Decoder with Nilay Patel

Anna Wiener, a contributing writer for the New Yorker and the author of the new book Uncanny Valley: A Memoir, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why she left an old industry — book publishing — to work in tech, the "intoxicating" start to her new career, and how her views on tech culture changed over time. Wiener also discusses the problems that people in the industry won’t talk about; why she doesn't agree with reviews that paint her book as a polemic; and how Silicon Valley incorrectly came to see it as the victim. Plus: The insane baby-themed party Kara and Gavin Newsom attended, which was not a sex party.

Click here to read a full transcript of this interview.

Featuring:

Anna Wiener (@annawiener), author, Uncanny Valley: A Memoir

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

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Writer and McSweeney's founder Dave Eggers talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest novel, The Captain and the Glory, why he chose to write a satirical novel about the Trump era, and what he's learned from interviewing Trump supporters that most people on the left wouldn't expect. Eggers also discusses his writing nonprofit, 826 Valencia; why he has a flip phone rather than a smartphone; and what he thinks of his novel about a technology company, The Circle, in hindsight. Plus: Why Trump, not Obama, is the first social media president.

Featuring:

Dave Eggers, author, The Captain and the Glory

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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The Black List founder Franklin Leonard talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he accidentally created one of the most important lists in Hollywood and how he turned it into a real business for connecting screenwriters with producers. Leonard also talks about the statistics that show the benefits of reading scripts from diverse writers and the mostly-white 2020 Oscar nominations, about which he wrote a satirical op-ed for the Washington Post. Plus: Why he doesn't expect AI to replace human readers.

Click here to read a full transcript of this interview.

Featuring:

Franklin Leonard (@FranklinLeonard), founder, The Black List (@theblcklst)

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Vox.com co-founder Ezra Klein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Why We're Polarized, the rise of systemic "zero sum" party politics, and how Klein himself has been polarizing in the Trump era. Klein and Swisher also discuss the racial, religious, and urban/rural splits between Democrats and Republicans, the (good and bad) impact of social media on the public discourse, and the one thing regular people can do to combat polarization in their own lives. Plus: Why "Congress should stop being such a bunch of wimps."

Featuring:

Ezra Klein (@EzraKlein), host of The Ezra Klein Show and author, Why We're Polarized

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Sci-fi novelist and science journalist Annalee Newitz talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new book, The Future of Another Timeline. Newitz, who was previously a founding editor of io9 and the editor in chief of Gizmodo, talks about their winding route to becoming a writer, by way of monster movies; how their first book Autonomous addresses AI, software patents, and the pharma industry; and how they worked out the mechanics and limitations of time travel and "editing" history for their latest book. Plus: How does technology affect our memory of history, and what will happen to all our digital communications once we're gone?

Featuring:

Annalee Newitz (@Annaleen), author, The Future of Another Timeline

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Numa Perrier and Tiffany Tenille, the director and star of the new Netflix film Jezebel, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about Perrier's real-life experience as an online sex worker in the 1990s and turning that into a movie. They also discuss how the rise of digital filmmaking has opened doors for directors of color like Perrier, how Tenille educated herself about life on the early internet, and how state and local regulators wrestled with the rise of digital peep shows. Plus: How the internet changed the relationship between sex workers and their clients, and what creators and Hollywood should do to encourage more diversity.

Featuring:

Numa Perrier (@missnuma), writer/director/costar, Jezebel

Tiffany Tenille (@Tiffany_Tenille), star, Jezebel

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken and actors Jennifer Beals, Kate Moennig, and Leisha Hailey talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their decision to reunite for a new series called The L Word: Generation Q, 10 years after the original show ended. They discuss how the first "L Word" got started, why the first new season is only 8 episodes long, and their hopes for a series of live events for fans of the show, called L Con. Plus: How do they all feel about the rise of tech money in Hollywood over the past decade?

Featuring:

Ilene Chaiken (@ilenechaiken), creator, The L Word

Jennifer Beals (@jenniferbeals), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Bette Porter)

Kate Moennig (@katemoennig), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Shane McCutcheon)

Leisha Hailey (@Leisha_Hailey), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Alice Pieszecki)

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Forerunner Ventures founder and managing partner Kirsten Green talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the thinking behind her investments in companies like Dollar Shave Club and Glossier; the messy culture struggle at luggage startup Away; and where innovation comes from in today's tech industry. Plus: What are the advantages of being a female venture capitalist, and does the VC industry have to change?

Featuring:

Kirsten Green (@kirstenagreen), founding partner, Forerunner Ventures

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about deliberately engineering happiness into the site, expanding into commerce, and competing with larger social and commerce tech companies. This interview was recorded in front of a live audience at the National Retail Federation's annual conference, the Big Show, in New York City.

Featuring:

Ben Silbermann (@8en), CEO, Pinterest

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Writer Jeanette Winterson talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her latest book, Frankissstein: A Love Story. Winterson discusses the intertwined histories of LGBT+ people, science fiction literature and technology; how she decided to write a modern twist on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a technological bent; and how Shelley foresaw the intersection of bodies and machines. Plus: Is tech becoming the real monster in modern life? And who is the Victor Frankenstein of this era?

Featuring:

Jeanette Winterson (@Wintersonworld), author, Frankissstein: A Love Story

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices