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Dystopedia - A Dystopian Podcast

Matthew Davidson and Andrew Hodgson

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Dystopedia explores the worlds that warn us, from films and books and almost everything else in between. Each episode breaks down how dystopian stories reflect the systems, fears, and power structures shaping our own world, and somehow we still manage to have a laugh along the way.
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Humanism Now is the weekly podcast for everyone curious, interested or actively engaged in secular humanism. Each Sunday, host James Hodgson—founder of Humanise Live—welcomes scientists, philosophers, activists, authors, entrepreneurs and community leaders who are challenging the status quo and building a fairer, kinder world. Together we unpack today’s toughest ethical questions—using reason and compassion instead of dogma—and champion universal human rights and flourishing. Expect in-depth ...
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Hosted by comedians Amy Gledhill and Ian Smith – two Northerners living in London –on a mission to find the juiciest stories from their hometowns and beyond. Join them each week as they scour the local rags of the North to find the stories you didn’t know you needed to know. Do you have news from the North? Write in to [email protected] Want even more Northern News? Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/NorthernNews Follow Northern News on Instagram @NorthernNewsPodcast Produced by Plosi ...
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Amy Gledhill and Ian Smith find the silliest news from up north, and are joined by guest correspondent Josie Long! Headlines this week include: a honky-tonk bar with a shushy-shush policu, and a retiring greengrocer with too many mates to mention. Josie is on tour with her incredible stand-up show 'Now Is The Time Of Monsters'. For tickets and info…
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In this episode of Dystopedia, we return to Black Mirror to unpack one of its most chilling visions: “Men Against Fire.” We explore how Charlie Brooker’s episode connects drone warfare, propaganda, and eugenics into a haunting allegory for modern conflict. From the psychological conditioning of soldiers to the political climate of Brexit and Trump’…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. This week on Patreon enjoy even more from special guest correspondents, S…
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“We will lose a lot before we win — that’s just the reality of starting the race 50 years behind.” — Sarah M. Levin Sarah M. Levin - strategist, lobbyist, founder of Secular Strategies and co-founder of The Secular Vote, joins us to explore how secular voters are reshaping U.S. politics. She breaks down the real demographics behind the “nones,” why…
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Amy and Ian find the weirdest news from up t'north, and are joined by guest correspondents Sarah Hayes and Louis Abbott from the band Admiral Fallow! Headlines this week include: an impressive delay-repay scam, and some (Yorkshire) pudding on (black) pudding action. Admiral Fallow's brand new album First Of The Birds is out now! Available online, o…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. This week on Patreon, Ian and Amy make up new storm names from A-Z. Got a…
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“Nursing is the most humanistic of professions — it operationalises the philosophical groundings of humanism.” — Jamie Bourgeois “Nurses have 24/7 eyes on the human experience — we see how policy shows up in real people’s lives.” — Melissa Anne DuBois Jamie Bourgeois and Melissa Anne DuBois are the co-hosts of Nursing the Nation — a podcast giving …
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Amy and Ian find the weirdest news from up t'north, and are joined by guest correspondent Molly McGuinness! Headlines this week include: a garden centre with a dog-piss problem, and the soul of a man is trapped in a fish. Molly will be performing her award-winning show 'Slob' at London's Soho Theatre. For tickets and information head to sohotheatre…
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This episode, we dive deep into Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian masterpiece that still feels shockingly relevant today. Discover the real-life inspirations behind Bradbury’s vision — from his run-in with police to his fear of growing government control, book censorship, and media manipulation. We explore how Bradbury predicted the future…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. This week on Patreon, Ian and Amy challenge Hollywood A-lister Jacob Elor…
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This week we bring we are delighted to share the a guest episode from Sentientist Conversations, a podcast hosted by Jamie Woodhouse (Humanism Now Episode 4). In this episode, Jamie speaks with legendary primatologist Frans de Waal. Follow Sentientism Sentientism.info Apple Spotify YouTube “You cannot go wrong with compassion” – primatologist Frans…
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Amy and Ian find the weirdest news from up t'north, and are joined by guest correspondent Suzi Ruffell! Headlines this week include : The world's stinkiest fruit causes chaos in Lytham, and a hot naked man is on the loose. Catch Suzi on tour around the UK with her brilliant stand-up show 'The Juggle'. For tickets and information head to suziruffell…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. In this week's bonus story, someone's left something despicable in the to…
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Happy Halloween (Eve)! To celebrate scary season, comedians Amy Gledhill and Ian Smith find the spookiest news from up north, and are joined by guest correspondent Urooj Ashfaq! Headlines this week include a woman's haunted dolls wreaking havoc, and the abandoned village of Wharram Percy might have a zombie problem. Urooj will be at London's Soho T…
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NASA once called Gattaca one of the most scientifically realistic science fiction films ever made. We explore its visual precision, minimalist score, and quiet intensity, examining how Andrew Niccol crafted a world where beauty and oppression share the same DNA. Beneath the film’s sterile perfection lies a story about free will, identity, and the h…
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This week we bring we are delighted to share the first episode of The Secular Sankofa Podcast, from the Association of Black Humanists. Subscribe to The Secular Sankofa wherever you get your podcasts! Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Podcast Index Overcast Podcast Addict Goodpods All other directories & RSS Feed If you enjoy the show, please follow, …
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. (Storm) Amy's been kicking off so this week, Amy and Ian look at the new …
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Ian and Amy catch up on news from up t'North, and are joined by guest correspondent Kieran Hodgson! Headlines this week include the happiest workplace in the UK, and a woman in Australia with Foreign Accent Syndrome. Kieran will be going around the UK for just a few more weeks with his latest show 'Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America'. For tickets hea…
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Step inside the world of George Orwell’s Animal Farm — a chilling fable where power corrupts absolutely. In this episode, we uncover how Orwell’s harrowing experiences in the Spanish Civil War shaped his vision of political betrayal, propaganda, and the illusion of equality. Join us as we explore the novel’s enduring message about corruption, contr…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. In this week's bonus episode, Amy and Ian learn about a real life Lake Di…
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“Human dignity is really the foundation for reasoned morality — there’s nothing we can do to increase it or decrease it. Even the worst people still deserve it simply because they’re human.” - David B. McLaughlin David B. McLaughlin, leadership coach and author of Humanism: Five Values for Living Well, joins us to map a practical, hopeful framework…
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Amy and Ian share news from the north, and are joined by guest correspondent George Lewis! Headlines this week include a mysterious pigeon poo problem, and the introduction of some x-rated entertainment in care homes. George is heading out on the final few weeks of his tour 'The Best Thing You'll Ever Do'. For tickets head to georgelewiscomedian.co…
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Raymond Briggs’ When the Wind Blows (1986) is one of the bleakest animated films ever made. Behind its watercolor charm lies a devastating story about nuclear war, misplaced trust in government advice, and a generation shaped by the Blitz spirit. In this episode, we unpack the film’s cultural and historical weight: Britain’s civil defense failures,…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. Ian and Amy look at a story sent in by a listener, about a mysterious pat…
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“Being a skeptic doesn’t make me smarter or infallible—it just means I’m trying to fail slightly less often.” Michael Marshall has spent more than 15 years investigating pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and the psychology that sustains them. As Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Editor …
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Ian amd Amy bring you news from the North. Headlines this week include Hull's first sumo wrestler, and we uncover the truth about Blankets for Baby Rhinos. And Ian's going on tour with his Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show Foot Spa Half Empty. For tickets and information head to iansmithcomedian.co.uk. Want Extra! Extra! content? Join our Patre…
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Step into the unsettling world of Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, a short story that imagines a future where forced equality strips away individuality, talent, and freedom. In this episode, we unpack Vonnegut’s biting satire, exploring its themes of government control, conformity, and the dangers of sacrificing excellence for the illusion of fai…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. In this week's bonus episode, enjoy some exclusive, otherwise un-broadcas…
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"Another form of resistance is joy.” Maggie Ardiente, newly elected President of Humanists International, joins Humanism Now to share how humanism grounded in curiosity, compassion, and community can meet today’s rising threats to democracy and science. From a Catholic upbringing to global leadership, Maggie lays out a practical, joyful vision: bui…
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This week's Northern News is a special live recording from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025! Headlines this week include a gimp-mask wearing lurker (see our recent Patreon episode for more on this), and a man living out his train driving dreams. And Ian's going on tour with his Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show Foot Spa Half Empty. For ticket…
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On the surface, Antz (1998) is just a quirky animated movie about insects. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a full-blown dystopian allegory crawling beneath the soil. In this episode, we uncover how Z’s search for freedom clashes with General Mandible’s authoritarian vision of the perfect colony. From hive-mind conformity to the cost of ind…
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This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews. Amy and Ian had SO much fun with Alex that it was just too much to fit in…
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Northern News is BACK! Amy and Ian kick off a brand new series with special guest correspondent, little Alex Horne! Headlines this week include a Lollipop-man banned from giving high fives, and a poultry robbery in Hutton Cranswick. Alex's children's book The Last Pebble is available to buy here. And Ian's going on tour with his Edinburgh Comedy Aw…
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This week on Dystopedia, we return to the world of Paul Verhoeven for the third time, exploring his explosive sci-fi classic Total Recall (1990). After covering RoboCop and Starship Troopers, we look at where this film sits in Verhoeven’s unofficial “corporate dystopia trilogy,” blending outrageous action with razor-sharp satire. We dive into the f…
