Audio drama poster montage

Top Audio Drama Podcast Recommendations for We’re Alive Fans

ByRandy Parker Hours Posted on Hours Updated on Categories Entertainment

As an avid listener (and sometimes creator) of audio drama, I consider We’re Alive the gold standard. Kc Wayland’s zombie apocalypse thriller sets a high bar for modern-day fiction podcasts.

Back in the day, when I used to write, direct, and produce radio dramas, I aspired to create what I called “movies for your ears.” Wayland prefers the term “theater for the mind.” Either way, We’re Alive is a near-perfect execution of this ideal

I’d highly recommend the series to anyone who enjoys immersive audio drama. And especially if you’re a fan of zombies or gravitate towards post-apocalyptic stories.

We’re Alive has it all:

  • Rich characters
  • Great performances
  • Gripping action
  • Emotional anguish
  • Suspense and chills
  • Narrative momentum
  • Complex worldbuilding
  • Full cast production
  • “Cinematic” sound design (effects and music)
Zombie holding knife
Don’t underestimate the zombies in We’re Alive.

In the We’re Alive Fanclub Facebook group, I see frequent posts from members who say that they can’t find other audio fiction podcasts to listen to. They say We’re Alive has spoiled them and that nothing else lives up. Many fans listen to the podcast over and over again while they await the next installment in the series.

I understand their frustration, but I don’t share it. That’s because I’ve found plenty of other excellent audio dramas to scratch the itch for more. Most don’t match the ambition, scope, and execution of Kc Wayland’s hallmark series. But these podcasts do offer gripping stories and compelling characters.

ℹ Sequels & Prequels
The 2009-2014 original series (A Story of Survival) has four spin-off series. I didn’t like the first (the 2016 prequel Lockdown), which I found tedious. However, I did enjoy the second (the 2019 sequel Goldrush), which was lightweight but fun.

2022 brought the season one premiere of Descendants, a sequel series that features several characters from the original but revolves around their next-generation offspring and plenty of new characters. Descendants expands the apocalypse worldbuilding in satisfying ways and should scratch the itch of any fan who’s been waiting for a return to storytelling that matches the scope and impact of the original.

In 2024, with Descendants still in production but between seasons, Wayland released the prequel spin-off Scout’s Honor. The show revolves around a group of scouts who arrive on Catalina Island for their annual summer camp right before the outbreak begins. Without the aid of adults, the teens must find a way to evade the zombies and get off the island. As you’d expect, the sound design is meticulous and the characters are compelling. The show has less gravity than the original or Descendants, but it’s a fine addition to the WA universe. It doesn’t add much to the We’re Alive world-building, but I’m hoping some of the lead characters turn up in future seasons of Descendants.

Looking for ambitious and absorbing full-cast audio theater podcasts? Below are my recommendations in rough order of preference.

Periodically Updated
I update this post whenever I have new audio drama podcasts to recommend.

Recommendations

The Strata

Official poster with headshot of the character Rust.
(Image courtesy of Beyond the Dark Productions)

Official Synopsis

In a dystopian city, an ageing courier is forced to go into business with an underworld ganglord in order to pay for the treatment that keeps him alive.

Set in a sprawling dystopian metropolis called ‘The Strata’ and featuring an ensemble cast, this podcast interweaves a collection of stories into a single overarching narrative.

Website

Evaluation

  • Creates an expansive world with interconnected stories and characters. A supporting character in one season can become a main character in the next (and vice versa).
  • The narrative is complex and sophisticated; you can tell you’re in the firm grip of a confident storyteller.
  • Each season tells a contained story that lasts only 6 episodes, so if you don’t love the main character or plot of a particular season, you’re quickly onto the next season and a new premise.
  • Intricate sound design.
  • Rock solid acting with rich voices that are distinct from one another.
  • In the early seasons, has more narration than I typically like, but the voice acting is so natural and story so absorbing that I hardly noticed the narration.
  • The crime noir genre is outside of my usual taste (but the genre will be a plus for many listeners).

