Audiodrama Recommendations
Since I see so many requests for recommendations (mainly on the Audiodrama Subreddit) and make plenty of my own requests 😚
I decided a few months back that it seemed the least I could do was to pay the kindness forward (for all the times y’all have supplied me with suggestions).
Before browsing my list- I think it’s important to have a general idea of what kind of person the AD-lover is before getting your hopes up by their recommendations- because, taste is subjective, no? 😉☺️🌟
So, to me, audio drama is defined by having a full-cast of talented voice actors who’s job is to bring a well-written script to life. It is my opinion that *narration* has *no place* in audio drama **unless** it’s *absolutely essential* to the development of the plot as the script requires.
I’m a lover of all things **surreal** ( favorite Artist? Salvador Dalí, favorite author? Rob Shearman 🫠)- I have LOTS of weird sci-fi/horror/thriller/mystery AD’s under my belt.. (I have literally cleaned out the entire *Big Finish Audio* catalogue. 😳)
I grew up on horror everything - I was 5 when I saw *Poltergeist* 👀 so… and was reading my parents Stephen King books in elementary school 😅🙈🤷🏻♀️ - by the time I hit highschool I had watched every horror film in Blockbuster (wow I am old 🤦🏻♀️) - from the classics like *Psycho* & The Exorcist to the cheesy 80s b-roll slasher films 🙈😂🤣.
That said - I am an equal opportunity listener and I love many shades of comedy dramas. Though I do prefer my comedy to have a bit of *bite* to it.. 😅 and I’m not here for narration. Full cast audiodrama with sound production is my thing. 😅😉😘
as an adult I am partial to UK/Australian/Canada based entertainment. Even though I have lived in NYC my whole life 🤷🏻♀️
And here’s the list (I am sure I have forgotten about the audios from before I began this list - so feel free to add to it in the comments)
NOTE- most links take you to Spotify, some exceptions include the BBC SOUNDS app & audible
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Horror/sci-fi thriller/supernatural thrillers (simplified into “more-serious audiodrama”)
—Restart : by the creators of **The Cypher**
— Children of the Stones : (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi/thriller-mystery full cast audio drama.
—The Piper - (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi detective mystery/horror story (full cast audio drama)
— Jackie the Ripper : the infamous 19th century Whitechapel murders retold with some very sociologically-relevant, feminist twists. I debated whether to place this in the comedy or sci-fi/horror section because, technically, it’s a brilliantly British & even mix of both. Description from their website: “in this modern twist, men are the victims of dark, sexually aggressive murders. The kind that leave them penis-less... Behind all the bloodshed is a woman, Jackie, a ruthless serial killer ready to strike again, and again, and again….without a single ounce of remorse and ready to share it all on social media.”
— BODY HORROR (BBC) : psychological mystery thriller (contrary to the title of the piece, it’s not even remotely in the body horror subgenre lol - no gore or any talk of blood 🩸 because it’s not necessary - this one cuts deep, in particular for any1 who’s suffered from issues of identity or body-image disorders).
—In Another Room : paranormal investigation turned straight-horror
—Fulmar’s Folly uk-based post-apocalyptic water world
— Red Valley : surrealist-sci-fi-thriller-horror full cast UK audio drama. BRILLIANT plot & a few thought-provoking mysteries. S1 & 2 end w/ incredible twists & had me in tears one moment; and laughing the next. S3 is in the making & will be it’s final season; completing the story.
— Lusus - (BBC)- *like* an anthology (which I am not really into anthologies unless they are super original 😅) but if you *pay attention*, each very different story is linked. Each episode is unique in its own subgenre of the horror/mystery category.
—5 Week Countdown
— Murmurs (BBC) high-concept, surrealistic sci-fi-horror
—Limelight - another BBC AD: composed of mini-serials. My personal favorites are English Rose (5 part mini-series) ,The System series 1 (6 parts) & 2 (5 parts), Dead Hand (5 part mini-series, each episode a half an hour run-time), & Steelheads (5 parts)
—**Weird Tales** : (BBC) Some of these were just phenomenal. They ease you in with *The Fly* (not associated with the movie) and then they dial up the psychological fear-factor times 10 for *The Loop* - which was my favorite of the entire series. But they are all great (though the framing device is lazy & unnecessary)
— Malevolent : an indie lovecraftian tale
— Dashing Onions Audio : I read a review while Google searching best audiodrama - the mini series When We Were Two (3 part mini-series) was a perfect recommendation- this is how *every* Twilight Zone episode should have been. Upstairs, Upstairs was good just too short. Customs is a master class in script editing. Overall I prefer their mini series.
