In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, writer and cyberculture celebrity R.U. Sirius discusses the evolution of Mondo 2000, a groundbreaking magazine he co-founded that blended tech, art, and psychedelics. Sirius reflects on its origins, transitioning from High Frontiers and Reality Hackers, exploring how psychedelic culture intertwined with early tech innovation. He recounts Mondo 2000’s unique style, challenges with censorship, and how it navigated the countercultural landscape. Sirius also shares anecdotes about collaborations with figures like Timothy Leary, the cyberpunk movement, and the media’s shift to digital culture.
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I was watching a show called Science 2000. And it was all the most recent tech and science at that point in 1988 or 1989. And it was supported by advertising for something called Furnishing 2000. And I floated into Queen Mu’s bedroom and I said, “Let’s change the name and use 2000 to sell stuff.” And she immediately said Mondo because somehow she was imagining what the logo would look like. And she thought that would make for a really good logo, which was true. So there you have a rather trippy but a very opiated origin of becoming Mondo 2000.
Coming soon from R.U. Sirius in collaboration with Shira Chess: Freaks in the Machine: Mondo 2000 in Late 20th Century Tech Culture. With a foreword by Grant Morrison.