Note

At 12 episodes, season 8 is a super-sized story that brings together every major character from the previous 7 seasons. Creator Mark R. Healy has announced that all subsequent seasons will be a similar length.

The Bright Sessions (Atypical Universe)

Light Bulb
(Image courtesy of Lauren Shippen)

Official Synopsis

The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients – each has a unique supernatural ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright.

Website

Evaluation

  • Endearing characters.
  • Authentic performances.
  • Character-driven story with a novel structure.
  • Complex worldbuilding.
  • None, as long as you have the patience to let the show evolve and surprise you.

Note

I consider The Bright Sessions to be the cream of the crop and in the same league as We’re Alive. The original 5-season series starts off simple and spare. But the stakes increase and the worldbuilding grows in complexity as the story introduces more characters.

Atypical Artists originally released two sequel series behind the Luminary paywall. But they are now available in the main Bright Sessions podcast feed as Seasons 6 and 7. Both are must-listen for fans of the original.

  • The AM Archives – the first sequel features a subset of the characters from The Bright Sessions and continues their story arcs in a thrilling new chapter. Unlike the original, the format is more conventional.
  • The College Tapes – the second sequel, also in traditional audio drama format, is entertaining but a bit more uneven than previous entries with a somewhat implausible plot.

Case 63

Man and woman walking away from each other
(Image source: Gimlet Media)

Official Synopsis

New York psychiatrist Dr. Eliza Knight (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore) begins treating a patient registered as Case 63 (Emmy nominee Oscar Isaac) who claims to be from the year 2062. What begins as routine therapeutic sessions quickly turns into a story that threatens the boundaries of the possible and the real.

Website

Evaluation

  • Juicy time travel premise.
  • Intricate and inventive plot.
  • Exceptional performances by the two leads.
  • The story is ideally suited to audio.
  • A couple of plot contrivances that are hard to swallow.
  • The storyline is derivative of the 12 Monkeys TV series. However, as I consider 12 Monkeys the greatest time travel story of all time, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Note

The cast of characters is relatively small, which may feel a bit constraining for We’re Alive fans. However, the storyline is so absorbing and innovative that I’ve rated Case 63 near the top of my list.

Passenger List

Poster (plane ticket)
(Image courtesy of Radiotopia)

Official Synopsis

Atlantic Flight 702 has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York with 256 passengers on board. Kaitlin Le (Kelly Marie Tran), a college student whose twin brother vanished with the flight, is determined to uncover the truth.

Website

Evaluation

  • A knockout performance by Kelly Marie Tran in the lead role.
  • Intricate plot which keeps you guessing.
  • Gripping mystery and suspense.
  • Sound design.
  • None

The Patron Saints of Suicides

Patron Saint of Suicides Poster
(Image courtesy of Alex Dolan)

Official Synopsis (Season 1)

Haven Otomo experiences a terrifying shooting on a train. Years later, she patrols Golden Gate Bridge every night, trying to stop people from jumping. Elsewhere in Oakland, Detective Victor Blossem finds the remains of body of a young man that has been demolished by a locomotive.

Website

Evaluation

  • Vivid characters.
  • Convincing performances.
  • Surprising twists and turns.
  • Great job of creating San Francisco and Oakland locations via the sound design.

  • For my taste, the series relies too much on narration. That said, the narration is highly effective and the engaging performances by the narrators pull you into the story.

Notes

  • Season 1
    • The high placement on my list is for Season 1 only.
    • Grim and disturbing — not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
  • Season 2
    • The second season introduces a new storyline with many of the same characters from the first. Unfortunately, the story is a more conventional high-concept thriller, full of implausible plot twists and character decisions. It doesn’t feel as grounded in reality as season one. After 11 episodes, I decided it was frustrating me more than entertaining me.

