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Episode 11: Into the unknown

This week, Sean and Lindsay dig into podcasts that take us into unfamiliar places, like a community of grown men who buy action figures, and other unknowns — like the mystery of a disappearing video store.
CBC Radio ·
An alien figurine stands in its clear plastic packaging with a coloured backdrop. There is a coin above his head. The packaging says "Star Wars, The Power of the Force, Special Collectors Coin" in English and French. The logo for Kenner is near the bottom, as well as the character's name: "Yak Face"
The community of adults who collect action figures is explained and celebrated in the podcast Imaginary Worlds. (blog.paxholley.net)

This week, Sean and Lindsay dig into podcasts that take us into unfamiliar places, like a community of grown men who buy action figures, and other unknowns — like the mystery of a disappearing video store.

Nocturne

"For some people, lack of sleep becomes a war to be waged." — Vanessa Lowe

Nocturne is a podcast all about what happens after dark. It's one of the podcasts produced by The Heard collective.

In it, Vanessa Lowe uncovers stories of things that happen between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Lowe has a lot of insight into the psyche of people who are active during this time of day, thanks to her Ph.D in clinical psychology.

She is also a singer-songwriter, and you can really tell she has a musical ear through the way she plays with sound.

Take a listen to this episode, "(This is not) a Love Song."

Imaginary Worlds

"For me, there's almost this Proustian memory of opening an action figure and smelling the plastic." — Eric Molinsky

Imaginary Worlds is a show about science fiction and fantasy, and why so many people love fictional universes.

The show is a side project for Eric Molinsky — who also works as a producer for PRI's Studio 360.

Imaginary Worlds showcases Molinsky's nerdy side. He strikes a balance by making sci-fi relatable to everyone, but treating the culture seriously.

For our playlist, we chose this episode — "Action Figureland."

Mystery Show

"I can only remember two jokes, but that won't stop me." — Starlee Kine

Mystery Show is hosted by Starlee Kine, a well-established voice on American public radio. The podcast is the newest from Gimlet Media, and has had huge success ever since it launched in May.

In each episode, Kine solves a mystery, but you'll soon discover this show isn't really about finding the answers. It's more about the people and conversations she finds along the way. In its purest form, this show is about finding out where your curiosity takes you.

The first episode is all about a disappearing video store, aptly called "Video Store."

What are your favourite podcasts? Send us an e-mail, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal — we have more than 99 home grown podcasts available for subscription or download!

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