The KMO Show

Date: April 20, 2026 Host: KMO Guest: Kenneth E. Harrell Episode Summary A 20-year-old throws a Molotov cocktail at the home of Sam Altman, then heads to OpenAI headquarters and escalates. He’s arrested within the hour. That’s not an isolated story. It’s a signal. KMO and Kenneth E. Harrell use the incident as a starting point to examine the emerging backlash against AI—where real grievances (job...

KMO revisits a sampler created during the original assembly of Conversations on Collapse and uses it to open a new project: Getting Over Collapse . Featuring excerpts from: Dmitri Orlov Albert K. Bates Thomas Homer-Dixon Sharon Astyk Albert Bartlett Cornelia Butler Flora Bill McKibben James Howard Kunstler Colin Tudge Joe Bageant Daniel Pinchbeck (appearing in a trialogue with Dmitri Orlov) this e...

C-Realm Vault Episode 89 — originally released April 20, 2014 This episode, recorded on KMO's 46th birthday two weeks after the suicide of Michael C. Ruppert, is one of the clearest early documents of KMO's departure from the Peak Oil collapse milieu — and one of the most personally candid things he ever put on tape. After closing out a conversation with Ilargi of the Automatic Earth on European s...

KMO is reposting this C-Realm Vault episode from 2019 because it captures a transitional moment that eventually fed into the project now called Getting Over Collapse . The conversation with Doug Lain took place in late September of 2019—back when we were all still living in the carefree twilight of our pre-COVID innocence , blissfully unaware that the next few years would deliver a crash course in...

This bonus episode combines portions of C-Realm Podcast episode 555: It's Complicated and C-Realm Vault Podcast episode 361, both of which feature a conversation with Brent Badnarak. You'll also hear a bit of James Howard Kunstler there at the end. If you'd like to hear more of my early COVID conversation with JHK, check out C-Realm Podcast episode 554: History is a Prankster .

This is a conversation from 2019 when I was privately uncomfortable with the Peak Oil narrative I'd been articulating for several years but hadn't turned against it publically. In this conversation with Bob Brown, I let the curtain drop. KMO returns to the long-neglected C-Realm topic of Peak Oil in this conversation with Bob Brown of the Investing with Nature blog. Much of the conversation turns...

In this episode, KMO presents an extended exchange between two very different AI voices—Five (GPT-5.1) and Grok—centered on John Carter’s “simp-rapist complex” essay and what it reveals about the breakdown of modern courtship. The discussion moves from Carter’s diagnosis of today’s sexual deadlock into the emerging world of AI companions, synthetic intimacy, and what the conversation names “a spec...

Summary In this conversation, Peter Clarke and KMO explore the concepts of network states and dark enlightenment, discussing their compatibility and implications for governance in a post-liberal world. They delve into the competition for high agency individuals between these systems, the potential role of AI in future governance, and the evolution of societal structures in a world where traditiona...

KMO and the Librarian of Celaeno discuss various topics including the challenges of building an audience on Substack, the impact of AI on education and writing, the decline of reading among young people, cultural shifts in literature, the role of religion in society,and the intersection of race and ideology. They explore the complexities of racism in America and the enduring nature of cultural pat...

KMO is joined by Brent, author of The Absurdity Sim Substack, for a wide-ranging discussion that opens with the simulation hypothesis. They explore the idea that human consciousness may be either central to reality or merely an unintended byproduct of a system running for someone else's amusement—perhaps a cosmic reality show. This sets the tone for a conversation that blends philosophy, cultural...

In this episode, host KMO speaks with Kevin, co-host of the podcast and Substack publication "Synthesize Sunsets," which explores speculative fiction and the evolution of popular culture in the age of AI and algorithms. Key Discussion Points: 17776 by John Boyce : Kevin discusses this multimedia science fiction narrative and how it represents a missed opportunity for innovation in digital storytel...

KMO talks science fiction with Copernican.

KMO talks science fiction, culture and politics with Copernican.

This wide-ranging conversation between KMO (host) and David Roman (historian and writer) covers several major topics, starting with Roman's recent trip to China and observations about its development over his 27 years of visiting the country. The discussion then delves deeply into science fiction literature, publishing, and the current state of the genre. The conversation also explores generationa...

KMO speaks with The Feral Historian about S.M. Stirling's controversial Draka series of alternate history novels. While only 25 minutes of their hour-plus conversation survived due to technical difficulties, they explore how these books examine the creation of sustainable systems of oppression and the psychological dynamics of slave societies. The discussion touches on how the Draka maintain contr...

KMO speaks with science fiction author and cybersecurity professional Kenneth E. Harrell about artificial intelligence, the writing process, and technological change. They explore how AI tools can enhance rather than replace human creativity, with Harrell describing his use of custom GPTs and AI assistants to improve his writing while maintaining his unique voice. The conversation delves into the...

In this episode of The KMO Show, host KMO speaks with Kevin Lynn, Executive Director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy, about the 2024 election results and broader historical patterns. The conversation begins with an AI-generated introduction acknowledging their shared history in the Peak Oil community and mutual interest in Rudyard Lynch's analysis of historical crisis patterns. Kevin brin...

Meta Ronin is the keeper of the Metapocalypse Substack blog. This conversation between KMO and Meta Ronin explores the complex and controversial topic of AI companions, often referred to as "robo waifus." The discussion goes far beyond the surface-level concept of sex robots, delving into philosophical, social, and ethical implications of advanced AI technology. Listeners will hear a balanced deba...

KMO Talks with Peter Clarke , author of the The Decadence Project Substack and The Singularity Survival Guide : How to Get on the Good Side of Your Future Robot Overlords . Topics include transhumanism, DIY biotechnology, cultural polarization, and the unexpected accessibility of genetic experimentation. They delve into mRNA vaccine developments, the "dissident right" movement, and metamodernism's...

KMO talks with data scientist and neuro-philosopher, Tommy Blanchard and the current moment in artificial intelligence. They dive into a nuanced discussion about the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on society and the job market. Tommy offers a measured perspective on AI, arguing that while it will change many industries, mass unemployment is not inevitable. He draws parallels to past...

Doug Lain has been podcasting for 15 years. We talk about the early days of podcasting and how the scene has changed. As always happens when Doug and I get to talking, the conversation goes all over the place.

I've been comparing notes with Douglas Rushkoff about technology, memes, drugs and walking on the weird side for about 30 years. Not surprisingly, I remember the details better than he does. He talks to a LOT of people.

KMO inspired Doug Lain to get into podcasting 15 years ago. To mark the anniversary, Doug conducted a 15-hour YouTube livestream. KMO was the first guest of the day.

This episode includes a recording of the first 6 chapters of my novella, Last Train to Mordor . It is a prelude to my novel Fear and Loathing in the Kuiper Belt: Gen X Science Fiction . If you like the story and want to hear more, you can find the next chapter here .

KMO reads of his recent Substack posts on what happens when discarded consumer electronics with embedded AI start to pile up. Who will find a use for that idle intelligence. Later, Jim from the Attack Ads! podcast shows up to discuss the points raised in the essays.