The Oyster

Bunker corridor

Synopsis

Humans must live underground and make impossible sacrifices after the Earth becomes uninhabitable. Can they trust government leaders to make the right choices?

Podchaser Listing

Evaluation

  • Natural performances from an all-star cast (including Logan Browning, Carla Gugino, Giancarlo Esposito, and Constance Zimmer).
  • Sterling script (one of the best-written audio dramas I’ve heard).
  • Top-notch sound design.

  • Somewhat depressing.

LifeAfter

Composite of woman, brain and lights

Official Synopsis

Ross, a low level employee at the FBI, spends his days conversing online with his wife Charlie – who died eight months ago. But the technology behind this digital resurrection leads Ross down a dangerous path that threatens his job, his own life, and maybe even the world.

Podchaser Listing

Evaluation

  • Exceptionally clever speculative fiction storyline.
  • Satisfying ending.
  • Performances.

  • None — as long as you don’t expect it to continue the storyline from The Message (see note below).

Note

LifeAfter is in the same feed as The Message and billed as its sequel. However, I couldn’t detect any direct connection between the two stories except for sharing the same producers. I seem to remember liking The Message well enough, but I don’t have vivid memories of it.

The Burned Photo

House burning
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Based on the suspense-filled and popular Reddit thread, The Burned Photo, tells the story of Felicia and Kira, two women, whose lives become intertwined when they discover they are being terrorized by the same generational curse that is determined to end each of their family lineages… but why?

Website

Evaluation

  • Exceptionally ambitious premise for audio drama.
  • The story (at least in season 1) is a great fit for audio and exceptionally well-executed.
  • Excellent writing.
  • Strong performances (including from the child actors).

  • The season 1 finale was a departure from the rest of the episodes and seemed like an odd way to end the season. But after hearing season 2, it now makes more sense.
  • The plot (especially in season 2) takes place in three different time periods and traces multi-generational familial relations back to the days of slavery — all of which is a little much to keep track of in an audio drama.

Note

Probably my favorite production from QCODE.

The White Vault

White Vault Poster (Blizzard)
(Image source: Fool & Scholar Productions)

Official Synopsis

Follow the collected records of a repair team sent to a remote arctic outpost and unravel what lies waiting in the ice below. The White Vault is a horror fiction audio drama podcast that features languages and voices from around the globe. It often showcases the found footage format, accurate depictions of modern archaeology, and isolation horror, brought to life by a full cast and detailed soundscape.

Website

Evaluation

  • Effective “found audio” format.
  • Diverse characters and international cast.
  • Immersive sound design.
  • Creepy.
  • Frequent special episodes with behind-the-scenes updates and interviews.

  • I found the storytelling a tiny bit repetitive and slow-going during the first two seasons, but the pace picks up in Season 3.

Note

Supplemental worldbuilding content sits behind a Patreon paywall. I haven’t heard any of it, but it’s not required to understand the core story in the free feed.

Carcerem

Carcerem Poster
(Image source: Shane Salk Productions)

Official Synopsis

In Aaru, a land torn apart by a fear of magic, and ruled by brutal mercenaries, two young friends leave the only home they’ve ever known to find the one who could save them all.

Website

Evaluation

  • Expansive story with a large cast.
  • Classic sword and sorcery genre.
  • Just the right mix of drama, comedy, and jeopardy.
  • Endearing characters.
  • Complex action scenes.
  • Immersive sound design.

  • Some action sequences are hard to follow.
  • Narrative momentum occasionally slows down.
  • I liked the mystery and buildup more than the reveal (and big exposition dumps) in the last act.

Note

Shane Salk — who co-created We’re Alive: A Story of Survival (and played Angel) — is the co-creator and co-producer of Carcerem. He also voices one of the lead roles (Kevin).

Girl In Space

Stars

Official Synopsis

Abandoned on a dying ship in the farthest reaches of known space, a young scientist fights for survival (and patience with the on-board A.I.). Who is she? No one knows. But a lot of dangerous entities really want to find out.

