251. Victorian Narcos: Flooding China With Indian Opium (Ep 5)

Set in 1970s Bombay, 'Narcopolis' follows characters entangled in the city's opium dens and brothels, including a eunuch pipe-maker, a Chinese refugee, and a violent addict. The narrative spans decades, chronicling Bombay's shift from opium to heroin and the raw evolution of its underworld. Through poetic prose, Thayil captures the squalor and magnetism of a city intoxicated by drugs, power, and desire.

In this book, Stephen R. Platt explores the complex origins of the Opium War, detailing the early attempts by Western traders and missionaries to 'open' China. The narrative focuses on the period leading up to the war, highlighting the struggles of China's imperial rulers, the role of Confucian scholars, and the eventual descent into one of the most unjust wars in imperial history. The book features a cast of British, Chinese, and American characters and has significant implications for understanding current Sino-Western relations.

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.