I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Molly Bentley (left), Executive Producer of SETI Institute's Are We Alone? radio show. We spent around 20 minutes talking about The Sun Kings and discussing the epochal events of 2 September 1859.

You can join the 50,000 other listeners who download the weekly podcast by clicking here. My interview starts at 25:50. Be warned, however, that the podcast contains spoilers. If you listen to it, you will hear me give away some of the plot’s twists, turns and surprises. Before my interview, you’ll also hear a fascinating discussion about the newly discovered, potentially habitable planet Gliese 581c.

When you’ve finished listening to this particular episode, go back through their archives and listen to the previous programmes. Each gives a special insight into an aspect of answering the question: Is there life elsewhere in the Universe?