Author: Yevgeny Zamyatin
Title: We
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: 1924
Number of Pages: 203 pages
Geographical Setting: One State, formerly Earth
Time Period: A future totalitarian society that places value on obedience, rationale, and logic over imagination and emotion.
Plot Summary: D-503, a brilliant mathematician and loyal subject of One State-- an future version of Earth where the most highly-held ideal is a willingness to forsake individuality and subjugate yourself to the control of the government for the betterment of society-- has almost finished building Integral, a technologically superior vessel that will be used to explore the depths of space and assimilate any extraterrestrial races encountered, when he meets a beautiful and mysterious stranger called I-303. After being exposed, for the first time, to ancient vices such as cigarettes and alcohol, D-305 is slowly seduced into the web of a terrorist organization known as MELPHI who's goal is to reunite the citizens of One State with the "savages" in the natural world. Eventually, D-503 must chose between his long-held belief in the authority of the almighty One State, and the woman he has grown to love.
Subject Headings:
Russian fiction -- 20th century.
Satire, Russian.
Totalitarianism and literature.
Appeal: Adult fans of hardcore science fiction and dystopian literature.
3 terms that best describe this book: dystopian, thrilling, romance
Similar Authors and Works:
1984 by George Orwell -- Set in a totalitarian future, the story is one of illicit-love in a society where free-thought is forbidden and an all-powerful government keeps order through terror and lies. While blatantly re-writting history at will for the Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith begins an ill-fated romance with a woman named Julia, and is eventually hunted down by the Thought Police and arrested for treason.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley -- Another dystopian story set in a totalitarian future-- in this case a society in which genetic modification of human beings is routine and a premium is placed on genetic sameness-- that centers around an ill-fated romance and ends in tragedy.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro -- Ruth, Kathy and Tommy are students at Hailsham, an elite boarding school in England, where they are educated and raised by a cadre of "Guardians," and where a premium is placed on creativity. As they grow, they come to understand that they are different than normal people, and eventually it is revealed that Ruth, Kathy and Tommy are actually clones created for the sole purpose of organ-harvesting to support the lives of natural born humans. A love triangle between the three eventually evolves, and the story centers around their relationships as they struggle to come to terms with their ultimate purpose.
Great review, it was suspenseful. When reading a review the readers needs to clearly tell what genre the book is and your review definitely did that. I actually felt a little overwhelmed by all the technical language but it was good. I think it's great that you included subject headings, as a former cataloger, I know how hard it is to give an itme subject headings without reading the book.
ReplyDelete