So, right now, the Serial podcast is super-hot. And obviously, Night Vale before that.
(I listen occasionally to the latter, but haven’t yet checked out Serial.)
Just the same, seems a good time to re-ask the question: what podcasts do you listen to? What are they, why do you dig them? Are the above two podcasts part of a resurgence, or just two shining examples in an otherwise unexceptional field?
I demand your input.
INPUT. INPUT. JOHNNY FIVE IS ALIVE.
Whoa, sorry, 80s movie flashback.
Anyway: podcasts! Go!
Caroline Mitchell says:
I’m loving this post as I’m always on the lookout for new Podcasts, so thanks for sharing. My favourite podcaster is Joanna Penn, of http://www.theCreativePenn.com She knows everything there is to know on self publishing and the latest news in the industry. She also interviews some very interesting people in the writing world and that’s how I found you!
December 8, 2014 — 12:19 PM
fakedtales says:
I forgot to add one more:
The Worst Idea in the World.
Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery watch a film and review it every week for a year. Just one film, mind. That film is Grown Ups 2. Every week for fifty-two weeks. Comedy or psychological torture? Probably both.
December 8, 2014 — 12:29 PM
jeffrutherford says:
Here’s a link to a Pinterest board with a ton of book-related podcasts – http://www.pinterest.com/jeffrutherford/book-podcasts/
Also, I’ll make a shameless plug for my podcast – http://www.readingandwritingpodcast.com
170+ interviews with writers and authors, including Lee Child, Dean Koontz, Margaret Coel, and many others.
December 8, 2014 — 12:35 PM
TheMariaLima says:
I especially like the Outer Alliance podcast located: http://outeralliance.podbean.com
Julia Rios does a great job of interviewing folks and/or posting panels from various conventions all dealing with QUILTBAG (LGBTQIA) writing/issues.
December 8, 2014 — 12:44 PM
bathoryssecret says:
Oh cool, I’ve been wondering about new podcasts to follow, so great suggestions guys.
-Cabinet of Curiosities with Sarah Troop is quirky and sometimes hit or miss but has a few good episodes
-DIY Author
-Inside Creative Writing with Brad Reed (currently defunct and only with 14 episodes but very good)
-Author Hangout, Joanna Penn, Horror Writers, Self Publishing et al…
-Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC radio 4 in the uk) is pretty groovy too.
December 8, 2014 — 12:46 PM
jasonjoel (@jasonjoel) says:
I love this thread and agree with a lot of the suggestions. When I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for in a podcast, I started a my own on Creativity about a year ago (recording Ep. 63 tonight). Also, and perhaps puzzlingly, I recently uninstalled every podcast from my phone(yes, including my own).
It’s a tempting trap to think that gathering information is the same as being productive. I recommend you steer wide of daily podcasts or those that go on for 2+ hours.
That said, the occasional podcast is a great way to stay dry while exercising the shower principle and let your subconscious mind do some problem-solving. Just make sure you get back to work.
December 8, 2014 — 12:58 PM
zeros83 says:
My most beloved podcast is “The Thrilling Adventure Hour”, I simply love the writing, the wit, the voice acting, everything. They span many genres (western set on Mars; superheroes; couple of inhebriated mediums solving supernatural problems; millionaire-turned-hobo in search for his hobo princess: the usual, right?), have a varied cast and, last but not least, they have me laughing really really a lot!
I tried “Nightvale” but couldn’t like it, not my cup of tea, even if I listened to 14 episodes or something.
Oh, and I find outrageously great “The Dead Authors Podcast”, that’s all improvised on the spot and simply hilarious. Great comedians doing their best to disrupt the aura of santity of beloved writers from the past: how can it be not funny?
Yup, I’m a sucker for comedy 🙂
December 8, 2014 — 1:01 PM
P.G. Bell says:
The Incomparable has already had a few mentions but I feel I should add my voice to the others – it’s a fantastic show with some of the most incisive, intelligent and entertaining geek discussion you’re ever likely to find online.
Less analytical but somewhat more irreverent is Rewatchability, the ‘pop culture nostalgia podcast, which re-evaluates movies and TV shows from the 80s and 90s. It’s got a great dynamic and is never less than entertaining.
Finally, a recent discovery of mine is Monster Talk, an in-depth look at monsters and folk lore from a rationalist viewpoint. The truth is often more interesting than the fiction!
