Best Adam F Collins Podcasts (2025)

1
The Astroturf Agenda with Dean Preston 46:09

Play Pause

9h ago46:09

46:09

To help us keep the show going become a subscriber here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the tech billionaire-backed astroturf campaigns that flooded his district with money and disinformation. We dig into how tech barons are reshaping local politics through …

1
730 "To Autumn" by John Keats | The Invention of Charlotte Brontë (with Graham Watson) | My Last Book with Sara Charles 1:06:20

2d ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Jacke looks forward to a new season by exploring the language and imagery of John Keats's famous ode to autumn. Then he talks to Graham Watson about his new book The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life, which tells the story of how how Charlotte reinvented herself as an acclaimed author, a mysterious celebrity, and a passionate lover. PLUS Sa…

1
729 Milton the Revolutionary (with Orlando Reade) | My Last Book with Jodi Picoult | More Exciting News 1:07:45

5d ago1:07:45

1:07:45

Since the publication of John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost in 1667, readers and critics have noted the relationship between the poem and the author's political and personal struggles. What has been less prominent - at least until now - is how the poem came to haunt various political struggles over the next four centuries. In this episode, Jacke…

1
My BF is AI 47:17

8d ago47:17

47:17

To become a sponsor and get an extra episode each week, visit us at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow, This week, we talked about what AI is doing to our emotions and our relationships. From AI Psychosis to AI Boyfriends, AI is breaking our brains and our hearts. Further reading: https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2025/aug/28/ai-psychosi…

1
Patreon Preview: The Vox Writer w/ Eugenics Fanfic (Effective Altruism in Media) 1:19

9d ago1:19

1:19

To hear the rest of the episode and become a supporter visit us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow We are entirely listener supported and we appreciate your contributions so much! This week, we were joined by Rachel Adjogah, of the brilliant Polemics.md blog. discussed The Argument, a new publication funded in part by Open Philanthro…

1
728 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (#20 GBOAT) | Lorraine Hansberry - RECLAIMED 1:30:35

12d ago1:30:35

1:30:35

As part of the "25 for '25" series, Jacke starts the episode with a look at #20 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Then he reclaims a previous episode devoted to Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, a brilliant playwright who died at the tragically young age of 34. (The Hansbe…

1
UNLOCKED: Zizians Part 1- A Cult Within a Cult 48:48

15d ago48:48

48:48

This week we are off, so thought I'd unlock one of our Patreon eps from the series we did about the Zizians. We discuss the origins of the Zizian ideology in the Rationalism community, MIRI, CFAR, Roko's Basilisk and Doom Circles. To hear parts 2 and 3 become a subscriber on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow We'll be back on our regula…

1
727 Earthly Paradise in Old French Verse (with Jacob Abell) | My Last Book with Victorian Literature Expert Allen MacDuffie | A Dueling Neapolitan Passionate for Poetry 1:04:12

16d ago1:04:12

1:04:12

What happened to Eden? While today we might view the story of Adam and Eve as metaphorical, for many generations of Christians, the Earthly Paradise was a vibrant symbol at the heart of the cosmos. In this episode, Jacke talks to Jacob Abell about his book Spiritual and Material Boundaries in Old French Verse: Contemplating the Walls of the Earthly…

1
PATREON PREVIEW: Listener Q and A 12:56

17d ago12:56

12:56

This week we answered questions from our Patreon supporters about the Bay Area cyberdelic scene, Church of the Subgenius, the persistence of eugenics, anarcho-primitivism, TESCREAL boardgames and what our personal tech (or tech free?) utopias would be. To hear the rest of the episode become a sponsor at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow. We use…

1
726 England vs France - A Literary Battle Royale (with Mike Palindrome) - RECLAIMED 1:03:36

19d ago1:03:36

1:03:36

“Our dear enemies,” a French writer once called the English. Englishman John Cleese called the French “our natural enemies” and joked “if we have to fight anyone, I say let’s fight the French.” With the exception of some (very important) twentieth-century alliances, the French and the English have been at each others’ throats for a thousand years. …