Website

Evaluation

  • Sophisticated character development, plotting, and worldbuilding.
  • None

Note

Like the Atypical Universe podcasts, Girl in Space starts off deceptively simple and spare. But it adds characters and layers of complexity as it progresses. Rest assured that it’s a full-cast production.

The Edge of Sleep

Poster
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

When a night watchman finishes his shift at work, he is terrified to discover that everyone in the world who went to sleep the previous night has died. Now he and a band of survivors must stay awake and uncover the secret of this global epidemic, before they fall asleep.

Website

Evaluation

  • Harrowing premise.
  • Economical storytelling.

  • Nothing that I can recall.

Note

A tight post-apocalypse drama that plays out over just a few days.

From Now

Astronaut and old man.
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

A famed lost spaceship, the USS HOPE, returns to Earth after vanishing thirty-five years prior. The lone survivor disembarks mysteriously looking the exact same age as when he left. Following the ensuing media chaos, he finally reunites with his formerly identical twin brother (now an old man) for a one-on-one meeting. But what starts as a joyful reconciliation soon leads to dark revelations that threaten their relationship — and the future of humanity.

Website

Evaluation

  • Classic sci-fi premise.
  • Effective thriller.
  • Lead performance by Brian Cox adds gravity.
  • Sound design.

  • Nothing that I recall.

How I Died

Poster
(Image courtesy of Audiohm Media)

Official Synopsis

Forensic Pathologist Jonathan Spacer intends to find out why the strange town of Springfield boasts the highest unsolved murder rate in the country. But, Jon isn’t without his own secrets… He can talk to the dead, for starters.

Website

Evaluation

  • Ambiguous characters that keep you guessing about their true motives.
  • A new spin on a familiar premise.
  • Includes themes of social inequities.
  • Season 1 is solid but season 2 takes a big leap forward in its storytelling (more serialization) and production values.

Note

From the same team behind The Patron Saint of Suicides.

Bridgewater

Poster - Eerie Forest
(Image source: Grim & Mild)

Official Synopsis

Folklore professor Jeremy Bradshaw is pulled into the mysterious 1980 disappearance of his police officer father, Thomas, by new evidence that threatens to upend decades of certainty. Along the way, he’s helped by some unlikely partners who challenge everything he believes in, and ultimately tries to answer the question: can the past actually be rewritten?

Website

Evaluation

  • Written and directed by Lauren Shippen (of Atypical Universe fame).
  • X-Files vibe with a skeptic (male professor of folklore) paired with a believer (female ex-police detective) to investigate strange happenings.
  • Vivid characters, including the supporting ones.
  • Great cast and fun cameos (e.g. Wil Wheaton).
  • In a key season 2 supporting role, Tricia Helfer brings a new dimension to the series.

  • Season 1 ended abruptly. But with season 2 now released, that’s no longer so jarring.
  • Mythology becomes more expansive in season 2 but it also becomes more convoluted and requires more exposition.

Note

Yet another entry in the small town with strange happenings genre but this one feels more original than others on this list.

City of Ghosts

Podcast poster
(Image source: Press Kit)

Official Synopsis

A supernatural neo-noir audio drama set in 1990s NYC about corruption, murder, and the things that haunt us.

Website

Evaluation

  • Deftly mixes several genres: private investigator yarn, family drama (squabbling sisters), supernatural ghost story.
  • Surly main character and quirky sidekick are appealing.
  • Performances and cast chemistry.
  • Deep character development and sensitive portrayal of mental illness.
  • New York ambiance.

  • The talk-to-ghosts gimmick lacks novelty.
  • Didn’t grab me right away (but the story elements drew me in as the episodes progressed).

Wolf 359

Poster - Radio in Space
(Image courtesy of Gabriel Urbina)

Official Synopsis

Set on board the U.S.S. Hephaestus space station, the dysfunctional crew deals with daily life-or-death emergencies, while searching for signs of alien life and discovering there might be more to their mission than they thought.

