Review of A Podcast of Ice and Fire - Podcast of Ice and Fire

Podcast of Ice and Fire

☆

“OK. (Deep cleansing breath). This podcast is less than it could be, but more than it should be. Focusing only on the negative is pointless, but just to be different from the usual "I liked it, but..." model, I'll *start* there. The individual podcasts are far, FAR too long. You guys have to realize you are going up against bookcasts that make 45 minute episodes. If you're meeting once a week to record for two or three hours, then make stopping points and let Ashley chop the discussion in half, airing the first one first and the second one the next week. Really, it may be necessary to just crop the two hour episodes you guys record into 45 minute episodes, because the massive bulk of them are comprised of insidespeak and tangential storytelling. This is unnecessary and distracting. A few jokes and laughs are fine with me, but really- I do not need to hear biographical stories, long assertions of sexual orientation, etc. As an outsider, I'm here to hear and think about the book. I've now listened from the beginning, and I haven't learned to enjoy listening to the half of the podcast where quotations from previous podcasts and warmed-over jokes about the hosts get beaten into the ground in fragmented form. If anything, it's made me listen less frequently. I am guessing other listeners share my view, and that you would have far more listeners if you cleaned your podcasting style up to something more professional. I'm not talking about cursing and profanity, which I fully endorse; I'm talking about focusing your discussion more on the topic of the podcast and the books. Again, lest this seem like it's directed at a single person, let me state that this is a general observation: it's the inside jokes and tangential talk that really make this podcast unbearable, even to long time listeners. Now, that said: If this podcast is intended to just be a postmodern experiment for insiders, see the last couple of sentences of this review and forget the rest. A constructive suggestion: The model of what Podcast of Ice and Fire hosts should strive for is Chase. He is balanced, refers often to the books and summaries to support his points, isn't afraid to yuk/profane it up from time to time, and stays on topic. I am incredibly glad that he is a part of this production. I think you've also had some great guest hosts, e.g., Christina, who seems to have encyclopedic knowledge of the books and who talks about them with balance and apomb. Mimi, I know you're waiting for me to compliment you on your ability to quote entire sentences, but you talked way too much about how proud you were of yourself afterward, so it made the feat much less impressive. You are at your best when you are engaging the other hosts to talk about what they know best- and it still shows off what YOU know about the books incredibly well. It's your greatest strength. In general, I admire that the hosts do, from time to time, try to make sure that everyone is engaged and has a chance to speak, especially when they draw on each other's area of interest and engage each other on specific topics of debate. The sections of the podcast in which listener mail and messages are sometimes read really shine. You would quickly acquire a much broader and more devoted audience if you took on this format more often, and stayed focused on the topics of discussion rather than bringing all the (frankly, boring) stuff about your personal lives into it. Seriously- consider this change. There is a vast collective knowledge among the hosts of this show, but it is difficult to tell sometimes, particularly when people are podcasting without focusing on the subject of the podcast. Each time I hear somebody get distracted by whatever's in front of them (e.g., dinner, a movie, a skype message), I'm tempted to turn the podcast off and go listen to something else. The skype noises are especially distracting, and should be disabled when the podcast is on. I understand that you need to send each other stuff during the podcast, but the sound effect should be disabled somehow. Figure out how to do it silently through a different app or program, if necessary. To return to my opening sentence: I think that this podcast could be really great (i.e., it could be more than it is) if there were more focus on the part of the hosts. I don't even necessarily think this would require more effort, just a little more concentration during taping. You all clearly know the books well, as proper Martin fans ought to. But sometimes you really sound like you have no idea, and again- that makes me want to turn the podcast off. The podcast is more than it should be already, because it really isn't that well organized right now (I repeat: 1.5-2-hour episodes!!!!), and I have still listened to it far longer than I think I ought to have. I believe it can improve and I hope it does, because I think it could be something fantastic. The final word: Podcasting, in spite of being public, can be deeply private. If this podcast aspires to be a postmodern production of a community of people who just want to talk about Song of Ice and Fire with no tweaks and see what happens organically, with no intervention, keep going as you are. If you want to take it to the next level, consider a few changes to make this podcast way more enjoyable for the listeners who AREN'T the hosts. You know, like me.”

Another Funky Radical Bombtrac via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 01/28/11

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Great Podcast

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Leeorv via Apple Podcasts · Israel · 05/03/11

A fun podcast for fans of the books and show

☆

“If you're a fan of the books and show then this podcast should hit the sweet spot. The podcast started before the show, so there are a lot of previous episodes that deal mainly with the books. So the hosts are very familiar with the large cast of characters, some of their discussions have made me...”Read full review »

jscardina via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 05/02/12

This is the best podcast there is

☆

“This is the best podcast. They have fun and it's fun to listen to. Mimi does a good job of moderating the thing. Amin has a lot of knowledge and insight. The rest of the people are interchangeable, except for Chase, who is kind of a clueless curmudgeon. But this podcast is perfect.”

Shrimmmmmp via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 06/03/11

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