In the latest episode of Futureverse, hosts Molly Wood and Ramanan Raghavendran interview Ruthanna Emrys, an acclaimed author known for her thought-provoking Lovecraftian novels.
Like in all of her books, her latest novel A Half-Built Garden challenges inherent biases and explores themes of empathy, humanity, chosen family, and otherness in the context of climate change. During their conversation, Ruthanna emphasizes the importance of adapting to new problems and the idea that there is no utopian point where everything is solved.
We were so excited to talk to Emrys for our second episode. Her unique perspective about the future, the importance of parenthood and children, and how social justice intersects with climate change is incredibly enlightening and refreshing. Find more of her work here.
The full transcript is available above. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Highlights
[02:05] Responding to unlikely visitors in the age of climate change
[03:45] Why write about aliens?
[05:51] World-building influences
[07:48] Queer Jewish representation
[12:23] One thing readers should take away
[14:20] Inspiration behind the watershed networks
[17:44] How the corporations got banished
[22:20] Alien-human interaction
[25:26] Imagining economic change via social force
[27:33] The climate of A Half-Built Garden
[30:42] Climate change strategies
[33:45] Information, control, and corporations
[36:26] Pushing for social change as a source of story
[43:59] What’s in store for Judy and her clan?
[45:00] Who should we interview next?
