The Impact of Childhood Nature on Urban Narratives

If you feel like your phone is tracking your every move, or that AI is getting a little too advanced for comfort… You’re not the only one. Helen Phillips’ latest dystopian thriller, Hum, is set in a near future where climate change has devastated life as we know it — and superintelligent robots have become an irreplaceable part of society. Helen talks to Mattea Roach about her complicated relationship with technology, parenting in the digital age and reclaiming our humanity through the little joys. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these episodes:

• Jeff VanderMeer: How his blockbuster Southern Reach series reflects our own fight against climate change
• Nalo Hopkinson: How Caribbean folktales inspired her fantastical novel, Blackheart Man