We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

About

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin is a dystopian novel written in 1920-1921, first published in English in 1924. The story takes place in a future totalitarian society known as the One State, where citizens live in a rigidly controlled environment surrounded by a Green Wall. The protagonist, D-503, is a mathematician and chief engineer of the Integral, a spaceship designed to spread the One State's ideology to other planets. D-503's life is turned upside down when he meets I-330, a mysterious woman who encourages him to question the One State's values. The novel explores themes of individuality, freedom, and the consequences of totalitarianism. Zamyatin critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrial efficiency and the loss of personal identity in a society where people are reduced to numbers. We is a seminal work in the dystopian genre, influencing authors like George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. Its exploration of human nature and societal control remains relevant today, offering a powerful commentary on the dangers of unchecked authority and the importance of individual freedom.