SYFY25: Origin Stories

Rick Baker, legendary special effects wizard for films like Men In Black, Star Wars, and Batman—joins Adam to talk about confusing Godzilla for King Kong; being taken under the wing of a monster-making legend; and how he fit a 12-foot-tall alien into a 6-foot-tall man.

Transhumanist philosopher Natasha Vita-More chats with Adam and explains what transhumanism means for us regular humans, how it will impact the evolution of humanity, and close we are to uploading our brains into databases, ensuring our immortality.

John Knoll, Chief Creative Officer of Industrial Light and Magic and visual effects legend, sits down with Adam and reveals how he cold called his way into LucasFilm, and how he had to be talked into pitching an idea he had, which ultimately became Rogue One.

Jonathan Frakes, aka Star Trek The Next Generation’s Commander Riker, chats with Adam about an early role as a comic book icon; what it was like to boldly go where no one had gone before; and what the future of science fiction holds.

Futurama Creator and showrunner, David X. Cohen, talks to Adam about abandoning his noble scientific pursuits for sci-fi comedy; how comedy and space best mix; and why a curmudgeonly drunken robot might be the most human character of all.

Kevin Smith, writer and director of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, and Tusk sits down with Adam fan to fan to obsess over Planet of the Apes reruns, Star Wars action figures and why science fiction is his personal moral compass.

Doug Chiang, Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm, joins Adam to tell us what it’s like designing spaceships for Star Wars: the biggest universe in science fiction; where he draws inspiration from; and how the production methodologies are rapidly changing.

Afro-mysticism, 3rd world technology and science fiction, blend together in the world of Nnedi Okorafor as she sits with Adam to talk about her scifi guilty pleasures, how a trash compactor monster became her muse and why the world of literary academia still sees science fiction as a lesser genre.

Writer and Founding Editor of Wired Magazine, Kevin Kelly, sits down with Adam to talk about finding science fiction in his youth, his disappointment in early computer technology, and why the fiction we write today shapes our very real tomorrow.

Marvel’s Director of Content and Character Development, The Spectacular Sana Amanat, sits down with Adam to talk about the societal importance of spandex-clad heroes; how she found herself in the pages of the X-Men; and why it’s important we all have a superhero to look up to.

Ron Moore-- writer and producer of Star Trek TNG and DS9, Battlestar Galactica, and Outlander, among others — is in the studio with Adam to talk about the impact the early NASA shuttle launches had on him; how a set tour got him a seat on The Enterprise; and how he went from attending Star Trek Conventions as a fan, to attending them as a star.

Adam sits down with Jedi Master, Master Puppeteer, and Stellar Director, Frank Oz to talk about his early Flash Gordon obsession, how he found his inner Yoda, and why Grover does not use contractions.

Nerdist Founder and Talking Dead Host, Chris Hardwick, joins Adam to dissect where hipster and nerd converge, his emotional attachment to the science fiction community, and how his run in with Mel Brooks led to his most cherished piece of memorabilia.

Neil Gaiman, award winning author of books, comic books, and films sits down with Adam to discuss the strange and powerful escapism of science fiction; how a milk bottle changed his life; and hear just how big of an emotional impact the genre can have on fans.

Writer D.C. Fontana, one of the forerunners of televised science fiction, and the woman credited with creating much of Vulcan lore, joins Adam and reminisces about the early days of Star Trek, how it led science fiction to tackle societal issues, and how Kirk, Spock and McCoy combined to make one legendary character.

SYFY25: Origin Stories, hosted by Adam Savage, is a nostalgic celebration of all things science fiction. In this podcast series Adam sits down with creators, thought-leaders, and celebrity fans to discuss the moments, people, and milestones that have changed the genre universe forever. From revealing personal anecdotes to deep philosophical discussions, there’s something for every fan. Guests include genre heavyweights from Chris Hardwick, Frank Oz, and Kevin Smith, to Neil Gaiman, DC Fontana and Ron Moore, among many others. Join us, as we jump into the wormhole…