Scary’s Voices: Paranormal Tales of Fact and Fiction
Post-Halloween blues have you feeling down in the graves? To fight back the latest Scary’s research suggests you should ingest horror podcast episodes and repeat as needed. There’s nothing better to lift a gloomy spirit than tales of ghosts, cryptids, and other beings lurking in the shadows. To get you back to peak phantasmic form, I offer you the finest selection of paranormal stories, some based on fact and others merely inspired by what could be out there in the ether.
The Battersea Poltergeist
True paranormal encounters have been an obsession of mine since I was a kid, and even with all the stories I’ve heard, The Battersea Poltergeist on BBC Radio 4 absolutely blew me away. In this podcast, journalist and host Danny Robins re-examine the disturbing incidents of the Battersea Poltergeist which took place in South London in the 1950s.
Using case notes from the original paranormal investigator Harold Chibbett, this series presents dramatic re-enactments of activity experienced by the Hitchings Family, plus includes real interview segments with Shirley Hitchings who seemed to be the centre of the poltergeist activity. Robins also talks about the case with experts Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow.
Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, The Battersea Poltergeist is a fantastic series sure to have you second-guessing every bump you hear in the night. Episodes are available on most streaming platforms or listen directly on the BBC’s website The Story Of The Battersea Poltergeist
Uncanny
Seems that Danny Robins isn’t done with the world of the paranormal just yet, as he launched a new podcast called Uncanny on October 20, also on the BBC. While working on the Battersea case, Robins began collecting experiences from other people and is now investigating their claims.
So far episodes have looked into poltergeist activity in a student dormitory, a haunted farmhouse, and even an eyewitness account of a UFO. Just as with the Battersea case, Uncanny provides a balanced look at the unexplained as Danny Robins discusses the experiences with skeptics and believers.
I absolutely adored The Battersea Poltergeist and thus far Uncanny has equally captured my attention and has managed to raise the hair on my neck more than a couple times. You can find Uncanny on most podcast platforms or listen directly on the BBC’s website Uncanny
Espooky Tales
One of my favourite things about the internet age is that you can connect with people and learn about cultures from all over the globe. Inviting you into the world of Latinx ghost stories and folklore are Cristina and MJ with their podcast Espooky Tales.
It’s like hanging out with friends listening to this show and their guests have been excellent too. From presenting listener experiences to talking about their own encounters, Cristina and MJ have a fantastic balance of being spooky and adding in some laughs. They recently dropped an episode about duendes (super-creepy gnome-like creatures) which was excellent, and I’m looking forward to hearing their latest which dives into haunted fortresses.
New episodes drop every Friday, with typical runtimes of less than an hour. Espooky Tales is available on most podcast platforms, and they also offer great blog posts with additional information and links to resources for episode subjects on their website www.espookytales.com
The Hauntings of Elgin Barrett
If fictional ghosts are more your style, The Hauntings of Elgin Barrett should be in your playlist. From the premier episode “Annie’s Oak” I knew I had stumbled on something special. The story centres on property developers who go back on their word, destroying a tree on their Sheffield building site and unleashing a powerful entity. Not only was this a fantastically creepy tale, but the audio production was top-notch.
In September the podcast entered season two and the chills just keep coming with new frightful tales added every two weeks. Even though the spooky season is officially over, I highly recommend listening to “A Gift For Halloween” a story of love, obsession, and possession. Or, if you’d rather test your mettle, join a trio of hooligans as they break into a derelict building in “The Safe House.”
All episodes of The Hauntings of Elgin Barrett are written by Elgin Barrett and narrated by professional actors. Stories range from 30 minutes to an hour, and can be found on most podcast platforms or on the website www.thehauntingsofelginbarrett.com
The Night’s End Podcast
Blending narration and audio drama formats The Night’s End Podcast delivers chills and thrills one short story at a time. What I enjoy most is the variety of stories which range from quiet and mournful tales such as “Circle-Route” (written by Jamie D. Munro, narrated by James Barnett) to slasher-genre vibes in “Murder Maze” (written by Jonathan Reddoch, narrated by David Martinez). The level of writing, narration and audio effects are superb in every episode.
Recently The Night’s End Podcast presented 6 special Halloween themed stories which I urge you to listen to if you haven’t yet. Starting with “Treats” (written by Ian A. Bain, narrated by Erika Ventura) through to “Tiny Town” (written by Robert P. Ottone, narrated by Drew Sebesteny) the entire series of Halloween Special ’21 is terrifically haunting.
The Night’s End Podcast is created and produced by the incredibly talented James Barnett (aka Jimmy Horrors). If you think you have the writing chops to make it to the night’s end, submissions are now open for Season 3 as well as Christmas themed horrors. Submission details, as well as links to all episodes, can be found on their website www.nightsendpodcast.com
And that’s a wrap for my collection of Paranormal Tales of Fact and Fiction!
Sound Bites, my regular Friday segment of podcast recommendations, is returning this week, and, as always, I’m on the lookout for your suggestions to add to my playlist. So, keep your recommendations coming via the comments section below, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember, I’m all about scary things and spooky podcasts are what I’m after. Content focused on reviewing horror movies and horror books, true paranormal encounters, facts about cryptids, true crimes, and original scary stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Can’t wait to listen to all the dark podcasts you fine fiends suggest, and I hope you’ll join me again for Sound Bites.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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