Organized labour in science
fiction LIST
AS SORTABLE EXCEL DOCUMENT 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. (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 |
1890 |
News From Nowhere – William Morris |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction – worker organizing leads to utopia |
Secondary |
1897 |
Log of the Flying Fish – Harry Collingwood |
Solidarity union – (shipbuilding) |
Negative depiction – character complains at length about how unions
impede production. |
Tertiary |
1908 |
The Iron Heel – Jack London |
Business union (Various) |
Negative depiction – unions end up siding with fascism. |
Secondary |
1913 |
Engineer Menni –Alexander Bogdanov |
Business unions in a workers’ state (engineering and mining) |
Positive depiction – Union activism and industrial action act as
catalysts of the revolutionary change in Martian society. |
Secondary |
1914 |
The Five Years Of Silence – A.C. Michael |
Business unions (manufacturing, resource extraction, construction) |
Positive depiction – Union fights major battles for basic labour
rights. |
Primary |
1914 |
The Dream of Debs – Jack London |
Business union (General) |
Negative depiction – organized labour depicted as ruinous and
tyrannical |
Primary |
1923 |
Nordenholt’s
Million – J.J. Connington |
Solidarity union |
Mixed depiction – unions raise some objection to techno-fascism, but
are crushed. |
Tertiary |
1925 |
Alice’s Egg Plant – Walter Elias Disney |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Union is depicted as irrational. Workers are
easily fooled into scab labour. |
Primary |
1929 |
The Defeat of Jonathan Govers - Volodymyr Vladko |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Union is on strike for legitimate grievances. |
Primary |
1938 |
The Toys Go On Strike – Enid Byton |
Solidarity union (Toys) |
Positive depiction – Union stands up to mistreatment of workers. |
Primary |
1940 |
Robbie - Isaac Asimov [Short Story] |
Business union |
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 |
Solidarity union (mining) |
Positive depiction – Union organizer shows gnomes that monarchy
exploits them. |
Primary |
1942 |
Breakdown – Jack Williamson |
Business union (Engineers and spacemen) |
Negative depiction – Union power is stifling and overreaching |
Primary |
1946 |
Decadence – Romain Gary |
Business union (General) |
Negative depiction – Union leader is a sadist and a serial killer. |
Primary |
1946 |
Slaves of the Lamp – Leo Zagat |
Business union (Psychoneers union) |
Negative depiction |
Secondary |
1949 |
The Green Forest – A.E. Van Vogt |
Business union (Spacement’s Union) |
Negative depiction |
Secondary |
1950 |
The Masters of Sleep – L. Ron Hubbard [Novel] |
Business union (Friends of Russia Communist International Objectors
Social Hall Lumberjacks Local No.261) |
Negative depiction – union is working to advance the agenda of a
foreign nation |
Secondary |
1951 |
The Man In The White Suit - Ealing Studios [Movie] |
Business union |
Negative depiction - Antagonistic to progress. |
Primary |
1951 |
The Traders (Foundation) - Isaac Asimov [Short Story] |
Guild union |
Negative depiction - Nepotistic and anti-intellectual. |
Secondary |
1951 |
Day Of The Moron - H. Beam Piper [Short Story] |
Business union |
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 |
Negative depiction - Corrupt union leadership. |
Tertiary |
1952 |
Robots of the World! Arise! |
Solidarity union |
Negative depiction – Robotic workers strike unreasonably. |
Primary |
1953 |
Cue for Quiet – T.L. Sherred |
Business union (repair) |
Positive depiction – Protagonist is concerned with the plight of
unions |
Tertiary |
1953 |
The Troublemakers – Poul Anderson |
Guild Union |
Negative depiction – part of an autocratic system to keep workers in
line |
Secondary |
1953 |
Null ABC – H. Beam Piper |
Solidarity union (Reading) |
Mixed depiction – Works to protect rights of skilled workers, but may
be unnecessary. |
Secondary |
1953 |
The Syndic – Cyril Kornbluth |
Business union (General) |
Mixed depiction – One union is equivalent to organized crime. Other
helps revitalize America. |
Secondary |
1953 |
Starman Jones – Robert A. Heinlein
[Novel] |
Guild union (Transportation) |
