Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. Host... more
In honor of the release of Wicked, we’re hitching a ride on a tornado to hear three different stories about... more
All Hail Doom! The supreme ruler of Latveria has successfully defeated The Fantastic Four and The Avengers. Marvel Studios is... more
Horror movies are best known for their monsters and villains – but there’s another half to the equation. The Final... more
For a long time, imagining what alien life could look like was mostly the job of science fiction creators. But... more
I'm excited to announce that we're starting a new Patreon-only ad-free show called Between Imaginary Worlds, which is a more... more
Role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder aren’t just played in game shops or living rooms. They’re also very... more
In the second part of our retrospective on how Imaginary Worlds has covered sci-fi and fantasy since September 2014, we... more
When I began my podcast in September 2014, I was mostly sticking with topics that I was familiar with like... more
I used to think escape rooms were gimmicky activities where everyone scrambled to solve puzzles while I stood around feeling... more
The field of audiobooks has exploded since the introduction of mp3 players, and it continues to expand. But it takes... more
In the years since my 2020 episode Fantasy and Fascism, I knew that I had to make a follow-up episode.... more
Who really composed the scores of Dune, Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, Pirates of the... more
The hottest trend in fantasy novels – in fact the hottest trend in publishing overall – is fantasy romance or... more
Book banning is hitting libraries across America, and many of the titles being banned or challenged are fantasy books or... more
Did you know that in retirement, George Lucas decided to host a live talk show with his sidekick Watto? That’s... more
Over the past 40 years, Shigeru Miyamoto has been inventing the modern video game one pixel at a time. From... more
When Joe Dever died in 2016, he hadn’t written the last several books in his Lone Wolf series. The Lone... more
When the writer Nnedi Okorafor coined the term Africanfuturism, she wanted to distinguish sci-fi written about Africa from Afrofuturism, which... more
Back in 2018, I interviewed language creator David J. Peterson about how he invented Dothraki for Game of Thrones and... more
The Wizard of Oz is deeply ingrained into our culture. While many people can practically recite the 1939 movie, the... more
In the previous episode, I interviewed documentary filmmaker Isaac Elliot-Fisher about He-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Isaac had so... more
In the final episode of our mini-series Class of '84, we look at two iconic franchises that launched in 1984:... more
In the second episode of our mini-series on groundbreaking works from 1984, we jack into the system and upload our... more
When I interviewed special effects artist Shannon Shea about The Terminator and other villains of ’84, we also discussed his... more
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and fantasy. So many... more
I was blown away by the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai. I’m not alone, it has 100% rating on... more
In the 1960s, Ursula K. le Guin represented a changing of the guard in science fiction literature. She was part... more
This week's episode is an original audio drama. In previous episodes, I’ve interviewed Captain Hook, vampires, colonists on the moon,... more
In honor of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, I’ve rewritten my 2018 episode about Doctor Who with updates on how the... more
One Piece is one of the biggest franchises in the world. The manga and anime have broken records in sales... more
My guests from the previous episode, Carolyne Larrington and Ada Palmer, had so many interesting things to say about Norse... more
Thor and Loki have become pop culture icons thanks to Marvel. But the influence of Norse mythology on contemporary fantasy... more
Kritika H. Rao, Shveta Thakrar, Roshani Chokshi, and Ram V are helping to create a new genre. They use elements... more
We all know the scenario. A nice young family moves into a new house. It’s haunted by an evil spirit.... more
John Roesch is a legend in the field of foley sound effects. He mastered the art of creating bespoke sound... more
35 years ago, Doug Naylor co-created a sitcom called Red Dwarf about the last human left alive in the far... more
The writers’ and actors’ strikes have disrupted the pipeline of new shows and movies. We’re going to run out of... more
We’ve all had this experience. We get hooked on a show. We fall in love with the characters. We can’t... more
Who wouldn’t want a fairy godmother to solve our problems with the flick of a magic wand? We know that’s... more
These ships feel like old friends – The Enterprise, the Millennium Falcon, Battlestar Galactica, Serenity, The Rosinante. But would any... more
Who wouldn’t want a fairy godmother to solve our problems with the flick of a magic wand? We know that’s not a... more