Political fiction is a literary genre that uses narrative to examine political events, systems and theories, with its works often directly criticizing an existing society or presenting an alternative, even fantastic, reality. It overlaps with related forms such as the social novel, the proletarian novel and social science fiction, frequently uses satire, and spans both utopian and dystopian narratives in exploring political themes.
Facts
Place of OriginNo single point of origin; early influential examples include Plato's Republic in ancient Greece (c. 380 BC) and Thomas More's Utopia in England (1516). 1 Notable ExampleNineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell 1 Defining TraitUses narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories, with works often directly criticizing an existing society or presenting an alternative reality. 1 Connections
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Greece, originated there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: United Kingdom, originated there.
Sources
1. Political Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph, first sentence
Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories.
Lead paragraph, second sentence
Plato's Republic, a Socratic dialogue written around 380 BC, has been one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically.
Political satire section, Orwell paragraph
Orwell's most famous work, however, is Nineteen Eighty-Four (published in 1949), many of whose terms and concepts, such as Big Brother, doublethink, thoughtcrime, Newspeak, Room 101, telescreen, 2 + 2 = 5, and memory hole, have entered into common use.
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