An inspiration for George Orwell’s 1984 and a precursor to the work of Philip K. Dick and Stanislaw Lem, We is a classic of dystopian science fiction ripe for rediscovery. Written in 1921 by the Russian revolutionary Yevgeny Zamyatin, this story of the thirtieth century is set in the One State, a society where all live for the collective good and individual freedom does not exist. The novel takes the form of the diary of state mathematician D-503, who, to his shock, experiences the most disruptive emotion imaginable: love for another human being.

At once satirical and sobering–and now available in a powerful new modern translation–We speaks to all who have suffered under repression of their personal and artistic freedom.

Praise for We:

"Literary scholars and science fiction enthusiasts have long priveleged We, written between 1919 and 1920, for being the first major dystopian novel. In pioneering this thoroughly 20th century genre, Zamyatin influenced writers like George Orwell, Aldous Huxley (although not directly), and Ayn Rand." — New York Sun

"First published in the Soviet 1920s, Zamyatin's dystopic novel left an indelible watermark on 20th-century culture...."

"Two of the most iconic novels in the English language–Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell–owe an enormous debt to Zamyatin....WE is the ur-text of science-fiction dystopias: it [describes] an Orwellian society almost three decades before Orwell invented his own version"–The Wall Street Journal

“[Zamyatin’s] intuitive grasp of the irrational side of totalitarianism– human sacrifice, cruelty as an end in itself–makes [We] superior to Huxley’s [Brave New World].”
–George Orwell

“One of the greatest novels of the twentieth century.”
–Irving Howe