I finished May’s RFB book, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Leguin, a few minutes ago. Great book. It was published 50 years ago, and it still reads as if it is commenting on the contemporary world. I good sign of it being a powerful work of art. The book is set on the two worlds of Annaris, and Urras; worlds which share a common people, but very divergent ideologies. Annaris’s being anarchy, and Urras—capitalism. On Annaris the populace pursues their own interests as long as they do not harm others, each of the citizens taking turns with the tasks which benefit all by either volunteering or by lottery. Everybody is taken care of during hard times, and everyone works to help each other survive on a very hostile world. While on Urras people are caught up in the manipulative games, which help the individual get ahead. The planet is divided into competing countries which are often at war, while the countries are built upon a caste system where there are owners and workers. This is not to say that Leguin sees one as a paradise and the other as despicable. Annaris has over time lost much of its revolutionary drive and there are cliques of special interests who resist change and innovation, where on Urras, the governments have, through strict control, managed to create a world of beauty if not equality. In addition to the obvious political themes of communalism and capitalism, the book has strong currents of feminist thought, class, science and creativity; loyalty, love and friendship. It was a fun read full of ideas and possibilities which I like in Science Fiction.
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