When I started long distance running last year I decided I needed more than music to get through the 8+ mile days and turned to podcasts. It was helpful because it helped actively distract my mind from my tiredness or thoughts of how far I still had to go more than music did.
My favorite genre is history and Tides of History/Fall of Rome has been my favorite podcast so far. I am also interested in science/technology (mainly engineering), some sports (mostly basketball), and food. I occasionally listen to the Ringer and JJ Reddick Podcast, but haven't found anything from the other two categories I like.
Podcast Recommendations
I hope I can help, I listen to about... 100 different podcasts give or take
If you like history try:
Rex Factor - a overview of all the kings and queens of England with a fun ranking system at the end
Saga Thing - two lit professors discussing the Sagas of the Icelanders
Totalus Rankium - the exact same as Rex Factor (with permission) but with the Roman Empire instead of England
Pontifacts - same as Rex Factor again (also with permission) but with Popes and such
History of Aotearoa New Zealand - a Maori focused history of New Zealand
The History of England - exactly what it says on the tin, David Crowther is very good though
The British History Podcast - same as above, but starts in the Paleolithic
Grimm Reading - overview and discussion of Grimm's Fairy Tales
Irish History Podcast - exactly what it sounds like
History of Witchcraft - a very targeted overview of the witch trials and how they started
Pax Britannica - by the same creator as History of Witchcraft, but focusing on the period of time between Queen Elizabeth and the English Civil War
The Partial Historians - two brilliant Aussie ladies talking about their doctoral work on Ancient Rome
The History of Ancient Greece - again, what is says on the tin
The History of Byzantium - tries to pick up were Mike Duncan left off with History of Rome, dry but good
The Ancient World - From the earliest we know about the Middle East to the Founding of Rome
The Myth, Legend, and Lore Podcast - fun overview of various topics from folklore to sagas
The Siecle - French History in the time of the fall of Napoleon
This Land - A very harsh look at the treatment of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma
What's Her Name - Great feminist podcast that talks about a lot of the forgotten (no longer!) women of history and how they impacted the world
If you want more, I can give you more but I think this will be enough to bite for now
If you like history try:
Rex Factor - a overview of all the kings and queens of England with a fun ranking system at the end
Saga Thing - two lit professors discussing the Sagas of the Icelanders
Totalus Rankium - the exact same as Rex Factor (with permission) but with the Roman Empire instead of England
Pontifacts - same as Rex Factor again (also with permission) but with Popes and such
History of Aotearoa New Zealand - a Maori focused history of New Zealand
The History of England - exactly what it says on the tin, David Crowther is very good though
The British History Podcast - same as above, but starts in the Paleolithic
Grimm Reading - overview and discussion of Grimm's Fairy Tales
Irish History Podcast - exactly what it sounds like
History of Witchcraft - a very targeted overview of the witch trials and how they started
Pax Britannica - by the same creator as History of Witchcraft, but focusing on the period of time between Queen Elizabeth and the English Civil War
The Partial Historians - two brilliant Aussie ladies talking about their doctoral work on Ancient Rome
The History of Ancient Greece - again, what is says on the tin
The History of Byzantium - tries to pick up were Mike Duncan left off with History of Rome, dry but good
The Ancient World - From the earliest we know about the Middle East to the Founding of Rome
The Myth, Legend, and Lore Podcast - fun overview of various topics from folklore to sagas
The Siecle - French History in the time of the fall of Napoleon
This Land - A very harsh look at the treatment of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma
What's Her Name - Great feminist podcast that talks about a lot of the forgotten (no longer!) women of history and how they impacted the world
If you want more, I can give you more but I think this will be enough to bite for now
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh
Ooh I'm also looking for more podcast ideas! I've only recently got into them, but the ones I currently enjoy (sorry Uruva, don't think any of these fit into any of your preferred genres) are:
No Such Thing As A Fish
The Guardian's Today in Focus
The Guilty Feminist
The High Low
No Such Thing As A Fish
The Guardian's Today in Focus
The Guilty Feminist
The High Low
If you like history podcasts, BBC podcasts has one called You're Dead To Me. They pick a particular historical figure/group of people/item/event for each episode with an expert historian and a comedian to talk about it. I've really enjoyed it, just waiting for them to figure out a way to record new episodes :smiley10:
Dryhtguma of Meduseld ~ Dicun
I joined a zoom live recording of a political podcast I love a few weeks ago which was actually awesome. It felt basically like I was part of the recording, even though we (the audience) were obviously all muted and without cameras on us etc. Maybe BBC could get on the bandwagon of doing something similar!
