Looking For Two Libertarian SF Books
July 7, 2017 6:26 PM Subscribe
I have read a few SF books over the years that had Libertarian bases. There are two in particular I would like to find. Details follow:
First, from the 1970s (I think) a novel written by someone who claimed to be an elected Libertarian candidate in the Montana (I think) legislature. My google-fu has not succeeded in naming this person who, if I have the correct state, probably ran as an Independent. Anyway, in the book people live in isolated farm-based communities run by patriarchs. The labor is done by semi-slaves. Everyone, male and female, is trained in the use of firearms. (Possibly excluding the slaves, I don't recall.) The setup sounds much like early medieval Iceland, which I suspect was a model and why I want to re-read this thing. The plot was something about taking the energy supply/power grid away from a wealthy tyrant. Or something like that.
Second, from the 1950s, a book clearly based on Gulliver's Travels where the main character visits a variety of extraterrestrial societies. The one that is clearly the author's preference has only two laws: Don't bother other people; Don't be too easily bothered. The main character reflects that this would never work in his/our own, litigious, society. I believe this book had far greater circulation than the first one. I had a copy from the Science Fiction Book Club.
First, from the 1970s (I think) a novel written by someone who claimed to be an elected Libertarian candidate in the Montana (I think) legislature. My google-fu has not succeeded in naming this person who, if I have the correct state, probably ran as an Independent. Anyway, in the book people live in isolated farm-based communities run by patriarchs. The labor is done by semi-slaves. Everyone, male and female, is trained in the use of firearms. (Possibly excluding the slaves, I don't recall.) The setup sounds much like early medieval Iceland, which I suspect was a model and why I want to re-read this thing. The plot was something about taking the energy supply/power grid away from a wealthy tyrant. Or something like that.
Second, from the 1950s, a book clearly based on Gulliver's Travels where the main character visits a variety of extraterrestrial societies. The one that is clearly the author's preference has only two laws: Don't bother other people; Don't be too easily bothered. The main character reflects that this would never work in his/our own, litigious, society. I believe this book had far greater circulation than the first one. I had a copy from the Science Fiction Book Club.
My dad referred to your second story often (mostly when asked to arbitrate sibling disputes) - I don't recall him ever mentioning the title or author, but he definitely said it was a short story. So maybe look more in that direction, or maybe the author developed a short story into a novel.
posted by Kriesa at 6:44 PM on July 7, 2017
posted by Kriesa at 6:44 PM on July 7, 2017
Best answer: It doesn't match all your details, or at least not very well, but I wonder if your first book is L. Neil Smith's _The Probability Broach_? Or at least if that's one of the books that's gone into a composite memory?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:44 PM on July 7, 2017
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:44 PM on July 7, 2017
Best answer: Ok, I think I found the second. Is it "You were right, Joe" by JT McIntosh?
posted by Kriesa at 6:51 PM on July 7, 2017
posted by Kriesa at 6:51 PM on July 7, 2017
Response by poster: Kriesa: That sounds right, except that the story was grouped with others into a Gulliver's Travels type book. Thanks.
posted by CCBC at 7:04 PM on July 7, 2017
posted by CCBC at 7:04 PM on July 7, 2017
Response by poster: Just to add: MonkeyToes' link leads me to believe that I must have read this as part of an anthology, possibly Fourth Galaxy Reader, which, it turns out, I own a copy of.
posted by CCBC at 7:12 PM on July 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by CCBC at 7:12 PM on July 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: ROU_Xenophobe: I believe that must be it, even though Smith was not elected in Colorado. Thank you very much. AskMeFi comes through once again.
posted by CCBC at 7:18 PM on July 7, 2017
posted by CCBC at 7:18 PM on July 7, 2017
« Older How do I approach studying what I don't really... | Good Comics news and reviews site Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:33 PM on July 7, 2017