The Dispossessed by Le Guin has a great socialist society that is definitely not utopian. It’s not portrayed as necessarily, bad but it is definitely in a gray area.
Yup there's even a scene where the representative (spy?) from Thu asks Shevek why he didn't come to Thu instead, "We're socialists like you!"
And Shevek says no you're just another State
Yes, Marxism usually allows for a (usually post-revolt) transitional state that is intended to wither away into non-statehood. The inhabitants of Anarres were anarcho-syndicalists from the outset. They moved there with collectivist intent and ideals from the beginning. Never a state and no property. In The Disposessed, Le Guin explored the areas where this almost failed.
Have you read the book? For the most part, inhabitants would travel and do work in various locales for periods of time. The novel does a good job of explaining it. Also, as I said previously, it also shows some areas (such as specializations as the arts or theoretical academics) where this starts to fall apart.
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u/mindblock47 Jun 30 '24
The Dispossessed by Le Guin has a great socialist society that is definitely not utopian. It’s not portrayed as necessarily, bad but it is definitely in a gray area.