Say goodbye to sleep with these 10 terrifying horror fiction podcasts

Is it scarier to see the monsters coming when the main characters can’t, or to never know when they are lurking just around the corner? Horror fiction podcasts have really pushed horror to its limits with immersive sound design and stories more twisted than M. Night Shyamalan’s. We would say Stephen King’s, but his work has also been adapted for podcasts. So, if you’re really looking to scare yourself to the point of no return, we have some stories for you.

These horror fiction podcasts are some of the best: immaculately crafted, filled with the lore and supernatural elements, and definitely terrifying. Some new and some old, all of these podcasts are anxiously awaiting for you to hit play.

Ghostwriter

Grab the popcorn and queue up “Ghostwriter,” a psychological thriller podcast movie from C13Features starring Kate Mara and Adam Scott. A former journalist accepts a job ghostwriting a murder mystery novel for a billionaire and things get dicey very fast. The line between fiction and reality blurs as the characters collaborate on the novel.

Tower 4

Bloody FM presents “Tower 4” following fire watcher Mike Archer’s story in the Wyoming woods. Mike’s mom just passed away and he needed a distraction. His new job allows him to sit in a tower looking for fires while writing on his own book. This workspace wasn’t as quiet as he thought it would be when he started hearing radio blasts at night, hearing strange sounds in the woods, and seeing odd things. Tune in for 2 suspenseful seasons.

The Magnus Archives

Rusty Quill’s “The Magnus Archives” is a horror fiction podcast diving into the archives of an organization that researches weird and esoteric things. The series is hosted by Jonathan Sims and featured guest actors, recurring plot lines, short stories, and more. You’ll be in for a spooky treat with over 280 episodes.

Mordeo

From iHeartRadio comes “Mordeo,” an immersive horror story that starts in the Monongahela Forest, when two brothers enter and only one returns. Isaiah Williams is attempting to resume to his normal life, but the harrowing events from the woods continue to haunt him. And now a dark secret threatens to turn him into the monster he originally fled.

SPINES Podcast

“SPINES” is a vividly imagined and complex world created by ZoomDoom Stories. When Wren wakes up in an attic covered in blood, surround by the remnants of some cult ritual, she has no idea how she got there. Luckily, she’s not alone. Along with another survivor, she hopes to piece together her splintered past, but he has other plans. Follow along as Wren searches for answers and discovers wretched, powerful people along the way.

Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery

Now with three seasons, “Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery” follows Lillian Harper when she moves to the small town of Mt. Absalom, Ohio to care for her estranged mother. Living in the town’s boarding house which has been run by her family for generations, she discovers secrets, paranormal activity, and a new family in the odd assortment of residents.

Bridgewater

From the man who brought you “Lore,” Aaron Mahnke, comes the supernatural thriller “Bridgewater.” When a relic from his father’s disappearance is rediscovered, folklore professor Jeremy Bradshaw puts his life on hold to solve the mystery. A cold-case from 40 years ago about his missing father leads him down a mysterious path of monsters and conspiracies.

Strawberry Spring

Based on the Stephen King short story, “Strawberry Spring,” follows the futile efforts of a young college reporter trying to a catch a modern-day Jack the Ripper. After a string of murders at New Sharon College seven years ago, it’s another intensely foggy Strawberry Spring, and that means more increasingly violent murders.

Alice Isn’t Dead

From the creators of Night Vale is “Alice Isn’t Dead,” and it’s just as creepy. It follows a truck driver as she searches for her wife she once thought dead. On her journey, she encounters serial killers who are less-than-human, unaging towns, and a conspiracy that goes far beyond just one woman. Follow her intense inner monologue and spiral into madness with “Alice Isn’t Dead.”

See You In Your Nightmares

Ever since the death of her twin sister, Harper Hart has been plagued by insomnia. So she turns to Dr. Faith Carter and her team at the Lutwidge Wellness Center for an experimental sleep treatment. She is hooked up to the center’s cutting-edge AI, but things quickly spiral out of control. The treatment has unleashed something evil into Harper’s dreams, and it’s infecting her fellow patients. If she or anyone has to make it out alive, she has to face her worst nightmare.

Old Gods of Appalachia

Deep in the central mountains of Appalachia lies a beating heart and insatiable hunger. As well as an ancient anger and flowing blood. How can we be sure what truly lies beneath the oldest mountains in the world? “Old Gods of Appalachia” is a horror-anthology podcast set in an Alternate Appalachia, a place where digging too deep into the mines was just the first mistake.