390. Alex Shvartsman Discusses Creating Comedic Space Opera

Podcast: Writers of the Future Podcast · John Goodwin

Opublikowano: 2026-07-24

Alex Shvartsman’s newest release, “The Best of All Possible Planets,” reads as a homage to Voltaire’s “Candide,” a satire of philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, invoked whenever characters face horrific events to highlight the absurdity of ignoring reality in favor of blind optimism. "All for the best in the best of all possible worlds." We also discuss Mission Earth Volume One, and Alex sees the Voltar confederacy as named after Voltaire, who L. Ron Hubbard considered a master of satire in the introduction to Mission Earth. We discuss Alex’s allure to satire, how he writes, and the social value of the s...