Seasonal Podcast Recommendation: The Lovecraft Investigations

To my great surprise, I've never recommended Julian Simpson's trilogy of Lovecraft reworkings that go under the umbrella title of "The Lovecraft Investigations". They are using the old "fake true mystery podcast" format to mix elements of HPL's original tales, occult history, all kinds of forteana, and certain recurring motifs of Simpson's audioplay work in delightful ways.

But listen for yourself:

Audiodrama Recommendation: Apocalypse Songs

I more or less stumbled upon this fine, five-part audiodrama from New Zealand that seems to have made little splash even in the world of non-corporate audiodrama in podcast form.

It mixes a lot of elements that are very much catnip to me: the fake documentary format, the traces of a one cassette "outsider artist"-type musician, strange prophecy through music, mental illness, and the weight of the past on people responsible for very little of it; hauntings without ghosts.

It's very well realized too, with mostly sharp and effective writing that never tries to do too much or too little with its material, and a highly effective soundscape, where the sound itself of old tapes becomes rather important.

Plus, the music we hear does actually sound and feel a lot like what it is supposed to be, providing an extra layer of reality to the story.

Horror Movie Talk Recommendation

I don't think I've ever written or said anything about Mick Garris as a director that wasn't negative or downright rude. However, he's clearly a personable man, and turns that virtue into being a great interviewer of people in creative fields, clearly managing to create the kind of environment that gets directors, actors and writers to talk relaxed, freely and honestly, while still having structured interviews instead of random rambles, with just the right questions that get his subjects to talk interestingly.

So his always resurrecting (really, the show's like Hammer's version of Dracula in that regard) interview podcast Post Mortem is something not to be missed by anyone.

This is apparently the landing page for the podcast right now. It comes highly recommended for anyone who likes, loves, adores (etc) horror and has a degree of interest in how the movie sausage gets made.

Yet another podcast recommendation

"The Battersea Poltergeist" is a serialized BBC audiodrama in the fake documentary vein, because POV horror still rules the horror audiodrama podcast world. It's not as great as the BBC's Lovecraft Investigations - the writing's simply not as sharp and inventive - but its greatest hits mix of British paranormal favourites is still a lot of fun, particularly on a BBC budget that can afford actors like the great Toby Jones.

And another podcast recommendation

People with my literary tastes probably already know the wonderful YouTube channel HorrorBabble, that has been producing fine readings of all kinds of older (and some new) weird and horror fiction. There's the typical assortment of Lovecraft, Howard, Smith and James, of course, but the story selection often goes into less obvious and very interesting directions, with writers like Bloch or Sologub, or some really obscure pulp writers.

The only downside for me until now was the awkwardness of YouTube for pure audio formats. So I'm clearly the core audience for HorrorBabble's new podcast that does the same thing but in a more convenient manner.

A podcast recommendation

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you have probably realized that I harbour a particular love for British weird fiction from the Edwardian era that's nearly as large as the one I have for the strain of weird fiction coming from the US pulps (which was of course influenced by the British way of doing things).

The wonderful audiodrama podcast "The Strange Tales of Virgil Kaylock" puts itself quite consciously into the same tradition, though not without certain markers when it comes to social norms and mores that clearly show it to be a product of the Now (which is a good thing), hitting my personal sweet spot between the Then and the Now rather well. The tales are also simply very effective and highly satisfying stories of horror, well-paced, and atmospherically written.

Productionwise, this is not an amateur production, but features professional acting, a soundtrack made explictly for the show, as well as way above average foley (often a weakness in even well-funded audio dramas, and yes, I'm looking at you, QCode).

If you want to hear more, you only need to click on yet another handy link.