— Video Palace : traditional horror story
— The Man in Black bought on audible the version with Mark Gatiss; listened to the OG version on the BBC SOUNDS app. ((Anthology-horror)) Each episode is the length of many modern podcasted-audiodrama’s full seasons.
— Dangerous Visions (BBC) Horror/thriller
— Forest 404 (bbc) sci-fi/fantasy-thriller; hard to actually put this one into a genre category..but it’s written by Timothy X Attack, & if you’re a fan of his work with **Big Finish Audio**, it’s worth ur time.
— The Message sci-fi/mystery/thriller
— LifeAfter sci-fi/mystery/thriller
— Archive 81 : ((i suggest u start with S3. If you like it, wither go back to S1 & continue in order, or stick with the “backwards” route; going from S3->S2->S1 😉))
— The Imperfection : award winning. Any more description will ruin it. Go in cold.
— Who Killed Alaska? : sci-fi/mystery/thriller w/elements of surrealism,dark comedy, & possibilities of the paranormal..?
— How I Died : ongoing sci-fi/mystery/horror-thriller
— The Cypher : truly a great mystery (or mysteries..?), definitely a futuristic, world. Sci-fi thriller. Also by the BBC but available on most podcasting apps like the other BBC AD’s I have recommended here (spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pocket Casts, a few are even available on audible)
— Petrified: Ireland based award winning full cast horror audio drama
— Subsister: A Real Podcast ongoing sci-fi mystery with multi-media/arg elements.
— The Deep Vault : made by the Archive 81 team. Fast paced true horror.
— The Oyster : this one I was apprehensive about & it was just… great. Cerebral, thought provoking, *moving*, psychologically-terrifying sci-fi. You will laugh & likely cry & feel your stomach fill with butterflies & it leaves a definite impression that lasts for days…
— Tracks (BBC) There are 5 different seasons - each could be listened to in isolation as they all have their own individual mysteries that are solved. All weird sci-fi, psychological thriller fiction
—Steal the Stars (renamed STORIES FROM THE STARS) : a shortened version (and obviously far more streamlined in storyline, production etc) of Archive 81 but here the writing shines, the pacing is absolute perfection - and then it’s like a roller coaster that I didn’t see coming - that ending I was so, so unprepared for 🤯🫢🤐
— Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night (can be found under the feed “Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail” - which is the 2nd season of the series) : I am not into the DC/Marvel universe. The last super-hero movie I saw was the 1990’s Batman movies 😳. I knew literally *nothing* about Wolverine, the character, when I finally caved into trying this…and boy, am I glad I did. This AD serves as yet another reminder of how holding onto preconceived notions only limits one’s potential for enjoyment. Anyway… this is absolutely not for children, & not an origin story (which is what I had been expecting). I was shocked to hear that the titular character (the term “Wolverine” is never used. It took a bit of googling for me to see that the missing “Logan” = Wolverine) is played by none other than Richard Armitage (who I know most recently from his spine-tingling portrayal of Rassilon in the Gallifrey Time War boxsets) and oddly enough, said-titular-character has very, very few lines/appearances in this story. I could go on, & on, & on trying to sell the idea of what this thing is & why it deserves your time - but it’s easy enough to just Google..
— St. Mary’s School for Children with the Stigmata
— The Grove : short serialized mythological horror story (obviously full cast)
—The Deca Tapes : almost like an experimental ARG-type formula? Basically you are dropped into a futuristic sociological experiment of sorts- and it’s up to the listener to figure out wtf is going on. This one has narration but it’s integral to the storytelling.
— BOOM (by Stak) : From their website: “It's 1999 and Enron finance manager Jim Yang has received an email from the future.”
