One (1953)
David Karp
With a new introduction by Philip Boakes
Book Description
In a dateless future, a seemingly benevolent totalitarian State has eliminated poverty, crime, war, and religious intolerance and brought the happiness of conformity to its people. Professor Burden thinks he too is a loyal citizen, but the Department of Internal Examination discovers that he secretly values his individuality. Believing Burden to be a threat to the continued existence of the State, an examiner named Lark decides to cure him of his heresy and return him to being a normal, productive member of society—by persuasion if possible, but by complete obliteration of his identity if necessary.
First published in 1953, One earned critical comparisons to the great dystopian novels of Orwell and Huxley. It is both a gripping psychological thriller and an indictment of totalitarianism which, as Philip Boakes argues in the new introduction to this edition, is more relevant than ever.
David Karp
With a new introduction by Philip Boakes
Book Description
In a dateless future, a seemingly benevolent totalitarian State has eliminated poverty, crime, war, and religious intolerance and brought the happiness of conformity to its people. Professor Burden thinks he too is a loyal citizen, but the Department of Internal Examination discovers that he secretly values his individuality. Believing Burden to be a threat to the continued existence of the State, an examiner named Lark decides to cure him of his heresy and return him to being a normal, productive member of society—by persuasion if possible, but by complete obliteration of his identity if necessary.
First published in 1953, One earned critical comparisons to the great dystopian novels of Orwell and Huxley. It is both a gripping psychological thriller and an indictment of totalitarianism which, as Philip Boakes argues in the new introduction to this edition, is more relevant than ever.
reviews
“The publishers have bracketed this novel with Darkness at Noon, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World, which I at first thought presumptuous; but now, after reading it, I am inclined to agree.” - Cyril Connolly, The Sunday Times
“[P]erhaps even more terrifying [than Orwell’s 1984].” - Saturday Review
“Compared to it, most of the Utopian writing of this century . . . is mere science fiction.” - The New York Times
“[P]erhaps even more terrifying [than Orwell’s 1984].” - Saturday Review
“Compared to it, most of the Utopian writing of this century . . . is mere science fiction.” - The New York Times
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BOOK DETAILS
ISBN: 1943910855 ISBN-13: 978-1943910854 $34.99 US, 238 pp. Hardcover Published 2017 BOOK DETAILS ISBN: 1943910847 ISBN-13: 978-1943910847 $17.99 US, 238 pp. Trade paper Published 2017 |
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
David Karp was born in Manhattan in 1922. He graduated from City College and served in the Signal Corps during the Second World War. In the 1950s and ’60s, Karp published a number of novels, including mainstream literary works as well as crime and noir novels issued as paperback originals. His biggest success was One (1953), a dystopian tale that critics ranked with Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. Karp was also a prolific writer for television, scripting episodes of popular series like The Untouchables, The Defenders, and Quincy M.E. Karp died in 1999.