The Utopia of Us: An Anthology Inspired by Yevgeny Zamyatin's We edited by Teika Marijia Smits

I would like to thank Luna Press Publishing for an advance copy of this anthology in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Luna Press Publishing

Published – Out Now

Price – £16.99 paperback £4.99 Kindle eBook

The year 2024 marks the centenary of the first publication of the hugely significant novel We by the Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin. The direct inspiration for George Orwell's 1984, We also influenced many other novels, such as Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed and Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano. We ushered in a new genre - the future dystopia - and in doing so gave birth to the many dystopian novels and films which have found their way into our popular culture.

Inspired by Zamyatin's ground-breaking novel, The Utopia of Us features stories by some of the most imaginative of today's writers of speculative fiction, including Aliya Whiteley, R.T. Ester, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Anne Charnock, Tim Major, Anna Orridge, Douglas Thompson, Nadya Mercik, Liam Hogan, Fiona Mossman, Ian Whates, Michael Teasdale, Ana Sun, Rayn Epremian, and Sofia Samatar. A timely and necessary celebration of We, The Utopia of Us offers the reader stories of hope and despair, wonder and brutality. Most of all, The Utopia of Us reminds us of our humanity.

Due to Russia's current war with Ukraine, royalties from the book will be donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

The dystopian tale is a staple part of science fiction particularly over the last century. The idea of states that control and oppress has been seen in history (and our present) to devastating impact. Fiction too has explored dystopias from The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984 and earlier than them all Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We which celebrates its centenary this year A tale born out of the author’s own experiences in the fledgling Soviet Union. A novel that has very much help shape the future of the genre. In Teika Marija Smits’ excellent The Utopia of Us – An Anthology Inspired by Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We a host of 21st century author come together to explore what We and the concept of a cruel utopia means for us still.

Intrinsic – Extrinsic – Terrific by Aliya Whiteley – This opening tale helps introduce the reader to the concepts of the world that we explored. A world where everyone is monitored and those working for the state would be known by their designation. Our narrator here U914 lives underground in the United State monitoring those travelling on the underground; endlessly listening to conversations and when necessary sending electrical signals to those acting incorrectly. But one day our listener ends up fascinated by one woman who talks for a new spacecraft heading to the stars.  It’s a fascinating world but here we also get effectively a govt spy finding themselves taken over by an optimistic vision. Is it love, ambition or just hope. It’s a story of unexpected changes and a reminder that in controlled dystopias humans tend to still want to follow their dreams.

Engine – The Blast – Antiques for Okras by R T Ester – this is a very different type of tale and explores the idea that the instigation for We was a rocket blast. Here ester imagines a world where a techbros experiment ends up changing the world but not quite as expected- the stars are invisible; birds now lay Orkas and it’s a very strange almost fantastical world here we go through the generations of a family as they adapt. Almost a slice of life tale but the world lived in is fascinating strange.

Obstructive Nodes – The Etiquette of Complaint – A Pest Problem by Adrian Tchaikovsky – This is a fascinating story of people all carefully placed in exactly the role the all-powerful state requires. Here V-330 is one of a group taking messages going through the state, encrypting them further and sending them onto the next person. But an unseen co-worker sends humorous messages on a note to them. It’s a black comedy of a SF tale as V-330 gets so upset that someone is not taking their job seriously and then we slowly see the consequences of this jobsworth’s protests. But it also explores how constant control can’t really bind a human being for ever. It is though a tale with a lot of bite in the end. This is not a safe place to go off piste.

The Earth Heals – Silent Days – Vagaries and Savagery by Anne Charnock – Here we follow the groups required to tend the world’s remaining food stock and our narrator is getting frustrated that she is constantly required to obey the rules and not explore the wider worlds. Here is that regular theme in a world of full control, total obedience and statis how do people help change. Argue or something more direct and how much does that lead to. A simple desire to see over the horizon can still upset the apple cart.

Production – Pristine White – Pale Green by Tim Major – In this story we get almost to explore how the landscape of We has inspired so many movie images in art and movies – from Metropolis to Blade Runner. Her ewe geta eerie dreamlike set of scenes with a camera woman getting obsessed with the glass city being constantly filmed and how this crosses into her unhappy personal life. The ordered city of a dystopia can be a powerful refuge to seek yourself finding from the pain of life.

