Charlie and Manda Scott (Any Human Power) discuss her book in terms of its Shamanist contexts, her informed ideas for how we can change and thus improve the UK political system, and playing Dungeons And Dragons with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon. We also discuss Mass Multiplayer Online gaming in the context of both Manda's book and, briefly, ourselves - this is an episode wherein two gamers meet.

A transcript is available on my site

General references:
Historical Writer's Association
Accidental Gods Podcast
Thrutopian Writer's Association
Ursula K Le Guin's original quotation, "We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable - but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art" is from her speech in acceptance of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, 19th November 2014
Chauvet Cave artwork
The writer Charlie couldn't remember is Max Porter, his book is Grief Is The Thing With Feathers
World Of Warcraft
Guild Wars 2
Doom
The Accidental Gods membership program

Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Isabel Harman: Why We Get The Wrong Politicians
Manda Scott: Any Human Power
Manda Scott: Boudica
Max Porter: Grief Is The Thing With Feathers

Buy the books: UK || USA

Release details: recorded 11th March 2024; published 22nd July 2024

Where to find Manda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:50 What was the very initial thought or kernel of this book?
08:52 What Manda would like to see happen in order to start accomplishing the environmental and political goals put forth in Any Human Power
14:13 Lan - why is she dead?
18:00 About the 'spirit guides' in the book, discussing crows
22:02 Lan not stopping the story thread in which Kaitlyn dies
25:42 Manda delves into all the political change in the book and her thoughts on our real UK world in this context
37:10 How far we're meant to like/connect with the characters and how flaws are important
41:16 At the end we have the sense of cycles; do we see a chance for things to change for Lan later on?
43:43 Manda talks about one of her influences, Taiwan's government system
46:22 Talking Manda's use of World Of Warcraft (WoW) in the book, which devolves into a short gaming conversation
50:21 Manda played D&D with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon - details
53:07 About Manda's podcast, Accidental Gods
56:30 What Manda's writing now, including book 2

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