The season one finale was supposed to be about The Handmaid's Tale and some soon-to-be released dystopian movies, but Toby and Meg decided to talk about #Charlottesville instead. P.S. You'll notice that this episode is short. That's because we

Episode 8: Young adult edition ... or why dystopian novels are so popular among teens and tweens

Jul 14th, 2017 48m 33s

It's peak summer reading season, so Toby and Meg spent some time thinking about why books with dystopian themes appeal to young adults. They get help from YA author Susan Moger and Book Riot contributor Liberty Hardy. Also: Actual kids with gr

Episode 7: This Perfect Day and our imperfect real-life relationship with technology

Jun 30th, 2017 57m 56s

The relationship between human beings and technology is ripe with dystopian undercurrents - so ripe that Toby and Meg talked to two guests instead of the usual one. Together, they ponder parallels between modern technology and This Perfect Day,

Episode 6: A propaganda primer

Jun 18th, 2017 51m 29s

Propaganda is a key ingredient in dystopian narratives. It's also present in many aspects of real life. To learn more, Toby and Meg talk to award-winning filmmaker and author Paul Fischer. His book - A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary

Episode 5: Is good journalism the antidote to dystopia?

May 31st, 2017 48m 13s

If you want to avoid dystopia, you're going to need plenty of independent journalists. Why else would so many great works of dystopian fiction make a point of describing how the press has been muzzled, marginalized or eradicated? To learn mo

Episode 4: The Handmaid's Tale

May 17th, 2017 50m 12s

Is Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale feminist? Hell yes! But it's also a story about patriarchy, misogyny and a society built around state-sanctioned rape. Toby and Meg get help exploring these themes and others from Dr

Episode 3: Going Rogue

May 6th, 2017 49m 45s

Secret messages and subversive communication are nothing new, but when social media gets added to the mix things get interesting. Toby and Meg get help understanding this phenomenon from Mark S. Luckie, the former head of media for Reddit and,

Episode 2: Funny math

Apr 27th, 2017 39m 1s

Can two plus two ever equal five? Math professor Mike Nothnagel helps Toby and Meg run the numbers and discuss why alternative facts are great for fiction and horrible for democracy. Also includes references to #hamilton, #pizzagate, #startrek

Episode 1: Welcome to the Resistance

Apr 25th, 2017 39m 50s

Toby, Meg and guest host Clark Knowles talk about how themes of resistance shape three very different dystopian novels and how fictional narratives are helping real-life protestors define their cause. Photo credits: (L) Alisdare Hickson via Fl

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