Pete & Karlo from Podside Picnic join me to talk about Frederik Pohl's 1977 science fiction novel Gateway. We discuss "full medical" as it relates to the disaster that is American healthcare, company towns, gold rushes, risk, and gateway as a metaphor for the market. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twit...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Academic and #ACFM co-host Jeremy Gilbert joins the podcast to talk us through the concept of "the long 90s". We discuss why cultural innovation has stagnated, the relationship of culture to politics and how anti-utopianism may be falling out of fashion. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/utopianho...
Nov 03, 2021•1 hr
Trevor Strunk from No Cartridge joins us to talk about his new book Story Mode. We discuss how horror videogames help chart our fears, which events caused the genre to radically shift direction, Resident Evil, the apocalypse and neoliberalism. You can find Trevor's book here: https://bookshop.org/books/story-mode-video-games-and-the-interplay-between-consoles-and-culture/9781633886803 Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, o...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Katie Stone joins me to talk about Francis Ford Coppola's horny Dracula adaptation, the original Bram Stoker novel and how the figure of the vampire can be rethought to connect to utopian ideas around work, idleness, care and more. You can find the talk Katie mentions in the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiPseSrT0p0 And my Kickstarter project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/objectoriented/object-oriented Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a...
May 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Stefan Riekeles, author of the book Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities, joins me to talk about the dystopian worlds imagined by artists and directors that provide the background to some of the genre's most famous movies. You can find the Kickstarter project I mention in the episode here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/objectoriented/object-oriented Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopi...
May 04, 2021•38 min
Ranged Touch's Cameron Kunzelman returns to the show to talk about the fascinating detective RPG that is Disco Elysium. We talk about how the game represents contemporary capitalism, the strengths and weaknesses of its character portrayals, the spectre of communism and, of course, Cuno. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitt...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Sci-fi author, journalist and blogger Cory Doctorow joins the show to talk about the tangle of intricate dystopian narratives that is conspiracy theory. We discuss the roots of conspiracy theory, why it is becoming more prevalent at this particular moment, and how it can be effectively countered. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our fut...
Mar 15, 2021•57 min
It's a solo episode this time as I return to the book Economic Science Fictions to delve into a chapter on extraction and the way is reflected in capitalism and science fiction media. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/utopianhorizons email: utopianhorizonspod [at] gmail dot com Support the podcast...
Feb 26, 2021•32 min
Blood Knife's Kurt Schiller joins the podcast to talk about the post-scarcity communist society depicted in Iain M. Banks Culture series and how it seems to have attracted the most unexpected of fans in ultra-capitalist billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/...
Feb 07, 2021•59 min
Konstantinos Dimopoulos, a game urbanist and designer, joins us to talk about virtual cities in videogames. We talk about their critical potential, how they communicate information, and how Konstantinos has been exploring him in his book, Virtual Cities: An Atlas & Exploration Of Video Game Cities. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and o...
Jan 21, 2021•56 min
Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson, the authors of the book Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide, join me to talk about what Degrowth means, how it aims to address the climate crises and change our world, why it is difficult for capitalism to co-opt it, and why we can't assume that renewable energy will solve all our problems. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about oursel...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Rosie from the Twin Peaks podcast Diane joins the show again to talk about the unique and surreal videogame world of Kentucky Route Zero. We chat about themes of debt and exploitation, the powerful use of haunting, different ways of thinking about foreground and background, and a possible kernel of utopian hope in a overwhelmingly dystopic world. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they ca...
Oct 28, 2020•46 min
I finally return to my run-through of every Philip K Dick novel to talk about 1964's The Penultimate Truth. I touch on class differences, the loss of the new, authority in postmodernity and conspiracy theory. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/utopianhorizons email: utopianhorizonspod [at] gmail do...
Sep 16, 2020•55 min
Dr Anna McFarlane from the University of Glasgow returns to the podcast to talk about 1999 science fiction phenomenon The Matrix. We discuss what The Matrix represents, systemic power, cyberpunk, trans readings of the film and more. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/utopianhorizons email: utopianh...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 8 min
The author of Abolish Silicon Valley, Wendy Liu, joins the podcast to give an insider perspective of Silicon Valley from a former Google intern who once brought into the industry's lofty ideas of itself. We discuss Silicon Valley ideology, how capitalism limits the potential of technology and much more. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and ...
Jul 16, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Gabriel and Jack from the AAA Collective talk to me about their new game about utopia, the process of creating it, and matching theme to process. You can find the game here: https://aaa.itch.io/utopias Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @utopianhorizons email: utopianhorizonspod [at] gmail dot com Support the podcast:...
