The Good Life

A small group of mortal philosophers call on Athene. She transports them through space and time to Thessaly (later known as Atlantis) where they attempt to create the city outlined in Plato’s Republic. After they’ve organized food, shelter, clothing, artwork (originals not copies), and a schedule of education, the philosophers procure ten thousand and eighty children from slavers. Manual labor is done by a fleet of robot workers.

Thus the experiment begins.

Jo Walton’s The Just City follows Apollo, made mortal, a young girl named Simmea, and Maia, one of the philosophers, from the city’s founding to the arrival of Sokrates. It is Sokrates that encourages the citizens to question if justice is truly being served.

When I set out to complete (!) the challenge by reading a book of historical fiction set before 1900 (“the boring part of history…where nothing happened except people inventing things”), science fiction would not have been my first pick. However, since I trust these folks, I decided to give The Just City a try. And then couldn’t set it down for the next two days.

Since this year started with Miss Piggy and ended with Plato, I’m curious about what 2017 will bring.