Review

Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy & Utopia

Karin Boye.

Kallocain (1940, Sweden)

Kallocain is a major dystopian novel. Boye was a communist who became disillusioned. Reminiscent of 1984 and also of Yvgene Zamyatin's We, Kallocain is actually more frightening than either. In Kallocain the mind of the "collaborator" -- the willing citizen of a totalitarian state -- is laid bare. His rationales and fears are universalized, and one sees the tyrant in oneself. -- lq, 4/9/2002

LQ's review from amazon.com: "i wouldn't call it "hilarious", for sure, but i definitely agree that Karin Boye has done us a great service in writing this book. Reminiscent of 1984 and also of Yvgeny Zamyatin's WE, KALLOCAIN is actually more frightening than either of those. The mind of the "collaborator," the willing citizen of a totalitarian state, is laid bare; his rationales and fears are thus universalized, and one sees the tyrant in all of us ... "