1
"These F*cking People" with Adam Becker 56:46

19d ago56:46

56:46

Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/DystopiaNow This week we interviewed astrophysicist and science journalist Adam Becker, author of More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity. Becker contends that Silicon Valley’s grandiose fantasies cloak a hunger for control, ofte…

1
725 The Trial by Franz Kafka (#21 GBOAT) | Edith Wharton and Patrick O'Brian (with Olivia Wolfgang-Smith) | An Uplifting Story 1:18:40

23d ago1:18:40

1:18:40

Jacke starts the episode with an uplifting story, then submerges himself into chaos and absurdity for a look at The Trial by Franz Kafka, which lands at #21 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. Then he welcomes novelist Olivia Wolfgang-Smith to the show for a discussion of her admiration for Edith Wharton, her passion for the works of Patrick…

1
PATREON PREVIEW: The Extropians 5:21

25d ago5:21

5:21

To hear the full ep sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow In the 1990s, at the height of the Grunge Era, a small but ambitious group calling themselves the Extropians dreamed of transcending the limits of the human body and mind, through technology, radical life extension, and an unapologetically libertarian vision of the future. In t…

1
724 The Stranger by Albert Camus (#22 Greatest Book of All Time) | Christopher Isherwood (with Jake Poller) | Postcard from a Listener in Yunnan 1:01:38

26d ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Put on your black turtleneck! Jacke starts the episode with a look at #22 on the list of The Greatest Books of All Time, The Stranger by Albert Camus. Then he talks to Jake Poller about British and American novelist and playwright Christopher Isherwood, whose Goodbye to Berlin was adapted into the stage musical and movie Cabaret. In discussing his …

1
Simone and Malcolm Collins: TESCREAL Parents 1:09:46

29d ago1:09:46

1:09:46

To become a Patreon subscriber go here: https://www.patreon.com/DystopiaNow This week we go on a dark journey of TESCREAL parenting with Simone and Malcolm Collins, the rationalist pro-natalism advocates who are raising their kids on an all AI diet. Strap in as we explore their secular religion, their runs for office, and "Future Day." By the end o…

1
723 The Moral Rights of Authors (with Mira T Sundara Rajan) | My Last Book with Radha Vatsal 1:16:28

30d ago1:16:28

1:16:28

As technology advances, the ability of authors and artists to prevent their works from being pirated or misused has become urgent. In this episode, Jacke talks to copyright expert Mira T. Sundara Rajan (The Moral Rights of Authors and Artists: From the Birth of Copyright to the Age of Artificial Intelligence) about the history of copyright law, the…

1
722 Kerouac's Road - A Conversation with Ebs Burnough, Director of a New Kerouac Documentary | My Last Book with Beat Generation Expert Steven Belletto 1:03:15

1M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Since its publication in 1957, Jack Kerouac's iconic novel On the Road has inspired millions to head for the highways and live life to its fullest. In this episode, Jacke talks to filmmaker Ebs Burnough about his new documentary Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation, which interweaves stories of modern-day travelers with those influenced by or conne…

1
PATREON PREVIEW: The Zizians Part 3: The Murder Spree 0:59

1M ago0:59

0:59

This is the final installment of our series on the Rationalist Death Cult, the Zizians. This three part series unpacks the twisted story of the Zizians, a fringe group born out of the Bay Area rationalist and effective altruism subcultures that descended into violence and murder. Blending a belief in utilitarianism with extreme accelerationist ideo…

1
Mark Zuckerberg: Bunker Boy 59:43

1M ago59:43

59:43

To become a supporter, visit us at https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we explore the weird world of Mark Zuckerberg and billionaire bunkers. FURTHER READING: Meta, Zuckerberg, and AI Meta Q2 earnings beat forecasts, pushes toward AI “personal superintelligence” deadline.com/2025/07/meta-q2-earnings-beat-forecasts-ai-personal-superintel…

1
721 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (The #23 Greatest Book of All Time) 1:28:14

1M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

Jacke continues his journey through the list of the 25 Greatest Books of All Time with a look at Flaubert's "perfect novel," Madame Bovary (1856-57). Telling the story of the bored wife of a provincial doctor who enters into a series of infidelities, Flaubert's debut caused an immediate sensation - and changed the way we've come to view both novels…

