On the 89th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Manda Scott. Manda trained as a veterinary surgeon but is now an award-winning novelist and host of the Accidental Gods podcast. Best known for the internationally best-selling Boudica: Dreaming series, which The New York Times labelled “a masterpiece in historical fiction,” her latest novel departs from historical fiction in favour of a contemporary Thrutopian narrative, exploring the potential for a future we’d be proud to leave as our legacy. Any Human Power opens doorways we could all walk through, following routes to a paradigm shift we could make happen now.
In this captivating conversation, Manda takes us on her journey of connecting to the living web of life. We explore what the web is asking of us, learning to learn through pain until we can learn through love, the joyful curiosity that arises from the heart-mind connection, dreaming awake, and the magic of co-creation that our relationships with each other can entail. She outlines the role of artists in envisioning a future that lays the foundations for a new way of being and path to follow.
This entire conversation is brimming with hope, connection, curiosity, and considerable wisdom and insight from Manda. I hope it serves as a window into what is possible when we fully sense and connect with all that is around us—the living web of life.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for full interviews and clips.
For further content and information check out the following:
Manda's website / books:
https://mandascott.co.uk/Manda's podcast:
https://accidentalgods.life/04:45 Connecting with the web of life
07:55 Consciously encountering the web of life
12:15 Communicating with time and space
18:03 Learning through pain and love
22:57 Accepting, understanding and healing
26:28 The heart-mind connection
31:45 The power of joyful curiosity
37:15 Feeling the web of life
42:03 Attributing more aliveness to AI and others
45:32 Dreaming awake and the void
55:37 Responding to messages from the web of life
59:45 Inquiries into death
1:03:45 A place outside of space and time and the role of artists
1:09:16 A whole new way of being and path to take
1:18:20 What is a good life for Manda?
Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life
What is What is a Good Life??
What is a Good Life? is a podcast about the questions that shape our lives: how we live, who we become, and what truly matters. For the past five years, I've asked more than 300 people one deceptively simple question: What is a good life?
There isn't a single answer. Instead, each conversation offers a different way of seeing the world—through stories, ideas, struggles, joys, and moments of hard-earned wisdom. Together, they form a richer picture of what it means to be human.
Whether you're searching for clarity, purpose, or simply a thoughtful conversation, this podcast is an invitation to reflect on your own answer.
New episodes every Tuesday.