1984 George Orwell The classic dystopian book about what happens when the government takes too much power. The Thought Police turn your children against you, sex is performed by permit only, nothing you do is private, and history is re-written daily. Things have been taken too far to show us the danger we risk by letting them go. [Amazon] [Literature Network] Brave New World Aldous Huxley Another classic. It is arguable whether this describes a dystopian society or utopian, but if it is utopian, it is at a high cost. God is lost and replaced by a silently deified Henry Ford. Children are conveived on the assembly line and all minds are stamped into shape with the same hypnotic suggestions. Reading is forbidden and thinking for yourself will get you banished. [Amazon] [Huxley.net] A Wrinkle In Time Madeleine L'Engle A wonderful children's book about conformity and the strengths of being your own person. [Amazon] [Sparknotes] The Princess Bride William Goldman One of the best stories ever. You've probably seen the movie- this is better. (And if you haven't seen the movie, shame on you. Go out and rent it.) It's a fairy tale about kings, swordsman, pirates, giants, geniuses, revenge, and "Twu Wuv". [Amazon] [Script] Inherit The Wind Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee This is a ficitional play dramatizing the story of the Scopes Monkey trial. A small town in Tennessee is suing a simple teacher for teaching evolution in his science class in 1925. Into the middle of nowhere come the two greatest lawyers in the country and the three-ring media to inform the world of waht is happening. This is a fantastic portrayal of how two seemingly contradictory theories can peacefully coexist. [Amazon] Stranger In A Strange Land Robert Heinlein This is a science fiction story that attempts to answer the question: "What would happen if a child were raised ourside of our society, what would he be like". Mars, to be specific. But the Martians are far more advanced then we are, and a highly advanced human comes down to earth to learn our way of doing things. Among the topics covered are sex and relationships, the entire idea of right and wrong, love, attraction, wisdom, morality, and religion. An amazing look at our society and how much work we need. [Amazon] Egalia's Daughters Gerd Brantenberg, Louis MacKay Subtiled A Satire of the Sexes, this book looks at a world where women are dominant and men are the weaker sex. Women run the government, go on dangerous missions, and make the laws. Men are confined to the home and teaching positions. Girls ask boys to dances and brag to everyone about getting their first period. Boys sit in the corner shyly hoping to be noticed by the girls, and dread getting their first peho to support the unsightly organ between their legs as they hit puberty. But things are starting to change as the masculist movement slowly gathers strength. This is a brillian role reversal story with some very acute social observations and messages. [Amazon] Illusions Richard Bach A beautiful little book subtitled "The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah." This is a story about a barnstorming trick pilot that runs into a miraculous teacher. This man can walk on water and swim through a field. His plane never runs out of fuel and never gets bugs on the windshield. Through his teachings and his text ("The Messiah's Handbook") the narrator learns the power he has in this world and the illusions that make it up. [Amazon] Jonathan Livingston Seagull Richard Bach Synopsis to come. [Amazon]

 
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