Happy To Be Here

The first season of His Dark Materials is more than halfway done and while things are coming together, we still have a lot of questions.

Like much does it cost to CGI a daemon? What exactly are the Gobblers up to? And if you dial up a friend in another dimension, will the phone still ring?

Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode, which had more creepy creepers than usual.

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Armored drinking bears! Sassy thieving cowboys! Dudley Dursley for some reason!

Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode of His Dark Materials, which is either the moment this TV series comes to life or a terrible approximation of an excellent book, depending on who you listen to. 

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Holy plot developments! Based on how much we learned in Episode 3 of HBO’s His Dark Materials, it’s safe to say this young TV show is maturing quite rapidly!

And as per usual, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to break it all down. Listen to the latest recap, and remember that we also want to hear from you! Join the conversation and share your own theories with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #NerdetteRecaps.

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Boy is it getting DUST-y in here. (Haw haw, get it?) The second episode of HBO’s His Dark Materials sees Lyra travel to London with Mrs. Coulter as the Gyptians track down the so-called Gobblers and try to find their kidnapped children.

And after some monkey business in Mrs. Coulter’s study, Lyra discovers that her surrogate mother is up to something in the North, but it’s not entirely clear what. Join us as we break it all down! And join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #NerdetteRecaps.

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Grab your daemons and put on your snow boots, because Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda of Nerdette and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! are back together again to recap another HBO fantasy show: His Dark Materials. This week the team discusses the series premiere, which aired Monday, so beware, there are some episode 1 spoilers (but we avoid book spoilers the best we can!).

If you’re not familiar with His Dark Materials, the show is based off the critically-acclaimed novels written by Philip Pullman, who takes readers to a fictional world similar to ours, except everyone has a so-called daemon, an animal companion that is part conscience, part therapist, part soul.

Have a listen, and remember that we also want to hear from you! Join the conversation and share your own theories with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #NerdetteRecaps.

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Good gravy! It's George R.R. Martin! If you're unfamiliar, he's the author of that little book series that became one of the most popular TV shows of all time, Game of Thrones.

These days, he’s in the midst of writing the final two novels in that series.

Before he sat down with Greta, his team told us that he couldn’t answer the question on everyone’s mind ("So, like, when’s the next book coming out?"). So we didn’t ask that one, but Martin did tell us plenty about how writing is going, how he’s managing fan expectations and what he expects for the future of fantasy TV. 

Plus! We have a super-special announcement at the end of the interview!

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… Oxford! That’s right, just like Weezer, Sleater-Kinney, and the Spice Girls before them, the Nerdette Recaps crew is getting the band back together for the new HBO series His Dark Materials.

Starting Tuesday, Nov. 5 — the day after the premiere episode of His Dark Materials airs — you’ll find all new episodes of Nerdette Recaps His Dark Materials with Peter Sagal right here in this podcast feed.

And in honor of this auspicious occasion, Greta put Peter in a studio and gloated at him about her recent interview with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. See you Tuesdays!

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To celebrate the approach of another wonderful two-day break, Nerdette host Greta Johnsen talked with Alison Roman, author of the new cookbook Nothing Fancy, about three ways to make sure you host the most badass dinner party possible (she prefers to call it “having people over”).

And did you know that the largest 3D printer in the world just printed the world’s largest 3D-printed boat? We talk to Habib Dagher, the executive director at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine. His team was responsible for this accomplishment, so we asked him why they did it, how much pizza it took to do it, and what it might mean for the future of innovation and manufacturing.

Plus, if you’re a grammar nerd, this episode may tick you right off. Gretchen McCulloch is the author of Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, and she explains how the internet has given us all access to the writings of normal people, which has led to more and more people writing with less formality and more creativity — and without obeying grammar rules.

Then she goes on to tell us why that’s awesome. You'll either love it or hate it!

(And oh yeah: Check out this week's Nerdette newsletter and sign up!)

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We’ve finished The Testaments!

Press play and join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen, New York Magazine’s Heather Havrilesky and Vocalo’s Jill Hopkins for this final installment of the #NerdetteBookClub.

You’ll hear how each of us rated the book on a scale of 1-10 warm milks (10 being the best, obviously), what the professional reviewers thought, and how much your fellow book club members liked it!

Plus, if you need post-Testaments-reading recommendations, check out this week's Nerdsletter (and subscribe)!

And hey! Thanks for being a part of our inaugural book club. Did you enjoy it? Please send feedback, good or bad, to [email protected]. We want to know what you thought!

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We’re two thirds of the way through Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, and we’ve got a lot to talk about.

This week is all about chapters 24 through 46, and our panel of intrepid feminists questions whether these storylines are just a little toooo convenient, whether it’s really possible to rip a person apart with your bare hands … and what the deal is with all that warm milk.

Want to be a part of the #NerdetteBookClub? Easy! Just press play and join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen, New York Magazine’s Heather Havrilesky and Vocalo’s Jill Hopkins.

Just make sure you finish The Testaments before next Friday, October 4. That’s when we’ll talk all about the ending.

And we want to hear what you thought about the book! (Please tell us how you felt on a scale of 1 to 10 warm milks.)

Share your thoughts with us by recording your voice with your smartyphone. Then email the audio file to [email protected], preferably by Tuesday evening. You may hear yourself in the final episode!

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