Podcast roundup: From Wolverine to Dressed and Library Talks, here's our pick of the best this week

In recent years, podcasts have seen a rapid upsurge in popularity. From true crime to design, popular culture and modern relationships, fiction to in-depth reportage, podcasts have proliferated to the point where no matter how esoteric the subject, there’s bound to be a show that deals with it. Amid this cornucopia of audio delights, however, how do you pick the podcast that’s most worth your while? This is where our weekly curated playlist steps in; it’s a lowdown on the best episodes from a selection of podcasts that deserve a listen. Ready to tune in? *** — Wolverine: The Long Night Chapter 1: A Thousand Ways to Die in Alaska Chapter 2: Goodnight Nobody About the podcast: Marvel’s first scripted podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night, follows a string of mysterious deaths in Burns, Alaska, which Special Agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall arrive to investigate. They soon discover there’s more going on than meets the eye. About the episodes: The much-awaited podcast finally gets a wider release this month, with the first two episodes dropping on all podcast platforms for free (it was released on Stitcher Premium back in March). The opening episodes follow Agents Pierce and Marshall as they arrive in Burns to investigate a fishing boat massacre, which subsequently takes them on a hunt for a new man in town named Logan. With great production and captivating storyline (so far), it’s worth checking out even if you are not a comic book fan. Runtime: 35 minutes each Listen to the episodes here (Chapter 1) and here (Chapter 2).

— Dressed: The History of Fashion Gordon Parks: the Man of Many Hats About the podcast: April Calahan and Cassidy Zachary explore the rich and complex history — the who, what, when — of clothing as it relates to one of the most significant forces that drive the world today: fashion. About the episode: The episode explores the life of the legendary Gordon Parks, but through the unlikely lens of his time as a fashion photographer. Calahan and Zachary start from the very beginning of his prolific career and walk through the incredible ups and downs of the great luminary. A great episode to discover perhaps some of the lesser known anecdotes about Parks’ life. Runtime: 39 minutes Listen to the episodes here.

—  I Was There Too JAWS with the People and Places of Amity Island About the podcast: Matt Gourley interviews and presents stories from people who were present in some of the great scenes of cinema and television history, perspectives you have probably never heard before. About the episode: Gourley goes out in the field to ‘Amity Island’, the Martha’s Vineyard, where the 1975 Jaws was shot, to talk to the locals about the first-ever summer blockbuster. He visits the Jaws bridge location, an actor from the film, Chief Brody’s house, The Chappy Ferry, and more. The episode is a unique (recorded ‘on location’) nostalgia dive, with talks of a recent real-life shark attack in the region to add to it all. Runtime: 53 minutes Listen to the episodes here.

—  Library Talks Podcast Notes from the Reading Life: Tim Gunn and Min Jin Lee About the podcast: Featuring live conversations with writers from The New York Public Library, the podcast is a mix of voices and perspectives, hosted by Aidan Flax-Clark. About the episode: In a special episode,  Tim Gunn, the Emmy Award-winning former producer of Project Runway, is in conversation with author  Min Jin Lee (Pachinko), as they discuss the fashion consultant’s favourite books of all time. Helping him through some of the most difficult times in his life, Gunn talks about the incredible influence these books have had on him. There is even a little surprise towards the end of the episode and an interesting Q&A with the audience. Runtime: 54 minutes Listen to the episodes here.

— Carbface for Radio Episode 13: A Thing in a Thing About the podcast: A podcast about food, food media, food writers, chefs and much more (food), featuring  Laurie Woolever and  Chris Thornton. About the episode: Farideh Sadeghin, the culinary director of Munchies and one of the people behind the cookbook,  Bong Appétit: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Weed, joins Woolever and Thornton for a delightful (and humorous) chat on everything from weed to cultural appropriations of food to James Oseland. Runtime: 71 minutes Listen to the episodes here.

— Little Atoms 534 - Tim Parks’ Out of My Head About the podcast: A weekly show featuring the worlds of science, journalism, politics, religion, academia, human rights and the arts in conversation. Produced and presented by Neil Denny. About the episode: Author Tim Parks (Italian Neighbors, Europa, A Season with Verona and more) talks about his latest book Out of My Head: On the Trail of Consciousness. A fascinating conversation exploring the various theories on how we (or our brain) perceive our environment day in and day out. Runtime: 30 minutes Listen to the episodes here.

Other episodes of note this week: • Myths and Legends — A-Holy Grail: Only the Penitent Man Will Pass • History Extra —  Dissent through the centuries • Stuff You Should Know —  SYSK Live: How Game Shows Work • The Joe Rogan Experience — Elon Musk (2:10:00 is why you’re here)