The Optimist Behind Blade Runner's Dystopia
Imaginary Worlds23 Huhti 2025

The Optimist Behind Blade Runner's Dystopia

The late Syd Mead was a visual futurist who was hired to imagine the worlds of Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens, Elysium and other sci-fi films. His work in Hollywood has been lauded for decades, but there’s a new exhibit in New York that shows a different side of the artist. Syd Mead: Future Pastime is a collection of his personal and commercial paintings, which are all works of science fiction. Despite his connection to the dystopian world of Blade Runner, Mead’s personal vision of the future was unwaveringly optimistic. I talk with Mead’s husband and business partner Roger Servick, and the curators of the exhibit, Elon Solo and William Corman, about Mead’s predictions for the future of technology, sexuality and spirituality. (Image courtesy of Syd Mead Inc.) This week’s episode is sponsored by ShipStation and Hims Go to shipstation.com and use the code IMAGINARY to sign up for a free trial. Get your free online visit at hims.com/IMAGINARY. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaksot(301)

Monsters in the Static

Monsters in the Static

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...

8 Joulu 202236min

True Crime Fairy Tale

True Crime Fairy Tale

Was the tale of Hansel and Gretel inspired by a real crime in German history? It would make for a great story, if it were true. This week’s episode comes from the podcast Cautionary Tales, where host ...

24 Marras 202239min

Indigenous Futurisms

Indigenous Futurisms

From TV and film to novels and video games, the artistic movement of Indigenous Futurisms has been gaining momentum and breaking cultural barriers. I talk with professor and author Grace Dillon, filmm...

10 Marras 202234min

Songs in the Key of SF

Songs in the Key of SF

Jeff Russo has composed music for sci-fi fantasy shows like Star Trek Discovery and Picard, The Umbrella Academy, Altered Carbon, For All Mankind, and Lucifer. But he didn’t set out to be known as a c...

27 Loka 202231min

Generation VTube

Generation VTube

There is a booming culture of VTubers – people who create content online, but their fans rarely see their real faces or know their names. VTubers use motion-capture technology to appear as animated ch...

13 Loka 202230min

Befriend The Reaper

Befriend The Reaper

One of the most common tropes in fantasy genres is personifying Death – turning this abstract and often terrifying concept into a character that people can interact with. Sometimes Death is portrayed ...

28 Syys 202241min

Postcolonial Worlds

Postcolonial Worlds

The stories we tell about the past can determine the way we understand the present. But what happens when we combine tales of magic and fantasy with some of the most traumatic chapters in history? I t...

14 Syys 202232min

Mentors: Balance of The Force

Mentors: Balance of The Force

In part 2 of our mini-series on mentorships, we travel to a galaxy far, far away. Amy Richau (co-author of Star Wars; I am Your Father and other Star Wars-related books) talks about her favorite partn...

1 Syys 202233min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
i-dont-like-mondays
kolme-kaannekohtaa
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kaksi-aitia
aikalisa
sita
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
rss-murhan-anatomia
mamma-mia
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
loukussa
rss-nikotellen
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-haudattu