Libertarian science fiction is asubgenre ofscience fiction that focuses on the politics and social order implied byright-libertarian (especiallyAmerican libertarian) philosophies with an emphasis onindividualism and private ownership of the means of production—and in some casesanti-statism andanarcho-capitalism.[1]
As a category, libertarian fiction is unusual because the vast majority of its authors are self-identified as science fiction authors. This contrasts with the authors of much other social criticism who are largely academic or mainstream novelists who tend to dismiss any genre classification. The identification between libertarianism and science fiction is so strong that theLibertarian Party in the United States often has representatives atscience fiction conventions[citation needed] and one of the highest profile authors currently in the subgenre of libertarian science fiction,L. Neil Smith, was theArizona Libertarian Party's 2000 candidate for thePresident of the United States.[2]
As a genre, it can be seen[vague] as growing out of the 1930s and 1940s when the science-fictionpulp magazines were reaching their peak at the same time asfascism andcommunism. While this environment gave rise todystopian novels, in the pulps, this influence more often give rise to speculations about societies (or sub-groups) arising in direct opposition to "totalitarianism".
Ayn Rand's novelAtlas Shrugged is a strong (perhaps the strongest) influence with ananti-socialist attitude and an individualist ethic that echoes throughout the genre.[3] Of more direct relevance to the science fiction end of this genre is the work ofRobert A. Heinlein, particularly his novelThe Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, which is highly regarded even by non-libertarian science fiction readers. Some other prominent libertarian science fiction authors includeS. Andrew Swann[4] andMichael Z. Williamson.[5]
In 1979,L. Neil Smith founded an award for libertarian science fiction, thePrometheus Award. Since 1982, the award has been given out by the Libertarian Futurist Society "to provide encouragement to science fiction writers whose books examine the meaning of freedom". Some winners of the award identify as libertarians (L. Neil Smith,Victor Koman, andBrad Linaweaver), while others do not (Terry Pratchett andCharles Stross).
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