Best Elliptical Podcasts (2025)

1
Star-Wikileaks! (The Star Wars Holiday Special, with guest Scott Kirkwood from starwarsholidayspecial.com) 1:14:38

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1d ago1:14:38

1:14:38

We all attended a screening of the Star Wars Holiday Special in Vancouver, Washington a couple of weekends ago, and I reached out to one of the co-producers on the documentary film A Disturbance of the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened, who happens to live in our town, and he agreed to … Continue reading Star-Wikileaks! (The Star Wa…

1
Karabakh Refugees in Armenia 28:09

9d ago28:09

28:09

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Alissa de Carbonnel are joined by Joshua Kucera, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for the South Caucasus, to discuss the increasingly difficult situation facing people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia after Azerbaijan regained control of the territory in a rapid 2023 offensive. They unpack the …

1
The Running Man (2025 re-adaptation) 48:35

26d ago48:35

48:35

This time we cover the remake/re-adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man. Rankings!: Colin: Book/2025 movie/1987 movie James: Book/2025 movie/1987 movie Seth: Book/1987 movie/2025 movie

1
How Ukraine’s Women Are Meeting the Challenges of War 34:15

28d ago34:15

34:15

In this episode of War & Peace, Elissa and guest host Alissa de Carbonnel are joined by Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women representative for Ukraine, about how the war in Ukraine has shaped and amplified gender inequalities in Ukraine and how women and women’s organisations are responding. They discuss the mood in Ukraine as it enters its fourth winte…

1
Frankenstein (2025 del Toro film) 37:05

2M ago37:05

37:05

It’s been 10 years since we covered this topic last, and we finally have a great adaptation! We got to see the new Frankenstein adaptation in theaters and recommend you do the same.

1
A Bigger Table? The Case for More Global Diplomacy over Ukraine 34:17

2M ago34:17

34:17

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and guest host Alissa de Carbonnel are joined by Bob Deen, Head of the Security Unit at the Clingendael Institute, to assess the state of diplomacy aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. They discuss why peace efforts by the U.S. and others have struggled to gain traction, and what diplomacy can realistically achie…

1
Data Outta Compton! (War of the Worlds 2025) 42:46

2M ago42:46

42:46

Double-dipping this month, covering a couple of previously covered books that got new adaptations. First up, the absolutely delightful nonsense that is The War of the Worlds, starring Ice Cube.

1
Assistant to the Regional Major (The Long Walk, by Stephen King) 1:06:07

3M ago1:06:07

1:06:07

Seth was under the weather after returning from doing the Cotswold Way hike in England, so to protect the other guys from germs, this was recorded on his backyard patio, so please forgive the neighbor dog’s squeaky toy accompaniment. Rankings! Colin: movie/book James: book/movie Seth: movie/book Post-credits scenes for this episode include some dis…

1
Elliptical Orbit? Belarusian Foreign Policy in Fraught Times 32:32

3M ago32:32

32:32

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Valery Kavaleuski, former Belarusian diplomat and Executive Director of the Euro-Atlantic Affairs Agency, about Minsk’s evolving foreign policy and how it is constrained by enduring Russian influence. They discuss the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2025, which took place j…

1
“Supertoys Last all Summer Long,” by Brian Aldiss (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) 51:06

4M ago51:06

51:06

Wrapping up (for now) the informal Robot series we’ve been doing, we discuss Brian Aldiss’s short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long,” adapted (loosely) to A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Rankings! Colin/James/Seth: Film Short Story Notes: https://brianaldiss.co.uk/writing/story-collections/collections-r-z/supertoys-last-all-summer-long/…

1
Murderbot (S1:E7-10) “We can rank about it.” 45:19

5M ago45:19

45:19

We discuss the final four episodes of Season One of Murderbot, then discuss the season as a whole, and then have a long post-script about what project to undertake after we cover one more robot story. (Hint: both possibilities begin with the letter S.)

1
Down, But Not Out? Russia’s Shifting Role in a Turbulent Middle East 36:18

5M ago36:18

36:18

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga Oliker speaks with Hanna Notte, Director for Eurasia at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and a non-resident Senior Associate at CSIS, about Russia’s changing role in the Middle East. They discuss how Moscow is responding to the fall of Assad in Syria and the twelve-day war between Israel (and…

1
Murderbot (S1:E3-6) “I wanted elliptical travel!” 30:20

6M ago30:20

30:20

Our continuing coverage of Murderbot, er, continues. We spend a bit of time discussing the pacing of the series. What do you think?