Bittersweet Feast – The persistence of Swine – To Savour Dawn by Anna Orridge – a fascinating question in a dystopian world what do people eat? In we its jelly with a touch of petroleum – nutritious but taste is rare and indeed frowned upon. Our main character is in a cookery class with a difference and seems to be set up by their teacher. It shows the power of control where the world even permits only certain foods and tastes to be allowed. But can humans only survive on jelly. The hints of subversion in this are fascinating and the way we get to imagine a world with no decent food.

In Praise of TwoState – Epiphanies – The Morning After by Doiughlas Thompson – Possibly my favourite of the collection and the most disquieting is the way this story that discusses a place called TwoState feels so much our world just to the left. Its critique of being a in a world of rich and poor living alongside but not interacting much, opinions and non-opinions and so many other points remind us our own world can easily feel dystopian regularly. Our narrator themselves is revealed to be two people at once and the tawdriness of their secrets makes us view them in different ways – are they created by the world or a symptom why the world is this this way. Thought-provoking.

Buoy – Perfect Citizen – Mother by Nadya Mercik – a disturbing tale explores a facet of We that children are taken from their mothers and in this tale it explores how women are not even aware they are pregnant even up to birth. We watch one woman’s unexpected live birth; the doctor brought into see why these unscheduled events are happening and what would happen if we have a sweep of divided unknown families across the land. Haunting and yet holds a note of kindness not giving int.

A Peculiar Job – The Wash – Someone Waiting For Me by Liam Hogan is a fascinating tale initially about a world where the desire for an amazing VR device is slowly swallowing people into a world where no thoughts cannot be shared - one single way of life. The sinister nature of this device creates strange imagery – people all laughing at one joke in a bar saying nothing but then we start to explore why our narrator does this job of induction. There is in this strange dark world a moment of tenderness and love I didn’t see coming and while you may not condone all actions you certainly end the tale understanding people a lot more – why would anyone support the bad guys.

The Library is Perfect – An Error – underwater by Fiona Mossman – a seemingly endless library with a place for every single book is the setting and our main character a librarian very proud of her ability to catalogue perfectly. But this tale explores the idea of learning that systems are neither perfect nor the only way to do things. It’s a delightful tale of learning the power of subversion and a sly piece of rebellion can never hurt.

Education – The Final Ingredient – The Cost of Living by Ian Whates – A mischievous dark tale where our main character wors in a difficult workspace still trying to grow food but something is wrong. The privileged schoolkids who visit taunt the workers but just possibly there are other lessons you can learn as to what the world may need to grow in a Dahl-like fashion. A smile may be raised on this one

Art Crime – Artifacts – Age of Birds by Michael Teasdale – Another hugely enjoyable story where our monitor of the world is disquieted by someone putting a simple bit of graffiti on a building. The power of art; how states love to control it and the slow impact this may have on people gets explored ain lots of interesting ways and the final scene reminds us art can free people and are very hard to control when it reaches a critical mass.

Anatomy of Emption – The Carving of Chance – Seize The moon by Ana Sun – A slightly different tale in those who live outside the world with a lot of traditions and we have a character who fears the world and lives by the power of 20-sided die. The feeling of being an outsider in a society; a desire to be controlled and a fear of being spontaneous gets explored in a very hopeful way with romance even in hard worlds.

Swimming-Hunger – A rusted Drum – A Ruinous Discovery by Rayn Epremian – one of the most disturbing tales set on a Martian colony and told one a recruiter for the state whose subject starts to raise alarm bells. The simple quiet narration and use of government terminology for horrible things is mixed with someone realising that their life has nothing. The horrible tensions here go into a dangerous climax. A troubling and powerful story.

The Integral – True Literature – Everything Is blooming by Sofia Samatar – In trademark compelling poetic style we get an archaeologist of the future finding in their dystopian world the work of an author who helped craft the world. Who if we follow the bread-crumbs we realise is Zamyatin himself. It is a fitting end for the collection to explore the author behind the book and their fascinating life which inspired the novel the anthology celebrates.

This is an absorbing collection that reminds us dystopian worlds still speak to us, reflect back our own worlds and still try to warn us not to go too blindly into the night. As storm clouds gather in many democracies around the world a very fresh and powerful anthology I strongly recommend!