In Harry Turtledove’s Powerless, the citizens of the West Coast People’s Democratic Republic know their place and they know what’s expected of them. One day, however, one citizen decides not to hang the obligatory Workers of the World, Unite! propaganda poster in his window…and soon, the entire political order is crashing down around him. So, what does this work of alternative history tell us about our own political predicament, and what does it reveal about the dangers of political transitions? This month on Film, Literature and the New World Order, James discusses the Prometheus Award-nominated Powerless with author John C. A. Manley.
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SHOW NOTES
“The Power of the Powerless” by Vaclav Havel
“Tired of Giving Lies a Helping Hand” – A review of Harry Turtledove’s Best Novel finalist Powerless
• Much Ado About Corona: A novel about a baker who refuses to comply https://muchadoaboutcorona.com/
• All the Humans Are Sleeping: A novel about a farmer, a robot and the end of the world https://allthehumansaresleeping.com/
• John C.A. Manley’s Blazing Pine Cone Email Newsletter:https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/
NEXT MONTH: New Atlantis by Francis Bacon
I was thrilled and excited for this very rare live chat with Corbett and guest John C.A. Manley.
The schedule was a little tricky, thought it ended too early, and loved the discussion.
I did read this book, and there were some unanswered questions about the plot and the back story of this alternate timeline.
Luckily for the readers, the author of “Powerless” is still alive.
So I contacted Harry Turtledove’s literary agent. I sent him a nice email asking if Turtledove would be willing to answer questions about his alternative timeline universe…and he said yes.
So I sent him a series of questions.
And he answered all of them.
Here are the answers to questions and comments:
Hi Harry,
Thanks for the response. I have more questions:
5) Is Comrade Mary Ann Hannegan based / inspired on or by an HOA Compliance Officer?
Answer: No. She’s based on a woman I used to know.
6) In the Powerless timeline, Is there a porn industry in the San Fernando Valley?
Answer: Not aboveground.
7) (more of a comment) Considering the current state of California, Charlie Simpkin’s life almost resembles the American Dream in comparison to the reality of most working class people in Southern California. When the book club was in discussion about this book, I remembered that story of Christian Missionaries attempting to minister to a group of Eskimos, warning them about Hell and the Lake of Fire, and the Eskimos asked “A Lake of Fire? How do we get there?”
He’s actually got it pretty good.
He’s got a stay-at-home wife, with two children, an apartment in Canoga Park, ALL on a single salary as a produce manager. And this is supposed to be dystopian?
Answer: He’s in line for a car, in line for a TV, liable to end up in a reeducation camp if he gets out of line…You do you.
8) I’m curious why the story doesn’t lean deeper into the pitfalls of Communism? Sure, the State may cover all your fundamental, basic needs, but what about the Nihilism that comes when the State stagnates people’s lives? More than just alcoholism, but other forms of escapism, like gambling, use of street drugs like heroin, prostitution, obsessions with specific sports (like chess)? Considering that Charlie is moving through this world of a certain class of people, they seem cleaner and free from most of the vices they would probably have. Were you self-censoring for a specific audience?
Answer: Because I don’t like lecturing, basically.
I did not enjoy this book.
But, I appreciate the fact that the author was willing to answer these questions. His answers were a bit curmudgeonly, but what am I going to do? I figured if I sent him a third email I would be pushing my luck, so I stopped asking questions.
I lived in the San Fernando Valley, and all the questions I asked were related to the culture of Southern California.
I thought the characters weren’t very well developed and the women were written like stick figure, paper mache, sketches of the general idea of what a woman might be. But he didn’t seem game for an actual discussion on that. So I dropped it.
But yeah, I didn’t like the book.
Bird
Thank you for doing that.
Mr Turtledove is a very prolific writer best known for his alt history. We think he may have a bunch of clones chained to type writers in his vellar……One of his Cross Time books ( The Gladiator) is set in the same kinda of scenario as powerless, in Communist Italy and the other worlders are subverting communist ideology via introducing Board Games to get folks thinking about other ways of doing things.
