5 Horror Podcasts to Listen to in 2018
2018 is almost here and the Podcasting medium continues to gain momentum. It’s a great way to enjoy a wide variety of content, running the gamut from news to commentary to speculative fiction and much more. At Signal Horizon we absolutely love the medium for what it brings to our favorite genres of horror and dark science fiction, so we wanted to give you a list of 5 horror podcasts that had great years in 2017 and that we are looking forward to listening to in 2018.
1. Pseudopod
From the Escape Artists podcasting network, Pseudopod is our absolute favorite way to listen to short horror fiction. They have been around for a decade and have an absolutely huge back catalog of excellent short horror fiction ranging from classic weird tales to brand new original content from authors you should be keeping an eye on. This diverse content from an equally diverse selection of authors is what keeps me coming back. They always offer timely stories that reflect the current cultural mood or holiday. Their narrators are also top notch and are usually paired perfectly with the tone of the story they are reading. In addition to Pseudopod, Escape Artists also produces Escape Pod (science fiction), Pod Castle (fantasy) and Cast of Wonders (young adult fiction). All the podcasts pay their authors fair rates and are Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) qualified markets. If you love short horror fiction but haven’t checked out Pseudopod don’t delay, you can start with the latest episode Deconstructing Hillsdale, which is a Pseudopod original.
Deep dives into the meaning and greater societal context of our favorite movies is kind of our thing here at Signal Horizon and if you are looking for Mariana Trench level dives into horror movies you have to check out Faculty of Horror. Hosted by Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West, two prolific journalists of the genre and legitimate academics, they seek to bridge the gap between academia (which is actually discussing our genre, believe it or not) and the common discourse. Smart, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny, Faculty of Horror will make you think twice about some of the common tropes and motifs of the horror genre. We recommend that you start with their fantastic discussion of the 1997 cult hit Cube in episode 53. In it they discuss math, production and set design details, workers rights and tons tons more!
3. Rabbits
Told in a style similar to Serial, Rabbits is a fictional podcast about the investigations of our host Carly Parker into the disappearance of her friend Yumiko. Mysterious and unsettling, Rabbits is full of pop culture references, a fantastic original score, and a strong plot that will keep you coming back for more. Rabbits debuted in 2017 and had an excellent run of 10 episodes, leaving fans anxiously waiting for season two. However, their unsuccessful kickstarter, which ended earlier this month, leaves the season two in jeopardy. We recommend that you check out the fantastic first season, obviously starting with episode one, and if you enjoyed it and want to hear more of their high quality work please donate to their efforts via their website.
There is a variable mountain of podcasts out there that are just two dudes talking to each other, but Black Cat’s Shadow is much more. Hosts Andy and Phantom Dark Dave have been able to add a ton of value to discussions about the horror genre by landing interviews with the cast, crew, and creators of some of our favorite independent and low budget horror movies. We recommend that you start with their excellent interview of Leigh Scott, the Writer/Director of Beast Of Bray Road and Transmorphers, in episode 42. Leigh gives us a behind the scenes look at the “mock-buster” movie market and how those films were designed, pitched, and sold. We are looking forward to more great interviews from the cast of Black Cat’s Shadow in 2018!
5. Lore
This highly successful podcast from Aaron Mahnke has spawned both a TV show and a book series, all about roots of scary stories in our culture. Ranging from local mysteries to national folklore, Mahnke does a huge amount of research and presents each episode in an understated, yet surprisingly creepy way. The pacing of each episode is excellent and the sound quality is absolutely top notch. We recommend that you start with his latest episode, number 75 Black and Wild for his interesting take on the dark history of wizards in our culture.
Are you as excited as we are to enjoy new and original podcast content in 2018? Love our picks but can’t believe that we left out your personal favorite? Keep your eyes and ears open there might even be a podcast popping up here soon. We would love to hear from you, so hit us up on Facebook or Twitter by clicking below. To stay up to date on our horror and science fiction analysis, reviews, and news you can subscribe below or follow us on Facebook.
