I love reading. But, I’m a busy gal. So, unfortunately, I likely won’t be able to work my way through Stephen King’s expansive horror collection before Halloween. But I love scary stories, especially during the Halloween season, and want to find a way to read something to get me in the Halloween “spirit.”
What is a girl to do, though? I can’t make more hours in the day! I can’t stop working at my editing day job because, let’s face it, it’s the thing that pays the bills. I can’t stop writing books and stories. It doesn’t really pay the bills much but fulfills a much deeper need. I can’t stop reading the other books I’ve already started. I have book club deadlines to meet! I might be able to fit in one scary tome before Halloween, but that feels insufficient. Maybe I can get my family to go into suspended animation so I don’t have to worry about them for a little while. That seems a little extreme and heartless.
Lightbulb!
What about podcasts?
Why didn’t I think of this before? I am not a regular consumer of podcasts. There are a few I’ll listen to occasionally, although it’s usually via NPR while I’m driving on long trips in the car or on a train ride to New York. My favorite is Snap Judgement. But I’ve never thought of them for something like a scary story. Of course, with just a few taps of my fingers on the keyboard, I found tons of options out there.
Here are 4 podcasts that several sites certify as terrifying and I plan to check out to get my Halloween fix!
1. The Realest Un-Real Terrifying Tale
Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”
To quote the always wonderful iCarly, Limetown: True or Real? (Of course, iCarly was referring to Bigfoot, but you get the idea).
Limetown is a fictional story, but people have a hard time believing it’s not real. The podcast is told as a series of investigative reports by a journalist for American Public Radio (APR), detailing the disappearance of over 300 people at a neuroscience research facility in Tennessee. It’s been dubbed a cross between the Serial podcast and the X-files. Plus, it’s only 6 episodes with a few bonus features, very easy to digest before Halloween!
“So I know this is labeled as fiction, but this podcast was so believable and sounded so real that I found myself Googling it in the hopes of finding out more about what happened to Limetown.” — tuna_tunic
2. Ghost Hunter Lovers
According to the Facebook page, “Anything Ghost has been serving out personal paranormal experiences and local ghost legends since January of 2006. As the first of the true ghost story podcasts, Anything Ghost has thousands of stories ready to be heard by those who enjoy true ghost stories, written—and sometimes told—by those who experienced them.”
The podcast provides a combination of stories from callers, emails, and local legends that apparently will have you questioning if ghosts are real if you’re not already a believer.
There’s no way I’ll be able to listen to everything before Halloween. But there will certainly be at least one creepy tale to get me in the mood for October 31st!
“Lex presents his eerie compilations of spooky stories that will truly make your skin crawl. Do yourself a favor and listen with the lights off or at a campfire.” — Brans0217
3. Short Story Horror
The Wicked Library is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to stories of horror by the newest and best independent authors. It showcases original short stories, from a variety of horror sub-genres, via talented voice actors. Stories even feature musical scoring to create a truly immersive experience.
And they’re short, usually approximately an hour. Instead of reading Facebook and plodding around blogs (oh the irony!), maybe I should take an hour and delve into ghoulish delight! If the reviews are to be believed, the podcast is worth it. It’s a podcast library of undiscovered creepy treasure!
Plus, I love the tagline – “Go ahead….Leave the lights on.” It’s great!
“I’m a horror podcast junkie; I listen to them while working, while running, driving, etc and I foam at the mouth for new episodes of TWL. Well written, well acted and totally entertaining.”—-by once upon a fan
4. Wandering Down Horror Road
According to the description, “Alice Isn’t Dead centers on a truck driver who 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.” It’s been called a cross between Twin Peaks and American Gods. They had me at Twin Peaks!
“Not only is this one of my favorite podcasts, it is one of my all-time favorite stories. I would choose listening to Alice Isn’t Dead over watching Game of Thrones. Truth.”—by Saw2193
Anyone else has suggestions for a good spooky podcast?
K.L. Kranes 
October 5, 2017 at 1:58 pm
These sound terrifying and thrilling for those who want to get their scary stories on (which I don’t)! Thanks for sharing and enjoy your scary stories, people!
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