Taking a little Break from Podcasting, but not geeking

I’ve decided to take a short hiatus as I rest and recuperate after one of the busiest, most intensive years of my life. I have lots of ideas for future guests and special audio essays, so have no fear: I’ll be back.

I have some holidays and I plan to catch up some television and movies I’ve missed. I bought a few things over the past year and haven’t had a catch to dig into them: a Billy Wilder box set, some Criterion titles (including a few David Lynch films). I’m also catching up on some podcasts I love - Best Pick Podcast; Truly, Darkly Creeply; Film Guff; Unspooled; and The House of Hammer, which has become a new favourite.

If you like Geek 4, please, tell a friend .

If you’re desperate to hear my voice (hi, mom), you can always re-listen to a favourite Geek 4 episode or catch me as a guest on other podcasts. I was recently featured on episode 0095 of the James Bond and Friends and will be on an upcoming episode of Film Guff.

Episode 029: Bang your head with Jeremy Maron

Jeremy Maron’s TOP 3 METAL PICKS!!!

1. Eluveitie, a Swiss folk metal band.

2. Amon Amarth, a Swedish medolic death metal band.

3, The Hu, a Mongolian folk metal and heavy metal band that uses tradtional Mongolian instrumets and throat singing into their music.

On this episode, I talk to Jeremy Maron about his love of all things metal. We discuss his deep love of classic metal (AC/DC, Guns N Roses), 80s metal (Poison, Warrant, Judas Priest) and his passion for lesser known subgenres of death metal, specifically melodic death metal and folk metal (Amorphis, Amon Amarth, Eluveitie. Cellar Darling, The Hu).

We also talk about our shared loved of Winnipeg’s The Park Theatre, which brings in some great bands .

"On a Very Special Episode of Geek 4"

This episode of Geek 4 is a little different. Instead of an interview with someone or an audio essay by me, this week I'm presenting a conversation  between Brenton Dickieson, Emily Strand, and myself about Mary Doria Russell's 1996 debut science fiction novel, The Sparrow.

The three of us were all featured in Refuge 31's The Science Fiction Makers, and since have connected over Twitter. At some point, we decided to start a science fiction reading group and chose The Sparrow as our first novel to read and discuss.

We've already agreed to set up another of these, and we'll be talking about Russell's 1998 sequel, The Children of God as well as wrappin up any final thoughts we have on The Sparrow (like actually talking about Sandoz’s. hands!).

Goodreads.com summarizes the plot of The Sparrow thusly: "In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet that will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question what it means to be 'human'."

Or, watch the video!

You can follow Brenton on Twitter @BrentonDana and follow his blog , A Pilgrim in Narnia

 You can follow Emily on Twitter @ekcstrand and follow her website (emilystrand.com) or her blog (LiturgyandLife.com)

You can follow Michael on Twitter @mwboyce and Instagram @mwboyce and follow my website michaelwboyce.com