john Scalzi’s Interdependence Trilogy

Steven Shaviro writing about John Scalzi’s Interdependence Trilogy.

Scalzi provides us with a (semi-)utopian alternative, which is a laudable thing to do in these dark, depressing times. In a situation where it is still easier to imagine the end of the world rather than modest improvements to the world system, I will say that even from my own marxist perspective Scalzi’s reformism is a welcome riposte to the ideology of “there is no alternative.”¹

I’ve not read these books, but reading Shaviro’s short review has got me interested. Mainly because, based on this review, Scalzi’s understands utopia as a process rather than as an end.

Another way of saying what utopia as a process is wold be, as soon as we get to utopia we will wreck its, or it will start to degrade, or both.

It’s not about arriving at utopia! It’s always about trying to get closer to it. And even though we will never arrive we should keep trying anyway.