Imaginary Worlds
Eric Molinsky | Daylight Media
Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to Comic-Con and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. The host Eric Molinsky spent over a decade working in public radio, and he uses those skills to create sound-rich storytelling, pop culture analysis and cultural commentary about speculative fiction and immersive worldbuilding. Eric interviews sci-fi fantasy writers, creature makeup designers, comic book artists, video game and tabletop game designers, historians and anyone who works in the field of make-believe about the creative process. He also delves into fandoms, asking why we suspend our disbelief, and what happens if the spell is broken. Fantasy 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.
Imaginary Worlds is a Gold Winner for Best Arts & Culture podcast in the Signal Awards, and received an Ambie Award nomination for Best Indie Podcast. Episodes of Imaginary Worlds have been featured on the podcasts 99% Invisible, Twenty Thousand Hertz, Decoder Ring, Cautionary Tales, Science Friday, and The Allusionist.
- 313 episodes
- Updated Wednesday
- Explicit
Episodes313
- Mar 3, 2022 · 36 min
- Feb 17, 2022 · 36 min
Time Travel Migrants
- Feb 3, 2022 · 35 min
Headcanon Fodder: Fandom Rewrites the Narrative
- Jan 20, 2022 · 30 min
Politics of the Funnies: Li’l Abner Turns Right
- Jan 6, 2022 · 32 min
Politics of the Funnies: Pogo Turns Left
- Dec 23, 2021 · 34 min
Pop Culture Splits into Multiverses
- Dec 9, 2021 · 30 min
Have Yourself a Scary Little Krampus
- Nov 25, 2021 · 30 min
Building Fine Art One LEGO Brick at a Time
- Nov 11, 2021 · 31 min
Re-Rolling the Design of Role-Playing Games
- Oct 28, 2021 · 29 min
Did A French Theater Invent Modern Horror?
- Oct 14, 2021 · 32 min
The Ecology of Dune
- Sep 30, 2021 · 30 min
Why '70s Office Decor Holds the MCU Together
- Sep 16, 2021 · 31 min
The Video Game Industry Adapts to Blind Players
- Sep 2, 2021 · 32 min
The Hidden Queerness of Sailor Moon and Disney Villains
- Aug 19, 2021 · 31 min
Samurai to Star Wars: The Legend of Musashi
- Aug 5, 2021 · 38 min
Giving Imaginary Advice
- Jul 22, 2021 · 34 min
The Married Couple Who Hooked Up Harley Quinn with Poison Ivy
- Jul 8, 2021 · 34 min
Thankless Jobs: Journalists in Comic Book Stories
- Jun 24, 2021 · 34 min
The Matrix Might Be Real
- Jun 10, 2021 · 40 min
Fandom Confessions: Our Listeners’ Guilty Pleasures