I’m a comics and science fiction geek, I’ll admit it. A love for the fantastic has been there since birth; I was named for a character from Battlestar Galactica and the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. My parents were science fiction fans and I grew up in a home steeped in the joys of Star Trek, The Prisoner, Tolkien, science fiction novels, comic books (one fond memory I have from childhood is discovering Bizarre Adventures #30, coloured in by my father) and countless other science fiction and fantasy media.
I promised one more Podcast Selections entry, and here it is, flying past at warp 3.14. This will be a very brief entry, as I’m itching to get these very cool ‘casts to you. Today’s picks are podcasts that discuss a wide range of science fiction and comics topics.
My favourite podcast discovery of the past month is Galactic Watercooler, a sci fi talk show that touches on a large swath of science fiction, as well as comics and fantasy. Hosts Audra, Chuck and Sean inject humour and playfulness into discussions about material such as Dollhouse, Avatar, Batman and Star Trek and explore luminaries like Carl Sagan and J.R.R. Tolkien.
I grew up with Star Trek, so I first knew Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher on The Next Generation. Now I’m thrilled to listen every week to his podcasts. Memories of the Futurecast is Wil’s geeky and hilarious return to the first season of The Next Generation that is “equal amounts of nostalgia and facepalm”. Thus far, he has covered the first half of the first season, sharing pieces from his book Memories of the Future for one episode in each ‘cast.
Comic Book Club is hosts Alex, Justin and Pete’s insightful and funny take on the world of comics. The reviews and interviews featured on the show are great resources for someone like me who just isn’t able to keep up with the countless issues that come out each week but still has a love for great characters and great storytelling.
Casey McKinnon and Rudy Jahchan‘s A Comicbook Orange is another cheeky comic book ‘cast with great production values. Casey and Rudy bring all the fireworks of their previous podcasts —the sexy Kitcast and sci fi parody show Galacticast— to this series, making it one of the finest ‘casts on the net.