May 14, 2020•52 min
Lucy Brady from Wyrd Signal joins me to talk about Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk parody novel Snow Crash. We discuss late capitalism, the nature of work under neoliberalism, Silicon Valley determinism, the American Century and much more. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @utopianhorizons email: utopianhorizonspod [at] ...
Mar 28, 2020•1 hr 38 min
Mark Taylor from Moscow's HSE University joins the podcast to talk about the utopian society of Pala laid out by Aldous Huxley in his last novel. We discuss merging East and West, Mutual Adoption Clubs, sex, and Henri Bergson while exploring this island paradise. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @utopianhorizons ema...
Mar 14, 2020•1 hr 14 min
Money is the subject of the latest chapter in my run-through of Economic Science Fictions. Sherryl Vint's essay lays out the argument for thinking of money as a social technology rather than as a thing, and explains the role science fiction can play in helping us to rethink it. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. email: utopian...
Feb 29, 2020•30 min
I'm joined by fellow utopians Aaron and Shawn from the utopian comedy podcast Srsly Wrong. We talk about the valuable critique and strategies laid out in Inventing the Future, a book arguing for a postcapitalist world without work, and delve into the intricacies of Aaron and Shawn's own utopian vision: Library Socialism. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves,...
Jan 30, 2020•1 hr 42 min
A host of fantastic guests join the show to talk about utopian and dystopian places in videogames. We've got Rosie from Diane on Dark Souls, Lana Polansky on Space Funeral, Cameron Kunzelman on State of Decay, Jon Bailes on Persona 5, Trevor Strunk on Mega Man and me talking about Final Fantasy VII. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our ...
Jan 13, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Jon Bailes, author of the book Ideology and the Virtual City, joins the podcast to talk about the pop-cultural phenomenon that is GTA 5. We discuss whether GTA thinks of its representation of neoliberal capitalism as dystopian, the vital role cynicism plays in the game, and the significance of GTA's position as a consumer product to its cowardly satire. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what ...
Nov 27, 2019•56 min
I return to Economic Science Fictions to look at its first essay on the relationship between economics and science fiction and how the two can benefit from each other. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. email: utopianhorizonspod [at] gmail.com Twitter: @utopianhorizons Support: patreon.com/utopianhorizons Music: The Fiction of...
Nov 13, 2019•22 min
Marianne Kac-Vergne joins the podcast to talk about two visions of the future from the early 90s in Demolition Man and Predator 2. We discuss the films' representations of race, masculinity and the End of History in a world where every restaurant is a Pizza Hut. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @utopianhorizons Supp...
Oct 18, 2019•57 min
Economic Science Fictions is a collection of essays merging the worlds of economics and science fiction to ask "how we might harness the power of the utopian imagination to revitalise economic thinking". I start a journey through the book with an introduction that lays the groundwork on why those two worlds should be combined and what vital questions this union can help us address. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or u...
Sep 02, 2019•31 min
Cartoonist Stuart McMillen joins the podcast to talk about "the Leonardo Da Vinci of the twentieth century", the fascinating Buckminster Fuller. We discuss his utopian world view, his penchant for creating new terminology, his designs and inventions, both functional and fantastic. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @u...
Aug 01, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Aaron Bastani joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Fully Automated Luxury Communism: A Manifesto. We touch on automation, gene editing, free energy, and the trajectories the surprising progress of these new technologies could lead us on. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Twitter: @utopianhorizons Support: patreon.com/ut...
Jun 25, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Ibtisam Ahmed joins the podcast to help guide us through Begum Rokeya's short story Sultana's Dream and the utopia it depicts called Ladyland. We discuss Rokeya's valuable approach to utopia, colonialism, technology and lots more. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our future. Music: The Fiction of Utopian Studies/The Road To Oceania by T...
Jun 06, 2019•52 min
Siobhan Carroll joins the podcast to introduce us to the idea of atopia, guiding us through modern globalised spaces, natural environments hostile to humanity and the connections between them. We discuss The Martian and Gravity as explorations of atopic space and as responses to contemporary anxieties about globalisation. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Diletta De Cristofaro joins me to talk about David Mitchell's 2004 novel Cloud Atlas. We talk about the relationship of utopia and dystopia to the idea of the apocalypse, the significance of Cloud Atlas' structure and how an apocalyptic understanding of time can be used as a tool by the powerful. Utopian Horizons is a podcast about utopia. Each episode covers a different utopia, dystopia, utopian thinker, or utopian movement, asking what they can tell us about ourselves, our society, and our fut...
May 11, 2019•55 min