Negative depiction – Union is anti-meritocratic. |
Secondary |
1954 |
Disqualified – Charles L. Fontenay |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Existence of union means workers are “paid too
much” |
Tertiary |
1954 |
Backlash – Winston Marks |
Business Unions (Multiple, implied that they are trades and arts unions) |
Mixed depiction – union leadership is hypocritical, on one hand
fighting against indentured servitude, but then using it themselves |
Secondary |
1954 |
An Earth Gone Mad – Roger Dee |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Union cares only about the power of cubes. |
Secondary |
1955 |
One-Shot – James Blish |
Business union |
Negative description – Described as corrupt. |
Tertiary |
1955 |
Full Cycle - Clifford D. Simak |
Business union (General industrial) |
Mixed depiction – Criticizes current state of labour, but suggests it
might evolve into something better. |
Primary |
1955 |
Nine Men In Time – Noel Loomis |
Business union (Printers) |
Mixed depiction |
Secondary |
1955 |
Meeting of the Board – Alan E. Nourse |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Overly powerful unions act irrationally towards
management prompting a crisis. |
Primary |
1956 |
Worlds Without End – Clifford Simak |
Business union (general labour) |
Negative depiction – Union does not represent best interests of
workers. |
Primary |
1957 |
Do It Yourself – Milton Lesser |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction – Union is banned, but union organizer protagonist
helps workers anyhow. |
Primary |
1957 |
Edge of the Knife – H. Beam Piper |
Business union (academic) |
Mixed depiction – union protects employee, but employee might not
deserve protection |
Teritary |
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 |
Negative depiction – Union described as “yellow-bellied obscenity.” |
Tertiary |
1959 |
Guardian Devil – Robert Silverberg |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Union leader corrupt and deliberately causes race
riots. |
Tertiary |
1960 |
Stress Pattern – Robert Silverberg |
Business union (unspecified) |
Positive depiction – Union protects jobs and helps people fulfill
potential. |
Primary |
1960 |
Matchmaker – Charles L. Fontenay |
Business union (“psycho-artists”) |
Negative depiction – Union expulsion is used to coerce protagonist |
Secondary |
1960 |
Divvy Up – Milton Lesser |
Business union (bus drivers and medical workers) |
Negative depiction – Unions are corrupt and without ethics |
Secondary |
1960 |
A Few Miles – Phillip Jose Farmer |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Union causes headaches. |
Tertiary |
1960 |
The Apprentice - James White [Short Story] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Employee has job protection |
Secondary |
1962 |
Last Year’s Grave Undug – Chan Davis |
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 - Ugo Gregoretti |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Alien organises labour
collective. |
Primary |
1964 |
Martian Time-Slip – Philip K. Dick [Novel] |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Corrupt union leadership. |
Secondary |
1964 |
No Vinism Like Chauvinism – John Jakes |
Business union (Entertainment and War, which are the same in this
future) |
Mixed depiction |
Secondary |
1964 |
Sacheverell – Avram Davidson |
Business union |
Positive depiction |
Tertiary |
1965 |
Calling Dr. Clockwork – Ron Goulart |
Business Union – (“Food Scenters”) |
Positive depiction – Union ensures that protagonist maintains
employment during illness. |
Secondary |
1965 |
Subspace Explorers – E.E. “Doc” Smith |
Business union |
Negative depiction - union
is antagonist. Book promotes "Enlightened Self-Interest" which is
at odds with collective action. |
Secondary |
1966 |
A Relic Of Empire – Larry Niven [Short Story] |
General statement about unions. |
Positive depiction – Described as ‘necessary.’ |
Tertiary |
1967 |
The Rival Rigelians – Mack Reynolds |
Solidarity union vs. employer-dominated union |
Positive depiction – workers find solidarity in struggle for real
worker representation |
Secondary |
1969 |
The Freak – PG Wyal |
Solidarity union (beggars) |
Positive depiction – striking workers seek equitable wages |
