Imaginary Worlds podcast

Imaginary Worlds

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. In this award-winning podcast, Eric talks with filmmakers, screenwriters, novelists, comic book artists, game designers, and anyone who works in the field of make-believe about how they craft their worlds. He also talks with academics and fans about 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.

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. In this award-winning podcast, Eric talks with filmmakers, screenwriters, novelists, comic book artists, game designers, and anyone who works in the field of make-believe about how they craft their worlds. He also talks with academics and fans about 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.

 

#297

Searching for Cryptids

When I was growing up, Bigfoot appeared regularly on the covers of supermarket tabloids, s... more

03 Dec 2025

40 MINS

40:48

03 Dec 2025


#296

This Animated Life

As longtime listeners know, I worked in the animation industry before switching careers an... more

19 Nov 2025

40 MINS

40:53

19 Nov 2025


#295

Bringing Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein to Life

When director Guillermo del Toro asked [Tamara Deverell] (https://tamaradeverell.com/Artis... more

05 Nov 2025

34 MINS

34:54

05 Nov 2025


#294

Creature Double Feature

In honor of the spooky season, we present two monstrous origin stories --Mary Shelley’s Fr... more

22 Oct 2025

41 MINS

41:58

22 Oct 2025


#293

Music of a Forbidden Planet

In the 1950s, the avant-garde music scene in New York and the movie studios of Los Angeles... more

08 Oct 2025

35 MINS

35:53

08 Oct 2025


#292

The Battle to Make Star Wars

Movies that change cinema often come from outsiders – whether it’s Orson Welles making Cit... more

24 Sep 2025

37 MINS

37:57

24 Sep 2025


#291

Lifting the Curtain on Theatrical Effects

I’ve covered digital and practical effects in film and TV, but creating special effects fo... more

10 Sep 2025

34 MINS

34:40

10 Sep 2025


#290

The Shark That Ate Hollywood

I didn't want the summer to end without joining in on the 50th anniversary celebrations of... more

27 Aug 2025

47 MINS

47:39

27 Aug 2025


#289

Dreaming of Coney Island's Dreamland

Coney Island still has the classic amusements you’d expect today like roller coasters, wat... more

13 Aug 2025

41 MINS

41:23

13 Aug 2025


#288

8-Bit to Orchestras: Video Game Music Scores

Creating a musical score for interactive video games is like trying to hit a moving target... more

30 Jul 2025

37 MINS

37:55

30 Jul 2025


#287

How Jack Kirby Made His Mark on Marvel

The production design of the film Fantastic Four: First Steps is an homage to the early ‘6... more

16 Jul 2025

40 MINS

40:50

16 Jul 2025


#286

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Douglas Adams

When [Arvind Ethan David] (https://www.arvindethandavid.co/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacna... more

02 Jul 2025

44 MINS

44:53

02 Jul 2025


#285

Imagining the Digital Afterlife

The animated TV series Pantheon (streaming on Netflix) asks what if you could upload your ... more

18 Jun 2025

43 MINS

43:34

18 Jun 2025


#284

Murderbot Is Ready for Its Close-Up (But Not Eye Contact)

Murderbot is a killing machine in the far future that would rather spend its time binging ... more

04 Jun 2025

38 MINS

38:16

04 Jun 2025


#283

The Bright Legacy of Dark Shadows

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of Dark Shadows. The gothic soap opera wasn’t origina... more

21 May 2025

39 MINS

39:45

21 May 2025


#282

Body Horror Gets Under My Skin

We all have that one thing we just can’t watch. For me, it’s body horror -- the kind of ho... more

07 May 2025

37 MINS

37:55

07 May 2025


#281

Bonus: Syd Mead Full Gallery Tour

Last week, we heard about a new exhibit in New York called [Syd Mead: Future Pastime] (htt... more

30 Apr 2025

51 MINS

51:06

30 Apr 2025