Imaginary Worlds

13/08/2025

From this week's episode: images of Dreamland and artist Zoe Beloff's installation piece, which imagines a Freudian Dreamland after the original one burned down in 1911.

13/08/2025

With summer winding down, we take a trip to Coney Island – over a century ago – to explore the bombastic and bizarre theme park Dreamland.

Coney Island still has the classic amusements you’d expect today like roller coasters, water slides, and carnival games. But over a century ago, it looked more like a proto–Disney World, with multiple theme parks, colossal buildings, and wildly imaginative rides. The most extravagant park along ...

08/08/2025

The IW merch store now sells shorts! https://imaginaryworlds.dashery.com/

30/07/2025

This week, I talk with video game composers at Hans Zimmer’s company Bleeding Fingers, and indie composer Winifred Phillips about the challenge of writing music for a visual medium that is constantly changing.

Creating a musical score for interactive video games is like trying to hit a moving target. Luckily, Hans Zimmer’s studio Bleeding Fingers has developed some clever strategies. I talk with their CEO Russell Emanuel and musicians Thom Lukas and Giovanni Rios about how they create innovative s

16/07/2025

In honor of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie and the way it’s paying homage to the original comics from the 1960s, I’m revising my 2018 episode about Jack Kirby and how much of himself he put into characters that became pop culture icons.

The production design of the film Fantastic Four: First Steps is an homage to the early ‘60s comics created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. While Kirby is best known for his bold, fist-popping drawing style, he was also a great storyteller who redefined what comic books could be. He was appreciated by...

11/07/2025

As we head into Superman weekend, you might be interested to hear an hour-long public radio documentary I produced in 2006 (rerun in 2013) looking at the character from every angle. We talked with Margot Kidder, Michael Chabon, Art Spiegelman and Jules Feiffer. It's a really fun show.

Kurt Andersen goes up, up and away with Superman and finds out why "The Man of Steel" remains as popular and elusive as ever.

03/07/2025

The NY Times recently did their top 100 movies of the 21st century. I read the list thinking, "they put that movie is above that movie?" I can't remember what "experts" they consulted with, but they asked readers to submit their choices, which they just compiled. I was pleasantly surprised not just how closely this list appeals to my tastes, but there is SO much more SFF on the list. As you can see from this picture, I'm very happy with the giant boost The Dark Knight got.

The people have spoken. Here are the movies they voted for.

02/07/2025

Thanks to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we already know the meaning of life. (Spoiler: it’s 42.) This week, we ponder the meaning of Douglas Adams. I talk with Arvind Ethan David about his new audiobook, Douglas Adams: The Ends of The Earth.

When Arvind Ethan David was a student, he decided to adapt the Douglas Adams novel Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency into a play. Arvind didn’t imagine that Adams would show up to see the play (which he did), nor that Arvind would grow up to become a caretaker of Adams’ legacy. Arvind ju...

29/06/2025

I will be teaching my class, How to Sound like Yourself on the Mic, on July 10th at 7pm EDT. It's great for people who are starting a podcast, or more experienced podcasters who would like to learn some tips and hone their skills! 🎙

Radio Boot Camp is a comprehensive virtual school for all things audio. Audio classes from anywhere with audio and podcast professionals.

23/06/2025

It's time for my 10th annual call out for episode ideas! As usual, your suggestions need to be specific in terms of explaining what angle I should take so it doesn't sound like Imaginary Wikipedia. And if you're not sure if I've covered something, check the website. Thanks!

18/06/2025

What if you could upload your mind to the Internet? That’s the premise of the animated series Pantheon, streaming on Netflix. I talk with showrunner Craig Silverstein and Ken Liu, the author of the short stories the TV show is based on, about how they crafted an existential thriller with stakes that feel personal and global.

The animated TV series Pantheon (streaming on Netflix) asks what if you could upload your mind to the Internet? Would still be human? Would we create a virtual paradise where everyone got to live forever? Or would we find new and more sophisticated ways to destroy each other? I talk with Pantheon sh

18/06/2025

This is something I've noticed and wondered if I was just imagining things. Nope! I'm happy to have more Studio Ghibli-inspired games in the world.

Forty years after the Japanese animation studio was founded, game creators are embracing its legacy of moral integrity.