Powerless

De: Harry Turtledove

Narrado por: Graham Rowat

In a society where lies are law, a simple act of honesty can become the ultimate rebellion.

When does silent compliance with an oppressive regime become unbearable? For Charlie Simpkins, the manager of a small vegetable shop in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, part of the West Coast People's Democratic Republic, the breaking point comes when he is asked to display a meaningless propaganda poster in his shop window. It is a seemingly insignificant act in a lifetime of obedience. But Charlie just can't bring himself to do it. This minor act of defiance, however, shows too much independent thinking on Charlie's part, setting off a chain of escalating consequences for Charlie and his wife and two children.

In Powerless, Charlie Simpkins's growing disillusionment mirrors the psychological toll experienced by many today as political stress and uncertainty become ever more pervasive. As Charlie seeks out others who share his dissatisfaction, his increasingly deliberate and risky actions symbolize the quiet acts of defiance that offer hope and resistance in a society where the powerful suppress dissent. Powerless serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences that can arise when standing up for one's principles in an environment that demands conformity.

©2025 Harry Turtledove (P)2025 Tantor Media

A inversion

It is subtile at first, but this is a book where the soviets win due to the soviets holding to their ideals and the US falling due to do so instead.

It is the best writing i have every seen from harry, and it is once again a single point of view book, so you really get to see the subtle details leading to an event.