WE (Dystopian Classic)

Yevgeny Zamyatin

Dec 2023 · DigiCat

About this eBook

This eBook edition of "We" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. "We" is a dystopian novel which is set in a dystopian future police state. D-503 lives in the One State, an urban nation constructed almost entirely of glass, which allows the secret police/spies to inform on and supervise the public more easily. The structure of the state is analogous to the prison design concept developed by Jeremy Bentham commonly referred to as the Panopticon. Furthermore, life is organized to promote maximum productive efficiency along the lines of the system advocated by the hugely influential F. W. Taylor. People march in step with each other and wear identical clothing. There is no way of referring to people save by their given numbers. Males have odd numbers prefixed by consonants; females have even numbers prefixed by vowels. Along with Jack London's The Iron Heel, We is generally considered to be the grandfather of the satirical futuristic dystopia genre. Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884-1937) was a Russian author of science fiction and political satire. Due to his use of literature to criticize Soviet society, Zamyatin has been referred to as one of the first Soviet dissidents.

About the author

Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884–1937) was a Russian author, most famous for his dystopian novel 'We', a seminal work that influenced the genre of dystopian fiction. Born in the town of Lebedyan, Zamyatin was trained as a naval engineer, but his experiences during the Russian Revolution of 1905 compelled him to turn to literature as a medium of political and social exploration. Zamyatin was sympathetic to the Bolshevik cause early on and even participated in the revolution; however, he quickly became disillusioned with the Soviet system, which he saw as oppressive and stifling individuality and freedom ('We' Dystopian Classic: Introduction by Yevgeny Zamyatin, 2021 Edition). 'We' (1924) is set in a future society called the One State, ruled by the 'Benefactor' and followed by the book's protagonist, D-503. In this world, citizens have become mere numbers and live their lives strictly regulated by the state. The novel was banned in the Soviet Union for its implicit critique of collectivism and state control, prompting Zamyatin to request permission to leave the country permanently. Zamyatin's style often incorporated satirical and allegorical elements, effectively using science fiction to critique the socio-political landscape of his time. His work prefigures anti-utopian novels such as George Orwell's '1984' and Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World', both acknowledging a debt to Zamyatin's visionary perspective. Sadly, his critical views and literary talent were not recognised in his homeland during his lifetime. He died in poverty in Paris, his legacy as one of the forefathers of dystopian literature only gaining full recognition posthumously.