Everybody Wants to Rule the World: 1980s Nostalgia & Cold War Espionage with Ace Atkins

In this thriller author interview, Spywrite's Jeff Quest sits down with Ace Atkins to dive deep into his nostalgic Cold War spy novel Everybody Wants to Rule the World — a thrilling, 80s-set espionage adventure that blends suburban coming-of-age storytelling with high-stakes KGB intrigue.

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Atkins shares how discovering Ian Fleming as a teenager transformed him into a lifelong spy fiction obsessive, eventually shaping his career as a bestselling author. The conversation explores the real-life espionage inspirations behind the novel, including infamous traitors Aldrich Ames, as well as the bizarre and often comedic true story of Soviet defector Vitaly Yurchenko.

From suburban Atlanta in the mid-1980s to the paranoia of Reagan's Star Wars era, this episode captures the zeitgeist of a time when espionage dominated headlines — and imaginations.

If you love Cold War spy fiction, 80s nostalgia, and tradecraft stranger than fiction, this episode is for you.