This is a very early entry in the list of great 20th-century dystopian novels. Zamyatin's thinly-veiled parody of Soviet totalitarianism was not publishable in the Soviet Union during his lifetime. I was surprised at how similar it was to Orwell's "1984". "We" is sillier, not as polished, but all the major themes are there. It doesn't really work as "sci-fi", but the psychological stuff is good. The narrator is struggling with being a rational, soulless and happy State worker vs. being free. One nitpick on the translator's math, or possibly Zamyatin's math. The narrator repeatedly identifies "the square root of minus one" with "irrational numbers", which make him feel uneasy, as he's such a boastfully rational person. Well, no, that's not how "irrational numbers" are defined. Either Zamyatin or the translator has conflated "irrational" numbers with "complex" or "imaginary" numbers. Wikipedia's page on "We" discusses Zamyatin's "imaginary" numbers, but this English translation goes in a different direction. The word this translator uses elsewhere for "imagination" is "fancy". Also, dialog too often trails off into ellipses, which is annoying when you are anticipating some plot exposition.
EM Forster's "The Machine Stops" is a terrific little prescient cautionary tale. It's freely available online because it's in the public domain. If you want a physical copy to read, it might be better to Google it and print out the 30 or so pages. This printed version from Warbler press is riddled with distracting scanning errors.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankenstein by Mary Shelley | Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott | Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy | We by Yevgeny Zamyatin | The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson | A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay | |
| Customer Reviews |
277
|
189
|
4
|
4
|
16
|
26
|
| Price | $11.20 | $7.95 | $11.20 | $13.20 | $7.95 | $11.20 |
| Science Fiction Classics from Warbler Press | “When falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness?” —Mary Shelly, Frankenstein | “Flatland could lead to very profound thought about our Universe and ourselves.” —Isaac Asimov | ”One of the most remarkable books ever published in America.” —Erich Fromm | “Superior to Huxley’s Brave New World.” —George Orwell | “Stevenson’s creepy literary creation raises intriguing questions about the world and how we operate within it.” —The Guardian | “The real father of my planet books is David Lindsay’s Voyage to Arcturus…” —C. S. Lewis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne | Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne | The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells | The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells | The Time Machine by H. G. Wells | The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells | |
| Customer Reviews |
9
|
7
|
27
|
3
|
8
|
10
|
| Price | $11.20 | $13.20 | $9.09 | $9.20 | $7.20 | $9.20 |
| Science Fiction Classics from Warbler Press | “The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived.” —Arthur C. Clarke | “No one told Jules Verne he was a science fiction writer, but he invented the 20th century.” —Walter Mosley | "Intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slow and surely drew their plans against us." —from the book | “The minds of all of us would be perceptibly different if Wells had never existed.” —George Orwell | What impresses me it is to see how you contrive to give over humanity into the clutches of the Impossi-ble and yet manage to keep it down (or up) to its humanity, to its flesh, blood, sorrow, folly. THAT is achievement!” —Joseph Conrad | “The Island of Dr. Moreau takes us into an abyss of human nature. This book is a superb piece of storytelling.” —V. S. Pritchett |
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