December 8, 2014 — 1:09 PM
Julia says:
Marc Maron’s WTF. Marc is smart and funny. Deep interviews with writers, comics, producers, actors, psychologists, musicians, artists of all kinds. He really creates a conversational atmosphere in which people spill the best of their guts. Truly. I find the stories of addiction and triumph and disaster inspiring. When 92-year-old Norman Lear said about his own childhood (and I’m paraphrasing with quotes): “When you’re nine years old and they take your father to prison and you watch as your mother sells all the furniture and they haul off the red leather chair that your father sat in and a hand rests on your shoulder and a voice says, ‘now you’re the man of the house’ — that’s fucking funny!” I slammed my palm on the dashboard and shouted ‘yes!’ Thanks, Marc.
December 8, 2014 — 1:47 PM
davedwelling says:
Filmspotting and it’s sister podcast, Filmspotting: SVU — that’s “streaming video unit,” BTW. Fun, literate conversations about the movies. Been listening for years and I always walk away with a ton of titles I need to see.
December 8, 2014 — 2:05 PM
Ryan says:
Judge John Hodgman! (http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/judge-john-hodgman) It’s John Hodgman (of Daily Show and Mac vs PC fame) adjudicating over weird disputes. It manages to be funny but also surprisingly often has genuinely wise advice from the Judge.
December 8, 2014 — 3:13 PM
Tom says:
I’ve been digging on some vaguely food-related podcasts lately.
The Alton Browncast is worthwhile since Alton Brown has hooks in some interesting places to grab guests to chat with. The episode with Adam Savage is some amazing fun listening to dudes nerd out about the film industry. Also, I giggle at the term browncast. Pretty sure it’s a diarrhea reference.
Mike and Tom Eat Snacks (MATES) is Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanaugh eating and reviewing snacks. The snack generally occupies maybe a quarter of the 40 or so minutes, while the extended story is much more entertaining– for a while, they were on the run from the international Hostess Brands cartel. Mostly NSFW
December 8, 2014 — 3:47 PM
jason b says:
I listen to about 15 different ones at various times, covering all the topics I enjoy. But the two I listen to the most are:
– Back to Work (Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin, on the 5by5 Network).
– Roderick on the Line (John Roderick and Merlin Mann).
Merlin Mann is in my head. I’ve listened to Back to Work from the beginning.
December 8, 2014 — 4:29 PM
Traci D. Haley says:
LOVE Serial (not a fan of Night Vale, though). I also listen to The Morning Stream every day, as well as some of the other Frogpants shows (Film Sack, Current Geek, the Spoiler show). Now that Never Not Funny is back to being free to listen, I’ve picked that up again, and I also just got back into Keith and the Girl. I also listen to Podculture and 2 Guys, 1 Brain.
Of all of those, The Morning Stream is my favorite, mainly for the community of amazing people it’s introduced me to.
December 8, 2014 — 4:44 PM
Traci D. Haley says:
Oh! I forgot a couple… I sporadically listen to the Baker Street Babes and Three-Patch Podcast, if they have an episode I’m interested in. And I also sporadically listen to Desert Island Discs and The Nerdist.
December 8, 2014 — 4:45 PM
The Angry Reviewer says:
There is an interesting podcast from the Odyssey Writing Workshop – excerpts from lectures given by guest writers, editors, and agents on a diverse range of writing-related topics.
http://www.sff.net/odyssey/podcasts.html
December 8, 2014 — 5:00 PM
UrsulaV says:
I like podcasts while drawing comics–fills the brain with words, and I can’t look up while drawing to watch TV.
I like most of the NPR shows–Radiolab is a particular favorite. And I am a sucker for Prairie Home Companion.
I also do two podcasts with my husband–“Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap” where we review prepackaged foods (and get quite drunk and I am not entirely sure why people listen, except that I go on a lot of tears about GMO corn and the paleo diet and so forth, and Kevin occasionally eats ghost peppers on air) and “The Hidden Almanac” which is a little alternate history segment, about three minutes long, three times a week. It’s been going for about a year, and includes the Feast Days of imaginary saints and gardening tips. The host is a plague doctor named Reverend Mord. It’s…fun?
