Fiction Books of Interest to
Lovers of Liberty
(in alphabetical order)
compiled by Donald Burger, Attorney at Law

Anthem, by Ayn Rand. Copyright 1938, 1946. Paperback. 123 pages.
There are several books out there in a genre called negalive utopias. Nineeteen Eighty-four is one. Farenheit 451 and Brave New World are others. Negative utopias address what happens when the state becomes all-powerful and attempts to control every aspect of an individual's life. Most writers of negative utopias paint a picture of advanced civilizations under such conditions. The State has harnessed the power of "progress" and science, all to the detriment of the individual. All the comforts of the latest gadgets are present, except that such advancements in civilization are at the beck and call of the authorities.
Rand paints a different picture. She posits that when individual liberty is squashed by the State, society deteriorates to a primitive state, not an "advanced" one. Sort of like what really happened in the USSR. She offers the view of the negative utopia as one lacking the benefits of science and civilization. She realized that thugs can destroy, but not create. Thus, a society ruled by thugs is one on the brink of collapse.
Anthem is the story of one man's revolt against this society.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein. Copyright 1966. Paperback. 302 pages.
Heinlein's writings are filled with liberty loving heroes. This particular novel is explicitly libertarian. The moon (Luna) is a twenty-first century penal colony for earth. And on the earth, in the twenty-first century, those who don't take orders well are the criminals. This novel is filled with both action and philosophy. Read it for inspiration.

Probability Broach, by L. Neil Smith. Copyright 1980. Paperback. 273 pages.
I love this book every time I read it. And I have read it more than once. More than twice, actually. Smith writes about a society where liberty is taken for granted, and taken seriously. The hero is a cop from Colorado who falls through a broach in the time-space continuum and into an alternative earth where the society is based on a serious appreciation for individual freedom. If you have ever wondered what such a paradise might be like, join Win Bear, our protagonist, and go for a visit. I promise you will enjoy the ride.

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