Resistance Reads Podcast: Episode 12 Heavenly Tyrant

In this episode of Resistance Reads, we dive deep into Heavenly Tyrant, the highly anticipated sequel to Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. This is not just a book review. It is a critical conversation about power, resistance, feminism, and the political structures that shape both dystopian fiction and the real world.

We explore the novel’s political themes, pacing, and character dynamics, with particular attention to women-led resistance movements, the costs of revolution, and the myth of the benevolent dictator. Along the way, we connect Heavenly Tyrant to broader conversations in anthropology, intersectional feminism, and cultural critique, questioning popular narratives around power, violence, and social control.

This episode also tackles:

• Colonial feminism and Western intervention narratives

• Misconceptions in popular anthropology, including critiques of Jared Diamond and Steven Pinker

• Police, state violence, and the role of force in maintaining social order

• How contemporary science fiction and fantasy reflect real-world political anxieties

• Character consistency and ideological tension in modern speculative fiction

If you are interested in political science fiction, feminist literature, dystopian novels, cultural criticism, or leftist media analysis, this conversation goes beyond surface-level fandom and asks harder questions about what resistance really looks like and who pays the price.