Dreaming of Coney Island's Dreamland
Imaginary Worlds13 Elo 2025

Dreaming of Coney Island's Dreamland

Coney Island still has the classic amusements you’d expect today like roller coasters, water slides, and carnival games. But over a century ago, it looked more like a proto–Disney World, with multiple theme parks, colossal buildings, and wildly imaginative rides. The most extravagant park along the boardwalk was Dreamland. At Dreamland, you could take a trip to Hell, experience the end of the world, ride through fake Venetian canals, or visit a city built to scale for little people. I talk with historian and novelist Kevin Baker about why Dreamland remains so intriguing and deeply problematic. We also hear voice actor Lofty Fulton read a passage from Kevin’s novel “Dreamland.” Plus, I talk with visual artist Zoe Beloff. She was fascinated that Sigmund Freud visited Dreamland in 1909. So she invented an alternative history where Freud’s disciples in Brooklyn tried to rebuild the park with overtly Freudian rides and exhibits. This week’s episode is sponsored by Hims, ShipStation and ButcherBox. For your free online visit, Hims.com/IMAGINARY Go to shipstation.com and use code IMAGINARY to sign up for your FREE trial. ButcherBox is offering our listeners $20 off their first box and free protein for a year. Go to ButcherBox.com/imaginary to get this limited time offer and free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaksot(302)

Rappers with Arm Cannons

Rappers with Arm Cannons

In the second of my two-part episode on musical worlds, I talk with Mega Ran and Sammus -- hip hop artists that create concept albums based on the classic video games Mega Man and Metroid. They talk a...

5 Loka 201724min

Worldbuilding With Music

Worldbuilding With Music

In the first of a two part episode on imaginary worlds in music, I talk with members of Vertigo Drift, an indie band that created a cyberpunk concept album with an expanded universe of material provid...

21 Syys 201718min

Technobabble

Technobabble

This week, I team up with Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist podcast to help me figure out why one set of poorly understood pseudo-scientific terms can sink a scene, while another set of pseudo-scienti...

7 Syys 201727min

Future Screens Are Mostly Blue

Future Screens Are Mostly Blue

This week, I'm playing one of my favorite episodes of the podcast 99% Invisible where host Roman Mars and producer Sam Greenspan look at control panels in science fiction -- the clunky, the elegant, a...

24 Elo 201724min

Scott Snyder

Scott Snyder

If the previous episode was all about villains, this one looks at the other side of that equation. In 2014 I interviewed the writer Scott Snyder whose run on Batman comics is considered one of the bes...

10 Elo 201728min

Evil Plans

Evil Plans

They've tried to take over the world. They've tried to take away our free will. They've gone after ancient artifacts with vaguely defined magical properties. But they almost always fail. The evil plan...

27 Heinä 201729min

The Book of Dune

The Book of Dune

Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune and its sequels tackled a lot of big themes. The books are about ecology. They're about journeys of self-realization through mind-altering substances. But religion is a...

12 Heinä 201729min

World War EVE

World War EVE

EVE Online is a massive multi-player online role playing game, which means it's a game where there are no rules -- just a galaxy where you build space ships, form alliances and go to war. The Icelandi...

29 Kesä 201729min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

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