So I’ve been away most of the summer, on the road, in a field, on the road, in a field, at home, repeat, etc. etc. and I am a big fan of podcasts, more so this year than before. I think that a lot of music has become something of an emotional trigger for me, and podcasts are more entertaining on long journeys than Ivo’s extensive ska punk collection.
So this CRAPBOOK is dedicated to my favourite fictional/historical podcasts, I was going to include more feminist/political ones but feel that needs it’s own lis really. I’m always recommending these to people I meet so thought it was a good idea to write some down with links for everyone to access!
https://soundcloud.com/hellofromthemagictavern/1-hello-from-the-magic-tavern
Ivo and I have been listening to this podcast since our trip to the peak district back in June. It follows the story of this guy, Arnie Kneecamp who falls through a crack in dimensions behind a Burger King into a magic land called Foon. There he interviews the residents of this land weekly in a local inn with two regular co-hosts, Usidore the Wizard (who has the longest name, and says it at least once every week) and Chunt the talking badger/shapeshifter. It takes a little while to get in to, and is a bit of a sausage fest but is really funny and cosy. The running narrative is worth investing in.
2. Women at Warp: A Roddenbery Star Trek Podcast
Episode 1 – Favourite Female Characters
THISSSSSS. I cannot recommend this enough if you are a trekkie, even mildly. It is everything I’ve ever desired from a feminist podcast. It’s inclusive and mindful, intelligent, funny and imaginative. If you are like me and love analysing pop culture, especially TV and movies, then you will love this. It’s entirely addictive and for trekkies at any stage and I have learnt A LOT not just about Star Trek but about how to critique things further, to trust my instincts when I see something that sits uncomfortably with me and to seek out my own fabulous crew of Trekkies (Sasha…). BEST episode has to be the Dream Crew episode. I found out about some really cool women, and it’s conversation we’ve all had, right?
3. LORE
LORE is terrifying to me because I am scared easily but I also can’t stop listening to it. Episodes are only 20 minutes long and are accompanied by the most beautiful music, I think some of it is meant to be eery but I find it really relaxing, perfect for the bath or bedtime (maybe sleeping with the lights is an option to think about though). Alex Handrk’s voice is so soothing as he thoroughly creeps you out with true life stories. If you like American Horror Story, you’ll notice some of the things they’ve used in this podcast.
4. RABBITS
RABBITS (like The Black Tapes, which is also on this list) is produced by Pacific Northwest Stories and is incredible. Most of their series follows a similar structure; a mystery wrapped in obscure pop culture, wrapped in spiritual paradigms but RABBITS is the most interesting to me because it is so unusual. It follows the story of a woman trying to find her missing best friend, somehow ending up in the middle of a game that literally affects time and space as we know it. There’s another season coming soon, but definitely tune in to season 1 if you like things like The Matrix, Twin Peaks, end of the world type things.
Another terrifying but truly addictive podcast. I listened to this whilst moving house and then got my partner into it so have listened through twice now. SEASON 3 IS OUT NOW THOUGH AAAHH. Alex is a journalist who amidst writing a piece on a Doctor of paranormal ends up entangled in a satanic plot to end the world. TBT is one of the very best docu-drama podcasts and is perfect for long journeys/ binge listening.
6. Sawbones: A Martial Guide of Misguided Medicine
Sawbones is brought to us by Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin (Adventure Zone, My Brother, My Brother and Me) and is a really fun podcast series about the history of medicine. Each episode covers an obscure topic like Laughing or Hiccups, Sydnee is a GP so the dynamics between her and Justin (who plays fairly dumb) are interesting and comedic. If you like history and laughing then this one’s for you. I like this podcast because I can pick random episodes to listen to and it’s inoffensive and doesn’t require much engagement, so perfect for bedtime or cleaning or whatever.
The Bright Sessions is a fictional serial podcast about people with extraordinary gifts. This one is for all you comic book and superhero fans. It follows the story of physciatrist Dr Bright, in the beginning, each episode is dedicate to a different session with a patient, and as time goes on the lens and the plot widens, enthralling all these people into violence, conspiracy and struggle. It is a really great podcast if you like exampling the imperfections of humans, and if you’re into a bit of drama and sci fi.
So here are some of my favourite podcasts, please get in touch with some recommendations, I am always (especially as winter creeps in) looking for new spooky, docu-dramas and historical podcasts to binge on.
Bridget Hart 