The podcast episodes on Past Present Future delve into the literary works of the Victorian era, exploring how they engage with and reflect the pressing political and social issues of the time.

For example, the analysis of Anthony Trollope's Phineas Redux examines the novel's portrayal of parliamentary polarization and the complex relationship between political parties, integrity, and hypocrisy. Similarly, the discussion of George Eliot's Middlemarch investigates the novel's treatment of questions of politics, religion, and the interplay between personal ambition and public reputation.

These episodes situate the selected works within the broader context of Victorian literature, highlighting how these writers used fiction to grapple with the era's defining political and social concerns.