The podcasting sphere has exploded in the last several years, with genres being as varied in audio format as they are on-screen or in print. If you’re looking for something a little more off-kilter than your standard news and current events rundown, there’s plenty of options to choose from– including the ten delightfully odd podcasts below.

Here Be Monsters

Here Be Monsters describes itself as “the podcast about the unknown,” and this description is certainly apt. The series dives into a vast array of topics, all tied together by a passion for humanity’s dabblings in the beautiful, unconventional, and at times terrifying. Summoning dream beings? The cure for carsickness? Crickets singing hymns? It’s all here.

Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s?

Brain Thompson is a comedian in the real world, but in the universe of Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s? Thompson is an investigative journalist convinced that the iconic fast food chain used to serve up pizza– and he’s determined to do everything possible and impossible to get to the bottom of why this pizza no longer exists. Each episode is short, usually clocking in under the twenty-minute mark, but this doesn’t stop Thompson from creating a uniquely entertaining (and at times unhinged) story.

The Last Podcast on the Left

Three longtime friends unpack serial killers, conspiracy theories, cults, and the occasional alien sighting or creepypasta. The Last Podcast on the Left has covered everything from Norwegian black metal to Scientology, and periodically has “Side Stories” episodes that cover a handful of smaller absurdities and horrors (see: Roomba attacks and TV Santas.) If you’re fascinated by true crime but in search of some comedic storytelling to lessen the spooks, then this podcast might be just what you’re looking for.

Neutrinowatch

Daily broadcasts from parallel timelines which have 32% (+ 7%) in common with ours. Do with this information what you will, but needless to say, this results in some fascinating hijinks.

The Magnus Archives

The Magnus Archives is a sort of auditory record of the Magnus Institute, a fictional organization dedicated to compiling and researching incidents of the supernatural and unexplained. As the series progresses gradual connections begin to emerge between what initially appears to be unrelated events of strange or even horrific nature.

The Misfits Podcast

In simple terms, The Misfits Podcast is a comedy podcast. In more elaborate terms, a few friends gather to discuss current issues and paint contemporary culture with a few coats of lowbrow absurdity and hilariously insightful commentary. At times it verges on meta, and with episode titles like “wetting the bed with chicken soup,” “inverted earth theory,” and “epic dreams we’ve had,” nothing is off the table.

The WALKING Podcast

This podcast is audio of a man going on a walk. He does not speak, and as promised, the words “ambient” and “unusual” used to describe The WALKING Podcast are appropriate.

The Anthropocene Review

Best-selling author John Green reviews any and all aspects of the earthly experience: QWERTY keyboards, Sycamore trees, velociraptors, Indianapolis, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Icelandic hot dog stands, to name just a few. While there is no strict theme, obviously, Green also dabbles in salient topics like exploring historical plague outbreaks in the wake of COVID-19, but all subjects ultimately receive a rating on a five-star scale.

Behind the Bastards

History is rife with unsavory figures, but not every story of human evil gets told in the same light. Behind the Bastards excavates obscure or lesser-known crimes and criminals, both of the literal and figurative sense, and tells the forgotten side of more commonly remembered atrocities. For instance: did you know that in the 19th century, a Scottish soldier by the name of Gregor McGregor invented a fictional country, appointed himself a fictional king, and then pitched the territory to investors? If the stranger goings-ons of humanity’s con artists and evil-doers fascinate you, this podcast just might be worth checking out.

Your Favorite Band Sucks

Two friends, Mark and Tyler, are on a mission to explain why every band sucks. No sacred cow is left sacred, and at times the listener is left to determine on their own how unironic the show’s hosts are in their teardown of famous beloved acts (they maintain all opinions are in full seriousness, however, so be prepared to go in with a hefty sense of humor if the likes of The Smiths, Weezer, or David Bowie frequent your playlists.) While it’s likely that one of your favorite artists has been featured on the show, as its title suggests– Your Favorite Band Sucks is a defiantly humorous unpacking of why we like the music we like (or in Mark and Tyler’s case, don’t like.)