In fact, there's more to podcasting than tech news, comedy, business advice, creative inspiration, and even the most hardcore of history, too.
If Barnes & Noble were stocked with podcasts instead of books, most of us would have only explored half of its shelves—the nonfiction half.
So... what's keeping us from exploring the other side—the fiction side?
Fiction podcasts exist.
Fiction podcasts (also called "audio dramas") are just that—podcasts that tell a fictional rather than non-fictional story. They represent a huge spectrum of storytelling genres, from contemporary fiction to Lovecraftian horror.
I'll get more into why you haven't you heard of them—or heard more about them—in future articles.
For now, here are five reasons you should be listening to fictional podcasts (a.k.a. audio dramas) in 2018.
1. There's room on the ground floor—and nowhere to go but up.
Want to get in on the ground level of something big? Despite any notion that fiction podcasts "
had their moment" back in 2016, the audio drama movement is
just beginning.
I attended the very first
PodCon back in December of 2017, and spoke with many attendees who remarked that it was
the first time they had seen audio drama truly (and perhaps overwhelmingly)
represented at a podcasting conference.
Podcast industry veterans shared similar thoughts. Dave Jackson, for instance,
remarked upon the surprising showing of millennials, females, and even "people with elf ears" (a.k.a. cosplayers)—people who are not usually represented at podcasting conferences.
They were all there for audio dramas.
(Side note: I'm considering The Adventure Zone, which tells a fictional story and had one of the largest showings of of cosplayers, as an audio drama for the purposes of this article.)
I'm attending
PodFest 2018 in Orlando later this week, where I was invited by founder Chris Krimitsos to speak
specifically about audio drama.
In short, the industry is starting to notice audio dramas, and there's no ceiling on their potential growth. Get on board and be a part of this exciting movement as it happens.
2. They're free.
I often explain audio dramas with the audiobook analogy. "Think of the podcast as an audiobook," I tell my long-suffering friends. "And the individual podcast episodes are just chapters of that audiobook."
3. They represent all flavors of fiction.
Just like there's more to nonfiction podcasts than just true crime, there's more to audio drama than just... whatever you think audio dramas are.
There are audio dramas for every type of fiction: mystery, sci-fi, thriller, horror, romance, contemporary fiction, western, experimental high-concept fiction and even erotica.
There are episodic audio dramas if you prefer one-off short stories, and ongoing sagas with complex plotlines.
And speaking of representation...
Unlike so many other entertainment mediums, audio drama creators seem to be increasingly intentional about including POC, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented people in their work.
4. They're good.
I think there's a certain campiness or social discomfort associated with "old-time radio dramas", which may account for mainstream podcast listeners' hesitance to give them a try. I don't blame them—I truly have zero desire to listen to re-runs of Little Orphan Annie or The Lone Ranger.
But modern audio dramas are far from campy
—in fact, they're often well produced, well acted and downright
addictive.
There's a reason that so many audio dramas are being
adapted for film and TV. Podcasts like
TANIS,
The Bright Sessions, and
Lore are showing up on-screen because
they're just plain well-told stories worth listening to.
5. They're ideal for passive consumption.
Okay, so this one's true for all podcasts, but I don't think it's being taken advantage of as much as it could be by fiction lovers. Get your stories while you drive, jog, garden, commute, wait at the dentist's office, and more!
Where do I start?
I don't want to overwhelm you, so these three shows are professionally produced, newbie-friendly places to begin your deep dive into audio drama:
Once you're in, you'll be clamoring for more. When that happens, tap into the
#audiodramasunday hashtag on Twitter, or keep your eye out here for future recommendations.
Do you have a favorite audio drama?
Shout about it in the comments!