—Parkdale Haunt* ((*I found the first season to be almost intolerable due to the very slow opening and pacing issues - but when it gets going it is good. I get the impression that they were finding their feet so-to-speak)) a supernatural horror story- seasons 2 & 3 are great - season 1 is a treck so if you don’t have the patience or tolerance, I advise skipping this one
—The Bright Sessions* (slow the 1st season. But worth it come the AM Archives)
—SCP: Find Us Alive : a darkly comedic horror serial set in the SCP universe but doing something CREATIVE within it
—The Sink: A Sleep Aid (BBC) immersive experience in psychological horror
—Case 63 : a short, professionally recorded, concisely-written psychological thriller
—Blood Culture : horror/sci-fi serial
—Quiet Part Loud : by Jordan Peele. This is a must listen.
—Tomorrow’s Monsters : serialized horror/sci-fi thriller
—Eliza : A Robot’s Story : professionally recorded.
—Borrasca* : paranormal investigation turned horror series by Q-code so that in itself is an advertisement warning complete.
—Passenger List: slow burn mystery. Caitlin Le, an Asian college student from Kansas is attending university in NYC when news breaks of a plane going missing (ala the Malaysian airline’s mystery). As the “disaster” unfurls, she is surprised to discover her twin brother was on the flight from London to New York. Months later the airline announces a “bird strike” was responsible for the flight crash; despite the fact that no evidence of a crash has been found. Caitlin Le can’t move on until she knows what happened to her twin. Soon she uncovers multiple rabbit holes 🕳️ and she gets lost . Did she really ever truly know her twin brother?
— Batman Unburied : I’m not into the whole Marvel comics thing but this audio drama does something different with classic tropes
—Batman : The Audio Adventures : again, very well done. I was into the Gotham TV show for awhile - but that’s the only marvel/DC-spawned-entertainment that’s ever caught my attention. This is another one that works for both fans of the Batman and newbs alike
—The Secret of St. Kilda : this is more of a drama with some supernatural/mythical elements
—Give Me Away : I was torn whether to put this one in the comedy or serious section because it’s more of a “dramedy ”. And it’s scary because of what it says about society but not traditional horror. It’s also by the team who did *Steal the Stars*
—Paragon : an hour-length sci-fi/horror audio drama and is part of the PRIMORDIAL DEEP feed
—Wake of Corrosion : post-apocalyptic horror (ongoing)
—Quietly Yours : straight-up horror, bottle episodes (anthology of cinematic horror drama for the ears)
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Non-horror full cast audio drama (space operas, comedic serials, etc)
—Juno Steel : part of the Penumbra Podcast
—EOS 10 : comedic space opera
— Brimstone Valley Mall : dark comedy nostalgia fest
—We Fix Space Junk : comedic space opera
—Marscorp : comedic space opera
—Classified : Dark Comedy, triggers : mental illness/asylums
—Wooden Overcoats : dark comedy “sitcom”
—Mockery Manor : nostalgia-fueled dark comedy/mock/horror
—Eternal Strife : comedic serial
—Victoriocity : a less serious, less professional version of Jago & Litefoot
—Alba Salix : comedic serial fantasy
—Bubble : this one is a weird one because it is full cast and yet it has a designated narrator… so… 😏 give it a shot & if it doesn’t work for you probably give it a pass 😙
—The Candyman : Horror-comedy/parody - very indie but quite short and worth it 👏😂
—Human B-Gone : ongoing but so far so funny
—Two Flat-Earthers Kidnap a Free Mason: This one is definitely meant to be a farcical, satirical look at the internet conspiracy world (ie: the people who followed Alex Jones’ almost religiously lol) - it’s only 14 episodes in so far, and clearly ongoing… it’s not great but it works if you’re bored..? There are certain parts that would be really funny if the pacing had been better.
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Free Full Cast Audible Audio Dramas Worth Your Time (modern radio/audio drama & *FREE*)
—Space: 1969 (comedy/alternate reality) pieces of the description from the site: “What if President John F. Kennedy had survived and rocketed the Space Race of the 1960s into overdrive? And what if he was, maybe, not quite… himself? Space: 1969 is a retro sci-fi comedy adventure that has to be heard to be believed!”
—Heads Will Roll dark fantasy comedy
—Radioman (psych thriller/horror) from the site: “When a series of gruesome murders leaves a community in despair, a former local DJ decides to start a podcast and do something about it. But as his following grows, long-buried secrets from the past resurface revealing not everyone is who they truly seem....”
—The Method (serial killing actor- intense)from the site: “James Patterson leads you into the darkest recesses of the mind with this chilling, immersive audio thriller. We meet Brent Quill, a frustrated actor trying to take his game to the next level. When he learns about the intensive Method acting process, he dives in deep—and immediately lands the lead role in a TV series about a brutal serial killer.”
—The Catchers (straight horror/paranormal possibly cryptid) from the site: “Catchers is a small-town horror tale with all the charm of a classic ‘80s creature-feature, updated for the modern era.”
—Self Center (dark comedic horror; social relevancy)
—Hit Job (dark comedy)
—The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ Rivals (what it says on the tin - but very funny as well as delivering good mysteries)
—Tribulation : religion trigger warning. Interesting idea - religious cult on an AM broadcast is using electricity to “steal” people and force them into “tribulation”…
—High Strangeness : Doctor Who meets X-Files & Stranger Things - very good; very funny
—Apocalypse Untreated : “five mentally ill teenagers in an inpatient wilderness program during the apocalypse face not only the end of the world, but also the end of their prescriptions. Now, they have to figure out what’s real and what’s just a side effect, and keep their wits about them as they fight for their lives and their minds. Apocalypse Untreated is a multi-part, post-apocalyptic thriller brought to life with world class sound design, and performance.”
—Sorry Charlie Miller : another one w/Zachary Quinto (the protagonist/antagonist of The Method) but this is a modern comedy - from the website “Sorry Charlie Miller is a Tik Tok era mystery with twists, turns, and a whole lot of questionable fashion choices. It takes place in Florida, hello.” - so yeah, for me it depends on the time of the day and time of the month. It’s good for the right time basically 😂
—Sheltered : British humor - very bingeable just wish there was more 😔 Description from the site: “It’s been centuries since Armageddon and no one has ever left the bunker that has sustained what remains of civilised human life....When innocent simpleton Gary and social climber Veronica are sent to explore the world outside, they soon regret ever leaving the safety, soft furnishings and quilted toilet paper of Fallout Shelter 7421.”
—Sour Hall : magical horror staring Pearl Mackie (aka: Bill from the Capaldi years of Doctor Who, also the protagonist of AD Forest 404)
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Can you rank the cast from most dominating to most submissive
These are based off my own views of the characters; if you don’t agree then that is your own view. Don’t bring drama or debate, it’ll get deleted and you’ll get blocked.
I didn't quite follow the assignment to the letter but take this.
Teruko: Switch but often acts like a mistrusting dom.
Xander: Switch but often ends up subbing depending on the partner. He'll dom if asked.
Charles: Sub, big old subby bitch. Cannot see him as a dom at all unless it's power bottom. Hello? You seen this guy? How easily flustered he is? and knows nothing about sex? Final verdict is sub.
Ace: Subby fucking bitch boy because he can't keep control of a situation ever. Too skittish
Arei: Switch but prefers dom because likes being in control of a situation and doesn't like relinquishing that control.
Rose: Dom, she's very passive either way but she's used to taking care of others.
Eden: Sub, sub. Eden is a sub. Look at her and try to tell me different. Dissect her personality and mannerisms and try to fucking tell me this girl doms. She does not. She wants a woman to Take Care Of Her.
Hu: Dom, she likes taking care of others.
Levi: Solid Switch, completely indifferent to being Dom or Sub. Both options have their bonus's however.
Arturo: Sub, Sub. Weak ass sub of a beanpole man. Next fucking question.
Min: Complete fucking sub. Next.
David: Switch. Yea I see yall side eyeing me but shut the fuck up and listen. David likes control of the situations he's in but only because he's been thrust into a position to have to compensate for that. This man wants to be understood by someone enough to be able to feel safe. That Is A Switch. So can he do either? Yes. Does he lean one or the other? Depends on the partner. Mans is a switch.
Veronika: Switch. This doesn't need explanation. If you can't perceive it then that's a you issue.
J: Sub, sub. Big sub energy. Easily flustered. Huge fucking brat. Would love control of the situation but caves easy because she can't keep hold of that control in a consensual bedroom setting. Weak to her partner. Moving on.
Whit: Switch. Big fucking tease. Completely indifferent to who doms or subs. Fine with either. Will do both. Very adaptable to the situation of bedroom intimacy.
Nico: Sub. Wants to be taken care of and made to feel safe. Not confident in having control of a situation and would need more confidence to dom. Currently too nervous of intimate situations to do so.
Mai: Switch, tends to Dom more often then Sub.
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