5 Podcasts that cover Star Wars Legends in a positive way
A journey to discovering the legends books of Star Wars past can be fraught with dangers. As you find which books to read and why, you may come across writers and podcasters who have difficulties writing constructive criticisms without personal attacks. The real question becomes, “Where can someone unfamiliar with Star Wars Legends turn for good information these days?” Legends and the current canon can both inhabit the same space and be equally loved without bashing the other. However, it’s often hard to tell that fact through all the noise.
Being a podcaster, I decided to look for other podcasts that worked on being non-toxic and sharing their love for the Star Wars Universe, both canon and Legends. Being on this particular podcast list doesn’t mean that they can’t have an adverse reaction to something or dislike something. It simply means that they work on being positive while offering justified constructive criticism in their reviews of the media they are consuming.
Without further ado, here are 5 podcasts that cover Star Wars Legends.
1. Gold Squadron Gays
Charles and Bradley host Gold Squadron Gays. While they’re usually a visual media show, the SAG-AFTRA strikes have shifted their focus to books and comics, especially Legends. They both love Star Wars, and talk about what they like and what they don’t like with a fair balance. Even when talking about their dislikes, I never felt that it was toxic or hate-fueled in any manner. Clear and concise reviews, easy to listen to, and incredibly funny and insightful. They’re also supporters of Legends Con, a convention just for Star Wars Legends content.
2. Now This is Lit: A Star Wars Books Podcast.
Now This is Lit: A Star Wars Book Podcast is hosted by Meg Dowell. Meg reviews both canon and Legends books and their authors. She interviews authors and has guests on to talk about their likes and dislikes about the books. The overall tone is positive and encouraging. Meg also does mini-reviews over on her Instagram page Star Wars Book Reviews. If you’re looking for a show that delves into Legends books and their authors, this show is for you.
3. Legends Lookback
Legends Lookback is hosted by Jared, Freddy, Emily, and Rick, and they are part of the Youtini Network. This group takes on Extended Universe and Legends books and easily presents them for us all to learn. They also have a nice dash of humor too. One particular enjoyment for me was that they openly share their love for collectibles, such as Funko Pops and hard-to-find Legends hard-cover books. While available in an audio medium, their show is also on the Youtini YouTube channel.
4. Growing up Skywalker
Sam and Anna host Growing Up Skywalker. Part of their dynamic is that Anna is new to the Star Wars universe, and Sam is the veteran. On their website, you’ll find fantastic, in-depth reviews of Star Wars shows and movies. The magic is on their Patreon channel. There you’ll see more of the book talk and Legends visual media discussions such as Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars. Though, Sam never misses a moment to weave Star Wars books into their conversations.
5. Star Wars Explained
Alex and Mollie Damon are well-known in Star Wars fandom spaces. With a large YouTube presence and an audio podcast, this husband-wife duo has many ways to get their content to you. Positive and informative, it’s clear that they genuinely love all of the Star Wars universe, canon and Legends alike. I personally really enjoyed their Q&A sessions on YouTube. They’re fantastic as a team or when one does a solo spot, informing viewers when important Legends information comes into the canon.
What about the rest?
Star Wars is an ever-expanding universe with so many stories and characters to be explored. There are plenty of Legends books and comics that you can all look forward to reading, also with the novels getting new audiobooks on Audible, there’s much to explore for a very long time. We haven’t even touched on the video game lore like The Old Republic!
There are other podcasts and webpages out there that show and share their love for the Star Wars universe in a non-toxic manner. In fact, if you have one that you love and feel does this, please share it in the comments so we can all benefit. Also, consider sharing your favorite Legends book in the comments. Perhaps your favorite will be someone else’s next must-read.