By Maddie Sievers
As a commuter student, I spend a lot of time in my car, on the bus, and walking around campus. While listening to music is great, it can get a little monotonous after a while. To change things up, I began listening to podcasts, which are a great way to fill this time and to learn new and interesting things. I am a true-crime and horror fan, so naturally I gravitate towards these categories when choosing podcasts. Here are four of my favorite podcasts that you should be listening to, too, if you enjoy podcasts or either one of these genres.
Lore
“Sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.”
That’s the catchphrase of my all-time favorite podcast, Lore, which is the reason I started listening to podcasts in the first place. Lore is all about folklore and supernatural stories throughout history. Each episode focuses on a different chilling subject, such as the origins of the mythical werewolf, historical witchcraft accusations, real life vampirism, and the spiritualist movement. The creator, Aaron Mahnke, is a horror novelist who thoroughly researches whichever subject he is covering, making the episodes impeccably grounded in truth yet pieced together as an incredibly well-told story.
Mahnke himself narrates each episode, with the odd cadence of his voice contributing to the spookiness of the stories he tells. Underlying the narrative is the hauntingly beautiful music of pianist Chad Lawson. New episodes are released every other Monday and last about 45 minutes. One nice thing about this podcast is that there are no breaks for ads, but rather they are all at the very end. If you decide to stick around, there is a brief bonus portion of the episode after the ads.
Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities
After receiving great renown from Lore, Aaron Mahnke launched his second podcast last year. Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, while in my opinion is not as good as Lore, tells very brief stories of bizarre situations and chilling coincidences throughout history. Each episode is only ten minutes long, making it the perfect podcast to listen to while walking from class to class or while riding the bus. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, and consist of two short and sweet stories that are more upbeat and certainly not as sinister as Lore.
Up and Vanished
My second favorite podcast comes from Tenderfoot TV. The media company hit it big when founder Payne Lindsey, a documentary filmmaker by trade, turned the interviews he gathered while investigating a cold case into a podcast. The first season explores the disappearance of Georgia teacher Tara Grinstead, whose case had gone unsolved for nearly twelve years. Through countless interviews, visits to locations tied to the case, and even the use of cadaver dogs, Payne and his team shed new light on a different missing persons case each season, even going so far as to contribute to arrests. Two seasons have been released so far with more in sight, making Up and Vanished an exciting podcast to follow along with.
Atlanta Monster/Monster: The Zodiac Killer
Another of my favorite podcasts is the Monster series by Tenderfoot TV and How Stuff Works. Similar to Up and Vanished, this show digs deeper into notorious yet controversial serial killer cases from many years ago. The first season, Atlanta Monster, explores the many theories that exist surrounding the alleged perpetrator of the Atlanta Child Murders. Monster: The Zodiac Killer is the second season that just concluded, which debunks myths and discusses the many unknowns of the infamous Zodiac Killer. This is a thrilling podcast that brings awareness to the way mass murder cases are handled and the media attention they receive.
Cover Image Credit: The New York
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