Audio dramas have been around for almost as long as radio, but the podcasting boom has inspired a renaissance. Just as streaming platforms have transformed the way in which we consume television, the on-demand nature of podcasts makes it possible to pick and choose a genre of radio play — like science fiction, sports drama or horror — and binge the entire thing rather than wait for weekly installments.

Given the mind-boggling amount of TV currently being produced, adding narrative podcasts to your pop culture plate may seem overwhelming. But binge listening is easier to fit into daily life than binge viewing — it’s a surefire way to make chores or exercise fly by — and these six fictional podcasts represent a worthy alternative to any audiobook.

‘Homecoming’

One of the most compelling and star-studded psychological thrillers of the last five years also happens to be a podcast, which has aired two seasons since its 2016 debut. Catherine Keener stars as Heidi, a caseworker at a military facility whose ostensible purpose is to help veterans readjust to civilian life. Through her sessions with a traumatized soldier (Oscar Isaac) and her interactions with her shifty boss (David Schwimmer), the writers Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg gradually unspool chilling truths about the Homecoming facility. The show has been adapted into an Amazon series — the first season cast Julia Roberts in Keener’s role, and an upcoming second season will star Janelle Monáe. But don’t sleep on the meticulously executed original, which blends slow-burn suspense with a workplace black comedy.

Starter episode: “Mandatory”