Looking for Podcast/Audiobook Recommendations

Hi everyone,

I apologise if this is a topic that has been extensively canvassed on this website already but I am looking to expand my podcast repertoire and library of eBooks. Each summer (southern hemisphere) I take an extended road-trip after Christmas and love getting into some meaty podcast and audiobook content. I listen to podcasts through the year but only ever listen to audiobooks while on these trips (I don't drive nearly enough on a regular basis for audiobooks to make sense).

In terms of podcasts, I only regularly listen to three:

• Bombcast
• Beastcast
• The Sweetest Plum (Australian comedy podcast)

In the past I have thoroughly enjoyed:

• Welcome to Nightvale
• Criminal
• Serial
• Plumbing the Deathstar (another Australian comedy cast)
• Resilience Radio
• My Dad Wrote a Porno (try this - comedy gold)
• The Generation Why Podcast
• Felon: True Crime
• This American Life
• No Such Thing As A Fish
• Astonishing Legends
• Thrilling Adventure Hour

In terms of audiobooks, I primarily listen to true crime. I find these fascinating to sink extended time into these over the course of a few days. I couldn't do them too often as they are routinely a tough listen.

In terms of suggestions, I am looking for anything and everything really - I'll give anything a listen! If I was to give 'desired genres' they would be:

• Comedy (generally prefer 'British' over 'American' comedy)
• Podcasts that tell stories (either serial stories or one-offs)
• General interesting stuff

Thanks in advance!

I don't listen to many podcasts but Lore is a great podcast essentially about telling non-fiction scary stories. It is consistently great and terrifying.

• Radiolab
• Heavy Hands
• 99% Invisible
• Joe Rogan Experience
• Revisionist History
• Hardcore History

I don't really listen to audiobooks, unfortunately.

I don't listen to many podcasts, but I've listened to literally 100s of audiobooks. I could go on for ages, but looking at your inclination, I'd recommend the following;

• The Martian by Andy Weir (if you haven't seen the movie - which is OK) is a perfect combination of comedy and sci-fi that I think is one of the best books of the last few years.
• Off To Be The Wizard by Scott Meyer is a very fun/funny "what if magic were real" series with an interesting twist and entertaining narration. The series itself is called Magic 2.0.
• Neither are British humour though - the closest thing to that I can think of that's actually good in audio is The Hitchhiker's Guide (if that's somehow slipped you by - it's even read by Stephen Fry).

If you just want really good audiobooks / fiction, some lesser-known (and thankfully complete) works are:

• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson is one of the best fantasy trilogies ever, and the reader is superb
• If you like Battlestar Galactica, The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell is an awesome sci-fi series

- Five Families. It's about the history of the mafia in New York.

- The Shadow World. It's about the global arms trade, mostly governmental corruption stuff.

Those are the only crimey things I've listened to, both are pretty long and I enjoyed them quite a bit.

As for comedy stuff you could try Cabin Pressure or the old Little Britain radio things.

If you are looking for a comedy podcast may I recommend Hello From The Magic Tavern. Its a podcast made by Arnie Niekamp, who fell trough a dimensional portal behind a burger king into a magical world called Foon, where he uploads a weekly podcast where he and his two co hosts Chunt, a talking badger/shapeshifter and Usidore, Wizard of the 12th Realm of Ephysiyies, Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. Known by the elves as Fi'ang Yalok. Known by the dwarfs as Zoenen Hoogstandjes, and known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar (and there are many secret names also) interview inhabitants of this magical world.

The show is entirely improvised, and it also tells a story (well, kinda) and is one of the funniest podcasts I have heard in a long time.

Moving to Off Topic. Also this topic comes up about once every 3-4 months, you might find something interesting in one of the many previous threads on this subject:

https://www.google.com/search?q=podcast+recommendations+site%3Agiantbomb.com%2Fforums&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS749US749&oq=podcast+recommendations+site%3Agiantbomb.com%2Fforums&aqs=chrome..69i57.6006j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

You definitely should give S-Town a listen.

As far as audiobooks, if you’re willing to transition your fondness for crime stories into fiction, I love Charlie Huston’s Caught Stealing and its sequels. Strong characters, a bit of pulp, and a great sense of pacing.

Joe R. Lansdale writes really great suspense. Check out... mmm... The Thicket, maybe. And if you’re interested in more crime stuff, the audiobook versions of Sandford’s Prey novels are generally well done.

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - best podcasts ever made

For British comedy audio books, I'd recommend the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, most of them read by Nigel Planer. Some are better than others, but there are around 40 of them if I remember correctly. The audio quality on some aren't the greatest in places but the performances are top notch and the writing is generally brilliant. I would recommend not beginning at the beginning though, I'd probably try "Guards! Guards!" to start.

For video game podcasts I've enjoyed:

• Tone Control
• A Life Well Wasted
• A Tournament of Lies
• The Completely Unnecessary Podcast