As I’m sure everyone is aware, it is officially spooky season, which is undeniably the very best time of the year. And while my personal favorite way to engage in spookiness is to read a book or watch a movie, sometimes I don’t have time to do so. If I’m at work or driving, I can’t just whip out a book or log onto Netflix. But what I can do is get on Spotify and dial up some of my favorite spooky podcasts to send shivers down my spine. I collected a selection of my personal favorites here and hope you’ll get as many scares out of them as I have.
- “The Magnus Archives”
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“‘The Magnus Archives’ is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organization dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird…”
This one is my current obsession. I just found it about a week and a half ago, and yet I’m already on episode 62. It’s some of the scariest stuff I’ve ever come across, and includes other kinds of haunted films or shows. Here’s the link to the official website, where you can find out where to listen!
- “Welcome to Night Vale”
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“’Welcome to Night Vale’ is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale.”
My. All. Time. FAVORITE. Podcast. “Welcome to Night Vale” is scary, funny, intriguing, mysterious and above all… super gay. There are terrifying dogs, floating cats, a house that should not exist, a dog park in which no dogs are allowed and my personal favorite: a centuries old Blood Space War that transcends our perception of time. Check out Welcome to Night Vale here and start your binge!
- “Alice Isn’t Dead”
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“A truck driver searches across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead. In the course of her search, she will encounter not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time and a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman.”
From the creators of “Welcome to Night Vale” comes a horror podcast in which a lesbian becomes a truck driver in order to find her wife. Instead, he finds something much darker. It’s safe to say that I binged this entire podcast in about two weeks and immediately ordered the book as soon as it came out on pre-order. To get your slice of spooky queerness, click here!
- “Lore”
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“‘Lore’ exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares. Each episode examines a new dark historical tale in a modern campfire experience.”
I’m sure everyone has heard of this podcast by now, what with the Amazon Prime adaptation of it, but listening to Aaron Mahnke’s haunting voice tell the stories in your ear is something else. It’s also very educational, if you’re into that sort of thing. To find out where to listen, read, or watch “Lore”, click here!
- “Two Girls, One Ghost”
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“Bi-coastal friends bonded by their love of the paranormal come together to bring you ‘Two Girls, One Ghost Podcast.’ Oh, and there’s a ghost who sometimes shows up too. This is, after all, the most haunted podcast in America.”
If you want a little laughter with your screams, definitely check out these chicks. Typically, each week is thematic with them researching a famous haunting as well as personal experiences from themselves or their friends. Also, there’s a very sweet cat. Click here for a chance to get humor and haunts as a two for one deal!
- “Mysteries Abound”
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“A podcast about mysteries from anywhere and everywhere – the unusual, the strange, the perplexing and the down-right odd.”
Similar to “Lore,” this podcast takes a more academic take on all things weird and supernatural. Honestly, it’s the perfect podcast to listen to while you drift off to sleep, although, I will warn you, very odd dreams do come out of it. Check out the website for places to listen to the podcast!
No matter if you prefer your horror fictional or real, there’s a podcast for you. Each of these podcasts are terribly spooky in their own way. You’ll be wishing that you hadn’t figured out that podcasts were a great way to get your haunt on while driving.