# Old Gods of Appalachia

Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror podcast written by Cam Collins and Steve Shell that debuted on October 31, 2019. The show is produced by DeepNerd Media, is distributed by Rusty Quill, and was adapted into a role-playing game by Monte Cook Games. Each episode uses a combination of narration and audio drama to tell historical fiction stories based on Appalachian folklore. The fifth season is set to premiere on December 5, 2024.

## Background

The show is written by Steve Shell and Cam Collins. The stories are original fiction that draws on a mix of history and folk tales for inspiration and address strange things from witchcraft to the paranormal. The cast for the show either currently live or grew up in Appalachia.

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31) | January 30, 2020 (2020-1-30) |
| 2 | 20 | 20 | September 10, 2020 (2020-9-10) | July 15, 2021 (2021-7-15) |
| 3 | 20 | 20 | March 17, 2022 (2022-3-17) | January 12, 2023 (2023-1-12) |
| 4 | 20 | 20 | August 24, 2023 (2023-8-24) | May 30, 2024 (2024-5-30) |

### Season 1 (2019–20)

| No. | Title | Length | Written by | Original release date |
| 0 | "Prologue" | 11:36 | Steve Shell | October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31) |
| 0.5 | "The Witch Queen" | 25:23 | Steve Shell | November 6, 2019 (2019-11-6) |
| 1 | "Old Number Seven: Barlo, Kentucky 1917: Part One" | 18:05 | Steve Shell | November 7, 2019 (2019-11-7) |
| 2 | "The Schoolhouse: Barlo Kentucky 1917: Part Two" | 19:57 | Steve Shell | November 14, 2019 (2019-11-14) |
| 2.5 | "Let There Be Green" | 12:59 | Steve Shell | November 21, 2019 (2019-11-21) |
| 3 | "The Covenant: Barlo, Kentucky 1917: Part Three" | 21:40 | Cam Collins | November 28, 2019 (2019-11-28) |
| 4 | "The Sacrifice: Barlo, Kentucky 1917: Part Four" | 23:21 | Cam Collins | December 5, 2019 (2019-12-5) |
| 4.5 | "The Bad Death and Resurrection of Annie Messer" | 22:53 | Steve Shell | December 13, 2019 (2019-12-13) |
| 5 | "The Boy: Barlo, Kentucky 1917: Part Five" | 29:22 | Steve Shell | December 19, 2019 (2019-12-19) |
| 6 | "The Witch Queen Chapter II: Doubt" | 24:04 | Steve Shell | December 26, 2019 (2019-12-26) |
| 7 | "Afterbirth: Season Finale Part 1" | 27:50 | Steve Shell | January 9, 2020 (2020-1-9) |
| 8 | "Homecoming: Season Finale Part 2" | 24:55 | Cam Collins | January 16, 2020 (2020-1-16) |
| 9 | "You Ready to Go Home? Season Finale Part 3" | 28:02 | Steve Shell | January 23, 2020 (2020-1-23) |
| 10 | "The Witch Queen Chapter III: Last Harbor: Season Finale Part 4" | 35:48 | Steve Shell | January 30, 2020 (2020-1-30) |

