Best Gated Galaxies Podcasts (2025)

1
Jacqueline McKinley on unearthing bones and stories at Britain's ancient burial sites 28:32

3d ago28:32

28:32

How much information can you extract from a burnt fragment of human bone? Quite a lot, it turns out - not only about the individual, but also their broader lives and communities; and these are the stories unearthed by Jacqueline McKinley, a Principal Osteoarchaeologist with Wessex Archaeology. During her career, Jackie has analysed thousands of anc…

1
Check the Gate - Altered States 1:23:24

3d ago1:23:24

1:23:24

Send us a text Gretchen and Martin take on the 1980s with Ken Russell's existential space baby operate, Altered States. Watch William Hurt become an Australopithecus. See Bob Baliban before he ran the kennel club for best in show. Psylocibin. Shaman. Reverse evolution. Touching the face of god. Ken Russell packed it all in there. It's a trip of a f…

1
Jonathan Shepherd on a career as a crime-fighting surgeon 28:38

10d ago28:38

28:38

Surgeons often have to deal with the consequences of violent attacks - becoming all too familiar with patterns of public violence, and peaks around weekends, alcohol-infused events and occasions that bring together groups with conflicting ideals. Professor Jonathan Shepherd not only recognised the link between public violence and emergency hospital…

1
episode one hundred & eleven: There's a bulldozer outside 26:36

13d ago26:36

26:36

To everyone who responded to our blurb writer last time, they've been sacked. I mean ... does this look like message-in-a-bottle time? Using our show notes to get attention and complain about your job.... Seriously, we've no time for whingers 'round here- HA! April fool. Still me. It was lovely seeing some of you on the socials. I'd print out your …

1
590. The Best of Larry Niven Part 1 (with Mercurio D. Rivera) 1:48:40

14d ago1:48:40

1:48:40

Mercurio D. Rivera joins us to discuss the first nine stories in the short story collection The Best of Larry Niven, edited by Jonathan Strahan. Stories discussed: "Becalmed in Hell" (5:10), "Bordered in Black" (17:54), "Neutron Star" (26:35), "The Soft Weapon" (38:16), "The Jigsaw Man" (56:27), "The Deadlier Weapon" (1:02:55), "All the Myriad Ways…

1
Doyne Farmer on making sense of chaos for a better world 28:32

17d ago28:32

28:32

Doyne Farmer is something of a rebel. Back in the seventies, when he was a student, he walked into a casino in Las Vegas, sat down at a roulette table and beat the house. To anyone watching the wheel spin and the ball clatter to its final resting place, his choice of number would’ve looked like a lucky guess. But knowing the physics of the game and…

1
Check the Gate - The Boxer's Omen 1:00:35

18d ago1:00:35

1:00:35

Send us a text It's time for the craziest film ever made to get the spotlight with Martin and Gretchen. The Boxer's Omen is the Shaw Studios crossroads of Kung fu revenge, black magic, sorcery and homunculus creating wrapped up in the real guts and gore (no really, the guts and the gore are real viscera) of outlandish fimmaking. It's an insane ride…

2
How I Died - It's to die for! 28:47

18d ago28:47

28:47

If you haven't yet discovered the podcast How I Died, you are in for a treat! A ghoulish, scary, maybe-listen-with-a-friend "treat," but yeah, a treat nonetheless! How I Died follows the story of forensic pathologist (NOT coroner) Jon Spacer. New to the oddly fatal place to live, Springfield, Dr. Spacer has an interesting super power: he can talk w…

1
Check the Gate - The Boxer's Omen Promo 0:23

24d ago0:23

0:23

Send us a text We watched the most insane Kung fu movie ever made. This is not for the light of heart, but it's one crazy ride. Download or watch on YouTube April 1st, 2025. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. https://martinvavra.meBy Galaxy Sailor Productions

