The Unincorporated Man
Encyclopedia
The Unincorporated Man is a science fiction
novel
by Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin, published in 2009.
This work is their first novel of three written by the Kollin brothers and purchased by Tor. See Also The Unincorporated War.
at birth, and spends many years trying to attain control over his or her own life by getting a majority of his or her own shares—a task made all the more difficult given that modern medicine has created extraordinarily long life spans.
’s The Fountainhead
and Robert A. Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land
. Social justice
, freedom and individuality are explored.
from the Libertarian Futurist Society. Listed as a SciFi Essential book by Tor and SyFy
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin, published in 2009.
This work is their first novel of three written by the Kollin brothers and purchased by Tor. See Also The Unincorporated War.
Setting
The Unincorporated Man is a social/political/economic novel that takes place in the utopian/dystopian future, after civilization has fallen into complete economic collapse and been revived. This reborn civilization is one in which every individual is incorporatedIncorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
at birth, and spends many years trying to attain control over his or her own life by getting a majority of his or her own shares—a task made all the more difficult given that modern medicine has created extraordinarily long life spans.
Plot
A successful industrialist named Justin Cord, frozen in secret in the early twenty-first century, is discovered and resurrected in the 24th century. He is given health and a vigorous younger body, as well as the promise of wealth and fame. There's only one problem: He remains the only unincorporated man in the world. Justin cannot accept only part ownership of himself, even if that places him in conflict with a civilization that extends outside the solar system, to the Oort Cloud and beyond.Themes
While starvation and extreme poverty have been eliminated, so have the rights of people to make their own major life decisions. Considered by the authors to be a novel of social transformation in the tradition of Ayn RandAyn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
’s The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and brought her fame and financial success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide....
and Robert A. Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and...
. Social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, freedom and individuality are explored.
Criticism
Some reviewers argue that the book spends too much time extolling the idea of personal incorporation and not enough time criticising it. The book is also criticised for a lack of depth, with the plot and characters' motivations all put in service of explaining the book's primary concept instead of developing in any natural fashion.Acclaim
Won the 2010 Prometheus AwardPrometheus Award
The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society, which also publishes a quarterly journal Prometheus. L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist...
from the Libertarian Futurist Society. Listed as a SciFi Essential book by Tor and SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.