Clans of the Alphane Moon
Clans of the Alphane Moon is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It is based on his 1954 short story "Shell Game", first published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine. War between Earth and insectoid-dominated Alpha III ended over a decade ago. (According to the novel, "Alphane" refers to the nearest star to our own system, Alpha Centauri). Some years after the end of hostilities, Earth intends to secure its now independent colony in the Alphane system, Alpha III M2. As a former satellite-based global psychiatric institution for colonists on other Alphane system worlds unable to cope with the stresses of colonisation, the inhabitants of Alpha III M2 have lived peacefully for years. But, under the pretence of a medical mission, Earth intends to take their colony back.
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- Heh, I was just thinking of Sade in connexion with https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46707062
Have you seen "Clans of the Alphane Moon"? (let the hebrephenics be the saints, the megalomaniacs the politicians, the paranoid the generals, etc.)
As to existential suffering, we must imagine Sisypuss happy: https://i.chzbgr.com/full/5718194432/h98546CBC/furred-world-...
- It's been a while since I read him, but I believe Tolstoy, like Jesus (or for that matter, Brian), was pretty anti-Church. I mentioned him specifically because his justification for anarchism was all the love & peace & everything in common (or at least eye of the needle?) hippy biblical stuff.
The Buddha was also anti-Church, I believe. (and St. Francis was fonder of animals than his fellow clerics?)
There's an excellent conceit in Clans of the Alphane Moon (1964) in which the diagnosable mental disorders have their corresponding roles in society: the paranoid form the military, the narcissists the political class, etc. Hebephrenics provide their religious prophets.
- See also PK Dick, Clans of the Alphane Moon (1964)
- Brilliant! And for forgive me for jumping in to recommend one my all-time Philip K. Dick favorites: Clans of the Alphane Moon, as it features the memorable and adorable Lord Running Clam a telepathic, intelligent and friendly slime mold from Ganymede.
- Quite a few of my faves already mentioned in this thread so let me throw in a couple of relatively lesser-known ones:
And a few easily overlooked ones by Philip K. Dick:- City by Clifford Simak - Everything by M.A.Foster, but Waves and the Transformer Trilogy in particular - You Must Remember Us...? by Leonard Daventry - The Green Man and Other Stories by Rand B. Lee (in particular the story Knight of Shallows) - The Star Wolf series by David Gerrold- Clans of the Alphane Moon - The Game-Players of Titan - Now Wait for Last Year. - Doubtless there'll be lots of strong opinions, and (hopefully, usefully) lots of duplicates that you can then tote up to get a bit of a consensus.
Iain M. Banks - all his Culture books are fantastic, but I'll single out 'Excession' since you seek titles.
Neal Stephenson's 'Anathem'
Stephen Donaldson (most famous for the Thomas Covenant tri-trilogy) wrote a 5-book 'Gap Series'. I have very fond memories of it, though it's been two decades since I read it.
Philip K. Dick wrote a tonne of good stuff (and a bit of meh) but my two favourite are Clans of the Alphane Moon (the first Dick I read), and Valis (a bit more conventional to have on the favourite list)
Ursula Le Guin also has a huge body of excellent work - Left Hand of Darkness, and The Dispossessed are my favourites.
I really loved Roger Zelazny's Lord Of Light, though I understand it's not conventionally considered his best work.
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