Organized
labour in science fiction
Additional suggestions are
welcome.
This list is to supplement our
blog posts on labour in SF: part one, part two, part three
Terminology:
“Business union” is defined as an
organization that is legally certified by the government to negotiate on
behalf of a group of workers.
“Solidarity union” is defined as a group
of workers organizing themselves on a grassroots basis to seek concessions
from an employer.
“Guild union” is defined as a group of
workers whose labour negotiating ability stems from their near-monopoly on a
particular set of skills.
“Primary depiction” is defined as union activity being the focus of the
story. These are stories in which organizing workers or workers asserting
their rights is crucial to the events depicted.
“Secondary depiction” is defined as union activity being important to the
story, but not the primary focus. This is often an important plot
point.
“Tertiary depiction” is defined as anything that is not substantive. This can
range from a one-sentence reference, to a piece of world-building that is not
crucial to the plot.
(Note: This list excludes inherently criminal
organizations such as the Assassin's Guild from Discworld, the Guild of
Thieves from Robert Silberberg and Randall Garrett's A
Little Intelligence or the Traitor's Guild from James Blish's A Style in
Treason.)
|
Year
|
Title / Author
|
Union Model
|
Qualitative Depiction
|
Extent of depiction
|
1887
|
Log
of the Flying Fish – Harry Collingwood
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union – shipbuilding
|
Negative depiction – character complains at length about how unions
impede production.
|
Tertiary
|
1890
|
News From Nowhere – William Morris
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(Manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction – worker organizing leads to utopia
|
Secondary
|
1923
|
Nordenholt’s
Million – J.J. Connington
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(General)
|
Mixed depiction – unions raise some objection to techno-fascism, but
are crushed.
|
Tertiary
|
1938
|
The Toys Go On Strike – Enid Byton
[Children’s Book]
|
Solidarity union (Toys)
|
Positive depiction – Union stands up to mistreatment of workers.
|
Primary
|
1940
|
Robbie - Isaac Asimov
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Manufacturing)
|
Negative depiction - Antagonistic to progress.
|
Secondary
|
1940
|
The Roads Must Roll - Robert A. Heinlein
[Short Story]
|
Business union (Transportation)
|
Negative depiction - strike must be quashed violently.
|
Primary
|
1941
|
A Gnome There Was – Henry Kuttner
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union (mining)
|
Positive depiction – Union organizer shows gnomes that monarchy
exploits them.
|
Primary
|
1942
|
Breakdown – Jack Williamson
[Short Story]
|
Business union (Engineers and spacemen)
|
Negative depiction – Union power is stifling and overreaching
|
Primary
|
1946
|
Slaves of the Lamp – Leo Zagat
[Novel]
|
Business union (Psychoneers union)
|
|
|
1949
|
The Green Forest – A.E. Van Vogt
|
Business union (Spacement’s Union)
|
Negative depiction
|
Secondary
|
1951
|
The Man In The White Suit - Ealing Studios
[Movie]
|
Business union
(Textiles)
|
Negative depiction - Antagonistic to progress.
|
Primary
|
1951
|
The Traders (Foundation) - Isaac Asimov
[Short Story]
|
Guild union
(Atomic engineers)
|
Negative depiction - Nepotistic and anti-intellectual.
|
Secondary
|
1951
|
Day Of The Moron - H. Beam Piper
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Atomic engineers)
|
Negative depiction - Protects unqualified workers. Bureaucratic and
obstructionist.
|
Primary
|
1952
|
The Space Merchants - Frederick Pohl & Cyril Kornbluth
[Novel]
|
Business union (Agricultural)
|
Negative depiction - Labour union exploits worker.
|
Secondary
|
1952
|
The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Unspecified)
|
Negative depiction - Corrupt union leadership.
|
Tertiary
|
1953
|
Null ABC – H. Beam Piper
[Novella]
|
Solidarity union (Reading)
|
Mixed depiction – Works to protect rights of skilled workers, but may
be unnecessary.
|
Secondary
|
1953
|
Starman Jones – Robert A. Heinlein
[Novel]
|
Guild union (Transportation)
|
Negative depiction – Union is anti-meritocratic.
|
Secondary
|
1955
|
Meeting
of the Board – Alan E. Nourse
[Novelette]
|
Business union
(Titanium manufacturing)
|
Negative depiction – Overly powerful unions act irrationally towards
management prompting a crisis.
|
Primary
|
1957
|
Strikebreaker - Isaac Asimov
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union (Waste processing)
|
Negative depiction - Strike threatens survival of colony.
|
Primary
|
1957
|
The Lineman – Walter Miller Jr.
