READING RECOMMENDATION: LOGIC OF EMPIRE, A SHORT STORY BY ROBERT A. HEINLEIN

Hello there! Today I'm back with a review of yet another short story by Robert A.Heinlein: 'Logic of Empire'. You may read 'Logic of Empire' here.  Among his shorter prose, this story remains one of my favourite ones. First published in 1941 in Astonishing Science Fiction,  'Logic of Empire' is a realistic depiction of future slavery.  It is a story set in future, a chilling tale of two men who are sold to slavery on Venus. Today I'll seek to explain why I hold this story in such high esteem. 

I think  one of the reason why 'Logic of Empire' has had such an impact of me was the timing. I read it at the same time as several recounts of real slavery such as Slave: My True Story by Mende Nazer.  Moreover, as someone who has a degree in language and literature, I've naturally read a great deal about slavery. Once I did more research on the subject, I was horrified to learn that the number of slaves worldwide is increasing, not decreasingly.The current estimated number of people living in modern slavery is about 50 million.  It's heart-breaking to think that slavery is still so present. Having all that in mind, you can imagine why it felt so chilling to read a science fiction story that realistically depicts slavery in future. Moreover, within this story I felt like I found some answers. Heinlein's comment on causes of slavery remain one of the most intelligent ones I've read.

DO YOU WANT TO READ MORE OF ROBERT A.HEINLEIN'?

Lately, I've been rather focused on publishing reading recommendations featuring this author. I've published several short story reviews on my blog (links below). Like the other short stories I've reviewed recently, it's from The Green Hills of Earth/ The Menace From Earth short story collection. I have reread multiple times many of the stories in this short collection.  Logic of Empire is probably the one I've reread most times. As I explained, I have a copy of it at home and I often pick it up! 

READ MORE OF MY REVIEWS AND FIND WHAT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU:

SHORT STORIES: DELILAH AND THE SPACE-RIGGER, WATER IS FOR WASHING, SPACE JOCKEY, THE LONG WATCH

NOVELLAS: WALDO    MAGIC INC.

NOVELS: PODKANYE OF MARS ,   SPACE CADET  ,  THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST ,   BEYOND THIS HORIZON , STARSHIP TROOPERS, THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS, THE ORPHAN'S OF THE SKY, THE DOOR INTO SUMMER

THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY-  A DEBATE THAT TURNS SORE

As is typical of Heinlein, he gets right to the point. The story opens with two (presumably upper class) men arguing whether there is slavery on Venus or not. One of them (a lawyer) explains how there is no way that slavery still exist. The two men continue to drink and debate into the night. They wake up the next day with more to worry than a bad hang over. They are on a space ship heading to Venus. Soon they shall realize they have been sold into slavery. Once on Venus, one of their contracts is sold to a farmer. The well do to man of yesterday has become a slave of today. He is already in debt to the farmer and will take him years to pay off. Moreover, he is unable to sleep without  a narcotic. 

 THE SUBJECTIVE READING IS HARD TO AVOID- AND WHY SHOULD WE?

It has occurred to me that when we write about the things we have read we mostly write about ourselves i.e the way that the book has influenced us or made us feel. Perhaps it is inevitable. One cannot separate oneself from the reading experience completely.

There is no point in claiming to be objective when it comes to literature, reading is as subjective as any experience can be and that is the whole beauty of it if you ask me. Since this is my personal blog and there is no one is paying to me to write blurbs or one sentence sums up, I can take my time and explain why this particular piece of writing is of so much importance to me.

Why is it possible that we shall not get rid of slavery in our future? This passage has haunted me from the first time I have read it:

"Slavery is economically unsound, non- productive, but men drift into it whenever the circumstances compel it."*

* (page 273 in my edition of The Green Hills of Earth/ Menace from Earth )

Naturally, all kinds of questions came to my mind, trying to figure this logic of the Empire. Why do men drift into colonial social systems naturally? Is it something in the human nature? Why have civilization and colonization walked hand in hand? How is such a thing possible? How much do we know about what society truly is and what kind of logic is behind it?

Having read the book the second time, I feel that some things are definitely falling into place, yet more questions seems to be emerging in my head. Perhaps that is what good writing should be. It should make us question...question our heart, our mind and more or less everything we know.

SLAVERY IS ECONOMICALLY UNSOUND BUT WE DRIFT INTO IT.....

