The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed

by Laurence Davis, Peter R. Stillman

The Dispossessed has been described by political thinker Andre Gorz as 'The most striking description I know of the seductions―and snares―of self-managed communist or, in other words, anarchist society.' To date, however, the radical social, cultural, and political ramifications of Le Guin's multiple award-winning novel remain woefully under explored. Editors Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman right this state of affairs in the first ever collection of original essays devoted to Le Guin's novel. Among the topics covered in this wide-ranging, international and interdisciplinary collection are the anarchist, ecological, post-consumerist, temporal, revolutionary, and open-ended utopian politics of The Dispossessed. The book concludes with an essay by Le Guin written specially for this volume, in which she reassesses the novel in light of the development of her own thinking over the past 30 years.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Utopia, Literature, Dystopia, Politics

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Maria Longley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. A whole bunch of people writing about one of my favourite books looking at all sorts of different angles. Some saying things I agree with, some I didn't, some new ideas etc = lots of fun.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Le Guin's novel, I was eager to discuss it with others. However, no one else I knew read it, so this was a satisfying and educational alternative! I had already gone over some of the ideas in my head (albeit in more plebian terms), but there were many others introduced by the contributing scholars that I did not even consider.

[Simon B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unlikely you'll ever pick up this book unless you have a particularly strong interest in The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia. But if you have such an interest this is a rewarding essay collection that approaches the novel from some interestingly different angles.

“What becomes apparent when the two narrative lines are seen in context is that the Odonian revolution that founded Anarres can only be understood in the context of the social inequities of Urras that created it, and, conversely, that Shevek’s capacity to make a decisive intervention in the ongoing revolutionary struggle on Urras is actually the result of his socialization by the society that brands him a dissident.” - Chris Ferns

"“Le Guin’s argument for Anarres is suggested both in the story she tells and the way she tells it. Her novel persistently portrays private property and political power interfering with human self-realization by disrupting genuine community, undermining equality, and constraining freedom—in part by blocking open communication. Only a society which relieves individuals of property and relations of power can permit the kind of open communication which allows human beings to freely realize themselves.” - Avery Plaw

[CJ Cowtools · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing!!!

[tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I didn't read all of it, but the essays I did get to were interesting and smart.