1
More Europe, Less U.S.? What to Expect from the NATO Summit 28:12

6M ago28:12

28:12

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Dr. Pia Fuhrhop, head of the International Security Research Division at SWP, about the upcoming NATO summit, transatlantic relations, and how European NATO allies are working to strengthen their own defence. They discuss expectations for the summit, the potential role of Ukraine, and the a…

1
Ukraine: The Battlefield and the Negotiating Table 24:18

7M ago24:18

24:18

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Crisis Group’s senior Ukraine analyst, Lucian Kim, about how the war in Ukraine is evolving and what is happening with diplomatic efforts to end it. They discuss recent developments along Ukraine’s front lines, how Kyiv is adapting on the battlefield and the mood among Ukrainians. They asse…

1
Murderbot (S1:E1-2) 34:13

7M ago34:13

34:13

We’re doing a Murderbot series! We reacted to the trailer, and now we’re covering the first two episodes. We’ll do at least two more of these to cover the full season. If you’re listening on the website because your podcast player feed has gone dead, please update it to the RSS feed below: https://pavementpodcast.com/feed/podcast/tmtyr/…

1
Murderbot Trailer discussion/reaction 14:57

8M ago14:57

14:57

We recorded some quick thoughts that ironically take a while to get to about the Murderbot trailer and what we hope to see in the series. Happy May the Fourth! Murderbot is a droid, so it’s clearly canon.

1
TMTYR: The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown (feat. Peter Kuskie) 43:35

8M ago43:35

43:35

We got to go see The Wild Robot at our local SF Film Festival, so we figured it was high time we covered this terrific movie, and we were joined by Colin’s elder son, Peter. Rankings: Peter/Colin/James/Seth: Movie/BookBy Pavement Pounders Podcast

1
The Authoritarian Playbook Explained 36:40

8M ago36:40

36:40

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa talk with political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann to unpack how aspiring authoritarian leaders transform democracies into autocratic governments and whether democratic erosion in Western democracies is, in fact, a trend. They discuss how such leaders concentrate power and systematically weaken democra…

1
Interview with Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7

9M ago

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We had a great conversation with Ed Ashton about his background in engineering and medical research, how he finds the time to write a novel every year, and how Mickey7 and Mickey-17 came to be. Edward’s website: https://www.edwardashton.com/

1
Plus or Minus 10 (Mickey7/Mickey-17)

9M ago

—

This time the guys look at Mickey7, by Edward Ashton, and its new adaptation, Mickey-17. We pretty much go full spoilers for everything, so be warned. The book takes a couple of days to read, and the movie will be on streaming soon. Rankings!: Colin: book/movie James: book/movie Seth: book/movie

1
Latin America’s Evolving Drug Trade. Why It Matters for Europe 28:10

9M ago28:10

28:10

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa talk with Crisis Group’s Latin America program director Renata Segura and senior Colombia analyst Elizabeth Dickinson. They unpack the evolving landscape of narcotics trafficking in Latin America and how the violent crime it fuels is affecting communities across the continent. They explore why, more t…

1
Bonus Episode: Trump, France and European Security 46:25

9M ago46:25

46:25

Today, we're bringing you a bonus episode from Crisis Group's global podcast, Hold Your Fire! In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Gérard Araud, Crisis Group Trustee and former French ambassador to the U.S., the UN and Israel. They take stock of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy so far, his administration’s see…

1
“Bicentennial Man,” by Isaac Asimov (1999 movie)

10M ago

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This time the guys take up “The Bicentennial Man,” by Isaac Asimov, the 1976 novelette, and its 1999 movie adaptation Bicentennial Man. Rankings!: Colin: movie/story Seth: story/movie James: story/movie Notes & Links: That Joel Kinnaman/Eric Roberts looking The Positronic Man cover: Elizabeth Freeman, who successfully sued for her freedom from slav…

1
After Assad – Implications for Türkiye in Syria and Beyond 35:45

10M ago35:45

35:45

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Berkay Mandıracı, Crisis Group’s senior Türkiye analyst, about Ankara’s evolving role in Syria following the Assad regime’s collapse and about the apparent progress of efforts to resolve the conflict between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). They examine Türkiye’s relations wi…

1
What 2025 Could Mean for the War in Ukraine and the Ukrainian and Russian Armed Forces 36:25

11M ago36:25

36:25

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Michael Kofman, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment specialising in Ukrainian and Russian military affairs. They reflect on the developments along Ukraine’s frontlines in 2024, the challenges Ukraine’s and Russia’s armed forces have faced, including high equipment losses as well as s…

