Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 28th August 2020
Sometimes, when shadows stretch and the house is quiet, I hear voices. They tell me about ghosts and creatures of the night. They whisper sinister tales making my skin crawl. Sometimes they even tell me to do things, like watch certain movies or read specific books. Where do these strange voices come from? Podcasters, of course. But I like to call them Scary’s Voices.
It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Sound Bites, where I highlight the best podcasts I’ve heard through the week. Here’s a quick breakdown of my rating system:
Scream of the Week – only one podcast can take this spot each week, and it represents the very best of what’s haunted my earbuds, like a 5-Star rating.
Shivers – these shows are great, and not only do I recommend you give them a listen, but I’ve marked them down to listen to again in the future.
Goosebumps – podcasts I liked and will probably try again, but they didn’t quite knock my socks off.
If I listen to something that didn’t make me scream, give me shivers or even goosebumps, they won’t be listed here.
Now let’s get to it!
My Scream of the Week goes to:
Don’t Fuck With The Original
Do you believe in the ghosts? I do, and that’s one of the reasons I started listening to Don’t Fuck With The Original podcast over a year ago. This week I listened to Episode 81, where hosts Becky and Casper shared paranormal experiences from their recent visit to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky. I’ve always wanted to go to Waverly and am even more eager now after hearing Becky and Casper’s experiences there with shadowy figures, disembodied voices, as well as capturing video of a toy ball being moved by unseen hands (which they kindly posted on social media).
But this podcast covers so much more than just haunted hot spots. In a fun, conversational tone, these entertaining hosts also delve into horror movie reviews and discuss infamous true crimes. What always keeps me coming back to Don’t Fuck With The Original, is that it feels like hanging out with friends. While listening I often catch myself agreeing out loud with something they’ve said and even break out into giggle fits along with them.
You can catch new episodes every Wednesday, which range in length from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Learn more about them here: @DFWTO8811
Now for the Shivers!
Acting on a suggestion by talented author Michael Sellars, I gave a listen to Books in the Freezer, a bi-weekly horror book podcast. In Episode 72, host Stephanie and guest Todd Schlosser (aka The Horror Virgin) take a deep look into My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. Not only did they cover the basic plot of the novel, but they examined character arcs, thematic elements, and even fan theories. With great sound quality and a fantastic balance between Stephanie and Todd, I’ll be rooting through Books in the Freezer to find more excellent content. Most episodes are an hour or less, and I highly recommend stopping by their website: www.bookinthefreezer.com
If you’ve ever read Visions From Beyond The Dave on Kendall Reviews, you’ll know that its creator David Sodergren is a huge fan of discussing off-beat horror movies (and if you haven’t, then you should). So, when David suggested I check out the Kill by Kill Podcast, I couldn’t resist. I started with an episode on the 1994 movie Wolf, starring Jack Nicholson, and am so glad I did! Hosts Patrick Hamilton and Gina Radcliffe, joined by guest Patrick Willems, examine the film, including how the era in which it was created influenced the storyline. The hosts wrap up the episode by selecting which of the movie’s kills would be their favoured way to die. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to take a dive into Kill by Kill’s newest series “Dish by Dish” where they focus on the cuisine of the TV series Hannibal. Find out more at: www.killbykill.simplecast.com
I also had a suggestion from gifted writer Lee Franklin to join the congregation at Creepy Cove Community Church Podcast. This was probably the most bizarre thing I’ve listened to, but I liked it. Ordained church minister Peter Laws describes the podcast as follows: “Imagine a church service, broadcast from a mysterious fishing town where all horror films are real. Imagine no more.” In each episode, which runs about 45 minutes, you’ll meet horror movie characters, be guided through a prayer/meditation, and hear a Christian Rock styled hymn. If you’re not religious, it’s still an entertaining podcast, take it from me as an atheist. New episodes are uploaded every 2 weeks and you can learn more at: @CreepyCove
And lastly, the Goosebumps.
For quite a while on Twitter, I’ve followed the evil genius known as Dr. Discord, and this week I listened to his podcast A Necessary Evil. “Episode 111: Swearing in Storytelling with Jabe” is sure to have you laughing and creating your own new curse words as Dr. Discord and his minion, Shpanky, have an interesting conversation with guest Jabe Stafford. You’ll learn how to effectively use swearing in your own fiction and dissect why certain curse words work better than others. Get your dose of evil by visiting the lair: www.villain.libsyn.com/website
After an introduction by Augie Peterson, I also checked out Spoop Hour. In episode “Summertime Spoopness,” hosts Sasha and Courtney talk about the movie Midsommar and discuss Summer Solstice rituals and observances such as Litha and Obon, as well as the urban legend of Poludnica. With interesting information and lots of puns, these goofy hosts tread on the lighter side of horror in segments ranging from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Take a closer look here: @spoophour
That’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!
If you’re a fan of a podcast you think will make me scream, or a podcaster trying to expand your listenership, let me know. You can reach me in this post’s comments section, or via 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’m looking forward to presenting you with even more Scary’s Voices next Friday.
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.
Her latest short story can be found in Don’t Open the Door: A Horror Anthology (out July 26, 2019), and other spooky tales can be found on her blog. She’s currently writing more short stories, a novel, and reading as many dark works as she can find.
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
Leave a Reply