• star_wraith [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Yes, very impoverished. They even have a huge famine. But importantly, it's not because of the economic model, it's very clearly because of the harsh environment they live on. Le Guin talks about how they basically have no trees or animals other than some fish in the oceans, and that stuff is hard to grow there. And what little natural resources they have get shipped off to the other planet in trade (and IIRC Le Guin implies if they didn't trade, they would likely find themselves invaded). I fully expect this TV to find a way to blame the anarchist economic model for the impoverished conditions, not the natural environment.

    • hahafuck [they/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah I think they will fuck it up, you are right. But I think you are recalling Annares overfondly. It is paradise politically by comparison to its mirror (or the Terrans), but the Annaren system is still viewed pretty critically by the main character, who sees it destroy artists and coldly separate lovers, and crush the spirits of misfits. I think the ultimate take of the book is Annares, like Urras, also needs another revolution in conciousness. The journey to change Urras cannot be complete until Annares also changes

      • star_wraith [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Yeah I think the problem is, I'm admittedly very sympathetic to the Anarresti society, and those issues don't particularly bother me. Of course I'm not saying I'm right, just that that's my own bias in reading the book.