6 Horror Fiction Podcasts for Beginners
I’m a horror fan but with a visual medium, I don’t often find myself scared. After so long, the gratuitous gore can feel tacky and the jump scares are predictable enough that I barely flinch. I want a good scare! During lockdown, I found my new obsession: audio fiction podcasts. Of course, the first one I listened to was a horror series. I put my headphones on as advised, (a common feature of a good horror podcast) and quickly found myself covered in goosebumps and genuinely struggling to sleep one night all because of the world I had imagined.
If you’re feeling brave enough, here’s a selection of horror fiction podcasts to dip your toes into.
Borrasca
Borrasca is written and created by Rebecca Klingel, based on a story she posted on the r/nosleep on Reddit back in 2015. It follows Sam Walker, a kid who moves to Drisking, Missouri. A few months later his sister Whitney goes missing and is never found. Five years later, more and more people start to go missing so Sam and his two best friends Kimber and Kyle start to investigate these disappearances and how it connects to the mountain just out of town. Cole Sprouse leads the cast, his gruff tone working incredibly well for both teen and adult Sam. There are currently two seasons available, filled with creepy twists and turns.
For fans of: Small town conspiracies & Panic.
Unwell
The title is accurate for how it might make you feel after some episodes. Unwell is a Midwestern gothic mystery, with an incredibly diverse cast of characters who are really put through it. Lily Harper moves back to Mount Absalom, Ohio to help her mother Dot run their family’s boarding house. This town is the definition of bad vibes. Between celery festivals, a diner run by monsters, and an insane amount of ghosts who don’t necessarily work as ghosts should, Unwell offers a platter of horror goodies. It even won Best Podcast at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2021. The fifth and final season is currently airing.
For fans of: The Others & twists that make you queasy
From Now
This podcast has a foot in both sci-fi and horror. The premise feels familiar in respect to classic sci-fi plots but as it gathers pace, we enter a much darker territory. A famed lost spaceship returns to Earth after disappearing 35 years before. There’s one survivor but he hasn’t aged a day. He is reunited with his formerly identical twin brother for what begins as a happy occasion but soon revelations are made that threaten their relationship and the fate of humanity itself. The twins are voiced by Richard Madden and Brian Cox. There’s a scene in this podcast that has lived rent-free in my head; it’s deliciously grim.
For fans of: Scottish accents & Event Horizon
Wake of Corrosion
This British podcast presents yet another way the end of the world could come. An unknown horror takes over the country and forces the population to enter underground shelters. Professor Ryan broadcasts from his bunker, in hopes of finding answers. From journal entries and audio recordings, he tells the story of brothers Roman and Elliot who went on a camping trip which the apocalypse rudely interrupted. This is a slow burn, as a listener you’re finding everything out along with the characters. It’s masterfully creepy and will stretch your imagination to terrifying lengths. It also goes to show that camping really isn’t worth it when you could come home to the apocalypse.
For fans of: 28 Days Later and journaling.
The Left-Right Game
You always remember your first (horror podcast). Another which has been adapted from the r/nosleep thread, Tessa Thompson leads as a journalist hoping she’s found her big break. After discovering The Left-Right Game on an online message board, she joins a group of paranormal explorers as they play. As the journey goes on, this apparently harmless road trip becomes far more dangerous and unhinged than any of the group could ever imagine. The soundscape in this one truly twisted my brain for weeks. You’re never given solid answers on what is going on, you only have your own imagination to dream up what they really encounter.
For fans of: Midnight scrolling through Reddit and It Follows.
13 Days of Halloween
A staple for the spooky season. Each season follows a different story, being released each day until Halloween. The episodes are short, each focusing on a chilling smaller story but they all build and connect to an incredible climax. These aren’t your regular scary stories to tease your kids with; these are tales that will creep into your nightmares. And that being said, I come back for more every year. The casts have featured the talents of Keegan-Michael Key, Kathy Najimy, and Clancy Brown. But it’s the overall 360-degree sound experience that makes this podcast so impressive, listen with headphones if you dare.
For fans of: Fear Street and haunted houses.
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