Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 5th February 2021
Welcome to back 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.
Since it’s Women in Horror Month, all February long I’ll be celebrating the femmes of fear by listening to shows either hosted by women or discussing horror created by women.
My Scream of the Week goes to:
Geist
Back in the day, when I used to spend my weekends sitting in dark rooms of strangers’ houses trying to communicate with the dead, I met another paranormal investigator named Glenn Laycock. Last week he sent me a link to a podcast episode where he and his wife Wendy (also a fantastic investigator) talked about experiences and evidence they’ve collected over the years. The show was called Geist, and it was terrific!
After listening to episode “The Helpers,” I scrolled through previous episodes and also listened to “We’re Still Here” where Glenn and Wendy talked about the haunting in their own home. I enjoyed them so much, I had a little binge-fest of the other true ghost stories on Geist.
Host Danielle Matar does a fabulous job asking questions about firsthand encounters with the paranormal, and inserts information explaining terms that listeners may not be familiar with. Even as someone well versed in these terms, I enjoyed hearing her comprehensive definitions.
From haunted houses to Ouija boards, and everything in between, Danielle covers a range of otherworldly experiences, told in such a way that even my hair was standing on end. Some of the episodes even contain clips of audio evidence of voices from beyond the veil.
If the paranormal interests you, I highly recommend checking out Geist. Bi-weekly episodes are approximately half an hour long, and can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Links to all streaming platforms, plus a submission form to tell Danielle your own ghostly encounter, can all be found on their website. www.geistpodcast.com
Shiver-Worthy Runners-Up:
Humanoids From The Deep Dive
One movie that immediately comes to mind during Women in Horror Month is Jennifer’s Body, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. Luckily, I happened to find it as the subject on a podcast I’ve been meaning to check out for a while, Humanoids From The Deep Dive.
In “Episode 06: Succubi/Jennifer’s Body,” host Jeff Ewing, and guests Nolan McBride and Emily von Seele, engaged in a fascinating and entertaining discussion, combining a review of the film as well as looking at the mythology of these female demons. Since the episode really is a deep dive, I highly recommend seeing the movie prior to listening.
Every other Monday, Humanoids From The Deep Dive explores the history and folklore behind the monsters featured in different films, such as Djinn lore in Wishmaster, and Lovecraftian entities in Re-Animator and From Beyond. As a fan of monsters and monster movies, this is a podcast I won’t be missing. Take a listen for yourself via Podbean www.hdeepdive.podbean.com
Talking Scared Podcast
My first introduction to Women in Horror literature was through the subgenre of gothic horror. Filled with rich atmosphere and supernatural elements, it’s always held a special place in my heart. So, I was delighted to come across an episode of Talking Scared Podcast where host Neil McRobert delved into all things gothic with author Laura Purcell.
Spiritual Mediums, silhouette portraits, and the dark side of the Victorian era are just a few points discussed, as Purcell takes listeners behind the scenes of writing her latest book The Shape of Darkness. McRobert keeps his guest on her toes with questions that dig into the heart of fears both off and on the page.
Perfect for readers of dark fiction, Talking Scared Podcast is terrific to learn more about your favourite horror writers as well as finding authors that may have escaped your radar. New episodes are released every week, typically running between 1 to 1.5 hours in length, and you can find them all via Buzzsprout www.talkingscared.buzzsprout.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 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.
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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