Website

Evaluation

  • Endearing characters.
  • Cast chemistry.
  • Deep character development.
  • Creative storyline.

  • Slow storytelling pace sometimes breaks the narrative momentum.
  • Took me a while to acclimate to the tone and humor.

Note

I needed two tries to get into this series. Stick with it to the end of Season 1 if you’re thinking of bailing after the early episodes.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

Ringed planet

Official Synopsis

In a distant patch of space, a mysterious explosion kills nearly the entire crew of the science vessel Starship Iris. The only survivor is Violet Liu, an intrepid, sarcastic, terrified biologist. But as Violet struggles to readjust to life after the Iris, questions abound. Was that explosion really an accident? … If Violet and her newfound allies want to untangle the truth, they’ll need courage, brilliance, and luck – and honestly, a couple of drinks.

Website

Evaluation

  • Reminiscent of Firefly.
  • Immersive story.
  • Appealing & diverse characters.
  • Complex world-building.
  • Like the best sci-fi, the themes reflect today’s social issues, including mental illness, PTSD, gender identity, and xenophobia.

  • Sound design not as sophisticated as some other dramas on my list.
  • For a space opera, the pace sometimes feels pretty low-key and leisurely. That benefits the character development but sometimes breaks the tension and slows momentum.

Note

A third season is apparently in the works.

Narcissa

Narcissa poster
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

In the not-so-distant future, mind readers are outlawed in Los Angeles. Sid (Dianna Agron) and her family have spent years fighting to protect her true identity as a reader, but her life quickly starts to unravel when a string of gruesome murders are suspected to have been committed by a mind reader. Sid’s true identity risks exposure when she becomes entangled in a romantic affair with a mysterious woman named Andie (Maria Sten), who seems to be involved in a sinister underworld.

Website

Evaluation

  • Intriguing speculative fiction premise.
  • Compelling love story between outcast characters.
  • Performances by Dianna Agron & Maria Sten.

  • Too much narration for my taste.

The Road of Shadows

Man in a leather jacket.
(Image source: Beyond the Dark Productions)

Official Synopsis

It’s 1984, and Daniel Knox is on the run. He’s spent his entire life evading mysterious creatures that are disguised as everyday people – the ones he calls ‘Shadows’. Preying on humans in secret, the Shadows are an enigma even to Daniel. But he knows one thing for sure – the Shadows’ true nature can’t be seen by anyone but him.

As he seeks refuge in a remote mountain community, Daniel crosses paths with a traveller who is investigating the disappearance of her sister in the same town. Gradually, the secrets begin to unravel – and for Daniel – life will never be the same again.

Website

Evaluation

  • Vivid characters.
  • Convincing performances.
  • Just the right amount of mythology.
  • Polished sound design.
  • Season 1 comes to a satisfying resolution (no cliffhanger).

  • The premise is somewhat predictable and formulaic: a small town with secrets, a believer, and a skeptic investigating the supernatural.
  • Seasons two and three are a slow burn; they feel repetitive and don’t significantly advance the story or mythology.

Note

The Road of Shadows is from Mark R. Healy, the creator of the superb multi-season series, The Strata.

Blackout

Woman against cloud background.
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Rami Malek stars in this apocalyptic thriller as a small-town radio DJ, Simon Itani, fighting to protect his family and community after the power grid goes down nationwide, upending modern civilization.

Website

Evaluation

  • Mystery elements and conspiracy themes.
  • Worldbuilding expands in Season 2.
  • Sound design.

  • Derivative storyline, reminiscent of Revolution (NBC) and, in some ways, The Handmaid’s Tale.

Note

I preferred Season 2 over Season 1.

Exeter

Crime Scene

Official Synopsis

A veteran detective (Jeanne Tripplehorn) must face the errors of a past case when the woman she convicted of murder is exonerated after 10 years in prison. Our heroine struggles to keep the trust of her department as a series of grisly murders rock her decaying South Carolina town, which puts her at odds with her ambitious partner (Ray McKinnon) and the department at large.

