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by Ancient Geeks
Two old geeks talk about being young geeks, at a turning point in popular culture. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the threads of modern geek culture emerged and wove together. Science fiction, fantasy, comics, movies, TV shows, tabletop games, computer games, ad all their incarnations. The great SF&F writers, Star Trek, Star Wars, monster movies, D&D, Doctor Who, the Marvel and DC superheroes, 2001, Planet of the Apes, UFOs, conventions, Zork, Ultima...What was it like to experience these for the first time? Why did we love them? And how do we feel about them, decades later?
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- 5 days ago1h 39m
Ancient Geeks episode 91: Larry Niven's Ringworld
When Steven and Tom were young science fiction fans, Larry Niven's 1970 novel Ringworld impressed us with the scope of its imagination. A giant ring encircling a star, populated by trillions of humanoids...Who built it, and why? A quartet of two humans and two aliens journey to the Ringworld to find answers. It combined all the existing tropes of Larry Niven's Known Space stories, plus added new ones. It was one of our first hard SF crushes. Ringworld won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. It has been an unshakeable pillar of classic science fiction, with legions of fans. We read it again for this podcast, to better understand the role it played in our early SF fandom, as well as SF generally. And...we have thoughts. Very different opinions from what our younger selves felt about this book. Hear us grapple with this megalithic book, and how our perspective has changed over the decades, both on Ringworld specifically, and a certain kind of SF generally. Fantastic aliens! Less fantastic humans! Luck as a superpower! Megastructures! Easter eggs from other Known Space stories! Impenetrable hulls! Monomolecular blades! Monomaniacal horniness! And what is this book really about? It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- 1 weeks ago1h 7m
Ancient Geeks episode 90: Quatermass and the Pit
Before Mulder and Scully, before Doctor Who, before Carl Kolchak, there was Professor Bernard Quatermass, scientist! The protagonist of several popular British TV series and movies, Quatermass defended the Earth from all sorts of cataclysmic threats. In this episode, we talk about Quatermass and the Pit, the movie version of a story that starts with stunning discoveries made while extending the London Underground. What are all these weird hominid skeletons? And what is this other thing...whatever it is...in the middle of them? How might this overturn our understanding of humanity's past, and even worse, how might it threaten our future? Tom has been a fan of Quatermass and the Pit (titled Five Million Years To Earth in the United States) ever since he saw it as a teenager. Steven had never seen it before, but is a big fan of British science fiction. We have a nice chat over tea about our reactions to the film, an overview of the Quatermass series, and the important place in British science fiction and horror of Nigel Kneale, the creator of Quatermass. Strange happenings at Hobs End! Alleged Nazi hoaxes! Inexplicable objects! Genetic flashbacks! Psychic powers! Haunted basements! Myths and legends! Jumping! Leaping! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- 2 weeks ago1h 31m
Ancient Geeks episode 89: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion was J.R.R. Tolkien's life's work. Seriously, he worked on it his entire adult life. Published posthumously, it tells the story of the first two ages of his world, focusing on the tragic history of the Elves, with a great deal of human tragedy thrown in for good measure. Plus the creation of the world, the plots of an evil god, and the further plots of his protege. It's more than a backstory to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; it's a mythopoeic saga that stands on its own. It's also a challenging read, which is why Tom tried to read a couple of times before, and failed. He succeeded in summiting The Silmarillion this time, with Steven's encouragement. Steven read it long ago, and re-read it for this episode. What are our thoughts on this unique piece of fantasy literature, from the perspective of both a first-time reader and a long-time fan? Did it add to our enjoyment of Lord of the Rings? What are the best parts of this series of interconnected tales? Does anything rival the depth and breadth of its world-building? And to whom would we recommend this book? Elves! The power of song! Elves! Treks across the world! Elves! Hubris! Elves! Who's for Melkor? Elves! Sacred trees! Elves! Defying the gods! Elves! Balrogs and orcs and spiders, oh my! Elves! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- 3 weeks ago51 min
Ancient Geeks episode 88: Star Trek The Next Generation, season 2 part 3
We wrap up our discussion of the pivotal second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation with our reviews of the rest of the episodes we didn't cover last week. There are some definite gems, but also some definite meh episodes, and some stinkers. But what does it mean to be a bad TNG episode? Whatever the Platonic ideal of badness is, Steven is more forgiving than Tom. Hear us put the rest of season two on the diagnostic table. Picard squared! We make things go! We reach our peak! We have people follow us around and interpret for us! We're outrageous! We have short refractory periods! Someone's embarrassing mother visits us! If the Enterprise isn't working, just unplug it, and plug it back in again! Hey look, another super-being! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- Oct 5, 20261h 18m
