Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 5 days 3 hours 26 minutes
It's time to talk about the politics of kaiju. With the new Godzilla vs. Kong movie stomping our way soon, we're discussing the long history of giant monsters in pop culture, and the truly strange cinematic backstory of the original King Kong vs....
We've been waging a desperate battle against deadly viruses, in both reality and fiction. In this episode, we talk to Sarah Zhang, a staff writer with the Atlantic, about what we've learned from the fight against COVID-19. And we talk about the...
What makes a good fight scene work? Is it the pacing, the characters, or where it happens in the story? We talk about our favorite fight scenes, and why they are oddly similar to dance numbers. Plus, we're joined by battle mastermind Fonda Lee, author...
Ever since Star Wars introduced space wizards with laser swords, we've been in love with space fantasy. Most space opera contains a certain amount of magical hand-waving, but there's something truly wondrous about an epic that embraces the potential...
We’re talking about resistance in real life and science fiction. First we do a deep dive into the history of New York City’s African Burial Ground, used by enslaved people during the 18th century. Michael Blakey, who headed the excavation, tells...
Summer is here—and that means a glorious new flood of movies, TV shows and books. We may actually get to go inside a movie theater again! Here's everything we're looking forward to this season, plus some thoughts about how entertainment has changed...
Recently there's been a rise in horror stories that deal with gentrification. We talk about real-life urban displacement, and the fictional tales that turn it into cosmic incursions and body-swapping nightmares. Plus, we talk to Sam J. Miller about...
True crime is a giant pop culture obsession ... but what about true science crime? In this episode, we look at the long history of scientists who were called criminals, going back to Galileo. And we discuss crimes committed in the name of science,...
Why are there so many science fiction stories about hive minds, or vast networks of interconnected brains, thinking together? In this episode, we discuss the pleasure and danger of merging consciousness with another person -- or a whole planet. Plus,...
Loki has been one of the best characters in the Marvel movies for a long time — but what is his new TV show revealing about the God of Mischief? We delve into his character, and the neuroses that drive him. Plus we talk to Maria Konnikova,...