Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

Spurred on by a conversation on discord with @Lailyn and @Menolly, I've decided that what the Plaza desperately, absolutely, without a doubt, for sure (meaning maybe, maybe not) was a thread for audio drama recommendations. Now I know there is a thread for general podcast recommendations out there, but this one is going to be different in a couple of ways. One, it's mine (the previous thread wasn't and I don't feel comfortable resurrecting it and repurposing someone else's stuff) and it will focus on audio dramas in particular rather than just podcasts. I lovelovelovelove podcasts so don't think I'm disparaging anything out there that isn't audio drama. I love all forms of auditory entertainment.

That being said, what is this thread going to be? Who is Bear? Why audio dramas? Why recommendations?

Well, Bear is me, of those of you somehow not in the know.

Audio dramas have, by and large, replaced TV and movies for me and with the nature of my work and social life (ie lack thereof) it makes sense that I fill in the time by starting to listen to the 100s and 100s of stories out there in the audiosphere. No, that is not an exaggeration. Being the kind of person I am, I didn't just start with one and go on about my merry day. No, I dove into the deep end. I listen to 80 - 90 episodes of audio dramas a week, again no it's not an exaggeration.

I want to recommend some to you fine folx because perhaps you are looking to supplement your drive to work, your run, your empty time staring at walls, or looking for some inspiration in your own writing. I know it's not everyone's favorite medium and that's perfect okay. But it might be for some people and they just don't realize it yet. That's where I can roll in and offer up my unasked for services!

Each week I'll offer up a few audio dramas of varying genres for people to try. Now, I am not an authority within the audiosphere at all so if you feel like adding a recommendation of your own, go for it! If you don't like my recommendations, that's cool too, I know that not everyone will like the same thing, if you don't like my assessment of shows, that's cool too. And as always, people are more than welcome to chatter about whatever shows or episodes they want. I long for the days we can talk about an episode of The Magnus Archives with as much passion as we talk about The Falcon and the Winter Solider.

Without further ado, the first week's recommendations:
1) The Magnus Archives - A serial horror podcast that has recently wrapped up with 200 episodes! It has a wide and diverse cast of characters and monsters (you might see some inspiration for my own characters in here). This was the first horror podcast I really started listening to and have thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
2) The Far Meridian - This drama podcast is my favorite, bar none. I am completely biased here but I love it with all my heart. A girl in a lighthouse that shows up in a new place every day goes to look for her brother. It's understated beauty.
3) Wooden Overcoats - This comedy sitcom podcast might be the funniest, quirkiest show I've ever listened to. It's silly and ridiculous but it has heart and warmth. Let's put the "Fun" in funeral, shall we?
4) Marscorp - Another comedy podcast, but this one's IN SPAAAAAACE. It's silly and irreverent and full of flabbergastingly strange characters on a terraforming colony on Mars. Weirdness ensues.

Those are my first recommendations! What do you think of them? What do you like/dislike about podcasts? What kind of shows would you like to see here?

Thanks for starting this. I don't think I've listened to any audio dramas before. My attention sometimes wanders when listening to fictional stories for whatever reason, but I want try and I think listening to stories in shorter chunks rather than full audiobooks might help me with that. Another thing is that I love reading, but sometimes my eyes are so tired or I have a headache and I just don't have the energy but I still want the experience of a story. Those nights I always think I wish I had more audiobooks because I could close my eyes and just listen, unlike watching a screen. So this seems like a good middle ground. I'm excited!

I just downloaded the first four episodes of The Far Meridian because your summary really grabbed me. I will let you know how it goes!

Please do! The Far Meridian is one of my absolute favorites. I'm most of the way through the second season now and it just rips at me every new episode. I find that the characters really inform how I write my some of my own characters like Vipsania and Walpurga. I eagerly await your thoughts!

This weeks audio dramas for discerning listeners are...