I'd like to recommend Fall of Civilisations podcast by Paul Cooper. The episodes are a bit on the longish side, but they were great to listen when I was travelling. :-)
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
I'm excited to check these out, because I'm always looking for new stuff to try! I mostly listen to gaming podcasts but I'd like to broaden my horizons. For anyone here, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend the podcast Imaginary Worlds. I don't really know how to explain it except he deep dives into how we create imaginary worlds and what they mean to us, which includes everything from LARP (and LARP in the time of covid!) to childhood stuffed animals to creature design in filmmaking. It's just top-notch.
And if anyone likes woke gaming podcasts, try Waypoints! It's a group of people who write for Vice and they're really funny and inclusive and cool.
And if anyone likes woke gaming podcasts, try Waypoints! It's a group of people who write for Vice and they're really funny and inclusive and cool.
I've been listening to History that Doesn't Suck, I'm enjoying it so far. It's American history, starts right before the Revolutionary War
Also really enjoy Revisionist History, by Malcolm Gladwell. I really like his books, and his podcast is interesting
Stuff You Should Know is always a classic and an easy listen to/from work
Frost, I just subscribed to most of those you mentioned haha. I'm never going to catch up
Also really enjoy Revisionist History, by Malcolm Gladwell. I really like his books, and his podcast is interesting
Stuff You Should Know is always a classic and an easy listen to/from work
Frost, I just subscribed to most of those you mentioned haha. I'm never going to catch up
@Quill Gaming Podcasts make up the second half of my podcast horde! I haven't heard of Waypoints but I'm gonna check it out!
@Gwai welcome to my world! And the horrible thing is I'm finding more all the time and I can't say no to any of them! I recently found one on the history of food despite already having a 100 episode backlog on all my other podcasts.
@Gwai welcome to my world! And the horrible thing is I'm finding more all the time and I can't say no to any of them! I recently found one on the history of food despite already having a 100 episode backlog on all my other podcasts.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh
If you need true crime or autism podcasts I'm your girl. Otherwise, I'm probably not helpful at all and I've learned that podcasts produced by autistic people are generally appreciated mostly by other neurodiversity.
she/her
I’d love some neurodiversity podcasts! I’m always hoping to expand my way of thinking and learn new perspectives.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh
Drunk women solving Crime is a great podcast. Others I often reach for are Exponential View with Azeem Azhar, Slow Burn, David Tennant Does a podcast with, Desert Island Discs, Something rhymes with Purple, TED talks daily, Ear Hustle, Histories of the Unexpected, Intrigue (BBC 4), Today in Focus (the guardian), Power Hour, How to Fail, Revolutions.
Family Stealtharm | Sil's #1 Property | Knowledge of a woman, pride of a dwarf | Khazâd ai-mênu!
@Frostbite I listened to the first few episodes of the Rex Factor and Saga Thing, really enjoying them so far, definitely keeping them on my list!
