The Barbarians: A Positronic Book - Hardcover

Budrys, Algis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1515450767 ISBN 13: 9781515450764

Publisher: Positronic Publishing, 2021

Synopsis

A tense and intelligent science fiction story in which the meaning of "civilization" is tested against fear, power, and survival.

In The Barbarians, Algis Budrys turns a stark speculative premise into a study of perception and moral boundary. When a society confronts what it believes to be a threat from beyond its borders, assumptions harden quickly into doctrine. Yet as events unfold, the distinction between defender and aggressor, culture and chaos, becomes increasingly unstable. Budrys explores not only conflict, but the psychological machinery that makes conflict inevitable.

Written during the formative decades of modern American science fiction, the story reflects Budrys's characteristic emphasis on internal tension over spectacle. Beneath the narrative's outward confrontation lies a probing examination of identity, insecurity, and the fragile structures that define order. Compact and deliberate, The Barbarians exemplifies mid-century speculative fiction at its most thoughtful.

Explore other exciting Positronic Books devoted to classic science fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

About this title

About the Author

Algis Budrys (1931-2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction writer, editor, and critic whose work helped shape mid- to late-twentieth-century speculative fiction. Known for his psychological depth and intellectual rigor, Budrys frequently examined identity, insecurity, and the consequences of technological and social change. His fiction and critical writing established him as one of the most respected voices of his generation within the field.

Edition details

• Publisher: Positronic Publishing
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1515450767
• ISBN 13: 9781515450764
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36