Born from grief, exile, intellectual ferment and the ‘year
without a summer’, Frankenstein is a creation myth with its own creation
myth. Mary Shelley’s novel is a foundational work of science fiction, horror
and trauma narrative, and continues to spark reinvention and reinterpretation.
In their fourth conversation together, Adam Thirlwell and Marina Warner ... Show More
Nov 21
Aftershock: The War on Terror – Episode 1: With Us or Against Us
In the days after 9/11, George W. Bush declared a state of emergency and initiated what would become an unprecedented expansion of US power. Public debate narrowed: there were new limits on what was acceptable, and not acceptable, to say. The London Review of Books published a nu ... Show More
44m 54s
Nov 15
Introducing ‘Aftershock: The War on Terror’
After 9/11, George W. Bush launched a global War on Terror. What followed was an unprecedented expansion of American power, from Guantánamo Bay to drone strikes, mass surveillance to the weaponisation of the financial system. Asked when it would end, Vice-President Dick Cheney re ... Show More
3m 57s
Jul 2025
The Mother of Science Fiction: Inventing Frankenstein
<div>This week NPAD is on vacation, but as a special treat, we wanted to share an episode of our other podcast, Watch Her Cook, with you. This episode has a few surprising NPAD tie ins, and we are so excited to share it with you all. We will be back to our regularly scheduled Nat ... Show More
54m 31s
Sep 2024
Talking Shit with Elizabeth Oldfield: On Becoming Fully Alive
<p>In Episode 71, we are joined by Elizabeth Oldfield, a writer, thinker, bridge builder, and Christian working out of the UK. We discuss her new book Fully Alive, and the rich worldview which underlies it. Elizabeth challenges us to live our principles in our daily lives, and to ... Show More
1h 11m
Sep 21
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort through the words of past guests. This week’s theme is on wri ... Show More
24m 18s
Aug 9
36: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
This episode provides an overview of Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, detailing the framework narrative of Robert Walton's Arctic journey and his discovery of Victor Frankenstein, who then recounts his life story. The episode highlights Victor's idyllic childhood, his scientif ... Show More
12m 39s
Jul 2025
561. Scott Adams and Jordan Peterson
In this deeply personal interview, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with Scott Adams, cartoonist and creator of Dilbert, to explore the unlikely paths that shape a life—from illustrating a nationally syndicated hit comic to fatal illness and facing the metaphysical. Adams shares ... Show More
1h 24m