Have you ever been SUPER late to “the party?”
I have been. On two occasions.
I still can’t believe I was so moronic.
The first was with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All of my friends were constantly talking up this apparently amazing TV show about a beautiful blonde cheerleader who kicked vampire ass on a regular basis. I thought they were mad. How could a show about a vampire killing cheerleader be quality TV?! And when I learned she was in love with a vampire on top of all of that, all I could think was “no, no, no, no, NO!”
Holy crap was I wrong. I came to Buffy half way through it’s second season and never looked back.
The second time I was late to the party was with Podcasts.
I didn’t want to listen to people rabbit on about the things I loved, in case it somehow ruined that thing for me.
I’m a huge science fiction fan, and I’ll watch a bad sci-fi movie or TV episode over pretty much everything else, but the thought of listening to other fans dissect the movies and shows I loved gave me a headache. I felt that way thanks to the comments sections on various sci-fi news sites. There was a time, years ago, when you could read some really insightful stuff in those sections. Comments that validated how you felt, and comments that challenged you to rethink your opinion… and then they became a haven for negative people spouting negative crap that would often cause a ‘flame’ war.
I feared Podcasting would give those negative voices even more of a platform.
Again, I was wrong. Sometimes you come across the odd negative naysayer and the odd obnoxious panel member, but they seem to be an exception to the norm.
In the last few weeks I’ve become addicted to a whole bunch of Podcasts and I’m really enjoying the experience.
I have a long drive to and from work everyday and I can spend up to three hours in my car depending on traffic. While I’m happy to listen to music, and sometimes just get lost in my own thoughts, I recently decided to try out Podcasts and have not looked back. For me, it’s like having a car full of good friends chatting to me about my favourite things.
There are courses you can do via Podcast, there are meditations, there are discussion panels about your favourite movies, and in particular discussion panels on your favourite shows.
I thought I’d share one particular Podcast I recently listened to and loved, and list two ongoing ones that are excellent. If you’re a sci-fi fan who has never given Podcasts a shot, these ones are some you may want to check out.
First up, the single episode I listened to recently.
Autopilot by Scott Johnson and Tom Merritt. This dynamic duo watch and comment on the pilot episodes of multiple television shows across the decades and its chock full of awesome.
These guys are HILARIOUS, and many of their insights are both thought provoking and entertaining.
In season three, episode nine of their series, they take a look at “Breakaway”, the pilot episode of Space: 1999.
Check it out here.
The Audio Guide to Babylon 5 has fast become one of my favourite Podcasts. Sitting down with Chip, Erika and Shannon is like being wrapped up in a warm B5 and sci-fi geek hug that always makes me smile. That hour and a bit of my trip into work everyday flies by when these guys are on my list.
I crammed three years’ worth of their Podcasts into four weeks and never once felt bored. They’re excellent.
If you’re a fan of Babylon 5, this series is a must.
Check the guys out here.
There are multiple ways to interact with Chip, Shannon and Erika, and they’ve created a very active fan community.
The last Podcast I’ll mention is Shuttle Pod.
There are, obviously, thousands more, but these three really stood out to me. Excellent production values, insightful commentary, interesting personalities, humour, and warm ‘feels’ everywhere.
Shuttle Pod is a production of one of my favourite Star Trek news sites, TrekMovie.com. They discuss everything from the movies, to the shows, and the characters. Their recent look at the Trek films has been both entertaining and informative.
Check them out here.
If you’ve never given Podcasts a go, now is the time. Most of us will have a few days off over Easter, and there are worse ways to spend a holiday.
If you’re an old hand at Podcasts and love science fiction, but have never given these Podcasts a try, look them up and have a listen.
I’m thinking of doing a tour through the Space: 1999 episodes as a Podcast, but I’m literally the only Space: 1999 fan that I know!
If I can ever conscript someone to join me, or find a really interesting way to do it solo, they’ll feature here.
That’s it for now.
If you’re an Easter celebrating person, Happy Easter, and eat chocolate and prosper.
scifimojo.com 