Review of Failed Utopia

Failed Utopia is a podcast written, produced, and hosted by Anna Roberts.It includes 53 episodes that aired from November 2020 through February 2023, covering "... utopian concepts from the past, present and future, as well as utopian societies and communes, which promise the world to eager followers but inevitably fail when it all starts to unravel."Roberts adds that "I'll break down what these groups' leaders were thinking, what attracted their devotees in the first place, and how it all went wrong."The podcast includes an eclectic mix of topics.Some are unsurprising (e.g., Jonestown, Heaven's Gate).Others (e.g., Valentine's Day, Credit Card Rewards) seem tangential to the theme and less relevant to this journal's readership-ditto the eight episodes devoted to the reading of More's Utopia.Despite listener expectations that featured groups have gone up in flames, furthered by cover art of a burning palm tree, the podcast includes several current communities (e.g., Findhorn, The Farm).But the promise to cover "true horrors and even brutal cults," suggests that attracting listeners is paramount to nuanced scholarship.