Primary |
1970 |
Alien Island – T.L. Sherred |
Business Union (Machinists) |
Positive depiction – protagonist is
unionized worker |
Tertiary |
1971 |
Holdholtzer’s Box – David R. Bunch |
Business union (manufacturing) |
Positive depiction – Employer praises union
shop because “happy workers make better workers.” |
Tertiary |
1972 |
Merchant of Venus – Frederik Pohl |
Business union (mining) |
Negative depiction – Union collects excess
fees |
Tertiary |
1972 |
Clone – Richard Cowper |
Business unions (multiple) |
Negative depiction – Government uses union
violence to reduce population. |
Secondary |
1973 |
Deaf Listener - Rachel Cosgrove Payes |
Guild union (telepaths) |
Positive depiction – Union works to prevent genocide |
Secondary |
1974 |
The Monster of Peladon – Dr. Who |
Business union (Resource extraction) |
Mixed depiction – Workers have valid concerns, but are pawns in larger
political game. |
Secondary |
1975 |
Survivors – Terry Nation |
Business union |
Mixed depiction – In a post-apocalyptic setting a labour union leader
tries to take over the world. But still stands for worker solidarity. |
Secondary |
1977 |
Wobblies From Space – Leslie Fish |
Business union |
Negative depiction - Union
rules make it impossible for starship to run efficiently. |
Primary |
1978 |
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams [Radio/Novel/Television] |
Guild Union |
Negative depiction – Antagonistic towards progress, interested
primarily in “gravy train.” |
Tertiary |
1978 |
1985 – Anthony Burgess |
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 |
1981 |
The Revolution from Rosinante – Alexis A. Gilliland |
Business Union (Construction) |
Negative depiction – Union officials are obstreperous and
intransigent. |
Secondary |
1981 |
Highliner – C.J. Cherryh |
Business Union |
Positive depiction – Union fights to protect worker safety |
Primary |
1986 |
Watchmen – Alan Moore [Comic book] |
Business Union (Police) |
Mixed depiction – 1973 police strike causes violence, but may be
justified. |
Tertiary |
1987 |
The Time Guardian - Brian Hannant |
Business Union |
Negative depiction – Evil Cyborg Trade Unionists try to destroy the
last vestiges of humanity. |
Secondary |
1987 |
Robocop - Paul Verhoeven [Movie] |
Business Union (Police) |
Negative depiction - Heroic characters cross picket line. Quote:
"Police officers don't strike." |
Primary |
1988 |
Desolation Road – Ian McDonald |
Solidarity Union – (Steel workers) |
Positive depiction- Union forms in response to company killing
protesters. |
Secondary |
1988 |
The Long Orbit – Mick Farren |
Business Union |
Positive Depiction – Union is key to fighting inequality |
Secondary |
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 |
1990 |
The Difference Engine – William Gibson and Bruce Sterling |
Business Union (Mining) |
Mixed depiction – Union involved with assassination. But also helps
build a better world. |
Tertiary |
1992 |
Heavy Time - CJ Cherryh [Novel] |
Business union (Mining) |
Negative depiction - employer-dominated union. |
Primary |
1992 |
We Are Not Amused – Laura Resnick |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Helped advance rights of women |
Primary |
1992 |
Men At Arms – Terry Pratchett |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Protects marginalized workers from exploitation. |
Secondary |
1994 |
By Any Means Necessary - Babylon 5 [Television] |
Business union |
Mixed depiction - Striking workers are violent, but achieve fairer
wages. |
Primary |
1996 |
Night Sky Mine - Melissa Scott [Novel] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Ensures equitable wages. |
Secondary |
1996 |
Bar Association - Deep Space Nine [Television] |
Solidarity union |
Mixed depiction - Achieves fairer wages, but must be disbanded because
it’s “no longer needed.” |
Primary |
1998 |
[Webcomic] |
Business union (Technicians) |
Positive depiction – Union membership brings wage benefits to worker. |
Tertiary |
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 |
Positive depiction - Organizing prosperous economy. |
Secondary |
2000 |
Candle - John Barnes [Novel] |
Guild union |
Positive depiction - Union provides health, dental and
legal coverage. |
