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 Episode 10 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva are discussing Netflix drama The Society. CW: please be aware that this episode makes reference to suicide and domestic abuse. In its single season, this is a drama that covers all aspects of how best a society should be organized and led, without resorting to a state-of-nature post-apocalyptic scenario. Instead, The Society takes place in (possibly) a parallel-universe version of a small American town, where everyone other than the senior high-schoolers seem to have disappeared. Furthermore, there is no longer any contact with the outside world, and it is unclear whether there is anything beyond the newly forested border to the town itself. In this episode, we discuss how decisions are made for the new society, the role of a leader, dictatorship by consent, the introduction of elections, and both a leader's assassination and a military coup. We talk about the sharing of resources, rationing, and the validity of personal property in times of constraint. We also consider the strengths and weaknesses of work rotas, a planned economy, and future-proofing in a society where there are no skilled workers or graduates. The presentation of justice is of particular interest in The Society, including the powers and responsibilities of the police, the challenges of incarceration, the possibility of fair investigation and trial by jury, and whether implementing the death penalty for murder is justifiable. We also discuss the impact of trauma on the characters, and how accommodations are made or not to avoid issues of physical and mental health and disability. Areas of interest include the benefits and challenges of community and shared living, and whether these help or hinder resilience. The Society is one of those shows that raises repeated questions of 'What would you do?' for the audience. We'd love to hear your thoughts as to the decisions made by the characters and whether you would have done the same. It's also the show that provided part of the inspiration behind the Being Society project, with which this podcast is linked. If you want to explore more of these questions, with accompanying resources, you can do so for free on the project website. If you've enjoyed this episode, please do consider making a small donation to support our work.
In Episode 9 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva are welcoming 2024 with a deep dive into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, on its 20th anniversary. In this episode, we discuss the importance of memory for individuals and communities, and how these are impacted by social media, fake news, and whether or not the echo-chamber effect is affecting our attitude to history. We talk medical ethics, whistle-blowing, informed consent, and unscrupulous medical practitioners. Focussing on Joel and Clementine's relationship, we consider the idealization of relationships in the social media era, and where happiness is found within empty lives. Don't forget to follow up on our music references, and especially Tom Waits' '9th and Hennepin' by checking out our Spotify playlist: Sounds of Dystopia. You can find the reference to the song in the original screenplay (page 12). You can follow up the references to online echo-chamber research, as Masha discusses in the episode, starting here, here, and here. We were a bit weak on Nietzsche, but David L Smith offers far more astute insights in his article, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the Question of Transcendence'. Clare discussed the rise in populism and the far right, as expounded on The News Agents, and you can listen to the episode here. Please do follow us on Instagram, or send us an email at dystopianfictioncurrentaffairs@gmail.com if you have suggestions or comments for future episodes. If you like what we do, please consider making a donation via our sister project, Being Society.
In Episode 8 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva discuss The Children of Men, both the 1992 novel by PD James and the 2006 film starring Clive Owen. In this episode, we explore the speculative concept of both book and film, in which the human race has long since ceased to be able to have children. Each version imagines differently the consequent development of the society of the UK, its morality, its attitude to outsiders, and how people might react to such a drawn out apocalypse. Please be aware that this episode includes reference to both infant death and assisted suicide.
In Episode 7 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva explore the world of the Hunger Games, through the lens of the prequel novel and latest film, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Along with their discussion of the character of Coriolanus Snow and his relationships, they assess the purpose of the Hunger Games, the analysis of human nature, the role of class, post-apocalyptic authoritarianism, and why you should always carry a snake. Clare and Masha apologize for the unavoidable lateness of this episode owing to illness. Regular listeners should note the new schedule, with episodes henceforth to be released fortnightly on Sundays. We thank you for your patience!
In Episode 6 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare and Masha enter the world of the Matrix, considering the themes of AI, authenticity, authoritarianism, and aesthetic. Join in and decide whether you would dare to take the red pill.
In episode 5 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, on the film Don't Look Up, Masha and Clare discuss political agendas, the state of the media, the climate crisis, and brontorocs.
In episode 4 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva discuss the depictions of society in the Barbie film, why Barbieland is a dystopia, the lens on our own society, the patriarchy, and using comedy for social commentary. Oh, and to sum up the film in Masha's words: 'feminism, innit'.
In Episode 3 on Years and Years, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva explore the frighteningly prescient view of British society offered by this amazing 2019 BBC drama.
In Episode 2 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva discuss Fight Club through the lens of satire, considering themes of gender, capitalism, consumerism, and masculine violence.
In Episode 1 of Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs, a Being Society podcast, Clare Coombe and Masha Yakovleva discuss season 1 of The Last of Us and its post-apocalyptic view of a society wracked by a fungal pandemic.
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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Dystopian Fiction Has Been Moved to Current Affairs
