Political Theory, Science Fiction, and Utopian Literature: Ursula K. Le Guin and The Dispossessed

by Tony Burns

Overview

Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed is of interest to political theorists partly because of its association with anarchism and partly because it is thought to represent a turning point in the history of utopian/dystopian political thought and literature and of science fiction. Published in 1974, it marked a revival of utopianism after decades of dystopian writing. According to this widely accepted view The Dispossessed represents a new kind of literary utopia, which Tom Moylan calls a "critical utopia."

The present work challenges this reading of The Dispossessed and its place in the histories of utopian/dystopian literature and science fiction. It explores the difference between traditional literary utopia and novels and suggests that The Dispossessed is not a literary utopia but a novel about utopianism in politics. Le Guin's concerns have more to do with those of the novelists of the 19th century writing in the tradition of European Realism than they do with the science fiction or utopian literature. It also claims that her theory of the novel has an affinity with the ancient Greek tragedy. This implies that there is a conservatism in Le Guin's work as a creative writer, or as a novelist, which fits uneasily with her personal commitment to anarchism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739122822
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	05/13/2008
Pages:	330
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 9.46(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Anthony Burns is associate professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Table of Contents
Chapter 2 Dedication
Chapter 3 Acknowledgments
Chapter 4 1 Introduction
Chapter 5 2 Science Fiction and the History of Utopian Literature: H.G. Wells, Zamyatin, and Le Guin
Chapter 6 3 Le Guin's Dialectical Approach to Questions of Philosophy and Politics
Chapter 7 4 Science and Progress in the Writings of Zamyatin and Le Guin
Chapter 8 5 Le Guin'sThe Dispossessed and Utopian Literature
Chapter 9 6 Politics and Literature in the Writings of Le Guin
Chapter 10 7 Ethics in the Writings of Le Guin
Chapter 11 8 Anarchist Politics in Zamyatin and Le Guin
Chapter 12 9 Conservatism in the Writings of Le Guin
Chapter 13 10 Conclusion: Le Guin and Radical Politics Today
Chapter 14 Bibliography
Chapter 15 Index

Editorial Reviews

Perhaps the most detailed and certainly one of the most widely researched studies yet done on Le Guin’s masterpiece.

Carl Freedman

Burns offers a meticulously researched book that makes a somewhat maverick contribution.

Science Fiction Studies

The Dispossessed may well be the most widely read book in the United States to seriously approach the question of what an anarchist society might look like….Both of these volumes are solid pieces of scholarship, well grounded in the relevant literature….Students of utopian studies would find both rewarding.

Anarcho-Syndicalist Review

Burns offers a meticulously researched book that makes a somewhat maverick contribution.

March 2009 Science Fiction Studies

The Dispossessed may well be the most widely read book in the United States to seriously approach the question of what an anarchist society might look like….Both of these volumes are solid pieces of scholarship, well grounded in the relevant literature….Students of utopian studies would find both rewarding.

Spring 2011 Anarcho-Syndicalist Review

Perhaps the most detailed and certainly one of the most widely researched studies yet done on Le Guin's masterpiece.--Carl Freedman, professor and director of graduate studies, Louisiana State University

Burns offers a meticulously researched book that makes a somewhat maverick contribution.--Science Fiction Studies, March 2009

The Dispossessed may well be the most widely read book in the United States to seriously approach the question of what an anarchist society might look like....Both of these volumes are solid pieces of scholarship, well grounded in the relevant literature....Students of utopian studies would find both rewarding.--Anarcho-Syndicalist Review, Spring 2011

From the Publisher