Secondary |
2000 |
Company Man – Robert Jackson Bennett [Novel] |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction - Union works to combat inequality. |
Secondary |
2000 |
Cosmonaut Keep – Ken MacLeod [Novel] |
Solidarity union |
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 |
Solidarity union (manual labour) |
Positive depiction – fights for the rights
of non-human sentients. |
Primary |
2000 |
Perdido Street Station – China Mieville [Novel] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Unions provide counterbalance to strength of
capital. |
Secondary |
2000 |
Click, Clack, Moo - Doreen Cronin |
Solidarity union (Cows) |
Positive depiction - Union
negotiates fair agreement between cows and farmer in which working conditions
are improved (blankets provided to cows so they aren't as cold). |
Primary |
2001 |
Bendless Love –
Futurama [TV Episode] |
Business union (Manufacturing) |
Negative depiction – protagonist is a scab worker. Union is
mob-connected and corrupt. |
Primary |
2004 |
Star Trek Enterprise – “Storm Front” |
Business Union (Construction) |
Negative Depiction – Gangsters are tied to the labour movement |
Tertiary |
2004 |
Iron Council – China Mieville |
Business union (Railway workers) |
Positive depiction |
Primary |
2005 |
Old Man’s War – John Scalzi [Novel] |
Business union |
Negative depiction – Striking workers on the news portrayed as
violent. |
Tertiary |
2006 |
Small Minded Giants - Oisín McGann |
Business union |
Positive depiction |
Secondary |
2007 |
Business union (video game players) |
Positive depiction – protects workers from unfair employer abuses |
Primary |
|
2007 |
Safehold – David Weber |
Business union |
Positive depiction |
Tertiary |
2007 |
Dirty Hands - Battlestar Galactica [Television] |
Solidarity union |
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 |
Negative depiction - antagonism towards entrepreneur protagonist. |
Secondary |
2010 |
For The Win - Cory Doctorow [Novel] |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction - ensuring workers’ rights. |
Primary |
2010 |
Damage Time - Colin Harvey [Novel] |
Guild Union |
Negative depiction - Union excludes vulnerable population. |
Secondary |
2010 |
Kraken - China
Miéville |
Guild Union |
Positive depiction |
Secondary |
2010 |
The Great Bay – Dale Pendell [Novel] |
Business Union (Electrical workers) |
Mixed depiction |
Tertiary |
2011 |
The Expanse Caliban’s War (2012) Nemesis Games (2015) Babylon’s Ashes (2016) Persepolis Rising (2017) Tiamat’s Wrath (2019) Leviathan Falls (2021) |
Multiple Business Unions |
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 |
Negative depiction - Union rules prevent adequate health care for
major character. |
Secondary |
2012 |
High Stakes – Naomi Kritzer |
Solidarity Union (IWW) |
Positive depiction – Union helps fight debt slavery. |
Primary |
2012 |
Existence - David Brin [Novel] |
Business Union |
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 Bach [Novel] |
Business Union |
Positive depiction - Union provides information to employees. |
Tertiary |
2013 |
The Day The Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers |
Solidarity Union |
Positive depiction – Union helps improve the working conditions of
labourers. |
Primary |
2014 |
Climbing the Date Palm – Shira Glassman [Short Story] |
Business Union |
Positive depiction – Union fights against wage theft. |
Primary |
2014 |
Ancillary Sword – Ann Leckie [Novel] |
Solidarity Union |
Positive depiction – Union fights against indentured servitude in tea
production operation. |
Tertiary |
2014 |
War & Mir Vol. 2: Darkold – Minister Faust [Novel] |
|
Positive depiction |
Secondary |
2014 |
The Goblin Emperor – Katherine Addison |
Guild Union (Clockmakers) and Business Union (Municipal Employees) |
Positive depiction – Guild proposes
improvement to infrastructure. |
Tertiary |
2015 |
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen – Lois McMaster Bujold |
Business Union (Sex Workers) |
Positive depiction – Union is created to combat exploitation of
vulnerable workers. |
Tertiary |
2015 |
C.O.W.L - Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel |
Business union (Superheroes – “Chicago Organized Workers League”) |