1
720 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time - #24 "The Odyssey" by Homer | The Conclusion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (with Mike Palindrome) 1:23:43

1M ago1:23:43

1:23:43

Jacke continues his analysis of "The 25 Greatest Books of All Time" by a special look at Homer's Odyssey. Then Mike Palindrome, the president of the Literature Supporters Club, joins Jacke for a discussion of the second half of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," in which a young midwesterner travels to a secluded Mo…

1
Tech and Hasbara 54:13

1M ago54:13

54:13

To become a supporter and keep the show going, visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we were joined by Keira Havens of Citizen’s Impeachment and Nicholas Rodelo, a staff researcher at Dropsite News to discuss how tech has assisted propaganda campaigns to further the genocide in Gaza. Articles and Media Mentioned: http…

1
719 "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" by F Scott Fitzgerald (with Mike Palindrome) | 25 for 25 - #25 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1:51:49

1M ago1:51:49

1:51:49

In June of 1922, the twenty-five-year-old wunderkind F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," an incredible story of fabulously wealthy people living a secret life in remote Montana. Later that month, he began composing his most famous work, The Great Gatsby. In this episode, Jacke and Mike read and discuss this early Fitzger…

1
718 Jim - The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade (with Shelley Fisher Fishkin) | Mark Twain's Dreams 1:36:04

2M ago1:36:04

1:36:04

In this episode, Jacke talks to eminent Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin (Was Huck Black?: Mark Twain and African-American Voices) about her new book Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade, which sheds new light on the origins and influence of Mark Twain's beloved yet polarizing figure. PLUS Jacke takes a look at the recent …

1
Mind Uploading and Life Extension 1:04:12

2M ago1:04:12

1:04:12

Become a subscriber and join our listener chat: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week, we explored the tech billionaire fixation with cryonics, mind uploading and life extension. We’re just a couple of decel deathists! (You’ll see what we mean) In the intro this week, we talked about Superman’s critique of tech billionaires, Mountainhead,…

1
717 Einstein and Kafka (with Ken Krimstein) | Dr Johnson Helps a Friend (and Changes the Course of Literary History) | My Last Book with Fernando Pessoa Expert Bartholomew Ryan 53:41

2M ago53:41

53:41

It's an action-packed day at the History of Literature! First, Jacke recounts the story of Dr. Johnson racing to the aid of his friend, the playwright Oliver Goldsmith, whose landlady was threatening him with debtor's prison. Naturally, the great critic and dictionary author Johnson found a very literary way to help. Then Jacke is joined by author …

1
716 Icelandic Folk Legends (with Dagrun Osk Jonsdottir) | John le Carre at the Bodleian 58:28

2M ago58:28

58:28

Since the first permanent settlers landed there more than a thousand years ago, Iceland has been perhaps the most unique and enchanting place in all of Europe. How fitting, then, for its people to have developed unique, enchanting, and captivating stories involving hidden people, trolls, ghosts, sea monsters, and more. In this episode, Jacke talks …

1
Ecomodernism and Nuclear Energy 1:47:48

2M ago1:47:48

1:47:48

To join us on Patreon, go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we talked to professors Kyle Keeler and Nathaniel Otjen about the Breakthrough Institute, ecomodernism nuclear energy and AI. Does nuclear come with some downsides? (Yes) Futher Reading: Links between AI, tech, nuclear energy “Continued Propaganda About AI and Nuclear P…

1
715 How Did George Eliot and the Victorians Respond to Climate Collapse? (with Nathan Hensley) | People at Museums Are Losing Their Brains! | My Last Book with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas 1:09:12

2M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

What does it feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Nathan K. Hensley about his book Action without Hope: Victorian L…

1
714 The Real Charles Dickens (with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas) | Dickens and the Theatre 1:22:00

2M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) led one of the most colorful and interesting lives of any author. But while many of us are familiar with his unforgettable characters and fantastically successful novels, we often don't know the details of his difficult early life, his success as a reporter, his troubled marriage and suspected relationship with another w…