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Northern News returns with a brand new series, starting this Thursday 25th September 2025. Follow Northern News on Instagram @NorthernNewsPodcast Want Extra! Extra! content? Join our Patreon for weekly bonus content. Got a juicy story from t'North? Email it to [email protected]. Artwork by Welcome Studio. Photography by Jonathan Birch. Host…
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Northern News is on a series break, but we'll be back very soon! To tide you over until then, you can enjoy WEEKLY bonus episodes over on our Patreon. This week's bonus episode is... something a little different. His PR was extremely persistent, so for this week's bonus episode Amy and Ian are joined by Tory MP Tom Dudley-Brown, alongside his Every…
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“No one ever said it was going to be easy. Humanists don’t think a better world is inevitable—we think a better world is possible, but we have to work for it.” Andrew Copson OBE, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and former President of Humanists International, joins us for our 50th episode to reflect on two decades of humanist leadership. From growi…
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1968 was a year of upheaval in America—marked by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and civil unrest across the nation. Amid this turbulence, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead emerged as a low-budget horror film that forever changed cinema. In this episode, we explore how th…
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“You don’t change the world. You change the way one person views the world—and then you’ve changed the world for that person.” What if true strength lies not in certainty, but in listening with respect? In this episode, Morgan DeNicola, Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation, shares how dialogue across divides, cultural diplomacy and …
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Northern News is on a series break, but we'll be back very soon! To tide you over until then, you can enjoy WEEKLY bonus episodes over on our Patreon. This week, we hear a story from a listener about a man who just LOVES big cats. We think. This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus con…
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What if Nazi Germany had won the Second World War? In this episode of Dystopedia, we dive deep into Robert Harris’s Fatherland (1992), a gripping alternate history that imagines a victorious Reich in 1964. Blending detective noir with political thriller, the novel follows Xavier March as he uncovers a conspiracy designed to bury the truth of the Ho…
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Ubuntu: I am because we are. 🌍✨ In this bonus episode of Humanism Now, we’re sharing the live recording of Professor James Ogude’s talk from the online event Understanding Ubuntu Traditions part of the Global Origins of Humanism series (co-hosted by Central London Humanists and the Association of Black Humanists). Prof. Ogude is a Senior Research F…
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Northern News is on a series break, but we'll be back very soon! To tide you over until then, you can enjoy WEEKLY bonus episodes over on our Patreon. This week, Ian finds a story about some uniquely shaped stone bollards. This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS …
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“The arc of history bends towards justice only if you keep pushing it in that direction.” David Livingstone-Smith, Ph.D., award-winning author, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England and a leading authority on dehumanization joins us to unpack how ordinary people come to see others as “less than human,” why that shift makes atroci…
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In this Twilight Zone classic, the machines aren’t just breaking—they’re out to get you. We dive into the 1960 episode “A Thing About Machines” and uncover its eerie dystopian core, born from the gadget-obsessed, automation-fearing world of the late 1950s. From Cold War paranoia to the rise of planned obsolescence, this was the era when shiny new t…
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Northern News is on a series break, but we'll be back very soon! To tide you over until then, you can enjoy WEEKLY bonus episodes over on our Patreon. This week, we hear some Northern News all the way from Northern Ohio, and we end up learning too much about birds. This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and …
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“Inclusion is the behaviors that result in others feeling valued, respected, seen and heard.” Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V)—industrial-organizational psychologist, CEO & founder of Mattingly Solutions, and co-author of Inclusalytics—joins us to show how rigorous data and deeply human connection can coexist. We unpack practical, measurable ways to …
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Delicatessen (1991) is one of the most unique dystopian films ever made. It is a dark comedy set in post‑apocalyptic France where a butcher feeds tenants human meat to survive. In this episode, we unpack the film’s surreal humor, its commentary on factory farming and routine, and why Jean‑Pierre Jeunet’s vision feels disturbingly relevant in 2025. …
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Northern News is on a series break, but we'll be back very soon! To tide you over until then, you can enjoy WEEKLY bonus episodes over on our Patreon. All the doors in Wentworth HAVE to be green. Ian and Amy find out why. This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS b…
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“If humanism is anything, it’s self-education. It’s progressing, becoming more educated, more enlightened.” - Dr Bill Angus Dr Bill Angus takes us on a provocative journey through his transition from devout evangelical Christian to secular humanist in this candid, thought-provoking conversation. After 30 years of committed faith, Angus found himsel…
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