This is the first of what I hope will be many more features on
my favorite podcasts!
Wikipedia defines podcast as: A type of digital media
consisting of an episodic series of files (either audio or video) subscribed to
and downloaded through web syndication. The word is a neologism [a newly coined
term, word, or phrase, that may be in the process of entering common use]
derived from "broadcast" and "pod" from the success of the
iPod, as podcasts are often listened to on portable media players.
I have been listening to podcasts for many years now. I first
began listening to podcasts on my computer on their websites’ MP3 players. The
first such podcast I remember listening to this way was Slice of SciFi back in
March of 2007, when they interviewed Amanda Tapping and Damian Kindler on the
then Web series Sanctuary.
It wasn’t until I was given a “hand-me-down” iPhone 3GS that
I became fully immersed in the world of podcasting. Thanks to the ease of the
iTunes interface and being able to subscribe to podcasts, I now listen to about
twenty different podcasts a week; with subjects ranging from Sci-Fi Television
to Comic Books. If you have a favorite genre interest – be it a particular TV
show or type of film or comic books or just fannish stuff in general – there is
a podcast on that subject!
Podcast of the Month for March 2012 is:
Geek’s Guide to the
Galaxy!
The following is from their "about the show" page on their web site:
Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy is an interview/talk show hosted
by editor John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead) and author David Barr
Kirtley (New Voices in Science Fiction, Fantasy: The Best of the Year). Each
episode features an interview with a leading figure in the world of science and
science fiction, followed by a discussion of science fiction books, movies,
video games, and more.
Guests include novelists such as George R. R. Martin (A Game
of Thrones), Charlaine Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series), Chuck
Palahniuk (Fight Club), William Gibson (Neuromancer), Michael Chabon (The
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay), Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game),
China Miéville (Perdido Street Station), and R. A. Salvatore (The Dark Elf
Trilogy), as well as filmmakers such as Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and
Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), comic book writers such as Robert Kirkman (The
Walking Dead) and Chris Roberson (Superman), video game designers such as Ron
Gilbert (The Secret of Monkey Island) and Chet Faliszek (Left 4 Dead), science
writers such as P. W. Singer (Wired for War) and Mary Roach (Stiff), and
scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson (Nova scienceNOW) and Richard Dawkins
(The God Delusion).
Season One (2010) was produced for Tor.com, the website of a
major science fiction book publisher. Season Two (2011) was produced for
io9.com, a science fiction and futurism website owned by Gawker Media. Season
Three (2012) is currently being produced for Wired.com, the website of the
popular tech magazine Wired.
If you are looking for professionally and impartially executed
interviews of writers of books, television and film, then Geek’s Guide to the
Galaxy is an exceptional podcast to start with. Most podcasts run at about one
hour, with the first half-hour being dedicated to the featured writer for that
episode and then the second half-hour usually features hosts John Joseph Adams
and David Barr Kirtley talking about other media events related to the author
or subject featured in the first half of the program.
An excellent example of this is episode #55 [posted February
29, 2012] that featured an interview with Michael Chabon, the author of Wonder
Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, who discussed working for
Disney and writing the screenplay [with director/co-writer Andrew Stanton and
co-writer Mark Andrews] for the 2012 movie John Carter. In the
second half-hour John and David, who are knowledgeable authors/editors and Burroughs-philes
in their own rite, give a detailed and very opinionated review of the John
Carter film, from the perspective of two men who have read the entire series of
books about John Carter. One fascinating thing I found out about their review
is that the many inconstancies between the books and the movie were received
both positively and negatively by the podcasting duo.
If you want to listen to their podcast review of John Carter
yourself, go to this link: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/michael-chabon-geeks-guide-galaxy.
If you want to go to their web site and check out some of their other podcasts,
go to this link: http://geeksguideshow.com/
I only listen to approximately 6 blogs on a regular basis. I download them to a memory stick and listen to them in my car. Geeks Guide to the Galaxy is one of them. I may not listen to every episode but I will check them out. I particularly enjoyed Episode #56 with Vernor Vinge, #45 with Jim Butcher, and #41 with Daniel H. Wilson. The host seem to do a good job at asking pertinent question that keep the reader interested and informed.
ReplyDeleteYou have all of space and time to listen to podcasts and you only listen to six on a regular basis? What a slacker you are, Phileas! Just joking! Don’t go back in time and do something I won’t live to regret!
ReplyDeleteSo you listen to podcasts in your car? That wouldn’t be a modified DeLorean DMC-12, would it?
I knew you liked Geeks Guide to the Galaxy and I’m not surprised you enjoyed Episode #56 with Vernor Vinge, as I know you’ve read most of his long fiction. I too listened to the Jim Butcher interview last year.
I agree with you that both John and David do ask very good questions and seem to be able to encourage their guests to speak freely and easily on their various works and related issues. If I have any complaint with Geeks Guide to the Galaxy’s hosts is that they are a tad “dry”. Not that they’re humorless, but I do think because they are going for a more academic approach to their subject they do sometimes come off a little monotonous. Still, it is a very interesting and enlightening podcast!