1
Thiel is the Antichrist with Will Menaker 1:16:07

2M ago1:16:07

1:16:07

To become a supporter and help keep our show going: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow (An earlier version of this show was posted, we fixed a sound problem with the file and reposted) Back from our short break. This week we analyzed Peter Thiel's interview with Ross Douthat and then sat down with Will Menaker from Chapo Trap House to talk about…

1
713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) | The History of Literature Podcast Tour! 1:31:43

2M ago1:31:43

1:31:43

Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature - and yet, somehow, it can also feel like one of the newest. The inventive narrative structure, complex hero, and surprisingly modern themes still feel fresh, thousands of years after the poem's genesis. In this episode, Jacke talks to author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn about h…

1
712 Shakespeare's Greatest Love (with David Medina) | New Play About Shakespeare's Collaboration with Marlowe 56:46

2M ago56:46

56:46

He might be the greatest writer about love that the world has ever known. But as is so often the case with Shakespeare, the biographical record raises as many questions as it answers. How often did Shakespeare fall in love, and with whom, and what happened? Who was Shakespeare's greatest love? In this episode, Jacke talks to David Medina about his …

1
711 How Does Literature Handle Atrocities? (with Bruce Robbins) | My Last Book with Hemingway Expert Alex Vernon | Who Will Come to Jacke and Emma's Party? 1:10:28

2M ago1:10:28

1:10:28

For millennia, literature has represented humanity at its finest. Over the same period of time, human beings have been committing the worst acts of mass violence imaginable. How have authors addressed these atrocities? Have they shown an ability to look at their own nation with the critical eyes of a stranger? And if so, have works of imagination p…

1
710 Weird and Wonderful Stories from Ancient Greece and Rome (with Paul Chrystal) | A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT | Two Listeners Follow Their Dream (And Create Something Amazing) 57:09

2M ago57:09

57:09

It's another action-packed episode! First, Jacke relays the story of a long-time listener who worked some mundane jobs before becoming an artistic bookmaker. Then Jacke talks to author Paul Chrystal about his work diving into lesser-known ancient texts for his book Miracula: Weird and Wonderful Stories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And in between, Ja…

1
Pro-Natalism, Anti-Natalism and Efilism with Briahna Joy Gray 1:30:15

3M ago1:30:15

1:30:15

To join us on Patreon go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we were joined by Briahna Joy Gray to talk about natalism and Efilism. We also had a great discussion about the philosophy of human extinction. Bad Faith Podcast / Briahna Joy Gray Bad Faith Podcast: “Episode 479: Promo — Truth in Fiction w/ Cory Doctorow” https://podcas…

1
709 Black American Humor (with Damon Young) | The Greatest American Joke Ever Told? 1:28:52

3M ago1:28:52

1:28:52

DAMON YOUNG (⁠What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays⁠) is a Pittsburgh writer and humorist. In this episode, Jacke talks to Damon about his work editing and writing an introduction for That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor, which emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing.…

1
The Crapture: Transhumanism and Christianity 40:04

3M ago40:04

40:04

Please support our show at patreon.com/dystopianow This week, we explore the growing relationship between Christianity and transhumanism and how they may be merging in the MAGA movement into an end-times fantasy that can satisfy everyone! Surveillance, Policing, and Immigration Tech Waymo Faces Data Privacy Protests in Los Angeles https://www.wired…

1
708 Science Fact and Science Fiction (with Keith Cooper) | AI Discovers a Work of Ancient Philosophy and Dreams Up a Reading List 1:08:01

3M ago1:08:01

1:08:01

For decades, writers and filmmakers have imagined worlds where characters can do things like watch a double sunset (on Tatooine, of course), or stand among the sand dunes of Arrakis, or gaze at the gas-giant planet Polyphemus from the moon Pandora. But even as works like Star Wars, Dune, and Avatar have enticed us with their fictional renditions of…

1
707 Emile Zola (with Robert Lethbridge) | Graham Greene's Only Ghost Story | My Last Book with Irina Mashinski 57:42