Mixed depiction – Union is scandal-ridden but well-intentioned. |
Primary |
2015 |
Windswept - Adam Rakunas [Novel] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - ensuring fair wages. |
Primary |
2015 |
Bangarang – Killjoys |
Business union |
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 |
Positive depiction - Ensures gains of automation are shared more
equitably. |
Secondary |
2016 |
Checkerboard Planet – Eleanor Arnason |
Business union (Natural resource extraction) |
Positive depiction – Labour organizer protagonist striving for better
working conditions. |
Primary |
2016 |
[Novel] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Ensures workers’ safety and rights. |
Secondary |
2017 |
Little Witch Academia – S02E01 “Samhain
Magic Festival” |
Business union (Janitorial services) |
Negative depiction – Workers are pawns in the schemes of an evil
capitalist. |
Primary |
2017 |
New York 2140 – Kim Stanley Robinson |
Multiple unions |
Positive depiction – through co-ordinated action striking workers help
reform democracy |
Secondary |
2017 |
Another Girl, Another Planet - Lou Antonelli [Novel] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Ensures safety standards in construction. |
Secondary |
2017 |
Hunger Makes the Wolf / Blood Binds The Pack - Alex Wells [Novel/Series] |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Unionization drive is response to corporate
exploitation. |
Primary |
2017 |
The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack - Nate Crowley |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction – Union fights against exploitation of labour |
Primary |
2017 |
Quirks – Marie Vibbert [Short Story] |
Business union |
Mixed depiction – Union uses memory uploads to share skills. |
Primary |
2018 |
Driving Ambition – Fiona Moore [Novel] |
Business union (Self-driving cars) |
Positive depiction – Union helps protect the rights of artificially
intelligent workers. |
Primary |
2018 |
Sorry To Bother You - Boots Riley [Movie] |
Business union |
Positive depiction - Balances power of capital. |
Primary |
2018 |
Unfulfilled/Bike Parade - South Park [Television] |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction - Union fights for safety standards and
fair pay. |
Primary |
2019 |
Disco Elysium |
Business union (dockworkers) |
Negative depiction – Union is depicted as corrupt and involved in the
drug trade. Union is compared to “crime syndicate.” |
Primary |
2019 |
The Town Meeting – Stephen Cox |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Union leader speaks up for persecuted citizens |
Primary |
2019 |
The Future Of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz [Novel] |
Multiple unions |
Positive depiction – Unions are depicted as allies in the struggle for
women’s rights.
|
Secondary |
2019 |
Closed Shop – Kevin J. Phyland [Short Story] |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction - Union fights for fair wages and public good. |
Primary |
2020 |
Upload - S01E07 "Bring Your Dad To
Work Day" |
Business union (technology workers) |
Positive depiction – Solution for workplace grievance. |
Tertiary |
2020 |
Hench – Natalie Zina Walschots |
Business union (henchmen) |
Mixed depiction |
Tertiary |
2020 |
[Movie] |
Solidarity union |
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 |
Positive depiction – Union secures better pay. |
Tertiary |
2020 |
The Fork – A. Parise |
Solidarity union (Workers’ Collective) |
Positive depiction – Union protects citizenry |
Primary |
2020 |
The Ministry for the Future – Kim Stanley Robinson |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Heroic protagonist is a former union
lawyer who embodies the values of the labour movement. |
Tertiary |
2020 |
Hardspace: Shipbreaker –Blackbird Interactive And expansion pack |
Business union |
Positive depiction – Union protects vulnerable workers. |
Primary |
2021 |
All Rights Reserved - Xauri'EL Zwaan |
Solidarity union – (uploaded consciousnesses) |
Positive depiction – Union resists indentured servitude |
Primary |
2021 |
The Hallowed Sky – Ken MacLeod |
Business union – (General labour) |
Positive depiction – unions help take mankind to space |
Secondary |
2021 |
Committee
on the Bounty – Keith W.
Dickinson [Short Story] |
Business union – spaceship crewmembers |
Negative depiction – union’s officiousness causes destruction of ship. |
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 |
Solidarity union |
Positive depiction – Sentient robots assert their right to work-life
balance. |
Primary |
2021 |
The Horizon – Gautam Bhatia |
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 |
Solidarity union (Foundry workers) |
Positive depiction – union fights for fair compensation. |
Primary |
2021 |
The
Association of Twelve Thousand Flowers - Ursula Whitcher |
Solidarity union (Jade miners) |
Positive depiction – Union counterbalances power of capital. |
Primary |
2021 |
The
Revolution Will Not Be Served With Fries – Meg Elison |
Solidarity union (Fast food workers and robots) |
Positive depiction – Cross-species solidarity deals with severe
workplace inequity. |
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 |
2022 |
Day Shift |
Business union (Supernatural pest control) |
Negative depiction – Union is officious and bureaucratic. |
Primary |
2022 |
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An
Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution – R.F. Kuang |
Guild union – (Translators) |
Positive depiction – Important tool in promoting class solidarity. |
Primary |
2022 |
Witch Hunt – Louise Hughes |
Guild union – (wise women / witches) |
Positive depiction |
Primary |
2022 |
Tune in Tomorrow – Randee Dawn |
Solidarity union – Entertainment |
Positive depiction – Union helps free magical beings from slavery |
Primary |
2022 |
When the Angels Left The Old Country - Sacha
Lamb |
Business union – Garment workers |
Positive depiction – Union helps immigrants find better life. |
Secondary |
2022 |
Star Trek: Picard “Watcher” |
Business Union – Information Workers |
Negative depiction – Brynner information Systems trying to prevent an
organizing drive. |
Tertiary |
2022 |
No Return – Wide End |
Guild Unions (multiple) and Solidarity Unions |
Mixed depiction – Some unions are employer dominated (exploit workers,
prevent competition). Others are vehicles for emancipation. |
Secondary |
2022 |
Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy – Sam J. Miller |
Business Union (Boxing) |
Positive depiction – Helps improve lives of working people. |
Primary |
2022 |
City of Lost Chances – Adrian
Tchaikovsky |
Solidarity Union (Manufacturing) |
Positive depiction – Union fights against exploitation |
Secondary |
2023 |
Lockwood & Co S01E04 |
Business Union |
Positive depiction – Exploited workers urged to form union |
Tertiary |
2023 |
The Keeper’s Six – Kate Elliott |
Solidarity Union |
Positive depiction – Protagonist is a union organizer |
Primary |
2023 |
Last Act of the Revolution – Louise Hughes |
Business union (factory workers) |
Positive depiction – Union helps free people from forced labour. |
Secondary |
2023 |
Alloy Cooperative – K.J. Noakes |
Business union (blacksmithing) |
Positive depiction – Union fights against nepotism and ensures fair
distribution of wealth. |
Primary |
2023 |
Not pounded By The Physical
Manifestation of My Own Screenwriting Because I’m On Strike And I Deserve To
Be Compensated For My Labor While Studio CEOs Take Record Salaries – Chuck
Tingle |
Business union (screenwriters) |
Positive depiction – Union fights for fair contract |
Primary |
2023 |
Station Six – S.J. Klapecki |
Business Union |
Positive depiction – Union fights to keep workers employed. |
Primary |
2023 |
One Man’s Treasure – Sarah Pinkser |
Solidarity Union (Magical waste collection) |
Positive depiction – Union helps protect workers from unsafe waste. |
Primary |
2023 |
A Market of Dreams and Destiny – Trip
Galey |
Solidarity union (factory
workers) |
Positive depiction – union works to liberate children from
exploitative labour practices |
Primary |
2023 |
Starter Villain – John Scalzi |
Soldiarity union (dolphins) |
Positive-to-Mixed depiction - Union
leadership and members depicted as antagonistic and obstreperous. But their
grievances have merit. Boss gets to be the 'Hero.' |
Secondary |
2023 |
The
Job At The End Of The World – Ray Nayler |
Business union (first responders) |
Positive – Passing reference to the
union getting fair wages and health benefits. |
Tertiary |
2023 |
For All Mankind S04E01 “Glasnost” |
Business union (construction workers on Mars) |
Negative – Passing reference to a
strike disrupting Mars operations. |
Tertiary |
2023 |
Julia
– Sandra Newman |
Business union (Agricultural and Manufacturing) |
Negative – Unions complicit in the
establishment of abusive totalitarian dictatorship. |
Tertiary |
2023 |
Any Percent –
Andrew Dana Hudson [Short Story] |
Business union (Warehouse) |
Positive – Unions provide solution to
increasing inequality and abuse of workers. |
Primary |
2023 |
Liberty’s Daughter – Naomi Kritzer |
Solidarity union |
Positive – Unions provide solution to
increasing inequality and abuse of workers. |
Primary |
2023 |
Warped State – Jo Miles |
Solidarity union (Several, but chemical workers prominent) |
Positive – Unions provide the only
counterbalance to an evil corporation. |
Primary |
2024 |
Floating Hotel – Grace Curtis |
Business union – Butchers |
Negative – striking workers cause
problems for protagonist |
Tertiary |
2024 |
Warped State – Jo Miles |
Solidarity union – Chemical Workers |
Positive - Unions provide only
counterbalance to evil corporation |
Primary |
2024 |
Club Contago - Eliane Boey |
Business union – Casino |
Positive |
Secondary |
Edmonton-based book club that reads and reviews new books in science fiction in an effort to contribute positively to discussions about Hugo Award nominating and voting. The Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog was established and is maintained by Olav Rokne and Amanda Wakaruk. Most posts are co-authored by Olav and Amanda with input and/or collaboration from other book club members. Guest posts are welcome.
