Richard Swan on The Infinite State, Power, Propaganda, & Democracy

What happens when people raised inside an authoritarian empire are suddenly given the opportunity to build something better?Brittany sits down with Richard Swan, author of The Infinite State and the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, for a deep dive into his new political science fiction series, the Decurion Saga. They talk about building a believable fascist empire, why ordinary people become comfortable inside authoritarian systems, propaganda and belonging, and what it would actually take to build a democracy from scratch.Richard also gets into his background as a lawyer and how it shapes his fascination with institutions and power, why The Infinite State needed multiple POVs, Cyprian and political enforcement, the psychological consequences of violence, and why escaping an empire doesn’t mean escaping what it did to you.Plus: what’s next for the Decurion Saga, Richard’s upcoming fantasy and sci-fi projects, where new readers should start with his books, and the stories that made him want to become a writer.📚 Featured Book: The Infinite State by Richard Swan🚀 Genre: Political Science Fiction / Space Opera / Dystopian Science FictionIf you love political sci-fi, morally complicated characters, dystopian fiction, 1984, or speculative fiction that gives you huge ideas to wrestle with, this conversation is for you.Follow Judging By The Cover for more author interviews, genre deep dives, and conversations about the books we can’t stop thinking about.📚 IN THIS CONVERSATION:00:00 – Intro02:30 – Richard Swan & The Infinite State06:20 – From Lawyer to Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author09:30 – The Idea That Became The Infinite State15:10 – Why the Story Needed Multiple POVs19:54 – Why Ordinary People Accept Authoritarianism27:00 – Building a Democracy From Scratch34:30 – Cyprian, Policing & Political Enforcement38:50 – The Psychological Cost of Violence43:57 – What’s Next for the Decurion Saga?46:51 – Richard Swan’s Upcoming Books48:52 – Where Should New Richard Swan Readers Start?49:56 – Which Character Would Richard Have Dinner With?51:40 – The Books That Made Richard Want to Write