Ancient Geeks

Ancient Geeks
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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, 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?

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Ancient Geeks, episode 60: Star Trek The Next Generation part 3

    Steven and Tom review the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. We talk about the key episodes, such as the pilot, the death of a main character, and the re-introduction of the Klingons and Romulans. We review a sampling of the good, the bad, and the meh. (Quite a lot of meh.) We talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the first season, as we saw it when it first aired, and now that we've re-watched these episodes.  The shaky pilot! The introduction of Q! That great Klingon episode! The Ferengi fail as foes! Standardized testing for super-beings! Twangy guitar music! The difference between Star Trek bad and TV bad! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 50min

  2. 23 MAR

    Ancient Geeks episode 59: Star Trek The Next Generation season one, part 2

    In the mid-1980s, we heard that a new Star Trek series was on the way. But it wouldn't include anyone from the cast of the original series. It was to be set decades in a future, with a new Enterprise, a new crew, and a new adversary, but still helmed by Gene Roddenberry. How did we feel about the series, when it was announced? And what were our initial reactions, when it premiered? In this episode, we journey back to the 80s to answer these questions, and provide some background on what was happening behind the scenes of the new series, including Roddenberry's role in the franchise.  Teaser trailers! Actors we knew, and others who were new to us! Klingon on the bridge! A weird-looking Enterprise! Day care centers on a space cruiser! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 4min

  3. 16 MAR

    Ancient Geeks episode 58: Star Trek: The Next Generation part 1

    An episode the size of the Alpha Quadrant! We go back to 1987, the year when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered. In this first part of the discussion, we discuss the state of Star Trek at this time. This was a heyday for Star Trek subculture, full of movies, novels, reference books, tabletop games, computer games, comics, you name it. Star Trek was flourishing, all based on the original series. Plus, the conventions were popular destinations for Trek fans. And a whole new series was on the way. Journey back with us to this bustling era of Trekdom. Non-canon novels! Fantastic gaming material that fleshed out the Star Trek universe! Comics that labored mightily to tell a coherent story between movies! Blueprints of the Enterprise! Some really good fiction! An incredibly complicated board game! It's all here.  In upcoming episodes, we'll talk about the run-up to The Next Generation, our initial reactions to the show, our reviews of individual episodes from season one, and our thoughts about how the series managed to survive in spite of a tepid first season.   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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 12min

  4. 9 MAR

    Ancient Geeks episode 57: Blake's Seven season two

    The second season of the political science fiction thriller Blake's Seven advanced and improved upon the first season. Characters and situations evolved as the crew of the Liberator continued their fight against the Federation. And the season ended on a cliffhanger that changed the show even further.   Intrigue! Wardrobe changes! Surprise twists! Supercomputers! Clones! Telly-porters! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 12min

  5. 2 MAR

    Ancient Geeks episode 56: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

    In 1977, the other big science fiction film release, aside from Star Wars, was Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Riding the wave of success from Jaws, Steven Spielberg wrote and directed the iconic UFO movie that was also a blockbuster success. From the special effects to the soundtrack, from memorable scenes to top-notch filmmaking, Close Encounters was a smash success, both commercially and artistically. While Jaws had been a blockbuster movie, Steven Spielberg wasn't yet Steven Spielberg (spoken in hushed, reverential tones). Close Encounters made us stand up and take notice of him. It was a showcase for his directorial style that we've seen in decades of movies, and part of one of the most amazing runs of films from a young director (Jaws, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, E.T., The Color Purple, etc.).  Come with us back in time, back to the metroplex, to see, through our eyes, Close Encounters for the first time, and the reasons why we enjoyed it. Messages from space! Benevolent conspiracies! Mashed potatoes! Living room art projects! Amazing cinematography! Criticisms of the parenting skills of fictional characters! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 54min

  6. 23 FEB

    Ancient Geeks episode 55: Isaac Asimov's I, Robot

    When we were youngsters, first exploring science fiction, Isaac Asimov's robot stories were a must-read. The short story collection I, Robot, anthologized Asimov's stories that centered on the famous Three Laws Of Robotics, the rules that governed thinking machines in his fictional setting. Now, in the real world, the Three Laws Of Robotics are not just often-quoted among SF fans, but also among people developing robots and artificial intelligences in the real world. In the history of science fiction, Asimov's robot stories were Important, with a capital "I." But how well do they hold up, when our older selves return to the robot series, 40 or 50 years later? And how well did Asimov's I, Robot anticipate the robot-related and AI-generated problems that would face people in the future? Well, um, that is, er...  Science fiction as a predictive tool! Robots going haywire! Robots going bananas! Robots going nuts! Robots getting poor performance reviews! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 11min

  7. 16 FEB

    Ancient Geeks episode 54: Terminator 2

    The Terminator was a surprise hit. We knew something good was coming with the sequel, but we had no idea what. T2 exceeded expectations, with sympathetic characters (including a friendly Terminator), a solid script, practically non-stop action, and breathtaking special effects. Yeah, we liked it then, and we still like it. What makes it a great movie, but not a perfect movie? Come with us back to the premiere of T2, when everything was unexpected. Catch phrases! Scary Sarah! A nice guy who's responsible for an apocalypse! Amazing (for the time) CGI! A closed time loop! 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. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    1hr 29min

  8. 9 FEB

    Ancient Geeks episode 53: The Terminator

    We'll be back...with a new episode! We knew Schwarzenegger from Conan, But who was this James Cameron guy? It was a surprise hit, one of those "you gotta see this" films. Was it an action movie? A science fiction movie? Or two, two, two things in one? Time travel! Bootstrap paradoxes! A climax in a factory! Guerrilla filmmaking! Unknown actors as the leads! Getting sued by Harlan Ellison! 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 culture. We were geeks before it was chic! For feedback, contact someancientgeeks@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Reddit, and Bluesky. Also, check out the Ancient Geeks blog on Substack! 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

    54 min
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About

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, 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?

Information

  • Creator
    Ancient Geeks
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Ancient Geeks

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