Here it is, Bradbury’s masterpiece! The Center For Lit crew is blown away by the novel’s eerie predictions of current technologies, its stern diagnosis of today’s cultural tendencies, and finally by the sheer beauty of the thing. Fahrenheit 451 emerges as far more than a defense of books; it’s an apology for humane culture that actually strikes a hopeful note. Believe it or not, we come away encouraged that all is not lost.

Well, we didn’t see that coming! In this episode, the crew discusses a lesser known story by the author of Fahrenheit 451, and we end up surprised by where it takes us. Bradbury’s presentation of a post-apocalyptic world decimated by nuclear war delivers an expected elegy for lost civilization, but stops short of condemning technology in the process. In fact, AI’s role in the story invites us to a conversation about the beauty and necessity of art.

The Center For Lit crew returns with a brand new season where we tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: artificial intelligence. We quickly discover that the issue is not particularly new; thinkers and writers have been mulling it over for years, and we’ve got some great stories to show for their efforts.

In this episode, we discuss Isaac Asimov’s classic meditation on artificial intelligence and identify the basic questions that will guide us throughout the season. Hold on tight, it’s going to be a great ride!

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