Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. Host Eric Molinsky spent over a decade ...
In honor of the release of Wicked, we’re hitching a ride on a tornado to hear three different stories about Oz. We hear how the “rainbow chaser” L. Frank Baum failed at every career he tried until he sat down to write The Wizard of Oz. We learn about Baum’s frenemy W.W. Denslow, who illustrated The Wizard of Oz, and then tried to create a competing franchise. And we learn how the author of the Russian translation of The Wizard of Oz convinced the public (with the help of the Soviet government) that the story was written in the USSR. Featuring authors Michael Patrick Hearn, Robert Baum, and Olga Zilberbourg.
This week’s episode is brought to you by Henson Shaving, Sol Reader and Dragon Ball Legends
Go to solreader.com to and use the code IMAGINARY at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of Sol Reader Limited Edition.
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38:44
Why The Future is (Doctor) Doom
All Hail Doom! The supreme ruler of Latveria has successfully defeated The Fantastic Four and The Avengers. Marvel Studios is bowing towards his will, casting Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic villain and betting their fortunes on Doctor Doom! But Victor von Doom is more than a classic bad guy. He is one of the most complex characters in Marvel history. I talk with comic book writers Mark Waid, Brian Michael Bendis and Ryan North about the ways they’ve depicted Doctor Doom, from noble intensions gone away to horrific acts of selfishness. And cultural critic Mark Hibbett discusses why he believes the history of Doctor Doom reflects America's ambivalence towards dictators and the role they play on the world stage.
This week's episode is sponsored by Sol Reader and ShipStation
Go to solreader.com to and use the code IMAGINARY at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of Sol Reader Limited Edition.
Go to shipstation.com and use the code IMAGINARY to sign up for your FREE 60-day trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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41:38
Who Gets to Survive: The Final Girls of Horror
Horror movies are best known for their monsters and villains – but there’s another half to the equation. The Final Girls who survive horror films and live to see another sequel have been fueling the genre for half a century. Freddie Krueger met his match in Nancy. Michael Myers can’t outwit Laurie. Ripley is the ultimate survivor of Alien movies. But the trope of the Final Girl has gone through an evolution in recent years. I talk with Robin Means Coleman, University of Virginia professor and author of the book Horror Noire, about the underlying issues of race and gender in who gets to be considered a Final Girl, and why she coined the term Enduring Women. Cultural critic Jenika McCrayer guides us through modern day Final Girls, who are more diverse and complex. And PhD student Morgan Podraza maps out the evolution of Jamie Lee Curtis’s character in the Halloween franchise, from innocent high schooler to gun-toting grandma.
This week's episode is sponsored by Sol Reader and Henson Saving
Go to solreader.com to and use the code IMAGINARY at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of Sol Reader Limited Edition.
Visit hensonshaving.com/imaginary to pick the razor for you and use the code “imaginary” to get two years' worth of blades free with your razor – just make sure to add them to your cart.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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36:41
To Seek Out New Life
For a long time, imagining what alien life could look like was mostly the job of science fiction creators. But in recent years, the field of astrobiology has gotten a boost from the discovery of faraway exoplanets with atmospheres which could support life. In trying to imagine what aliens could look like, scientists have found that science fiction is a good jumping off point. Astrobiologist Michael Wong hosts a science of Star Trek podcast called Strange New Worlds, and biologist Mohamed Noor wrote a book called Live Long and Evolve about what Star Trek can teach us about science. They discuss the influence Star Trek has on the way they question what the building blocks of life could be outside Earth, and what would happen if you rewound the clock of evolution. Plus, Jaime Green talks about her book The Possibility of Life, where she interviewed scientists about which science fiction is asking the right questions about astrobiology. Featuring readings by actor Luke Daniels.
This week’s episode is sponsored by ShipStation and TodayTix
Go to shipstation.com and use the code IMAGINARY to sign up for your FREE 60-day trial.
Go to TodayTix.com/imaginary and use the promo code IMAGINARY to get $20 off your first Today Tix purchase.
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41:44
Introducing Between Imaginary Worlds
I'm excited to announce that we're starting a new Patreon-only ad-free show called Between Imaginary Worlds, which is a more casual chat show format. In each episode, I talk with different people about what they're excited about in sci-fi fantasy, what they're looking forward to, pet peeves and a lot more.
Between Imaginary Worlds is available to people pledging $10 a month or more on Patreon. New episodes appear in between regular episodes of the show in the ad-free feed that comes with a Level 3 or Level 4 Patreon subscription. You can also listen to Between Imaginary Worlds directly on the show’s Patreon page.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. Host Eric Molinsky spent over a decade working as a public radio reporter and producer, and he uses those skills to create thoughtful, sound-rich episodes about science fiction, fantasy, and other genres of speculative fiction. Every other week, he talks with comic book artists, game designers, novelists, screenwriters, filmmakers, and fans about how they craft their worlds, why we suspend our disbelief, and what happens if the spell is broken. Imaginary worlds may be set on distant planets or parallel dimensions, but they are crafted here on Earth, and they’re always about us and our lived experiences.
South Africa