reading of “After the Ape” by Stephen Volk, my reading of “Jewels in the Dust” by Peter Crowther, and my reading of “Payback” by P.D. Cacek.)
* Kat & Curt's TV Re-View: In this weekly podcast, bloggers Curtis Weyant and Katherine Sas introduce Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who to each other, watching one episode of each per week, sharing fannish delight and critical analysis. Curt, a long-time Buffy devotee, introduces the show to Kat, and newly-certified Whovian Kat acquaints Curt with the Doctor. Join them for a journey through time, space, and the halls of Sunnydale High as they battle demons, aliens, and the inscrutable process of creating quality narrative television. Perfectly timed for October, the latest episode, "Eyeballs and Entrails," includes a close-up look at Buffy's "Halloween" as well as Doctor Who's "The Girl in the Fireplace."
* MonsterTalk: This is the science show about monsters - a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and werewolves. Hosted by Blake Smith, Ben Radford, and Dr. Karen Stollznow, MonsterTalk interviews the scientists and investigators who shine a spotlight on the things that go bump in the night. The episode airing dates average out to mean a new show once a month, sometimes more. (Thanks to ankh_hpl for introducing me to this great show.)
* Classic Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley: what's not to love? This is a fantastic weekly podcast featuring B.J. Harrison's unabridged readings of great -- and often haunting and Halloween-friendly -- fiction.
* Atlanta Radio Theatre Company: Founded in 1984, ARTC is a staple at venues such as Dragon*Con and has a standing program year-round, performing adaptations of works by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells live. ARTC podcasts its fantastic productions.
* Pseudopod: One of the oldest horror podcasts and still one of the best, Pseudopod presents fine short horror in audio form weekly.
* The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast: In each weekly podcast, Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer discuss a specific H.P. Lovecraft story - what it’s about, how it reads, why it may have been written and what other works of art it’s influenced. Since concluding Lovecraft’s stories, they’ve been covering other weird fiction that inspired the author, mostly from his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature." They regularly have talented guest readers and contributing composers for our music sections. The majority of the Lovecraft episodes are free. The podcast is now mostly subscription-only, but it's well, well worth the modest cost.
What other spooky podcasts do you recommend?
“Good things come to those who wait. But so do really malevolent and scary things. In fact, probably more of those. Better keep moving.” - Welcome to Night Vale
“Don't worry. Someday you'll find that person who is perfect for you. They can't hide forever. We have satellites.” - Welcome to Night Vale
“Big news in the science world! Scientists announce that they have discovered the world’s deadliest spider - a previously unknown species that is as hard to spot as its bite is hard to survive. Apparently the specimen was found when your dead body was examined. They say you were a portrait of agony, your skin a myriad of pulsing, angry colors and... Oh... You know what? I’m sorry. This report is from next week. Aw, things have gotten so confusing ever since the wire services started using time machines. Never mind. No need to worry about that report for a few days.” - Welcome to Night Vale