Other stuff happens but that was the most interesting idea (For me ) in the story….an aside is that they still have a (Soviet) microstate (san marini IIRC) where folks go to buy black market stuff….the psychology of cops there beating Fk out of people claiming to be KGB on “their” turf stuck me as insightful too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gladiator_(Turtledove_novel)
His “household gods” is also pretty good, he is one of the best for writing prolific numbers of characters while also giving them their own “voice”. His “strange flesh” book , in an America where colonist have to deal with proto humans and mega fauna, is also pretty good. It’s set over a couple of centuries.
I think his books are for a niche audience. A very specific type of person. I don’t think I’m part of his ideal demographic, which is probably why I did not enjoy this book.
But I think it’s great that he does have an audience that appreciates his writing. Good for him. I’m happy people are having a good time.
1) In the “Powerless” alternate timeline, is there an entertainment industry in Southern California?
Answer: 1. Yes. The weather and lighting are too good for there not to be.
2) Did the Golden Age of Hollywood take place? Did they make silent films? Was Rudolph Valentino born and did he become a superstar?
Answer: . One assumes that in a different world the precise films will also be different, especially after the political changes that make this a world not our own.
3) is there an aerospace industry? Do planes exist and are they building them in Southern California? Does Howard Hughes exist? Did the Spruce Goose exist?
Answer: There are airplanes. Space travel, I think, isu defined in this universe. The Soviet Union will not want anyone else making better, more sophisticated machines than it does itself. That would be dangerous.
4) if the entertainment industry does not exist, why are the names of the cities in the San Fernando Valley still consistent with the existence of the entertainment industry (Studio City is still Studio City in the Powerless timeline.)
Answer: (1) answers this. Hope that helps.
Bird
I think the idea of the weather being the reason for an entertainment industry is a bit and wavey of him (but since I am not a well known author I can’t complain;) ) because New York used to have a film industry and that’s not known for its great climate.
Iirc the Hollywood movie industry migrated there to avoid Edison’s patent suits but going far away. Edison was super upset IIRC because he didn’t want people making degenerate crap that the NY Jews wanted to make.
The move was about jurisdiction not climate but I guess that universe could have had an Edison type doing the same thing.
https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/03/thomas-edison-the-unintentional-founder-of-hollywood/
Some pre code movies are super dark and gross, but Hollywood had to clean up its act after the Catholics boycotted them into adopting the film code…..they broke the code with “the pawn broker” and that was the end of that
Super stoked that you posted the recorded version! I wasn’t able to make the livestream but I read the book with the intention of participating in some shape or form. I’m looking forward to watching the discussion. Please keep the book club going, James! Even if there aren’t many people who can make the livestream, I bet there are quite a few people who appreciate the analysis after it’s aired.
I missed it to. Lesson for me is to read the newsletter on the day it is released 🙂
Shows how paranoid I’ve become that I suspected Eichenlode was some kind of “let 100 flowers bloom” hopium psyop to lure dissidents into the open. Eichenlode turning out to be genuine was a real twist for me.
But was he genuine?
I got the feeling he really was not trying to subvert communism or create real democracy or even excessive freedom – just enough to improve state performance. I thought he was trying to do a China and loosen things up enough that things got better. Gorbachev never had any interest in destroying the Soviet Union but things got away from him, just like they did in the book. Luckily the hard liners were not able to. Crack down IRL like they did in the book.
I thought he was just taking on the role of martyr after the fact because he was already thru with the establishment and his one chance of not getting ice picked was to be beloved enough that killing he would cause unrest.
I think you’re right that he was more of a Gorbachev character. But I mean he was genuine in that he wasn’t just there to trick dissidents into putting their heads above the parapet.
Bird,
Hat tip to you for extra effort. Above and beyond . I wish more of that on this country. I chased down a couple a my Congress Critters and the ridiculous responses were just that, ridiculous. You never know untill you try.
Thanks for trying.
Thanks!
For some reason the first set of questions and answers didn’t post, I posted them under my main comment