1) Oz-9 - if you thought Marscorp was a ridiculous space farce, you don't know the half of it. Oz-9 is what happens when no one on board a ship knows how to do anything.
2) Stellar Firma - continuing the space farce genre, we have Stellar Firma! made by the same people that created Magnus Archives. Two idiots (not Reg and Fleeg) are in charge of creating designer planets. What can go wrong?
3) Alice Isn't Dead - created by the fantastic Welcome to Night Vale Studios, Alice Isn't Dead is the story of a woman searching for her wife across the strange hidden highways of the US.
4) The Dark Dice - technically an actual play podcast but it's very edited with lots of cinematic effects and sounds, and of course, the newest "season" of the show will be featuring the Jeff Goldblum.
5) Lesser Gods - a bleak future awaits, one in which humanity just can't have children anymore; so what happens to the last batch of children to be born?

It's time again for some more audio drama recommendations!

1) Attention Hellmart Shoppers - there's nothing sinister about a big box store called Hell-o Mart, is there? Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer mixed with the Office
2) A Voice from Darkness - I'm only about six episodes into this one, but it's genuinely creepy with a good episodic nature to the stories they weave
3) Among the Stars and Bones - evil AIs, xenoarcheology, and interpersonal issues. I loved this audio drama and it's epistolary style story telling
4) Arden - what happens when a serious wannabe reporter is forced to team up with a conspiracy loving ex cop to find a missing girl? D R A M A

I may be shouting at empty air, but all these podcasts deserve the attention so I will keep shouting!

1) The Call of the Void - little bit of cosmic horror, little bit of folk horror, Call of the Void is what horror in the Bayou should be
2) Blackwood - What happens with a town covers up the murders of the local "cryptid"?
3) Congeria - Sci-Fi Noir and fantastic at it, sadly only lasted a single story but damn what a story
4) EOS 10 - Star Trek lovers, what if DS9 was humorous? EOS 10 is the answer to that question

1) The Aldergate Paper - there's something strange going on at Aldergate University, and the new vice chancellor is determined to find out
2) Jarnsaxa Rising - the mother of Thor's children wants revenge
3) Uncanny County - a cornucopia of the weird and strange, don't get lost now
4) The Bunker - people still need entertainment after the apocalypse, from the makers of Marscorp

It's been a while! You know what this place needs? more audio dramas!!

1) The Strange Case of the Starship Iris - queer romance, government conspiracies, space pirates, what more could you want? This has been a running podcast for me and it has provided lots and lots of entertainment
2) Kaleideotrope - queer romance, radio shows, and the complex tropes behind our "favorite" dramas. This podcast is heartwarming, silly, and comforting to listen to.
3) Inkwyrm - you guessed it! queer romance, space politics, fashion magazines, and what it takes to be a good person when the world isn't ready for good people. I've listened and relistened to this podcast several times, it's one of my favorites, it has complex characters, motives, and situations. Highly recommend
4) Tendril: The Banshee Chronicles can you guess what it's about? Queer romance!! And space aliens, an investigative team, and all the baggage space lets you bring
5) Moonbase Theta, Out queer romance! I swear it's like a theme for this entry or something, plus government bureaucracy, the hazards of space life, and socialist rebellions! These episodes are short snippets of life in a moonbase that is getting shut down, but there's more going on that meets the eye
6) Caravan queer romance x10! weird west, demons vs heroes, and going through hell those you love (from the creator themself) Caravan is definitely the most 18+ podcast I've recommended, but it's seriously amazing and touching and important

As you can tell, there was a theme in this entry. Queer story telling. Audio Dramas are the best place to find it because, for better or worse, TV and film will continue to use us as a plot point or a sideshow or a caricature. Audio Dramas give us the freedom to tell the stories we want to tell, stories about us, our dreams, our hopes, our fears. Our imaginations are just as wild and vibrant as the heteronormative stuff we get from the mainstream, why not give us a shot and see what we can do?