### Season 2 (2020–21)

| No. | Title | Length | Written by | Original release date |
| 11 | "Season Two Prologue" | 14:18 | Steve Shell | September 10, 2020 (2020-9-10) |
| 12 | "The Other Queen" | 24:39 | Steve Shell | September 24, 2020 (2020-9-24) |
| 13 | "The Dark Earth at Night" | 30:34 | Steve Shell | October 8, 2020 (2020-10-8) |
| 14 | "On Death Island" | 26:25 | Steve Shell | October 22, 2020 (2020-10-22) |
| 15 | "A Funeral in Pine" | 29:15 | Steve Shell | November 5, 2020 (2020-11-5) |
| 16 | "Between the Unburied and Miss Belle" | 36:32 | Steve Shell | November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19) |
| 17 | "The Boy Who Could Not Die" | 36:33 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | December 3, 2020 (2020-12-3) |
| 18 | "Where the Cold Wind Blows" | 30:55 | Cam Collins | January 21, 2021 (2021-1-21) |
| 19 | "Where the Sun Never Shines" | 28:05 | Cam Collins | February 4, 2021 (2021-2-4) |
| 20 | "Am I Born to Die?" | 38:22 | Steve Shell | February 28, 2021 (2021-2-28) |
| 21 | "A Worthy Grave" | 31:59 | Cam Collins | March 4, 2021 (2021-3-4) |
| 22 | "Paper, Ink and Sorrow" | 23:25 | Steve Shell | March 24, 2021 (2021-3-24) |
| 23 | "A Bad Night for Hollow Men" | 37:49 | Steve Shell | April 8, 2021 (2021-4-8) |
| 24 | "Charcoal Suit and All" | 41:31 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | April 22, 2021 (2021-4-22) |
| 25 | "The Siege of Pleasant Evenings" | 42:50 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | May 6, 2021 (2021-5-6) |
| 26 | "Welcome to Paradise" | 21:03 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | May 20, 2021 (2021-5-20) |
| 27 | "Strangers in Paradise" | 29:14 | Cam Collins | June 3, 2021 (2021-6-3) |
| 28 | "Paradise Lost" | 36:34 | Cam Collins | June 17, 2021 (2021-6-17) |
| 29 | "A Friend of the Family" | 42:26 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | July 1, 2021 (2021-7-1) |
| 30 | "The Dead Queen" | 1:17:46 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | July 15, 2021 (2021-7-15) |

### Season 3 (2022–23)

| No. | Title | Length | Written by | Original release date |
| 31 | "Season Three Prologue" | 20:19 | Steve Shell | March 17, 2022 (2022-3-17) |
| 32 | "Runs in the Family" | 29:10 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | March 31, 2022 (2022-3-31) |
| 33 | "Special Delivery" | 34:05 | Cam Collins | April 14, 2022 (2022-4-14) |
| 34 | "On Oak Mountain" | 33:59 | Cam Collins | April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28) |
| 35 | "More Harm than Good" | 44:40 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | May 12, 2022 (2022-05-12) |
| 36 | "Eminent Domain" | 32:27 | Steve Shell | June 9, 2022 (2022-06-09) |
| 37 | "The Other Walker House" | 31:17 | Steve Shell | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) |
| 38 | "Diary of a Preacher's Daughter" | 28:20 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | July 7, 2022 (2022-07-07) |
| 39 | "The Blood of the Mountain" | 38:32 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | July 21, 2022 (2022-07-21) |
| 40 | "The Well of Remembrance" | 46:22 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | August 4, 2022 (2022-08-04) |
| 41 | "Return to Paradise" | 28:19 | Cam Collins | August 25, 2022 (2022-08-25) |
| 42 | "A Fool's Paradise" | 28:00 | Cam Collins | September 8, 2022 (2022-09-08) |
| 43 | "Escape from Paradise" | 39:05 | Cam Collins | September 22, 2022 (2022-09-22) |
| 44 | "A Brace of Kinsmen" | 26:39 | Steve Shell | October 6, 2022 (2022-10-06) |
| 45 | "Hollowed Be Thy Name" | 31:37 | Steve Shell | October 20, 2022 (2022-10-20) |
| 46 | "Lay Not upon Us Innocent Blood" | 28:19 | Steve Shell | November 17, 2022 (2022-11-17) |
| 47 | "Cast Me Forth Unto the Sea" | 25:52 | Steve Shell | December 1, 2022 (2022-12-01) |
| 48 | "By Reason of Mine Affliction" | 46:35 | Cam Collins | December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15) |
| 49 | "Sackcloth and Ashes" | 44:50 | Cam Collins | January 5, 2023 (2023-1-05) |
| 50 | "The Horns of the Altar" | 1:05:58 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | January 12, 2023 (2023-1-12) |

### Season 4 (2023–24)

| No. | Title | Length | Written by | Original release date |
| 51 | "Season Four Prologue" | 13:24 | Cam Collins | August 24, 2023 (2023-8-24) |
| 52 | "The Men of the Rock" | 25:58 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | September 7, 2023 (2023-9-07) |
| 53 | "Due Process" | 32:52 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | September 21, 2023 (2023-9-21) |
| 54 | "Caveat Emptor" | 34:03 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | October 5, 2023 (2023-10-05) |
| 55 | "The Matter of the Children" | 35:19 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | October 19, 2023 (2023-10-19) |
| 56 | "The Traveling Marvels" | 33:38 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | November 2, 2023 (2023-11-02) |
| 57 | "The Land of Nod" | 34:47 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | November 16, 2023 (2023-11-16) |
| 58 | "Opportunity Knocks" | 40:37 | Cam Collins | November 30, 2023 (2023-11-30) |
| 59 | "Points of Order" | 26:27 | Cam Collins | December 14, 2023 (2023-12-14) |
| 60 | "The Tale of Mr. Poe" | 33:38 | Steve Shell | January 4, 2024 (2024-1-4) |
| 61 | "Mixed Blessings" | 30:22 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | January 11, 2024 (2024-1-11) |
| 62 | "Small Favors" | 29:42 | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | February 8, 2024 (2024-2-8) |
| 63 | "The Ways of the Dead" | 36:40 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | February 22, 2024 (2024-2-22) |
| 64 | "Last Stand at Copper Ridge" | 27:58 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | March 7, 2024 (2024-3-7) |
| 65 | "Debt Collections" | 35:06 | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | March 21, 2024 (2024-3-21) |
| 66 | "Night Comes to the Rock" | TBA | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | April 4, 2024 (2024-4-4) |
| 67 | "Goldie Graves" | TBA | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | April 18, 2024 (2024-4-18) |
| 68 | "The Bonds of Friendship" | TBA | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | May 2, 2024 (2024-5-2) |
| 69 | "Nice and Easy" | TBA | Steve Shell and Cam Collins | May 16, 2024 (2024-5-16) |
| 70 | "The Burden of Proof" | TBA | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | May 30, 2024 (2024-5-30) |

## Reception

Toni Oisin of Collider praised the show saying that "the style the script is written in is gripping, making it hard to switch off after the first episode." Aysel Atamdede of 60 Seconds Magazine praised the show saying that the podcast contains "immersive, wonderfully written, lovingly narrated stories." A reader's pick on Vulture written by Eli L. praised the show saying that "it captures the spirit of Appalachia in a way that makes me nostalgic … in addition to keeping me jumping at shadows!"

### Awards

| Date | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2022 | World Fantasy Awards | Special Award – Professional | Cam Collins and Steve Shell for Old Gods of Appalachia | Nominated |
| 2021 | Discover Pod Awards | Best Overall Podcast | Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2021 | Discover Pod Awards | Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast | Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Overall Storytelling Production for an Existing Production | Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Cover Art for an Existing Production | Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Writing for an Existing Storytelling Production | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Storyteller in an Existing Production | Steve Shell | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Music Direction in an Existing Storytelling Production | Steve Shell | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Environmental and Action Sound Design in an Existing Storytelling Production | Steve Shell | Won |
| 2021 | Audio Verse Awards | Original Vocal Composition in an Existing Storytelling Production | "The Land Unknown (The Hollow Heart Verses)" by Landon Blood for Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2020 | Discover Pod Awards | Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast | Old Gods of Appalachia | Runner-up |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Overall Storytelling Production for a New Production | Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Writing of a New Storytelling Production | Cam Collins and Steve Shell | Won |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Storyteller in a New Production | Steve Shell | Won |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Environmental and Action Sound Design in a New Storytelling Production | Steve Shell | Won |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Original Vocal Composition in a New Storytelling Production | "The Land Unknown" by Landon Blood for Old Gods of Appalachia | Won |
| 2020 | Audio Verse Awards | Performance of a Leading Role in a New Audio Play Production | Betsy Puckett in Old Gods of Appalachia: Build Mama a Coffin | Won |

## Adaptation

The creation of the roleplaying game based on the Old Gods of Appalachia was formally announced on November 12, 2021. The show was adapted by Monte Cook Games.