Why are right-wing grifters all like Batman villains?

Why are right-wing grifters all like Batman villains?

Author: Damien Walter December 26, 2025 Duration: 23:22
Get your Science Fiction tee here - https://damosays-shop.fourthwall.com Become a member of the Science Fiction community to continue the discussion Website - https://damiengwalter.com Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/DamienWalter Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/324897304599197/ Subscribe to the Science Fiction podcast feed for long-form commentaries on these video essays https://damiengwalter.com/podcast/ Follow Damien on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/damiengwalter.com

Damien Walter has spent years thinking about how the future shapes our present, and in his Science Fiction podcast, he shares those conversations. Rather than just reviewing books or films, this series digs into the ideas that make the genre so vital, using it as a unique lens to examine everything from current technology and social change to ancient myths and human psychology. Each episode feels like a thoughtful discussion with a well-read friend, one who can draw a line from classic novels to the latest TV series with ease. You’ll hear analysis of stories that predicted our world, explorations of how fictional futures reflect our deepest anxieties and hopes, and considerations of why certain narratives endure. Walter’s background as a writer and storyteller informs a approach that is both accessible and deeply insightful, making connections across the arts, science, and popular culture. This isn't about escapism; it's about using the imaginative tools of science fiction to better understand the reality we're all living in. For anyone who finds themselves wondering about the world that's coming next, this podcast offers a compelling and regular dose of perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 88

Science Fiction
Podcast Episodes
The true history of science fiction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:55
“With Jules Verne and the publisher Hugo Gernsback, H.G. Wells invented the genre of science fiction.” Tweet by @nytimesbooks, November 2021 A badly worded tweet by the New York Times revealed a deep anger at the false h…
Lord of the Rings and the fascist fantasy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:40
Fascism lures people in with a fantasy of return to older, better times. A golden age before the modern world. Nazi Germany had the fantasy of the Third Reich and the Ubermensch. Today the Russia of Vladimir Putin has a…
A science fiction history of World War 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Humankind had it within our grasp to become a K1 civilization, the first stage of the Kardashev scale. But we allowed K1 to slip through our fingers. As the scientist Carl Sagan argued, much of 20th century history can b…
Severance – what does it mean? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:57
Severance is sophisticated science fiction for grown up audiences in the style of J G Ballard, Philip K Dick or Haruki Murakami. But what does it mean? Follow the the Science Fiction podcast https://damiengwalter.com/pod…
An interview with Adam Roberts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:20
“It’s trying to thread that needle between the wonder and the splendour in this mythology without being beguiled into actual fascism.” ~Adam Roberts Adam Roberts is a professor of nineteenth century literature, a prolifi…
The thematic genius of Iain M Banks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
This episode of the Science Fiction podcast is re-published from an original video essay first published in September 2018. I spent years searching, after I first read the Culture novels of Iain M Banks, for other space…
What is Solarpunk? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:32
Solarpunk is the newest genre of science fiction, a joyous and optimistic vision of a future where humans and our technology live in balance with nature. Solarpunk is an artistic, cultural and political movement that enc…
The prophetic visions of Philip K Dick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:03
We are living in strange times. Politics. Society. Culture wars. Things have gone weird. We're looking for knowledge and wisdom to guide us in strange times. I can think of no better guide to the year 2022 than Philip K…
The best Scifi & Fantasy of the 21st century (Part 1 of 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:16
We are 21 years into the 21st century. What better time to look at the century we are living in...the century of science fiction. A special double episode of the Science Fiction podcast. Part 1 of 2. 00:00 The science fi…
The Matrix and the archetypes of Carl Jung [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:25
There's a question about The Matrix I've been asking myself since the franchise established itself in the collective unconscious of humanity back in the early 00s. What is Sigmund Freud doing in these movies? 00:00 What'…