Guest Post – 5 SF Podcasts That Are Worth a Listen

Steph P. Bianchini June 16, 2016 2 Comments

This is a guest post by Caroline Black (for contributing posts here have a look at this), sharing this week her favourite SF podcasts. 

If you’re a SciFi lover like me, chances are you can literally never get enough of it. Whether it is a TV show, book or film, any work is sure to delight. So for the hardcore fans, SciFi podcasts are like a dream come true.

Now, we can get our fill of these exciting alternate universes, and the epic adventures that take place, we can also listen to in-depth discussions, covering literally everything we love about our favourite genre of entertainment. This list has compiled five of the very best SciFi podcasts that you should start listening to if you haven’t already!

1. StarShip Sofa

StarShip Sofa is a science fiction podcast from the UK hosted by Tony C. Smith, with Jeremy Szal as the fiction editor. Labelling itself as the ultimate audio Science Fiction magazine, this show offers a wide range of features. This includes a weekly short story from a guest narrator and an active panel discussion afterwards.

Playing host to some of the biggest and most insightful names in the business, regularly listening to this show can give you some fantastic perspectives on the genre and really challenge your depth of thought surrounding these seemingly simple stories.

2. Geek’s Guide To The Galaxy

Big name website Wired is responsible for this heavyweight in the SciFi podcast niche. It is packed with a whole plethora of content alongside some incredible guest-features including the likes of George R.R. Martin, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and John Cleese. If you could only listen to one SciFi podcast, I would recommend this one!

Unfortunately, due to the nature of its content, Wired is blocked in some countries such as China and Iran. SciFi fans from areas like these will have to install a Virtual Private Network or find a different method to bypass restrictions and be able to listen freely.

3. Women Talk SciFi

It’s a common misconception that men are the only people who enjoy SciFi. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Women Talk SciFi podcast is a true testimony to feminism in the niche and also a fantastically entertaining show in its own right.

Brought to you by the writers of much-loved e-zine GE News, the podcast covers numerous topics and acts as a fantastic add-on for fans of the genre that are looking for more. They also have special segments to celebrate great women in SciFi, so it’s a fantastically powerful resource to help end discrimination in the genre!

4. Anthology – Classic Sci-Fi Television

Taking you back to the Golden Age of Science Fiction, the Anthology podcast harks back to a time gone by. Starting with “The Twilight Zone” and covering every following show of note, the premise of the series is to intimately discuss the plot, characters, story and trivia of the show. It also covers the original impact that the programmes had.

This podcast is quite rare and so far has only released one series. That being said, planned upcoming shows are set to cover “The Outer Limits,” “Science Fiction Theatre,” “Tales of Tomorrow” and much more. There are also special bonus episodes for modern and alternative releases such as “Black Mirror” and “Electric Dreams”.

5. SciFi On Trial

This wonderfully unique podcast looks at all those science fiction releases that more than missed their mark! Hosted by synthpop musician and longtime SciFi fan Jesse Mercury, each episode looks to dissect the poorly received classics of the genre.

Alongside a team of outside panelists who change every week depending on the topic, Jesse aims to decide whether these vintage programmes really were a flop or whether they’re being remembered unfairly. Including reviews of franchise destroying classics such as “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Back to the Future Part III,” this really is a show that all fans need to hear!

Somewhat ironically, technology has changed to way to get our SciFi fix. While fans were once limited to just books, now you can enjoy the genre in many different mediums. These podcasts are some of the best available, but there are many more.

If you know of any others that you feel deserve a place on this list, then be sure to leave a comment below and share your ideas!

About the Author: Caroline Black is an entertainment and technology blogger (writing, among others, for Culture Coverage) whose love of SciFi and technology means she has loads of great tips and advice to share. She also wants to show that women have as much place in the genre as anyone else!