1
LMNOP-plots (The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy, recorded at )

1y ago

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This time, the guys are joined by both of Colin’s adult sons as well as a mystery guest, at a secret location known only to everyone who listens to this episode. It’s a Christmas miracle! We’re covering The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy, and its 1990 film adaptation. It’s fringy science fiction, but … Continue reading LMNOP-plots (The Hunt fo…

1
Lucian Kim on Russia, Ukraine and His New Book “Putin’s Revenge” 33:35

1y ago33:35

33:35

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga Oliker speaks with Lucian Kim, Crisis Group’s Senior Ukraine analyst, about his new book “Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine”. They reflect on Lucian’s decades-long career as a journalist covering pivotal political events in Russia and Ukraine, from Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 Euromaid…

1
A New European Commission Faces a Fast-changing World 33:20

1y ago33:20

33:20

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Lisa Musiol, head of EU affairs to discuss the challenges facing the new European Commission. They ask what the appointment of more right-leaning commissioners might mean for its policy direction and discuss the priorities of the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kalla…

1
Mad Max in the Jungle! (Penal Colony, by Richard Herley, and 1994’s No Escape)

1y ago

—

Yes, we were going to be doing The Hunt For Red October. But we decided to kick that one down the road a month and replace it with a much less worthy movie, and an even less worthierer book. It’s the 1987 novel Penal Colony, by Richard Herley, and it’s a bit of a stinker. … Continue reading Mad Max in the Jungle! (Penal Colony, by Richard Herley, a…

1
What Next for Georgia and Its Breakaway Regions after Contested Elections? 34:41

1y ago34:41

34:41

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Tbilisi-based journalist Joshua Kucera to discuss Georgia’s contested parliamentary elections and the prospects for the country and its breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They look at what explains the electoral success of the ruling Georgian Dream party, what’s behind allegat…

1
U.S. Elections: Trump, Harris and Transatlantic Relations 35:53

1y ago35:53

35:53

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Jeremy Shapiro, U.S. Program Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about what the possible outcomes of the U.S. presidential election could mean for the future of transatlantic relations and European security. They weigh Donald Trump’s and Kamala Harris’ competing views abo…

1
It’s not Jersey Boys! R.U.R, by Karel Čapek

1y ago

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This month, we keep things close to home, which makes sense given that last month we were quite far from home. We go small like we’ve never gone before, diving into a local adaptation of R.U.R., or Rossum’s Universal Robots, by Karel Čapek. It’s not necessary to have gone to our local theater for the … Continue reading It’s not Jersey Boys! R.U.R, …

1
A Still-fraught Path to Peace for Armenia and Azerbaijan 41:36

1+ y ago41:36

41:36

In the first episode of a new season of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa talk with Konul De Moor, Crisis Group’s consulting South Caucasus Analyst, about the difficult path toward peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan after Baku gained full control of Karabakh following a lightning offensive in September last year. They discuss the obstacles Baku faces …

1
Flubber Colonoscopy! (The Absent-Minded Professor/Flubber, based on “A Situation of Gravity,” by Samuel W. Taylor

1+ y ago

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This time we picked up a very hard to find story, “A Situation of Gravity,” by Samuel W. Taylor, which was adapted into the 1961 movie The Absent-Minded Professor and the 1996 remake Flubber. The story was originally published in the May 22, 1943 issue of Liberty magazine. We couldn’t find that. It was also anthologized in … Continue reading Flubbe…

1
Prisoners of the Past? Political Crises and Ethnic Tensions in the Western Balkans 38:10

1+ y ago38:10

38:10

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga speaks with Crisis Group’s consulting senior Balkans analyst Marko Prelec about the enduring political and ethnic tensions in the Western Balkans. They discuss the looming risk of Bosnia and Herzegovina breaking up amid secessionist threats by authorities in Republika Srpska and grievances among Bosnia’s ethnic …

1
Stalker, based on Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky (with guest Ben DeBono)

1+ y ago

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Ben DeBono from The Sci-Fi Christian joins us once again to discuss a slow science fiction movie and the book that inspired it. It’s Roadside Picnic, by the Strugatsky Brothers, adapted by Andrei Tarkovsky into Stalker. SFC episode about Ben catching up with the Criteron Collection: http://thescifichristian.com/2023/08/episode-1107-criterion-comple…

1
A Long War in Ukraine? Perspectives from Kyiv and Washington 36:49

1+ y ago36:49

36:49

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Lucian Kim, senior Ukraine analyst at Crisis Group, about how perspectives on the war in Ukraine are evolving in Kyiv and Washington and how both capitals grapple with the prospect of a long war as the U.S. heads for elections. They speak about what has changed in Ukraine since the beginnin…

