In the future, where people won’t have to work due to technological advancements, Janusz Zajdel’s novel “Limes inferior” (Latin: “Lower Boundary”), not translated into English yet – explores a dystopian reality where individuals, bereft of purpose, end up paying to work out of sheer boredom (business opportunity? :-).

Comprehensive Summary of Limes Inferior by Janusz A. Zajdel

Unfortunately, Limes Inferior has not been translated/published into English yet.

Title: Limes Inferior (Latin: “Lower Boundary”)
Author: Janusz A. Zajdel
Written: 1979–1980
First Published: 1982 by Iskry in the “Fantastyka-Przygoda” series.
Subsequent Editions: Published in 1987, 1997, 2007, as an audiobook in 2010, and as an e-book in 2013.

Setting

The story unfolds in Argoland, a seemingly utopian yet dystopian society governed by a technocratic regime. Argoland is meticulously organised into a strict hierarchy, with citizens divided into seven social classes, ranked from class 6 (lowest)to class 0 (highest), based on intelligence test scores. This rigid system determines individuals’ rights, privileges, and access to resources.

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Summary of Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard

Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation (1981) is a seminal postmodern philosophical text that explores how reality, representation, and meaning have collapsed into a system of signs and simulations. It investigates the relationship between symbols, reality, and society in the context of contemporary media culture, arguing that in late capitalist societies, simulations have replaced reality, creating what he calls hyperreality.

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