Home  >  The Documentary Podcast  >  Max Kidruk: Imagining the future in a science fiction trilogy
The Documentary Podcast
Max Kidruk: Imagining the future in a science fiction trilogy
The Documentary Podcast
Jul 7, 2025

How do you imagine the future if you are a science fiction writer living in the present with your country at war? That is the challenge and dilemma for best selling author Max Kidruk. As he nears completion of Collapse, the second volume of a science fiction trilogy The New Dark Ages, his first volume, Colony has sold 60,000 copies in Ukraine. In the real world, Kidruk has had to fight against his own biological frailty and the absolute uncertainty of the times he lives in. The presence of Russians in his fiction is an acknowledgement that the existential national threat of the enemy will not disappear and could grow worse. Perhaps the greatest challenge of all for Kidruk has been to keep his plot relevant. His trilogy is intended as a warning on many levels but real world politics keeps outstripping his wildest imaginings. Mark Burman has been in conversation with Kidruk for the past 18 months as the war has continued to rage.

More Episodes


Apr 7, 2026
Albania: Land, money and the sea

Albania has had many different faces over the last hundred years. Once ruled by the Ottomans, it became a kingdom before turning into a totalitarian communist state after the Second World War. During this time, no one was allowed in or out; all private property became state-owned, and bunkers sprang up across the country. After the fall of the communist regime, Albania descended into chaos. In 1996, a pyramid scheme that three quarters of the population had paid into, collapsed. People lost everything, and the country, especially the south, erupted into violence.

These days, Albania is aiming to shake off its past and transform its reputation from a country marked by corruption to one known for luxury tourism. With its miles of unspoilt beaches, snow capped mountains, and olive groves that could rival anything Greece has to offer, it’s unsurprising that it’s quickly attracting investors. Among them are Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are hoping to build a resort on an island off the coast of Vlorë. They have visited the secluded beaches of Zvërnec and Nartë; currently home only to endangered monk seals, sea turtles, and a few sheep. They, like others, hope to benefit from new government incentives to build luxury 5 star plus resorts.

However, ghosts of Albania’s communist past remain. Land disputes, allegations of corruption, and a lack of infrastructure could derail these resorts before they’ve even broken ground. For Assignment, Emily Wither travels to Albania to find out whether it will be able to re-brand itself, and whether its dream of luxury escapism will become a reality.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.


26min 33sec


Max Kidruk: Imagining the future in a science fiction trilogy

--:--
--:--