Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs
A podcast in association with BeingSociety.com, in which Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva explore the politics, ethics, and societal visions of dystopian tv, film, and literature.
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In this milestone 40th episode, Clare and Masha are discussing the visually-stunning Oscar-winner of 2024, Flow. Despite this animation having no dialogue and minimal explicit narrative, we follow the travels of the Cat and their rag-tag bag of animal companions to see what they might tell us about survival, the climate crisis, found-family, and mutual support between very different characters. We consider the way in which collaboration and community benefit everyone. We situate the mythical circumstances of the film within a real-life crisis of rising sea-levels and extreme weather phenomena, from both our usual anthropocentric standpoint and the impact on flora and fauna. We follow the Cat's arc, as they become more resourceful and courageous, and learn the benefit of having others in their lives. We look at the Capybara as a symbol of generosity and the Lemur as representative of consumerism. We explore the Dog's journey away from the group-think of the Dog Pack, considering the true nature of friendship. And we pick at the strands of spiritual and religious narrative that seem to underpin the depiction of the Secretary Bird. Flow is far from being allegorical and even defies some metaphorical interpretation. If you have your own ideas as to how we might learn from this film, please let us know your thoughts via our website and social media, and don't forget to rate and review if you enjoy this episode!
In Episode 39 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha delve into the supposedly-fair society of Arcadia, the Dutch-Belgian series from Walter Presents. Our discussion looks at the flaws with the score-based system of citizenship in the show, and how it reflects ideas around meritocracy, with reference to Michael Sandel's The Tyranny of Merit. We also look at the way in which subconscious bias plays into opportunity, and talk about some of the ideas in Boys Don't Try by Matt Pinkett and Mark Roberts. We consider what happens when a society ties worth into a cost-benefit analysis for the state, with particular reference to the treatment of the disabled and those who rely on the safety net of a benefits system. We also discuss how societal systems and constraints may not always apply to those with privilege. We compare the current treatment of immigrants and asylum-seekers in the UK with the systems of exile in place in Arcadia. We also look at the depiction of neurodiversity and disability in the show, in comparison with the treatment of vulnerable people in British society. If you enjoy this episode, please don't forget to rate and review. You can find us on social media @dystopianfictioncurrentaffairs, including signing up to our newsletter on Substack. Please be aware that our book references may include affiliate links.
This episode we are exploring the world of The Pod Generation, a 2023 film about artificial wombs. CW: this episode includes discussion of death-in-pregnancy and suicide. Inspired by the discussion surrounding the ultimately-fake news reports that a Chinese company had developed a robot with a uterus, we look at the pros and cons of such a technology, the benefits that it might bring women and people with uteruses, as well as those who cannot conceive naturally, and the challenges that make the womb-pod science fiction for the time being. We also consider the societal impact of a two-tier maternity system and the dangers of handing power over pregnancies to corporations. We look at how the film suggests gestation in a pod might effect the involvement of both parents, particularly fathers, in the process of pregnancy, and how this might change attitudes to the provision of childcare. We explore some of the other elements of the world of The Pod Generation, not least the commodification of the natural world. We look at the benefits and dangers posed by replacing human therapists with AI, reflecting on recent issues in the news. And we discuss a future without state-regulated education. If you enjoy this episode, please do rate and review it. You can contact us with your own thoughts via our social media or on our website.
In episode 37 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha are delving into the 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. We start looking at censorship and book-banning, including the worrying spread of pressure-groups from the US to the UK. We consider Bradbury's presentation of books as symbols for free-thinking and intellectual rigour, and its link with the theme of happiness at the cost of liberty in 20th C dystopian novels, in particular Huxley's Brave New World. We explore the value of challenging media, and the nature of media consumption. Masha gives an overview of the latest research into the impact of screen-time and social media, and how it contributes to diminishing concentration, anxiety, and limitation to broad-mindedness. In particular, we look at the importance of third-spaces and human relationship, especially communities for free-thinking and debate, and the way in which conversation like those we have on the podcasts can create better thinking and work against apathy. If you enjoy this episode, please do rate and review. You can join in the conversation via Instagram, Bluesky, Substack, or through our website.
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Episode 36 takes us to the desert planet of Arrakis for our discussion of Dune, with particular reference to the 2021/2024 films as well as Frank Herbert's books. Our themes centre on the depiction of colonial power and imperialism, with particular reference to messiah figures, the 'white saviour', and religious messaging for political gain. We also look at Dune as early cli-fi, the environmental messaging of co-existing with the natural world, and the impact of capitalism on the environment. We reference a number of pieces of literary criticism in this episode, and we recommend reading the following to complement our thoughts: Durrani, Harris. Dune’s Not a White Savior Narrative. But It’s Complicated. | by Haris Durrani List, Julia. "Call Me a Protestant": Liberal Christianity, Individualism, and the Messiah in "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Dune", and "Lord of Light" on JSTOR Parkerson, Ronny. SEMANTICS, GENERAL SEMANTICS, AND ECOLOGY IN FRANK HERBERT'S DUNE on JSTOR Ramos, Dino-Ray. Let's Talk About 'Dune' And The Representation Of People Of Color In Sci-Fi And Genre Films - DIASPORA Senior, William A. “Frank Herbert’s Prescience: ‘Dune’ and the Modern World.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 17, no. 4 (68) (2007): 317–20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44809216.
If you enjoy this episode, please do rate and review. You can find out more about what we do on our website.
Episode 35 centres on the 2013 film Snowpiercer, another Bong Joon Ho film to follow Mickey 17, with some reference to the 2020 4-season show. We discuss the context of hubristic attempts to maintain global capitalism while preventing global heating, and compare the life-raft train with other post-apocalyptic sanctuaries. We look at the depiction of class and social mobility depicted in the film, with particular reference to Minister Mason's (Tilda Swinton) shoe-and-hat speech. We consider the metaphor of economic inequality in the film in the face of global inequality and resource apartheid, with reference to Mikaela Loach's It's Not That Radical. We allude to the data presented by The Equality Trust and in Michael Sandel's Justice. We probe the argument that the train is a closed ecosystem, and compare it to the world as ecosystem, and how resource abuse sits alongside global inequity. In particular, we look at Wilford's argument that he is simulating natural selection to control the train's population, with reference to historical attempts at population planning policy. We pay particular attention to the way in which revolution is depicted in the film, including the idea of revolution as beneficial to the authoritarian leader when that leader is able to manipulate the attempt. Masha shares the theory that links Snowpiercer to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and we provide our interpretations of the film's ending: hopeful for humanity, hopeful for the earth, or just hopeful for the polar bear! If you enjoy this episode, don't forget to rate and review. You can find out more about what we do on Substack, Bluesky, Instagram, and our website.
In episode 34 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha discuss the 2024 Bong Joon Ho film, Mickey 17. Building on our conversation about Pantheon in episode 33, we discuss the science and ethics of cloning, and the nature of personhood and consciousness. We look at the film's depiction of colonialism, late-stage capitalism, and mission-leader Marshall as a composite of populist leaders, evangelical preachers, and tech bros. We consider the nature of intelligence in the form of the so-called Creepers, anthropocentrism, and principles of first contact in science fiction. If you enjoy this episode, please do rate and review it wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us on Instagram and Bluesky, or check out our website. We reference a couple of our recent Substack posts in this episode, too, and you can find them here and sign up to receive our fortnightly newsletter.
This episode of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs is discussing the Netflix animated sci-fi series Pantheon. This fantastic and somewhat neglected show is well worth a watch, with its fascinating exploration of Uploaded Intelligence, in which human brains are transferred to the Cloud as digital data. In our analysis, we consider the nature of personhood and corporeality, and whether the brain is sufficient to recreate the individual. We consider the ideas around corporate ownership of digital entities created from human beings, and the nature of existence in a digital world that is yet ultimately restricted by physical servers. We also question the premise that separating human beings from the physical world would reduce our impact on the planet. We look into the ethics of cloning, the clone as individual apart from their source DNA, and whether trauma is necessary for achieving human potential. In our discussion of the role of epigenetics we reference the work of Robert Plomin and the case for genetic determinism. We discuss one of the central questions posed in the show: are Uploaded Intelligences alive, and, if so, what is the ethics of destroying them with a virus? As well as the biological definition of being alive, we consider the emphasis placed on communication and self-presentation in our concepts of personhood. Clare makes reference to the novel The Quiet by Barnaby Martin and its ideas around the nature of communication between humans. We also critique possible elements of Western suprematism and ableism in the show, as well as the potential for an idea such as UI to create a two tier hierarchy between humans and their uploaded siblings, or an increased likelihood in a novel form of enslavement of UIs by the corporations that host them. We ask whether the positive view of UI creating a world in which UBI has been made possible by the work-potential of UIs is plausible. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate and review. You can follow us on Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky, and find out more by visiting our website.
In this fortnight's episode of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha are discussing the 2002 film Minority Report, with reference to the Philip K Dick short story on which it was based. We chose to return to this particular film in response to the recent news of the UK's (since renamed) 'Homicide Prediction Programme' and one of our key themes is crime prevention. We talk extensively about the ethics of crime prediction, particularly as presented in the film. We also discuss free will, returning to Robert Sapolsky's work as a reference point. We wrestle with the paradox of punishing people for a crime they are prevented from committing, with some discussion of 'conspiracy to...' crimes in the UK. Among our discussions, we look at the film's depiction of 2054, and how far it is playing out in 2025. Particular areas of concern include the dominance of advertising and surveillance, including the irony of product placement in the film itself! If you enjoy this episode, please rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to future episodes. We also have a Substack, and you can find us on Instagram and Bluesky. If you'd like to get in touch, you can find all the contact details on our website.
In our 31st episode of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs we return to the 2006 classic dystopian film, V for Vendetta, directed by the Wachowskis and based on Alan Moore's graphic novel. We explore the film's depiction of the rise of Fascism in the form of Sutler's Norsefire party, elected and granted authoritarian powers in response to fabricated fears and manufactured bio-terrorism. We discuss the role of democracy in permitting dictatorship to take hold, and the way that citizens are culpable in allowing injustices to continue unchecked at the hands of their governments. We consider the ethic's of V's vigilantism, his obsession with vengeance and parallels with the Count of Monte Cristo, and whether his actions are effective and justifiable, especially Evey's incarceration. Our particular focus is the power of symbol and story for the effectiveness of V's call to arms, and how we might learn from the messages around change and protest that the film offers. If you enjoy this episode, please do rate and review us. You can get in touch with your ideas about V for Vendetta and with suggestions for future episodes via our website, Instagram, or Bluesky. You can also sign up for our newsletter on Substack.
Welcome to our podcast's shadowy little corner of the internet! We're Masha and Clare, and we see dystopias everywhere, not least in the society that surrounds us. Join us as we discuss films, tv, and literature, and consider their depictions of humanity, society, and politics, while exploring what we might learn about justice and ethics.
This podcast is produced in association with Being Society, a web-based project in which students can become part of their own post-apocalyptic story, and challenge themselves to consider how we might build a better society, both hypothetically and in the here and now.
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