A play by Charles Dickens. The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. A hologram of a famous dead pop singer. They’re all connected by a simple magic trick called Pepper’s Ghost. What’s most remarkable about this illusion is that it hasn’t changed much in over 160 years. I talk with Jim Steinmeyer and Ben Schrader, both designers of theatrical special effects, about why a Victorian magic trick is more popular than ever at modern theme parks and other live entertainment venues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A play by Charles Dickens. The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. A hologram of a famous dead pop singer. They’re all connected by a simple magic trick called Pepper’s Ghost. What’s most remarkable about this illusion is that it hasn’t changed much in over 160 years. I talk with <a href="https://jimsteinmeyer.com/">Jim Steinmeyer</a> and <a href="https://schrader99.wixsite.com/portfolio">Ben Schrader</a>, both designers of theatrical special effects, about why a Victorian magic trick is more popular than ever at modern theme parks and other live entertainment venues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Imaginary Worlds

Haunted By Pepper's Ghost

This was a wonderful recap of Pepper’s Ghost - what is the effect? What is its history? Where is it used?And how does this tie into the Haunted Mansion, arcade cabinets, and holograms?

I love the way Pepper’s Ghost combines science and art to bring ghosts to life. Listening to how it’s used to bring a different kind of ghost back to life through holograms is wonderful. 

Discworld might be the most popular fantasy series you’ve never heard of. The late Terry Pratchett wrote 41 novels in the Discworld universe. To honor the 75th anniversary of his birth, we look at what fueled his satire, how he put himself into his characters, and why so many Discworld fans find solace and inspiration in his worldview. I talk with Pratchett’s former assistant and biographer Rob Wilkins, dramatist Stephen Briggs who adapted many Discworld novels to the stage, cultural critic Emmet Asher-Perrin and Professor Jacob Held, author of Philosophy and Terry Pratchett. Also featuring readings by Pavel Douglas.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp and ExpressVPN. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you’re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here or email us at sponsors@multitude.productions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

<a href="https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/book-series/discworld/%20">Discworld</a> might be the most popular fantasy series you’ve never heard of. The late Terry Pratchett wrote 41 novels in the Discworld universe. To honor the 75th anniversary of his birth, we look at what fueled his satire, how he put himself into his characters, and why so many Discworld fans find solace and inspiration in his worldview. I talk with Pratchett’s former assistant and biographer <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/192113/rob-wilkins">Rob Wilkins</a>, dramatist <a href="https://www.stephenbriggs.com/">Stephen Briggs</a> who adapted many Discworld novels to the stage, cultural critic <a href="https://emilyaperrin.wixsite.com/home">Emmet Asher-Perrin</a> and Professor <a href="https://uca.edu/philosophy/facultystaff/jacob-held/">Jacob Held</a>, author of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22718485-philosophy-and-terry-pratchett">Philosophy and Terry Pratchett</a>. Also featuring readings by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0235206/">Pavel Douglas</a>.This episode is sponsored by <a href="Betterhelp.com/imaginary">BetterHelp</a> and <a href="Expressvpn.com/imaginaryworlds">ExpressVPN</a>. Our ad partner is <a href="https://multitude.productions/">Multitude</a>. If you’re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them <a href="https://multitude.productions/ads">here</a> or email us at <a href="mailto:sponsors@multitude.productions">sponsors@multitude.productions</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Entering Discworld. Population: Terry Pratchett.

I'm a casual Pratchett fan (I read quite a few of the books but in no particular order) and I think it really is as easy as picking up one of the titles that sticks out to you at random. He's so good. 

Always wanted to get into the Discworld series but as a younger person I couldn't understand so I didn't bother. I consider this episode a sort of refresher to see if I can get into the book series. 

In the subgenre of analog horror, there’s something sinister or supernatural lurking in the horizontal lines and vertical holds in those old VHS tapes. Filmmaker Chris LaMartina explains why he wanted his movies WNUF Halloween Special and Out There Halloween Mega Tape to seem like live broadcasts taped off local TV news in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I talk with podcasters Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus from the show Digital Folklore about how The Internet became our new campfire to tell spooky stories. Plus, we hear from Alex Hera, director of the documentary The History of Analog Horror, and folk horror lecturer Diane A. Rodgers of Sheffield University about why people born in the digital age want to tell horror stories set in the distant yet familiar era of VCRs. In this episode we also discuss The Mandela Catalog, Local 58, and The Backrooms.This episode is sponsored by Birds of Empire, and Brilliant. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you’re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here.Visit brilliant.org/imaginaryworlds to get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the subgenre of analog horror, there’s something sinister or supernatural lurking in the horizontal lines and vertical holds in those old VHS tapes. Filmmaker <a href="https://wnuf.bigcartel.com/">Chris LaMartina</a> explains why he wanted his movies <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3104078/">WNUF Halloween Special</a> and <a href="https://wnuf.bigcartel.com/product/out-there-halloween-mega-tape-aka-wnuf-halloween-sequel-bundle">Out There Halloween Mega Tape</a> to seem like live broadcasts taped off local TV news in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I talk with podcasters <a href="https://www.8thlayermedia.com/">Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus</a> from the show <a href="https://digitalfolklore.fm/">Digital Folklore</a> about how The Internet became our new campfire to tell spooky stories. Plus, we hear from Alex Hera, director of the documentary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_4ph-L19U&amp;t=2s">The History of Analog Horror</a>, and folk horror lecturer <a href="https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/diane-rodgers#firstSection">Diane A. Rodgers</a> of Sheffield University about why people born in the digital age want to tell horror stories set in the distant yet familiar era of VCRs. In this episode we also discuss <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8d12w6pMos&amp;list=PLB-0ZvR1xuqLeKbh7Z0Y2do_zOlH3WJhW">The Mandela Catalog</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LOCAL58TV">Local 58,</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@kanepixels">The Backrooms</a>.This episode is sponsored by <a href="https://qcodemedia.com/birds-of-empire">Birds of Empire</a>, and <a href="http://brilliant.org/imaginaryworlds">Brilliant</a>. Our ad partner is <a href="https://multitude.productions/">Multitude</a>. If you’re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them <a href="https://multitude.productions/ads">here</a>.Visit brilliant.org/imaginaryworlds to get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Monsters in the Static

Oh my goodness, thank you so much for sharing this with me. 
I LOVED this episode. The break down of analogue horror and why it scares us was so much fun to listen to. I also loved listening to the creator of WNUF Halloween because capitalism's insatiable hunger to monetize can be a terrifying thought and I love how the creator tried to home in on that. 
I need more thoughtful story breakdowns like this, especially in regards to an entire genre. 

Oh snap, this sounds amazing!
Going on my "Listen Next" list. 

Imaginary Worlds sounds like what would happen if NPR went to ComicCon and decided that’s all they ever wanted to cover. Host Eric Molinsky spent over a decade working as a public radio reporter and producer, and he uses those skills to create thoughtful, sound-rich episodes about science fiction, fantasy, and other genres of speculative fiction. Every other week, he talks with comic book artists, game designers, novelists, screenwriters, filmmakers, and fans about how they craft their worlds, why we suspend our disbelief, and what happens if the spell is broken. Imaginary worlds may be set on distant planets or parallel dimensions, but they are crafted here on Earth, and they’re always about us and our lived experiences.

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