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Related: About this forum50 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Works Every Socialist Should Read
I don't know if I agree with his list but there are a lot of books I hadn't heard about. ............. And I love SciFi.
From the link:
This is not a list of the best fantasy or SF. There are huge numbers of superb works not on the list. Those below are chosen not just because of their qualitywhich though mostly good, is variablebut because the politics they embed (deliberately or not) are of particular interest to socialists. Of course, other worksby the same or other writerscould have been chosen: disagreement and alternative suggestions are welcomed. I change my own mind hour to hour on this anyway.
Sample reviews
Iain M. BanksUse of Weapons (1990)
Socialist SF discussing a post-scarcity society. The Culture are goodies in narrative and political terms, but here issues of cross-cultural guilt and manipulation complicate the story from being a simplistic utopia.
Edward BellamyLooking Backward, 20001887 (1888)
A hugely influential, rather bureaucratic egalitarian/naïve communist utopia. Deals very well with the confusion of the modern (19th Century) protagonist in a world he hasnt helped create (see Bogdanov)
.
Alexander BogdanovThe Red Star: A Utopia (1908; trans. 1984)
This Bolshevik SF sends a revolutionary to socialist Mars. The books been criticized (with some justification) for being proto-Stalinist, but overall its been maligned. Deals well with the problem faced by someone trying to adjust to a new society s/he hasnt helped create (see Bellamy).
Emma Bull & Steven BrustFreedom & Necessity (1997)
Bull is a left-liberal and Brust is a Trotskyist fantasy writer.F&Nis set in the 19th Century of the Chartists and class turmoil. Its been described as the first Marxist steampunk or a fantasy for Young Hegelians.
Mikhail BulgakovThe Master and Margarita (1938; trans. 1967)
Astonishing fantasy set in 30s Moscow, featuring the Devil, Pontius Pilate, The Wandering Jew, and a satire and critique of Stalinist Russia so cutting it is unbelievable that it got past the censors. Utterly brilliant.
More;
http://theweeklyansible.tumblr.com/post/20777236577/50-sci-fi-fantasy-works-every-socialist-should
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50 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Works Every Socialist Should Read (Original Post)
Ichingcarpenter
Aug 2015
OP
eridani
(51,907 posts)1. Glad to see the Mars Trilogy on there n/t
haikugal
(6,476 posts)2. Thanks!
Love the Iain M. banks....Use Of Weapons book...his books are great reads.
Kick and rec...bookmarked too! I love science fiction..
kaiden
(1,314 posts)3. I would add The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacagalupi.