Podcasts and Podiobooks

So I got an iPod for Christmas last year and have been pretty much loving it ever since I got it.

I honestly carry either it or my Macbook pretty much everywhere I go (including taking it with us as we went trapesing across Europe last spring).

One of the things that I really got into early on in my iPod life was podcasts. I have gone through quite a few different podcasts trying different ones out until I found a list of podcasts that I really enjoy. I know the frustration of trying to find a good podcast and wading through some bad recommendations from friends (I am looking at you ze_Frank) so I thought I would post a list of some of the podcasts that I enjoy for you either to ignore or for you to try, up to you (but I highly recommend at least giving a few of these a shot).

My top rated podcast is the infamous EscapePod a science fiction podcast. If you don't enjoy Sci-Fi you might want to avoid this, but even if you don't but enjoy just flat out GREAT short fiction I would strongly suggest you at least give a few episodes a shot, you will be happy you did.

My 2nd favorite podcast is actually a pod-rebroadcast of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell me radio show. If you have never listened to the radio show you don't know what you are missing. It is a great way to get caught up on all the happenings of the week as well as laugh yourself silly.

My 3rd recommendation is actually one of the newer podcasts that I have started listening to called Decoder Ring Theatre. It is very similar to those old time radio broadcasts your grandparents probably grew up listening to. They have 2 story lines that run side by side, one is "Red Panda Adventures" which is a superhero adventure type story, and the 2nd is "Black Jack Justice" which is a 20's type crime/mystery drama. I like Black Jack Justice a bit more than Red Panda, but both are good.

My 4th and final recommendation (for today) is actually the newest addition to my podcast list. I added it last night and have already consumed the first 5 episodes and I think it is great (although looking at the release schedule new episodes could take longer than the above 3 shows). It is called "How to Succeed in Evil" and is sort of a "anti-superhero" type adventure, with TONS of comedy thrown in as well. It is well very done and I have high hopes for future episodes (except in the last episode I listened to their sound effect for a golf cart was more annoying than anything I have ever heard before).

Lastly, I downloaded my first podiobook ever last night (I actually downloaded 2). I downloaded Scott Sigler's "The Rookie" and "Infection." They have been recommended a few times by Steve Ely of EscapePod, and since I highly enjoy the stories he picks out for EscapePod I thought I would give these a trial run, I will post here in a week or so when I have finished Infection to give you my review.