A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing. Podcasts are primarily an audio medium, with some programs offering a supplemental video component. Streaming applications and podcasting services provide a convenient and integrated way to manage a personal consumption queue across many podcast sources and playback devices. There are also podcast search engines, which help users find and share podcast episodes.
Podcasts, previously known as "audioblogs", had its roots dating back to the 1980s. With the advent of broadband Internet access and portable digital audio playback devices such as the iPod, podcasting began to catch hold in late 2004. Today there are more than 115,000 English-language podcasts available on the Internet, and dozens of websites available for distribution at little or no cost to the producer or listener.
Archive of Our Own is a nonprofit open source repository for fanfiction and other fanworks contributed by users. The site was created in 2008 by the Organization for Transformative Works and went into open beta in 2009. As of 26 September 2023, Archive of Our Own hosts 11,770,000 works in over 60,260 fandoms. The site has received positive reception for its curation, organization and design, mostly done by readers and writers of fanfiction.
Horror is a genre of podcasts covering fiction, non-fiction, and reviews of the horror genre generally.
Rabbits is a pseudo-documentary podcast from producer and writer Terry Miles. In the show, narrator Carly Parker searches for her missing friend Yumiko "Miko" Takata and finds herself in the midst of a decades-old alternate reality game known as Rabbits or simply "The Game." A main feature of Rabbits is the use of pop culture references, especially to classic video games like Defender and Space Ace.
A fantasy podcast is a podcast related to or discussing the fantasy genre, which usually focuses on the magical, supernatural, mythical, or folkloric. Fantasy stories are set in fictional universes or fantasy worlds that are often reminiscent of the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Despite having a fictional setting, fantasy stories can contain or reference locations, events, or people from the real world. Characters in these stories often encounter fictional creatures such as dwarves, elves, dragons, and fairies. Common types of fantasy podcasts are audio dramas, narrated short stories, role-playing games, or discussions and reviews of fantasy topics such as fantasy films, books, games, and other media. The intended audience of a fantasy podcast can vary from young children to adults. Fantasy podcasts emerged from storytelling and the creation of the radio. Fantasy podcasts have often been adapted into television programs, graphic novels, and comics. Fantasy podcasts are a subgenre of fiction podcasts and are distinguished from science fiction podcasts and horror podcasts by the absence of scientific or macabre themes, respectively, though these subgenres regularly overlap.
Imaginary Worlds is an episodic science fiction and fantasy podcast that deconstructs the genres and their themes.
The Penumbra Podcast is a science fiction and fantasy podcast.
Knifepoint Horror is a supernatural suspense podcast created, written, and produced by Soren Narnia. Its sporadically-uploaded episodes, which average nearly an hour in length, feature first-person narrations and are notable for their highly minimalist production, especially in their use of sound effects and music. Adapted to various formats, the podcast has received critical acclaim since its release and has been widely ranked among the best horror podcasts of all time.
Alba Salix, Royal Physician is a comedy fantasy podcast.
Love and Luck is a fictional queer love story set in Melbourne, Australia. The show is hosted by Erin Kyan and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions.
The Once and Future Nerd (TOAFN) is a fantasy podcast produced by Glass & Madera.
The Amelia Project is a comedy fiction podcast created, written, directed, produced and edited by Philip Thorne and Øystein Ulsberg Brager for Imploding Fictions and The Fable and Folly Network. The series stars Alan Burgon as "The Interviewer", an employee of the Amelia Project, an institution dedicated to helping individuals fake their deaths, as he interviews potential clients to decide if and how he would make them disappear and give them a new life.
Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror podcast written by Cam Collins and Steve Shell that debuted on October 31, 2019. The show is produced by DeepNerd Media, is distributed by Rusty Quill, and was adapted into a role-playing game by Monte Cook Games. Each episode uses a combination of narration and audio drama to tell historical fiction stories based on Appalachian folklore.
Moonface is a fiction podcast produced by James Kim and starring Joel Kim Booster and Esther Moon. The podcast contained six episodes that were released in 2019.
Janus Descending is a science fiction and horror podcast produced by No Such Thing Productions. The show stars Jordan Cobb and Anthony Olivieri with music inspired by The Last Five Years. The story is nonlinear and follows two xenoarchaeologists named Peter and Chel who are exploring an alien planet.
If I Go Missing the Witches Did It is a horror podcast written by Pia Wilson and starring both Gabourey Sidibe and Sarah Natochenny. The podcast consisted of nine episodes and was produced by Realm.
Inside the Exorcist is a horror and film history podcast about The Exorcist created by Mark Ramsey and produced by Wondery.
