The Best Nerdy Podcasts Made by (but Not Just for) Women
Gone are the days when nerddom was a male-dominated realm; through inclusion in geek culture, women and gender-nonconforming people have made space for diverse and rich content. They're redefining what it means to be a geek with content that spans the realms of fantasy and reality, from D&D to the real-world impact of literary giants like Jane Austen on today's gender politics.
I Seduce The Dragon
A rocket scientist, cowgirl, a porn star, and a mom walk into a realm of ice and frost. What could go wrong? This is Dungeons and Dragons! So...a lot. Thankfully, you don’t have to know too much about the now mainstream roleplaying game to enjoy I Seduce The Dragon. Led by Jess Sparks, the cast of Ryan Keely, Cristina Van Epps, Dana Scarborough, and Vanessa Flanders venture on high-stakes, high-rolling, high-larious adventures.
Venture Maidens
Venture Maidens was one of the first and best podcasts in the Dungeons and Dragons play podcast genre. These five friends make you feel like you’ve known them (and their characters) forever. Celeste Conowith, Sage Stafford, Naseem Estemad, Katie Budabin, and Brittany Qunitero take turns playing different characters and leading action-packed campaigns. Start with the Fate Campaign and stay for the rest.
Real Housewives of Dungeons and Dragons
The Real Housewives of Dungeons and Dragons, led by Alison Zatta, is, as you'd expect, a Dungeons and Dragons take on the popular reality TV show. The cast, comprised of Riley Rose Critchlow, Elizabeth Ho, Liz Jenkins, Kosha Patel, Valen Shore, and Nicole Wyland, plays the roles of real housewives of fictional lands, as they embark on an adventure unlike any other.
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!
No list about geeky women is complete without a show that dives into one of the most popular place geeks hang—the land of Greek and Roman myths. That's Liv Albert’s podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!. With a healthy sprinkling of cursing and a feminist attitude, the podcast retells and dissects Greek (and sometimes Roman) myths for a modern audience.
Book Talk for BookTok
BookTok is the newest and freshest internet watering hole for book nerds. Book Talk for BookTok hosts Jac and Amy plunge, dive, and cast anchors into the waters of fan theory of #booktok‘s biggest and best books. There's great analysis and Jac and Amy are sparkling hosts with real chemistry.
Fated Mates
If you are (or are in any way associated with) a reader of the romance genre, Fated Mates is the podcast for you. Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop take the softest genre seriously, conversing with authors and editors of classics and modern romances to contextualize them to readers and listeners alike.
Hot & Bothered
Vanessa Zoltan and Lauren Sandler host this romance-analysis podcast. If you think you’ve devoured every form of your favorite romance novel, from Twilight to Jane Eyre, think again. Hot & Bothered breaks down popular books and movies to, as they say, “better imagine our own happy endings.” Their current season focuses on the timeless romance How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
This Ends at Prom
Hosted by co-hosts and wives BJ Colangelo and Hermione Colangelo, This Ends at Prom offers a unique perspective on coming-of-age movies. Approaching their analysis from a queer and feminist angle, the two cast old and modern cinema into a rainbow light.
Material Girls
Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman are your sassy, funny Material Girls. They bring a zoomed-out yet queer and feminist perspective to not just popular media but also popular phenomena like the sweet potato fries takeover.
Shedunnit
While Agatha Christie might have been the best known female mystery writer, as Shedunnit makes clear. There’s a whole slew of them to discover—from Dorothy L. Sayers to Ngaio Marsh to Gladys Mitchell to Josephine Tey. Caroline Crampton places works by each of these and more under the magnifying glass.
Pod and Prejudice
In the classic podcasting genre where one friend shares their geekiness with another, we’ve got Pod and Prejudice. While Becca has read (and obsessed over) Jane Austen’s work, Molly has no clue what’s going on. With humor and smarts, this podcast is for the modern reader obsessed with—or new to—Austen.