Podchaser Listing

Evaluation

  • Rich characters.
  • Natural performances.
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn in the lead role.
  • Murder mystery.
  • I preferred Season 1 over Season 2 which had too many characters to keep track of, especially for an audio drama.

Note

Law and order is not my favorite genre (in any medium), but I enjoyed this one a surprising amount.

Blackwood

Black tree against sunset

Official Synopsis

Five years ago, Molly Weaver, Bryan Anderson, and Nathan Howell started a podcast focused on the local legend of a monster called The Blackwood Bugman. Quickly, the investigation grew out of their control, as they discovered that, not only are the legends seemingly true, many people in Blackwood have turned up dead or disappeared without a trace. Worse, there may be a reason why no one has ever uncovered the truth before. Someone is watching them, willing to do whatever it takes to keep the secret. Their recordings have finally been released.

Website

Evaluation

  • “Found audio” format works well for the story.
  • Natural performances.
  • Sound design.
  • The story does not fully resolve. The end is satisfying enough but it sets up a second season which never happened.

Primordial Deep

Woman fighting monster
(Image source: Press Kit)

Official Synopsis

When a long extinct sea creature washes up on the shores of Coney Island, marine biologist Dr. Marella Morgan is contacted by a secret organization to investigate the origins of the creature’s sudden and unnatural resurgence. Soon, she and a team of explorers find themselves living on the research station The Tiamat, traveling along the abyssal plains as they search for answers far below the waves. But there are dangers in these ancient waters.

Website

Evaluation

  • Rousing underwater sci-fi adventure that gets better (and creepier) as it goes along.

  • Initially, the acting felt a little wobbly to me, but the performances improved and the cast won me over.

The Deca Tapes

The Deca Tapes Logo
(Image source: Press Kit)

Official Synopsis

An eight-part mystery story. Recordings have surfaced of ten people that are locked into the same space together. We don’t know where they are, or if they’ll get out. But the answers must be somewhere on these tapes.

Website

Evaluation

  • Novel premise.
  • Outstanding cast.
  • Distinct voices/characters.
  • The news story framing device reveals a ton of contextual information to listeners. As a result, we know much more about what’s really happening to the characters than they do. The mystery might have been even more absorbing if the listeners were just as much in the dark as the characters.
  • The amount of narration will be too much for some listeners (see note below).

Note

Technically, The Deca Tapes tells its tale in “found audio” format. But the podcast plays more like an audiobook since it relies heavily on first-person narration. Normally, I prefer far less narration in my audio fiction. In this case, it worked for me thanks to the story premise and performances. For We’re Alive fans, who are used to full-cast recordings without any narration, I’d recommend trying other entries on my list before sampling The Deca Tapes.

Electric Easy

Couple walking.
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Created by Vanya Asher (“Shadow and Bone”) and from executive producer Kesha, Electric Easy stars Chloe Bailey and Mason Gooding in a musical neo-noir science fiction show set in a futuristic Los Angeles in which humans struggle to co-exist with robots, known as “electrics”. This is a forbidden love story. It’s about the power of community, what it means to live as your authentic self and a celebration of acceptance.

Website

Evaluation

  • Ambitious in scope.
  • Character-driven with the narrator varying across episodes.
  • Rich mythology.
  • Performances (especially by Kesha).
  • Sound design reinforces the worldbuilding.

  • May rely too heavily on narration for some listeners.

Note

Don’t worry if (like me) you’re not the biggest fan of musicals. I did like the music, but most importantly, it’s organic to the storyline (as the main character is a singer). Also, the musical performances are few and far between and are not “song-and-dance” interludes that break the story momentum.

