Show overview
Geek's Guide to the Galaxy - A Science Fiction Podcast has been publishing since 2010, and across the 16 years since has built a catalogue of 620 episodes. That works out to roughly 820 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 3m and 1h 34m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Arts show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed yesterday, with 11 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2016, with 54 episodes published. Published by David Barr Kirtley.
From the publisher
** Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks ** Host David Barr Kirtley, author of the book Save Me Plz and Other Stories, talks geek culture with guests such as Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Margaret Atwood, Richard Dawkins, Simon Pegg, Amanda Knox, Andrew Yang, Joyce Carol Oates, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy has appeared on recommended podcast lists from NPR, The Guardian, Wired, The A.V. Club, BBC America, CBC Radio, WVXU, io9, Omni, The Strand, Library Journal, and Popular Mechanics. CBC Radio writes, "You may not think a podcast about science fiction and fantasy would be the place to go for political insight, but -- it is. Geek's Guide to the Galaxy manages to be more insightful about politics than many pundits." View a complete list of guests and topics at geeksguideshow.com/episodes/. Listen to the show on YouTube at youtube.com/@geeksguidetothegalaxy to easily skip ahead to our discussion of a particular movie or story.
Latest Episodes
View all 620 episodes620. Stephen King Movies: Firestarter, Maximum Overdrive, Cell, Dreamcatcher
619. The Best of Vernor Vinge Part 1 Review (with Mercurio D. Rivera)
618. The Story of Fallout (with Chris Avellone)
617. Creatures of Light and Darkness by Roger Zelazny Review
616. The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson Part 2 Review (with Anthony Ha)
Anthony Ha joins us to discuss the second half of the book The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson. Stories discussed: "The Translator" (1:38), "Glacier" (14:57), "The Lunatics" (27:34), "Zurich" (45:56), "Vinland the Dream" (58:34), "A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations" (1:07:12), "Muir on Shasta" (1:19:14), "Sexual Dimorphism" (1:28:54), "Discovering Life" (1:41:03), "Prometheus Unbound, At Last" (1:45:11), "The Timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, 1942" (1:50:22). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
615. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Review
John Joseph Adams, Rajan Khanna, and Christopher M. Cevasco join us to discuss Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new HBO series set 100 years before Game of Thrones. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
614. Jonathan Kay: Pluribus and Cancel Culture
Jonathan Kay joins us to discuss Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series Pluribus, about an alien virus that transforms most of humanity into an extremely cheerful hive mind, and his book Panics and Persecutions, which explores some of the worst excesses of cancel culture. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
613. The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson Part 1 Review (with Anthony Ha)
Anthony Ha joins us to discuss the first half of the book The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson. Stories discussed: “Venice Drowned” (10:53), “Ridge Running” (19:25), “Before I Wake” (26:55), “Black Air” (34:18), “The Lucky Strike” (44:23), “A Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions” (55:29), “Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars” (1:09:15), “The Blind Geometer” (1:17:30), “Our Town” (1:25:25), “Escape from Kathmandu” (1:28:54), “Remaking History” (1:44:05). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
612. David P. Silverman: Science Fiction and Atheism
David P. Silverman, author of Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World, joins us to discuss his new science fiction novella Darkshiner. Topics discussed: David's childhood, Star Trek and Trekkies, science fiction conventions, Douglas Adams, atheism among sci-fi fans, persuasion vs. coercion, the idea behind Darkshiner, fiction like Darkshiner, AI collaboration, human editors, scientific accuracy, character names, cover blurbs, Babylon 5, the current state of sci-fi TV, church tax breaks, Atheists for Liberty, Dungeons & Dragons, setting aside differences. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
611. Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny Review (with Tom Gerencer, Rajan Khanna)
Tom Gerencer and Rajan Khanna join us to discuss Roger Zelazny’s classic novel Roadmarks, about a magical highway that runs through time and space. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
610. Megan McArdle, host of Reasonably Optimistic
Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle joins us to discuss her favorite science fiction and her new podcast Reasonably Optimistic. Topics discussed: Robert Heinlein and libertarianism, working in book publishing, Lord of the Rings and Rendezvous with Rama, Peter Suderman and video games, Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu, Megan’s science fiction novel, the state of book publishing, explaining science fiction to women, Dune and artificial intelligence, Megan’s podcast and optimism. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
609. Stephen King Movies: The Running Man, The Long Walk, The Dead Zone, The Mist (with Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, Tom Gerencer)
Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Tom Gerencer join us to discuss the Stephen King movie adaptations The Running Man, The Long Walk, The Dead Zone, and The Mist. Time stamps: The Running Man (17:44), The Long Walk (47:14), The Dead Zone (1:10:45), The Mist (1:30:20). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
608. The Best of Larry Niven Part 3 Review (with Mercurio D. Rivera)
Mercurio D. Rivera joins us to discuss the last nine stories from the book The Best of Larry Niven. Stories discussed: “Flatlander” (2:06), “The Borderland of Sol” (17:15), “The Magic Goes Away” (31:40), “A Teardrop Falls” (44:00), “The Return of William Proxmire” (49:43), “Limits” (57:45), “Smut Talk” (1:07:21), “The Missing Mass” (1:12:35), “Cautionary Tales” (1:21:30). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
607. Jean-Claude Van Damme Movies: Timecop, Universal Soldier, Cyborg, Replicant (with Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, Tom Gerencer)
Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Tom Gerencer join us to discuss the Jean-Claude Van Damme movies Timecop, Universal Soldier, Cyborg, and Replicant. Time stamps: Timecop (15:21), Universal Soldier (41:27), Cyborg (1:01:35), Replicant (1:19:53). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
606. Alien: Earth Season 1 Review (with Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, Anthony Ha)
Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Anthony Ha join us to discuss Season 1 of the FX series Alien: Earth, a prequel to the classic films Alien and Aliens. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
605. The Best of Greg Egan Part 3 Review (with Anthony Ha)
Anthony Ha joins us to discuss the last six stories from the book The Best of Greg Egan. Stories discussed: "Crystal Nights" (1:27), "Zero for Conduct" (19:18), "Uncanny Valley" (37:31), "Bit Players" (52:11), "3-adica" (1:05:17), "Instantiation" (1:19:51). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
604. The Best of Greg Egan Part 2 Review (with Anthony Ha)
Anthony Ha joins us to discuss six more stories from the book The Best of Greg Egan. Stories discussed: “Silver Fire” (1:30), “Reasons to be Cheerful” (16:42), “Oceanic” (28:10), “Oracle” (44:19), “Singleton” (1:04:54), “Dark Integers” (1:16:32). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
603. The History of Sword & Sorcery (with Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King)
Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King, creators of The Spine of Night, join us to discuss the book Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword and Sorcery by Brian Murphy. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
602. The Best of Larry Niven Part 2 Review (with Mercurio D. Rivera)
Mercurio D. Rivera joins us to discuss nine more stories from the book The Best of Larry Niven. Stories discussed: “Inconstant Moon” (1:34), “Rammer” (18:42), “Cloak of Anarchy” (27:42), “The Fourth Profession” (38:22), “Flash Crowd” (47:59), “The Defenseless Dead” (59:37), “Flight of the Horse” (1:15:55), “The Hole Man” (1:22:29), “Night on Mispec Moor” (1:28:32). Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
601. Fantastic Fiction at KGB (with Matthew Kressel)
Matthew Kressel joins us to discuss Fantastic Fiction at KGB, a monthly science fiction reading series in New York City. Support the Fantastic Fiction at KGB fundraiser over at www.gofundme.com/f/fantastic-fiction-reading-series-at-the-kgb-bar. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices