5 Podcasts Perfect for Halloween

 

www.karissalaurel.com

 There's a long back story that has to do with the pandemic and me losing my ability to sit still and focus on traditional written media for long stints. Lounging around with a book was something I used to enjoy but don't so much anymore.  I still love books and stories but found I do better with audio books and podcasts because I can consume stories while also doing a busy activity such as chores, exercise, or crochet.

My developing affection for audiobooks also lent to me becoming more interested in podcasts. Well... that and my basic-middle-age-white-lady fondness for true crime. I became really familiar with the world of podcasting in my time as Associate and then Assistant Editor at Cast of Wonders, a young adult, speculative fiction podcast. But it was really over this past year that I found my podcast groove and started expanding my personal collection of favorite shows.  Today I want to share a few (five, to be specific) of my favorite podcasts that I think are a perfect fit for the most Spooktacular holiday on our American calendar: Halloween!

For a few reasons, I generally listen to my podcasts on the Stitcher platform, but the links I'm sharing below should lead you to the podcast's general website where you can find your favorite platform such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

CAMP MONSTERS

https://www.rei.com/blog/podcasts/camp-monsters

"These are the stories of impossible encounters with impossible creatures in the wildest corners of North America. A wolf man with bat wings thirty feet across. An enormous eel in America’s most popular lake. A frog half the size of a man. Something terrible that howls in the Ozark nights. We’ll travel the country, sit around campfires and talk about that thing that ran across the trail in the middle of the night, just beyond the beam of your flashlight. Come closer to the fire. Let’s hear the next legend."

At a superficial level, it would seem these are pretty run of the mill stories, but if you listen to them in the dark, at night, when you're winding down for bedtime...well, if you let your imagination run wild a bit, then these stories are good for a little thrill without being too terrifying. This would be a great podcast for a family, but I've been enjoying them on my own as a perfectly rational adult who is not too afraid of the dark...most or the time.

MONSTER IN THE MIRROR

Monster in the Mirror will be a limited series by CUNY English professor, Lucas Kwong, presented by my favorite political podcast, Straight White American Jesus (aka SWAJ).

The regular hosts are Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller, two ex-evangelical ministers who are now religion scholars and liberal political commentators. For Halloween, they've invited Lucas Kwong to host a limited series for SWAJ  on the "gothic genesis of Christian nationalism in late Victorian fantastic fiction."  The first episode will air on October 31st, so maybe it's unfair to list it as a favorite, but I generally enjoy everything SWAJ produces so I expect this new series to be both fun and informative and maybe a little scary, too, considering the growth of Christian Nationalism in American politics.

PSEUDOPOD

https://pseudopod.org/

I mentioned earlier, and in previous posts, about my time serving on the editorial staff of Cast of Wonders. Well, Pseudopod is Cast of Wonders' creepy, tentacled sibling that specializes in short horror fiction in audio format. They've been around for a decade, so they've produced A LOT of stories, but for new listeners, they've assembled a list of thirteen episodes that show off the strength and diversity of their offerings: https://pseudopod.org/new-to-pseudopod/ 

But of course I  suggest that you start off your Pseudopod journey by listening to "Laughter Among the Trees" by Suzan Palumbo, a ghost story of sorts, hosted by yours truly:   https://pseudopod.org/2022/03/18/pseudopod-802-laughter-among-the-trees/

OLD GODS OF APPALACHIA

https://www.oldgodsofappalachia.com/episodes

 "Old Gods of Appalachia is an eldritch horror fiction podcast set in an Alternate Appalachia, a world where these mountains were never meant to be inhabited. This world feels eerily similar to the hills and hollers we’ve grown up with, but there are some tell-tale differences. Names of towns and counties may be altered. Historical events slide forward or backward in time. And then, of course, there are the monsters..."

A few weeks ago, an account on Twitter called Bookish Sea Witch had this to say about the Appalachian Mountains:

As someone with deep connections to Appalachia, I MUST agree with the points that the podcast and this tweeter were making. You don't venture into those hills and hollars without eventually getting a sinister feeling. Yeah, maybe they're not as tall as the Rockies, but Appalachia has been around and it has  SEEN some things, and The OLD GODS OF APPALACHIA does a great job of capturing that eldritch atmosphere.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES 

https://rustyquill.com/show/the-magnus-archives/

"The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organisation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join new head archivist Jonathan Sims as he attempts to bring a seemingly neglected collection of supernatural statements up to date, converting them to audio and supplementing them with follow-up work from his small but dedicated team.

Individually, they are unsettling. Together they begin to form a picture that is truly horrifying because as they look into the depths of the archives, something starts to look back…"

I learned about The Magnus Archives and Rusty Quill from some of the folks associated with Escape Artists, the parent company that owns and produces Cast of Wonders and Pseudopod (and Escape Pod and Podcastle and Cats Cast). The Magnus Archives is not affiliated with nor is an Escape Artists product, but they shared some voice talent, which is how I learned about it. Anyway, this is a fun anthology of stories, but one of the best parts is that it's complete. So you can binge the whole thing from beginning to end right now!

So, that should be enough horror content to fill out not only your Halloween, but maybe the rest of your year! Give them a listen if you have a little time, alone, at night, maybe sitting by the campfire... Or maybe in the middle of the day when the sun is brightest and your house or car or office is full of nice, safe, people to help protect you from your fears. Happy Halloween, y'all!