Evergreen

Woman staring out a portal window.
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Hannah (Lana Condor) finds herself trapped inside her boss Fin Gorale’s (Alan Cumming) subterranean biosphere named Evergreen, alongside seven of the world’s greatest minds. When Fin informs the group that an asteroid has destroyed the surface of the Earth, they find themselves – forced survivors – tasked with rebuilding society. As our characters vie for control of Evergreen, alliances form and fracture as heroes turn into villains. But when Hannah discovers that Evergreen is malfunctioning, can she convince the group to work together to fix Fin’s creation before the utopia that was meant to save them.. kills them? 

Website

Evaluation

  • Despite numerous elements that kept taking me out of the story, eventually, I got absorbed and invested in the outcome.
  • Solid acting.
  • Sets the stage for what could be an intriguing second season.

  • A jumble of a few too many sci-fi tropes that don’t always coalesce.
  • Too many voices to remember and they are not sufficiently distinct from one another. After a while, I gave up on keeping track of who was who, except for a few key characters.
  • For speculative fiction set in the near future, the technology is a bit too far out there.

Bloodthirsty Hearts

High school girls fight monsters
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Five highschoolers bonded over the Bloodthirsty Hearts novel series turned slightly-erotic movie franchise as kids, and now it’s what brings them back together for the first-ever fan convention. However, what starts as fun and games quickly turns into a fight-for-your-life event as creatures from the same universe invade. Will the childhood friends be able to work past their differences and survive the night?

Website

Evaluation

  • Fun mix of comedy and horror.
  • Over the top sound design.
  • Captures the angst and drama of female friendships.
  • No narration.

  • The five high school girl voices are sometimes hard to tell apart. The dialogue includes frequent “name checks” to compensate.

Earth Eclipsed

Head inside a head
(Image source: Press Kit)

Official Synopsis

A brilliant neuroscientist on the brink of a galaxy-changing discovery that will save millions of lives has her work cut short when she’s kidnapped by a renegade miner. Follow Dr. Alexine Prometh as she works to outwit Nico Dunn and complete the Abacus Project, her life’s work. Set in the distant future, this immersive audio series explores what it means to live in a utopian society, and the great lengths a person must go to preserve humanity.

Website

Evaluation

  • Immersive sound design.
  • Rousing musical score.
  • Compelling characters and robust performances.

  • The Sci-Fi storyline isn’t all that novel.
  • The beginning is a bit disorienting as the drama throws you into the far future without much world-building context. (Some listeners may like that aspect.)

Note

The season 1 finale ended on a cliffhanger in December 2021. As of late March 2023, I can’t find any news about the second season.

Borrasca

Scary treehouse
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Sam Walker moves to the town of Drisking, Missouri one summer and quickly befriends two other kids, Kyle and Kimber. When Sam’s sister, Whitney, disappears a few months later, he passes five lonely years wondering what happened to her. When more people start disappearing suddenly, the three take it upon themselves to find out what’s happening to all the disappearing people and what connection the disappearances hold with the mountain outside of town.

Website

Evaluation

  • Absorbing mystery.
  • Immersive sound design.
  • Performances.

  • Formulaic (small town with terrible secrets).
  • Absolutely implausible storyline.
  • The big reveal is disturbing and may be triggering for some people.

Notes

The storyline and themes are similar in many ways to Blackwood (2018), which I rate a bit higher than Borrasca (2020).

I was not as enamored with the second season (2022), which picks up the story 10 years later. If your emotional investment in the characters was high after season 1, then you’ll probably find the story satisfying (mine was medium at best). As for the conspiracy, nothing much changes during season 2.

The Left Right Game

Woman near deer and truck
(Image courtesy of QCODE)

Official Synopsis

Tessa Thompson stars as an idealistic young journalist trying to make a name for herself by following a group of paranormal explorers, obsessed with a seemingly harmless pastime known as the Left/Right Game. The journey takes her into a supernatural world that she and the other members of the expedition can neither handle nor survive.

Website

Evaluation

  • Disturbing existentialism.
  • Performances.
  • For me, the ending was unsatisfying. Your mileage may vary.

Limetown

Window in abandoned house.

