{Scary's Voices} Sound Bites for November 26th

Scary’s Voices: Sound Bites for November 26th

Welcome back to Sound Bites where I highlight the best horror podcasts I’ve heard through the week. If you’re looking for content to haunt your earbuds, these podcasts are just what you need.

My Scream of the Week goes to:

Invasion of the Remake Podcast

“They are in your theaters, your neighbors’ homes, and even your own. They have come to destroy your childhood and ruin your future. Only one podcast can protect you from the Invasion of the Remake!” From this tag line alone, you get a pretty good sense of what Invasion of the Remake Podcast is all about, and the hosts Sam, Trish, and Jason do a fantastic job in guiding listeners through the murk of remakes, letting you know which ones stand up and which films to avoid.

Recently I listened to “Ep. 312 Last House on the Left (1972 vs. 2009)” and “Ep. 310 Maniac (1980 vs. 2012) with Breanna Whipple,” and they were both terrific. Episodes begin with the original films and go into how they were made, information on the cast, as well as talking about the original reception by critics and audiences. When discussions begin on the remakes, Invasion of the Remake Podcast really digs into what the new film brings (or at least attempted to bring) to moviegoers.

While most episodes revolve around horror and science fiction, no genre is off-limits when it comes to this show, so you can also enjoy discussions on films like The Lion King and True Lies. If you can’t get enough horror though, you should definitely check out episodes 315 and 316 where the hosts discuss the movies they each watched for the 31 Days of Horror Challenge.

There are a few other podcasts with a similar set-up to Invasion of the Remake Podcast but this show really stands out because of the awesome hosts. Sam, Trish, and Jason each bring something unique, from personal taste to specialized interest in certain areas of filmmaking, and their individual styles work together well by highlighting and contrasting points of view. They also add great touches of humour that horror fans are sure to love.

Invasion of the Remake Podcast episodes typically have runtimes of 1.5 to 2 hours. For links to all podcast platforms to find the show, check out their website www.invasionoftheremake.wixsite.com/podcast

Shiver-Worthy Runner-Up:

The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast

Earlier this year I read and thoroughly enjoyed “Zhiguai: Chinese True Tales of the Paranormal and Glitches in the Matrix” translated and edited by Yi Izzy Yu and John Yu Branscum. I loved learning about Chinese beliefs and superstitions that I hadn’t known of before, and it made me realise that I would probably greatly enjoy Chinese fiction. But where to start? Thankfully, I saw Yi Izzy Yu mention a podcast with the solution: The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast.

Hosted by Angus Stewart, this show examines all eras, genres, and ideologies of English translations of Chinese literature. While the podcast isn’t centred around horror, some of the episodes I’ve listened to have touched upon science fiction and dark literature, and I know some of you fine fiends like examining the crossroads of culture and fiction just as much as I do, so I think you’ll appreciate this show.

This week I caught two episodes: “Ep 62 – Liu Cixin and The Wandering Earth with Jairo Morales” and “Ep 61 – Chen Xiwo and The Book of Sins with Nicky Harman.” Both were excellent and the guests were terrific.

In Ep 62, Angus and Jairo examine “The Wandering Earth,” discuss the nuances of science fiction and how fiction is shaped by both the author’s and the reader’s cultural references. With Angus being from the UK and having spent time in China, and Jairo being from Peru, this was a fascinating discussion! And if like me, you’re looking for more Chinese fiction recommendations, the episode brings those to the table as well.

In Ep 61, The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast talks to Nicky Harman, the translator for “The Book of Sins,” a collection of seven novellas which appear to be mostly dark literary fiction. This conversation was intriguing as the discussion touched upon censorship, taboos that are distinct in Chinese culture, as well as taboos that exist across the globe.

Each episode also includes a Chinese Fiction news segment, a word of the day, as well as musical pairings that match the tone of the literature being discussed. Episodes typically run about 2 hours long, and links to the news articles, episode transcripts, and more can be found in the show notes. The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast is available on most podcast platforms, or listen directly on Podbean www.trchfic.podbean.com

That’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!

As always, thanks so much to the awesome podcast listeners and creators who have been sending me terrific recommendations. Keep them 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 next Friday for more 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