88 Names Podcast

The 88 Names Podcast explores the vast and exciting world of virtual and augmented reality. Matt Ruff, author of the new book, 88 Names, joins Blake Collier, film critic and freelance journalist, to dig into the real world potentialities of the technology that makes up the world of the book. We talk to technology developers, philosophers, writers, and entrepreneurs who all have a unique angle on this flourishing new technology. The 88 Names Podcast seeks to ask the questions that are seldom being asked within this brave new world.

Bonus Episode: Live Reading by Author Matt Ruff 04/29/2021

Bonus Episode: Live Reading by Author Matt Ruff In this bonus episode, author Matt Ruff reads from his novel 88 Names. This episode was recorded live on AltspaceVR on April 13, 2021. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18914498

Season 2, Episode 6: Fin 04/20/2021

Season 2, Episode 6: Fin Co-hosts Blake Collier and Matt Ruff sit down to discuss their thoughts and takeaways from two seasons speaking with engineers and developers and artists working on the cusp of Virtual and Augment Reality and Immersive spaces. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18800861

Season 2, Episode 5: Drew Stone 04/07/2021

Season 2, Episode 5: Drew Stone Co-hosts Matt Ruff and Blake Collier speak with Locusium Founder Drew Stone about helping to guide new users in VR spaces that are friendly and safe. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18640772

Season 2, Episode 4: Dr. Todd P. Chang, MD MAcM 04/01/2021

Season 2, Episode 4: Dr. Todd P. Chang, MD MAcM Co-hosts Matt Ruff and Blake Collier speak with Dr. Todd P. Chang about the role of VR technology in medical fields. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18569219

Season 2, Episode 3: Dungeon Dudes 03/24/2021

Season 2, Episode 3: Dungeon Dudes 88 Names author Matt Ruff and co-host Blake Collier talk to Monty Martin and Kelly McLaughlin, the Dungeon Dudes, about Dungeons & Dragons, video games, VR, immersive theater, and more! /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18448790

Season 2, Episode 2: Sasha Samochina 03/17/2021

Season 2, Episode 2: Sasha Samochina Matt & Blake talk to Sasha Samochina, an award-winning creative technologist at /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18358889

Season 2, Episode 1: Mike Pondsmith 03/10/2021

Season 2, Episode 1: Mike Pondsmith Matt Ruff and Blake Collier speak to Mike Pondsmith, creator of Cyberpunk. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/18263192

Bonus Episode: Live Reading and Q&A by Author Matt Ruff 05/07/2020

Bonus Episode: Live Reading and Q&A by Author Matt Ruff In this bonus episode, author Matt Ruff reads the first chapter from his novel 88 Names and takes questions from a live audience. This episode was recorded live on AltspaceVR on April 17, 2020. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/14329523

Episode 8: Simón Rojas & Amir Ebrahimnia, Co-founders of Derooted 05/04/2020

Episode 8: Simón Rojas & Amir Ebrahimnia, Co-founders of Derooted Matt Ruff and Blake Collier speak to Amir Ebrahimnia and Simón Rojas, co-founders of Derooted Immersive, about what creativity looks like when working with major brands, how the quarantine has shifted the work they do and affected their day-to-day business, and what they see as the benefits and potential drawbacks of immersive technology. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/14281667

Episode 7: Noah Nelson 04/28/2020

Episode 7: Noah Nelson In this delightful and very human conversation, Blake Collier and Matt Ruff dig into the world of immersive theater and technology with Noah Nelson and discuss everything from escape rooms to immersive Shakespeare. Noah breaks down the moving parts of these forms of immersive experience and lets the listener in on the power of acting and storytelling and how these things only make the experience more powerful. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/14188355

Episode 6: Joanna Popper 04/20/2020

Episode 6: Joanna Popper Blake Collier and Matt Ruff talk to Joanna Popper about HP’s own interests in the development of VR/AR—especially in the realms of location-based entertainment. We talk about what the effects of the technology are on a global scale and the intentions of the creators versus the intentions of the users and how those things sometimes (or often) diverge. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/14072927

Episode 5: Michael Madary 04/13/2020

Episode 5: Michael Madary Michael Madary (along with fellow philosopher, Thomas Metzinger) penned the first Code of Ethical Conduct for virtual and augmented realities. Blake Collier and Matt Ruff explore the ethics of technology and what it looks like to attempt to prophecy all of the potential negative elements of an industry that is still largely in its infancy. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13972880

Episode 4: Mariana Acuña Acosta 04/07/2020

Episode 4: Mariana Acuña Acosta Blake Collier and Matt Ruff speak with Mariana Acuña Acosta about the ins and outs of VR/AR development, where the technology and the tools to develop it are at in access to the masses, and what these technological shifts mean for the greater world. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13879754

Episode 3: Cory Doctorow 03/28/2020

Episode 3: Cory Doctorow Blake Collier and Matt Ruff talk to Cory Doctorow about the state of technology and how it influences everything from economics to the environment. We also touch on how pop culture like fiction shapes the development of VR and AR tech as well as tackling the issues of closed tech systems. This conversation dives deep on some philosophical and technical ideas, but remains deeply profound for anyone who wants to think on the impact of technology on the world. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13737455

Episode 2: Matt Ruff 03/17/2020

Episode 2: Matt Ruff It’s just the two of us on this special day! Blake Collier turns his sites on his co-host, Matt Ruff, and digs into numerous aspects of his new book which you can purchase through links on the podcast website! Matt talks about how he originates his unique ideas for books and when the ideas finally click together into a whole story, casting his characters and what it means as an author to truly seek diversity in novels, and what motivates the story of 88 Names. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13585634

Episode 1: Brandon Oldenburg 03/13/2020

Episode 1: Brandon Oldenburg Blake Collier and Matt Ruff visit with Flight School’s Brandon Oldenburg about his 2012 Oscar-winning animated short, the shifting landscapes of virtual and augmented realities and how they have changed the art of illustration and storytelling, the potential drawbacks of the mediums, and how immersive technology can help people understand the experiences of those in the past. Join us for this wonderful conversation with a pioneer on the frontlines of VR technology. /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13537772

Episode 0: Matt Ruff 03/04/2020

Episode 0: Matt Ruff Blake Collier and Matt Ruff talk about how Matt got the idea for his 2016 novel, Lovecraft Country, and what the process of working with Misha Green (Underground), Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us), and J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: Episodes 7 & 9) on the HBO adaptation of the book was like, especially since the book had originally been a television pitch back in 2007! /episode/index/show/88namespod/id/13401677

88 Names Podcast

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