I really like the idea of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy setting that feels like the economics are fleshed out, or where they are the focus.
I can appreciate the settings where this is *totally, intentionally* discarded in order to pursue a more poetic affect (I’m thinking of some short stories by Ted Chiang, or Stanislaw Lem, or even Fromsoft games like Elden Ring) but in a lot of sci-fi/fantasy it seems like the author has simply not considered the mode of economic production very carefully while they were doing their little world-building.
Ursula Le Guin is, of course, the go-to here, with *Left Hand of Darkness* and especially *The Dispossessed* handling this well. I’ve also enjoyed Kim Stanley Robinson for *Aurora* and *Red Mars*. Who else is there?
by _tenhead
3 Comments
Dune
C.J. Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe deals a lot with interstellar trade and politics. Cyteen, Downbelow Station, Merchanter’s Luck, Heavy Time, Hellburner, Alliance Rising, Finity’s End, etc etc all well thought out
Hey there! I’m a big fan of sci-fi/fantasy with a focus on political economy as well. Here are a few more authors and works you might enjoy:
* Ann Leckie’s “Ancillary Justice” trilogy explores themes of identity, power, and the nature of personhood within a highly militarized and hierarchical interstellar society.
* Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” and “Parable of the Talents” depict a post-apocalyptic world where economic inequality and environmental degradation have created a deeply divided society.
* Cixin Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem” trilogy examines the ethical and political implications of advanced technology within the context of a rapidly changing global political landscape.
* NK Jemisin’s “Broken Earth” trilogy weaves together elements of fantasy, science fiction, and Afrofuturism to explore themes of oppression, revolution, and the power of storytelling.
* Marge Piercy’s “Woman on the Edge of Time” portrays a dystopian society where women are systematically oppressed and the protagonist travels between the present and a utopian future to witness the potential for both societal transformation and regression.