About this episode

Michael Smerconish interviews Admiral James Stavridis about his novel '2084' and its exploration of future geopolitical challenges.

Michael welcomes retired four-star Admiral James Stavridis to discuss "2084: A Novel of Future War", the gripping finale to his bestselling trilogy co-written with Elliot Ackerman. From great power conflict and artificial intelligence to climate catastrophe and the future of democracy, Stavridis explores the real-world forces shaping his vision of the late 21st century. The conversation ranges from China and NATO to sea-level rise, civil unrest, and the dangers of unintended war — while also revealing the hopeful message at the heart of the novel. A fascinating deep dive into geopolitics, storytelling, and the future of humanity. Original air date 15 May 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People in this episode

Host: Michael Smerconish

Guest: James Stavridis

Topics covered

• geopolitics
• future war
• artificial intelligence
• climate catastrophe
• democracy
• great power conflict

Keywords

• Admiral James Stavridis
• 2084
• future war
• geopolitics
• artificial intelligence
• climate change
• democracy
• NATO
• China

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Elliot Ackerman, NATO

Books & works: 2084: A Novel of Future War

Places: China, late 21st century

More episodes of Book Club with Michael Smerconish

• Sharon McMahon: "We Are Mighty" · May 20, 2026 · 24 min
• Andrew Guthrie Ferguson: "Your Data Will Be Used Against You" · May 18, 2026 · 27 min
• Russell Muirhead: "A Lot of People Are Saying" · May 13, 2026 · 15 min
• Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on The Psychology of Great Leaders: The Creative Power of Mental Illness · May 11, 2026 · 25 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Book Club with Michael Smerconish podcast page.