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From Ubermensch to Superman

Cultural discussion programme. William Boyd, Sue Prideaux, Adena Jacobs and Peter Biskind discuss love, nihilism and zombies with Amol Rajan.

The prize-winning novelist William Boyd has set his latest novel, Love Is Blind, at the turn of the 20th century. He tells Amol Rajan how his young Scottish protagonist travels across Europe in a tale of obsession, passion and music.

Lust and violence combine in Strauss's opera Salome in which a young princess performs the Dance of the Seven Veils for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Director Adena Jacobs has put a bold new spin on the story for English National Opera in her psychologically challenging interpretation.

Nietzsche may have written the famous phrase 'God is dead' but he also wrote movingly about love, guilt and hate. Biographer Sue Prideaux argues that Nietzsche is one of the most misunderstood philosophers. She explodes prevailing myths that he was a Nazi-sympathising, humourless misogynist.

And popular culture is under the spotlight in the film critic Peter Biskind's latest book, The Sky is Falling. He argues that zombies, androids and superheroes heralded the age of political extremism.

Producer: Katy Hickman.

Available now

43 minutes

Last on

Mon 24 Sep 2018 21:30

William Boyd

William Boyd is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter.聽

Love is Blind is published by Viking.

Adena Jacobs

Adena Jacobs is a theatre director and has had her works presented at major festivals and companies across Australia.聽聽

Salome directed by Adena Jacobs opens at the London Coliseum聽on 28th September.

Peter Biskind

Peter Biskind is an American film critic and best-selling author.

The Sky Is Falling: How vampires, zombies, androids and superheroes taught us to love political extremism is published by Allen Lane.

Sue Prideaux

Sue Prideaux is an award-winning biographer.

I Am Dynamite: A Life of Nietzsche is published by Faber & Faber at the end of October.

Broadcasts

  • Mon 24 Sep 2018 09:00
  • Mon 24 Sep 2018 09:44
  • Mon 24 Sep 2018 21:30

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