Pods Review Pods is a weekly segment where podcasters review fellow podcasts.

I’m Michelle Nickolaisen, writer and creator of Unplaced (an audio drama about a woman who wakes up one day effectively invisible and inaudible) and DM/creator of Serendipity City (an alt-1920s actual-play RPG podcast). When I’m not working on audio dramas or actual-play podcasts, I’m writing something else (my day job is business writing, I’m also working on a novel series and have a PBTA hack somewhere on the horizon) or lounging with my pets.

Unplaced season two IndieGoGo | Serendipity City site | Twitter

Here are some of my favorite podcasts that exist at the intersection of isolation and strangeness:

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services

Kalila Stormfire is just your everyday witch, offering her services (ranging from divination to soul retrieval to mediumship) at affordable rates. It’s implied that it’s unusual for witches to go solo in this world — but Kalila is determined to go her own way and do it right. As their summary puts it: “If you like stories about minority witches in modern-day working class neighborhoods, meddling love goddesses, and morally ambiguous spellcraft…this is the tale for you.”

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Tides

Dr. Winifred Burus is in a bit of a pickle: while surveying the ocean life on a new moon, her submarine is destroyed, leaving her alone to find higher ground before the massive tide comes in. Along the way, she tries to survive under the strangest of circumstances and observes the strange life around her in an entertaining audio log (that makes for a great podcast).

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

The Unexplored Places

This one is sort of at the sweet spot between my two podcasts — it’s an actual play (using Monster of the Week, the same system the Adventure Zone is currently using), set in an Ohio college town where things are a little…off. Christine makes for an excellent DM, and one of the things that makes the podcast interesting is that the characters are often isolated — sometimes literally, sometimes emotionally — which combines with more traditional horror elements to interesting and enthralling effect.

Listen: Apple Podcasts