Top five podcast episodes | series of 2024
*At 5… Past Present Future: The Great Political Fictions*
[Multi-part – first episode 1 Feb]
There are a lot of these to get through, so if you’re looking for one to try I’d go for the Middlemarch two-parter from 23 May (if I’m honest, I always struggled to get Middlemarch, but this persuaded me to start it again).
David Runciman is bit of a podcast icon for me, so he’s always likely to appear in my top five lists, but this was a particularly enchanting series.
*At 4… Revolutions: The Martian Revolution*
[Ongoing series – first episode 21 Oct]
No, you didn’t miss something in the news, at the time of writing we have not occupied Mars.
But this history podcast, which in its eleven previous iterations recalled the detailed story of eleven global revolutions, has now projected forward to tell the entirely fictionalised tale of a rebellion on another planet.
As science fiction so often is, it’s full of vital lessons around our current tech overlords and the climate crisis, making it absolutely perfect for those long winter walks.
*At 3… Origin Story: The Suffragettes*
[Two part – first episode 23 Oct]
Everything I thought I knew about this subject was wrong. Every story I’ve shared with someone after this episode has led to a long conversation.
Beautifully researched and affectionately presented (as you always get from Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt), the episodes ask challenging questions about our modern take on the suffrage movement and the activism of Just Stop Oil. They also come with an excellent reading list.
I basically love everything Origin Story do, but this was my pick of the bunch in 2024.
*At 2… Imaginary Advice: A Christmas Carol (SNES 1993)*
[Single episode - 9 Dec]
If you’ve already had a few festive sherries and you’re starting to see ghost faces in clocks, probably give this one a miss ‘til you’ve sobered up.
Imaginary Advice is the home of hugely talented short story writer Ross Sutherland, and this reimagining of a Christmas Carol story as a SNES game from 1993, narrated by a modern day brosphere gamer vlogger, is one of his best.
Perfect for the season, and very, very funny.
*At 1... Rest is History: Titanic Series*
[Six part – first episode 11 Mar]
A truly… well… titanic series from a major player in the podcast world.
In that it was colossal and dramatic, not that it sank.
You might think that the blow-by-blow account of a shattering tragedy isn’t one for Christmastime, but these six episodes will deliver the very best and worst stories of human folly, and I promise you’ll be gripped by them.
That comes with a money-back guarantee for the amount you paid to read this post.