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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/spybrary-spy-podcast-1039831/everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-1980s-nostalgia-cold-war-espionage-with-ace-atkins
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/spybrary-spy-podcast-1039831/everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-1980s-nostalgia-cold-war-espionage-with-ace-atkins.md
Podcast: [Spybrary Spy Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/spybrary-spy-podcast-1039831)
Published: 2026-02-12T16:23:00+00:00
Episode link: https://spybrary.libsyn.com/everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-1980s-nostalgia-cold-war-espionage-with-ace-atkins
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/spybrary/Ace291.mp3?dest-id=508140
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/spybrary-spy-podcast-1039831/episodes/everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-1980s-nostalgia-cold-war-espionage-with-ace-atkins
Duration seconds: 3063

## Resource

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. Support Spybrary on Patreon - help us keep the lights on at the Spybrary Safehouse 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.

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## Transcript

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