Pleased to host Matt Benjamin, friend of the channel, KZfaq host, and author of the new novel We Are Icarus on the podcast to discuss his new novel in an authentic, unsponsored conversation. Matt’s novel explores timeless philosophy through a futuristic sci-fi dystopia setting. Join us as we discuss the timeless power of story, explore Ancient Greek philosophy and mythology, explore the creative process for an author in 2024, and talk about mythic heroes from ancient legends through professional wrestling!
Order We Are Icarus: a.co/d/gjjA8jf
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Matt Benjamin, author of We Are Icarus
01:38 The Power of Story
03:10 The Universality of Myth
06:42 The Myth of Theseus & the Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus
11:33 Aristotle’s Golden Mean & the Buddha’s Middle Path
13:38 Philosophy & Fiction
18:57 World Building & Dystopia in We Are Icarus
21:40 Productivity, Creativity, & Community
23:33 Positive & Negative Commandments
24:58 Transcendent Truth in a Dystopian World
27:55 The Creative Process
32:49 Teaching & Entertaining in Story
36:26 Storytelling in Professional Wrestling
40:04 The Power of Great Stories
This video is not sponsored by Matt or anyone else; I genuinely enjoy his work. If you enjoy this conversation, I have a great feeling you will, too.