Ancient Geeks episode 87: Star Trek The Next Generation, season 2 part 2
We continue our discussion of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two by discussing some of the must-watch and should-avoid episodes. There are classics like "Q Who," "Measure Of A Man," and "The Emissary." Not only are they really good, but they established characters, adversaries, and plot elements that continued to be important for the series. And then there are the regrettable episodes, like "Up The Long Ladder" and "The Child" that make you shake your head with disbelief that they did not learn the hard lessons from season one. Both the good and bad episodes help triangulate on where ST:TNG had arrived in season 2. They also help identify what made this season important for the future success not just of the series, but also of the franchise. We'll continue discussing individual season 2 episodes next week. Battling Borg! Cantankerous Klingons! Ambiguous androids! Cringy Celts! Clumsy clones! Menacing Moriarity! Engaging emissaries! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- Sep 28, 202651 min
Ancient Geeks episode 86: Star Trek The Next Generation, season 2 part 1
We return to the 24th century for the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. We start our discussion with an overview of this pivotal season. What did we expect, when we watched season two for the first time, after the few highs and frequent lows of season one? How well did it live up to our expectations? What were the critical improvements made this season? And what might have happened if this had been the last season of ST:TNG? In the next two episodes of this podcast, we'll review individual episodes of ST:TNG season two. We'll also discuss, once again, what makes a good or bad episode of Star Trek, and how season two made us ponder whether we needed to rethink our ratings scale. Iconic episodes! Pugnacious Pulaski! Relaxed acting! Improved characterization! Bottle episodes! Scientific conundrums! Fading Ferengi! Foregrounded Klingons! Major additions to canon! Higher stakes! A less annoying Wesley! Guileful Guinan! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- Sep 21, 20261h 1m
Ancient Geeks episode 85: The Farthest Shore
We finish our discussion of the first three Earthsea novels by Ursula Le Guin with The Farthest Shore. We see Ged, the magician, as an older man, risen to Archmage. There's something terrible happening in the world, extinguishing magic and driving people insane. Looks like the makings of a classic quest! Except, as with the other two Earthsea books that preceded it, The Farthest Shore is anything but your typical fantasy, and this is more than just a quest to hunt down The Big Bad. As is the case with any good literature, it also has important lessons to impart, with surprising resonance for the challenges of the real world today. The world sliding into disaster! A young companion with a complex and changing view of his mentor! Dragons! Boats! Rafts! Demented dyers! Drug-addled mages! Cranky villagers! Ruminations on life and death! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
- Sep 14, 20261h 9m
Ancient Geeks episode 84: The Tombs Of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin
Continuing our coverage of Ursula K. Le Guin's first three Earthsea books, we turn to The Tombs Of Atuan. This time, the focus is on a female protagonist, Tenar, and her very dark coming-of-age story. She's the high priestess of one of the most depressing, oppressive religions in fantasy literature. Nevertheless, the adults in the temple keep telling her of how wonderful it is to be the spiritual leader of a faith centered on a lightless labyrinth and mute gods, all in the middle of a desert. Who wouldn't want that job! It's a big shift from the first book, though it continues the story of A Wizard Of Earthsea in some surprising ways. It also has many though-provoking moments. An eternally reincarnated priestess! The destructive power of labels! A God-King! People who seem helpful, but aren't! A deadly game of cat and mouse! A desperate plan of escape! It's all here. Ancient Geeks is a podcast about two geeks of a certain age re-visiting their youth. We were there when things like science fiction, fantasy, Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Marvel and DC comics, Doctor Who, and many, many other threads of modern geek culture were still on the fringes of popular culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack, where we post daily. And if you like what you hear, please tell a friend. Also, we always appreciate a review on the podcast platform of your choice. © 2026 Tom Grant and Steven Taylor
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About Ancient Geeks
Two old geeks talk about being young geeks, at a turning point in popular culture. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the threads of modern geek culture emerged and wove together. Science fiction, fantasy, comics, movies, TV shows, tabletop games, computer games, ad all their incarnations. The great SF&F writers, Star Trek, Star Wars, monster movies, D&D, Doctor Who, the Marvel and DC superheroes, 2001, Planet of the Apes, UFOs, conventions, Zork, Ultima...What was it like to experience these for the first time? Why did we love them? And how do we feel about them, decades later?
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