Cool things I listen to (and so should you) Part 1

In my long spans of transport to my workplace destination it is essential that I find meaningful ways to pass my time. Audiobooks and podcasts are my roadway companions and help me squeeze in so many awesome stories I might not have time to read otherwise. If you are looking for a great way to pass your time on the road here are my recommendations:

 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies is not only a great podcast, it is also a great literary online magazine that has been nominated for a Hugo award several times.  What I like best about this podcast is that the featured short story is usually told in less than an hour. Great for my commute as my ride is one hour to work and one hour home. Sometimes I can squeeze 3 stories into one day. Obviously, some stories are much better than others but recently I have listened to the following gems: "A Salvaging of Ghosts" by Aliette de Bodard (I also recommend listening to "The Breath of War" by the same author), "Whale Oil" by Sylvia Victor Linsteadt, and "The Sweetest Skill" by Tony Pi.

The Loaded Couch is a fun variety show that talks about a lot of the things I love: beer, movies, TV shows, video games, and general nonsense. You can always count on these guys to talk intelligently without taking themselves to seriously. They keep me on top of what's new in the video game/console world while making me laugh at the same time.  There are 5 guys on the cast and they have a great dynamic. I especially enjoy the host-with-the-most, ScotchHound. He is so articulate in his opinions and provides meaningful insight, not to mention he is a total babe. He is also my husband but I would think that even if he wasn't.

Tales to Terrify is nothing short of a treasure trove of fantastic stories. You can reach in again and again over a span of years, and you just never know what kind jewel you will get. Over the last few weeks, they have been posting the short stories currently nominated for a 2016 Bram Stoker Award. So far the featured nominees include: "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" by Alyssa Wong, "The Algernon Effect" by Gene O'Neill, and my personal favorite, "Sing Me Your Scars" by Damien Angelica Walters.  Not to say the others weren't worthy nominees, I really loved Alyssa Wong's story as well but "Sing Me Your Scars" just captured the essence of what I love in a good horror tale at it's most classic.

History of Westeros is basically a podcast hosted by a couple of superfans obsessed with George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.  Naturally I love it.  Some of the shows can be a little long winded (2 hours or more) but they also have a great cache of shorter episodes. The hosts clearly do their research and love getting carried away talking about the series. Another thing we have in common. I am always up for a good theorycrafting and predictive analysis and there is plenty of that to go around in this podcast for the ASOIAF obsessed.

The Wicked Library is another treasure chest full of scary/strange little stories.  As a huge fan of The Twilight Zone, this podcast played on all the things I find pleasing.  Listening to TWL gives me a sense of nostalgia, like tuning into an old radio show. There are so many more stories worth listening to but I definitely recommend listening to: "The Screenplay" by Chuck Rakiecz, Et al, "Christmassacre" by Various Authors (there are a few of these), and "Wicked Things" featuring Neil Gaiman's, "The Price" (as well as stories by Daniel Foytik and Nelson W. Pyles). 

Just because it's awesome, here is some great cover art

I will follow this post up with a recommended audio book listening list. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and go subscribe to these awesome podcasts. You may even thank me for one or two of them. :)