There is a corner of the podcast world that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: long-form audio fiction that commits fully to its premise, trusts its listeners, and builds the kind of slow-burn dread you can’t stop thinking about. These shows are not interview podcasts. They are not true crime. They are meticulously produced audio dramas, many presented as if they’re actually happening: found recordings, investigative journalism, field dispatches that pull you into mysteries with no easy answers.
If you’ve ever lost sleep because you couldn’t stop listening, this list is for you.
The Lost Tapes
One of the original favorites that inspired me to create this list, a show that fits perfectly with everything below. (If you’re looking for this one, search for it directly in your podcast app; links vary by platform. The original website is no longer live.)
The Pacific Northwest Stories Universe
This trio of shows shares a fictional universe and a signature style: pseudo-documentary storytelling presented as real, Pacific Northwest settings soaked in fog and dread, and conspiracies that feel just plausible enough to be unsettling. Start with any of them; they’re interconnected but each stands alone.
Rabbits
When Carly Parker’s best friend Yumiko goes missing, her search leads her to an ancient, dangerous underground game known only as “Rabbits.” Equal parts ARG, conspiracy thriller, and cosmic horror, this show rewards obsessive listeners who want to follow the rabbit hole as far as it goes. Listen to Rabbits
Tanis
Journalist Nic Silver investigates a mysterious location, possibly a place, possibly a concept, that has appeared throughout history under different names. Think of it as a conspiracy podcast where the conspiracy might be woven into the fabric of reality itself. Listen to Tanis
The Black Tapes
Reporter Alex Reagan profiles paranormal investigator Dr. Richard Strand, a committed skeptic with a collection of unsolved cases (the “Black Tapes”) that he cannot debunk. Begins as a contained mystery and expands into something much larger and darker. Listen to The Black Tapes
Isolation Horror
Some of the best audio fiction takes place in remote, confined spaces where the world closes in slowly. These two shows excel at that particular brand of creeping dread.
Tower 4
Mike Archer is a newly appointed fire watcher in the Wyoming woods, alone in a tower above the trees, hoping for solitude and time to write. Instead, strange radio interference crackles at night and inexplicable sounds drift up from the forest below. Beautifully paced, with exceptional sound design and voice acting. Listen to Tower 4
The White Vault
A remote repair team is dispatched to a resupply station in the Svalbard archipelago, deep in the Arctic. What they find there, presented as found recordings, is among the most atmospheric and genuinely frightening audio fiction produced in the medium. Best experienced with headphones in a dark room. Listen to The White Vault
The Magnus Archives Universe
Produced by Rusty Quill in the UK, The Magnus Archives and its successor show are a towering achievement in long-form audio horror. Together they represent one of the most ambitious and beloved stories in podcast fiction.
The Magnus Archives
The new head archivist at London’s Magnus Institute begins recording a backlog of strange and unsettling statements from members of the public: encounters with the impossible, the horrifying, the inexplicable. Each episode stands alone as a horror vignette, but the threads between them slowly build into something much larger. Over 200 episodes of some of the finest horror writing in any medium. Listen to The Magnus Archives
Lovecraftian & Cosmic Horror
Malevolent
Arthur Lester wakes up to discover he is sharing his body with an entity that has no memory of what it is or how it got there. Together, reluctantly, they are pulled into a world of cults, monsters, and cosmic horror drawn directly from the Lovecraft tradition. Outstanding voice acting and a plot that keeps escalating in genuinely surprising directions. Listen to Malevolent
Narrative Journalism & Mystery
Limetown
In 2004, over three hundred people vanished from a research community in Tennessee. Ten years later, journalist Lia Haddock investigates and discovers the story is not over. Tight, brilliantly produced, and one of the shows that helped define what audio fiction could be. Listen to Limetown
Atmosphere & Dread: The Slow Burn
Old Gods of Appalachia
An anthology series rooted in Appalachian folk horror, presented as oral history. The narrator’s voice alone is worth the listen: rich, unhurried, and deeply unsettling. Each season tells a different story about the mountains and the old, dark things that live within them. Listen to Old Gods of Appalachia
Within the Wires
Presented as a series of relaxation tapes from an alternate history, Within the Wires is unlike anything else on this list. Calm, ambient, and lulling, but with a narrative underneath that reveals itself slowly across a season. If you’re listening late at night and want something that might actually let you drift off, while still leaving you thinking: this is the one. Listen to Within the Wires
All of these are available wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most independent apps. Several have official websites linked above where you can find episode guides and more information. Happy listening, and try not to stay up too late.