Author Ace Atkins joins us to discuss Everybody Wants to Rule the World, a Cold War spy novel set in 1985 Atlanta. We explore how real espionage history, including the story of KGB defector Vitaly Yurchenko, inspired this coming-of-age thriller about a teenager who believes his mother’s boyfriend is a Russian spy. If you love spy fiction, 1980s nostalgia, and Atlanta history, this episode reveals the surprising secrets behind the novel.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins

Credit: William Morrow

 

Spy novels usually unfold in the shadowy streets of Washington, London, or Moscow. In this episode, we head somewhere unexpected: Atlanta in 1985. Author Ace Atkins joins Peter and Orlando to talk about his novel Everybody Wants to Rule the World, a Cold War thriller told through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy who becomes convinced that his mother’s new boyfriend is a Russian spy.

The book blends real history with suburban adventure. Atkins grew up in metro Atlanta during the 1980s and drew on his own experiences riding BMX bikes, watching MTV, and living in the era of latchkey kids. In the story, young Peter launches an amateur investigation that pulls him into a web of espionage involving defense contractors, shopping malls, MARTA trains, and the lingering tensions of the Cold War.

Along the way, the novel introduces memorable allies, including a washed up spy novelist and a fearless drag performer who become part of a DIY spy-busting trio. The story also incorporates a real figure from Cold War history, KGB defector Vitaly Yurchenko, whose strange real-life defection and return to the Soviet Union add another layer of intrigue. The result is a fast-paced spy adventure rooted in Atlanta landmarks and the cultural atmosphere of the 1980s.