The heavens opened the night before the second Haycast. Could the ungodly weather be a reaction from someone upstairs to Christopher Hitchens' presence in the House of Hay?
Hitchens' book God is Not Great is an international bestseller but the success of his anti-religious tract does not surprise him - in fact he argues that sceptism about religion is now part of the zeigeist. Today he is joined in the pod by two other superstar polemicists: Naomi Klein and George Monbiot.
Naomi Klein's first book, No Logo, also captured the spirit of the times when it was published eight years ago. Her latest book, The Shock Doctrine, is a gripping acount of how politicians and economists have exploited disasters - both natural and manmade - for political ends. In the pod, Klein discusses when "we start to see Rudy Giuliani as our long lost daddy".
Religion also crops up in George Monbiot's collection of essays and journalism Bring on the Apocalypse. He describes the Rapture to the other members of the pod as a time when, according to some, "the sky will be filled with floating nudists going up to sit at the right hand of God".
And as if that spectacular lineup is not enough, today's Haycast also includes Jonathan Freedland on the US elections, and Gore Vidal's memorable Mr Magoo impersonation.
Click here to subscribe to our books podcast via iTunes
