Political ideas in science fiction

Political ideas in science fiction

Explanations or commentary on political ideas are commonplace in works of science fiction. Dystopias offer obvious opportunities to explore poltiical ideology but so too do stories about encounters with non-human intelligences: extraterrestrial, machine and trans-human. The political ideas explored in science fiction range from seemingly futuristic avant garde political theories to expressions of "timeless" contemporary prejudices. The escapist appeal of science fiction means that many writers and readers embrace libertarianism [1] or militarism, or both. The libertarian and militarist themes in the novels written by Robert A. Heinlein are barely distinguishable from lecturing. [2] More subtle approaches include explorations of the costs incurred in pursuing contradictory ideals. John Barnes explores the effects of globalization in his Million Open Doors series of novels.

Examples by Concept

• Assassination
  • Poul Anderson. 1968. "A Man to My Wounding," in The Horn of Time. New York: Signet. No ISBN. pages 27-43.
• Ethical Anarchism
  • Ursula K. LeGuin. The Dispossessed
• Fascism
  • Norman Spinrad. The Iron Dream.
• Legal Personality
  • Roger Macbride Allen. 1992. Modular Man. New York: Bantam. ISBN 0553295594.
• Libertarianism
  • Robert A. Heinlein. 1966 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. New York: Tom Doherty. ISBN 0312863551. (also group marriage)
• Militarism
  • Orson Scott Card Ender's Game. (also child soldiers )
  • Robert A. Heinlein Starship Troopers.
• Social Credit
  • Robert A. Heinlein. For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs. Heinlein's first published novel was an exploration of para-capitalist economic theory and bears the obvious imprint of the New Deal.
• Mind Control, Mind Reading and Paranoia
  • Alfred Bester. 1953. The Demolished Man.
  • Thomas M. Disch. 1968. Camp Concentration.
  • Philip K. Dick.
  • Ira Levin. 1970. This Perfect Day. New York: Fawcett. ISBN 49902638175. (anticipates contemporary anxiety about the socal effects of widespread anti-depressant drug use)
• National Security State
  • Rex Gordon. 1969. The Yellow Fraction. New York: Ace. ISBN 44194350060. pp. 26-28.
• Native Reservation
  • Fred Hoyle. 1967, 1968. "The Martians," in Element 79. New York: Signet. No ISBN. pp. 70-91.
• Nepotism
  • John Barnes. 2001. The Merchant of Souls. New York: Tor. ISBN 0812589696. pp. 119-120.
• Pacifism
  • Ursula K. LeGuin. The Dispossessed.
• Plutocracy
  • Max Barry. 2003. Jennifer Government. New York: Vintage. ISBN 1400030927. pp. 238-239. (also globalization )
  • Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth. 1952, 1953. The Space Merchants New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 345026004.
• Proportional Representation
  • David Brin. 1999. Foundation's Triumph. New York: Harper Torch. ISBN 0061056391. p. 65.
  • Scott Westerfeld. 2003. The Killing of Worlds. New York: Tor. ISBN 0765308500. p. 298.
• Racism
  • Arthur C. Clarke. 1953. Childhood's End. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 90-91.
  • Norman Spinrad. Bug Jack Barron.
• Revolution
  • Norman Spinrad. The Men in the Jungle. (also cannibalism )
• Secrecy
  • Although encounters between humanity and non-human intelligences serve as the primary theme in the series of novels by Arthur C. Clarke that began with 2001: A Space Odyssey, they are also a commentary on the irrationality and deadly consequences produced by Cold War military secrecy.
• Theocracy
  • In Revolt in 2100, Robert A. Heinlein describes a future conservative Christian theocracy ruling what had been the United States of America.
• Totalitarianisim
  • George Orwell 1948. Nineteen Eighty-Four
  • John Barnes explores the nature of totalitarianism in his Meme Wars novels: Candle and The Sky So Big and Black, which involve the threat of a hegemonic software program One True that takes control of both individual human minds and entire human societies.
• Treason
  • Rex Gordon. 1969. The Yellow Fraction. New York: Ace. ISBN 44194350060. pp. 28-30.

References

• Thomas M. Disch. 1998. The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World. New York: Touchstone Books. ISBN 0684824051.
• H. Bruce Franklin 1980. Robert A. Heinlein: America as Science Fiction. New York : Oxford University Press, 1980.