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Lavaworkers)
|
Negative depiction – Union described as “yellow-bellied obscenity.”
|
Tertiary
|
1960
|
The Apprentice - James White
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Department store)
|
Positive depiction - Employee has job protection
|
Secondary
|
1962
|
Last Year’s Grave Undug – Chan Davis
[Short Story]
|
Business unions (multiple)
|
Mixed depiction – Union is implied to have helped reduce inequality.
But also corrupt former union president is brutal leader in
post-apocalyptic.
|
Secondary
|
1963
|
Omicron
[Movie]
|
Business union
(Factory workers)
|
Positive depiction – Alien organises labour
collective.
|
Primary
|
1964
|
Martian Time-Slip – Philip K. Dick
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Plumbing)
|
Negative depiction – Corrupt union leadership.
|
Secondary
|
1964
|
Sacheverell – Avram Davidson
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Circus)
|
Positive depiction
|
Tertiary
|
1966
|
A Relic Of Empire – Larry Niven
[Short Story]
|
General statement about unions.
|
Positive depiction – Described as ‘necessary.’
|
Tertiary
|
1971
|
Holdholtzer’s Box – David R. Bunch
|
Business union (manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction – Employer praises union
shop because “happy workers make better workers.”
|
Tertiary
|
1974
|
The Monster of Peladon – Dr. Who
[Television Episode]
|
Business union (Resource extraction)
|
Mixed depiction – Workers have valid concerns, but are pawns in larger
political game.
|
Secondary
|
1978
|
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
[Radio/Novel/Television]
|
Guild Union
(Philosophers)
|
Negative depiction – Antagonistic towards progress, interested
primarily in “gravy train.”
|
Tertiary
|
1978
|
1985 – Anthony Burgess
[Novel]
|
Business Union
(General)
|
Negative depiction – Unions depicted as oppressive and anti-freedom.
|
Primary
|
1979
|
The Kilohertz War – Alien Worlds
[Radio]
|
Business Union (Technicians)
|
Negative depiction – complaints about union striking.
|
Tertiary
|
1986
|
Watchmen – Alan Moore
[Comic book]
|
Business Union (Police)
|
Mixed depiction – 1973 police strike causes violence, but may be
justified.
|
Tertiary
|
1987
|
Robocop - Paul Verhoeven
[Movie]
|
Business Union
(Police)
|
Negative depiction - Heroic characters cross picket line. Quote:
"Police officers don't strike."
|
Primary
|
1988
|
They Live – John Carpenter
[Movie]
|
Business Union (Construction)
|
Mixed depiction – Union is “closed shop” but hires itinerant protagonist
anyway.
|
Tertiary
|
1989
|
Orbital Decay - Allen Steele
[Stories / Novel]
|
Business Union (Construction)
|
Positive depiction - Union helps ensure safer workplace.
|
Primary
|
1992
|
Heavy Time - CJ Cherryh
[Novel]
|
Business union (Mining)
|
Negative depiction - employer-dominated union.
|
Primary
|
1992
|
We Are Not Amused – Laura Resnick
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Sex Workers)
|
Positive depiction – Helped advance rights of women
|
Primary
|
1994
|
By Any Means Necessary - Babylon 5
[Television]
|
Business union
(Dockworkers)
|
Mixed depiction - Striking workers are violent, but achieve fairer
wages.
|
Primary
|
1996
|
Night Sky Mine - Melissa Scott
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Mining)
|
Positive depiction - Ensures equitable wages.
|
Secondary
|
1996
|
Bar Association - Deep Space Nine
[Television]
|
Solidarity union
(Service industry)
|
Mixed depiction - Achieves fairer wages, but must be disbanded because
it’s “no longer needed.”
|
Primary
|
1999
|
Against The Tide Of Years – S.M. Stirling
[Novel]
|
Business union (Dockworkers)
|
Positive depiction – Protagonist provides help to union trying to
support fair wages.
|
Tertiary
|
2000
|
1632 - Eric Flint
[Novel / Series]
|
Business union
(Mine workers)
|
Positive depiction - Organizing prosperous economy.
|
Secondary
|
2000
|
Candle - John Barnes
[Novel]
|
Guild union
(Combat)
|
Positive depiction - Union provides health, dental and
legal coverage.
|
Secondary
|
2000
|
Company Man - Robert Jackson Bennett
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(General)
|
Positive depiction - Union works to combat inequality.
|
Secondary
|
2000
|
Cosmonaut Keep - Ken MacLeod
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(Online workers)
|
Positive depiction - Balances power of capital.
|
Secondary
|
2000
|
Midnight Robber – Nalo Hopkinson
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union (Transporation / pedicab drivers)
|
Positive depiction – fights for fair compensation
|
Secondary
|
2000
|
SimGen Sequence (AKA
“Sims”) – F. Paul Wilson
[Series of stories]
|
Solidarity union (manual labour)
|
Positive depiction – fights for the rights
of non-human sentients.
|
Primary
|
2000
|
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Dock workers)
|
Positive depiction - Unions provide counterbalance to strength of
capital.
|
Secondary
|
2001
|
Bendless Love – Futurama
[TV Episode]
|
Business union (Manufacturing)
|
Negative depiction – protagonist is a scab worker. Union is
mob-connected and corrupt.
|
Primary
|
2004
|
Iron Council – China Mieville
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Railway workers)
|
Positive depiction
|
Primary
|
2005
|
Old Man’s War – John Scalzi
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Mining workers)
|
Negative depiction – Striking workers on the news portrayed as
violent.
|
Tertiary
|
2006
|
Small Minded Giants - Oisín McGann
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Machinists)
|
Positive depiction
|
Secondary
|
2007
|
Safehold – David Weber
[Novel series]
|
Business union
(Foundries)
|
Positive depiction
|
Tertiary
|
2007
|
Dirty Hands - Battlestar Galactica
[Television]
|
Solidarity union
(Mining workers)
|
Negative depiction - Heroic governor bargains in bad faith by holding
gun to the head of a worker.
|
Primary
|
2009
|
The Wind-Up Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
[Novel]
|
Guild Union
(Animal handlers)
|
Negative depiction - antagonism towards entrepreneur protagonist.
|
Secondary
|
2010
|
For The Win - Cory Doctorow
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(Online workers)
|
Positive depiction - ensuring workers’ rights.
|
Primary
|
2010
|
Damage Time - Colin Harvey
[Novel]
|
Guild Union
(Sex trade workers)
|
Negative depiction - Union excludes vulnerable population.
|
Secondary
|
2010
|
The Great Bay – Dale Pendell
[Novel]
|
Business Union (Electrical workers)
|
Mixed depiction
|
Tertiary
|
2011
|
The Expanse
[Series of Novels]
Leviathan Wakes (2011)
Caliban’s War (2012)
Abbadon’s Gate (2013)
Cibola Burn (2014)
Nemesis Games (2015)
Babylon’s Ashes (2016)
Persepolis Rising (2017)
Tiamat’s Wrath (2019)
Leviathan Falls (2021)
|
Multiple Business Unions
(Resource extraction workers, transportation workers)
|
Positive depiction – Union integral in democratic governance. Help
defend rights of oppressed workers. Provide legal counsel to workers in need.
|
Secondary
|
2011
|
Contagion
[Movie]
|
Business Union
(Nursing)
|
Negative depiction - Union rules prevent adequate health care for
major character.
|
Secondary
|
2012
|
High Stakes – Naomi Kritzer
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity Union (IWW)
|
Positive depiction – Union helps fight debt slavery.
|
Primary
|
2012
|
Existence - David Brin
[Novel]
|
Business Union
(Child care workers)
|
Positive depiction - Union is part of positive and functional
workplace.
|
Tertiary
|
2012
|
“The Doctor Is Sin” – Episode of Venture Brothers
[Television]
|
Business Unions (Machine Workers, Nuclear Engineering and Custodial
Super Science Unions)
|
Mixed depiction – Union has legitimate grievances but are treated as
joke.
|
Secondary
|
2013
|
Phosphorus – Veronica Schanoes
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity Union & Business Union (Manufacturing, General
Labourers)
|
Positive depiction – Union stands in opposition to unsafe work
practices
|
Primary
|
2013
|
Burning Girls – Veronica Schanoes
[Novella]
|
Solidarity Union (Garment Workers)
|
Positive depiction – Union stands in opposition to unsafe work
practices.
|
Secondary
|
2013
|
Fortune’s Pawn - Rachel Back
[Novel]
|
Business Union
(Merchants)
|
Positive depiction - Union provides information to employees.
|
Tertiary
|
2013
|
The Day The Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
[Children’s Book]
|
Solidarity Union
(Crayons)
|
Positive depiction – Union helps improve the working conditions of
labourers.
|
Primary
|
2014
|
Climbing the Date Palm – Shira Glassman
[Short Story]
|
Business Union
(Construction)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights against wage theft.
|
Primary
|
2014
|
Ancillary Sword – Ann Leckie
[Novel]
|
Solidarity Union
(Agricultural)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights against indentured servitude in tea
production operation.
|
Tertiary
|
2014
|
War & Mir Vol. 2: Darkold – Minister Faust
[Novel]
|
|
Positive depiction
|
Secondary
|
2015
|
Windswept - Adam Rakunas
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction - ensuring fair wages.
|
Primary
|
2015
|
Bangarang – Killjoys
(Reappears throughout series)
[TV Episode]
|
Business union
(Resource extraction)
|
Mixed depiction – Union interferes with protagonists, but also helps
vulnerable workers.
|
Tertiary
|
2015
|
All The Childhood You Can Afford - Daniel Suarez
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction - Ensures gains of automation are shared more
equitably.
