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The appeal of the anti-hero in a crumbling world

Adam Sternbergh, culture editor at the New York Times Magazine, on his hard-boiled futuristic thriller, Shovel Ready.

Guest host Gill Deacon speaks with Adam Sternbergh, culture editor at the New York Times Magazine, about his hard-boiled futuristic thriller, Shovel Ready. The novel, set in a post-nuclear New York, is Sternbergh's first -- but it's already been optioned as a film starring Denzel Washington. 

The Canadian-bred writer shares his vision of a crumbling and contaminated near-future in NYC, how he made his dark character so easy to root for, and how he responds to critics of his graphically violent scenes.