Not ready to let go of Spooky Season yet? Listen to our episode on dystopia and horror. In particular we cover Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, Ray Bradbury's The Veldt, and A Clockwork Orange!

Excellent season finale of @utopiaanddystopia.bsky.social especially for lovers of Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury. Have a lovely hiatus. spotify.link/H455l0j3WXb #horror #scifi #dystopia #utopia

Here it is! Episode 17. Our Halloween Special. Liam and I discuss the relationship between dystopia and horror. We're taking a short break in preparation for season 3, with exciting things to come. If you enjoyed season 2 let us know in a comment. Rate, Subscribe, blah! spotify.link/s1McUJfzUXb

Happy Halloween! Our Halloween episode goes live today at 10am BST. In it, Liam and I explore the connection between dystopia and horror. We hope you enjoy!

Spooky tales incoming... Our Halloween episode is dropping on, you guessed it, Friday 31st at 10am!

Thrilled and delighted to say that my new book, Utopian Variations: Utopia in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture, is now out! Thanks to the University of Essex's open access fund, it's available via open access too. You can download the full book for free here: www.peterlang.com/document/156...

In case you missed it, I talked about my latest novel - a speculative sci-fi detective story - at the 'Utopian and Dystopian Fictions Podcast.' Check it out! :) >> youtu.be/eFW_XltfW-k?... << @indigitalgames.bsky.social @utopiaanddystopia.bsky.social @matthewleggatt.bsky.social

We've had such fun curating the Utopias Reading Group - @aoifemod.bsky.social. Now you can see the list of utopias we've discussed: blogs.ncl.ac.uk/nu-cusp/utop...

Just finished some recording. It's spooky season so in the next episode we discuss the overlap between horror and dystopia. We chatted about three texts in particular. Planning to drop this one in time for Halloween.

I know there were some on here asking for the contents list and chapter titles before when I first posted the book cover. Well, the website for the book now has those details. Full list found here. In short, a lot of wonderful contributors and a range of great topics. sunypress.edu/Books/W/Wast...

Episode 16 on all things playful in utopian and dystopian fiction is available to stream now via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. We had a lot of fun talking to the brilliant Stefano Gualeni. Take a listen and let us know what you think. open.spotify.com/episode/3Pz0...

A year ago we posted the first episode of the podcast, uncertain what to do with it, if anyone would want to be interviewed by us, or if anyone would listen. This afternoon we'll be posting our 16th episode and have met some fabulous scholars along the way! The lesson is... collaboration is awesome!

New episode of @utopiaanddystopia.bsky.social landing on Wednesday and given its close connection to my own research on play in utopian and dystopian fiction and the fact it marks a year since we started the podcast it's certainly a special one for me.

Recording yesterday for our next episode. It's our 16th but it also marks a year since we started the podcast. If you've enjoyed what we've been doing please take a few moments to rate the podcast. It helps us out with the dystopian algorithm.

Had a great chat with Stefano Gualeni @gua-le-ni.com yesterday morning recording an interview for the next episode of the podcast. Going to be a fun one discussing, among other things, play and games in utopia/dystopia!

We all love bureaucracy, right? Here it is for your enjoyment... bureaucratic utopias and dystopias with Daniel Jenkin Smith. Please rate, subscribe, recommend, and all that other bureaucratic nonsense! open.spotify.com/episode/3mD0...

Episode 15 drops this afternoon, 1pm BST. It should be fun. An episode about bureaucratic utopias/dystopias featuring an interview with Daniel Jenkin Smith, author of The Rise of Office Literature and co-host of @smfmspodcast.bsky.social.

We'll be recording this with guest @gua-le-ni.com in just over a week! Will be a fun one!

Cover art is in! Wastelands and Wonderlands coming in April. Massive thanks to the creative team at SUNY for another brilliant cover! This has some amazing contribs and I can't wait for you to read their work!

A week today we'll be putting out our next episode and you can listen to me chatting about bureaucratic dystopias (and utopias) with @dcjenkin-smith.bsky.social of @smfmspodcast.bsky.social 'fame'!... I use fame in scare quotes because I know he'd want me to!

The copy edits for the Wastelands and Wonderlands: Utopias and Dystopias in Film and Literature edited collection have just landed! Exciting, but I'm certainly going to have a busy few weeks!

