Leigh Turner writing Leigh Turner

Are the conspiracy theories right? What if the entire world, as we perceive it, is controlled by shadowy forces? A 1955 short story helped begin a strong tradition of tales exploring alternative realities. You can find the story on which this podcast is based on my blog, here. Other blog posts mentioned in the podcast are The Machine Stops and Vintage Season. I recommend them both.

Why did Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin allow Vladimir Putin to kill him after Prigozhin's mutiny in 2023? Prigozhin might have taken more care if he'd seen the classic early 1990s Russian movie Burnt by the Sun. More about this in my book Lessons in Diplomacy.

From my book "Lessons in Diplomacy": How to make the perfect Pimm's. Order "Lessons in Diplomacy" here. Or watch the video of Antonio making a mouthwatering Pimms at https://rleighturner.com/perfect-pimms/.

"The Three-Body Problem" is out on Netflix. Some Chinese critics are reportedly angered by the series' depiction of China. I can see why. Let's look at the book, and how the Netflix version compares.



You can read the blog post on which this podcast is based on my rleighturner.com website.

I don’t usually reveal top secret information in these podcasts. But here, exclusively, I want to talk about the Welsh Secret Service.

"Yes, but." A professional diplomat assesses Duolingo against other methods.