It’s that time of year again! Time for the top 5 new fiction podcasts of the year. To qualify, podcasts had to begin their first season in 2017. Seasons did not have to be complete in 2017. For a list of further recommendations, see our 2016 Top 5 List.

Featuring everything from suspense filled tundra, mysterious disappearances, to a catastrophic crash, a moving house, and a forbidden love affair, it was a creative and exciting year in the land of fiction podcasts!

5. The White Vault

Starting off our list at number 5 is The White Vault, which has already garnered an impressive following on Reddit. This podcast is super unique in that it uses voice clips from actors currently living in Europe, even though it is produced in the United States.

Follow the adventures of a repair team sent to Svarlbad. The Fristed Outpost is not everything it seems, and hasn’t even begun to experience the horrors of the freezing wasteland. Done in the style of shows like The Magnus Archives, The White Vault is perfect for winter time listening! Explore the Arctic Circle with this impressive and suspenseful mystery!

The first season of The White Vault is still being released. There are six episodes so far, with the season finale being the tenth episode. Episodes run anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour in length. Please note, The White Vault features mature themes and is a horror based podcast.

The White Vault is produced by Travis Vengroff and Kaitlin Statz. It is released by Fool and Scholar Productions. You can listen to episodes of The White Vault on iTunes, Stitcher, Podbay, and at TheWhiteVault.libsyn.com.

4. The Far Meridian

The Far Meridian joins the list and hails from the same network that brought us ars Paradoxica in 2015.

Peri’s brother disappeared some months ago. She has done nothing up until this point to find him, as she suffers from fairly severe agoraphobia. Her house has other plans. Instead of staying put (you know, like most houses), it begins to move around. It shows up in a new location every day, forcing Peri out into the world.

The Far Meridian premiered on June 5, 2017. There are thirteen episodes presently and the season one finale will be available Monday, December 25th. Merry Christmas! Episodes run about 15 to 30 minutes in length. Themes in The Far Meridian include anxiety and mental illness.

The Far Meridian is created and written by Eli Barraza. It is produced by Mischa Stanton. The Far Meridian is a product of the WhisperForge Network. You can listen to episodes of The Far Meridian on iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, TopPodcast, Podbean, and at TheFarMeridian.com . Transcripts are available here. You can read the full review of The Far Meridian here.

3. Rabbits

From the network that brought you The Black Tapes podcast and TANIS comes Rabbits.

Although the name “Rabbits” is relatively new, the game is pretty ancient. Rabbits, since the advent of the internet has moved there, and permeates much of geek culture when it comes to gaming (everything from Halo to Dungeons and Dragons). When Carly’s friend Yumiko disappears, she learns of the game and how involved her friend was in researching it. She started looking into Rabbits when she learned that people were dying by playing seemingly harmless games that were somehow connected to it. As everything with Pacific Northwest Stories, Rabbits is most likely not just a game, but a deeply woven conspiracy that may just hold the secret to life as we know it.

The first season of Rabbits is complete. Episode 1 was released on February 28, 2017. There are currently ten episodes. Episodes run about an hour in length. Themes found in Rabbits are not dissimilar to TANIS or The Black Tapes in that Rabbits involves a generally dark tone.

Rabbits is produced by Pacific Northwest Stories. You can listen to episodes of Rabbits on iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and at RabbitsPodcast.com/Episodes .

2. The Strange Case of Starship Iris

Our featured pick from the Procyon Podcast Network (new, yet quickly gaining an ardent following in the world of podcasts!) is The Strange Case of Starship Iris.

Violet Liu is the last surviving member of the Starship Iris, a biology-based mission apparently doomed to fail. She is rescued by a passing group of possible space pirates. What follows are their adventures following the alien attack of 2189.

This podcast premiered in January of 2017. The Strange Case of Starship Iris is currently on hiatus. There are five episodes. Episodes run about 30 minutes in length. The Strange Case of Starship Iris has LGBT themes.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris is created by Jessica Best. It is written by Jessica Best, and produced by the Procyon Podcast Network. This podcast is a part of the Procyon Podcasts Network. You can listen to episodes of The Strange Case of Starship Iris on iTunes, Spreaker, GooglePlay, and at ProcyonPodcasts.com/Starship-Iris . Transcripts for the first 5 episodes of the Strange Case of Starship Iris can be found here. You can read the full review of The Strange Case of Starship Iris here.

1. Steal The Stars

Steal the Stars was by far, the stand out podcast of the year in a year chock full of standout podcasts.

From new network, Tor Labs, and the mind of Mac Rogers comes the story of Dakota (Dak) Prentiss as she trains, and falls for, a new trainee Matt Salem in the most highly secure place on planet Earth (that we know of). Charged with protecting the greatest secret held on American soil, Dak and Matt have to maneuver their budding relationship around watchful eyes of superior officers, and save the secret hidden in the Quill Marine base.

Season 1 of Steal the Stars is complete. It premiered in August of 2017. It has 14 episodes. Episodes run about 20 to 30 minutes in length. Steal the Stars includes scenes of fairly graphic sensuality, so if that isn’t your thing, luckily the transcripts can direct you around them.

Steal the Stars is created and written by Mac Rogers. It is performed by a full cast. It is produced by Gideon Media, and directed by Jordana Williams. The sound engineer is Bart Fasbender. You can listen to episodes of Steal the Stars on iTunes, Googleplay, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and at TorLabs.com/Steal-The-Stars. You can read the full review of Steal the Stars here.

It was a good year for science fiction podcasts, as you’ll see by the list, a whopping 3 out of 5 selections were science fiction! Keep up the fantastic work, and we’ll be listening in 2018!

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