|
Secondary
|
2016
|
Checkerboard Planet – Eleanor Arnason
[Short Story]
|
Business union (Natural resource extraction)
|
Positive depiction – Labour organizer protagonist striving for better
working conditions.
|
Primary
|
2016
|
Company
Town - Madeline Ashby
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Sex trade workers)
|
Positive depiction - Ensures workers’ safety and rights.
|
Secondary
|
2017
|
New
York 2140 – Kim Stanley Robinson
[Novel]
|
Multiple unions
(housing, general labour, office workers)
|
Positive depiction – through co-ordinated action striking workers help
reform democracy
|
Secondary
|
2017
|
Another Girl, Another Planet - Lou Antonelli
[Novel]
|
Business union
(Duct workers)
|
Positive depiction - Ensures safety standards in construction.
|
Secondary
|
2017
|
Hunger Makes the Wolf / Blood Binds The Pack -
Alex Wells
[Novel/Series]
|
Business union
(Mining workers)
|
Positive depiction – Unionization drive is response to corporate
exploitation.
|
Primary
|
2017
|
The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack - Nate Crowley
[Novel]
|
Solidarity union
(Undead labourers)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights against exploitation of labour
|
Primary
|
2017
|
Quirks – Marie Vibbert
[Short Story]
|
Business union
(Carpenters)
|
Mixed depiction – Union uses memory uploads to share skills.
|
Primary
|
2018
|
Sorry To Bother You - Boots Riley
[Movie]
|
Business union
(Telemarketing)
|
Positive depiction - Balances power of capital.
|
Primary
|
2018
|
Unfulfilled/Bike Parade - South Park
[Television]
|
Solidarity union
(Warehouse workers)
|
Positive depiction - Union fights for safety standards and
fair pay.
|
Primary
|
2019
|
The Future Of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz
[Novel]
|
Multiple unions
Industrial Workers Of The World,
United Steelworkers
and
The Carpenters’ Union
|
Positive depiction – Unions are depicted as allies in the struggle for
women’s rights.
Steelworkers achieve fairer overtime compensation for workers.
|
Secondary
|
2019
|
Closed Shop – Kevin J. Phyland
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union
(Artificial Inteligence)
|
Positive depiction - Union fights for fair wages and public good.
|
Primary
|
2020
|
Lapsis
[Movie]
|
Solidarity union
(Gig workers)
|
Positive depiction - Organizing in adverse conditions.
|
Primary
|
2020
|
The Factory Witches of Lowell – C.S. Malerich
[Novella]
|
Business union (mill workers)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights for better working conditions.
|
Primary
|
2020
|
The
Salvage Crew –
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
[Novella]
|
Business union
(Mining)
|
Positive depiction – Union secures better pay.
|
Tertiary
|
2020
&2021
|
Hardspace: Shipbreaker –Blackbird Interactive
And expansion pack
[Video Game]
|
Business union
(salvage)
|
Positive depiction – Union protects vulnerable workers.
|
Primary
|
2021
|
Machinehood – S.B. Divya
[Novel]
|
Business union (construction)
|
Mixed depiction – Union funds antagonistic/violent protesters. Union
also helps push back against erosion of human rights.
|
Secondary
|
2021
|
Heritage - Superman & Lois
[Television]
|
Business union (manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction – Fights for worker wages and safety at villain
Morgan Edge’s factory.
|
Tertiary
|
2021
|
Orumai’s Choice – Gautam Bhatia
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union
(General labour)
|
Positive depiction – Sentient robots assert their right to work-life
balance.
|
Primary
|
2021
|
The Horizon – Gautam Bhatia
[Novel]
|
Business union (Agricultural workers)
|
Positive depiction – union is central to revolution seeking to address
inequity and inequality in society.
|
Primary
|
2021
|
Song
of Slag – Louis
Evans
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union (Foundry workers)
|
Positive depiction – union fights for fair compensation.
|
Primary
|
2021
|
The
Association of Twelve Thousand Flowers - Ursula Whitcher
[Short Story]
|
Solidarity union (Jade miners)
|
Positive depiction – Union counterbalances power of capital.
|
Primary
|
2022
|
Unionized In The Butt And Now
Everyone Is Safer, Happier And Better Paid – Chuck Tingle
|
Business union (Spaghetti Mug Manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights for health and safety of workers as
well as reasonable break times.
|
Primary
|
2022
|
Ogres –
Adrian Tchaikovsky
|
Solidarity union (Manufacturing)
|
Positive depiction – Union fights against exploitation and racism.
|
Secondary
|
2022
|
We Built This City –
Marie Vibbert
|
Solidarity union (window washing)
|
Positive depiction – Fight for safer work environment
|
Primary
|