tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post8679981804193691945..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: Wookie Utopias?Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-54473140505735772752010-03-16T11:11:39.711-04:002010-03-16T11:11:39.711-04:00Daniel Suarez!
Daemon / Freedom - what Neil Steph...Daniel Suarez!<br /><br />Daemon / Freedom - what Neil Stephenson _should_ have written after Cryptonomicon.<br /><br />Double-win: the audiobooks are very well done. The production was right up there with World War Z. Awesome!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-17353842357468757302010-03-04T19:11:16.748-05:002010-03-04T19:11:16.748-05:00Thanks for listing Alongside Night, which has one ...Thanks for listing Alongside Night, which has one advantage over all the other still-in-copyright books -- you can download and read it for FREE!<br /><br />Over 76,000 downloads so far of the free 30th anniversary PDF edition which is at http://www.alongsidenight.net<br /><br />Psst! Alongside Night! Pass it ON!J. Neil Schulmanhttp://jneilschulman.rationalreview.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-50423908983297382432010-03-01T18:43:23.772-05:002010-03-01T18:43:23.772-05:00Molon Labe! is one I am kind of partial to.Molon Labe! is one I am kind of partial to.Sean Galthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488372355349027317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-33857573363515869022010-03-01T11:17:59.174-05:002010-03-01T11:17:59.174-05:00The Third Revolution and Middle America by Anthony...The Third Revolution and Middle America by Anthony Lewis are good primers on libertarian thought.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03625557682819115254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-52735765171447860592010-03-01T09:21:16.611-05:002010-03-01T09:21:16.611-05:00Not sure author name but Pallus (spelling?) was a ...Not sure author name but Pallus (spelling?) was a fun book about colonizing (the moon?). A free society existed outside the govt commune, kid in th commune builds a simple radio, hears their broadcasts, escapes, learns about conservative values.<br /><br />Atlas kept me awake first time I read it as a lib. Once I got past the first 100 pages I was hooked. Stayed up most of the night, read it at work when the boss wasn't around and finished in 3 days/nights. Changed my whole outlook on life and the world. Thank you Ayn Rand! Larry WeeksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-11395036724918080922010-03-01T09:03:35.088-05:002010-03-01T09:03:35.088-05:00The Venus Equilateral stories do pretty well, thou...The Venus Equilateral stories do pretty well, though the libertarianism is in the background (Anyone think today that VE would be allowed to operate with as little governmental oversight as they did?) Bonus points for gonzo engineering.<br /><br />Honorverse is as llibertarian as you're likely to get in a monarchy (and the vote is denied to people who take more .gov money than they pay in taxes!)<br /><br />Conterexample: Hammer's Slammers is a universe where the .gov's *are* a bunch of Somali warlords (more or less).Ian Argenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03704336044732061128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-64699434518945118912010-03-01T07:48:06.502-05:002010-03-01T07:48:06.502-05:00I always thought Starship Troopers was pretty utop...I always thought Starship Troopers was pretty utopian.Bramnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-42529563666266331752010-02-28T20:10:20.102-05:002010-02-28T20:10:20.102-05:00I echo the suggestions of others for H. Beam Piper...I echo the suggestions of others for H. Beam Piper, MZW, and L. Neil Smith's works, (Probability Broach is good, as is Pallas, but his most recent work is "Ceres", and it's good. ) Heinlein's "Time enough for Love" is not explicitly Libertarian, but it does exhibit strong anti-authoritarian tendencies.<br /><br />For those interested in the journey to a libertarian society, I suggest Vin Suprynowicz' "the Black Arrow." He writes fiction surprisingly well for an editorial commentator.<br /><br />Two oldies but goodies are by Jules Verne- "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," and "Mysterious Island." Captain Nemo is probably the original anti-statist libertarian.<br /><br />You might also enjoy "The curious Republic of Gondor" by Samuel Clemons.LMWatBullRunnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-40988995466350920422010-02-28T18:06:34.527-05:002010-02-28T18:06:34.527-05:00The Probability Broach is also available as a comi...The Probability Broach is also available as a comicbook!<br /><br />http://www.bigheadpress.com/tpbtgnVaaroknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-48059720533524407712010-02-28T15:20:57.097-05:002010-02-28T15:20:57.097-05:00Deathwish, I read that one standing up in the book...Deathwish, I read that one standing up in the bookstore, and yes it is good. (Madmike forgave me, as I have negative net worth)<br /><br />I think his funniest is "Better to Beg Forgiveness" which I actually bought. There is some hilarious Tuckerizing in it, most 'specially the Ginmar beast.<br /><br />I want, no, I want a report from someone else who had a date with the Elke Sykora character.Justthisguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17277333206171756636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-67921596467981307772010-02-28T13:35:08.706-05:002010-02-28T13:35:08.706-05:00Michael Z. Williamson's Contact With Chaos may...Michael Z. Williamson's <i>Contact With Chaos</i> may be considered more Wookietopian than <i>Freehold</i>. (It takes place years after the war described in <i>Freehold</i> and <i>The Weapon</i>, and those pesky Earthers have managed to field a diplomat who is not incompetent, nor a complete fascist...)<br /><br />WV: sophisms. Really.Dranghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08082177597135236652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-38952473689289262312010-02-28T12:58:07.373-05:002010-02-28T12:58:07.373-05:00Shh! He's sleeping! :PShh! He's sleeping! :PJoelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03442354270552212335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-77857149280055735172010-02-28T12:23:49.339-05:002010-02-28T12:23:49.339-05:00?