3M ago57:42

57:42

For years, listeners have been requesting an episode devoted to the French novelist, journalist, playwright, and public intellectual Émile Zola (1840-1902). In this episode, Jacke talks to author Robert Lethbridge, whose new book Émile Zola: A Determined Life presents a comprehensive exploration of the life, work, and times of the celebrated French…

1
Transhumanism and Capitalism with Dr. Alexander Thomas 1:35:56

3M ago1:35:56

1:35:56

To become a supporter and join our group chat, visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DystopiaNow This week we chatted with Dr. Alexander Thomas, author of The Politics and Ethics of Transhumanism: Techno-Human Evolution and Advanced Capitalism. Dr Alexander Thomas is a multi-award-winning film director and screenwriter. His academic research…

1
706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A Listener Changes His Life | Bored Parents 1:09:23

3M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen's novels make us wish she was our friend. She wouldn't be just any old friend: she'd be the sharpest and wisest, the one we turn to in a crisis, the one who understands our flaws and helps us see our blind spots. As we navigate the perils of love and life, she'd be the friend who gently point…

1
705 Runaway Poets - How the Brownings Fell in Love (And Why It Matters) 59:34

3M ago59:34

59:34

Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) was one of the most prolific and accomplished poets of the Victorian age, an inspiration to Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, and countless others. And yet, her life was full of cloistered misery, as her father insisted that she should never marry. And then, the clouds lifted, and a letter arrived. It was …

1
The Tech Bro Zone with Quinn Slobodian 1:08:28

3M ago1:08:28

1:08:28

To join our group chat or become a subscriber, go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we chatted with historian Quinn Slobodian, a professor of international history at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. His books, which have been translated into ten languages, include, most recently, Hayek’s Ba…

1
704 Butterflies Regained 1:23:31

3M ago1:23:31

1:23:31

Poetry, butterflies, and original music oh my! With some help from poets Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, and John Keats, along with original music by composer Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal, Jacke tackles the topic of butterflies. Yes, yes, we all know that butterflies are symbols of beauty and transformation - but can great poets get beyon…

1
PATREON PREVIEW: The Zizians, A Cult Within A Cult 2:56

3M ago2:56

2:56

This week is Part 1 of our Patreon supporter only series on the Zizians. We discuss the origins of the Zizian ideology in the Rationalism community, MIRI, CFAR, Roko's Basilisk and Doom Circles. To become a subscriber, visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow

1
Dragging Matt Yglesias with Nathan Robinson 1:13:24

4M ago1:13:24

1:13:24

To become a Patreon supporter go here: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow With guest Nathan Robinson, Editor of Current Affairs, we dive into the career and ideology of Matt Yglesias and his confidently wrong opinions about everything. Yglesias has helped shift mainstream liberalism toward a colder, more cynical worldview that prioritizes elite …

1
703 D.H. Lawrence (with David Ellis) | My Last Book with Dorian Lynskey 1:06:35

4M ago1:06:35

1:06:35

D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) is one of the most famous novelists of his era - and one of the most difficult to pin down. Was he a tasteless, avant-garde pornographer? Or the greatest imaginative novelist of his generation (as E.M. Forster once said)? What should we know about his hard-luck childhood and turbulent adult life? In this episode, Jacke tal…

1
TESCREAL Overview with Kath Barbadoro and Alex Ptak 1:04:01

4M ago1:04:01

1:04:01

To join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DystopiaNow This week we welcomed comedians Kath Barbadoro (What a Time to Be Alive podcast) and Alex Ptak (Quorators podcast) to go through each letter in the bundle of ideologies. Who invented them, who believes in them, and the impact they are having on our world today. Transhumanism Extropianism …

1
702 Writing in the World of Jane Austen (with D.G. Rampton) | Disaster at the Book Festival! 49:01

4M ago49:01

49:01

Jacke talks to D.G. Rampton, Australia's Queen of the Regency Romance, about her love for the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer - and what it's like for a twenty-first-century novelist to set her novels in the early-nineteenth-century world of intelligent heroines, dashing men, and sparkling banter. Find PLUS Jacke dives into the story of a…