Security

Description

Poul Anderson is a well-known author from the golden age of sci-fi. His contributions to the genre have become most prominent in the 1950s, when his works were regularly picked up by the famous SF magazine, Astounding. Alongside works such as the Terran Empire series and the Fantasy Kingdoms of Ys, Security is one of his “harder,” more politically charged novels presenting a world where the United States has successfully created a worldwide police state, and is now attempting to protect it.

Security takes place in the far away future, when, after a horrific war, the world has been completely changed, with the United States taking charge to secure peace and ensure – at “any” costs – that the peace can be maintained. In that interest, drastic measures are taken to emphasize control and efficiency, and prevent any one individual from knowing too much.

People have been shot – or worse – as a result of their knowledge being seen as a security risk, and when Dr. Allen Lancaster finds out that his plans for a vacation have been changed, he doesn’t know whether to expect an exciting new assignment, or a quick execution. What does the future hold for him? Read this remarkable science fiction work, and find out.

The book features a plot that shows an enlightening example of how government control can take a scary turn when paranoid decisions take hold, and values such as liberty and individual goals are cast aside. Essentially arguing that “the goal does not justify the means,” the novel also shows libertarianism in a more positive light as an alternative to a system where leaders abuse their power, justifying said abuse with the excuse of “maintaining the peace.”

In a world where you can’t always be sure of the extent that ideas and values such as those upheld by Poul Anderson may become more important than ever, Security is a science fiction novel that anyone can learn a great deal from.
[amz_corss_sell asin=”1775429148″]