1
Tori Herridge on ancient dwarf elephants and frozen mammoths 28:39

24d ago28:39

28:39

Elephants are the largest living land mammal and today our plant is home to three species: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. But a hundred thousand years ago, in the chilly depths of the Ice Age, multiple species of elephant roamed the earth: from dog-sized dwarf elephants to towering woolly mammoths. T…

151
episode one hundred & ten: Hell bent for leisure 33:17

26d ago33:17

33:17

Once upon a time, there was a blurb writer who dreamed of the back of book jackets or maybe even the inside front flap, or the little bit of copy under the picture in a catalog, or a word or two like "stunning!" or "ribald!" on a film poster, oooo ooooo, maybe even on the inside first few pages of a novel, somewhere just under Kirkus Reviews.... Bu…

1
589. Dune Prophecy Season 1 Review (with Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, Rajan Khanna) 1:37:16

27d ago1:37:16

1:37:16

Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Rajan Khanna join us to discuss Season 1 of the HBO series Dune: Prophecy, a prequel set 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
Sir Magdi Yacoub on pioneering heart transplant surgery 28:35

1M ago28:35

28:35

What does it take to earn the nickname, ‘The Leonardo da Vinci of heart surgery’? That's the moniker given to today's guest - a man who pioneered high-profile and often controversial procedures, but also helped drive huge medical progress; carrying out around 2,000 heart transplants and 400 dual heart-lung transplants during his 60-year career. Sir…

1
Check the Gate - Danger: Diabolik 1:07:39

1M ago1:07:39

1:07:39

Send us a text We go to the heart of Italian cinema for this gem. Gretchen and I watch the film Danger: Diabolik. The film that I argue is the influence for so many other films and defines how we see some genres today. Amazing effects. Sexy people. Crazy escapes. This cat burglar caper is like nothing else, and we are so excited to talk about it. M…

1
588. The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe Book Club (with James Wynn, Craig Brewer) 1:27:33

1M ago1:27:33

1:27:33

James Wynn and Craig Brewer, hosts of the ReReading Wolfe podcast, join us to discuss Gene Wolfe’s classic novel The Urth of the New Sun, a sequel to The Book of the New Sun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
episode one hundred & nine: That whole spoiler spoiler dead situation 31:58

1M ago31:58

31:58

Oooof, who cranked up the gravity? Feels heavy in here.... It's spring in the bioswamp, as much as it can ever be "spring" in space. Things are flowering, other things are ... I dunno, fauna-ing? Whatever the case, it's a bit rude round there, so maybe don't take the kids in for another month or so. And NO, I am not tearing up, I'm in the bioswamp …

1
Check the Gate - Dinner in America 58:34

2M ago58:34

58:34

Send us a text It's episode two. Martin and Gretchen talk about the film Dinner in America. One of the best films made in the last few years and an absolute joy to watch. I (Martin) describe it as the sweetest kick in the nuts. Go watch this film or buy it to own for yourself and have in your library. Martin and Gretchen talk Dinner in America. htt…

1
587. Movie Review: Dark City, Strange Days, The Thirteenth Floor, Looker, Alphaville 1:51:20

2M ago1:51:20

1:51:20

Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Tom Gerencer join us to discuss the science fiction noir movies Dark City, Strange Days, The Thirteenth Floor, Looker, and Alphaville. Time stamps: Dark City (3:25), Strange Days (28:55), The Thirteenth Floor (48:19), Looker (1:00:43), Alphaville (1:16:19). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…

1
episode one hundred & eight: Playing Pluto's advocate 29:21

2M ago29:21

29:21

It's a Wednesday eve as I write this, and as I look out the porthole into the infinite recesses of space, I'm reminded how very small each of us is against the backdrop of eternity. Given how very very minute we are and how eternal space is, I have to wonder, how the actual f^&* is a crew member from the Oz 14 floating past my porthole just as I lo…

1
Check the Gate - Dinner in America Promo 2 0:25

2M ago0:25

0:25

Send us a text Gretchen and I discuss the absolute gem a film, Dinner in America. Coming March 1st. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. https://martinvavra.meBy Galaxy Sailor Productions

251
Presenting Hannapocalypse 25:50

2M ago25:50

25:50

Hey, Space Monkeys. Have you ever wondered what happened to the earth Oz 9 left behind? I mean, I’m not saying we CAUSED the zombie apocalypse, but the math works out. (Sorry, Sweden) 150 years ago, the zombie apocalypse apocalypted all over the globe, and now there’s robots and zombies trying to wipe out what’s left of humanity. Cali, a settlement…

1
Check the Gate - Dinner in America Promo 0:24

2M ago0:24

0:24

Send us a text Episode two of Check the Gate starts talking about Dinner in America. Come check it out March 1st. Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate. https://martinvavra.meBy Galaxy Sailor Productions

1
episode one hundred & seven: Two went for the seljefløyte 26:40

2M ago26:40

26:40

-s the 1983 winner of the -nnu-l Dip your mittens contest, i -pplaud the l-rson brothers for their -m--ng skill -nd dedic-tion to the g-me. you've been listening to; pete B-rry as Bob Tim Sherburn -s Colin -nd Emily Bonnie Br-ntley -s Donn- -nd jessie D-vid S De-r -s Dr Theo Brom-e -nd Tiberius Eric perry -s joe, Dr von h-ber -et-er, mr Southers, -…

1
586. Harlan Ellison's Greatest Hits Part 2 (with Tom Gerencer) 1:58:04

2M ago1:58:04

1:58:04

Tom Gerencer joins us to discuss the second half of the new short story collection Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits, edited by J. Michael Straczynski. Stories discussed: "On the Downhill Side" (2:34), "Paladin of the Lost Hour" (12:00), "The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World" (30:08), "I'm Looking for Kadak" (39:10), "How Interesting:…

1
Check the Gate - Godzilla Minus One 1:21:38

3M ago1:21:38

1:21:38

Send us a text In our first episode, Martin and Gretchen start with the movie Godzilla: Minus One. For a decade, Gretchen and I were on the Kaijucast, a podcast dedicated to Godzilla and his rubber-suited foes. In all those years of watching Godzilla films, this is the one that I always wanted to see. Gretchen and I talk about this movie and and a …

1
episode one hundred & six: Is that a haddock? 28:52

3M ago28:52

28:52

So.... please take a close look at the episode art and tell me if you see anything funny? Mmmmm hmmmmmm. Apparently it took us a YEAR to notice. I blame all of you, frankly. You know what you did. You’ve been listening to: Pete Barry as Bob Tim Sherburn as Colin and Emily Bonnie Brantley as Donna David S Dear as Dr. Theo Bromae and Tiberius Eric Pe…

1
BONUS: What's this I hear about an Oz 9 game? 32:34

3M ago32:34

32:34

It may not sound like it in the podcast, but life aboard the Oz 9 can be pretty boring at times. In the hiatuses (hiatusi?) between hair-on-fire moments, there's a lot of just puttering about in the inky void without much to do. So, we've been creating a game to while away the hours between crises. In this conversation, you'll hear us wittering on …

1
Episode 226: Top 10 of 2024 W/ Ryan Abreu 55:45

4M ago55:45

55:45

We welcome back Ryan Abreu to the show as we count down our top 10 movies of 2024.

1
585. Philip Gelatt, writer of The Europa Report and The Spine of Night 1:05:22

4M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

Philip Gelatt joins us to discuss writing the hard science fiction film The Europa Report and the animated sword & sorcery film The Spine of Night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
Tim Peake on his journey to becoming an astronaut and science in space 1:00:04

4M ago1:00:04

1:00:04

What's it like living underwater for two weeks? What's the trickiest part of training to be an astronaut? What are the most memorable sights you see from space?Several extreme questions, all of which can be answered by one man: Major Tim Peake. After a childhood packed with outdoor adventures, via the Cub Scouts and school Cadet Force, Tim joined t…

1
episode one hundred & five: Clara? Mein little Kartoffelpuffer? 31:33

4M ago31:33

31:33

NOTE: Stay tuned after the credits and all, for a trailer of a great new show: A Paladin's Bargain. You can listen to it in the usual places. You'll want to. Thanks as ever to Lucas Elliott for the new Narrators (or, Narrator and Tour Guide) artwork! It's Christmas eve as we publish this, and all of us monkeys wish all of you monkeys a very happy h…

1
584. The Making of Secret Level (with J.T. Petty) 58:45

4M ago58:45

58:45

J.T. Petty joins us to discuss serving as executive producer on the new Amazon series Secret Level, a collection of animated shorts set in the worlds of popular video games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
583. Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits Part 1 (with Tom Gerencer) 1:57:08

4M ago1:57:08

1:57:08

Tom Gerencer joins us to discuss the first half of the new short story collection Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits, edited by J. Michael Straczynski. Stories discussed: "'Repent Harlequin,' Said the Ticktockman" (13:08), "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" (26:00), "The Deathbird" (37:17), "Chatting with Anubis" (47:39), "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs…

1
episode one hundred & four: #GreatSatansBoletes 31:45

4M ago31:45

31:45

YOU have a dirty mind. "Satan's Boletes" doesn't mean *THAT*. Although it does translate to "Great Satan's Fun Guys," so maybe it's still worth a giggle, as Mrs S says. Welcome to episode 104. Please put your tray tables and seat backs in the upright, we're-all-going-to-die position, because, well, it's Oz 9, and as usual, everything is trying to k…

1
582. The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe Book Club (with James Wynn, Craig Brewer) 1:32:12

5M ago1:32:12

1:32:12

James Wynn and Craig Brewer, hosts of the ReReading Wolfe podcast, join us to discuss Gene Wolfe’s classic novel The Fifth Head of Cerberus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
episode one hundred & three: A hungry, long-tailed weasel 25:17

5M ago25:17

25:17

Oz 9 recently turned six, and while most of the crew asked for a quick and painless death for their birthday wish, we're still here. (If you want to give us a prezzie, we do have a Patreon, just sayin'.....) Anyway, there are fun things that happen in this episode, which is odd, so you probably don't want to miss it. Bring confetti. But don't throw…

1
581. Andrew Niccol Movies: Gattaca, The Truman Show, Simone, In Time, Anon 1:56:51

5M ago1:56:51

1:56:51

Andrea Kail, Matthew Kressel, and Tom Gerencer join us to discuss the movies Gattaca, The Truman Show, Simone, In Time, and Anon, all of which were written by Andrew Niccol. Time stamps: Gattaca (11:57), The Truman Show (45:09), Simone (1:03:13), In Time (1:18:08), Anon (1:25:59). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
episode one hundred & two: We're in space, Felber 26:10

5M ago26:10

26:10

Some old nemesisisisisisises have reappeared, and that's ... unfortunate. But at least Bob has some colourful brochures to distract our team from their impending doom. So.... how many oceans is "too many," do you reckon? You've been listening to... Kevin Hall as Greg and Felonius Sarah Rhea Warner as Pipistrelle Bonnie Brantley as Jessie and Donna …

1
580. The New Mexico Mafia (with Melinda M. Snodgrass) 1:23:59

6M ago1:23:59

1:23:59

Melinda M. Snodgrass joins us to discuss the New Mexico Mafia, a tight-knit community of fantasy & science fiction writers that formed in New Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s, a group that included George R. R. Martin, Roger Zelazny, Stephen R. Donaldson, and Fred Saberhagen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
episode one hundred & one: "Crap" indeed. Meanwhile... 30:10

6M ago30:10

30:10

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Do you have ANY IDEA the literally dozens of hours you've wasted with this bunch of smooth-shelled walnuts? (and yes, that's a reference to their brains, I just couldn't quite make it work the way I wanted). I mean, it's probably not enough time to cure cancer or invent a really good cable organizing system, but you could have l…

1
579. The Future of Demographic Collapse (with Malcolm Collins) 1:17:54

6M ago1:17:54

1:17:54

Malcolm Collins, co-host of the Based Camp podcast, joins us to discuss future scenarios involving demographic collapse, genetic engineering, and AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
578. Terminator Zero Season 1 Review (with Daniel H. Wilson, Zach Chapman) 1:24:50

6M ago1:24:50

1:24:50

Daniel H. Wilson and Zach Chapman join us to discuss the Netflix series Terminator Zero, an animated spinoff of the classic films Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
Anna Korre on capturing carbon dioxide and defying expectations 28:28

7M ago28:28

28:28

As the famous frog once said, it's not easy being green. And when it comes to decarbonising industry, indeed, reducing emissions of all sorts, the task is a complex one. Fossil fuels are used to manufacture some of mankind’s most ubiquitous products, from plastics to cement to steel; and even in areas where we’re trying to improve our footprint, th…

1
Rosalie David on the science of Egyptian mummies 28:22

7M ago28:22

28:22

Rosalie David is a pioneer in the study of ancient Egypt. In the early 1970s, she launched a unique project to study Egyptian mummified bodies using the techniques of modern medicine. Back then, the vast majority of Egyptologists regarded mummies as unimportant sources of information about life in ancient Egypt. Instead they focussed on interpretin…

1
Peter Stott on climate change deniers and Italian inspiration 28:29

7M ago28:29

28:29

In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced its most intense heatwave on record - one that saw more than 70,000 people lose their lives. Experiencing the effects whilst on holiday in Tuscany, climate scientist Peter Stott was struck by the idea that just maybe, he could use a modelling system developed by his team at the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre…

1
Ijeoma Uchegbu on using nanoparticles to transform medicines 28:25

8M ago28:25

28:25

Imagine a nanoparticle, less that a thousandth of the width of a human hair, that is so precise that it can carry a medicine to just where it’s needed in the body, improving the drug’s impact and reducing side effects. Ijeoma Uchegbu, Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London, has spent her career with this goal in mind. …

1
Darren Croft on killer whale matriarchs and the menopause 28:24

8M ago28:24

28:24

Darren Croft studies one of the ocean’s most charismatic and spectacular animals – the killer whale. Orca are probably best known for their predatory behaviour: ganging up to catch hapless seals or attack other whales. But for the last fifteen years, Darren Croft’s focus has been on a gentler aspect of killer whale existence: their family and repro…

1
577. The Best of Roger Zelazny (with Tom Gerencer) 2:29:54

8M ago2:29:54

2:29:54

Tom Gerencer joins us to discuss the short story collection The Best of Roger Zelazny, part of the SF Masterworks series of science fiction classics. Stories discussed: "Corrida" (20:04), "LOKI 72181" (24:05), "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" (27:08), "The Great Slow Kings" (35:21), "Permafrost" (38:56), "Home is the Hangman" (44:13)…

1
Bill Gates on vaccines, conspiracy theories and the pleasures of pickleball 35:59

8M ago35:59

35:59

Bill Gates is one of the world's best-known billionaires - but after years at the corporate coalface building a software empire and a vast fortune, his priority now is giving that wealth away. And his ethos for doing it has been shaped by science. Famed for co-founding Microsoft, in recent decades Bill’s attention has turned to philanthropy via The…

1
Discover Sanctuary 2:44

8M ago2:44

2:44

What would you do if you woke up on a newly terraformed planet (besides die of shock if you were on the Oz 9) to discover your husband has taken over Sanctuary city and rules with what can best be described as an iron fist? Did humans escape the frying pan of Earth only to find themselves in Mars' fire? This sounds amazing, and with Lily Rabe from …

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