@Tari Also started And This is Why We Drink (such a great name). Reminds me a lot of MFM like you said. I don't like it quite as much because I don't think they're quite as funny, but I'm really enjoying it and going to keep listening. I have a lot to catch up on though haha
@Tari Also started And This is Why We Drink (such a great name). Reminds me a lot of MFM like you said. I don't like it quite as much because I don't think they're quite as funny, but I'm really enjoying it and going to keep listening. I have a lot to catch up on though haha
*dusts off spiderwebs, dust and the like*
I've been listening to more podcast since I'm not taking the bus to work anymore. Since I can I've decided to walk to and from work and I needed something to listen while I'm walking so here are some podcast recommendations from me:
LeVar Burton Reads - does what it says on the tin. I mentioned this podcast in the Bibliophiles (Un)Anonymous, but the basic premise is that in every episode LeVar reads a piece of short fiction that he likes (various genres, but SF and fantasy are prevalent). He is a brilliant narrator, and his voice combined with background music is just fantastic for an audiobook performance. I highly recommend it, especially if you want to read or listen to more books, but you don't have much time to dedicate to reading, or you're just too tired to read at night. The episodes are about 45 minutes long, and for me, that's the perfect length.
The Maritime History Podcast - I started listening to this one because maritime history is a favourite history side project of mine since early uni days. The podcast covers topics such as ship-building, trade, exploration, economics etc. in chronological order. Brandon Huebner has a great voice in addition to structuring his narratives in such a way that even the data that most people find "dry is presented interestingly. So if you're into this rather specific history topic, you'll enjoy this podcast.
The Delicious Legacy - if you love food and ancient recipes this is the podcast for you. I got hooked when I listened to the episode about Syphium and the History of Cheese episode. Just don't listen to this if you're hungry, I'm not going to be responsible for you raiding your fridge and pantry.
I've been listening to more podcast since I'm not taking the bus to work anymore. Since I can I've decided to walk to and from work and I needed something to listen while I'm walking so here are some podcast recommendations from me:
LeVar Burton Reads - does what it says on the tin. I mentioned this podcast in the Bibliophiles (Un)Anonymous, but the basic premise is that in every episode LeVar reads a piece of short fiction that he likes (various genres, but SF and fantasy are prevalent). He is a brilliant narrator, and his voice combined with background music is just fantastic for an audiobook performance. I highly recommend it, especially if you want to read or listen to more books, but you don't have much time to dedicate to reading, or you're just too tired to read at night. The episodes are about 45 minutes long, and for me, that's the perfect length.
The Maritime History Podcast - I started listening to this one because maritime history is a favourite history side project of mine since early uni days. The podcast covers topics such as ship-building, trade, exploration, economics etc. in chronological order. Brandon Huebner has a great voice in addition to structuring his narratives in such a way that even the data that most people find "dry is presented interestingly. So if you're into this rather specific history topic, you'll enjoy this podcast.
The Delicious Legacy - if you love food and ancient recipes this is the podcast for you. I got hooked when I listened to the episode about Syphium and the History of Cheese episode. Just don't listen to this if you're hungry, I'm not going to be responsible for you raiding your fridge and pantry.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
I've been getting back into three podcasts....
Friends at the Table, a really excellent "actual play" podcast where they do table-top games. They've been putting stuff out for... six ish years now, and I followed them back when they were newer, but I'm finally catching up.
The Bitter Southerner Podcast, the podcast of a southern culture magazine called The Bitter Southerner. If y'all want good southern vibes they're go-to. Feels like home, for me.
The Prancing Pony Podcast, a Tolkien podcast that I've started a number of times and then given up on, and then restarted and then given up on, and then restarted and then given up on. Full disclosure I very much disagree with a lot of what they've got to say about Middle-Earth, but their friendly and good to listen to, so I'm just being stodgy I think.
Friends at the Table, a really excellent "actual play" podcast where they do table-top games. They've been putting stuff out for... six ish years now, and I followed them back when they were newer, but I'm finally catching up.
The Bitter Southerner Podcast, the podcast of a southern culture magazine called The Bitter Southerner. If y'all want good southern vibes they're go-to. Feels like home, for me.
The Prancing Pony Podcast, a Tolkien podcast that I've started a number of times and then given up on, and then restarted and then given up on, and then restarted and then given up on. Full disclosure I very much disagree with a lot of what they've got to say about Middle-Earth, but their friendly and good to listen to, so I'm just being stodgy I think.
In the deeps of Time, amidst the Innumerable Stars
Oh wow there are so many great podcasts here to add to my list! thanks for starting this thread!
My favorite podcasts are all science-y:
The Pulse (NPR) - is about science and health, often incorporates human behavior. Last week's episode was all about why we go down rabbit holes (metaphorical ones - I am sure many of us have do this) and the one before that was all about memory.
Hidden Brain (NPR) - focuses mostly on human behavior and what shapes our decisions. I listened to an interesting on about implicit bias recently.
The Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC) - Scientist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince discuss science topics with you guessed it! Scientist and comedians. Makes for good laughs interspersed with fun facts.
Ologies - interviews with experts in their fields (not always science!)! Always fascinating and there is some pretty obscure stuff sometimes.
While not strictly a podcast, I just discovered BBC Radio 4 has David Attenborough's Life Stories available for free. It is super soothing, relaxing and uplifting to listen to his tales about nature!
My favorite podcasts are all science-y:
The Pulse (NPR) - is about science and health, often incorporates human behavior. Last week's episode was all about why we go down rabbit holes (metaphorical ones - I am sure many of us have do this) and the one before that was all about memory.
Hidden Brain (NPR) - focuses mostly on human behavior and what shapes our decisions. I listened to an interesting on about implicit bias recently.
The Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC) - Scientist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince discuss science topics with you guessed it! Scientist and comedians. Makes for good laughs interspersed with fun facts.
Ologies - interviews with experts in their fields (not always science!)! Always fascinating and there is some pretty obscure stuff sometimes.
While not strictly a podcast, I just discovered BBC Radio 4 has David Attenborough's Life Stories available for free. It is super soothing, relaxing and uplifting to listen to his tales about nature!
oooh how did I not know about these? What a treat. MerciLailyn wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:36 am While not strictly a podcast, I just discovered BBC Radio 4 has David Attenborough's Life Stories available for free. It is super soothing, relaxing and uplifting to listen to his tales about nature!
OMG! Thank you, Lail! You just made my evening! Sir David is the voice of my childhood and the fact this is available in my region is a miracle! Thank you so much for this!Lailyn wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:36 amWhile not strictly a podcast, I just discovered BBC Radio 4 has David Attenborough's Life Stories available for free. It is super soothing, relaxing and uplifting to listen to his tales about nature!
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
I felt the same! I just love him. Glad I could brighten up your day!!
I'm mostly listening to ghost story podcasts in Swedish. If anyone knows of any good ones in english I'm open to recommendations.
I recently found LeVar Burton Reads and I love it. Thank you @Nessa Saelind for the recommendation. I love reading books but I've been in a dry spell for a while and I hope listening to books will help me to get started reading the books in my tbr pile.
I recently found LeVar Burton Reads and I love it. Thank you @Nessa Saelind for the recommendation. I love reading books but I've been in a dry spell for a while and I hope listening to books will help me to get started reading the books in my tbr pile.
Rohirrim at heart, always.
I have recently turned to podcasts to accompany my runs after finally listening to the same audiobooks one too many times. I sneak into this thread often for recommendations, so thank you to everyone who shared here! I listened to all of This Land earlier this year on Fleeg's recommendation and would second that rec to anyone considering it.
Another podcast I've been enjoying a lot and would recommend is Code Switch, from NPR.
Another podcast I've been enjoying a lot and would recommend is Code Switch, from NPR.
she/her | Esta tierra no es mía, soy de la nocheósfera.
A rather unusual podcast, but nonetheless interesting podcast to listen to is BBC Radio 3 - Snow Radio. Listening to it just calms me and helps me focus. I particularly enjoy listening to this when I'm doing my makeup because it's pleasant and I can let my mind wander to strange places... I recently listened to the Lighting the Beacon episode and though that the quotes they used here were amazing, but I can't find the sources, so if anyone knows can you let me know, please and thank you.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant