Martin Amis doesn’t attack pornography on moral or religious grounds. But the British author is deeply troubled by what he sees as the insidious effect porn is having not just on sexuality but on human nature itself.  In an interview with Slate’s Jacob Weisberg, Amis says the ubiquity of explicit material serves only to extend the distance between sex and love and thereby changes what he calls “the style of the whole operation.”

Amis’ critique of pornography is one excerpt from an extensive conversation with Weisberg. In another part, the author discusses his latest novel. In a second segment, he explains why he is so troubled by Mitt Romney and the 2012 Republican presidential campaign. And in the final portion, Amis offers reflections on the life and passing of his dear friend, Christopher Hitchens.