December 8, 2014 — 5:02 PM
ChelseaIRL says:
Night Vale and Serial are literally my top two, followed closely by This American Life (which Serial is a “spin off” of) and Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Next is Radiolab, but only the full-length, not the shorts. Not really married to that one. And I’ve only listened to one episode, but I’m fairly certain Thrilling Adventure Hour is going to rival TAL for the three spot.
Honourable mentions: Freakonomics, Nerdist, The Moth
December 8, 2014 — 5:23 PM
Nathaniel Collum says:
Here are my favorites:
1) Scriptnotes – screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin talk screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters
2) Nerdist Writer’s Panel – Ben Blacker interviews interesting writers from comics, TV, and Film
3) The Fizzle Show – Fizzle.co creators chat about blogging, entrepreneurship, and self-employment
Snap Judgement is also great.
December 8, 2014 — 5:51 PM
Matt Healey says:
Top four podcasts:
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
Mur Lafferty’s I Should be Writing
The D6 Generation
Notes From Coode Street
December 8, 2014 — 7:31 PM
Eric says:
For actual play RPG podcasts, Crit Juice is my favorite. They know the rules, they have a good time, and they keep the game moving. Total Party Kill (from the people who make The Incomparable) is a very close second. It’s a little slower moving, but they have a lot of fun and it really shows in the podcast.
For radio drama Our Fair City is great, and the already mentioned Thrilling Adventure Hour. I just started listening to Decoder Ring Theatre, but I’m liking it so far. It’s gotten to the point where I’ll kick these on rather than watch television a lot of nights.
December 8, 2014 — 8:11 PM
Jon R. says:
Speculate and Rocket Talk are my two SFF go-to’s.
December 8, 2014 — 10:33 PM
Erik Arneson says:
KCRW’s The Business for movie- and TV-related news. International Waters for laughs. Song Exploder to listen to creativity in an art (music) in which I have no talent. Startup. Reply All. 99% Invisible. And I can’t help but mention my own little podcast, Title 18: Word Crimes, on which I team up with public radio veteran Scott Detrow to feature short crime fiction stories. (Chris Holm, Steve Weddle, Joe Clifford & Tom Pitts are among the authors whose work has been on Word Crimes.)
December 9, 2014 — 12:46 AM
Ani says:
I love The Self-publishing Podcast and Sell More Books. And would love to make shameless self-promotion by mentioning my podcast for writers, which is called Write 2B Read – if you get a minute, please give it a try 🙂
December 9, 2014 — 1:37 AM
Traylantha says:
I used to listen to a lot, but then I changed jobs and had to narrow it down. Strange Horizons, Podcastle, Lightspeed, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies are all awesome. Turned me on to dozens of new writers. Mur Lafferty’s I should Be Writing is a required ‘cast. Freakonomics is great for making me think a different way. 99% invisible and Radiolab are great for that too.
SF SQUEECAST.
And finally, New Books in Native American Studies, because I like alternative viewpoints on my professional area of study.
December 9, 2014 — 2:44 AM
Eva Therese says:
I listen to WTNV as well. And I’m considering starting on The Thrilling Adventure Hour. Other than that I listen to Savage Love, Dan Savage’s podcast, because I’ve read his column for something like a decade. The Infinite Monkey Cage, because it’s a fun take on science. And The Bakerstreet Babes, because … well, I like Sherlock Holmes, but I think I would listen to them no matter what their subject were. It’s just these girls enthusing about a subject that they are extremely knowledgeable about, without ever being dismissive of new or more casual fans.
December 9, 2014 — 8:53 AM
Eileen Wiedbrauk says:
For fiction: Podcastle, Pseudopod, and EscapePod
For writing advice, I like the Odyssey Workshop podcasts which are lecture excerpts from pros (http://www.sff.net/odyssey/podcasts.html) and Adventures in SF Publishing.
December 9, 2014 — 12:48 PM
Willow says:
Gotta recommend The Dollop — one guy tells a true story to a friend in his garage, and they shit they dig up from the past is jaw-dropping, often disturbing, and always hilarious. Check out the episode “Ten Cent Beer Night” to get a good idea of what the podcast is about.