Tuesday 18 December 2018
Organized labour in science fiction
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The following list will be updated over the next few months as we read, watch, and listen to Hugo-eligible works for 2024. These are not nec...
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Organized labour in science fiction LIST AS SORTABLE EXCEL DOCUMENT Additional suggestions are welcome. ...
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Over the past several years, we’ve received DMs and emails from authors and artists asking variations of the question: “How can I lose at th...
I remembered one mention, towards the beginning of "The Kilohertz War," which starts ~24 minutes into part 4 of this War of the Worlds marathon special. Definitely negative, grousing about the technicians' union striking again.
ReplyDeletehttp://clearingthestatic.blogspot.com/2016/10/special-war-of-worlds-marathon-radio.html
That's a great find! Thank you! I will add this!
DeletePerdido Street Station: There's a typo in the title. Also, the description seems odd to me: "Mixed depiction - Crushing of strike provides background for story." Mixed how? Because the workers don't ultimately prevail? I mean... if that's your standard, then the actual non-fictional history of the world is also a negative depiction of labor, because these struggles do not always prevail, and virtually never do when the government is willing to use violence on behalf of management. Miéville is entirely on the workers' side, and he makes a point of showing that the strike is very effective - that's why the government is so afraid of it.
ReplyDelete(The only other "mixed" aspect I can think of is that there's a brief mention of a different union refusing to support the strike, possibly for racial reasons. But again, that is how things sometimes happen in the world, and Miéville does not depict it as an insurmountable obstacle; many of those people do eventually come around.)
Thank you for the feedback. I will edit the list accordingly in the morning.
DeleteAnother one is the Doctor Who story "The Monster of Peladon", which is set on a planet rich in important mineral where the guys who mine the mineral go on strike looking for better wages and conditions. When first broadcast (in 1974) it would have had interesting resonances for the British audience, as the country's coal miners had effectively brought down the government with a strike at the beginning of the year. I have not seen this story myself; from the synopsis the portrayal of the miners union sounds ambiguous but broadly favorable.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monster_of_Peladon
Oh! That is a fantastic suggestion, Ian!
DeleteThank you. I will re-watch that episode, and get it into the list later this week.
If you're looking for examples from the world of children's fantasy, there is an intriguing short piece by Enid Blyton called "The Toys Go On Strike", in which a group of children's toys are so irked by their treatment that they go on strike. The strike is favourably depicted - the children have been behaving badly and the toys achieve their aims by striking (admittedly they do not form a union as such). What is funny about it though is that Blyton finds it hard to hide her raging conservatism - even though the logic of the story tacks one way, she still has to throw her reactionary views into the story. So when one of the toys is suggesting to the others that they go on strike, he says "It's not a very honourable course of action but I think we have no choice".
ReplyDeleteThe book "1985" by Anthony Burgess is half essay about "1984" and other dystopias (or as Burgess calls them "cacotopias"), but the other half is a novella where the main gist is that unions are terrible, and basically are just Uppity Workers trying to get, say, lunch-breaks-during-lunch-breaks and whatnot. (Not an actual example, but similarly ridiculous demands.)
ReplyDeleteAh! Thank you! That's a great addition to the list!
DeleteAlan E. Nourse, "Meeting of the Board" (1955): Future in which unions rule over management until one VP fights back (mixed depiction? - union leadership corrupt, but workers OK if naive). Text available on Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22867/22867-h/22867-h.htm)
ReplyDeleteOh. Good find. Just read it, and have to say that I'd count that as negative. The union is depicted as being so irrational and destructive!
DeleteWhen the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb features garment workers organizing & is a positive depiction!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for including "Club Contango"! The union depicted is a port workers union, fighting gamification of work and replacement with virtual AI replicants.
ReplyDelete