It's the second book I mentioned.?<br /><br />It's the second book I mentioned.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-11007630923375417062010-02-28T11:49:18.415-05:002010-02-28T11:49:18.415-05:00I assume Alongside Night doesn't make the list...I assume <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alongside_Night" rel="nofollow">Alongside Night</a> doesn't make the list because it's not pretty enough? Pretty is in the eye of the beholder though...aczarnowskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-9137882267269109542010-02-28T10:05:14.027-05:002010-02-28T10:05:14.027-05:00Nathan, "Unintended Consequences" takes ...Nathan, "Unintended Consequences" takes that long to get started for a good reason. It needs that much to sufficiently review the history you probably weren't taught in school. Without that, the reader won't know how much we've lost and nor understand the reason for events in the last half of the book.Chris Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12730570977897344874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-19069478814918425772010-02-28T08:20:45.135-05:002010-02-28T08:20:45.135-05:00I can't believe nobody's mentioned "A...I can't believe nobody's mentioned "And Then There Were None" by Eric Frank Russell. Granted it's more of a novelet or very long "short" story than a novel, it's got to be the prototype wookietopia. MYOB!<br /><br />http://www.abelard.org/e-f-russell.phpJoelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03442354270552212335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-56718334201740782722010-02-28T07:20:18.920-05:002010-02-28T07:20:18.920-05:00Stranger,
No, I mean "wookie-suiter utopias&...Stranger,<br /><br />No, I mean "wookie-suiter utopias"; places with minimal coercive government and maximum personal freedom. (Yet which aren't full of Somali warlords.)Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-5238105447398840312010-02-28T07:14:48.413-05:002010-02-28T07:14:48.413-05:00That depends on your "utopia." A place w...That depends on your "utopia." A place where the pantry is always stocked, the neverfailing sources of energy are free, there are enough people to interact with, and strife is unknown would fit many people's definition. Much of Ray Gallun's 1920's and '30's output, and some of Asimov's Robot series comes to mind. <br /><br />On the other hand, a really good translation of Plato's Republic provides the original Utopia in pleasant enough form. Although it fails the pantry/energy/peace test and is impractical ideal - unless as Plato is reputed to have said "We shall all have slaves."<br /><br />StrangerStrangerhttp://extranosalley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-32258895340750358252010-02-28T01:35:12.343-05:002010-02-28T01:35:12.343-05:00We should also consider defense against statist or...We should also consider defense against statist or technocratic utopias. For that, it might make sense to consider a book by an author who is usually associated with the technocratic side but got better. Such an author can speak the language better.<br /><br />In other words, I recommend <i>The End of Eternity</i> by Isaac Asimov. In <i>The End of Eternity</i>, all of history is planned by the Eternals, planners who really are all-wise because they have time travel and can see what the effects of their actions will be, ... and they still manage to make a mess of things:<br /><br />Sample quote:<br /><br />"Any system like Eternity which allows men to choose their own future will end by choosing safety and mediocrity, and in such a Reality the stars are out of reach."Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720409839023747889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-55111933743368417662010-02-27T22:58:30.474-05:002010-02-27T22:58:30.474-05:00Iain M. Banks Culture series.
He comes at Wookiet...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iain-M.-Banks/e/B000APXAVG/ref=sr_tc_tag_2?qid=1267329343&sr=1-2-ent" rel="nofollow">Iain M. Banks</a> Culture series.<br /><br />He comes at Wookietopia from the far left ... but it does hang together well, and even makes economic sense.<br /><br />If production and resources are so cheap that goods are as expensive as water from a drinking fountain, then your economy is based on people's time and attention rather than work or scarcity.<br /><br />His Culture is an Anarcho-Syndicalist's utopia ... and he imagined it right. If a libertarian were to be dropped into it, they would just consider him a bit odd and leave him aloneKristophrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370888276707569365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-56165192880686544472010-02-27T22:44:13.197-05:002010-02-27T22:44:13.197-05:00"TJP said...
The Constitution of the United ..."TJP said...<br /><br />The Constitution of the United States of America."<br /><br />TJP wins the Internet. <br /><br />I liked Stephen King's "The Stand" as utopian literature. Wiping out 90-plus percent of the world's population would get rid of pretty much everything that I hate most about our society. Reality TV. Inflation. The worst of the politicians and lawyers.Sarahhttp://sarahandmom.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-14982791416400294292010-02-27T22:21:50.269-05:002010-02-27T22:21:50.269-05:00Note that it is sometimes helpful to remind onesel...Note that it is sometimes helpful to remind oneself that "utopia" is Latin for "No place."Dranghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08082177597135236652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-54231247120298250202010-02-27T21:44:55.466-05:002010-02-27T21:44:55.466-05:00Chris M: I hate to tell you, but any book that ta...Chris M: I hate to tell you, but any book that takes 400 pages to get started is going to lose me on page 50, if not before. :)Fuzzy Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802539927743643041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-84420652109003999172010-02-27T21:32:01.754-05:002010-02-27T21:32:01.754-05:00"Look in your used SF bookstore for a copy of..."Look in your used SF bookstore for a copy of Piper's "Four Day Planet" and "Lone Star Planet"; they combined both novelettes into one volume back in the early '70's."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/p#a8301" rel="nofollow">Both available for free on Gutenberg.</a> As is most of his work.Fuzzy Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802539927743643041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-9083898680778424182010-02-27T20:31:43.010-05:002010-02-27T20:31:43.010-05:00"best wookie-suiter utopias?"
Is that w..."best wookie-suiter utopias?"<br /><br />Is that where the rainbow-farting unicorns live?Pathfindernoreply@blogger.com