December 9, 2014 — 1:06 PM
dangerdean says:
I’ve subscribed to a bunch over the years, some of which have been mentioned here, but the ones I look forward to and listen to immediately are Sword and Laser, Truth and Iliza (comedian Iliza Shlesinger talks to “celebrities” and friends about things that irritate them) and Horsetrack Hooligans Comedy Podcast. This last is a favourite: It’s just three guys riffing nonstop about life and geek culture. They aren’t people you would have heard of (unless you like Darkest of the Hillside Thickets) but they’re worth listening to.
Oh yeah, CBC Radio 3 podcast is one of the better music podcasts I’ve heard.
December 9, 2014 — 4:25 PM
Clifton Hill says:
I like short and sweet, or long and informative (interesting/amusing can also fill the quota).
Therefore:
-Writing Excuses
-The Functional Nerds
-The Rocking Self Publishing Podcast
-AISFP
-Joanna Penn
-I Should Be Writing
December 9, 2014 — 8:42 PM
Tom Clare says:
The Decoder Ring Theatre is the best written pulp adventure podcast out there, even after around two-hundred episodes. I tried The Thrilling Adventure Hour for a good six months, but it just didn’t have the depth of story and character as Decoder Ring Theatre, so I dropped it. ‘Black Jack Justice’ can be picked up from almost any episode, but ‘The Red Panda Adventures’ should be started with episode one (don’t be discouraged if the first three episodes seem a little like the usual hokey superhero stuff – they’re just establishing the world; stick with it).
Others I never miss:
– Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
– More or Less (a BBC show about statistics).
– Pop Culture Happy Hour.
– This is That (CBC)
– Exposing Pseudo Astronomy.
December 10, 2014 — 6:00 AM
kitpowerwriter says:
Marc Maron can be superb, especially if he and the guest are a little at odds, though his interviews with musicians can be very insightful too (ones with Iggy Pop and Rollins were particularly fine). Nerdist get some incredible interviews – their recent two parter with Clive Barker was astonishingly good, and Hardwick is a really, really good interviewer, IMO. The Indoor Kids, also on Nerdist do fun video games related content. The Nerdist Writers Panel focuses almost exclusively on TV writing, but there’s still some interesting process notes to glean from time to time.
My personal favorite is Harmontown – Dan Harmon has moments that genuinely evoke the spirit of Bill Hicks, albeit Dan is unrehearsed and horrifically inconsistent – being a functioning alcoholic will do that to you. None the less, the raw honesty of his performances really do shine through, and when the show is on fire, it’s painfully funny.
Oh, if you’re a super super Doctor Who super nerd, Pex Lives is pretty good too – 2 hour discussions (including heavy political/Marxist analysis) of classic Doctor Who stories. Good times.
December 10, 2014 — 12:13 PM
Doc Coleman says:
Mac OS Ken for all your Apple news and news about Apple news.
Secret World Chronicles for ongoing stories of superheros, alien/Nazis, and intrigue in a world where metahumans have been out of the closet since WWII.
Talking on my Morning Walk, or tommw, A look into the mind and world of author/voice actor Nathan Lowell.
The Roundtable Podcast – interviews with prominent figures from the publishing world, and story workshops with new authors.
Doc
December 11, 2014 — 6:49 AM
Chas says:
Radiolab, with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. Amazing science told as stories about the lives of real people underpinned with incredible sounds. Brave (unafraid to touch on topics like death and sex), inventive, imaginative, complex and detailed but all completely effortless to listen to. They do all the hard work while your brain takes a nice warm bath in the deep end of the knowledge jacuzzi.
December 11, 2014 — 8:17 PM
Gabriel says:
I generally just listen to comedy podcasts. Comedy bang bang, never not funny. Andy Daly’s podcast pilot project is a shining beacon of funny. Basically most things on the Earwolf network.
December 12, 2014 — 6:17 PM
Q says:
I tend to listen to movie review podcasts or film history podcasts.
I currently listen to…
Geek Juice Radio – https://soundcloud.com/geekjuiceradio
Lost in the Static (Less so since Scott left. I’m not liking the new co-hosts) – https://soundcloud.com/lostinthestatic
Radiodrome – https://soundcloud.com/radiodromeshow
Double Toasted Movie Review – https://soundcloud.com/kcoolman/
Word Funk – http://channelawesome.com/tag/word-funk/
Snobcast – http://www.thecinemasnob.com/podcasts.html
December 12, 2014 — 10:43 PM