The 12 Best Libertarian Science Fiction Stories

Science fiction, since the golden age of the short story magazines like Astounding and Analog has always had a libertarian streak.

For a genre all about individuals using technology and reason to survive and thrive in an often hostile universe it’s hard not to come across as fundamentally libertarian (as much as the pinko writers over at TOR try…). libertarian science fiction stories

But with so much sci-fi out there that could be libertarian, what’s actually worth reading and what should you avoid as if it were an unshaven leftist on the sidewalk who’s trying to collect signatures for her petition to raise the minimum wage?

Don’t worry, I’ve put together this list of the absolute best libertarian science fiction stories for your reading pleasure.

Of course, any list of “the best” libertarian sci-fi is going to be inherently subjective, so I’m sure your list will differ slightly (or even not-so-slightly) from mine.

If so there’s just one important thing for us all to remember: your list is wrong, and mine is the only possible correct list of top libertarian science fiction stories.

It’s the same for all the magazines, too.

Read the submission guidelines for print and online science fiction. Preference for anyone from a culture outside the US. Preference for POC/females.

Thematic contests are all tied to leftist agenda items, especially, but not limited to, climate.

Before I decided to hold my fire for a while, I got one of those “you _almost_ made it; try again’ rejections that said “there are always some editors with differing opinions”. I know the writer is *supposed* to have characters that are incidentally minority of some sort where the color/ethnicity/gender/disability are not a focal point, but the writer is expected to display inclusion through characterization.

Heterosexual love/respect for the elderly/_any_ depiction of thuggery per se tied to youth....all of these are frowned upon. The guidelines, official and *understood* are slanted to young, recent college grads or *authentic* autodidacts from the streets. Urban Fantasy or Urban Paranormal Romance are now sub-genres.

It’s difficult enough to keep plots flowing and it is very hard to write characters you have nothing in common with. I decided that, given these constraints, it was time to forget writing for trads or for the small mags. Maybe indie, but been there; done that and the marketing portion is really time consuming and still relies on FB/Twatter.

I _think_ Tor and Baen (not sure if both or which and could be out-of-date info) may still be accepting work outside the PC framework, but they slant to space opera. Vox Day has a publishing house and is adamantly against such artificial demands on authors.

I like ‘Dhalgren’, too. Used to know someone who thought it was utter trash. Sort of miss those arguments. They now live in Santa Monica, so we aren’t in communication. I love Delaney’s use of language and the music he creates, especially the short stories.

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