You know that feeling when something in your head  just makes a click? I've just realized that the issue of colonialism has troubled me for years...and I mean really troubled. I've started to see it everywhere, in the divisions, in the economics, in the science, in the politics. Long before I had taken all those post colonial literature classes I had been thinking about it. Long before I had read who knows how many books about it. This story made me realize that colonialism and slavery often go hand in hand. Population pressure usually leads to either war or colonialism or both. 

"LOGIC OF EMPIRE' HAS SUMMED UP ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES OF MANKIND: SLAVERY

 Not that this short story has explained everything  but it did provide some answers. In a few very intelligent sentences , "Logic of Empire" has summed up one of the major problems that we as society have and that is the issue of slavery. It had put it quite clearly and boldly. This is not something that often happens. Often slavery is almost mystified. It is not often explained rationally and scientifically.  We all know that slavery is bad. Something should be done about it. We should do something about it.  However, most of us have never ventured behind that simple statement. What is more, most of us don't think about the fact that slavery is as present as it has always been.

FUTURE HISTORY ABOUT SLAVES ON VENUS

It would be probably about the time that I get to the story line. Well, if you're not familiar with the future histories or the famous Heinlein chart, I won't bore you with it. I'll just say that this story is like many others by this writer set in future. As I said in the intro, it is about  two friends. They argue about whether the system that exist on Venus is slavery or not and after a night out drinking they wake up in a space ship heading towards the planet in question with no ticket back.  They realize that  it is definitely slavery once they get there.

THE STORY IS REALISTIC AND THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL DEVELOPED

I haven't said much about the characters. I haven't said much about the plot. Don't take it as an implication that there is something wrong with that or any aspect of the story. This can really be read as a great science fiction, because you know what... the characters are well developed, the story is plausible, the imagination of the writer impressive and every detail is in its place as we would expect of the man that is considered to be one of the great ones.

But let's get back to review. Here's a continuation of the memorable dialogue:

" Slavery is economically unsound, non- productive, but men drift into it whenever the circumstances compel it. A different financial system- but that is another story"

" I still think it is rooted in human cussedness," Wingate said stubbornly.

" Not cussedness- simple stupidity. I can't prove it to you but you will learn."

SLAVERY IS ROOTED IN SIMPLE STUPIDITY

Now what does he mean by simple stupidity? Let's fast forward to the end. Both of guys end up on Earth. Having escaped slavery and death, one of them (the lawyer) wants to get his autobiographical novel published. He is shocked that no one is really interested in having in published. Bring in the juicy details, is what they all seem to be asking.

"Well, I'm damned if I'll resort to that kind of cheap sensationalism. I've got a perfectly straightforward case that anyone can understand."

" Have you?..." It's nothing new; it happened in the Old South, it it happened again in California, in Mexico, in Australia, in South America. Why? Because in any expanding free-enterprise economy which does not have a money system designated to fit its requirements, the use of mother country to develop the colony inevitably results in subsistence-level wedges at home and slave labor in the colonies. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and all the good will in the world on the part of the ruling classes won't change it, because the basic problem is one requiring scientific analysis and a mathematical mind. Do you think you can explain those issues to the general public?"

" I can try."

THE BASIC PROBLEM OF SLAVERY REQUIRES SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

What to we need to get rid of slavery? It would be good to have an economic system that actually works. It would also be good if we applied scientific principles to it. 

I think I'm starting to get where he is getting at with that "simple stupidity" line . The general public will never see the whole picture...and you know what? It is hard to see it, I'm not sure I see it...human societies are so complex, that perhaps there will never be more than a handful that will understand its tricky mechanism...and really now, what can a handful of people do? 

That being said, let's get back to this fascinating conversation.

" How far did I get when I tried to explain them to you before you have seen the results? And you are a smart hombre. No, Hump, these things are too difficult to explain to people and too abstract to interest them. You spoke before a women's club the other day, didn't you?"

" Yes."

"How did you make out?"

" Well..."

INSTEAD OF A CONCLUSION 

So, this is what I got for now. It would probably be good idea to rethink where we as a human species are heading. Nothing seems to have worked so far...one system after another, feudalism, communism, capitalism...is it the system? Or is it us? Or is it both? And really what should we do?

This story doesn't give concrete answers, but it does make good suggestions. I'm just afraid that the majority of people aren't willing to admit how incompetent and flawed our global economy and society really is. 

TO WHOM WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS STORY?

I would recommend it to everyone because it is rare that such a key and complex problem is handled in such a straightforward way. 

Thank you for reading. Have a lovely day!