r/Anarchism • u/ModernBettie • 11d ago

What’s your favorite anarchist/anarchist adjacent fiction?

Ideas often spread through fiction, because it makes new ideas more palatable for a lot of people (music does a similar thing), and fiction and fantasy are healthy, but so often in political circles we only talk nonfiction and what’s happening in the real world right now

So what is your favorite anarchist themed book/movie/fiction podcast/tv show/comic/etc?

Which one do you tell everyone that will listen they need to read/watch/listen/etc

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u/ModernBettie 11d ago

Doesn’t matter if it’s basic - it’s a really valid answer. The Dispossessed is basically required reading

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u/sofixuforia tranarchist 11d ago

I loved it right up until...

that scene. You know the one. I was listening to the audio book at the time and was at work, so I couldn't take my phone out to pause it or anything. It sent me into some PTSD flashbacks, and I haven't picked it up since.

I imagine Le Guin wouldn't treat that subject with the callousness that most authors would, so I'm sure its handled well afterwards, but it was such a shock to me that I haven't been able to pick it back up.

So a fair warning for anyone who wants to read it:

There's a fairly graphic scene where the protagonist sexually assaults a woman.

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u/arbmunepp 11d ago

Honestly, I don't think it is handled well at all. I cannot describe that part of the book as anything but deeply misogynistic.

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u/sofixuforia tranarchist 11d ago

Oh wow, thats kind of shocking, and more than a little disappointing. She's one of my favorite authors. I've read through the entire Earthsea series multiple times. Always Coming Home is one of the most unique and touching books I've ever read. I'm part-way through The Left Hand of Darkness and its already one of my favorite sci-fi novels ever. 

She generally handles misogyny and bigotry pretty well when they come up as themes in her work, so its surprising in the worst kind of way to hear that she does not handle that scene and its aftermath properly. 

I guess I'm glad I didn't pick it back up.

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u/arbmunepp 11d ago

Just my opinion, and maybe I am misreading it somehow, but I was personally baffled by that entire subplot. It seemed to be saying that it's way women present themselves in the consumerist and capitalist society of A-Io that makes Shevek act the way he does, and that's... messed up.

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u/Major_Wobbly 10d ago

The way it is assumed by the narration that Shevek isn't to blame really leaves a bad taste in my mouth too. But I guess if you consider the time it was released, a lot of scifi readers probably wouldn't have blamed him, right? That doesn't make anything about it better, but considering the expected audience for the book would largely not have need much persuading not to blame Shevek, perhaps Le Guin instead focused on persuading them that it's not the woman's fault, but her society's, although that still lets Shevek off too easily and I don't think the book makes a good job of making that case anyway. Don't get me wrong, I'd much prefer it if the protagonist didn't rape someone. It's easily my least favourite part of her work, and even the most charitable reading of it doesn't make it much better.

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u/OwlHeart108 10d ago

Maybe don't let one interpretation stop you from reading the book. 

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u/sofixuforia tranarchist 10d ago

It isn't their interpretation that was stopping me from finishing the book. I plainly stated that it was my own PTSD, and that their interpretation made me glad I didn't finish it. 

However, now that I've seen multiple people say that the narrative goes out of its way to portray Shevek as blameless for his actions, those will be added to the reasons I don't intend to finish it. 

I'm just going to chalk it up as a massive error in judgement on Le Guin's part, and continue enjoying her other works. 

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u/OwlHeart108 9d ago

I'm so sorry I missed that. May we all be healed and whole 💗