1
Could Far-Right Electoral Gains Upend EU Foreign Policy? 38:04

1+ y ago38:04

38:04

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Crisis Group’s senior EU analyst Marta Mucznik and Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations Susi Dennison, about the upcoming European Union parliamentary elections. With predictions of right-wing gains high, they ask what such an electoral outcome could mean for fo…

1
Moldova’s Restive Separatists, Russia Worries, and EU Aspirations 31:20

1+ y ago31:20

31:20

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Crisis Group’s Oleg Ignatov, Senior Russia Analyst, and Marta Mucznik, Senior EU Analyst, about Moldova’s increasingly fraught relations with its breakaway region of Transnistria and Gagauz autonomous region, the recent appeals the two issued to Moscow for protection and implications for Ch…

1
Arachnotherapy! (Spaceman of Bohemia)

1+ y ago

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In this episode, we discuss the new Adam Sandler movie (okay, it came out March 1st, but it was new for us!) Spaceman, based on Spaceman of Bohemia, by Jaroslav Kalfar. It’s an interesting adaptation of an interesting book, but don’t go in looking for an action movie. It’s not necessary to read the book … Continue reading Arachnotherapy! (Spaceman …

1
Can Nuclear Arms Control Survive a Changing World Order? 41:43

2y ago41:43

41:43

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa talk to Joe Cirincione, author and a leading expert on arms control and national security, about the demise of arms control and the threat of nuclear war in a rapidly changing world order. They discuss the nuclear escalation risks of the war in Ukraine and the role deterrence has played in that war. T…

1
Two Years Into Full-Scale War, What Ukraine Needs and What its Backers Can Give 37:39

2y ago37:39

37:39

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Alissa de Carbonnel, Crisis Group’s Deputy Europe and Central Asia Director, and Simon Schlegel, Senior Ukraine Analyst, to talk about the latest developments along Ukraine’s front lines and the uncertainties emerging around support from Kyiv’s Western backers. They talk about the Russia…

1
Maritime Security in the Red Sea: What Role for the EU? 33:43

2y ago33:43

33:43

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Camille Lons, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, to talk about how Europe is responding to rising tensions in the Red Sea. They discuss what’s behind the recent string of attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen and how disruptions to supply cha…

1
Those Meddling Satyrs: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, Part One (2010 movie)

2y ago

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This is the first of two episodes we’ll do on The Lightning Thief. In this one, we just discuss the book and 2010 movie. We’ll get to the series next month once it’s complete. Rankings!: James/Colin/Seth: book/movie (duh) A couple of links: My blog post that I resurrected and commented on: https://pavementpodcast.com/the-lightning-thief-movie-how-t…

1
Is Moscow the Big Winner from War in the Middle East? 37:18

2y ago37:18

37:18

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Hanna Notte, Director for Eurasia at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, to assess Russia’s stance on the war in Gaza, how Russia is looking to benefit from the war and its approach to the Middle East. They look at how Moscow is trying to leverage the conflict to streng…

1
The Woking Dead (The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells), with Tim Kuskie

2y ago

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While James was away in South America, Colin’s younger son, Tim, joined us for a discussion of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, along with several adaptations, including the radio play, the classic movie, the 2005 remake with Tom Cruise, and the 2019 BBC limited series. Rankings! Colin: 2005/novel/Radio Play/1953/2019 Tim: novel/Radio Play/2005/…

1
Europe’s Struggle to Respond to the Gaza War 34:28

2y ago34:28

34:28

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa talk with Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East and North Africa Program Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), to assess Europe’s response to the Gaza war. They unpack different EU Member States’ positions on the war and why it has been difficult for European leaders to find common …

1
Time to Talk? Assessing the Plausibility of Negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian War 35:35

2y ago35:35

35:35

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga talks with Samuel Charap, Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, about whether the current moment makes negotiations to end the war in Ukraine more or less advantageous for all concerned. They discuss Russian narratives about negotiations, various parties' goals and whether or not Moscow has the upp…

1
Why Women Fight: Gender Dynamics in Insurgencies and Armies 35:24

2y ago35:24

35:24

Throughout history, women have been involved in conflict: as soldiers, as insurgents and as civilians. Yet, the ways in which men and women are treated on and off the battlefield and the contributions they make can vary widely, shaped in large part by deeply ingrained societal views about gender. In this episode of War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Elis…