Missed a trick... surely it should be Ministry of Peace? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If you're following Le Guin bot then you really should be following the podcast!

Crazy to think that in a month we'll be marking a year since Liam and I started the podcast! We've had some amazing guests in that time! Massive thanks to everyone who has supported us.

Unfortunately, I can't make this as it's a bit of a distance but if you live anywhere nearby you should definitely drop in for this. Two great speakers and I'm currently reading Stefano's book which is so interesting!

Here it is, episode 14. An interview with scholar Athira Unni about, among other things, postcolonial dystopias (particularly from South Asia and the Caribbean) and social reproduction theory. Please consider subscribing, reviewing, and rating the pod. open.spotify.com/episode/3cbZ...

New episode incoming later today. Postcolonial Dystopias and Social Reproduction Theory. A reminder that you can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. More soon...

Want to hear more about Jordan Carroll's excellent Hugo Award winning book "Speculative Whiteness"?You can listen to our interview with him from a couple of months ago here: open.spotify.com/episode/557f...

It's alive! Publication day! Play in Utopian and Dystopian Ficion arrived in the mail. Thanks Liverpool University Press for producing such a beautiful book.

Massive congratulations to @jordanscarroll.bsky.social on his #HugoAward win for Speculative Whiteness. Having interviewed him recently on the podcast, he's a great guy and a really worthy winner! Great to see criticism recognised in this way!

The excellent people over at @smfmspodcast.bsky.social are doing Fahrenheit 451 this month, so if you want to hear their entertaining take, you can listen to it here: open.spotify.com/episode/7npQ...

This one yours @gua-le-ni.com?

So delighted to share that BETWEEN WORLDS: THE IF ANTHOLOGY OF NEW INDIAN SFF, is now available for pre-order - and will be in bookshops on 18 August! Pre-order here, or from your local bookshop: www.amazon.in/Between-Worl...

From Le Guin's Utopia(s) to Alisdair MacIntyre's Periodizations (and some Adam Smith & Aristotle) open.substack.com/pub/digressi...

Just finished recording an interview with the super smart @dcjenkin-smith.bsky.social of @smfmspodcast.bsky.social fame on the relationship between bureaucracy and utopia/dystopia! Lots of great insight and a really fun chat. Looking forward to the episode making its appearance.

Please help me share the CFP for this Literature Compass Special Issue dedicated to the work of Simon J James and covering key Victorian and Edwardian writers like H. G. Wells, George Gissing, Dickens, Wilde, George Du Maurier, and Conan-Doyle on behalf of Hadas Elber-Aviram.

My new book is out. Utopia in the Factory: Prefigurative Knowledge Against Cybernetics. It's open access you can read it free here: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

We'll do something with this on the podcast when it's out. Co-hosting privileges!

TODAY is the abstract deadline for this year's AHSN Halloween Symposium on the apt theme of 'Apocalypse'! This free, online symposium welcomes interdisciplinary scholars from all over the world! Send in your abstracts! #horrorstudies #gothic 👻

Grateful to have had this conversation with Matthew Leggatt for Utopian & Dystopian Fictions

The latest episode of Utopian and Dystopian Fictions is here. It features an interview with the fantastic @andrecarrington.bsky.social. We discuss his books Speculative Blackness and The Black Fantastic. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube: open.spotify.com/episode/32dG...

Stay tuned... our latest episode will drop later this afternoon!

Front and center table at my Barnes and Noble. Good on you, @barnesandnoble.com

I'm impressed by how much dystopian literature got right

The Strange Horizons fund-drive has been a little stuck between the 14K and 15K mark for the last week; and with 11 days to go, we could use some help — whether it is through donations or amplification. And a lot of excellent rewards still available! To donate: www.kickstarter.com/projects/str...

This managed to pass me by, but my article on Star Trek and the Holodeck has been published by Eludamos! It's open access you can read it here: eludamos.org/index.php/el...

If you follow the show please support us by rating. It really helps the algorithm. We'd also love to hear from you. You can email us @ [email protected]

Anyone else read The Unworthy yet? It's one I think will stay with me and I'm keen to hear what others made of it...

Mmmmm... sponsorship?

Yes, yes, I'm a sucker for a dystopia with a lovely jacket!