Official Synopsis

Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”

Website

Evaluation

  • Season 1 weaves an intriguing mystery via a novel storytelling format.
  • Season 2 changed the format and was a letdown.

The Phenomenon

Beam of light from the sky
(Image source: Press Kit)

Official Synopsis

When a supernatural threat drives mankind to the point of extinction, survivors around the globe struggle to endure in a world with just three rules: Do not look outside. Do not look at the sky. Do not make noise.

Website

Evaluation

  • Great popcorn entertainment.
  • Absorbing story.
  • Sound design.
  • Variable performances (ranging from adequate to good).
  • Superficial characters.
  • Loose ends and under-developed plot strands.

Note

The evaluation above is for seasons 1-3. Season 4 is an anthology about the aftermath of the phenomenon. Through the first six episodes, the quality of the performances and storylines is consistently excellent.

Verdict

Football Player

Official Synopsis

A new 10-part scripted crime podcast, VERDICT centers on a federal investigator Abigail Kaplan, who must unravel the mystery behind the murder of a star high school athlete in small town Texas. When the victim’s best friend confesses to the brutal crime that could land him on death row, Abigail must navigate small-town politics, the local police and the awesome power of the local Mega Church in order to uncover the shocking truth.

Podchaser Listing

Evaluation

  • Convincing performances.
  • Social commentary.
  • Predictable.

Note

As I mentioned with Exeter, the crime genre is not my favorite. But I listened to this one because it’s directed by Kc Wayland (the creator of We’re Alive). As you would expect, the production is polished and compelling. But, if like me, you prefer a sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural angle, then this one may fall flat for you.

Updates

Below are podcasts that I’ve added since first publishing this post.

  • Case 63 (2023-12-03)
  • Evergreen (2023-12-03)
  • The Road of Shadows (2023-08-28)
  • Earth Eclipsed (2023-03-26)
  • The Strata (2023-02-08)
  • Carcerem (2022-10-18)
  • Bloodthirsty Hearts (2022-09-11)
  • Narcissa (2022-09-08)
  • The Strange Case of Starship Iris (2022-06-01)
  • City of Ghosts (2022-03-06)
  • How I Died (2022-02-02)
  • Verdict (2022-01-15)
  • Electric Easy (2021-11-01)
  • The Deca Tapes (2021-10-11)
  • Bridgewater (2021-10-07)
  • Borrasca (2021-09-26)

Final Thoughts

If a well-known audio drama title is missing from my list, it could mean that I didn’t like it — or, more likely, that I haven’t heard it. As I listen to more fiction podcasts, I’ll update this post with new recommendations.

Your Turn

I’m always looking for new audio fiction to binge. If you have any favorites that you’d like to recommend to me or fans of We’re Alive, please comment below.

(Note: I moderate all comments so you may experience a delay before your comment appears on the post. For any SPAMMERS out there, don’t waste your time submitting as I will reject your comment.)

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2 Comments

  1. Randy—

    This is a great list. I’m a big fan of We’re Alive, QCode’s content generally, and many others that you mentioned. You may also be interested in the following if you haven’t listened (no particular order):

    -Breakers — focused/down to earth story set in zombie-like apocalypse with a compelling and relatable narrator
    -The Leviathan Chronicles — unique/complex story with multifaceted plot, interesting interconnected characters, and ample action/adventure
    -Tower 4 — fairly realistic, but cut with horror/mystery plot and develops into full blown conspiracy story
    -Paralyzed — paranormal horror story that develops into a suspenseful thriller investigation
    -Malevolent — very dark/ethereal fantasy adventure with poetic writing and compelling characters; unlike anything else I’ve listened to and very unpredictable plot

    Reply

    1. Alex – thanks for the feedback and all the suggestions! Those titles are all new to me, and I will add them to my list to check out. Except for The Leviathan Chronicles. I’ve seen it mentioned many times, but episode 1 didn’t grab me.

      Reply