As we await the biggest (at least commercial) holiday of the year, take a breather to celebrate another holiday. And this one is timed perfectly, because you really are taking a perfectly-sized brief break to honor it: National Short Story Day!
Speaking of timing, this sneaky little devil intentionally falls on the shortest day of the year. Get the joke? But I also like to think of it, being the first day of winter, as corresponding with this dark, cold season ripe for reflection. That low ratio of word count to takeaway in any short story (as opposed to a full-length novel) certainly leaves the reader with a highly-concentrated wallop of reflection.
This may come in handy if you love to read and you love to think, but goodness gracious, this time of year leaves you few chances to do either. If you’re just too busy to stay seated and sink into even a short story, I get it. Never fear, podcasts are here to bring you good cheer! You don’t have to stop what you’re doing any longer than to click “play” with this collection of 12 podcasts for both celebrating Short Story Day and having a sliver of time to “read.”
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1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales hosted by Jon Hagadorn
This is your one-stop shop for specially-selected, classic short stories and tales by writers like Jack London, Guy de Maupassant, Louisa May Alcott, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes mysteries, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Ray Bradbury, Hans Christian Andersen, Ambrose Bierce, and many others. Basically your new anthology, these fast-paced stories are unique but are suitable for all ages and tastes. The selections will introduce or reintroduce you to some of the best that literature of the past has to offer.
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Selected Shorts hosted by Symphony Space
Our greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Profound but frequently hilarious, these Selected Shorts connect you to the world. Hear top voices from literature, film, theater and comedy read beautiful little fictional tales. With new episodes every Thursday, you can make it a weekly routine to tune in and see who’s your guide today.
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Snap Judgment hosted by Snap Judgment and PRX
Snap Judgment is storytelling … with a beat. This daring, creative and utterly unique listening experience mixes real stories with irresistible beats to produce cinematic, multifaceted radio. You know the saying “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?” Now, hear through someone else’s ears and get fully immersed in another’s story.
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The Moth hosted by The Moth
Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has told thousands of true stories live (and without any notes to act as a safety net) to standing-room-only crowds around the world and under the glare of a spotlight. It’s a completely risky, and therefore incredibly exciting, way to translate stories. If it sounds terrifying, that’s the point; but you don’t have to do any of the hard stuff yourself. You just get to listen and vicariously share the experience.
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The Truth hosted by Jonathan Mitchell
This one, according to the description, “makes movies for your ears. They’re short stories that are sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always intriguing. Every story is different, but they all take you to unexpected places using only sound.” If, while being your busy self, you’d much rather be watching a movie, give this one a try.
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Campfire Radio Theater hosted by A Haunted Air Audio Drama
A Modern Audio Drama Horror Anthology, with a full cast of first-rate voice talent and cinematic sound design, this will make you feel like you’re huddled by the campfire listening to ghost stories in the woods. If you like a little spice with your holiday sugar cookies, put this in your headphones: no one will know that it’s “The Bones of Saint Nicholas” rather than “Jolly Old Saint Nick.” Warning: it contains explicit language and graphic content.
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The NoSleep Podcast hosted by David Cummings
“For the dark hours when you dare not close your eyes,” another horror pick, this multi-award-winning anthology series of original scary stories pairs spooky music with its dark tales. With episodes sometimes around an hour and sometimes even three hours, you’ll never get bored and you really may never get to sleep.
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RISK! hosted by RISK!
If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, this one is even more dangerously unpredictable and disarmingly uncensored. Host Kevin Allison (of the legendary comedy group The State) holds nothing back, getting people to tell their craziest true stories. It’s “hilarious, heart-wrenching and remarkably real,” so prepare to hear something like never before.
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LaVar Burton Reads hosted by LaVar Burton and Stitcher
“The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting.” Host LeVar Burton of Roots, Reading Rainbow and Star Trek gives you every reason to take a reading break. LeVar narrates great stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more bringing them to life with a lush soundtrack backing him up. Each episode is 30-60 minutes long, so try replacing some of your TV habit with a literary one. You’ll never look back!
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Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities hosted by iHeart Radio and Grim & Mild
If you don’t have much time but have that craving for a great story, this one is sure to charm and captivate. From the creator of the hit podcast Lore comes a new, bite-sized storytelling experience. With two short tales every week, deep-dive into a carnival of the unbelievable, the unsettling and the bizarre.
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The Magnus Archives hosted by Rusty Quill
And we’re back to our regularly-scheduled programming of horror: “Make your statement, face your fear.” The Magnus Institute is an organization devoted to researching the esoteric and the weird, and now, its doors are open for those brave enough to hear what dwells within. There are secrets to be discovered and stories to share.
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Within the Wires hosted by Night Vale Presents
This one’s already on season six, so you have plenty of catching up to do and just more to explore! Narrated by Mona Grenne, and written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson, it’s told as if the listener is discovering secret files … from an alternate universe. It’s serial science-fiction leaning all the way into its genre.
